Day 1 – Arrival
You will be picked up at the airport of your driver/guide. Together you will plan tomorrow, so that you are ready for tomorrow’s adventures. Tonight you will sleep in a hotel close to the airport en route for tomorrow’s destination.
Day 2 – Drive to Mikumi National Park
You will have an early morning departure from Dar es Salaam to Mikumi, a 4 – 5 hours drive on comfortable tarmac roads. On the way you will enjoy a nice lunch where you can choose between continental or local food. You may use this lunch to get to know more about the food culture of Tanzania.
On your way to Mikumi you pass “baboon valley” a place where you often see baboons close by or at the road while passing. If traffic treated you well, you will be in the park in good time to enjoy a nice afternoon game drive. While the sun sets, you can enjoy a cold drink with the perfect view of the waterhole where the buffaloes enjoy their mud baths and the elephants come to drink.
Day 3 – Mikumi National Park
Today you will be waking up early in the morning to go “hunting” for the predators before they go to sleep, working up an appetite for your solid breakfast. When you wake up, make sure to look out the big window to se what kind of animals are sleeping right outside your bungalow.
A full day game drive in the park which always share its abundant wildlife with the visitors. The savannah inside the park allow your eyes to spot wildlife from a great distance, giving you wonderful pictures either for your camera, or forever embedded in your memory. Many of Mikumi’s animals are used to visitors on two legs or four tyres, so here you’ll have the opportunity to meet species like elephant, giraffe, wildebeest, and antelopes and if lucky, predators like lion and leopard.
During early afternoon we’ll often find the animals hiding and resting, so we’ll have the opportunity of a swim in the pool at the lodge before an afternoon game drive. Even tonight you can enjoy the unforgettable view of the light set waterhole where the animals quietly come for drinking.
Day 4 – Iringa
After breakfast at the lodge, we head to Iringa, one of the main cities of the southern highlands. Here we check in to a Bed and Breakfast hotel, before the driver/guide take you for lunch, and a afternoon visit to Isimila – one of Africa’s most important stone age sites. Here the findings are thousands of stone tools and weapons more than 60.000 years old. Tonight you will be going out for a local dinner in a local bar (if appropriate).
Day 5 – Ruaha National Park
After breakfast at the hotel in Iringa, we drive towards and into the largest national park in Tanzania, Ruaha. More than 20.000 km2, it’s larger, more wild and unspoiled than its more known “little brother” in the north – Serengeti.
An afternoon game drive will make sure you understand the difference between the two very different parks, and their environment. Even the animals are acting differently to the two legged, or four wheeled intruders. Tonight you will enjoy sleep in cottages by the rim of The Great Ruaha River.
Day 6 – Ruaha National Park
Full day of exciting game drive in Ruaha. You will early recognize one of the specialities of this park, its enormous elephants, both in size and in numbers. You will see a lot of hippos and crocodiles along the Great Ruaha River, where we’ll have a picnic lunch.
In the afternoon we leave the park, and head to Tungamalenga, a village some 10 km outside the park. Here we spend the night at the Tungamelenga Lodge and enjoy some traditional dancing at night from the local Wahehe tribe.
Day 7 – Zanzibar
After breakfast you will visit a Maasai village to see some of their culture before starting your one and a half hour plane ride that takes you to the mystic island group Zanzibar. Your guide will pick you up at the airport and take you to get to know Stone Town, visit the Sultan’s Palace, and see the slave market and the dungeons, before going to the Mtoni Marine Hotel for checking in.
You can enjoy a delicious dinner at the hotels restaurant, or some good bites in the hotels sports bar. An evening swim in the pool by the sea side watching the sunset with your refreshing drink from the pool bar is a warm and unforgettable memory. You will enjoy this nice bed and breakfast hotel and their good service for the coming three nights.
Day 8 – Safari Blue
Today you set sail for the wonders of the Indian Ocean, a full day on a dhow, an old Arab sail boat. Most days you can be lucky to get the shy dolphins jumping and playing, raising the boat while escorting you for some time.
Exploring the mangroves with a dug out canoe, exploring the exotic snorkelling paradise and enjoying a delicious lunch with wonders from the sea and exotic fruits are just some of the activities you can enjoy today. When you again reach land you will be taken back to the hotel where you can get some rest.
Day 9 – Swimming with dolphins
After an early solid breakfast you will be taken to the southern part of the island. Another day on the ocean where you will be “hunting” for the big herds of bottle-nosed and humpback dolphins which in the early morning can be found a short boat trop from the shore. Today you will meet the social dolphins and actually get to swim with them, and some are lucky enough to get to play with them. After the dolphin safari you may need to stretch your muscles after your tough exercising before going to lunch.
After lunch you go for a three hour guided tour to Jozani natural forest (it the only natural forest in Zanzibar); which is the home of the rare red colobus monkeys. The smaller trees and shrubs make several sub canopies under the highest canopy. You will walk through the nature trail of the forest, which is a habitat for many species of animals.
In the evening we recommend you to take a short taxi ride to Mercury Bar, named after the rock legend Freddie Mercury. The bar offers a comfortable atmosphere with a fresh breeze from the sea that rolls up on the beach right under your feet, in addition to delicious food and drinks.
Day 10 – Beach paradise at “The Lighthouse Beach Resort”
After checking out of the hotel, you will be transported to the port where you are ready for a two and a half hour by boat to Dar es Salaam. When you reach Dar es Salaam you will be met by one of our drivers that will take you to your new hotel where you will spend the next three days enjoying the beautiful beach, quiet surroundings and the culture of the coast people.
You’ll arrive just in time to check in before the traditional afternoon snack on top of the roof top veranda with a sunset view. A mouth watering dinner will be served in the lighthouse restaurant in the evening. All meals are included.
Day 11 – Beach paradise
The sun will come lurking through your bedroom window some time after six o’clock, reminding you of the beautiful view of the ocean from your bed. After a quiet breakfast, while you watch the ducklings following their mothers habits swimming in the bird-pool, you go down to the 2,5 km long white sandy beach.
In the shadow of the roof made from the local palms you will find some relaxing chairs and sun beds. Enjoy a long walk on the beach to the lagoon, snorkelling over the corrals, sunbathing or exploring the ruins of the old lighthouse from the German colonists. If you are a real beach lover then lunch on the beach would suit you perfectly. The cook will prepare the food of your choice.
Day 12 – Beach paradise
Today we offer you a tour to explore new areas more south, bring a lunch box, or lunch basket with some good food and refreshing drinks, or just enjoy the peace and tranquillity of this wonderful paradise.
Day 13 – Guided tour in Dar es Salaam
Leaving the relaxing beach life to the hectic city life your guided tour take you through town from the fish market, passing the state house and other gems of the city before reaching the textile market and the famous wood carvers market.
Tonight you will stay at Jangwani Seabreeze Hotel which is situated in a small suburb north of the city centre called Mbezi Beach. As the name of the suburb can tell you this is a beach area, and the hotel offers you a nice beach, two swimming pools and lots of activities suitable for all ages. This is a bed and breakfast hotel, but the restaurant is open day and night and has a very reasonable price range.
Day 14 – Departure day
Just relaxing and enjoying the hotel facilities until the time reaches for going to the airport. During the transfer to the airport there is possibility to make some last minute shopping in the supermarket, or stopping at any restaurant for a nice dinner.