Tanzania wildlife & beach holiday
| country: | Tanzania, Zanzibar |
| departures: | Available throughout the year on a tailor made basis. |
| price: | From £2432 (15 days) per adult and £2020 per child (under 12) excluding flights, based on a family of 4 people. Price includes accommodation, transfers, park fees, safari and other excursions. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Tanzania wildlife & beach holiday
This itinerary has been carefully designed to sample some of the incredible contrasts of Tanzania – from the lushly forested Usambara Mountains to the exotic palm-fringed beaches of Zanzibar.
Begin your holiday relaxing and walking around the tranquil Usambara Mountains, exploring their rich biodiversity. Enjoy the company and knowledge of the local villagers as they guide you on a walk up to the Irente Viewpoint from where there are spectacular views over the Maasai plains more than 1000m below. You then move on to Arusha, to begin a 4 day private safari covering the Tarangire National Park, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. You will have a highly knowledgeable local Tanzanian safari guide accompanying you on these days to help you make the most of the incredible landscapes and diverse wildlife that you will encounter. Amongst many others, you can hope to spot lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffe, hippo, zebra and if you are lucky perhaps even black rhino and leopards.
Following safari, you will fly to Zanzibar, and spend a few nights in exotic Stone Town. Guide yourself through the maze of narrow streets and you will find something fascinating around every corner – from the old slave market to the former palace of the Sultan. Enjoy a trip to Jozani forest where you can watch the rare red colubus monkeys playing in the trees. The itinerary ends with a few days relaxing on the east coast of Zanzibar, enjoying the exquisite white palm-fringed beaches and clear turquoise sea.
Begin your holiday relaxing and walking around the tranquil Usambara Mountains, exploring their rich biodiversity. Enjoy the company and knowledge of the local villagers as they guide you on a walk up to the Irente Viewpoint from where there are spectacular views over the Maasai plains more than 1000m below. You then move on to Arusha, to begin a 4 day private safari covering the Tarangire National Park, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. You will have a highly knowledgeable local Tanzanian safari guide accompanying you on these days to help you make the most of the incredible landscapes and diverse wildlife that you will encounter. Amongst many others, you can hope to spot lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffe, hippo, zebra and if you are lucky perhaps even black rhino and leopards.
Following safari, you will fly to Zanzibar, and spend a few nights in exotic Stone Town. Guide yourself through the maze of narrow streets and you will find something fascinating around every corner – from the old slave market to the former palace of the Sultan. Enjoy a trip to Jozani forest where you can watch the rare red colubus monkeys playing in the trees. The itinerary ends with a few days relaxing on the east coast of Zanzibar, enjoying the exquisite white palm-fringed beaches and clear turquoise sea.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Transfer by luxury coach and 4x4 vehicle from Dar-es-Salaam to the Usambara Mountains and checking into Mullers Lodge (FB basis). Mullers Lodge is located approximately 20 km outside Lushoto in the Western Usambara Mountains. This spacious, colonial-era farmhouse is perched on a beautiful green hillside, a most relaxing and peaceful retreat. Anna, your host, will make you feel at home in their cosy and comfortable facilities. Overnight Mullers Lodge (full board) |
| Day 2: | Mullers Lodge is very near the Magamba Forest Reserve, where you can enjoy nature walks ranging from 2 to 10 hours. Some of the more popular walks are the Waterfall, River Loop, and Mountain Top and Grant’s Loop walk. The area is well known for it’s rich bird life, so get your binoculars out! Overnight stay in Mullers Lodge (FB basis). |
| Day 3: | A nature walk to Irente viewpoint, part of Tanzania’s cultural tourism programme - entirely run by local people. The proceeds are invested in improvement of farming and irrigation systems to raise the local standard of living. Irente viewpoint, reached after couple of hours, provides spectacular views over Maasai plains almost 1000m below. On the way back you will visit Irente Farm for a lovely homemade lunch. Overnight stay in Mullers Lodge (FB basis). |
| Day 4: | Transfer by 4x4 and luxury coach from Usambara Mountains to Arusha and checking into Karama Lodge, a small family run lodge with ensuite, cosy garden bungalows, famous for their evening buffet.. Overnight stay in Karama Lodge (HB basis). |
| Day 5: | Transfer to Tarangire National Park, known for its vast number of baobab trees and permanent waters of Tarangire River. The latter ensures its high biodiversity all year round, e.g. huge herds of wildebeest, zebras, and elephants. Overnight camping at public campsite (FB basis). |
| Day 6-7: | Transfer by 4x4 vehicle to the legendary Serengeti National Park. Serengeti in Maasai language means ‘endless plain’, which is probably the best description for this flat plateau covered in extensive grasslands, interspersed with rocky outcrops called ‘kopjes’. The Serengeti is best known for wildebeest migration, however large herds of elephants, zebras, giraffes, buffalos, impalas and antelopes can be seen all year round. It is also celebrated for its lions, cheetahs, hippos, crocodiles, large birds (e.g. ostrich) and little birds (e.g. superb starling). Day 7 camping in Serengeti and day 8 transfer to Ngorongoro Crater and camping on Crater rim (both FB basis). |
