Suggested Holiday Itinerary
Summary Of The Route and Costs
For the wildlife-mad family, this safari holiday gives you the chance to explore Tanzania's Northern Circuit with a private driver-guide, taking in 4 different National Parks, before heading to Zanzibar for some R&R at the end of the holiday. If you are looking for a family holiday which gives you some of the best wildlife viewing imaginable, then this is the one for you.
Your wildlife encounters begin as soon as you arrive. Mount Meru Game Lodge is set on a nature sanctuary, and as you fall asleep on your first night in Tanzania, you can listen to the exotic night sounds - a great way to get you into the holiday spirit.
The next morning, you will meet your driver-guide, and your family will be whisked off in your private 4x4 safari vehicle to the Tarangire National Park. A little gem of a Park, Tarangire is renowned for its large herds of elephants, as well as lion, leopard, hyena, buffalo and many antelope species. Two tents link up to make a family unit, and both en-suite bedrooms are connected by a large lounge overlooking a private deck with a plunge pool.
After 2 nights here, you depart to continue your adventure. Stopping first of all at a traditional Maasai boma to meet the people who live here, you then head to Karatu, a small farming community just outside the Ngorongoro Crater main gates. Gibbs Farm is a luxury retreat set on a working organic farm and coffee plantation, and the 2 bedroomed farm house is ideal for families. As you will have a free afternoon here when you arrive, take the time to explore the gardens, the farmyard, the bordering forests or even venture with a guide into the nearby village of Tloma.
On your full day here, head into the Ngorongoro Crater for a full day game drive. Over 30,000 animals live within this enormous natural bowl, the most densely packed concentration of wildlife in Africa. Watch out for wildebeest, elephant, lion, zebra and hyena to name a few of the species that can be found here. The crater is also home to black rhino - a rare sighting in Tanzania! Around the lake you may find flocks of pelican, ibis and flamingos.
Then it is the Serengeti that will keep you amused and busy for the next 3 nights. Probably one of the most famous safari destinations in the world, the vast plains here offer what many people consider to be some of the best game viewing in Africa.
You end your safari adventure at Lake Manyara for one night - and make sure you keep a careful watch on your afternoon game drive here for the elusive tree-climbing lions. Hidden in the leafy trees, spotting them is difficult but very rewarding!
Finally, you end with a few nights on the exotic 'spice island' of Zanzibar. Bluebay Beach Resort has a range of water sports and activities to keep everyone happy, including big game fishing, boat trips and dhow cruises, windsurfing, scuba diving and snorkelling, beach sports, table tennis and pool tables, and even a gym. And while the kids are busy with all this, Mum can head to the spa, situated idyllically on the beach, for a well-deserved and relaxing pampering treatment.
Summary Of The Itinerary
Holiday Title: Safari in Tanzania and Zanzibar Beach Holiday
Countries Visited: Tanzania
Arrive into Kilimanjaro Airport. Go through Immigration, collect your luggage and clear Customs, then make your way to the Arrivals Hall, where you will be met by your transfer driver who will be holding a sign board with your name on it. You will then be transferred to Mount Meru Game Lodge for an overnight stay.
Set in beautiful and tranquil surroundings, the Mount Meru Game Lodge is nestled between the Usa river and a wildlife sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to zebra, ostrich, water buffalo, mongoose, duiker and a wide array of birds and monkeys, including the elusive Colobus monkey. The lodge is also equidistant from the city of Arusha and Kilimanjaro International Airport - each an easy 30 minute drive on good roads.
You will be met after breakfast by your safari driver-guide, and driven to the Tarangire National Park in your private 4x4 safari vehicle, with pop up roof for easy game viewing and photography opportunities. The drive is about 3 hours on a tarred road. You will arrive in time for lunch.
Nimali Tarangire is a hidden gem. Small and intimate, this tented camp nestles under the shade of acacia trees overlooking a dry riverbed bordered by huge and dramatic granite boulders. Nimali Tarangire sits contentedly in its own private concession, bordering the Tarangire National Park. The concession, together with the surrounding Wildlife Management Area, is simply an extension of the Park and offers exclusive game viewing far from the crowds. There are no fences between the concession, the surrounding Wildlife Management Area or the National Park so animals wander freely between these areas.
Tarangire National Park
After lunch, depart on a game drive in the Park. Tarangire is the 6th largest Park in Tanzania and offers unrivalled elephant sightings. Also on game drives you may spot giraffe, waterbuck, impala, warthog, kudu, dik dik, pods of hippo and troops of baboons and vervet monkeys, along with lion, spotted hyena, cheetah and leopard - and last but not least, tree-climbing pythons.
Depart for a full day drive in the Park. The Park takes its name from the Tarangire River that crosses through the Park, and which is the lifeblood for the wildlife that flock here during the dry season months (June to September), making these months splendid for game viewing. Huge herds of antelope, zebra, buffalo and wildebeest amass along the river banks and graze on the Park's fertile plains.
Depart after breakfast and enjoy a visit to one of the surrounding Maasailand Bomas, which offers an insight to the livelihood and culture of the Maasai people. This is a rare opportunity of gaining deeper understanding into the everyday lives of the Maasai, their ways and their fascinating culture.
