11-Day Tanzania Bush and Beach Safari with Serengeti and Zanzibar

Leave Arusha in the morning and drive to Lake Manyara National Park. Enter through the gate, passing through the cool shade of the groundwater forest before reaching the lakeshore. The park is best known for its tree-climbing lions, but you are more likely to encounter elephants, buffalo, primates, and astounding birdlife. Leave the park in the late afternoon and continue to Kirurumu Tented Lodge. All meals included.

In the morning, depart for Serengeti National Park, passing through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Enjoy a game drive along the vast Serengeti plains, followed by afternoon game viewing in the park's central area. Dinner and overnight stay at Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Lodge.

Spend the day on full-day game drives in the Serengeti, home to the greatest concentration of large mammals on earth. Non-migratory species include large prides of lions, solitary leopards, cheetahs, and graceful impalas. The landscape is characterized by vast stretches of open plains punctuated by kopjes, rock formations that have survived from the pre-Cambrian period, and open woodlands. Dinner and overnight stay at Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Lodge.

Collect your picnic lunch boxes after an early breakfast for another game drive through the central Serengeti until mid-day. After lunch, leave the Serengeti and travel from the famous Serengeti plains to the southern border of Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Arrive in the late afternoon, then have dinner and an overnight stay on top of the crater rim at Rhino Lodge.

After an early morning breakfast, descend 2,000 feet to the crater floor for game viewing through the Lerai Forest with its yellow-barked acacias, searching for giant-tusked elephants, rare black rhinos, and black-maned lions. Ascend the crater wall to the Lake Manyara escarpment for dinner and an overnight stay at Kirurumu Tented Lodge. All meals included.

After breakfast, drive to Tarangire National Park for game viewing in this national park, famous for its giant baobab trees, large herds of elephants, plains game, and predators. Tarangire also boasts a large variety of spectacular birdlife, including endemic species. Leave the park after lunch and drive back to Arusha to Kilimanjaro/Arusha Airport for your flight to Zanzibar.

Arrive at Zanzibar Airport. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the heart of Stone Town, where your hotel is located. Overnight at Al Johari Boutique Hotel (breakfast, lunch & dinner).

Overnight - Stone Town.

This morning, you will be met by your guide and taken on a guided tour of Stone Town and a Spice Tour en route to the eastern beach resort of Kiwengwa. You will have the opportunity to see a spice plantation and learn about the process involved in harvesting these perfumed ingredients that we today take for granted, but which were once as precious as gems or gold, with pirates often cruising the coast and pilfering ships for their precious spice cargo. Lunch will be at your own arrangement. The rest of the day will be at leisure to enjoy the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Dinner and overnight stay at the Sultan Sands Island Resort.

Relax on the beach and spend the next two days at leisure on one of Zanzibar's beautiful white sands, soaking up the sunshine. For those feeling active, there is a wide range of excursions available. Perhaps opt for snorkelling or scuba diving to see the incredible coral reefs teeming with exotic fish and perhaps the odd dolphin in the azure waters.

Other activities in or above the water include fishing, windsurfing, or boat trips. The locals offer traditional dhow cruises, a great way to see the local lifestyle or island-hop to some smaller uninhabited islands. Also consider a day trip to Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, home to the rare Kirk's Red Colobus Monkey, Syke's Monkey, and Ader's Duiker. Overnight at the Sultan Sands Island Resort with all meals included.

This morning, your driver will meet you and drive you to Zanzibar Airport for your flight home. Sadly, our arrangements come to an end. We hope you have enjoyed the magic that is Zanzibar. (Breakfast only)