Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar
Overview
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Outstanding game viewing in Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Manyara
- Olduvai Gorge - where human fossils were first discovered
- The Spice Island and beautiful beaches of Zanzibar
OVERVIEW
The national parks of Tanzania are some of the best places on earth to spot the “big 5” - rhino, lion, elephant, buffalo and leopard. With early morning and afternoon game drives your local guide will introduce you to the incredible wildlife here. Staying in comfortable lodges whilst on safari, you will finish the trip relaxing in a beautiful beach-front hotel on the spice island of Zanzibar.
WHY TANZANIA?
Home to the epic Great Migration, this tour is planned for the early part of the year to maximise viewing opportunities of this jaw-dropping spectacle. Over two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelles move across the country in search of new pastures - closely followed by their predators hoping for an easy meal. Aside from the wildlife, Tanzania has diverse beauty and a fascinating culture and wonderful people, which all combine to make a mesmerising trip.
The tour operator for this flight inclusive holiday is Spice UK Ltd (ATOL 9046) for whom we act as agent. This holiday is protected by the Civil Aviation Authority under the ATOL scheme in the event of failure of the tour operator. Spice UK Ltd holiday terms and conditions apply, as supplied with the full holiday information pack. Your money is protected via our trust account in compliance with EC travel regulations.
Your holiday includes
Flights, transfers, Accommodation as described in itinerary (or similar) All national park fees (entrance and rescue fees), transfers to and from Kilimanjaro Airport, domestic flight to Zanzibar, meals and accommodation as indicated in the detailed itinerary, all taxes and a Spice Co-ordinator.
Your holiday extras
Single sup £850. Tip kitty £100. Travel Insurance available through Spice UK. Some drinks & some meals, optional excursions and personal extras. Visa Fees
Location & Itinerary
Day 1. Overnight flight to Kilimanjaro Airport
Depart the UK for overnight flight to Kilimanjaro airport.
Meals included: none
Day 2. Transfer to Moshi
Transfer from the airport to Honey Badger lodge, Moshi. Day at leisure to enjoy the peaceful gardens, take a dip in the pool and take in the stunning views of Kilimanjaro.
Honey Badger Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 3. Moshi to Manyara National Park
After breakfast your driver-guide will collect you to begin your safari. Drive from Moshi to Manyara National Park, taking approximately 4 hours. After enjoying a picnic lunch, you will go on the first game-drive of your safari; the afternoon is the best time to view the wildlife. Zebras, impalas, monkeys, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, warthogs and more are frequently seen in Lake Manyara National Park. Before dark you shall return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Bougainvillea Safari Lodge
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4. Olduvai Gorge and Serengeti National Park
Drive to Serengeti National Park via Olduvai Gorge, which takes between 3-4 hours. Olduvai Gorge is an old archaeological site located in the eastern Serengeti plains, where early human fossils were first discovered. The landscape here is breaktaking and has earned it the Maasai name Serengeti meaning ‘endless plains’. In the evening, enjoy another game drive in the Serengeti. The evening is a great time to view wildlife – particularly the carnivores as this is their favourite time to hunt.
Serengeti Heritage Camp
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5. Serengeti and Ngorongoro
After breakfast, begin your day with a morning game drive in the Serengeti. The Serengeti is famous for its yearly migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest and 250,000 zebra, as well as its vast amount of Nile crocodile and honey badgers. The park is huge and covers 14,750 square kilometres of grassland plains, savanna, riverine forest, and woodland. This afternoon you will be driven to Ngorongoro via Olduvai Gorge. Olduvai Gorge is a site depicting some of the earliest biological proof of our human ancestors. Fossil remains found here in the sides of this gorge depict the most continuous known record of human evolution over the past 2 million years.
Rhino Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6. Ngorongoro and Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, drive down into Ngorongoro Crater and enjoy a half day game drive. This is undoubtedly one of the best places to see the rare black rhino in Africa and, if you are lucky, the magnificent black-mane lion. You may also see colourful flamingos and a variety of water-birds, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and antelope! In the late afternoon we will drive you out of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and into Tarangire National Park where you shall spend the night.
Bougainvillea Safari Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 7. Tarangire National Park and fly to Zanzibar
After breakfast you begin the day with a game drive in Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is spectacular in any season and many of the migratory wildlife species can be found at the permanent waters of Tarangire River. Huge herds of wildebeest, zebras, elephants, elands and Oryx gather until the onset of the rainy season, which is when they will then migrate again to good grazing areas. Later, take an afternoon flight from Arusha to the Spice Island of Zanzibar. Meet your driver at Zanzibar airport and drive to the west of the island to Jambiani to stay at Fun Beach Resort. This is a beach-front hotel with just 20 bungalows and private gardens. The hotel has two swimming pools, a poolside bar, a restaurant and plenty of places to relax.
