10 Days Tanzania Safari and Beach Holiday

Welcome to Tanzania, home of the classic African safari! Your adventure into the heart of the East African wilderness begins right here in Arusha. When your flight arrives at the Kilimanjaro International Airport, a friendly member of the Chalema Tanzania Safaris team will be there to welcome you. As you make the drive together to the Arusha Planet Lodge, you’ll learn more about what’s in store for you during your Tanzania safari and beach holiday. We’ll review your travel itinerary and answer any questions you have before getting you checked in at the lodge to enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. Arusha Planet Lodge offers superior accommodations in rondavel-style rooms, pleasant hotel gardens, a first-rate restaurant, and a refreshing pool—for our money, there’s no better place to start your Tanzania safari. After dinner this evening, make sure to get plenty of rest; your African safari begins in earnest tomorrow.

It’s time to visit the first wildlife reserve on your authentic Tanzania safari. We’ll get started after breakfast, making a short three-hour drive on tarred roads to Tarangire National Park: one of the chief stops on Tanzania’s well-known northern safari circuit. Tarangire is a pristine wilderness of truly staggering proportions—from its skyscraping baobab trees to its massive elephant herds, everything about this national park is gigantic. We’ll spend the afternoon exploring the park’s dense bush and broad river valleys in search of elephants, lions, giraffes, buffalo, and so much more. Your accommodations tonight will be at the Tarangire Simba Lodge, where you’ll stay in classic East African safari tents right in the heart of the wilderness. As you enjoy a sumptuous dinner on the camp veranda, you can watch the resident wildlife enjoy a beach holiday of their own—Tarangire Simba Lodge proudly boasts a permanent waterhole where you’ll be able to spot elephant, buffalo, and giraffe before turning in for your first night under canvas.

Your African odyssey continues this morning with a day trip to the nearby Lake Manyara National Park. This is a relatively small wilderness, but you’re sure to be enthralled by its prolific wildlife and striking scenery. The park is best known for its tree-climbing lions—while this behavior occurs elsewhere throughout Tanzania, there’s no better place to photograph an entire pride of tawny cats draped across the branches of a mighty fig tree. The still waters of the reserve’s central lake also offer important breeding grounds for flamingoes, and we’re likely to encounter elephants, hippos, buffalo, and giraffe as we explore the winding tracks around Lake Manyara. After exploring the park to its fullest, we’ll strike out to the north to approach the Ngorongoro highlands. We’ll stop at the lovely Marera Valley Lodge, where we’ll be spending the next two nights. The Marera Valley Lodge offers luxurious cottages and sweeping views of the surrounding landscape, and it serves as a great home base for our explorations during the next portion of our Tanzania safari.

No safari in Tanzania would be complete without visiting the ancient volcanic caldera of Ngorongoro Crater. We’ll set out from Marera Valley Lodge and descend from the crater’s rim, enjoying spectacular views as we draw closer to the lakes, forests, and undulating savanna which comprise the territory within its walls. There are lots of animals to be found on the crater floor, and it’s no wonder that this unique geological formation has drawn tourists and researchers for decades. We’ll feast our eyes upon roving bands of hyenas, families of lethargic lions sprawled across the plains, and wandering herds of elephants. If we’re lucky, we may even catch a glimpse of the exceptionally rare black rhinoceros—making our Tanzania safari a genuine Big Five experience. After exploring the length and breadth of the crater and sitting down to a picnic-style lunch right in the heart of the bush, we’ll return to Marera Valley Lodge to spend a second night in the Ngorongoro highlands.

Now that you’ve enjoyed the thrills of an authentic safari in Tanzania, it’s time to make good on the second half of our promise: to deliver an exceptional beach holiday! Before we can reach the sun-kissed beaches of Zanzibar, we’ll need to return to Arusha and catch our flight. The airport is just two hours away, and our flight from Arusha should take just over an hour. We’ll arrive on the idyllic island of Zanzibar sometime in the afternoon, leaving us plenty of time to enjoy the first-class rest and relaxation which makes this tropical paradise so beloved. We’ll start by visiting historic Stone Town, whose distinctive architectural wonders can be traced back to the medieval era. Our accommodations for the next two nights will be at the Dhow Palace Hotel, right in the middle of the city’s most interesting district. After getting checked in, you’ll have the rest of the day to explore the alleys and markets of Stone Town and enjoy some tasty local cuisine.

You’ve had some time to scratch the surface of Stone Town, but there’s so much more to see during this part of your beach holiday in Zanzibar. This is an ancient city of historic palaces and forts, fascinating museums and cathedrals, and gardens of surpassing beauty. Over the centuries, Zanzibar has hosted travelers and residents from all over the world, and its culture now represents an enthralling combination of Swahili, Arabic, and European influences. Nowhere is this more evident than in the island’s cuisine—and Stone Town is a fantastic place to discover irresistible new flavors. Whether you join an organized food tour or wander on your own, you’ll soon come across delectable spice cakes, aromatic coffees, and distinctive local foods like ugali, doughnuts, and Zanzibar pizza. If you’re looking for anything in particular, don’t hesitate to ask—Chalema Tanzania Safaris can put together some unforgettable recommendations for an exceptional experience in Stone Town. When you’re done exploring, you’ll return to the Dhow Palace Hotel to spend a second night in the heart of Stone Town.

The historic and cultural delights of Stone Town are enough to captivate any visitor for days upon end, but your beach holiday on this tropical island just wouldn’t be complete without spending plenty of time upon the Indian Ocean. We’ve arranged for an amazing excursion upon these crystal-clear waters with our friends at the Safari Blue. After a pleasant drive along the island’s western coast, you’ll board a traditional Arabian dhow, snorkel in the company of brilliantly colored fish, and dine upon an extravagant feast prepared right on the beach—just for you. When this whirlwind tour of Zanzibar’s most beautiful tropical locales comes to its end, we’ll catch a quick ride to the southeast of Zanzibar’s main island, where we’ll discover the fishing village of Jambiani. There’s no better spot on the island for swimming, windsurfing, and kitesurfing. We’ll be staying at the Fun Beach Hotel: a remarkable beach resort with multiple swimming pools, fantastic cuisine, and a tropical vibe that’s just what you need to make your beach holiday in Zanzibar complete.

With the big thrills of an African safari and the captivating sights of Stone Town in your rearview mirror, it’s time to focus on enjoying your time at the beach. You’ll have the next two days at your leisure: consider going for an early morning stroll on Jambiani’s white sand beaches, enjoying a refreshing swim during the heat of the day, chatting with the locals in the village square, or just taking in the traditional scene of fisherman plying their trades while the sun sets over the impossible beauty of the Indian Ocean. If you’re looking for a shopping experience, you can make a short jaunt to the nearby town of Paje, where we can also easily arrange for snorkeling or boating expeditions. But the quiet town of Jambiani is one of the most authentic on the island of Zanzibar, and your time here is sure to represent an unforgettable highlight of your Zanzibar beach holiday.

After two full days of sublime beach life, it’s time to bid farewell to the enchanting tropical isle of Zanzibar. We’ll bring you back to the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in plenty of time for your outgoing flight. If you’re staying on in Tanzania, we’d be happy to arrange another safari, wilderness trek, or authentic cultural experience for you. If you’re headed home, we wish you safe travels and happy memories. Thank you for trusting Chalema Tanzania Safaris with your safari and beach holiday!