Tanzania Safari and Beach
Our two-week ‘Tanzania Safari and Beach’ holiday brings together world-class safari game viewing in the iconic wildlife reserves of Northern Tanzania, plenty of exciting activities to keep the children engaged and time on a gorgeous beach in Zanzibar.
Highlights
Spotting elephant in Tarangire
Cycling through banana plantations
Safari in Ngorongoro & Serengeti
Meet the Bushmen of Eyasi
Zanzibar beach & Stone Town
15 days from £3,500 pp
Plus international flights from £850
A 2-week holiday for a family of four in Tanzania (including both safari and beach) will usually cost from £14,000 (excluding international flights) based on mid-range accommodation.
Tanzania Safari & Beach day-to-day itinerary
Day 1 Arusha
Arrive in Arusha where you will be met by a Stubborn Mule Travel representative and transferred to your hotel.
Arrive in Arusha where you will be met by a Stubborn Mule Travel representative and transferred to your hotel.
Day 2 Arusha
A full day of activities in Arusha National Park. This small park seldom appears on safari itineraries for Tanzania, which is a surprise as it is one of our favourites. At the centre of the park is the beautiful Ngurdoto Crater, flanked by steep cliffs and home to an abundance of buffalo that roam the marshy ground found within. Further into the park the Momella lakes are also scenic, with an abundant bird population as well as large populations of hippo and buffalo.
You will start the day with a short game drive, followed by a guided walking safari across the plains in the shadow of Mount Meru. Giraffe wander past just a few metres away and herds of buffalo graze on the grasses.
From here continue to the Momella Lakes where you take a gentle canoe ride across the peaceful waters of the lake, stopping to learn about the birds that you see along the way and perhaps catching a glimpse of a lumbering hippo.
Day 3 Tarangire
This morning drive to Tarangire where you will spend the night in a delightful tented camp with views towards Lake Manyara. The camp has possibly our favourite pool in Tanzania, on a deck overlooking the plains, with wildlife such as zebra, wildebeest and giraffe coming almost right up to the edge.
Have a relaxing afternoon before heading out for a sunset walk across the plains in search of wildlife. Antelope, zebra, giraffe and ostrich can all be found here and you can finish up by the campfire as the sun sets.
Day 4 Tarangire National Park
A full day of game drives in Tarangire National Park. The park is cut through by the Tarangire River which proves a magnet for all manner of wildlife, particularly during the long dry season. During the wet season the wildlife is more scattered but you are still almost guaranteed sightings of Tarangire’s extensive elephant population. Large herds roam the riverbed whilst zebra, buffalo, gazelle and wildebeest try to avoid the predatory advances of lion and leopard. There is also a remarkable profusion of bird life as the Tarangire swamps are home to 550 bird varieties including many rare species.
Day 5 Mto Wa Mbu
After breakfast drive to the small village of Mto Wa Mbu, at the base of the Rift Valley Escarpment. Take a bike ride through the banana plantations, rice paddies and small villages that surround the town. (Families with younger children can take a tuk tuk ride instead). You will also stop at the main produce market in Mto Wa Mbu and a local school. Creative children may enjoy a visit to an artists’ co-operative where you can try your hand at doing a traditional African painting on your own canvas.
Join a local family for a traditional Tanzanian lunch before driving on to Karatu for the night.
Read More Day 6 Meet the Bushmen Day 7 Ngorongoro Crater The views are superb, from the first glimpse of the crater at ‘Heroes’ Point’, through the thick rainforest that covers its sides, down to the rich grassy plains that form its centre. Spend the night in a hotel close to the crater rim. Day 8 Crater Hike – Serengeti Later continue by road to the Serengeti, with the option to stop en route at Olduvai Gorge. You will spend the night in a remote tented camp, with a campfire at night and a blanket of stars overhead. Days 9 – 10 Serengeti The Serengeti National Park is the jewel in the crown of Tanzania’s game parks and offers arguably the best game viewing in Africa. The setting is perfect – a sea of endless plains that stretches to the horizon, dotted with the occasional acacia tree and termite mound. This savannah is home to huge herds of wildebeest that every year make the mass migration north, through crocodile infested rivers, in a frenzied mixture of mating and galloping that is driven by instinct. Prides of lion rule here, their hungry gaze sweeping the savannah for a chance to attack the thousands of eland, impala and gazelle. Solitary leopard stake out their place in the high branches of the acacia tree and herds of elephants roam at will. This is the Africa that you have always dreamed about. Day 11 Serengeti – Zanzibar Days 12-14 Zanzibar Beach Another great activity is a snorkelling excursion to Mnemba Island, home to some of the best snorkelling in East Africa. The visibility is superb and the coral provides a home to darting moray eels, brightly coloured star fish, stingrays and turtles. Day 15 Airport
An exciting day today as you head to Lake Eyasi, home to a number of different tribal groups. Most popular for the children will be a visit to a Hadzabe (bushman) family. Learn how to make fire by rubbing a stick vigorously into a hardwood block until wisps of smoke appear which are then used to light dried grass. Practice firing a bow and arrow at a grass target, causing much hilarity with the local boys who will then demonstrate their (vastly superior) shooting skills! You may even be invited to join the bushmen on a hunt in the bush in the search for small wild animals – usually rabbits, squirrels or birds.
You have a full day to visit the Ngorongoro Crater, an ancient volcanic crater that is home to an extraordinary concentration of wildlife including a very dense population of lion and spotted hyena. By now the children will be very accomplished ‘wildlife spotters’ and you are almost guaranteed to see all of the ‘big five’ (lion, rhino, leopard, elephant and buffalo).
This morning there is the option to rise early for a morning hike around the Ngorongoro Crater rim, enjoying the views as the dawn breaks.
Two full days to explore the Serengeti with both morning and afternoon game drives.
A morning game drive before transferring to the Seronera airstrip for a flight to Zanzibar. On arrival you will be met by a guide for the transfer to your hotel, in a gorgeous location on a lovely white sand beach. The rest of the day is free for you to relax.
Three full days to enjoy Zanzibar. Although it may be hard to tear the children away from the beach or the pool, there are some wonderful excursions here. Perhaps spend a morning exploring the wonderful labyrinthine streets of Stone Town. Most of the city was built in the 19th century when Zanzibar was a thriving trading community, a vital stop on the Spice Route where traders would stock up on cardamom, cinnamon, pepper and more. It is beautifully well preserved and you can spend hours wandering the narrow streets, stopping in small cafes to sample the local cuisine. You can follow your nose into little alleyways flanked with crumbling colonial buildings, wrought iron balconies and thick wooden doors.
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Call us and we will be happy to provide you with a free-of-charge no obligation itinerary and quotation designed for you.
01728 752751
Tanzania in pictures
Why choose us?
- Unparalleled family travel experience
- Specialist knowledge across three continents
- Hand-picked local partners
- Every holiday is tailor-made for you
- 100% financial protection
- 24hr emergency contact number
100% Financial
Protection
We are members of the Travel Trust Association, a trade association of Travel Agents, Tour Operators and Travel Organisers that operate trust accounts in order to provide financial protection for the consumer. Membership number Q0176.
Our ATOL number is T7608.
