Family Safari Holiday In Tanzania & Zanzibar Island Stay

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Swimming available

Our adventure begins this morning as we drive toward the Great Rift Valley, one of the continent’s most geologically important features. Today we drive to its western escarpment and the dramatic setting of Lake Manyara, a shallow soda lake that abounds with prolific populations of birds, hippos and elephants. Despite being one of Tanzania’s smallest parks its incredible diversity has earned it status as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and much of the 360 sq km of parkland is taken up with water, affording a spectacular variety of habitats along the shoreline for a dazzling concentration of animal and birdlife. The algae rich waters of the lake attract huge flocks of flamingos, while the rich vegetation and cooling pools attract elephant, hippo and buffalo in large numbers. Antelope, zebra, giraffe and baboons also graze along the lakeshore and the rare sight of tree-climbing lions has also been seen in the park sharing the branches with some of the 380 recorded species of birds found here. We enjoy an afternoon game drive in this most majestic of settings.

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Swimming available

Today we have a long but rewarding journey into the world famous Serengeti National Park. The scenery and views are spectacular as we transit through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, finally entering the Serengeti at Naabi Hill Gate. Serengeti is the Maasai name that means “the endless grass plains” and it is through these plains interspersed with granite outcrops that we travel to our campsite. Keeping a close eye out for the abundant game that makes this one of Africa’s most spectacular wildlife areas, as we head to our camp in the Seronera area.

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Covering some 15,000 sq km the Serengeti is the oldest and largest park in Tanzania. It is on these plains that we focus most of our attention over the next two days as we take early morning and late afternoon game drives in search of the ‘Big 4’ and so much more. Our exact movements are dependent upon the location and concentration of wildlife. We may head to the Retima Hippo Pool, the Moru Kopjies or perhaps the Seronera River area in search of leopard and lion. Cheetahs are often seen out on the Serengeti plains and during the annual migration hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra move north-westward, covering some 800 km from the central plains through the park’s ‘long corridor’, towards richer grazing lands and fresh water. These spectacular journeys are often fraught with danger as their long trek invariably draws the attention of the everpresent predators – lion, leopard, hyena and crocodile. This is nature in its rawest sense, where the struggle for survival is played out daily across these expansive plains. Depending on the weather, there may be the possibility to take an unforgettable optional early morning balloon safari today, allowing you to see the Serengeti from a completely unique and different perspective. This can be pre-booked direct with the supplier before departure to guarantee a place. (Please see details below)

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we will spend our time exploring the National park on game drives

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We’ll make one last early morning game drive as we retrace our route through the short grass plains and enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area at Naabi Hill Gate. Passing several Maasai homesteads, called bomas en route, we arrive at Olduvai Gorge. It was here in this deep gorge where, in 1959, anthropologists Dr and Mrs Leakey discovered the remains of an almost intact human skull that was eventually discovered to be 1.75 million years old. Named ‘Nutcracker Man’ on account of its powerful jaw, this incredible discovery proved to be an important milestone in the search for human evolution, only being eclipsed when even older finds were later made in Ethiopia and Laetoli. With all the important discoveries made here, this part of Africa is known as “The Cradle of Mankind”. Accompanied by a local guide we visit Olduvai Gorge Visitor Centre and Museum overlooking the gorge itself, to learn something more of this fascinating discovery. To the south east of Olduvai lies the huge bowl-like crater of Ngorongoro, a spectacular, almost circular, depression of some 20 kilometres diameter. Technically classed as a caldera, the crater owes its existence to the violent fracturing of the Rift Valley over a period of some 25 million years. At one time a volcano occupied this spot, until it became extinct and finally collapsed into the empty magma chamber below, leaving only the gigantic natural basin that we see today.This evening we will watch the sun setting over the rim of the crater from our campsite.

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This incredible natural amphitheatre presents us with the perfect setting for some remarkable game viewing and this morning we enter the caldera in search of big game. Not that we have to look far, as this setting provides a rich haven for herbivores and carnivores alike. The open plains thunder beneath the hooves of countless zebra, buffalo, black rhino and antelope, whilst predators like lion, hyena and cheetah thrive amidst this plentiful open-air buffet, and all against a stunning backdrop of dramatic cliffs and lush vegetation that present the perfect photo opportunities. After our morning’s safari we head to Karatu were we stay overnight.

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we may have the opportunity of visiting a village orphanage in Mto Wa Mbu before returning to Arusha for our onward flight to Zanzibar. The exotic spice island of Zanzibar, a land of sun-kissed beaches, Arabian dhows and swaying palms, where the rich smell of spice in Stone Town’s old quarter mingles with colonial and Arabic architecture to create a perfect getaway island. Zanzibar’s glorious scenery, fascinating culture and remarkable history makes any visit to the island a captivating experience, with beaches and reefs to explore, plantations to wander through and a rich history of conquests, slavery and pirates to investigate.

Overnight Resort (H++) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch Swimming available

Today we take a walking tour of Zanzibar’s ancient capital of Stone Town. We meander through a landscape of labyrinthine alleys and white washed houses, where the pungent aroma of coffee and spices permeate the town and the backstreets are filled with a cacophony of noise and colour. Much of the town was built on the back of trade and slavery, which at its height saw some 60,000 unfortunate souls processed through these narrow streets, to be shipped off to the far lands of Arabia, India and the overseas colonies of the European powers. The town still retains the feel of its Arab roots, many of the existing buildings dating back to the reign of Sultan Barghash in the 19th century. The end of the slave trade and a devastating cyclone saw the end of Zanzibar’s heyday. The island passed from Arab to British to African hands over the intervening years and neglect followed, until Stone Town’s inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage Listings saw a return to something of its previous glory. Those who wish to learn something of Zanzibar’s rich history, visit the Sultan’s palace and see clove plantations established by the Sultan in the 19th century can take an optional ‘Spice Tour’ of the island, (including lunch).

Overnight Resort (H++) Included meals: Breakfast Swimming available

Today we drive to Zanzibar’s north coast an enchanting community of fishing vessels, coral reefs and wild beauty. Travelling via the Jozani Forest Reserve we stop to view this protected area of indigenous forest that once flourished across the island. A diversity of habitats, from mangroves and salt-tolerant grasslands, to swamp forest and evergreens has created an area that supports a rich variety of rich that includes bushpigs, elephant shrews, chameleons and the four fingered red colobus monkeys. There will be an opportunity whilst you are here to take an excursion to view the Red Colobus Monkeys. They are a species endemic to the area and separated by the Indian Ocean. The 10,000 years of separation from its nearest relatives on the mainland have resulted in a population very different from Tanzanian troops, in habits, calls and colour. From here we continue to Nungwi where the rest of the afternoon is free to explore , or just relax on the beach.

Overnight Bungalow/Chalet (H+) Included meals: Breakfast Swimming available

Our final day on the island has been left free for optional activities. It’s easy to spend time watching the fishermen bringing in their catch. Stroll along the beach admiring the idyllic vistas, or venture out by boat onto the colourful offshore reefs with mask and snorkel. The rich seas around the island teem with a colourful array of tropical fish and marine life, everything from sharks and turtles to tiny bright damsel fish. For anyone qualified these waters also present fabulous opportunities to scuba dive.

Overnight Bungalow/Chalet (H+) Included meals: Breakfast Swimming available

Included meals: Breakfast