Complete Tanzania Safari
Presented by Tim Lapage and Safari Experts

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Day 1        Kilimanjaro, Tanzania - Rivertrees Country Inn, Usa River

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International airport, Tanzania.

You will be met upon arrival and transfer to Rivertrees, a delightful small country inn on Usa River. Rivertrees accommodates up to 24 guests, guaranteeing privacy, personal attention and service surrounded by acres of lush and mature gardens, where you can relax or walk undisturbed under the shade of many trees. The old farm house, restaurant and pub are cozily furnished and compliment the surroundings. Inviting fireplaces ward off the evening chill and country style kitchens round off the picture of a peaceful African home.

Depending on how much time you have today at Rivertrees, you may choose to walk down the Usa River for several kilometers along a dirt road passing local homes and small farms, while enjoying a great variety of birdlife, or you can visit a coffee farm, local villages, waterfalls, etc.

Days 2 - 3        Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

Day 2 - You will be collected this morning from Rivertrees and be transferred to Arusha Airport for your departure on the Regional Air scheduled flight to Manyara airstrip. You will be met and drive though rich local farmland ( approx. 1.5 hours) to Ngorongoro Crater and the Crater Lodge. The Ngorongoro Conservation area is a remarkable area, covering 8,300 sq kilometers, of which the Crater itself forms only 3%. The scenery is amazingly varied, with dense forests and huge mountains in the Crater Highlands, the short grass plains which host the wildebeest migration throughout many of the wet season months and the Gol Mountain range.

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is a stunning lodge perched on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater - a World Heritage Site. In the style of 'African baroque' this lodge has already earned a reputation as one of the finest and most unusual lodges in Africa. There are thirty cottages split between three camps thus retaining an intimate and exclusive atmosphere. The cottages are large and extremely well appointed and as well as a shower, there is an impressive bath from which one can view the Crater below! The bar & dining areas have been beautifully designed with large open decks at the front and one of the most awesome views anywhere in the world. Some might say it is "over the top" - we would say, "it's great"!

Day 3 - Today you will descend to the famous crater floor, a 100sq mile paradise on earth, and spend the day with a picnic lunch, enjoying a myriad of wildlife.

Days 4 - 7        Mahale Mountains - Western Tanzania

Drive back down to Lake Manyara airport for your charter flight west to Lake Tanganyika, 4,700 feet deep and the world's longest lake.

Landing in the Mahale Mountains in western Tanzania, we take a dhow, and will spend three days at the Greystoke Camp, in elegant comfort right on the lake shore. Tropical forests hang full of vines, waterfalls course down the mountain slopes and thousands of butterflies flutter like confetti. Here you will explore the national park on foot and go fishing from a traditional Arab dhow.

Trekking up through lowland and montane forest, we will spend time with the oldest habituated group of chimpanzees in Africa. Some are so accustomed to human presence that they allow you to sit amongst them. There are other primates too, including Colobus and Blue Monkeys.

The shores of Lake Tanganyika lie at the foot of the Rift Valley's eastern wall, territory well known to Stanley and Livingstone. Surrounded by spectacular forests and a daily crescendo of powerful sunsets, the lake's clear waters are home to a vast number of cyclids, vividly-colored tropical fish, offering superb snorkeling and fishing.

Days 8 - 10        Katavi - Southern Tanzania

Flying low along the rugged shores of Lake Tanganyika and southern Tanzania we will land on the vast open plains of Katavi, a wild and remote home to some of the best game in Africa. Game drive then to Katavi Katuma camp to spend the night. At this time of year you will be stunned by the most spectacular congregations of hippo and crocodiles anywhere in Africa.

Days 11 - 12        Serengeti Safari Camp

Day 11 - You will transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Ndutu airstrip. Met upon arrival and transfer to the nearby Serengeti Safari Camp. Met here you will head straight out on a game drive with a picnic lunch directly from the airstrip - arriving back at camp later in the afternoon for a well earned shower!

The Serengeti Safari Camp shadows the wildebeest migration so that wherever the great herds are you're as close to them as you're likely to get. The tents are comfortable, light and simple, but equipped with everything you might need. The bathrooms are en-suite, with traditional safari style bucket showers, short drop toilets, and hot and cold water on demand. All you have to do is arrive in camp at the end of every exciting day, to hot showers, ice filled gin & tonics, and a roaring campfire. The days end with dinner, stars, and fireside safari bonhomie.

Days 13 - 14        Nduara Loliondo

Day 13 - Today you will transfer to Nduara Loliondo, designed to celebrate Nomadic cultures around the world: the Mongolian Gers, and Maasai bomas. The outcome of this heady mix of culture, style, comfort and wilderness is the most amazing camp you will ever see.

Nduara Loliondo moves its yurts across the Loliondo area, part of the great Serengeti eco-system, bordering the Serengeti National Park proper. Being outside of the park boundaries offers great freedom; simple things like walking safaris, and night drives mean an altogether more intense and real feeling of safari, and wilderness. Get out of your safari vehicle, and feel the earth beneath your feet. The finer details of the bush are seen in close up, as your private guide takes you out to explore this amazing world. A safari that combines Nduara Loliondo with the small tented migration camp in the Serengeti National Park itself - Serengeti Safari Camp - offers you the very best way to see the Serengeti eco-system.

