Tanzania & Zanzibar

Welcome to Tanzania. On arrival into Kilimanjaro Airport, and after passing immigration, customs and baggage, you will be welcomed by a LiNGER representative and privately transferred to Arusha (approx. an hour's drive).

Check in to the Hatari Lodge, your base for the next 2 nights. Stay two nights at Hatari Lodge in One Suite and One Junior Suite (inter-connecting) including all meals.

Settle in to your new surroundings.

Introducing Arusha

Arusha National Park has a wide range of habitats, from the string of crater lakes where many water birds can be observed, through the highland montane forest and up to the imposing summit of Mt. Meru. The interesting geology of the area is reflected in the impressive view of the ash cone and cliff-face leading to the summit of Mt. Meru.

The three main areas found within Arusha National Park are Ngurdoto Crater, the Momela Lakes and the rugged Mt. Meru. Altitudes range from 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) above sea level at Momela to over 4,500 (14,764 feet) meters at the summit of Meru. The Ngurdoto Crater, 20 Kms across and 100 metres deep is surrounded by forest whilst the crater floor is a swampy area. The Momella Lakes, 10 Kms north of Ngurdoto Crater, were formed about ¼ million years ago, perhaps when Mt. Meru exploded and spewed volcanic debris and liquid mud over the surrounding area. The Momela Lakes, like many in the Rift Valley, are alkaline, and Mt. Meru is a mixture of lush forests and bare rocks.

The forests contain a wealth of birds and other animals, such as the beautiful bushbuck which is easily glimpsed in the grades between the ancient cedar trees, or the black and white colobus monkeys climbing along their branches. Other animals found in the park include buffalo, hippo, reedbuck, waterbuck, elephant, giraffe, baboon, bushpig, sykes monkey, vervet monkey, mongoose and warthog. Birdlife includes grebe, African pochard, ibis, heron and egret. Although elephants are uncommon in Arusha National Park, and lions absent altogether, leopards and spotted hyenas may be seen slinking around in the early morning and late afternoon. It is also at dusk and dawn that the veil of cloud on the eastern horizon is most likely to clear, revealing the majestic snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro, only 50km away in the distance. It is however Kilimanjaro's unassuming cousin, Mount Meru - the 5th highest peak in Africa at 4,566 metres (14,990 feet) - that dominates the park's horizon.

Tululusia Waterfall Hike

Meet at approx. 8am in your hotel reception.
Morning walking safari through Arusha National Park to the mesmerising Tululusia Waterfalls. Together with your armed ranger, explore this beautiful rainforest on foot, where you will stumble across a clearing with buffaloes, followed by a swinging troop of colobus monkeys. Upon reaching Tululusia Waterfalls, it's time for a well deserved rest. In drier months, you can dip your feet at the base of the falls for an instant refreshment. Head back to your lodge for lunch.

Afternoon Game Drive - Arusha National Park (Hatari Lodge)

After lunch, enjoy an afternoon game drive in Arusha National Park.

After breakfast at your lodge, meet your driver-guide at 8am.
Depart from Arusha for Tarangire National Park, a drive of approx. 2 hours.

Stay two nights at Honeyguide Tented Camp in Two Standard Tents (One Double and One Triple next to one another) including all meals, drinks, and safari game drives.

Afternoon Game Drive in Tarangire National Park

Head out this afternoon on a safari game drive, including a picnic lunch.

Note – depending on the wind, you may find tstse flies are present in the area so avoid black and blue clothing while on game drives. The park has a beautiful landscape - large baobab trees, as well as good elephant sightings and general game.

Introducing Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park covers an area of 2,600 sq km and is located 118 kms southwest of Arusha. The park offers wonderful panoramas of wide savannah grasslands dotted with open acacia woodland studded with large Baobab trees. The park is a dry season refuge for many migratory animals, that spend many months of the year outside the park on traditional grazing corridors linking Tarangire with other protected areas. Elephants can be seen in herds, along with masses of wildebeest, zebra, eland, hartebeest, buffalo and oryx, who, migrate from the dry Maasai steppe to the gleaming Tarangire River in search of water during the dry season. The river may reduce in size, but always provides some water for these animals who gather in great numbers along its banks. Mobs of elephant are easily encountered in the park, in both wet and dry season. The swamps, are home to hundreds of species of birds. On drier grounds, you can find the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird; the Stocking-thighed ostrich, the world's largest bird; and small parties of Ground hornbills blustering like turkeys.

