Tailor Made Itinerary

10 Days
Melanie’s Tanzanian Safari & Zanzibar Beach Getaway

2 nights Arusha | 1 night Tarangire | 3 nights Serengeti | 4 nights Zanzibar

Tour Highlights

  • Tanzania
  • Arusha National Park
  • Tarangire National Park
  • Serengeti National Park
  • Ngorongoro Crater
  • Big 5 Game Viewing
  • Safari Holiday
  • Beach Holiday
  • Zanzibar
  • Adventure Activities & Water Sports

Client Review

Melanie from Pembury Tours was great to work with and helped us have a fantastic trip. We weren’t sure where in Africa we wanted to go so she asked us questions to get to know us and what we most wanted to do on our trip. She answered all of our questions very quickly and prepared everything with not a whole lot of time (we booked at the beginning of October for a late November trip). She also worked within our budget by giving us options of how to make the price better. She provided packing lists, general “before you travel” info, and information on getting our vaccines and visas. We ended up spending two nights in Arusha, with one day in Arusha National Park and a walking safari which allowed us to get really close to a family of giraffes. Then we joined a group tour to spend one day in Tarangire National Park, two days in Serengeti National Park, and one day in the Ngorongoro Crater before heading back to Arusha. Our safari guide was Rashidi from Tanzania Experience and he was absolutely fantastic. From there we flew to Zanzibar for one night in Stone Town and two nights on the east coast (where we saw the most beautiful sunrise over the Indian Ocean!) It was so nice not having to worry about transportation or meals at all once we were there, my husband said he felt like he was on a cruise because everything was taken care of and went so smoothly. I don’t think there’s any way I could have planned a similar trip without someone like Melanie’s help!

Alicia & Eric

Tour Consultant's Overview

A safari experience was on top of the list for Alicia and Eric, so this 10 night trip to Tanzania suited them perfectly.  As they were on a fairly keen budget we arranged a scheduled tour, taking in Tarangire, the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. They were also celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary and a few days in Zanzibar at the end of the tour meant that they could relax before the flight home. Alicia is a keen photographer and managed to take some fantastic photos while on safari.
Melanie Macphail
Day 1 Arrival in Arusha - Tanzania

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, you will be met by a representative and transferred by road to your lodge on the outskirts of Arusha for your overnight stay. You spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure relaxing from your trip or exploring the town.

Transfer time: Kilimanjaro airport to lodge – approx. 40 minutes

Day 2 Arusha National Park (2 nights)

The Arusha National Park has an incredible variety of fauna and flora, which cannot fail to impress. Hollywood also chose this region to film the movie “Hatari” in which Hardy Kruger starred alongside the legendary John Wayne. Your day trip will include a visit to the Ngurdo Crater, often labelled as the little Ngorongoro and is called the “Little Serengeti”. Buffalo, waterbuck, giraffe, warthog, zebra can be seen all year round as well as many different bird species. The elephants are a little shyer than the elephants in the Serengeti but can also be seen at Arusha National Park. Occasionally, one may also spot a leopard.

At the Momella Gate, an armed ranger will be waiting for you to accompany you on your walking safari that will give you the chance to experience the wildlife up close. Only a few other national parks in Tanzania give you such an opportunity and it is something that should not be missed. Lunch will be taken at a picnic place and in the afternoon, you will continue your tour in the safari vehicle through the Arusha National Park. After plenty of time allocated for you to observe the wildlife, you will be returned to your lodge in Arusha, where you will spend a further night.

Day 3 Arusha to Tarangire National Park (1 night)

After breakfast and a short early morning briefing; you set off for the day to the Tarangire National Park with a game drive en-route to your lodge. Upon arrival in the park, your driver will open the roof of the vehicle for some more extensive wildlife viewing. Lunch will be taken at a picnic spot and in the afternoon you will get to see more of this amazing and beautiful park. In the late afternoon you will arrive at your lodge located outside of the park for your overnight stay.

Tarangire National Park gets its name from the river that threads its way through the length of the reserve. It is famous for its dense wildlife population which is most spectacular between June and September; the dry period. During this time, thousands of animals - elephant, buffalo, giraffe, eland, wildebeest, kudu, hartebeest, and the rarely seen oryx - migrate from the dry Masai steppe to the Tarangire River looking for water. Lion, leopard and other predators follow the herds. Tarangire has the largest population of elephant of any park in the norther circuit and is also home to a variety of 550 species of bird.

