Taste of Tanzania

Day 1: UK to Arusha
Depart the UK on your overnight flight to Arusha.

Day 2: Arusha
On arrival, transfer to the Kibo Palace Hotel – a welcoming hotel with a refreshing pool in landscaped grounds and views of Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro. Tonight you’ll have your safari briefing. Stay: Kibo Palace Hotel (or similar).

Day 3: Arusha to Lake Manyara
Set off on safari, boarding your 4x4 vehicle for the two-hour drive to Lake Manyara and enjoying the first glimpses of Tanzania’s villages, coffee, maize and banana plantations as you go. Arrive at the Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge for lunch. Opened in 2015 and nestled on the rim of the Great African Rift Valley, this rustic-luxe lodge has stunning views over Lake Manyara. 50 classic suites all have stone feature walls, a fireplace, bathtub, indoor and outdoor shower and private balcony-with-a-view. In the main house you’ll find a lounge, dining room with table d’hote dining, spa, internet café, children’s activity room and TV room, while outside there’s a large rim-flow pool and fire pit. As a little extra, afternoon tea is included. After lunch enjoy an afternoon game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, home to hippos, elephants, flamingos, plains game and the famous tree-climbing lions that reside here. The landscape is a mix of dense forest, small open plains and lush waterside grasses, a feast for herbivores such as buffalo. Tonight there’ll be a welcome dinner for you and your group. Approx. journey time: 2 hours. Stay: Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge (or similar). L, D.

Day 4: Lake Manyara to Serengeti
This morning begin the long scenic drive north through the highlands to the world-renowned Serengeti National Park, arriving at the Serengeti Sopa Lodge in time for lunch. The design of the lodge is distinctly different to its fellow African lodges, with a flat roof that provides the perfect spot for sundowners, and a warm and colourful interior. The views from the lodge are one of its real highlights, reaching far across the Serengeti plains, and there’s good wildlife viewing year-round thanks to the surrounding acacia woodland and water supply. This afternoon, board your safari vehicle for a game drive exploring the open plains in search of abundant wildlife. Return to the camp for dinner and overnight. Approx. journey time: 5 hours. Stay: Serengeti Sopa Lodge (or similar). B, L, D.

Day 5: Serengeti
Today there’s the option to take a hot-air balloon flight over the plains at sunrise to gain a whole new perspective of the Serengeti. Take flight and drift upwards as the sun rises; the bright pink-orange haze visible for miles across the vast savannah and the wildlife roaming below you. Then morning and afternoon game drives in the Serengeti await, seeking out the big cats, rhino, buffalo and giraffe that inhabit the vast open plains of this huge park which borders the Maasai Mara in its north-east corner. The sheer scale and seemingly endless horizon in this part of Africa is spellbinding. Stay: Serengeti Sopa Lodge (or similar). B, L, D.

Day 6: Serengeti to Ngorongoro
After breakfast depart for Ngorongoro, viewing game across the vast Serengeti plains, with the option to visit to the archaeological marvel of Olduvai Gorge − the discovery site of some of the earliest hominid remains. Lunch is a picnic en route. Continue on for an afternoon game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater, one of nature’s wonders. Its collapsed volcanic crater is 12 miles in diameter and 600 metres deep. The fertile soil and lake attract a huge range of wildlife, and you’ll seek to discover them amongst the floor’s forests, grasses and plains. Dinner and overnight is at Oldeani Mountain Lodge, a colonial-style lodge located on a hillside above the quiet town of Karatu with far-reaching views. Accessed by a bridge over a pond, the property is set on 40 acres of lush gardens and is home to over 130 species of bird. Like at sister property Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge, there are 50 traditionally-furnished suites with indoor and outdoor showers, and a main stone house with a lounge, beamed dining room offering table d’hote dining, spa, internet café, children’s activity room and TV room. Outside there’s a large rim-flow pool and cosy fire pit area. This evening, a special ravine dinner experience will be arranged for you and your small group. After a gentle walk to a secluded bush ravine site at the southern edge of the lodge’s grounds, you and your group will enjoy a traditional boma-style barbecue dinner complete with Maasai dancing and a bonfire to keep you warm. It’s a memorable end to your safari experience. Approx. journey time: 4½ hours. Stay: Oldeani Mountain Lodge (or similar). B, L, D.

Day 7: Ngorongoro to Arusha
This morning return to Arusha (approx.  journey time: 3 hours) for lunch before your return flight to the UK, arriving the following day. Alternatively, choose to extend your time in Africa with a beach stay. B, L.

**B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner