Day 1: Arrive Arusha
You are met on arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport and transferred to your hotel located just a short drive from Arusha town center in the midst of a working coffee farm. Overnight Arusha Coffee Lodge.
Arusha Coffee Lodge
Arusha Coffee Lodge lies cradled in the endless acres of Tanzania’s largest coffee plantation. This exclusive, boutique hotel lodge has been designed around the farms’ original plantation homes, radiating the warmth and invitation of the old colonial plantation homes historically distinctive to the coffee plantations. Accommodation is in 18 plantation houses lavishly furnished, featuring split-level living room area and a private deck patio. Offering every guest amenity and fancy, the Arusha Coffee Lodge is the place to relax and rejuvenate before or after a Tanzanian Safari. Laze around the swimming pool, enjoy a sun-downer at the Safari Bar, unwind after a delectable meal in the lounge with a good drink and a fireside chat.
Day 2: Great Rift Valley
Spend the morning at leisure on the coffee farm. After lunch depart Arusha with your guide and pass through the Maasai Steppe, filled with many picturesque African villages as well as maize, coffee and banana plantations. Turn northwest at the town of Makayuni and continue up through a scenic escarpment that brings you to your lodge, perched on the edge of the Rift Valley with stunning views over the distant Lake Manyara. Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena. All meals.
Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
It would be difficult to find a more dramatic setting than the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge. Situated at the edge of an escarpment, the lodge overlooks both the Great Rift Valley, which formed millions of years ago, and the beautiful soda lake of Manyara. Graceful, curving and free flowing, the main lodge is built in the local circular style and exudes an atmosphere of peacefulness where man and nature co-exist. From the patterns in the reception area resembling bird migration paths, to the soft geometric designs in the bedrooms, there is barely a single straight line in its design. The bar and restaurant offer guests both indoor and outdoor seating at each meal. Sumptuous menus, buffets and barbecues are served to guests alongside authentic African dishes.
Days 3 & 4: Lake Manyara & Serengeti National Parks
This morning descend back into the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park to look for wildlife along the shores of the lake and in the beautiful forest on the lake’s edge. We may see the Manyara lions, well known for their tree climbing habits where they lazily rest up in the branches. Elephant, hippo, giraffe, buffalo and other animals are found here as well as nimble blue monkeys and large family troops of baboons. The bird life is prolific with flamingoes, pelicans, hornbills and plenty of vibrant forest species present. Return to Lake Manyara lodge for lunch before continuing to the Serengeti, passing through villages and herds of cattle on the way.
Spend the next full day discovering this amazing park. Serengeti is perhaps the most impressive wildlife sanctuary in the world. These vast, seemingly unending plains are inhabited during the migration by enormous herds of wildebeest and zebra. The herds attract the attention of predators such as lion, cheetah and hyena. Another interesting feature of Serengeti is the massive granite kopjes, islands of rock standing in a sea of grass. The kopjes provide shelter to a great variety of plants and animals, from the elusive leopard to the tiny dik dik. Overnights at the Serengeti Sopa Lodge. All meals.
Serengeti Sopa Lodge
The lodge is located in the Nyarboro Hills in the south west of the Serengeti National Park. Year round water and the acacia woodland in this area create an ideal environment for the wide variety of wildlife seen in the immediate vicinity of the lodge. The lodge has 79 suites, each with a private lounge and mini bar, bedroom with two queen size beds and ample room for a third, an en suite bathroom with shaver sockets and a private verandah which offers stunning views over the endless plains.
Day 5 & 6: Serengeti National Park, Olduvai Gorge & Ngorongoro Crater
Set through the Serengeti early this morning en route to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area with a picnic lunch, arriving at your lodge in the late afternoon. Overnight Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. All meals.
After breakfast the next day, you descend through the early morning mists and 2,000 feet into the crater. Ngorongoro Crater is the World’s largest intact volcanic caldera, a World Heritage Site and also one of the World’s Seven Natural Wonders. Due to its size and diversity, the crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes and springs, to open grassland and some sandy dunes. It’s an awesome wildlife experience.Overnights Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. All meals.
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Located on the eastern rim of the crater, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge is the only visitor accommodation on this side. It therefore offers guests unique and spectacular views down into the crater floor and of the sunsets over the western horizon. Another major advantage of this location, is that guests can be in the crater within five minutes of leaving the lodge. The 92 rooms are all spacious, comfortable and set below the main lodge, each with excellent views of the forest and crater below.