Day 4 Tarangire National Park to Serengeti National Park

After breakfast you will depart towards the Rift Valley, passing through Mto wa Mbu and Karatu, in the cooler regions of the crater highlands. You will enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and stop for a short look into the crater from a viewing point. Continuing your journey around the crater, you will descend the other side, enjoying your free “African massage” on the bumpy road, passing Maasai villages on your way to the Serengeti National Park. At the Naabi Hill entrance gate you can walk to a viewpoint with spectacular views across the plains of the Serengeti savannah. You will then continue towards the Seronera Area in the central part of the Serengeti. The park offers a multitude of wildlife including the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. Lunch will be enjoyed en-route and later in the afternoon you will arrive at your accommodation in the heart of the bush where the stars at night are breathtaking.

Day 4 to 6 Serengeti National Park (2 nights)

Following breakfast, you will spend the whole day on a game drive in the Serengeti National Park and have lunch at a picnic spot en-route. Depending upon the time of year, you might even have the chance to witness the great migration with hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra and Thompson's gazelles. During the small rainy season in October and November, you will typically see these herds moving from the Kenyan Masai Mara through the northwest of the Serengeti to the plains in the south.

After the great rainy season in April, May and June, the herds slowly travel back through the western and north-western part of the Serengeti. With fluctuations in rainfall, this timetable can of course change, resulting in the animals migrating during different times and routes. Your guide will try his utmost to find the animals and will make sure that you can see the animals from the best spot in the national park. Naturally, the migration also attracts predators and with luck you might see a kill in action.

The Serengeti is unequalled for its beauty and contains more than three million large mammals spread over the vast endless plains. It is here, at certain times of the year, that you may encounter the breathtaking spectacle of the annual wildebeest migration, where one and a quarter million wildebeest trek in columns of up to forty kilometres long in search of grazing, drawing with them their predators and numerous other species of game. From January to March the herds can largely be found in the southern area, proceeding north through the centre and western corridor during June and July before entering Kenya's Masai Mara. They return south in November to repeat this amazing instinctive procession all over again.

Day 6 Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater (1 night)

After breakfast at daybreak, you will start early on your outward journey from the Serengeti back to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, leaving behind the beautiful Seronera Valley. As predators are livelier in the cooler hours of the day, you might even see them in action. Lunch will be taken en-route at a designated picnic spot. On reaching the crater’s edge, the 19km diameter caldera opens up before you in all its stunning glory and you will descend into the crater on an adventurous trail. This World Heritage Site is seasonally home to over 25,000 animals including a wide variety of birds, hyenas and the Big Five. Exiting the crater on a different ascent road, you will drive to Karatu, where you will spend the night at a formerly working farm.

Day 7 Ngorongoro Crater to Zanzibar via Arusha

After a relaxing breakfast, you will travel back to Arusha Airport for your flight to Zanzibar with Precision Air. Upon arrival at Zanzibar Airport you will be taken to your hotel in Stone Town. The rest of the day is for you to enjoy at leisure.

Transfer time: Karatu to Arusha Airport – approx. 2½ hours

Flight time: Arusha Airport to Zanzibar airport – approx. 1 hour and 10 minutes

Transfer time: Zanzibar Airport to Maru Maru Hotel – approx. 20 minutes

The city of Stone Town is the capital of Zanzibar City with its old historic centre of Stone Town, a UNESCO world heritage site, is situated on Unguja Island and is often referred to simply as Zanzibar. Its eventful history of gruesome slave and exotic trade still shows traces everywhere. Magnificent Sultan’s palaces and grand Arab houses, winding alleys and bustling bazaars give visitors the feeling of being immersed in the world of Sindbad and Alibaba.

Suggested: Day 7 – Explore Stone Town

Day 8 Stone Town to Jambiani; South East Coast

After breakfast, you check out of your hotel and meet the driver at reception for your road transfer to The Loop Beach Resort on the South East Coast of the island.

Transfer time: Maru Maru Hotel to The Loop Beach Resort – approx. 1 hour and 25 minutes

Day 8 to 10 Zanzibar’s South East Coast (2 nights)

You spend the next few days at leisure relaxing on the beach or enjoying any of the various adventure activities on offer. Book your day excursions and activities at hotel reception as you wish.

Day 10 Zanzibar to Zanzibar Airport & depart

After breakfast you check out of your lodge. Enjoy your last morning at the beach before you are collected from reception and transferred to the airport for your return international flight.

Transfer time: Zanzibar South East Coast to Zanzibar airport – approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

Arusha: Arumeru River Lodge

Arumeru River Lodge is situated a short drive from Kilimanjaro airport. The lodge is set in lush tropical gardens and home to the local Dikdik antelopes and an abundance of birds.

