Day 1London
Fly overnight from London Heathrow to Nairobi with Kenya Airways at 19.00, landing at 06.30 the next day.
Day 2Nairobi - Kilimanjaro Airport - Arusha
Stay in transit and fly on to Kilimanjaro in Northern Tanzania at 07.40, landing at 08.40. On landing a driver and private vehicle will drive you to the lovely Onsea House where you will overnight. Spend the rest of the day relaxing after your long flights before your safari begins tomorrow.
This morning will be driven to Arusha Airport in time for your light aircraft flight to Katavi National Park which takes around four hours, stopping on the way to refuel. On arrival, you will be met by a driver-guide from Chada Camp who will transfer you to the camp, doing a game-drive on the way. Katavi is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been on safari, and has only three camps which are all spread so far apart that you really do feel like you're the only people there!
Game-drives in Katavi National Park. A great place to search for wildlife is along the river, you will find huge herds of buffalo, crocodiles which live in huge caves in the riverbanks (a phenomenon unique to Katavi, and which has been documented by National Geographic!), lion prides, elephants, and some spectacular birdlife!
You could perhaps try a walking safari from Chada Camp this morning - this is the best time of day for it, before the heat of the day, and when the light is spectacular for photography. Your guide will show you about the smaller creatures and birds which inhabit Katavi, as well as the plants and trees and their traditional uses medicinally.
You will be driven to the Katavi airstrip this morning in time for your light aircraft flight to the Mahale Mountains National Park, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, Africa's deepest lake. The flight will take a couple of hours and you will be met on arrival by a boat which will transport you along the lake to Greystoke Camp - about an hour and a half away. You will enjoy a lovely lunch on the boat on your way, and can enjoy stunning views of the steep Mahale Mountains rising up on your left as you head north to Greystoke.
You can enjoy a day of chimpanzee tracking from Greystoke Camp today - the walk to find the chimps takes anywhere between an hour and four hours, depending on where the chimpanzees are. Please be aware that because they are completely wild, sightings cannot be absolutely guaranteed, although over the course of your stay the guides will do their best to ensure you do see the chimpanzees at least once. You are allowed an hour with the chimpanzees, which are habituated to visits by tourists, and they are truly fascinating to watch interact, eat, and play. You will often hear them before you see them, their howls and shrieks reverberating through the forest, which only adds to your excitement as you are walking to find them with your guide.
At leisure at Greystoke - this is a really wonderful place to relax in one of Tanzania's most beautiful settings. You can spend your time relaxing on the beach, swimming in the lake, looking out for the colourful cichlid fish, or fishing from one of the lodge's boats. There are also kayaks which you can use to explore the lakeshore at your own pace too, which is really fun.
Your final full day at Greystoke, perhaps heading back into the forest again to visit the chimpanzees for a second time, or enjoying the peaceful surroundings at the camp on the beach.
After breakfast you will take the boat back along the lake to the airstrip for your morning light aircraft flight over to Zanzibar, a journey of around seven hours, stopping on the way to refuel in Ruaha. You will be met on arrival in Zanzibar by a driver and private vehicle who will drive you to the north of the island to Matemwe. Stay here in a standard bungalow for the next four nights and relax for the rest of the day after your long journey.
At leisure at Matemwe - you can spend the day relaxing and unwinding here on the beautiful stretch of beach, or by one of the two pools, reading a book under the shade of a palm tree and swimming in the warm Indian Ocean. If you're feeling more active, you can easily arrange diving or snorkelling at the dive centre down the beach, or other excursions to explore the island through the reception. You can also enjoy a massage treatment from the resident masseuse, hire bicycles to explore, or visit the nearby village, which is supported by Matemwe.
A good way to see more of the island is to visit one of the small-scale spice farms on the island - you get a really hands-on experience tasting and smelling the spices for which the island is famous, and children from nearby villages often run out to greet you. This can be easily arranged either in advance or when you're at the hotel, so you can see how you feel day by day.
Another good way to spend a morning or afternoon if you're looking for a change of scene from the beach, is to visit the Jozani Forest in the centre of the island. It's home to the rare red Kirk's colobus monkeys which are endemic to the island, which are really entertaining to watch leap and play in the trees!
You will check out of your room this morning but will have most of the day at leisure on the beach. In the mid afternoon you will be picked up and driven to the airport for the late afternoon light aircraft flight to Dar es Salaam. A driver will transfer you around to the international airport for your Kenya Airways flight to Nairobi at 19.40, landing at 20.55. Stay in transit here and fly overnight back to London Heathrow at 23.45, landing at 05.45 the next day.
Day 15London
Arrive early morning in London Heathrow.