Great Migration & beach holiday
- Duration:14 Days
- Destinations:Arusha,Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar.
Highlight
A Great Migration & Beach holiday in Tanzania is hard to beat with the Serengeti being the setting of the largest herd movement of animals on the planet and Zanzibar offering some of the best tropical beaches in the world. Enjoy the endless savannah plains, overwhelming wildlife, wildebeest calves being born, breathtaking sunsets and the sound of the Indian Ocean that gently rolls onto the white beaches. This itinerary is best from December to April.
Day 1: Arrival – Arusha
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro airport, you will be met by your driver and transferred to the African Tulip Hotel in Arusha for dinner and overnight. Settle into your accommodation, ready to start your safari proper in the morning.
Day 2: Tarangire National park
After breakfast, you drive to Tarangire National Park where your safari starts. This lovely park boasts the largest concentrations of elephants in the world and the highest number of breeding bird species. Especially during the dry season, Tarangire National park is packed with wildlife. Big cats like lions, cheetahs and leopards, but also the seldom seen Kudu, Oryx and Gerenuk. If you are lucky you can even spot the tree-climbing python. After dinner at the Tarangire Safari Lodge you will depart for 2 hours of night game drive to look for nocturnal animals that are never seen in day time, like aardvarks, porcupine’s bush babies and others. Return to Tarangire Safari Lodge for overnight.
Day 3: Lake Manyara National Park
Today starts, after breakfast, with a walking tour in farming town Mto wa Mbu. This village is unique in Tanzania since it is home to over 120 different tribes from across Africa and forms a colorful mix of languages and customs. Your walking guide will take you to rice and banana plantations, a local beer factory, a school and a carving factory. Discover the traditional way of life of the villagers. Continue to Lake Manyara National park, which is only a few minutes’ drives from Mto wa Mbu. Lake Manyara is known for its huge soda lake filled with pink-hued flamingos, large population of baboons, incredible birdlife and breathtaking views. You can see giraffes, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, zebras, flamingos and if you are lucky you spot a tree-climbing lion. In the late afternoon continue to Manyara wildlife camp for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater
Today you set off towards the Ngorongoro Crater for a beautiful game drive. It shelters close to 30.000 animals including the Big Five. The crater teems with zebras, buffaloes, lions, wildebeest, warthogs, baboons, elephants, flamingos, ostriches, hippos, cheetahs and a small population of the rare black rhino. The beautiful colors and dancing clouds make the crater almost surreal. Because of its natural beauty the Ngorongoro Crater is chosen as one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders. In the late afternoon continue to Ngorongoro Sopa lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Ndutu area
Explore today one of the areas with the best wildlife viewing during the green season. Ndutu is the zone between South Serengeti and North West Ngorongoro where the Great Migration will come to graze and calve between Decembers to April. This short grassland area has highly nutritious grass due to the minerals found in the area. An amazing experience to see all those hoofed mammals, followed by iconic predators, migrate in a clockwise circle every year. The forests around Lake Ndutu is home to beautiful resident wildlife. In the evening you return to Serengeti Ang’ata camp for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Ndutu area
Rise up early so that you can depart your camp for a morning drive, moving with the herds across the plains exploring the Great Migration. Ndutu is one of the very few places in the parks where off-road game drive is permitted and the best place to see hunting lions and cheetahs. All six cat species reside here year round – leopard, lion, cheetah, caracal, serval and African wildcat. Other animals you can spot include hyenas, warthogs, elephants, giraffes and many more. After the afternoon game drive you return Serengeti Ang’ata camp for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Serengeti National Park
Enjoy the views of endless plains and stunning wildlife like cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, hippos, ostriches, warthogs, aardvark, pangolin and lots of beautiful birds. Serengeti is the park with the largest concentration of big mammals in the world. Discover all this beauty on an afternoon game drive. Lunch, dinner and overnight will be at Serengeti Sopa lodge.
Day 8: Serengeti National Park
Spend the morning and afternoon game driving in the stunning Serengeti National Park, where over a million wildebeest and zebras crowd together, hooves kick dust and lions hunt at dawn. This wildlife hotspot is absolutely one of the most breathtaking natural wonders in Africa. Enjoy the infinite plains, overwhelming wildlife, breathtaking sunsets and the sound of elephants trumpeting in the distance. Lunch, dinner and overnight will be at Serengeti Sopa lodge.
Day 9: Serengeti – Zanzibar
In the morning your driver transfers you to Seronera Aistrip for your flight to Zanzibar. Upon arrival at Zanzibar Airport, you will be met by your driver and transferred to Next Paradise Boutique Resort for dinner and overnight in a beachfront bungalow. This resort is protected by a coral reef and set along a white sand, palm-fringed beach offering views of the Indian Ocean.
Day 10 and 11: Zanzibar
Today will be at leisure to relax or explore as you like. Wash off the dust of your safari with a dip in the Indian Ocean. Enjoy laid-back beach life or go active with some surfing, sailing, snorkeling or scuba diving in these crystal blue waters. Swim among the wonderful reef fish and enjoy the sights of many diverse marine creatures like turtles, rays, barracudas, octopus, zebrafish, moorish idols, lions fish and many more. Or sail towards the golden sunset on a traditional sailing boat while you spot pods of dolphins. Zanzibar offers a wide variety of activities. All meals and overnight will be at the Next Paradise Boutique Resort.
Day 12: Zanzibar
Today you drive to Jozani Forest, the last indigenous forest on Zanzibar with impressive mangroves. Here you can view different kind of monkeys, like the rare red colobus monkeys, trees and plants. You continue your tour to the historical heart of this island, Stone Town. It is a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways that are a joy to explore. Discover the architectural gems, tasteful restaurants, churches, markets and gardens. There are plenty of interesting places to visit on a cultural tour, like the House of Wonders, Darajani market place, Sultan’s Palace and the Slave Market. The mix of Arab, Persian, Indian and European influences makes Stone Town absolutely unique. Return to Next Paradise Boutique Resort for dinner and overnight.
Day 13: Zanzibar
Today will be at leisure to relax or explore as you like. All meals and overnight will be at Next Paradise Boutique Resort.
Day 14: Departure
This morning and beginning of the afternoon will be at leisure to relax or explore as you like. In the afternoon you will be transferred to Zanzibar Airport and fly to Dar es Salaam for your departure flight.