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8 Nights / 9 Days
Before detailing my 2 weeks safari itinerary in Tanzania and Zanzibar, please note that it is not compulsory to plan 1 week of safari as I did. Most of the people I met there did a 4/5 days safari and I think that’s good enough.
After landing at Kilimanjaro airport (the name says it all, doesn’t it?), we met Nassoro, our French-speaking guide with whom we’d spent the week. He drove us to Arusha, where our Tanzania safari would begin the next day.
Where to stay in Arusha ?
For 2 nights, we stayed at the Mount Meru Game Lodge & Sanctuary. The highlights of this hotel were the incredibly friendly staff and the swimming pool to cool off in.
Starting your safari in Tanzania : Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park is the ideal place to start a safari. You won’t find any predators here, but there are still some magnificent animals to see : giraffes, buffalo, monkeys, hippos…
Arusha is bordered by Kilimanjaro (which can be seen on a clear day !) and Mount Meru, making the scenery in the National Park unique.
Canoeing in the heart of the National Park
We were lucky enough to take a 2 hours canoe trip into Arusha Park, to observe the flora and fauna from the lake. It’s possible to get close to the hippos, in complete safety of course, thanks to the guides who accompany you.
Afterwards, we had a picnic using the lunch boxes provided by the hotel. This is how lunches work most of the time on a safari trip in Tanzania.
After landing at Kilimanjaro airport (the name says it all, doesn’t it?), we met Nassoro, our French-speaking guide with whom we’d spent the week. He drove us to Arusha, where our Tanzania safari would begin the next day.
Where to stay in Arusha ?
For 2 nights, we stayed at the Mount Meru Game Lodge & Sanctuary. The highlights of this hotel were the incredibly friendly staff and the swimming pool to cool off in.
Starting your safari in Tanzania : Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park is the ideal place to start a safari. You won’t find any predators here, but there are still some magnificent animals to see : giraffes, buffalo, monkeys, hippos…
Arusha is bordered by Kilimanjaro (which can be seen on a clear day !) and Mount Meru, making the scenery in the National Park unique.
Canoeing in the heart of the National Park
We were lucky enough to take a 2 hours canoe trip into Arusha Park, to observe the flora and fauna from the lake. It’s possible to get close to the hippos, in complete safety of course, thanks to the guides who accompany you.
Afterwards, we had a picnic using the lunch boxes provided by the hotel. This is how lunches work most of the time on a safari trip in Tanzania.
Looking back, I can tell you that this park was my favourite! I was over-excited before arriving at the idea of seeing predatory animals for the first time.
Our guide treated us to 2 days in Tarangire. The scenery is sublime, as the national park is criss-crossed by a river. In fact, Tarangire means “warthog river” in Swahili.
Safari in Tarangire, Tanzania
We saw hundreds of animals, including a leopard, cheetahs, elephants and lionesses with cubs. For lunch, we went to the restaurant at Tarangire Safari Lodge this time, which boasts a splendid view of the surrounding area. The buffet was delicious and varied.
Where to stay in Tarangire ?
We stayed at Sangaiwe Tented Lodge, a splendid establishment in the heart of the savannah. The tent was superbly well-equipped and huge, I wasn’t expecting such a high standard. It was more like a house in terms of comfort than a camping tent.
Sunrise over the savannah
At dawn, we climbed the mountain overlooking the lodge to watch the sunrise… The emotions are indescribable, so I’ll leave you with the images from our second day on safari in Tarangire.
Looking back, I can tell you that this park was my favourite! I was over-excited before arriving at the idea of seeing predatory animals for the first time.
Our guide treated us to 2 days in Tarangire. The scenery is sublime, as the national park is criss-crossed by a river. In fact, Tarangire means “warthog river” in Swahili.
Safari in Tarangire, Tanzania
We saw hundreds of animals, including a leopard, cheetahs, elephants and lionesses with cubs. For lunch, we went to the restaurant at Tarangire Safari Lodge this time, which boasts a splendid view of the surrounding area. The buffet was delicious and varied.
Where to stay in Tarangire ?
We stayed at Sangaiwe Tented Lodge, a splendid establishment in the heart of the savannah. The tent was superbly well-equipped and huge, I wasn’t expecting such a high standard. It was more like a house in terms of comfort than a camping tent.
Sunrise over the savannah
At dawn, we climbed the mountain overlooking the lodge to watch the sunrise… The emotions are indescribable, so I’ll leave you with the images from our second day on safari in Tarangire.
Another day on safari in Tanzania in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, an exceptional place where the landscape of the crater is totally different from anything we’ve seen before. The volcano collapsed 2 million years ago and today many species of animal have made the caldera their home. When we arrived at lunchtime, our guide surprised us by arranging for us to eat right in the heart of the crater.
Once again, we saw a huge number of animals and a whole family of lions for the first time, who had previously hunted a buffalo. The scene was breathtaking; I could have stayed for hours watching them.
Where to sleep in Ngorongoro ?
