top11-Day Safari
As a first introduction to the African safari experience, it doesn’t get any better than this. You’ll enjoy all the classic pleasures of a Tanzania safari – views of Kilimanjaro, game drives in the Serengeti, staying in the grand style of the first explorers in a traditional, private mobile camp. But this journey is also filled with one-of-a-kind adventures like lion tracking and an early morning balloon ride.
The camps on this itinerary were chosen for the richness of activities they offer. Your adventure begins at Shumata camp, at the foot of Kilimanjaro in the heart of Maasai country. The surrounding landscape offers a broad sampling of Africa in one frame – traditional Maasai culture, lots of small game, and spectacular views. While here, you will have the chance to participate in an important lion research project. Next is Chem Chem Lodge, superbly located between Tarangire and Manyara parks. You can fly to Chem Chem on a scenic helicopter flight, if you wish, and once there, you’ll enjoy an unforgettable hot-air-balloon ride over Tarangire.
Your next camp is Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, which you’ll reach by traveling along back roads that offer unique views of rural African life. The lodge is a jewel of a place, surrounded by lush forest that teems with wildlife. The sounds of the forest make you intensely aware of the presence of animals here, and we have arranged a night game drive to take full advantage of this wealth of flora and fauna.
Your journey ends with an authentic mobile tented safari in the Serengeti. These tents are just rustic enough to complement the experience of being out under the sky, embraced by wilderness that has changed little for thousands of years. Nothing compares to this sense of freedom and exploration, where you can discover your own corner of the ever-changing landscape.
Your guide on this safari will be Jan Kortland, who designed and vetted this itinerary personally. For more information, or to book this adventure, contact Jan directly.
Arrive to Kilimanjaro airport in the evening, transfer to Legendary Lodge and late dinner.
Legendary Lodge is located on the outskirts of Arusha in lush tropical gardens and surrounded by a working coffee farm. It is one of the most tranquil places to stay for your arrival night in Arusha. The interiors have been designed with a unique blend of African arts & crafts combined with Western comforts and old colonial style luxury.
Overnight: Legendary Lodge
Leave by car around 9 am, drive to Shumata (approx 2 1/2 hours). Arrive for lunch, afternoon walk & cultural activities.
Shumata lies deep in the heart of traditional Maasai country and no more than a (long) stone's throw from Ernest Hemingway’s Amboseli camp. Located on elevated slopes and looking across the majestic Mt Kilimanjaro this area gives us the opportunity to immerse ourselves into the emotional heart of Africa. Vast views, traditional cultures, wildlife and heart stopping introductions are on offer around every corner here. This is where you will take the rare opportunity to gain a truly in-depth and close encounter with the Maasai culture.
Overnight: Shumata
Cultural activities & lion tracking.
The relationship between the Maasai and lion is complex. Lions are both a source of anxiety because they kill livestock and threaten livelihoods, and yet they are a central element in symbolic rituals that bring prestige and status. Maasai coexisted well with wildlife for hundreds of years. That situation has changed drastically. When the elders were young, there were likely 100,000 to 200,000 lions in Africa. Today, conservationists estimate fewer than 30,000 remain.
The Lion Guardian program at Shumata is a viable approach to reversing this trend, founded on an innovative vision to create a conservation project that focused on navigating the fragile balance between improving the lives and protecting the cultural traditions of the Maasai people and ensuring the survival and well-being of wildlife. Its effectiveness and sustainability derive from its ability to foster social and economic development, while leveraging and safeguarding the equally endangered traditional knowledge of the Maasai people. Where once the Maasai were killing lions, now they are committed to protecting them.
Today, you will spend valuable time with the researchers, including working alongside them and tracking lions, which have been fitted with radio collars. A portion of your fee for this safari will be donated to the program.
By car via Arusha to Chem Chem (appr 4 1/2 hours drive)
Instead of going by car - as an option - you can fly with helicopter from Shumata to Chem Chem. Your luggage will be sent by car while you will enjoy the scenic flight around Mount Meru, an old extinct volcano, before flying over the Masai steppe towards Chem Chem Lodge.
Nestled between Tarangire National Park and Manyara National Park on the Maasai steppe of the Great Rift Valley, Chem Chem is a wonderful gem. Tastefully decorated and superbly located, the lodge offers great access to two of Tanzania’s most spectacular parks.
Tarangire to the East prides itself on the largest concentrations of elephant, whilst Manyara to the West offers great contrasts with its groundwater forests and amazing backdrops.