| Day 8: | Early morning, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, a spectacular caldera (inward collapsed volcano) with a diameter of 19 km and a depth of 600 m. It houses a great number of animals, including wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, buffalos, elephants, lions, hippos, a large flock of lesser flamingos and last but not least black rhinos (max of 6 hours allowed in Crater). Transfer to Arusha and overnight stay in Karama Lodge (HB basis). |
| Day 9: | Flight from Arusha to Zanzibar - offering palm fringed white beaches, pristine coral reefs and a colourful history believed to go back 2,000 years. It has always had powerful trading links with Arabia and Persia, providing a gateway for amongst others slaves, gold, ivory, wood, spices, glass and textiles. In Stone Town, you will check into a hotel with the feel of a traditional Zanzibarian house, conveniently located for exploring the labyrinth of narrow streets. Visit the Beit el Ajaib (formerly Sultan’s palace), the Old Fort, the Anglican Cathedral and Old Slave Market and you get a real taste of Stone Town’s exotic history.Overnight stay in Tembo House (or equivalent, B&B basis). |
| Day 10: | Day trip to Jozani forest - home of the Red Colobus monkey - only found on Zanzibar. Jozani has an excellent nature trail to discover the impressive flora and fauna of this island. Some time left in afternoon to further explore Stone Town and maybe try Forodhani Gardens for an infamous Zanzibar pizza. Overnight stay in Tembo House (or equivalent, B&B basis). |
| Day 11: | Transfer to the East coast with a spice tour along the way. Zanzibar is famous after all for its cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices. The trip will be lead by Mr. Madawa, a well-known herbalist, who can introduce you to a variety of spices and their uses in cooking and cosmetics. On the East coast you will check into Shooting Star Inn, an intimate & relaxed family run hotel. The bungalows are built to a high standard in traditional Zanzibari style with white lime washed walls, high-beamed ceilings and large windows. Overnight stay at Shooting Star – Sea View Cottage (HB basis). |
| Day 12-14: | Just indulge and relax under a coconut palm on Kiwengwa beach with spectacular views across the coral reefs and the azure Indian Ocean beyond. Try a bit of snorkelling or diving on Shooting Star house reef. Overnight stay at Shooting Star – Sea View Cottage (HB basis). |
| Day 15: | Last day on Spice Island Early morning pick up for return flight to Dar in time for your connection home. |
traveller reviews for Tanzania wildlife & beach holiday
Going on Safari in Selous and Ruaha were the highlights. Going on a walking Safari was excellent, especially as I came face to face (15ft) with a large male lion.
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don't leave it too late!
Please note that due to the nature of tailor-made trips to Sub-Saharan Africa we need at least 14 days between time of booking and departure. This time is essential for you to sort out passport, visa and health requirements and for us to make all the necessary holiday arrangements.how this holiday makes a difference
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The Irente viewpoint walk is one of Tanzania's 'Cultural Tourism Programmes', a programme that is run entirely by local people. All proceeds go to the local communities, either through wages or community project fees. The proceeds from the Irente Viewpoint walk are invested in the improvement of the farming and irrigation systems to help raise the local standard of living. The accommodation used are all small-scale hotels and are important employers providing jobs for local people. They all buy their food and supplies locally to help the surrounding communities benefit economically from tourism.
The safari company that is used by us is owned and run, for over 15 years, by a Tanzanian couple only employing Tanzanian guides, drivers & cooks. All food is bought locally. For the non-safari days, we have made a Tanzanian tour guide available. On Zanzibar the day-trips are operated by Eco & Culture – an non-profit NGO which is working to foster sustainable economic development on Zanzibar and to protect the environment. For all of our tours we provide customers with an itinerary specific responsible travel guide aprox 4 weeks before they depart. This includes a generic travellers code of conduct which emphasises basic responsible travel advice – e.g. reduction of waste and consumption of natural resources, purchase local produce where possible etc. Our holidays are specifically designed to bring guests into direct contact with locals from a range of different tribes and cultures across Africa. We also therefore provide destination specific guidance including advice on local customs and some key phrases in certain languages (e.g. Swahili). We also offer guidance on how to barter responsibly for local curios and what curios should be avoided (e.g. certain wildlife artefacts such as coral, turtle shells etc.). As all of our guides and groundhandlers are local we also give guidance on what a fair and reasonable level of tipping would be at the end of the holiday. We support the work of Tourism Concern both in distributing their advice to customers and as an active participant in the Ethical Tour Operators Group. Our managing director sits on this group and is a regular attendee of meetings contributing to work towards developing industry wide fair trade standards. We also distribute materials to customers and make periodic donations for the following charities: Tree Aid; International Fund for Wildlife and Survival International Trust. In Southern Africa we support the Southern Africa Sustainable Seafood Initiative and forward their guidance to all customers on which seafood is sustainable when offered a choice at restaurants. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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