Serengeti Safari – Lake Manyara Safaris and Zanzibar Beach Vacation offers a unique combination: the best of Tanzania’s safari excursions combined with several days of relaxation on the white sand beaches of the exotic spice island of Zanzibar. Along the way, we will visit some of the richest and most unspoiled wildlife areas in the world, including Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, the Olduvai Gorge and the largest unbroken caldera in the world at the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater. In these renowned parks, we will see the raw exuberance of Tanzania’s wildlife amid an incredible diversity of landscapes.

Lake Manyara National Park is famous for its tree-climbing lion, as well as for its elephant, hippo, giraffe and smaller animals. The Serengeti is one of the world’s last great wildlife refuges. Various types of vegetation, including grassy plains, acacia-dotted savannahs, wooded hills and mountains are the backdrop for an extraordinary concentration of animals that reaches its peak during the annual wildebeest migration from Kenya. During the months when the migration passes through the Serengeti, almost 1.5 million wildebeest visit the park during the course of their circuitous 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) route in search of new pastures and watering holes. The Seronera Valley in the Serengeti is famous for its abundance of lion and leopard. Famous Olduvai Gorge where Dr. Louis Leakey discovered the remains of Homo Habilis or "Handy Man." Homo Habilis is regarded as one of mankind's first steps on the ladder of human evolution.

The Ngorongoro Crater often called the “eighth wonder of the world.” This massive caldera is located right in the heart of the “Land of the Maasai” in the Great Rift Valley. More than 5,000 feet (1,600 meters) below the rim, the bottom of the crater (165 square miles, 265 square kilometers) is dotted with watering-holes. The crater floor shelters almost 30,000 animals in an area naturally enclosed by the slopes of the volcano. We will see elephant, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, lion, hyena, hippo, wildebeest and many more of Africa’s most spectacular game animals! We will conclude our tour with several days on the spice island of Zanzibar, famous as the fabled commercial center of East Africa and the last hold-out of the slave trade. Today, Zanzibar combines ancient Islamic ruins and noble Arabic houses with miles of white, sandy, palm-fringed beaches and coves.

The lush island landscapes open to reveal clear blue waters, idyllic off-shore islands, excellent snorkeling and diving reefs and fantastic deep-sea fishing and other water sport venues. Of course, opportunities for enjoyment also await us in the delicious fresh fish and foodstuffs of this spice island paradise. And, if that’s still not enough, we have the option to enjoy visits to the spice plantations, where cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, cardamom and other spices are produced. We will also save a bit of time for haggling for carvings in the Central Market

Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro,Stone Town,Zanzibar safaris for 10 Days

DAY 01: Nairobi to Arusha:
We depart Nairobi and drive south, crossing the border into Tanzania at Namanga and continue to Arusha. This is a pleasant town situated at the base of Mount Meru and is the starting point for your optional excursion to Ngorongoro Crater and/or Serengeti.
We conduct these excursions in locally operated Land Rovers, which are specially adapted for safari use. Depending on which option you choose, you will be away from the Arusha campsite for either one or two nights. (L, D)

DAY 02: Serengeti (Optional)
If you take up the two-night/three day option you will depart Arusha in the morning with your vehicles and guides. The drive to the Serengeti National Park takes us through the Masai town of Mtu Wa Mbu (Mosquito River) and up into the Ngorongoro Reserve for a glimpse of the Ngorongoro Crater before descending down onto the plains of the Serengeti. The abundance of plains game in this area is truly astounding. The afternoon will be spent game viewing before setting up camp in the midst of the national park. With some luck we will be able to listen to the nighttime noises of the wildlife! (B, L, D)

DAY 03: Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater
After a full morning game drive in the Serengeti we will return to pull down camp and head back towards the Ngorongoro. Here we travel up to Ngorongoro Crater’s edge for our campsite for the evening. For those taking the one-night/two day option you will be collected from Arusha today in the afternoon and transferred to the town of Karatu for the evening. Tomorrow we will join the rest of the group for your Ngorongoro game drive. (B, L, D)

DAY 04: Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha
This morning we descend into the Ngorongoro Crater with its 600 metre walls and 20-kilometre width is a natural wonder, and offers a spectacular view from the rim. The true size of this caldera is only appreciated from the floor itself and the abundance of its animal inhabitants becomes apparent. It is home to nearly every species of African animal and offers a chance to view an incredible concentration of East African mammals, such as elephant, rhino, buffalo, hippo, lion, and plain’s game. After spending the full morning in the crater you will return to the campsite near Arusha for another night. Both optional excursions will follow the same schedule today.
(B, L, D)

DAY 05 Arusha to Pangani
We leave Arusha and head towards the warm Indian Ocean. Travelling through the town of Moshi and passing the Usambara Mountains, we encounter vast sisal plantations on our way to Dar es Salaam. (B, L, D)

DAY 06: Pangani to Dar es Salaam
Today is another long days drive through beautiful lush scenery and palm trees. We sent up camp for the night. On arrival in Dar es Salaam, we spend the night at a beach hotel/campsite that is situated to the north of the city, and prepare for our departure to Zanzibar the next morning. (B, L, D)

DAY 07: Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar
A ferry from Dar es Salaam takes us to the "Spice Island", where we will spend three nights on this legendary island. Zanzibar is steeped in history and was one of the major starting points for most East African explorers in their quest for new lands. (B)

Please note: Our crew can organise accommodation for you whilst on Zanzibar, although from our experience our clients have felt the need to explore the island on their own. Therefore accommodation and food is for client’s own account whist on Zanzibar.

DAYS 08 & 09: Zanzibar
History aside, Zanzibar offers a wealth of experiences for the visitor. Today the quiet streets of the old Stone Town still retain their Arabic influence, from the Medina-like shops to the palaces of the Sultans, who founded their vast empires on the spoils of the slave and ivory trade. The island is still famous for its spices, and tours around a spice plantation can be organised. Other options include a trip to the nearby Prison Island with its giant tortoises, and beautiful beaches to enjoy. Or perhaps you would enjoy the opportunity to hire a motorbike and explore the more remote areas of the island.
Zanzibar is a seafood lover’s paradise. Numerous restaurants offer a great variety of the freshest catch from the ocean - giant lobsters being a popular speciality. Alternatively, joining the locals for dinner in the waterfront market is an experience not to be missed. The market stalls offer an unusual selection of fast food African style at a very reasonable cost.

DAY 10: Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam
Leaving Zanzibar, we take the ferry back to the mainland and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania's first city with its colonial buildings and palm-lined port, where we end our safari.