For the ultimate in East African adventures, we’ve created Kenya Tanzania Zanzibar: a special tour that takes in the best that these three beautiful, contrasting places have to offer. It’s for you if you’re a little bit of everything: a natural explorer, a wildlife fanatic, a beach bum and a poet. It’s for you if you want to challenge your expectations and broaden your horizons. And it’s for you if you’re an adventurer at heart.
Your tour starts in Kenya, a breathtaking country with a unique identity and an Eden for wildlife. From bustling, colourful Nairobi you’ll experience the endless plains of the Maasai Mara reserve, lands of the Great Migration, a natural wonder of the world. You’ll absorb the spirit, endless blue skies, and weird and wonderful landscapes of the Nakuru and Amboseli National Parks. You’ll play hippo-spotting amidst the bird song and sparkling freshwaters of Lake Naivasha. On to Tanzania, dominated by Mount Kilimanjaro, the rooftop of Africa and the stuff of legend. You’ll travel via Moshi, a lively town with abundant coffee houses and an unmistakeable Asian influence; you’ll journey through coffee and banana plantations through the welcoming smallholdings in the foothills of Kilimanjaro for back-to-nature walkabouts in mesmerising Tarangire National Park until you reach the plains of the Serengeti – teeming with wildlife. You might be focussed on trying to spot all the Big Five but there is so much more to these wonderlands of nature. The shy dik-dik, giraffe, zebra; a perfection of antelope and the endless blue skies. On to the Ngorongoro Crater, a volcanic oddity sculpted to create a perfect, lush landscape as beautiful as it is biodiverse.
And the adventure doesn’t end there. We slip over to Zanzibar, the Spice Isle, redolent of nutmeg and cinnamon. It’s a place of white sand beaches and crystal waters, rainbow hues of tropical fish, faded, ancient architecture and midnight cruises. Sail the Indian Ocean in a traditional dhow; drop into crystal waters and picnic on uninhabited atolls. Zanzibar is a perfect relaxing end to your big Kenya Tanzania Zanzibar adventure.
We’ll pick you up from Kenya’s buzzing capital Nairobi and transport you on the 6-hour road safari, past Mount Suswa, a shield volcano almost untouched by the outside world, through the Kenyan countryside to the Mara Explorers Camp, your comfy home for the first two nights of your big adventure. You’ll spend the day attuning your senses to the warmth of the African sun, the birdsong, the chirruping insects, and how the red earth feels underfoot. Make yourself at home in your comfortable quarters. In the evening it’s time for a tasty dinner under the bright stars of the African sky, as you fall asleep to the night sounds of the Maasai plains.
Enjoy your first full day at the Maasai Mara. It’s Kenya’s premier spot for wildlife watching so make sure you fortify yourself with the filling and healthy breakfast on offer. It’s an early start as dawn is perhaps the most beautiful time of day (although some would say dusk is more enchanting – we can’t decide!). Hop in to your 4×4 Land Cruiser – with its pop-up roof so you can get a clear view but stay safe! – for a day of exploring the grassy plains and rolling hills punctuated by clumps of acacia. It’s a landscape that is truly alive; with rustling nearby and roars afar there’s plenty to keep you on your toes. Marvel at the grace of the giraffe, the ambling wildebeest, topi, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle; you’ll see lions lazing, elephant herds making their slow and majestic way across the plains; almost-submerged hippos glorying in the mud of the waterholes and if you’re very, very lucky, a black rhino. You’ll pause your park tour for a tasty picnic lunch but you’ll find that you’ve still got a huge appetite from the day’s fresh air. Which is just as well, as we’ll have prepared a feast for you to enjoy while you relax in that beautiful dusk we told you about.
Day 3 of your in-depth Kenya Tanzania Zanzibar tour sees you up early for breakfast in the fresh air before a guided walk in the morning. Today (or Day 9) you’ll have the option of a visit to a typical Maasai village; take part in dance and learn about the everyday life of these part-nomadic people. The Maasai Mara might be Kenya’s most famous national park, but it’s not the only one. Shortly before lunch you are whisked along to the Nakuru National Park, on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, with a stop in Narok for lunch. Nakuru is birdlife central and its chaotic landscape of rocky escarpment, patches of forest and lakeland has in addition a new eco-system in the haunted, submerged landscape caused by the rising waters of Lake Nakuru. Spend the African dusk relaxing at your comfortable campsite. We hope you’re not too excited to sleep – tomorrow you’ve a wonderful game drive first thing.