For the night, we stayed at Ngorongoro Kuhama Camp, run by the Masai. There are a huge number of Masai tribes (40,000 people in all) around the crater. Our guide explained their way of life to us, which was very interesting !
Once again, the accommodation was top-notch and the tents provided all the comforts we needed. In the evening, we were treated to a campfire… We even got to see a zebra wandering around just 10 metres away.
Ndutu is a major stop-off point for animals during the Great Migration. All year round, millions of animals move according to the rain. Between January and March (depending on the weather), they pass through Ndutu Park. This is the birthing season for zebra and wildebeest in particular, making it a perfect time for hunting. If you’re there during the migration, it’s a good time to watch the predators attack the babies and the others. I know, when you put it like that it sounds terrible, but that’s nature ! I would have loved to see a hunting scene in real life ! It’ll give me a good excuse to go on safari again one day.
Visiting Ndutu Park
As we were there outside the migration period, the park was empty and we didn’t see any cars. We were lucky enough to come across 4 magnificent lions napping at the foot of the car. A suspended moment we’ll never forget… Note that there are of course other species of animals that we see in national parks in general, I’m talking about the most memorable encounter.
Just after the lions, we spotted a striped hyena (very, very rare, according to Nassoro, our guide). We usually see spotted hyenas.
Where to stay in Ndutu ?
We spent a night at the Lake Ndutu Luxury Tented Lodge. This is a splendid lodge right in the middle of the park ! There’s a swimming pool and an observatory with incredible views. Information & booking.
With the hotel’s naturalist guide, we had the chance to go on a 2 hours walking safari and learn even more about the animals and plants.
It was with a tight heart that we entered the Serengeti National Park, because we knew that our safari in Tanzania was coming to an end. The Serengeti is one of the places that inspired the scenery of the Lion King. Again, the landscapes are different from other parks, which makes it unique in turn .
You will see all kinds of animals in the Serengeti Park. On the other hand, given its size, I found that they were more dispersed and that it was therefore less impressive than in Tarangire.
Safari Trip to Serengeti National Park
These last two days were, like all the others, memorable because this is where we finished our list of Big Five to see ! To explain, the Big Five are the 5 most difficult mammal species to hunt in Africa; this classification was made by Ernest Hemingway. The animals in question are: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. All are very threatened (except the buffalo because they are many) since they are the preferred targets of hunters… Know that it is completely illegal to kill animals in national parks and that Tanzania fights against poaching on a daily basis. Our guide explained that the death penalty applies to those who were caught.
In short, all this to tell you that we have seen all the Big Five in Serengeti! We had already seen 4 in previous parks, we only needed the rhino.
Where to stay in the Serengeti Park ?
For this last accommodation, we went to Kuhama Camp, located in the heart of the national park. We ate very well and there was again a campfire in the evening. What to finish the safari in Tanzania in beauty, with the happiness of having zebras in front of us at breakfast, or to hear hyenas and lions in the evening in the distance from his tent…
It was with a tight heart that we entered the Serengeti National Park, because we knew that our safari in Tanzania was coming to an end. The Serengeti is one of the places that inspired the scenery of the Lion King. Again, the landscapes are different from other parks, which makes it unique in turn .
You will see all kinds of animals in the Serengeti Park. On the other hand, given its size, I found that they were more dispersed and that it was therefore less impressive than in Tarangire.
Safari Trip to Serengeti National Park
These last two days were, like all the others, memorable because this is where we finished our list of Big Five to see ! To explain, the Big Five are the 5 most difficult mammal species to hunt in Africa; this classification was made by Ernest Hemingway. The animals in question are: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. All are very threatened (except the buffalo because they are many) since they are the preferred targets of hunters… Know that it is completely illegal to kill animals in national parks and that Tanzania fights against poaching on a daily basis. Our guide explained that the death penalty applies to those who were caught.
In short, all this to tell you that we have seen all the Big Five in Serengeti! We had already seen 4 in previous parks, we only needed the rhino.
Where to stay in the Serengeti Park ?
For this last accommodation, we went to Kuhama Camp, located in the heart of the national park. We ate very well and there was again a campfire in the evening. What to finish the safari in Tanzania in beauty, with the happiness of having zebras in front of us at breakfast, or to hear hyenas and lions in the evening in the distance from his tent…
It was magical to fly over these mythical lands ! I have never been so sad to leave a place and it was with emotion that we had to say goodbye to our guide. I promised myself I’d come back one day.
Duration of transfer Serengeti – Zanzibar : 3h15
Arrival in Stone Town, Zanzibar
Freshly landed in Zanzibar, we headed to our accommodation for one night: The Zanzibar Serena Hotel. It is located in the old town of Stone Town, the historic heart of the island. To book, click here.
Visit Stone Town in Zanzibar
In the late afternoon, we took a guided tour of the historic district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I admit that the excitement of the latter was a shock compared to the savannah. That said, it is still interesting to see!
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