Full Day Safari Game Drive in Tarangire National Park

Enjoy a full day safari game drive in Tarangire National Park including a picnic lunch.

After breakfast at your Camp, you will be privately transferred, approx. 1.5 - 2 hours to Kuro Airstrip for the flight to Seronera/Serengeti.

Check in for your flight at least one hour prior to departure.

Arrival transfer

On arrival at the airstrip, you will be met by your Driver/Guide and transferred to Kubu Kubu Camp by private car in time for lunch.

Stay Two Nights at Kubu Kubu Tented Camp in Two Standard Tents (One Double and One Twin Family Interconnecting) including all meals, select in-house drinks and beverages, and game drives.

Afternoon Game Drive in the Serengeti

This afternoon, enjoy a game drive in Serengeti National Park.

Introducing Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park is famed for its annual migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson's gazelle join the wildebeest's trek for fresh grazing. Yet even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa: great herds of buffalo, elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant's gazelle. Golden-maned lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowl the southeastern plains. There is more to Serengeti than large mammals. There are over 500 species of birds, and your guide will also introduce you to the small five.

Full Day Safari Game Drive in Serengeti National Park

Witness the magic of Africa from the comfort of your jeep as you head back into the National Park to explore the local ecosystem. Get close up with the animals that call it their home, see predators seek and hunt their prey, and watch herds galloping across the golden plains.

Your guide will take you to the key areas for prime animal viewing, teach you about the tracking techniques, and answer questions on the herds and packs that frequent the area. A picnic lunch is included. (This service is on a private basis.)

Transfer from Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater

Depart the lodge at 8am for the transfer from Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater; a drive of approx. 3 hours.

Game Viewing in the Ngorongoro Crater

Descend into the crater with your guide for a half day of game viewing. Here, you can see a spectacular concentration of wildlife, including the big five. Drive across the dense forest and near to Lake Magadi; a shallow soda lake, often inhabited by a wide variety of birdlife including thousands of flamingos. A picnic lunch is served in a designated picnic site, surrounded by the natural wonders as well as the exceptional wildlife roaming freely.

After lunch, a stop will be made in a local Masai Boma (village), offering an opportunity to learn about the Masai traditions. Continue your drive to Gibbs Farm, which is situated in Karatu Town, a 1 hour drive (approx) from the crater, with spectacular views of the Great Rift Valley.

Stay three nights at Gibbs Farm in Two Standard Cottages (interconnecting) including all meals.

Note – the crater does get busy, especially in August but thanks to its size your guide will seek out quieter areas. Be cautious with any food as the kites (raptors) can be rather fierce and they will swoop down and take food out of your hands with their giant talons!

Introducing Ngorongoro

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is situated 180 km west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands, and boasts a blend of landscapes, wildlife, people and archaeology. The volcanoes, grasslands, waterfalls and mountain forests are home to an abundance of animals and to the Maasai.

Ngorongoro Crater is one of the world's greatest natural spectacles; its magical setting and abundant wildlife never fail to enthral visitors. It borders the Serengeti National Park to the north and west. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, established in 1959, is a pioneering experiment in multiple land use.

Here pastoralism, conservation and tourism co-exist in a carefully managed harmony. The centrepiece of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater which is the world's largest intact volcanic caldera. The Crater floor is a natural sanctuary for thousands of animals and many species of insects and birds. Lush highlands surround the Crater, falling away to the tawny plains and alkaline lakes of the Great Rift Valley.

The four main archaeological sites are: Oldupai Gorge (2 million to 17 000 years ago), Laetoli (3.6 to 2.8 million years ago), Ngorongoro Crater (various proto-historic sites) and Nasera Rock (30 000 BC and more recent).

Note - the main route through Karatu town to Loduare Gate is a tarmac road. The roads and tracks throughout the NCA are not sealed, however most are all-weather roads except for a very few secondary tracks.