Days 15 - 16        Sand Rivers Selous - Selous Game Reserve

Depart on the flight to Kiba. You will be met upon arrival and transfer approx. 30 minutes to the Lodge. Discerning travelers consider Sand Rivers to be one of the finest lodges on the continent, with its unique blend of timeless safari elegance combining with the rigors of a genuine bush adventure. Sand Rivers is set on a rocky peninsula with magnificent views over a vast sweep of the Rufiji River, its exposed sandbanks home to hippo, crocodile and spectacular bird life. The lodge is small but perfectly formed; the cottages are grand and open fronted, the mess imposing, the cooking excellent, and the service excellent and at-your-whim.

Outside the central mess area is the swimming pool, set into the rocks on the river's edge, and shaded by an ancient baobab tree thought to be more than 1500 years old. This is the perfect place for relaxing, and gazing out over the view of endless water. Armchairs and sofas abound, and the bar is close by along with a library well stocked with books on the area. The main dining table is made of an enormous tree that was washed down the river by a storm, and is the focus for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is generally a relaxed affair with guests either eating in the lodge, or having a bush breakfast under the shade of a tree.

There are eight large and airy double or twin-bedded cottages, each with its own spacious bathroom with flush toilets and powerful showers. Beds are four-poster with soft mosquito netting that ties back during the day. Each cottage is completely open-fronted, with an expansive veranda set on stilts, giving each a stunning and private view over the river. Electric lights, standing fans, and hot water are solar powered.

Days 17 - 18        Jongomero Camp - Ruaha National Park

Day 17 - Depart to Ruaha National Park. Met upon arrival at Jongomero airstrip and transfer to Jongomero Camp.

For a true African wilderness experience, a visit to Ruaha National Park is essential. Although the second largest in Tanzania, the reserve is less well-known and yet to connoisseurs it is without doubt one of the most spectacular in Africa. Covering a conservation area of 10,300 square kilometers in the south-west of the country, Ruaha sprawls within and along the Great Rift Valley, covering

In the heart of this magnificent setting is Jongomero Camp, a luxury safari camp set under shady acacia trees on the banks of the Jongomero Sand River in the remote south-western sector of Ruaha. Being the only Camp situated in this area of the Park ensures unmatched privacy. Here the owners aim to show you the full variety of scenery, flora, fauna, and the different wildlife they support which makes Ruaha so diverse and interesting.

From open plains to thick inhospitable bush, from the tranquil river scenes to great herds of buffaloes enveloped in clouds of dust as they make their way through the acacia woodlands.

Their team of qualified guides will design your daily wildlife viewing program to both suit you, the changing seasons, and the movements of wildlife ensuring you the best possible experience whilst in Ruaha, by whatever means is most appropriate. Old Africa hands will tell you the best way to experience the African wild is on foot.

Day 20 - 24        Mnemba Island - Zanzibar

Day 20 - Game drive to the airstrip for your 1.5 hour charter flight to the exotic East African coast. You will be met and drive through the pretty tropical countryside (approx 1 hour) to the small port for the 30 min boat transfer to Mnemba Island.

Situated on an intimate private island just off the north-eastern tip of Zanzibar, surrounded by its own atoll of coral reefs within a Marine Conservation Area, Mnemba Island Lodge offers privacy and rustic exclusivity unparalleled on the East African coastline.

Ten secluded split-level beach bandas, built on platforms raised off the beach sand, are carefully located to ensure absolute privacy. Each banda is made of natural local materials, each featuring a spacious bathroom with shower, twin hand-basins and separate w.c.

The elevated bedrooms are generously proportioned and simply furnished with king sized, extra-length beds swathed in billowing muslin nets. Beach level verandas offer built-in barazas - perfect for afternoon siestas, comfortable chairs for reading and a writing table. There are also outdoor swing beds, and private beach salas feature traditional Zanzibar loungers. The dining and bar areas have been built along organic lines, allowing unimpeded access to breathtaking sea views.

The atmosphere is relaxed and informal to match Mnemba's rustic beauty. You will be able to enjoy snorkeling, windsurfing, kayaking and scuba diving. Deep-sea fishing and PADI diving courses are available at an additional cost. A walk around the Island reveals a variety of sea birds whilst snorkeling amongst the coral reefs introduces one to the magnificent colorful aquatic world.

Day 20 - Departure to 236 Hurumzi, Stone Town

Depart from Mnemba Island on the scheduled & Beyond boat transfer to the Mnemba Island Crossing Point (approx 30 minutes) and then by & Beyond road transfer (approx 45 minutes) to 236 Hurumzi for overnight, and a chance to explore this historic mystical town.

An integral part of the skyline of Zanzibar, along with mosque minarets, Hindu temple towers, and church spires, is the Tower Top restaurant of 236 Hurumzi. The second tallest building in Stone Town Zanzibar, the hotel has been restored to its former glory when it was the residence of one of the richest men in the Swahili Empire. Atmosphere is of principal import as the furnishings are all original Zanzibar antiques of varied origins and styles that, together, create the impressions of Arabian Nights and the sultan's princesses escaping in the dead of the night for romance!

Day 21        Depart to Dar es Salaam - and fly back home