Fun Beach Resort
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Day 8. Free day at the Fun Beach Resort
Spend the day relaxing in this tropical paradise. The hotel has lush tropical gardens and is directly on a beautiful white sandy beach. There are excursions available from the hotel including an exciting snorkelling trip.
Fun Beach Resort
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 9. Take part in a spice tour
After breakfast, a driver will pick you up from Jambiani and take you to Stone Town, where you can take part in a spice tour. Zanzibar was known as a spice island, exporting cloves, vanilla, nutmeg and cardamom to the world. The spices were brought over from Asia and South America and flourished in Zanzibar’s tropical climate. Take part in a spice tour and learn about their properties, origins, their use as medicines and in food and drink. You will also get an insight into local life, the opportunity to try some Swahili dishes and try some spiced tea. Later you will be driven to your hotel.
Fun Beach Resort
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 10. Exploring Stone Town
Today you will have plenty of time to explore the historic city center either on your own or with a local guide (at an additional cost). You will spend the last night of your trip at the Seyyida Hotel and Spa which is right in the heart of Stone Town.
The Seyyida Stone Town
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 11. Transfer to the airport
Transfer to Zanzibar airport in time for your international flight.
Travel & Stay
Mid-range Safari Lodges are usually found at fantastic locations. Rooms offer en-suite and bathrooms are tastefully furnished. These lodges are comparable to a 3 star hotel.
Availability & Pricing
| Accommodation | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Place in twin share accommodation | £0.00 | Available |
| Place in single accommodation | £850.00 | Available |
| Flights | Price | |
| London Heathrow | £3885.00 | Available |
| Manchester | £3885.00 | Available |
Not enough spaces left for you? Click here to join the waitlist
Host & Everything Else
The highland areas of East Africa, including Northern Tanzania where Kilimanjaro and the parks of Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara are located, have a pleasant, temperate climate throughout the year. There is a long rainy season in April/May and a second, shorter rainy period in November/early December.
Make sure you visit your local health centre at least 2 months before departure, to be advised on any vaccinations needed. You should be up to date with routine courses and boosters as recommended in the UK e.g. diphtheria-tetanus-polio and measles-mumps-rubella), along with hepatitis A and typhoid. Malarial prophylaxis are required in Tanzania. We recommend bringing a personal first-aid kit containing the following: high factor sun cream, lip salve, moisturiser, plasters, antiseptic cream, insect repellent, cold/flu tablets, throat lozenges, electrolyte powder, aspirin or equivalent, muscle rub, nail scissors, 100mm elastic bandage, knee/ankle supports if needed, and wet wipes. For more information we recommend visiting fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk
What to bring
Please find below a non-exhaustive list of what to bring on your trip. Please note that the weight limit on most airlines is 20kg.
- Sunscreen, sun hat and sunglasses
- Light coloured clothing for the safari
- Fleece for early and late game drives
- Poncho or lightweight waterproof
- Swimwear
- Water Bottle
- Camera
- Binoculars
- Snorkel if you have one
Trip grading
Easy. There will be some early mornings and late afternoons and long days whilst on safari to maximise game viewing opportunities.
Tips
Tipping is the accepted way of saying ‘thank you’ to your leader and local team. Tipping is entirely voluntary and should be dependent on good service. A tip kitty will be collected before you travel and held by the trip coordinator.
Passport and visas
Please allow plenty of time to renew your passport if it has less than 6 months validity. UK passport holders require a visa to enter Tanzania. At the time of writing this costs £40/$50 (single entry) and is obtainable on arrival or prior to departure online at: https://tzhc.uk/visa-application. We recommend you travel with 4 passport photos. Payment must be in cash when getting your visa on arrival. If you are travelling via Kenya to your destination you may also require a visa for Kenya. If you have connecting flights and your baggage has been checked all the way through to your destination you will not need a Kenyan visa. For more information we recommend visiting https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania/entry-requirements.
Money
The unit of currency is the Tanzanian Shilling (TSZ or TSH) although US dollars are widely accepted in hotels and tourist areas. We recommend that you change money at the airport. Credit cards are accepted in large hotels and some souvenir shops, but may be subject to commission.
Electricity
We recommend you check if you require an adaptor for your electrical items at:
http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/
OUR GUIDES AND EQUIPMENT
You will be accompanied by a local guide with many years experience spotting wildlife on safari. You will travel in an adapted safari vehicles with large picture windows and a roof that opens to give you the best possible views.
SPICE CO-ORDINATORS
A Spice coordinator will accompany each group as well as a local leader and/or guides as per the itinerary. This is a major advantage of travelling with Spice Holidays. The role of the Spice Co-ordinator is to manage any special social activities and interaction during the trip and to be a point of contact for you as a participant in the group. They will also help to manage any issues that might arise during the course of the trip, liaise with local leaders and ensure the interests of all members of the group are being looked after.
This trip includes 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners. The tour is full board whilst on safari and then bed and breakfast on Zanzibar for you to enjoy the local restaurants at your leisure.
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