Arrival in Tanzania

Destination: Arrival at Kilimanjaro National Airport (JRO); Transfer to Arusha
Accommodations: Ilboru Safari Lodge
Activities: International Arrival and check-in
Transfer time: 1 hour

International Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport. After clearing customs, you will be met by an Nitembeze Adventures representative and transferred to the lovely Ilboru Safari Lodge. Nestled on the lower slopes of majestic Mt. Meru, this beautiful Swahili sanctuary is set on a five-acre plot, tucked away beneath ancient trees on the outskirts of Arusha town—a perfect place to relax after a long international trip. After settling into one of your comfortable cottages situated throughout the lushly landscaped grounds, enjoy a peaceful night’s rest in preparation for the two weeks adventure ahead of you! NB: if you are arriving earlier, you will be met accordingly and transferred to Ilboru, with meals available at the hotel.

Lake Manyara

Destination: Lake Manyara Accommodations: Isiotok Camp Manyara Activities:Game Drive; Musical Performance; Viewpoint Walk Transfer Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes After breakfast, depart for a morning drive in Lake Manyara National Park, which lies at the base of the western wall of the eastern arm of the Rift Valley. Typically shimmering in a golden heat haze, the lake is often frosted with thousands of flamingos, while the trees that surround the lake are famous for their tree-climbing lions. The park also offers abundant sightings of monkeys, jackals, mongoose, hyenas, hyraxes, zebras, hippos, warthogs, buffalos, Maasai giraffes, duikers, waterbucks, and impalas. Significant numbers of elephants are also resident in the park, while sightings of black rhino and leopard are not uncommon. Before lunch, check into Isiotok Camp Manyara, a unique, sustainable luxury tented camp situated in the Maasai area known as Esilalei on the soft rolling hills of Losimingori, 13km away from the national park. Set in a rich wild savannah bush location with an altitude of 1075 metres above sea level, this relaxing, intimate camp of only 8 beautiful tents blends into the bush and also offers wonderful opportunities to delve into Maasai culture. After settling in and meeting camp staff, a member of one of the nearby Maasai villages, with whom Isoitok enjoys fruitful relationships and supports through giving programs, will take you on a traditional medicine walk. Towards sunset, join your camp host and Maasai scout who will take you up to one of several viewpoints overlooking Lake Manyara and The Great Rift Valley. Sundowner snacks and a beverage of your choice are available whilst you soak in a melting sunset overlooking Lake Manyara. After returning to camp, enjoy a performance by members of the nearby community of traditional dance and song. Retreat to your tent and sleep soundly to the night chorus of crickets, cicadas, tree frogs, and the occasional soulful call of a hyena and other passing wildlife.

The Serengeti

Destination: Serengeti National Park Accommodations: Pumzika Camp Activities: Oldupai Gorge visit; Optional Visit to Ebeneza Maasai Children Center; Game Drive Transit time: Approx 3 hours to Naabi Hill Gate; approx 2 hours to Pumzika Camp, leisurely game viewing en route Today you drive to the great Serengeti National Park, the world’s most famous game park! After an early breakfast at Isoitok, drive 145 km to the Naabi Hill entrance. En route to the Serengeti, you have the option of stopping to visit an Maasai social project in the Ngorongoro district–a Maasai school and orphanage that is making an important impact on the local community. You also have the option of stopping to visit Oldupai Gorge (often misspelled as Olduvai), commonly referred to as the “Cradle of mankind”. This site is where the Leakeys made some of the world’s most important archaeological discoveries, including discovering the remains of several early hominids estimated to be around 3.7 million years old. Oldupai is the Maasai word for the wild sisal plant (Sansevieria ehrenbergii), which grows in the gorge. Afterwards continue to the park entrance where you will check in, stretch your legs, and enjoy a picnic lunch. Before lunch, arrive at Pumzika Camp, an eco-friendly tented camp reminiscent of the first safaris at the turn of the 20th century, with furniture made by local craftsmen and decorated with handmade carpets woven by the Mbulu women’s community. Set inside the Seronera area, Pumzika occupies a unique and privileged paradise within the Serengeti, far from main roads and civilization, surrounded by two of the biggest and most prolific lion prides in the park. After settling in, venture back out into the park with your guide for a late afternoon game drive. Return to camp to enjoy sundowners beneath an acacia tree on the open savannah followed by a bush dinner.

The Serengeti

Destination: Serengeti National Park Accommodations: Pumzika Camp Activities: Game Drive Transit time: leisurely game drives around the park After breakfast, continue with both morning and afternoon game drives in Serengeti national Park. Totaling 14,763 km2 in area, the park is appropriately named after the Maasai word for “endless plains”. Here you are certain to get up close and personal with the “Big Five” (Lions, Elephants, Rhinos, Leopards, and Cape Buffalo), if you haven’t already, and hosts of other iconic and lesser-known species. Given the vast terrain, weather patterns, and migratory patterns of the innumerable species, many animals of the Serengeti are constantly on the move. This makes for an adventurous game drive! Your drives will depend on the move of the migrants; your expert naturalist guide knows very well how to locate the herds. Bush lunch and bush dinner will be at Pumzika.