The tented lodge has many activities to offer such as game drives, walks, sundowners, night game drives to enjoy whilst also acting as a point of departure for a trip in a hot air balloon. It also has a spa and swimming pool.
Lunch at Chem Chem and afternoon walks. Sundowner by Lake Manyara.
Overnight: Chem Chem
Ballooning in Tarangire.
This is an early morning departure (4:30am) from the Lodge, with the chance of seeing some of the rare nocturnal animals en route through Tarangire National Park to launch site.
Experience an eagle’s view of the African landscape and all its beauty. We will end the morning with a nice bush breakfast.
Back for lunch at Chem Chem or bush lunch, afternoon walks/leisure by Pool/Spa.
Overnight: Chem Chem
Day 6: Drive to Manyara National Park through the southern border, arrive at Manyara Tree Lodge for early lunch, afternoon game drive, and night game drive for those who wish.
As the only lodge in Lake Manyara National Park, Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is romantically exclusive with 10 stilted tree house suites. Located within a remote corner of the reserve, Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is cradled within the boughs of an ancient mahogany forest. Furnishings and decor combine intricate details of luxury and the natural beauty of this reserve and the cool leafy area that surrounds it.
Overnight: Manyara Tree Lodge
Explore Manyara National Park
Overnight: Manyara Tree Lodge
Morning transfer to Manyara airstrip for scheduled flight to Serengeti, game drive en-route to private mobile camp, lunch, afternoon game drive.
An authentic safari experience must include a traditional private safari camp! It will be located in the Serengeti national park and positioned depending on the time of year and wildlife movements.
This is a luxurious expedition where the sights and sounds of wildest Africa are no further away than the doorsteps of our tents. The intelligent simplicity of camp catering to all our needs is host to an intimate experience not dissimilar to the first explorers’ luxurious meanderings in the African bush. Exclusivity, privacy, iced drinks and campfires set the scene. The camp will be exclusively yours.
Overnight: Private mobile camp
Explore Serengeti National Park.
Overnight: Private mobile camp
Explore Serengeti National Park.
Overnight: Private mobile camp
Scheduled flight to Arusha, dayroom, lunch and shopping before early dinner, transfer to Kilimanjaro for international departure.
top13-Day Safari & Beach
This adventure combines the excitement of wildlife viewing in the Serengeti with the romance, history and spectacular beaches of Zanzibar. Enjoy exceptional wildlife, stay in some of Tanzania’s most elegant and exclusive camps, and relax in luxurious surroundings on the Indian Ocean. The safari portion of this itinerary is focused on just one park – the Serengeti. Though this means less moving around, it doesn’t mean a lack of diversity. The different regions of the park are enormously varied, with a huge range of flora, fauna and landscapes.
After a day at Arusha to settle in, you’ll head to exclusive Mwiba Camp in the southern Serengeti. Far off the beaten track, you’ll have thousands of hectares all to yourself. Mwiba Wildlife Reserve offers excellent game viewing year round – the Great Migration passes through here in the green season, and in the dry season, you’ll see an abundance of animals gathering around the watering holes.
Next, you’ll continue to the Western corridor of the Serengeti. Faru Faru Lodge offers a little more luxury and pampering than the typical safari lodge, with elevated decks allowing you to view game without even leaving the property! Your next camp, Lamai Camp in the northern Serengeti, is a bit more immersive and rustic. This semi-permanent tented camp gives you a true wilderness experience, without sacrificing any creature comforts.
After your safari, unwind with a beach holiday on the island of Zanzibar. You’ll spend a night at an opulent hotel in Stone Town, the ancient heart of Zanzibar Town. Sunset drinks on the hotel rooftop, as the muezzins call from the minarets, is an experience not to be missed. Then, it’s off for a relaxing three-night stay at the boutique Kilindi resort on the Indian Ocean.
Jan Kortland will be your guide for the safari part of the itinerary. For more information or book this trip, contact Jan directly.
Arrive to Kilimanjaro airport in the evening, transfer to Legendary Lodge and late dinner.
Legendary Lodge is located on the outskirts of Arusha in lush tropical gardens and surrounded by a working coffee farm. It is one of the most tranquil places to stay or your arrival night in Arusha.
The interiors have been designed with a unique blend of African arts & crafts combined with Western comforts and old colonial style luxury.
