11-Days Tanzania Safari and Beach Holiday

When your plane touches down at the Kilimanjaro International Airport, a friendly representative from Chalema Tanzania Safaris will be ready to meet you and begin your introduction to the East African country of Tanzania. We’ll discuss the details of your upcoming adventure, including your transfers between the wildlife reserves where your safari will occur and the island paradise of Zanzibar. The first stop on our 11-day safari and beach holiday is the Arusha Planet Lodge: a charming hotel located right on the outskirts of Arusha. This centrally located hotel is one of our favorites in the city, thanks to its comfortable rondavel-style rooms, lush gardens, and hospitable staff. Once you get checked in, you’ll have the rest of the day at your leisure to recover from the stress of travel and prepare for your safari adventure.

During the course of our authentic safari in Tanzania, we’ll be visiting wildlife reserves that have become household names all over the world: Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park. But first, we’ll visit a lesser-known wilderness that represents something of a hidden gem on the country’s northern safari circuit. Tarangire National Park lies just about two hours from Arusha, and it’s a sprawling wilderness packed with acacia woodlands, fertile river valleys, and towering baobab trees. The park is most famous for its massive elephant population, but a variety of plains game can also be found here—not to mention iconic predators like the lion and leopard. We’ll spend the day exploring the reserve before overnighting at the lovely Lake Burunge Tented Lodge. This is a classic safari camp, where you’ll be able to watch animals right from your veranda and listen to the evocative sounds of the African bush as you fall asleep.

Now that we’ve fully explored Tarangire National Park, we’ll set out after breakfast and travel across the scenic Ngorongoro highlands, where Maasai herdsmen walk side-by-side with giraffes and zebra in some of the country’s most alluring natural landscapes. The endless savanna of the Serengeti is calling our names, and we’ll arrive at this world-renowned national park in the afternoon. Our accommodations will be in classic safari tents at the luxurious Tanzania Bush Camp, located right in the heart of the park’s central Seronera region. We’ll enjoy an afternoon game drive on the way to camp, getting our first taste of what this incredible wilderness has to offer. After getting checked in and enjoying an open-air dinner, you’ll spend the night under canvas with the starry African skies wheeling overhead.

Today, you’ll enjoy the rare privilege of spending an entire day exploring the wild landscapes of the Serengeti National Park. We’ll travel far and wide across undulating short-grass plains, combretum thickets, and riverine woodlands. Big game is the order of the day here in Tanzania’s best national park, and our safari will reward us with superb sightings of lions, buffalo, elephants, wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles, zebra, and so much more. With a little perseverance, we may even be able to locate a cheetah or leopard sheltering from the hot African sun in the shade of a flat-topped acacia tree. Because we have the entire day at our disposal, we can either return to camp for lunch or bring a picnic lunch with us on our game drive. Later this evening, we’ll return to camp to spend a second night at Tanzania Bush Camp.

We’ve already driven through the lush volcanic highlands of the Ngorongoro region, but now we’ll visit the unique geological formation of the crater itself. This is a volcanic caldera created more than two million years ago, and no safari in Tanzania would be complete without the opportunity to explore the forests, lakes, and wide-open plains on the crater’s floor. It’s here that we’ll discover one of the densest populations of lions in Africa, as well as a robust variety of plains game. One of the chief draws of Ngorongoro Crater must surely be the chance to spot the rare black rhinoceros—while no sightings are guaranteed, we’ll make every effort to see as much as possible here in Ngorongoro. Later this afternoon, we’ll depart from the crater and make the short drive to the Marera Valley Lodge, where you’ll be spend the night in a lovely cottage.

Now that we’ve experienced the excitement of an authentic safari in Tanzania, it’s time to visit the exotic offshore island of Zanzibar. To reach the sunny beaches of this famous island of spice, we’ll need to make the drive back to Arusha and catch our flight from the mainland. We should arrive on Zanzibar in the afternoon, and our first stop will be the historic city of Stone Town: perched right on the Indian Ocean, this is the main city on the island and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our accommodations for the next two nights will be at the luxurious Dhow Palace Hotel, right in the heart of the town’s most vibrant and fascinating district. After getting checked in, you’ll have some time to explore the nearby markets and sample some of Zanzibar’s most distinctive local flavors.

There’s nothing quite like a comprehensive tour of Stone Town on the island of Zanzibar. This is a place where history has been infused into the very stones and mortars of the city. The influences of Swahili, Indian, Arabic, and European cultures are plain to see in the city’s buildings, constructed of quarried stone and mangrove timber. During today’s explorations, you’ll visit cathedrals, forts, markets, and gardens—and everywhere you look, you’ll find little shops selling colorful clothing and handmade curios, street vendors tempting you with irresistible snacks, and roadside cafes and restaurants beckoning you in from the heat. We can arrange a guided tour of this incredible city, or you can explore on your own—there’s no wrong way to discover the delights of Stone Town for yourself. Later, you’ll return to the Dhow Palace Hotel to enjoy a second night in this one-of-a-kind historic community.

After two nights in Stone Town, it’s time to move on from this endlessly fascinating city. Today, we’ll start to get a taste of the idyllic beaches for which Zanzibar is known. We’ll kick things off with a trip with our good friends at the Safari Blue: an excursion you won’t soon forget. You’ll ply the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean on a traditionally built Arabian dhow, discover secret snorkeling spots where you’ll be surrounded by schools of colorful fish, and watch dolphins playing and carousing in the surf. Your Safari Blue experience will even be capped off with an extravagant feast. Next, we’ll move on to the seaside village of Jambiani on the main island’s southeastern coast, where you’ll be spending the next three nights. Your accommodations will be at the extravagantly furnished Fun Beach Resort—there’s no better place to make the most of your beach holiday on Zanzibar.

You’ve come to Zanzibar for the ultimate beach holiday, and the shining sands and gently swaying palm trees of Jambiani are just what the doctor ordered. You’ll spend the next two days at your leisure: swimming, sunbathing, or simply sitting back and watching the surf roll in. You can also explore the town of Jambiani itself: this is a wonderfully authentic fishing village that hasn’t been commercialized with mass tourism. If you’re looking for even more shopping and dining opportunities, consider a visit to the nearby community of Paje. And if adventures in the sea and sky are more your speed, we’d be happy to arrange a kitesurfing excursion: this is a thrilling sport that combines the best of surfing and paragliding into one adrenaline-packed thrill ride. However you choose to while away the hours, the next two days of your Zanzibar beach holiday are sure to be a restorative to the soul.

On the eleventh day of your authentic safari and beach holiday, it’s time to bid a very fond farewell to the sun-soaked beaches of Zanzibar. We’ll depart after breakfast this morning, bringing you back to the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in plenty of time for your outgoing flight. If you’re spending more time in Tanzania, we’d love to help you arrange a wilderness trek, another safari, or a cultural experience that will bring you even closer to the people of Tanzania. And if you’re departing for home, we look forward to welcoming you back soon. Thank you for choosing Chalema Tanzania Safaris!