10 Days Tanzania Safari Holiday

Your trip begins the moment you land at Kilimanjaro International Airport. A member of the team will be waiting past arrivals with your name on a board, and from there it is a short drive to Arusha Planet Lodge. The road runs through farmland and small trading towns, and your guide uses the time to walk you through the plan for the days ahead, answer questions, and get a feel for what you most want to see.

The lodge sits in green gardens with rondavel style rooms, a restaurant, and a pool to sit beside. There is nothing scheduled today, which is the point. Most people arrive tired from a long flight, so the afternoon is yours to rest, unpack, and let the pace slow down.

If you feel up to it, you can stroll the grounds or read in the shade with a cold drink. Otherwise, sleep. Tomorrow is an early one and the bush is waiting. Dinner is served at the lodge and you spend the night at Arusha Planet Lodge.

After breakfast you load up and point the vehicle toward Tarangire National Park, a drive of roughly two hours from Arusha. Tarangire is the park of big trees. Ancient baobabs stand across the grassland like water towers, and in the dry season the Tarangire River draws animals from a wide area, which makes for some of the best elephant viewing in the whole country.

You spend the afternoon on game drives through the river valleys and open savannah. Herds of elephants move between the trees, often with young calves in tow. Look for giraffe browsing the acacias, buffalo in dark clusters near the water, and the lions that follow them. Zebra, wildebeest, and warthog are common along the river, and the birdlife is loud and constant. Nothing is promised, but the dry season stacks the odds in your favour.

As the light goes gold, you head to Tarangire Simba Lodge, a tented camp set near a waterhole that animals visit through the evening. Dinner is at the camp, and you sleep under canvas with the sounds of the bush close by.

A scenic morning drive takes you to Lake Manyara National Park, tucked at the base of the Rift Valley wall. Manyara is small, but it packs a lot into a short stretch of ground. You pass from thick groundwater forest into open floodplain in the space of a few minutes, and the change in scenery keeps the drive interesting from start to finish.

This is the park known for lions that rest in the branches of acacia trees, an odd habit you may or may not catch on the day. Along the shoreline, big flocks of flamingo turn the shallows pink when the water is right. Watch for elephant moving through the forest, hippo wallowing in the pools, troops of baboon and blue monkey, and the many waterbirds that work the lake edge. Sightings vary, but there is almost always something to slow down for.

In the late afternoon you continue on to Marera Valley Lodge near Karatu, climbing into the cooler highlands as you go. Meals are taken at the lodge and the night is spent at Marera Valley Lodge.

Today is the big one. After an early breakfast you drive up to the crater rim, then wind down the steep access road onto the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken volcanic caldera on earth. The descent alone is worth the trip, with the whole bowl spread out below you and mist often clinging to the walls in the early hours.

The crater floor holds a remarkable concentration of animals in a compact space. Lion prides lounge in the grass, and clans of hyena trot the tracks. You may see elephant with heavy tusks, big herds of zebra and wildebeest, and if luck is with you, one of the black rhino that shelter here, a rare sight anywhere. Flamingo gather on the soda lake and the light across the grassland is worth every photo.

A picnic lunch is served down in the crater, often with kites circling overhead hoping for scraps. In the evening you climb back out and return to your lodge. Dinner is provided and you overnight again at Marera Valley Lodge.

After breakfast you drive back toward Arusha for a short flight across to Zanzibar. Trading the dust of the plains for the salt air of the coast in a single morning is one of the nicer surprises of this trip. From the air you get a last look at the mainland before the blue of the Indian Ocean fills the window.

On arrival you head into Stone Town, a UNESCO listed maze of coral stone buildings, carved wooden doors, and narrow lanes that carry the mark of Swahili, Arab, Indian, and European hands. You check into Dhow Palace Hotel, an old merchant house right in the heart of the historic quarter, full of antiques and shaded courtyards.

The rest of the day is loose. Wander the alleys, poke through the markets, and find a spot to watch the sun drop behind the dhows in the harbour. The evening food stalls are a good place to graze on grilled seafood and local snacks. Dinner is at your own pace and the night is spent at Dhow Palace Hotel.

A full day to get under the skin of Stone Town. You can take a guided walk or set off on your own, and either way the highlights are close together. Stop at the old Sultan's Palace, look up at the tall facade of the House of Wonders, and walk the ramparts of the Old Fort, each one a piece of the island's tangled history.

Much of the day, though, is really about the food and the street life. Zanzibar has fed traders and sailors for centuries, and it shows on the plate. Try the fried street snack the locals call Zanzibar pizza, order a plate of spiced rice, and work through the seafood the coast does so well. The spice markets are worth a slow look, with cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom heaped in baskets.

Between stops you will keep passing carved doors, tucked away mosques, and small cafes good for a coffee and a rest. There is no rush and no fixed route. Meals are on your own schedule and you sleep once more at Dhow Palace Hotel.

This morning you drive to Zanzibar's southwest coast to join the Safari Blue trip, one of the most popular days out on the island. You board a traditional wooden dhow and sail into the Menai Bay area, a stretch of turquoise water dotted with sandbanks and reefs.

The day mixes snorkeling over coral, swimming off the boat, and time to laze on a sandbank that appears at low tide. Dolphins sometimes travel these waters, though they keep their own schedule. Around midday the crew lays out a generous seafood spread, grilled fish, rice, tropical fruit, and you eat with your feet in the sand. It is relaxed, social, and easy.

Once the tour wraps up, you travel southeast to the quiet village of Jambiani on the island's east coast. The pace drops the moment you arrive. You check into Fun Beach Hotel, right on the sand, where the Indian Ocean is a few steps from your door. Dinner is served at the hotel and you spend the night at Fun Beach Hotel.

Two full days with nothing you have to do. Jambiani is a working fishing village strung along a wide white beach, and life here runs on the tide. In the morning the sea pulls far out and the flats fill with women farming seaweed and children playing on the sand. By afternoon the water rolls back in, warm and clear and perfect for a long swim.

You can fill the days as much or as little as you like. Swim, walk the beach for hours, or lie in the shade with a book. If you want more, there is snorkeling on the reef, windsurfing when the breeze picks up, and boat trips to arrange with local operators. The neighbouring village of Paje is a short hop away and has more shops, cafes, and kitesurfing if you fancy a change of scene.

Evenings are simple. Fresh fish, a cold drink, and the sound of the waves. This slow stretch is a good way to let the safari settle before you head home. Meals are taken at the hotel and both nights are spent at Fun Beach Hotel.

Your last morning is unhurried. Have a proper breakfast, take one more walk on the beach, and let the sea air do its work before it is time to go. When you are ready, a transfer carries you to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in good time for your flight out.

If you would rather not leave just yet, the team can help you stretch the trip with extra nights on the coast, a spice farm visit, a diving course, or add on tours elsewhere in Tanzania. Whatever you choose, the beaches, the parks, and the Zanzibar coast will still be here for the next time. Breakfast is your final meal on the tour before the airport transfer.