Overnight: Legendary Lodge
Scheduled flight to Mwiba Wildlife Reserve, game drive en-route to camp, lunch and afternoon game drive. Arrive for lunch, afternoon walk & cultural activities.
Year-round game is excellent at tgus reserve, with frequent sighting of leopard, cheetah, elephant, buffalo,roan, kudu and the general plains game. Wild dog and lion also frequent the area. The great annual migration typically passes through this area during late December until the end of March, the latter part of which is the calving season. With over 30 natural springs found in the reserve, the habitat is lush and green at these water sources, attracting wildlife even in the dry months of the year.
Set on the edge of a spring line, Mwiba camp is heralded for its proximity to wildlife. Due to its wonderful blend of canvas and more permanent fixtures the camp creates an atmosphere of comfort and intimacy off the beaten track. Located in the heart of a vast private concession, Mwiba allows access to great game viewing, walking and even hides far away from other travelers.
Exclusivity, privacy, iced drinks and campfires set the scene. The camp will be exclusively yours.
Overnight: Mwiba private camp
Game drives or walks. Night game drive.
Overnight: Mwiba private camp
Scheduled flight from Mwiba to Serengeti, lunch at Lodge, afternoon game drive or leisure by pool or spa.
Situated on a slope, basking in the abundance of animal species and birdlife around it, Faru Faru Lodge lends a contemporary signature style to safari. Inspired by a botanical theme, this riverside Lodge offers barefoot elegance in a laid-back rustic setting.
The elevated viewing decks over the watering hole allow guests to view game without even leaving their lodge, and a Swahili-inspired ‘beach’ offers the opportunity for some serious rest and relaxation.
Overnight: Faru Faru Lodge
Explore Grumeti area.
Overnight: Faru Faru Lodge
Scheduled flight to Kogatende, northern Serengeti, game drive en-route to Camp, Lunch and in the afternoon explore the area and Mara river.
Nestled on a ridge of acacia trees and with an unrivalled and uninterrupted vista of the Serengeti's long-grass plains and Maasai Mara National Park, Serengeti Mara Camp is a picture-perfect destination. Sleeping under canvas beneath the enormous starlit Lamai night sky is guaranteed to be truly special experience. The camp consists of six stylish walk-in tents. Guests enjoy an authentic camping experience within a totally wild environment without sacrificing any of the comforts.
Overnight: Lamai Camp
Explore northern Serengeti & Mara River.
Overnight: Lamai Camp
Explore northern Serengeti & Mara River.
Overnight: Lamai Camp
Say goodbye to Jan - schedule flight to ZnZ (via Arusha), arrive 14.00, road transfer to hotel, late lunch, afternoon explore Stone Town on your own, dinner at hotel’s rooftop restaurant.
Jafferji House is a very authentic Stone Town hotel, capturing the romantic history of the spice island of Zanzibar! Located in the heart of Stone Town, the hotel’s opulent interior instantly whisks you away to a far away time and place. It allows you to experience the true essence of Zanzibar history, and envisage the splendor of Sultans and merchants of days gone by.
Each piece of furniture, each door, and even the hotel’s carved windows are genuine antiques collected from all over the world. From Morocco to Afghanistan, India to Mozambique, each item evokes a blissful sense of the life of the Sultans who ran a trading empire which encompassed the entire Indian Ocean and often called to port in Zanzibar.
Overnight: Jafferji House/ Zanzibar
Picked up at around 9, drive to Kilindi (approx 1 hours drive), lunch, afternoon beach & relaxation.
Originally designed for Bjorn Ulvaeus, one of the members of the world famous Abba pop music group, Kilindi is a true blend of the very best of diverse cultures.
The concept behind Kilindi's original design was that of Scandinavian minimalism mixed with the dramatic architectural overtones so evident in Middle Eastern heritage. White wooden-slatted shutters embrace wide-arched glassless windows that afford spectacular views over the Indian Ocean. This 'open-to-nature' approach to Kilindi's design provides the true essence of any stay.
Overnight: Kilindi/ Zanzibar
Beach & relaxation.
Overnight: Kilindi/ Zanzibar
Beach & relaxation.
Overnight: Kilindi/ Zanzibar
Check out from room at 10, leisure by pool or beach until lunch, transfer to Zanzibar airport, afternoon schedule flight to Dar es Salaam for connection to international departure.
Please note this itinerary has arrival to Kilimanjaro airport and departure from Dar es Salaam airport.