Slept well? We hope so as this morning there is plenty of wildlife to see. It’s another early start (the animals won’t wait for you!) so after a filling breakfast and hot coffee steaming in the cool dawn air you’ll jump into a 4WD and tour the best that the park has to offer. Your guides will decide your route on the day, depending where the animals are, but it’s likely you’ll journey to the forests of Flamingo Hill, where you might spot a lioness sleeping in the branches. The Park is sanctuary to both black and white rhinos. Say goodbye to Nakuru as you head off to Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake home to an array of wildlife including the hippos that spend as much time lumbering on land for food as they do enjoying the cooling waters of the lake. It’s a beautiful, tranquil lake setting that has a distinctive atmosphere, different from what you’ve already experienced on your safari across Kenya and Tanzania so far. Spend a comfortable night under canvas, dropping off to sleep to chirping of frogs and night insects.
Wake to the call of the birdsong – Lake Naivasha has a healthy fish population, including tilapia, black bass and crayfish so of course the birdlife is a delight, too. You can spot fish eagles, pelican, cormorant and the turquoise flash of kingfishers. We hope you have your sea legs with you, because you’ll be taking a relaxing boat trip across the shimmering waters of the lake. It’s a chance to see the lake and surrounding landscape from a different perspective, and you can get up close and personal to the hippos.
Your last Kenyan stop on your Kenya Tanzania Zanzibar adventure is the wonderful Amboseli National Park on the Kenya Tanzania border. On the way to the park you’ll catch your first sight of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, which dominates the region. Settle into your comfortable campsite close to the park and enjoy a tasty dinner under the stars.
Our last full day in Kenya is spent further exploring the rich natural abundance of Amboseli National Park. Wake up to the coolness and apricot skies of an African dawn and spend the day soaking up the essence of the African bush, never quite knowing what natural wonder is around the corner. You could stay here a year and still never see everything there is to see, so take in what you can. Amboseli National Park is known to be one of the best places in Africa to get close to elephants which roam freely, but that’s only one of the reasons to love this place. It’s home to over 400 species of birds including over 40 different types of raptor. The long, dry months make vegetation sparse so you’re offered clear views of wildebeest, cheetah, Cape buffalo, lions, impala, hyena and Maasai giraffe. Spend your last moonlit evening in Kenya relaxing with a glass of wine under an acacia tree.
It’s up early for a hearty breakfast to welcome the next stage of your adventure – you’ve already seen so much and this is only part 2! Say hello to Tanzania, as your journey takes you from Amboseli, over the Kenya Tanzania border, on the easy 3-hour drive with Mount Kilimanjaro a constant glory on your right. Arrive in the typically Tanzanian town of Moshi, with its colourful markets and constant bustle, a stark contrast to the still calmness of the national parks. Moshi will give you a sense of life in an African town, and you have the day to choose what you’d like to do. Perhaps take the daladala to a local coffee farm to learn the fine art of coffee preparation; or sample the local banana beer, check out the colours of the markets and sample the Asian-influenced cuisine for lunch. Tonight you’ll stay over at a comfy lodge –with a pool! Take a cooling dip before an evening on the town, where you can take your pick of a range of cuisine – Indian, Thai, Italian and Tanzanian.
Say goodbye to Moshi and jump into the jeep for the start of your safari across the famous Tanzanian national parks. Tarangire National Park is your first stop, off the beaten track so it might seem like you have it all to yourself. The Tarangire River is at the heart of the activity and when it’s in full flood between July and October, the range of wildlife has to be seen to be believed. Snuffling warthogs (quicker on their feet than you realise), families of mongoose, stately impala and our favourite, the ostrich, all busying themselves in their natural habitat. Look up and once you get used to the pure blue of the heavens, you’ll see tawny eagles, circling slowly on the warm thermals. Overnight in a comfortable camp with all the facilities.
Waking up to an African dawn is one of the purest joys in life, so make sure that you take in the glorious colours that paint across the skies as the sun makes its way above the endless horizon to warm the new day. Today’s new adventure takes you to the world-famous Serengeti, its vast plains spiked with baobab and acacia, the natural stage where a dizzying array of wildlife play out their lives. The Great Migration, where a million wildebeest and zebra bravely seek out the northern fertile grasslands, takes place annually across the Serengetiand it’s a sight not to be missed. The Serengeti is Big Nature personified.
You’ll overnight in the Serengeti and it’s time to sit quietly with a glass of wine, soaking in the twilight and watching the shadows lengthenas the moon rises before you.