Gibbs Farm - Optional Activities

Two days at leisure to enjoy the facilities at the Farm. Optional activities are available as follows:

Rhythm of the Farm activities all complimentary:
- Bird watching
- Vegetable harvesting
- Coffee roasting
- Milking the cows, and feeding the pigs
- Artists in residence
- Afternoon tea
- Tembo fire tales
- Garden sunsets
- Village Walk with a Masai Guide - highly recommended.

Activities at an additional cost:
- Bicycle Tours in Karatu (or for the more adventurous, take a mountain bike day trip to Rhotia)
- Elephant Caves and Waterfall Walk

Depart for Arusha at 2.30pm (around 2.5 hours) with an optional stop over at the Cultural Heritage Centre, shop and art gallery. On a clear day, you will see Mt. Meru standing tall over the city of Arusha.

Arrive at the Arusha Coffee Lodge for lunch amongst the lush green gardens. Afterwards, there may be enough time to visit Shanga, an uplifting local community social enterprise which employs people with disabilities to create unique handmade gifts.

Continue on to Arusha Airport in time for your flight to Zanzibar.

Transfer to Hotel

On arrival at the airport, you will be greeted and transferred, approx. 1.5 hours by private car to your hotel, located on the Eastern side of the Archipelago.

Stay 5 nights at Baraza Resort & Spa in a Two Bedroom Garden View Villa including all meals, in-house alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, afternoon tea, mini bar, use of gym, tennis courts, snorkelling equipment rental, kayaks and reef shoes rental.

Note - An Infrastructure tax of $1 per person per night for all stays in Zanzibar is charged locally.

Introducing Zanzibar

The Zanzibar archipelago is set in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania and is made up of the larger island of Pemba and Unguja (also known as Zanzibar Island). Enjoy views of turquoise-blue waters and tropical white sandy beaches, making it the perfect destination for pure relaxation. Zanzibar has a rich history evident in the World Heritage Site of Stone Town, Zanzibar City’s old quarter, with its beautiful mosques and grand Arab residences. Zanzibar is also known as the ‘Spice Island’, and you can find a range of spices grown on the island’s many plantations.

Days at Leisure at Baraza Resort & Spa

Days at leisure to relax and unwind.

Optional activities available at your resort (payable locally)
- Sailing
- Kite surfing
- Scuba diving
- Be a Master of the ancient game Bao
- Become a Swahili chef
- Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Stone Town
- Explore Jozani Forest, home to the Zanzibari red colobus monkey
- Meet the locals at the local village of Bewjuu
- Coral reef exploration

Transfer to Airport

Pick-up from your hotel at 12 noon. Private transfer to Zanzibar airport for the Auric Air flight by light aircraft to Pemba Island.

Transfer to Hotel

On arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed and privately transferred to The Manta Resort, a drive of approx. 1.5 hours along a bumpy African road (known as the Pemba massage); the drive is all part of the charm and adventure of getting to the very northern tip of Pemba, and you will also get to see a lot of the Island on your way. The route begins in the south of the island heading to the northern most tip, ending in the beautiful, ancient Ngezi forest on a rather bumpy yet scenic dirt road – you will see banana trees, coconut palms, rice paddies and potato patches, clove trees, mango trees and more along the way.

Stay 4 nights at The Manta Resort in Two Superior Garden Rooms (adjacent to one another) including all meals, beverages (including alcoholic), one spa treatment per person per day at Kipepeo Spa, laundry, Wi-Fi, and snorkelling equipment rental.

Introducing Pemba Island

Whereas Zanzibar is the busier island off Tanzania with more action and activities, Pemba Island is a quieter, almost untouched island worth considering as a final stop – with beautiful white sand beaches, snorkelling and diving opportunities, and a lowkey vibe.

Pemba Island - Suggestions

Days at leisure on a Robinson Crusoe style island to enjoy the pristine beaches and untouched surroundings and pure peace.

Optional excursions from the resort include (supplement applies locally):
- sandbank trips
- dhow trips / sunset cruise
- kayaking
- rainforest tour
- Local village and school trip
- Lighthouse walk
- Fishmarket Trips
- Snorkelling and scuba diving

The diving around Pemba Island is breath-taking. The untouched coral reefs surrounding the entire island make Pemba one of the top dive sites in the world.

You will be picked up at your hotel and privately transferred to Pemba airport for the flight to Zanzibar. Connect with your onward international flight home.

Arrival home this morning.