13 DAYS, 12 NIGHTS – SELOUS GAME RESERVE, MIKUMI, RUAHA, UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS & ZANZIBAR ISLAND
DAY 1: DEPART TO SELOUS GAME RESERVE & AN EVENING BOAT SAFARI
Pick you up at the hotel, Dar es Salaam in the morning around 7:30 am, and drive for 5 – 6 hours to Selous Game Reserve. On arrival, check-in at the camp and have your hot lunch.
In the evening, go for a boat safari through the Great Rufiji River. Here you can experience the aquatic life mostly crocodiles and hippos, also you can see some animals come for drinking, also you can see uncountable number of bird species since the reserve has over 440 known species of birds while enjoying an amazing reserve’s sunset.
Back in the late evening for hot dinner and stay the overnight at Rufiji River Camp (lunch & dinner included)
DAY 2: FULL DAY GAME DRIVE AT SELOUS GAME RESERVE
Early breakfast at 07.00 am, and then drive to the Selous Game Reserve. Enjoy an all day game drive in a specially modified safari vehicle with a professional guide, in which you should see and learn much about a large number of animals, including all the great favorites – lion, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, impala – and all the other major species including the now rare African hunting dog. Great variety of bird species. Wonderful scenery, with varied topography: wetlands, dry grassland, light acacia forest and higher ground with long views to far-off mountains.
Packed lunch and time to rest: Your guide will select a location with shade and water nearby to watch animals coming to drink – a place with a clear view all round so that no predator can creep up unseen! Back to the camp by 6.30 pm for sunset and hot dinner when you’re ready at Rufiji River Camp (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 3: EARLY MORNING WALKING SAFARI & DEPART TO MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK (with an On-Route Game Drive)
An early morning walking safari with a professional guide across the Selous Game Reserve’s environment to learn various histories (including traditional trees for used for medicines and healings, various animals’ footprints and other small animals which you cannot see during the game drive). You may also be able to spot animals coming for water to the river for drinking (especially elephants), and hippos heading back to their dwelling after their forage.
Back to the camp for breakfast, after breakfast, drive 6 -7 hours to Mikumi with packed lunch boxes while crossing in the middle of the Selous Game Reserve – this once again provides you a chance to enjoy and experience abundant wildlife of the enormous Selous, arriving Mikumi in the late evening.
On arrival check in and later have your hot dinner and stay the overnight at Stanley’s Kopje Tented Camp (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 4: FULL DAY GAME DRIVE AT MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, go for a full day game drive across the beautiful plains of Mikumi National Park with packed lunch boxes until sunset. The Mkata river floodplain is an attractive point of the park where you can easily spot an abundant number of animal species.
Back in the late evening and spend the overnight at Stanley’s Kopje Tented Camp (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
Mikumi National Park: During game drive at the park, you can see a rich variety of bird species, as well as large numbers of giraffe, buffalo and elephants. You may also be able to spot lions, leopards and African wild dogs. Likely to be seen animals include zebras, hippos, hartebeest, wildebeest, impala, warthog, eland and antelope.
DAY 5: DEPART TO RUAHA NATIONAL PARK (with On-Route Short Cultural & Local Tours/Visits)
After breakfast, depart with packed lunch boxes to Ruaha National Park. You’ll drive for about 4 – 5 hours to Town of Iringa and stop for lunch at Neema Crafts Restaurant.
You’ll then pay a local and a social visit of about 20 – 30 minutes to “Neema Crafts Centre” – The Centre was founded in 2003 by the Diocese of Ruaha, to provide training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities through handicrafts in the Iringa region of Tanzania. It also aims to change negative attitudes towards people with disabilities in the local society.
Also you’ll pay a little visit of about 15 minutes to ‘Iringa Local Market’ – a market built by the Germans during their colonial rule era.
After the visits, you’ll later drive for 2 – 3 hours to Ruaha National Park, arriving in the late evening.
On arrival – check in at the lodge and having a hot dinner and spend the overnight at Ruaha River Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 6: FULL DAY GAME DRIVE AT RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, go for a full day game drive across the park with packed lunch boxes to experience the wildlife of the enormous Ruaha until sunset. Back in the late evening for dinner and stay the overnight at Ruaha River Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
Ruaha National Park: This is the largest national park in the country, currently bigger than The Serengeti; magnificent mammals such as both greater and lesser kudu can be spotted here. The park has high diversity of plants and animals including elephants, buffalos, antelopes and some of rare and endangered species like wild dogs with a great number of birdlife of about 570 species.
