Tanzania

We depart for Kilimanjaro, with a change of planes in Amsterdam.

We arrive in Kilimanjaro in the evening and transfer to our hotel.

This morning our first stop is at Arusha Coffee Plantation for an educational tour and lunch. We then drive to Lake Manyara National Park where our lodge is situated on the edge of the Mto Wa Mbu escarpment, overlooking the Great Rift Valley and stunning Manyara soda lake. The wall of the Rift Valley forms a fantastic backdrop to the park and its forest, open grassland, swamp, and lake. Wildlife includes baboons, impala, giraffe, hippo, elephants, buffalo, the elusive leopard, and blue and vervet monkeys. The lions here have honed their tree-climbing skills. Manyara is also noted for its incredible bird life.

This morning we enjoy a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, home to a variety of primates and other wildlife. The extraordinary birdlife has made this place world-renowned among ornithologists, who come to observe the masses of pink flamingos and great birds of prey. Afternoon at leisure.

This morning we depart for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ngorongoro Crater. Our lodge is perched atop the uppermost rim of the crater and offers breathtaking views of the crater floor far below. The 260 square kilometres of this collapsed volcano is 26 kilometres across and 600 metres deep. This afternoon we visit a Masaai village.

We descend into the crater for a full-day game drive. This is the world’s largest intact caldera, the floor of which is primarily grassland with freshwater ponds, a salt lake and small forests. It harbours 20,000 large animals—a virtual Noah’s Ark! Buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle graze the grassland, while elephants roam the wooded areas and hippos gather in the marshes and ponds. Lions, spotted hyenas, and jackals are easy to spot. Resident ostriches, crowned cranes, and kori bustards are joined seasonally by other migrating birds. We descend into the crater for a full-day game drive. This is the world’s largest intact caldera, the floor of which is primarily grassland with freshwater ponds, a salt lake and small forests. It harbours 20,000 large animals—a virtual Noah’s Ark! Buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle graze the grassland, while elephants roam the wooded areas and hippos gather in the marshes and ponds. Lions, spotted hyenas, and jackals are easy to spot. Resident ostriches, crowned cranes, and kori bustards are joined seasonally by other migrating birds.

This morning we enjoy a special Bush Breakfast in the crater, followed by some more game viewing. We return to the lodge for a late lunch and the remainder of the day at leisure.

After breakfast we drive into the seemingly endless plains of Serengeti National Park. The National Park here, considered the finest in Africa, has spectacular concentrations of migrating game.

We enjoy two days of safari in the Serengeti. Travelling through this unique conservation area provides a spectacular game-viewing experience. We take our game drives in the early morning to catch the animals as they start their day and again in the evening to spot the nocturnal beasts that are beginning their prowl.

We enjoy two days of safari in the Serengeti. Travelling through this unique conservation area provides a spectacular game-viewing experience. We take our game drives in the early morning to catch the animals as they start their day and again in the evening to spot the nocturnal beasts that are beginning their prowl.

We board our plane to the island of Zanzibar. Upon arrival, we transfer to the beautiful oceanfront Serena Hotel in Stone Town.

We have a morning city tour of historic Stone Town and later visit a spice farm for an educational tour

A day at leisure to enjoy the white sandy beach, or explore this amazing town. Tonight is our Farewell Dinner.

At leisure at our resort hotel, with late check-out, until we fly back to mainland Tanzania to connect with our international flight home.

We fly home via Amsterdam.