Dawn in the Serengeti sees you with a hot cup of coffee and breakfast al fresco. This morning you’ll explore further these magical plains and you’ll finish your stay with a tasty lunch before turning to another gem – the unique Ngorongoro Crater. You’ll jump back into your transport for the fascinating ride to a cosy camp at the rim of the Crater itself. Spend the evening at the camp. We recommend sitting in the evening calm, with a glass of wine or beer, and just watching. Watch the shadows lengthen across the Crater, and the sunset turn the broad sweep of the African skies all the hues from deepest gold and bronze to pink, apricot to indigo. Spot Venus and Mercury low on the horizon and retire to bed, knowing that tomorrow might be your most exciting day yet.
The Crater is the highlight of World Heritage Site Ngorongoro Conservation Area and it’s the largest unflooded volcanic crater in the world. Formed during a massive volcanic explosion around three million years ago, its steep sidesenclose a unique, enriched eco-system packed full of wildlife; over 25,000 animals make their home there, and these are just the larger animals. African and Cape buffalo, blue wildebeest, Grant’s zebra and Thomson’s gazelle are some of the vegetarians you’ll spot and, of course, where there are herbivores you’ll find plenty of predators: leopard, the Tanzanian cheetah and the East African wild dog to name a few.
Today it’s time for Adventure Number 3 on your Kenya Tanzania Zanzibar tour, but before we head for the beaches of Zanzibar it’s time for a change of pace. A fascinating two-hour road trip takes us to Arusha, a cultural melting-pot of half a million people. There is plenty to do but you won’t have a lot of time, so choose wisely! Check out the market at Kilombero, fragrant with pineapple, roast corn and sweet potatoes, or go gem-hunting for blue-and-violet Tanzanite at The Tanzanite museum. A visit to the Cultural Heritage Centre is well worth a trip to better understand the stories of Tanzania and its people.
Home for the night is the secluded, Swedish-owned but locally run L’Oasis Lodge, 2km from the centre of the city. It’s a relaxed and pretty lodge set in beautiful gardens where crested cranes wander at will (and if it’s booked, we have similar delightful and unique lodges to tempt you). Take a dip in the pool before enjoying a delicious dinner in the restaurant or, if you’re not too tired, take a taxi into town for dinner.
And now for something completely different. Today you’ll be transferred to Arusha airport for the short but pretty flight to Zanzibar. We included Zanzibar on your Kenya Tanzania Zanzibar tour because frankly we think it would be a crime for you to come all this way and not experience this most amazing place. Technically, Zanzibar is part of Tanzania but its unique flora and fauna make it seem a world away. From the plane you’ll see what the next four days have in store for you: crystal clear waters, uninhabited atolls, white sand beaches and lush, verdant landscapes. In Zanzibar your home from home will be the Ocean Paradise Resort (or an equally gorgeous resort) and we don’t think you can get much closer to the ocean, or paradise!
Whichever resort hotel you stay in, you’ll be delighted with the accommodation,comfort and facilities.
Zanzibar is a gem of an island, redolent of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and the interior is as lush and beautiful as its beaches and waters. There’ll be a dive centre at your resort so if you can dive then it’s easy to hire the gear and go direct with PADI-accredited professionals to some of the world’s most beautiful dive sites. But you won’t need to dive to enjoy those sparkling waters – grab a mask and snorkel to witness the shimmering coral reefs and myriads of tropical fish. Take a sea kayak safari (you might meet a pod of friendly dolphins!) or enjoy a sunset sail on a dhow, a traditional wooden fishing boat.
Inland, Zanzibar is just as fascinating. Explore the winding alleys of ancient Stone Town, the oldest part of Zanzibar City, its architecture softened by time and influenced by Persia and Europe. Trail walk the Jozani Forest, home to the once- endangered red colobus monkey. Through the hard work of the conservationists, the red colobus monkey has thrived and you’ll have an opportunity to get close to them while they carry on doing their red colobus monkey thing. You’ll also tour the stunning flora and fauna of Jozani’s mangrove swamps.
But after 13 days of activity, life on the road, new experiences and wide horizons, we expect that you’ll be tired.So if all you want to do for your last few days of your Kenya Tanzania Zanzibar experience is to chill out on the beach with a cocktail and a good book, then you do you.
Today is the final day of your Kenya Tanzania Zanzibar safari adventure; after a final dawn swim and a leisurely breakfast it’s time to pack up the Maasai bracelet you bought, put on that floppy sunhat that’s been your friend in Kenya and Tanzania; slap on the sun cream for the last time and say goodbye to Tanzania. We’ll transport you to Zanzibar airport for you to jump on your connecting flight home. But you’ll go home not just with the photos you’ve taken of your experiences of the most amazing places and faces, but with memories that will last you a life time.