DAY 7: FULL DAY GAME DRIVE AT RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, go for another full day game drive across the enormous Ruaha National Park with packed lunch boxes to once again enjoy and experience the wildlife. Back in the late evening for dinner and stay the overnight at Ruaha Hill Top Lodge/Ruaha River Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 8: A VISIT TO ISIMILA STONE AGE HISTORICAL SITE & DEPART TO UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, drive for 2 – 3 hours to Isimila Stone Age Historical Site with packed lunch boxes.
“Isimila Stone Age” Site – A Walk through The Canyons – It is well-known for its archaeological sites, some of these sites yielded very important fossils that enlighten us about the origin of mankind.
You’ll then drive for 4 – 5 hours to Udzungwa Mountains National. On arrival check-in at the camp, and have some rest while waiting for your hot dinner, and then stay the overnight at Udzungwa Forest Tented Camp (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
Udungwa Mountains National Park: It is an exclusive hiking and walking safari park. Udzungwa is the magnet for hikers which offer an excellent network of forest trails including the popular “Sanje Waterfalls”
DAY 9: HIKING TO UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS & THE POPULAR SANJE WATERFALLS
After breakfast, hiking through the beautiful forests and landscape scenery of Udzungwa with packed lunch boxes with a professional guide, on the way you will learn about various trees used for traditional healings, a bird life and then heading to the top for a great and an amazing view of the ‘Sanje Waterfalls’ And while on top of the Waterfall, you can have a great view of the enormous Kilombero Sugarcane Valley (one of the biggest Tanzania’s sugarcane plantation).
Back in the late afternoon, rest at the camp until evening while waiting for your hot dinner and stay the overnight at Udzungwa Forest Tented Camp (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 10: DEPART TO DAR ES SALAAM & FLY TO ZANZIBAR
After an early breakfast, drive back to Dar es Salaam (a 6 – 7 hours) with stop for lunch on the way, arriving in Dar es Salaam in the early evening, and transferred to Dar es Salaam International Airport (Terminal I) and catch your late flight to Zanzibar at 17:30 hrs (breakfast & lunch included)
Upon your arrival at Zanzibar International Airport at 18:00 hrs, picked up by a driver and transferred to a hotel in Stone Town, dinner and overnight at Tembo Hotel (bed & breakfast)
DAY 11: STONE TOWN CITY TOUR & SPICE TOUR AND TRANSFERRED TO CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK
After breakfast, then depart to Stone Town for a City Tour, this introductory guided tour provides living evidence of a rich cultural heritage, where Arab, Indian, Persian and European influences blended with local African tradition. Historical buildings with elaborately carved wooden doors shaded by balconies, loggias and verandas, line the narrow winding streets and are inviting visitors to get lost into this fascinating and unique World Heritage site.
The half day Town Tour includes the visit to the Darajani Town market, the former Slave market, Forodhani Gardens with view to the House of Wonders, Sultan Palace, Old Portuguese Fort, the Portuguese house in Vuga and much more worth exploring.
After Lunch, proceed to Spice Farm. This guided walking Spice Tour provides a rare experience to prove why Zanzibar is referred to as the “Spice Island”.
The tours offer a look at small farms and plantations of the countryside and in the rural areas of Zanzibar where local people are growing cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices, medicinal and ornamental plants; and variety of tropical fruits. Get the detailed description of the spices and learn how to use the different plants for local dishes, herbal medicine and traditional, ceremonies, which are an important aspect of the Zanzibarian culture.
In the evening – after the excursions, transferred to Chumbe Island arriving in the early evening, dinner and overnight at Chumbe Island Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 12 – DAY 14: RELAXATION AND ACTIVITIES AT THE BEACH (SWIMMING, SNORKELING & DIVING)
In these three (3) days at the beach, you’ll have a chance to relax by the beach and do some sea activities as your wish at your own pace (swimming, snorkeling & diving), enjoy the beautiful sandy beaches of Zanzibar and get to mingle with other guest and locals throughout the day, dinner and overnight at Chumbe Island Lodge (breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
DAY 13: TRANSFER TO ZANZIBAR SEAPORT AND CATCH A BOAT TO DAR ES SALAAM
After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Zanzibar Seaport and catch the afternoon boat departing at 12:30 hrs, arriving in Dar es Salaam at 14:30 hrs. On your arrival at Dar es Salaam Seaport, picked-up by a driver and transferred to a hotel/catch your flight back home (breakfast & lunch included)