There are 21 spacious garden rooms, 6 junior suites and the Meru Cottage that is ideal for families. The garden rooms are tastefully decorated and guests can enjoy the tropical garden setting from the private terrace. Each room and suite has a large walk-in shower, mosquito net and fan, with a complimentary bottle of water in the room daily.

On a clear day, guests can enjoy a view of Mount Kilimanjaro from the restaurant terrace or relax around the swimming pool. The restaurant serves a variety of dishes for guests, where the menu combines local spices and fresh ingredients, with many salad and vegetable items from the lodge’s own garden.

Tarangire National Park: Lake Burunge Tented Lodge

Lake Burunge Tented lodge is strategically situated in the natural corridor between Manyara and Tarangire and 10 minutes from the entrance to the Sangaiwe park.

The lodge has 30 rooms, consisting of 20 tents built on wide wood platforms and 10 bungalows, with double rooms that have a private bathroom and private terrace where guests can enjoy the views of Lake Burunge, Tarangire National Park and Mount Meru on clear days.

Each room has mosquito nets, fans, mineral water and solar electricity

Serengeti: Kati Kati Tented Camp

Kati Kati Tented Camp offers comfortable accommodation with a real safari experience on a camp with modern amenities.

This mobile tented camp in the central Serengeti is ideal for exploring the plains of the Serengeti. There are 11 spacious tents, with large double or two single beds, and each have a private en-suite bathroom which includes a camp (bucket) shower, hand basin and toilet. The tented rooms feature a balcony with views.

A cosy mess tent is placed in the centre of the camp where guests can enjoy meals and sit around the camp fire each evening for appetizers and snacks.

Ngorongoro: Ngorongoro Farm House

Ngorongoro Farm House is a small and exclusive thatched roof hotel, with large verandas, built on a 500 acre coffee plantation nestled in a beautiful woodland area. Guests can take a walk on the farm and relax in the fragrant garden or around the swimming pool.

Guests are accommodated in 52 chalet type rooms consisting of 49 standard rooms and 3 suites, built in the old colonial style with rustic décor. Each room has an en-suite bathroom and balcony with views. Mosquito nets and mineral water are provided.

The lodge has eco-friendly electric power supplied by solar panels, with a generator as a back-up.

Stone Town - Zanzibar: Maru Maru Hotel

The Maru Maru hotel has a picturesque setting near the Indian Ocean. Guests can enjoy the views of surrounding Stone Town from the rooftop bar or take a short stroll to the beach or to the Forodhani Gardens.

The hotel was once a town house famous for its marble floors and tiles and has been lovingly restored to accommodate guests in 44 spacious, bright, airconditioned rooms. The rooms consist of 16 king rooms, 17 queen rooms, 10 twin rooms and 1 family rooms with walk-in shower or hamam bath. Mosquito nets, room safe, tea and coffee making facilities and flat screen TV.

The hotel offers the terrace bar, restaurant and lounge, coffee shop and bakery.

Zanzibar: The Loop Beach Resort

The Loop Beach Resort is a small resort on the east coast of Zanzibar, in the centre of Jambiani Village.

The beach rooms are both contemporary and elegant, with en-suite private bathrooms, outdoor veranda and located directly on the Zanzibar sand. Each room has free WiFi, safety deposit box, king size beds with mosquito nets. The rooms are also designed to take advantage of the natural ventilation, taking advantage of the natural breeze of the ocean.

Guests can relax on the beach, at the outdoor swimming pool or on the hotel terrace. The hotel is in the architectural style inspired by the Arabian homes of Stone Town with an African inspired interior design and has a lounge and bar for guests. The Loop Beach Resort offers a continental or Italian breakfast, and the in-house restaurant specializes in African cuisine.

Arusha National Park: Daily Safari Programme at Arumeru River Lodge

Located just a short drive from Arusha and Moshi, the Arusha National Park is Tanzania's most accessible national park and the perfect place for a day trip or as the first or last stop on a longer itinerary. At just 552 square kilometres, it's a small park with a lot to see. With diverse wildlife that includes herbivores such as elephant, hippo, buffalo, zebra, and even the occasional wildebeest, Arusha National Park is also a perfect place to get out and stretch your legs - with both walking safaris and canoe safaris available within the park. Arusha National Park is also home to the world's largest population of giraffes, making it a great place to visit for fans of these long-necked, beautiful animals. Arusha National Park boasts a broad variety of landscapes, ranging from open savannah through acacia scrubland to rainforest and, eventually, to alpine conditions on the higher reaches of Mt. Meru.
Arusha National Park offers game drives, walking safaris, canoe safaris, picnicking, and climbing Mt. Meru and is known for it’s walking and canoe safaris making it an ideal day trip destination. Game viewing is at its best during the dry season from June to October. The park is excellent year round for birding, and especially between November and April when migratory birds from Europe and North Africa are present and the local birds have their breeding plumage on display.

