Luxury Tenting Safari in the Serengeti with Zanzibar Extension
Our luxury camps in remote and pristine settings afford unmatched morning and afternoon game drives”¦ Away from the crowd and accompanied by the finest safari guides and trackers. Visit Olduvai Gorge, where Louis and Mary Leakey made startling fossil discoveries that radically changed how we view our earliest ancestors..
Price: USD $ Per Person
Duration: 11 Days
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1 — Welcome to Arusha, Tanzania
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International airport, you’ll be warmly greeted and escorted to the deluxe Arusha Hotel, a safari landmark for more than a century.
Day 2 — Lake Manyara National Park
Your safari adventure begins this morning as you journey to Lake Manyara, a bird watcher’s paradise with its huge flocks of pink flamingos, birds of prey and nearly 300 species of migratory birds. You’ve certainly seen photos of lions lounging in the sturdy limbs of a shady tree, but you might not know that this is one of the few places to find these rare tree-climbing lions. Check in to the Lemala Manyara Camp in time for lunch and then set out with our expert ranger on your first bush walk and a late afternoon game drive. Back at camp, unwind with Sundowner cocktails and share stories of your first wildlife sightings over an elegant dinner. Then get dressed to join your safari guide on a thrilling night safari to track nocturnal animals.(B,L,D)
Day 3 — Ngorongoro Conservation Area
A visit to a local school deepens your appreciation for the challenges and rewards of life in Tanzania. Continue to the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact caldera in the world, and settle in to your luxury tent at Lemala Ngorongoro. After lunch, visit a Masai village and return to camp where we’ve arranged for a Masai chief’s son to share insight into his tribal culture. Enjoy Sundowner cocktails and dinner here on the rim of the crater.(B,L,D)
Day 4 — Wildlife on the Crater floor
Like no place else on the planet, the crater floor offers an absolutely unique environment for wildlife viewing. With vast expanses of open grassland surrounded by steep cliffs, this conservation area is easy for game officials to patrol and the result is a healthy population of rarer species like the black rhino and cheetah. Your camp enjoys a prime location near the Lemala Crater Access Route and you’ll get down to the crater floor quickly this morning for a truly spectacular game drive before other visitors arrive. You’ll enjoy a memorable picnic lunch in the crater.(B,L,D)
Day 5 — To Olduvai Gorge and the Central Serengeti
Visit Olduvai Gorge and learn about the 1.8 million-year-old fossil discoveries of Louis and Mary Leakey which forever changed our view of early man. Continue your journey into the vast expanse of the Serengeti, an apt name which derives from a Masai word which means “where the land goes on forever.” Indeed, the endless Serengeti plain is unequalled for its spectacular beauty and the extraordinary concentration of its wildlife, including the Big Five and numerous other herbivores and their fierce predators. Set out on your first afternoon game drive here before relaxing with Sundowner cocktails and an elegant dinner at the luxurious Lemala Ewanjan.(B,L,D)
Day 6 — Floating above the Serengeti
Animals too have their morning routine and this morning’s hot air balloon safari in the sharp clear light of dawn is an amazing time to observe the daily movements of Serengeti’s wildlife. Touch back down for a champagne breakfast and a morning game drive as you return to camp. There’ll be time to relax before a safari drive this afternoon, deep into the heart of the Central Serengeti.(B,L,D)
Day 7 — Follow the game across the Serengeti!
Enjoy another morning safari drive as you make your way into the more remote reaches of the vast Serengeti. Your destination is a uniquely mobile luxury Lemala Camp which is seasonally positioned for unmatched viewing of the Great Migration at any time of year. . In the winter months, we take you to Lemala Ndutu in the Southern Serengeti, the ultimate amphitheater for the Great Migration. More than 1.5 million wildebeest and zebra arrive here in December, staying thorough February and March as the calving season begins. From June through October, when the animals move into the Northern Serengeti, we take you to Lemala Mara North. Here in this privileged setting, you’ll be far from the crowds — but close to two of the largest Migration crossing points on the Mara River. At any time of year, you’ll arrive at your luxury Lemala Camp in time for an afternoon game drive followed by cocktails and an elegant candle-lit dinner.(B,L,D)
Day 8 — Serengeti National Park
Enjoy a thrilling day of morning and afternoon game drives. As dusk descends, enjoy Sundowner cocktails and a farewell dinner under the starry Serengeti sky.(B,L,D)
Day 9 — From Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar
At the conclusion of your safari, an included flight takes you 25 miles into the Indian Ocean to Stone Town on the isle of Zanzibar. Upon arrival, you’ll be met and escorted to the deluxe Zanzibar Serena Inn, marvelously situated on the seafront of ancient Stone Town and flanked by an exotic mix of Sultan’s palaces, Portuguese forts and colorful harbors. After time to refresh, join your guide for a walking tour through historic Stone Town.(D)
Day 10 — Discover the Spice Island!
After today’s privately guided excursion, you’ll appreciate why Zanzibar is known as the Spice Island! Journey into the verdant countryside to visit a spice plantation and savor the rich smells of vanilla, clove, cardamom and myriad other spices and tropical fruits. Continue past endless rows of coconut palms and visit the lush Jozani Forest, home to exotic birds and the rare Red Colobus Monkey, indigenous to the island. Return to your hotel where the balance of your day is at leisure.(B,D)
Day 11 — Farewell to Zanzibar
Transfer to the airstrip for a late afternoon flight to Dar es Salaam, where you’ll be met by our staff and personally assisted with the transfer to your international flight.(B)
All This Included
- Escorted comprehensive sightseeing and all game drives including all entry and park fees.
- 23 meals: 8 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 7 dinners.
- House wines, cocktails and beverages at all Lemala camps.
- 8 nights in our 5-star hotel and luxury Lemala safari camps.
- All on-tour transportation including one internal flight.
- All luggage handling, hotel taxes & service charges, and all taxes and fees for your included internal flight.
- General Assist, our toll-free 24/7 emergency on-tour assistance.
- Your flight from Kilimanjaro Airport to Zanzibar.
- Return flight to Dar Es Salaam Airport for your onward journey after visiting Zanzibar.
- 2 nights at the deluxe Zanzibar Serena Inn in Stone Town.
Tour Highlights
- Our luxury camps in remote and pristine settings afford unmatched morning and afternoon game drives”¦ Away from the crowd and accompanied by the finest safari guides and trackers.
- Visit Olduvai Gorge, where Louis and Mary Leakey made startling fossil discoveries that radically changed how we view our earliest ancestors.
- Drift silently above the golden grasslands of the Serengeti at dawn as the Greatest Show on Earth unfolds”¦ Our hot air balloon safari is an inspiring experience that ends with a champagne breakfast!
- The son of a local chief will share his keen insight into the culture, history and life of the Masai.
- Enjoy a bush walk and thrilling night safari at Lake Manyara, esteemed for its astounding birdlife and unusual tree-climbing lions.
- Our unique 4-night sojourn in the Serengeti allows you to explore the game-rich Central region as well as to track the Great Migration whenever you go!
- Discover 2 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Guided walking tour in historic Stone Town.
- Spice Island Tour including the Jozani Forest.
Accommodations on this Tour
- Arusha: Arusha Hotel
- Lake Manyara: Lemala Manyara Luxury Camp
- Ndutu: Lemala Ndutu
- Ngorongoro: Lemala Ngorongoro Camp
- Serengeti: Lemala Ewanjan Central Serengeti Luxury Camp or Lemala Mara North Serengeti Luxury Camp
- Zanzibar: Zanzibar Serena Inn