The Serengeti

Destination: The Serengeti Accommodations: Pumzika Camp Activities: Game drive Transit Time: leisurely game drives through the park in the morning and afternoon Spend another day in the magnificent Serengeti, finding the animals and behaviours that you might have missed the day before, capturing those amazing photos, and savouring nature at its finest. With the park being as large as it is, and with so many wonders to see here, this second full day in the Serengeti is worth every minute. Return to camp for lunch, sundowners, dinner, and another blissful night under the stars.

The Serengeti-Karatu

Destination: Serengeti – Karatu Accommodations: Farm of Dream Lodge Activities: Game Drive Transit Time: 4 hours of game drive, broken up with stops and a picnic lunch; 2 hours from Serengeti Gate to lodge Today, wake early, and after a cup of tea or coffee and some biscuits, depart on an early morning game drive back into the Serengeti. The earlier mornings are magical in Serengeti, when the wildlife is just waking up to greet the day. Spend the day in the park, stopping for a picnic lunch. In the early evening, depart through the Serengeti Gate and travel through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the town of Karatu on the western south slopes of Ngorongoro Crater at 1400 feet above sea level where resides Farm of Dreams Lodge. The lodge sits in a garden of flowers and vegetables and offers spectacular sweeping views of the surrounding hills. In the early evening, settle in to your warm and cozy room which overlooks the reserve and tropical gardens and opens up to a terrace furnished with a table and chairs. Perhaps, take a walk around the farm to contemplate the daily activities, relax in the fragrant gardens, take a dip in the pool, or just enjoy the spectacular sunsets before dinner, evening entertainment, and a good night’s rest.

Ngorongoro Crater-Arusha

Destination: Ngorongoro Crater; Arusha for overnight Accommodations: Ilboru Safari Lodge* Activities: Game Drive Transit Time: 1 hour to Crater Gate; 1 hour Crater decent; 1 hour ascent; 3.5 hours to Arusha Today is an exciting day when you will venture to the world famous Ngorongoro Crater! After an early breakfast, drive the short distance to the rim of the Crater and descend to its floor for a half-day tour, inclusive of a picnic lunch by the hippo pools. Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife areas. An UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometers wide, 610-760 meters deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometers). An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbors grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. Due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing opportunities and striking scenery it is also Tanzania’s most visited destination. In the afternoon, ascend once more to the rim of the crater and continue on to Arusha where you will return to Ilboru Safari Lodge.

Zanzibar, Chapwani

Destination: Zanzibar, Chapwani Accommodations: Chapwani Resort Activities: Snorkeling; Kayaking; (Optional) Massage After breakfast, you will be picked up from the airport and taken to historic Stone Town where you will board a traditional dhow and sail 20 minutes to Chapwani, a little island surrounded by white sand beaches, a beautiful coral reef, and crystal blue waters filled with starfish and multi-colored corals. Check into your private banda on the sand, overlooking the sea. Only ten rooms occupy the entire island, so you can look forward to extreme peace and relaxation here. Enjoy lunch in the restaurant or in your banda, featuring the resort’s “bio food,” homegrown organic produce, freshly laid eggs from the resident chickens, and just caught seafood. Waste away the day snorkeling the reefs and kayaking the shallow waters, swim in the seawater pool, treat yourself to a beachside massage, or just lay in the sun! Enjoy a lovely sunset dinner on the beach, enjoy a special cocktail, and fall asleep to the sound of waves gently lapping outside your door.

Zanzibar, Chapwani

Destination: Chapwani Private Island; Fumba; Menai Bay Conservation Area Accommodations: Chapwani Resort Activities: Safari Blue Dhow Tour Wake to the sound of waves and step out onto the sand for a nice stretch! After a tropical breakfast, it is time to depart on a full day adventure with Safari Blue. Sail by dhow to the little fishing village of Fumba, and set sail into Menai Bay where you can glide alongside pods of dolphins, which local conservation efforts have allowed to flourish. Mid-morning, land on a powdery sandbank and enjoy snorkeling in the shallows or bask in the sun under the clear Zanzibari sky, then snorkel over two different reefs, both offering a variety of pristine marine life. After working up an appetite, the Kwale Island “restaurant” is ready and waiting for your arrival where you will feast on a freshly caught seafood buffet. Taste 10-15 of Zanzibar’s exotic fruits, and sip on Amarula and coffee. Mid-afternoon, discover all that Kwale island has to offer: sail on a traditional ngalawa canoe, explore the mangroves, climb an ancient baobab, witness the coral formations, swim or lounge the afternoon away on a day-bed on the beach. Finally, in late afternoon when the day is done, the crew hoists the lateen sail as you make a leisurely voyage back to Chapwani as the sun sets on your glorious day in paradise. Enjoy another island-to-table dinner on the sand.

Departure to Dar es Salaam

Destination: Departure to Dar es Salaam Return to Stone Town after breakfast and head to the airport to fly from Zanzibar for Dar es Salaam, where you will board your international flight home, connect to your destination, or spend an optional night at Hotel Slipway. Kwaheri!