Park Highlights:
Arusha National Park's highlights can be seen in a single day, and the park is the only park in Tanzania's northern circuit in which a walking safari is possible. It offers outstanding wildlife diversity due to the varied landscapes that exist within the park. Not only is the park home to Africa's largest giraffe population, but visitors can also expect to see waterbuck, Cape buffalo, elephant, Vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, turacos, trogons, and even the occasional lion or leopard in the right conditions.

Mount Meru:
Africa's fifth highest mountain and it cuts a striking figure at 4,566m (14,990 feet). While Kilimanjaro is often shy and hides behind clouds, Mt. Meru is generally visible throughout the year. An active volcano, Mt. Meru is also a popular climbing destination for visitors to Tanzania and a good introductory mountain for those wishing to climb Kilimanjaro. Not only does the climb offer a spectacular view of Kilimanjaro from the summit, but the hike itself is also an incredibly rewarding walking safari that takes you through multiple habitats where you can encounter giraffe, elephant, antelope and more.

Canoeing the Momella Lakes:
The Momella Lakes within Arusha National Park are a series of seven shallow lakes: Big Momella, Small Momella, Kusare, Lekandiro, Tulusia, Rishateni, and El Kekhotoito. Alkaline lakes with considerable algae growth, each of these lakes is a different shade of green or blue. While the water is not suitable for drinking, it is possible to see a variety of birds (including flamingoes) and animals such as waterbuck, giraffe, zebra, and the elusive dik-dik in the surrounding area. It is on Small Momella Lake that canoeing safaris are possible.

Tarangire National Park: Daily Safari Programme at Lake Burunge Tented Camp

Tarangire National Park gets its name from the river that threads its way through the length of the reserve. It is famous for its dense wildlife population which is most spectacular between June and September; the dry period. During this time, thousands of animals - elephant, buffalo, giraffe, eland, wildebeest, kudu, hartebeest, and the rarely seen oryx - migrate from the dry Masai steppe to the Tarangire River looking for water. Lion, leopard and other predators follow the herds. Tarangire has the largest population of elephant of any park in the norther circuit and is also home to a variety of 550 species of bird.

Serengeti National Park: Daily Safari Programme at Kati Kati Tented Camp

Depending upon the time of year, you might even have the chance to witness the great migration with hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra and Thompson's gazelles. During the small rainy season in October and November, you will typically see these herds moving from the Kenyan Masai Mara through the northwest of the Serengeti to the plains in the south.

After the great rainy season in April, May and June, the herds slowly travel back through the western and north-western part of the Serengeti. With fluctuations in rainfall, this timetable can of course change, resulting in the animals migrating during different times and routes. Your guide will try his utmost to find the animals and will make sure that you can see the animals from the best spot in the national park. Naturally, the migration also attracts predators and with luck you might see a kill in action.

The Serengeti is unequalled for its beauty and contains more than three million large mammals spread over the vast endless plains. It is here, at certain times of the year, that you may encounter the breathtaking spectacle of the annual wildebeest migration, where one and a quarter million wildebeest trek in columns of up to forty kilometres long in search of grazing, drawing with them their predators and numerous other species of game. From January to March the herds can largely be found in the southern area, proceeding north through the centre and western corridor during June and July before entering Kenya's Masai Mara. They return south in November to repeat this amazing instinctive procession all over again.

Zanzibar: The Loop Beach Resort - Water Sports & Beach Activities

During a vacation at The Loop guests can experience activities at our Water Sports Center, including kite surfing, sailing and wind surfing school. The latest generation of equipment is available, and renewed every year, to offer the most, or to accommodate guests’ equipment. There are also jet skis, blow karts, kayaks, catamarans for mini cruises in the lagoon, snorkeling, diving and hiking equipment, and also fat bikes for beautiful beach rides or guided hikes in the country and inland.

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This itinerary started on 26 November 2018
When this tour took place, the cost per person sharing was: USD$ 3,206
Remember, this is an actual itinerary, 100% tailor-made to meet this client's expectations. We can use this itinerary as a starting point for you.
I'm Melanie Macphail
I tailor-made this itinerary for my client and can do the same for you.
Melanie Macphail
My direct contact details are EMAIL ME+27 87 353 7868
Pembury Tours office details +27 41 581 2581 EMAIL US
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