You will then head to Gibb's Farm in Karatu, arriving in time for a late lunch and a free afternoon. Gibb's Farm imparts a sense of well-being, tranquility and history in a warm, rustic luxury environment. A peaceful sanctuary to rejuvenate the senses while on safari in Tanzania, the farm features cosy, well-appointed cottages and breath-taking scenery. Whether you wish to relax and recharge, explore the diverse natural surroundings or learn more about the local culture and traditions, you have many experiences to choose from during your free afternoon here.
Ngorongoro Crater
Depart after an early breakfast for the 20-30 minute drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Main Gate. Your driver will need to fill in some paperwork, so while you wait for him, you can visit the small information centre. You then drive up the narrow, winding road through magnificent trees and foliage to the crater rim itself - stopping at the view point to take in the most amazing view across the entire crater. The road continues around the Crater rim to the descent road down into the Crater, and within 90 minutes you will be on the crater floor itself. The Ngorongoro Crater is on many peoples bucket list of places to see and visit. This natural wonder is the largest unflooded, intact volcanic caldera in the world. The actual crater is about 20 km across and 600 meters deep, and covers 300 sq km. Within the rim there are an estimated 30,000 animals, making this one of the densest concentration of wildlife within Africa. Stopping for a packed lunch midway through the day, you will explore every inch of the crater floor, before departing tired but happy back to your lodge.
After an early breakfast, you will depart for the long drive to your next safari camp in the Serengeti National Park. You will firstly cross the Ngorongoro Conservation Area - your driver-guide will need to stop to fill in paperwork again at the Main Gate. The drive from here onwards is long, dusty and bumpy, as the roads are not paved - rather they are more corrugated. You will also stop at the Serengeti Gate while your driver completes more paperwork, so you may have time to take the walking trail up the hill to view the surrounding plains. You will then continue with the drive to your camp, arriving in time for a late lunch. If you see anything of interest along the way, your guide will stop so that you can take a photo.
Scenically located in a glade, known as 'the place of the klipspringer', and guarded by 3 million year-old granite towers, the luxury tented Mbuzi Mawe Camp in the Serengeti is unique. Cleverly located on one of the main annual migration corridors for over one million wildebeest, half a million zebras and gazelles, and their accompanying cast of predators it is also located at the very epicentre of one of the world's most famous National Parks.
The Serengeti
Once fully rested, you can go out with your driver-guide to see what wildlife you can spot near the lodge. The Central Serengeti is home to the beautiful Seronera Valley where several rivers run through it enabling many resident animals to thrive year-round. The combination of location and resident prey attracts the largest populations of predators in Africa including lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas. Since many of these carnivores are themselves residents (lions maintain their territories throughout the year), excellent encounters are available year-round regardless of the season.
Depart with a packed lunch box on a full day game drive. The Serengeti is probably one of the most famous safari destinations in the world, and offers what many people consider to be some of the best game viewing in Africa.
Another full day game drive across the Central Serengeti Plains. The Serengeti National Park is a vast rolling plain whose sparse vegetation allows for some of the best wildlife viewing in the world. The annual migration of wildebeest and zebra is one of the Park's great attractions, but throughout the year the Serengeti is excellent for seeing predators such as lion, leopard and cheetah, along with elephant, giraffe, hyena, hippo, rhino, and many varieties of antelopes and birds.
You will depart after an early breakfast for the drive back down through the Serengeti and across the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the Main Gate - the drive is on 'corrugated' roads again most of the way - so another bumpy, dusty and long drive. Once through the gate, the road is tarred and it will take a further hour from here to reach Lake Manyara. You will arrive at your lodge in time for a late lunch.
Standing high on the edge of a towering terracotta escarpment with panoramic views over the glittering alkaline waters of Lake Manyara, Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge offers a unique blend of safari opportunities, peace and tranquillity, and wildlife discovery.
Lake Manyara
Depart after lunch for a drive in the Lake Manyara National Park. The Park is renowned for its excellent bird-watching opportunities in general, as more than 400 different bird species have been recorded. Other wildlife includes elephant, buffalo, cheetah, hippo, Masai giraffe, wildebeest, impala, zebra, warthogs, large troops of baboons, and the legendary but rarely seen tree-climbing lions.
After breakfast, you will depart for the drive back to Arusha, where you will have lunch before being taken to Arusha Airport, where you will check in for your afternoon flight across to Zanzibar.
Tropical Air Seat in Plane Rate (Economy Class): Fly from Arusha (ARK) to Zanzibar (ZNZ) - arrival and departure times to be confirmed
Once you have collected your luggage, make your way out of the Arrivals Hall, where you will be met outside by your driver holding a sign with your name - there is normally a mass of drivers waiting so be prepared to search for the right sign board. You will then transferred to your beach hotel.
Bluebay Beach Resort & Spa is situated on the finest white, sandy beach on the east coast of the island of Zanzibar. Set in 30 acres of tropical gardens with over 1,000 palm trees, the resort offers excellent accommodation, fine wining and dining, a host of sports and leisure facilities, the famous Oasis Spa, and award-winning service.
You will need to check out of your room this morning but you can remain at the hotel and use all the facilities until you are collected for your transfer back to the airport. Alternatively, if you have an evening flight, the hotel may be able to arrange a late check out for you (additional cost and payable directly to the hotel) subject to the availability of the room.
Example Cost
Holiday Title: Safari in Tanzania and Zanzibar Beach Holiday
Holiday Destination: Holiday to Tanzania for 14 nights
Passengers: 2 Adults and 2 Children
Example Cost for 2 Adults and 2 Children: * per person sharing.
*Excludes international flights from your home country - please ask us if you would like us to include these for you.
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