Tanzania Wildlife and Beach Family Safari

An 11 Day Family Safari to Enjoy the Wildlife and Beaches of Tanzania - From £2,650 Per Person Sharing, Excluding International Flights

Day 1

Upon arrival into Kilimanjaro International Airport you will transfer and meet your internal flight to the Manyara airstrip. From here, you are met by your private driver/guide and private 4x4 vehicle to start your fantastic safari. You head for the famed Ngorongoro Crater. En-route, with your picnic lunch, you enjoy a private overland drive to Lake Manyara National Park, through the wooded pathways that wind between the banks of the shallow Alkaline Soda Water Lake and the impressive rise of the Western stretches of the Great Rift Valley Escarpment. Lake Manyara is a compact game park with no fewer than 5 different vegetation zones including grassy floodplains, groundwater forest, acacia woodland and the rocky base of the escarpment. There are big troops of Olive Baboon, and Blue monkey, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe, and zebra as well as a whole host of smaller animals and the potential excitement of spotting a legendary Lake Manyara tree climbing lion amongst the branches of the sausage trees. Its birdlife is fantastic. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded including White Pelicans, Rose-pink Flamingo, Bee-eaters, and Silvery-cheeked Hornbills. Lake Manyara has streams of fresh water which flows through its porous volcanic rock and also has ancient, crystalline rock that creates impressive waterfalls down the rift valley escarpment. By late afternoon you will experience the impressive rise of the Western stretches of the Great Rift Valley Escarpment before heading to your lodge for the next number of nights very close to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area gate.

Overnight: Plantation Lodge, Standard Room - is situated close to Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks as well as the Ngorongoro Crater, making it an ideal location from where to explore the Tanzania Northern Safari Circuit. Each of the rooms are individually styled. Some have balconies and direct access to well maintained gardens. There is a swimming pool to enjoy during those hot days. The food is freshly cooked, with all of the fruits, vegetables and herbs grown in their own gardens (L/D)

Day 2

We suggest that an early morning start is definitely the order of the day, as you head towards the Ngorongoro Crater and onto the Crater floor to experience this wildlife spectacular, with the world’s densest population if lions and spotted hyena. The crater is one of the few places in Tanzania where you can reliably see black rhino and many old tuskers, who come to spend their retirement peacefully feeding in the Gorigor swamp. Enjoy a picnic lunch at Ngoitokitok Springs; where hippos wallow and Black Kites might nab your lunch! This afternoon you continue your explorations in search of the Big Five that roam the plains of this natural amphitheatre before heading back to the lodge

Overnight: Plantation Lodge, Standard Room (B/L/D)

Day 3

Today, you will head to the northern part of the Serengeti, the famed ‘Mara Triangle’ and the Mara River, an area that borders the Masaai Mara in Kenya. From Plantation Lodge you are driven back to the Manyara airstrip where you catch your internal flight to Kogatende (13:05 – 14:50). Upon your arrival at Kogatende airstrip, you travel to the luxury of Olakira Camp enjoying a shared game drive along the way.

Overnight: Olakira Camp, Luxury Tent – a classic intimate mobile tented camp providing excellent access to the migration. Spacious tents with king-sized beds, private verandas with views over the Serengeti plains and en-suite facilities (B/L/D)

Days 4, 5

The majestic landscape of the northern Serengeti is one of the best kept secrets of Tanzania. Far from the tourist track, this area of open grasslands and riverine woodlands supports some of the densest grazer populations in East Africa. If you are lucky you may get to see the Big 5 (rhinos sometimes cross from Kenya’s Maasai Mara) and its home to lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, large herds of antelope and a host of other wildlife. The stunning Mara River, filled with hippos and crocodiles, cuts through this land and is hosts to one of the greatest spectacles nature has to offer: the dramatic wildebeest crossings of the Mara River. Between mid July and November, the Great Migration typically visits the area and crosses the Mara River back and forth in search of green grass. This area does offer a truly unique safari experience; undisturbed exploration of this majestic part of the Serengeti National Park. During the next couple of days, you will enjoy shared game drives and enjoy the wonderful landscapes and wildlife in the Serengeti National Park.

Overnight: Olakira Camp, Luxury Tent (B/L/D)

Day 6

Time permitting there maybe time for a final morning’s game drive before your transfer back to the Kogatende airstrip with packed lunch in hand, to catch an internal flight via Arusha to Zanzibar (10:15 – 13:45). On arrival you will be met and transferred to the luxury retreat of Matemwe Bungalows where you settle into your rooms, on a full-board basis. Here you can relax on the beach, by the pool or at your hotel and reflect upon the adventures of the last few days, or you can take a day or two to explore more of Zanzibar.

Overnight: Matemwe Main Lodge, Luxury Room – a lovely lodge with access to some great beaches and providing you with the comfort of a honeymoon retreat (B/L/D)

Days 7, 8, 9, 10

You have four full days at leisure to relax on the beach or to explore Zanzibar. Matemwe is lovely intimate beach lodge, surrounded by some of the best beaches on the island. Fantastic diving and snorkelling can be enjoyed around the Mnemba atoll, right opposite Matemwe. The lodge also offers a host of other activities that include: guided reef & village walks, dhow boat trips, kayaking, cycling as well as a range of excursions such as exploring Jozani Forest or visiting Stone Town and its world famous spice tours, and its narrow streets, shops and markets. Experience the colours, the sounds and the spices of the capital and visit the mosques, palaces, shops, and old historic houses. You can learn about its dark history as one of the slave-trading ports of East Africa.

Overnight: Matemwe Main Lodge, Luxury Room (B/L/D)

Day 11

Today you depart the comfort of Matemwe and make your way to the Zanzibar International Airport for your international flight back home (B)