10 Day Tanzania & Zanzibar Spices Camping Safari - Africa Adventure Tour
This East Africa safari combines a bush and beach experience, suitable for those who want the adventure of an African safari but would like to enjoy a private room and comfortable bed at the end of each day.
Starting from the Kenyan capital cross the Great Rift Valley and enjoy game viewing in world class wildlife reserves - the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara national parks, before relaxing on Zanzibar - Tanzania's exotic 'spice island' - for sun, sand and the tropical Indian Ocean.
Brief Itinerary
Days 1 & 2: Nairobi, Moshi, Arusha, Lake Manyara Days 3 to 5: Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater Days 6 to 10: Moshi, Zanzibar, Nungwi Beach, Stone TownTour Highlights
- Lake Manyara National Park
- Serengeti National Park
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Zanzibar - Nungwi Beach
- Zanzibar - Stone Town
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Nairobi to Moshi
An early start (07h30) as you are collected from the joining hotel in Nairobi and transferred to your scheduled bus for the journey south across the border into Tanzania. The route taken is the main road from Nairobi to Arusha (Tanzania's main visitor and safari centre) and is on mostly sealed road. The frontier crossing is via the busy Namanga border point where formalities can be time consuming - please be patient as exit/ entry permits/ visas at each side of the border are inspected. Once formalities are completed we continue to Arusha where there may be a short break and change of coach before the final drive (80km) to Moshi. Normal time of arrival in Moshi is at around 16h00. After checking into your hotel, just outside the city itself, the remainder of the day at leisure to relax and settle into the hotel and surrounds. The hotel has mature gardens, an outdoor bar, restaurant, pool, TV room, a small shop and good internet connections. There is also a view of the iconic Mt Kilimanjaro.
Day 2: Arusha, Lake Manyara National Park (B / L / D)
This morning you meet your guide and leave Moshi, driving through Arusha and out across the Rift Valley with its rolling hills and low slung acacia trees. We stop for lunch in the village of Mto Wa Mbu ('Mosquito Creek') , perhaps having some time to browse the market-stalls before entering Lake Manyara National Park. The park contains a beautiful area of tropical jungle and wide grassy floodplain but is dominated by its large alkaline lake which attracts flamingos and other birdlife. A freshwater tributary provides haven for hippo and the park also boasts zebra, antelope, wildebeest and buffalo, baboon as well as lion. We gamedrive the park for most of the afternoon hoping to glimpse some of the four legged (and feathered) 'residents'. With luck we may glimpse the rare klipspringer or dik-dik (a small antelope) or even Manyara's legendary 'tree-climbing' lions which rest in the leafy acacia boughs. As day closes, we leave the park for our nearby campsite.
Days 3 & 4: Serengeti National Park (Bx2 / Lx2 / Dx2)
We continue onto the slopes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and ascend to the crater rim. Admire breath-taking views into the Ngorongoro crater itself as we drive around the rim before descending onto the Serengeti plains and the famed national park, pausing at the Olduvai Gorge where Drs Louis and Mary Leakey made significant discoveries of early man in the 1950s and 60s. Once inside the Serengeti the wide horizons and open plains provide some of Africa's most evocative images and unrivalled game viewing.
The name 'Serengeti' derives from the Masai word 'Siringitu' - 'the place where land moves on forever' and as you drive across the plains you come to understand why the Masai named it thus - expansive grasslands where large herds of zebra, wildebeest and buffalo roam. We overnight at a permanent camp in the park - or occasionally we stay just outside the Ikoma Gate (but still within the Serengeti area), with comfortable fixed tents and bedding. Our camp is the perfect setting to combine comfort with the 'real' Africa. Lying in bed and listening to the sounds of the African night is a truly memorable experience. We spend the following day inside the park. Depending on the time of year and recent sightings, our guide will decide the regions of the park we explore. We return in the evening to our camp for dinner to reflect on our day.
Day 5: Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater (B / L)
Game driving out of the park after breakfast, we return to the Ngorongoro Crater and ascend its outer wall. From the top the views over across the crater floor are awe inspiring. This World Heritage Site is home to an estimated 30,000 animals - most contained within the high crater walls and 22km wide basin. We descend onto the crater floor and spend time game-driving - all of Africa's 'Big Five' (leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo and rhino) are present here, indeed most of the larger mammals (except the giraffe, which cannot cope with the steep crater walls).
Days 6 to 8: Zanzibar - Nungwi Beach (Bx3 / Dx3)
This morning we return across the Rift Valley (gaining another view of Lake Manyara) through Arusha to Moshi and the end of the 'safari' section of the package.
The flight to Zanzibar is not included in the Tour Price and therefore must be organised separately (in advance) by you. Your guide will assist in arranging your transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure.
On arrival in Zanzibar you will be met and transferred (1-2 hours) to your hotel at Nungwi in the north of the island. This area offers wonderful beaches, a beautiful reef a stone's throw from the shore. Your hotel is built beside the beach - the ideal spot from which you can enjoy snorkelling or diving, fresh seafood and some typical Indian Ocean relaxation.
Day 9: Zanzibar - Stone Town (B)
This morning you are transferred to Zanzibar's capital, 'Stone Town' (1-2 hours) to your hotel. Once a trading centre for spices and slaves, as well as base for 19th century explorers such as John Hanning Speke, Richard Burton, Dr David Livingstone and others - Stone Town is a fascinating mix of markets and alleyways, winding cobbled streets and Arab influenced architecture. Time here is at leisure. Explore the town, shop for souvenirs, browse the markets, enjoy the seafood, enjoy being in this, one of the most evocative islands in the Indian Ocean.
Day 10: Stone Town (B)
You have today at leisure until your transfer to the airport for your onward /return travel.
- View more Serengeti Overland Safaris