Day 7: Tarangire National Park
Departing Ngorongoro Crater after breakfast, you head south east en route to Lake Manyara, Mto wa Mbu village and Tarangire beyond. Through the highlands and the Karatu district, you view the scenic wheat plains and coffee plantations here before journeying down the spectacular escarpment where you turn south on to the main Arusha – Dodoma road and into the park. From here to the lodge, you’ll enjoy a game drive en route to your lodge. After lunch and perhaps a swim, the remainder of the afternoon will be spent on a game drive. Overnight Tarangire Sopa Lodge.
Tarangire Sopa Lodge
Tarangire is recognized as one of the best parks on the northern circuit for elephant viewing during the dry season and Tarangire Sopa is ideally placed to experience this. The lodge welcomes guests to its vast marble-floored reception area with cold flannels and iced juice. In the pretty gardens a large circular pool with a central island, a pool bar and elegant wooden loungers demonstrates the lodge's commitment to comfort. Delicious barbecue lunches are often served here. A broad veranda wraps itself around the lodge and gives prime viewing for the waterhole below, which is filled during the dry season and becomes a magnet to wildlife. The rooms at the lodge are simple, comfortable and spacious and arranged in groups of four, in African-style buildings. Large sliding doors open to a private balcony for each room.
Days 8, 9 & 10: Selous Game Reserve
Depart after breakfast and head northeast to Arusha. The journey will pass through the Maasai Steppe filled with many picturesque African villages as well as maize, coffee and banana plantations. After lunch in Arusha, you will be transferred to the airport for the midday flight to the Selous. Upon arrival, you will be met by a guide and transferred to the camp to freshen up. The rest of the afternoon will be spent on a game activity within the reserve. Overnight at Selous Riverside Camp. All meals.
Selous Riverside Camp
Hidden amongst dense forest and on the banks of the Rufiji River, Selous Riverside Safari Camp provides the most breathtaking view as dawn arises and a whole new adventure is about to begin. Overlooking the Rufiji River, Selous Riverside Safari Camp has just ten spacious tents which have been carefully placed to provide privacy and blend into the nature’s surrounding, overlooking the Rufiji River and its hippos and crocodiles. The camp provides comfort but also a feel of arguably the most untouched bush anywhere on the African horizon. Be it a boat safari or a full day game drive, with a pool deck that stretches all the way on to the River, Selous Riverside Safari Camp provides the perfect place to relax and cool off after a long day full of adventure.
Day 11: Stone Town, Zanzibar
After breakfast depart on your last game drive, walking safari or boat trip. Following lunch you will be transferred to the airstrip to connect with the flight to Zanzibar. Upon arrival, you’ll be met and transferred to the Tembo Hotel, decorated in traditional Zanzibari style and looks out over the beautiful Indian Ocean. Overnight at Tembo House. Breakfast.
Tembo House Hotel
Tembo House Hotel is surrounded by similar historic buildings, on the waterfront of Zanzibar Town. It is decorated in traditional Zanzibari style and furnished with lovely antiques. The lounge faces the Indian Ocean, where visitors can watch a continuous stream of trading dhows glide into port. The high ceilings and heavily carved furniture reflect the various cultural influences on Zanzibar. The food and service are both excellent and the hotel has long beach on the front where many like to make use of it for swimming or sunbathing. The clean refreshing water of the swimming pool will cool you up after along sunny day, Other services include laundry services, internet cafe, with wireless internet access and the Bahari Restaurant which offers excellent local as well international cuisine.
Day 12, 13 & 14: Zanzibar
Morning transfer to Mapenzi Beach Club, where you’ll spend the next three nights on a white sandy beach with every sort of activity to partake in. Mapenzi has a reputation for good food, spacious rooms and a vibrant island atmosphere. Overnight at Mapenzi Beach Club. All meals and local drinks.
Mapenzi Beach Club
Set on the East Coast of Zanzibar, Mapenzi Beach Club blends into the natural environment of a long white beach and tropical gardens filled with palms and colorful bougainvillea. Its spacious and comfortable bungalows are charmingly furnished in traditional East African style with all modern conveniences. 87 spacious and comfortable bungalows are furnished in the traditional East African style. Mosquito nets are provided over the bed. Every room is fitted with individual air conditioning system, hairdryer and safe deposit box. A veranda in front of each bungalow offers the perfect place to indulge in a moment of laziness and complete relaxation.
Day 15: Depart
Spend the day at leisure before being transferred to the Zanzibar airport to connect with your departing flight or onward arrangements.
| Land Cost - 2011 |
| Dates |
Per Person Double |
Single Supplement |
| March, November-December 15 |
$5354.00 |
$1212.00 |
| January-February, June-October |
$5640.00 |
$1318.00 |
| Not available April-May due to seasonal camp closures in Selous. |
