Day 1London
Make your way to London Heathrow for your overnight flight to Dar es Salaam.
Upon arrival in Dar es Salaam, queue for your visa (or proceed if you have one) and then walk through to arrivals where you will be met by a representative from Coastal Aviation who will transfer you to the domestic terminal for your 8:30 flight to the Selous Game Reserve.
You will be met by a driver and guide from Lake Manze on arrival who will take you for a game drive en route to camp. It can be advisable to make sure you have some sun cream located in the top part of your bag for this part!
Morning and afternoon game activities from Lake Manze. Perhaps take a boat safari today to see what animals you can find drinking by the water.
Morning and afternoon game activities from Lake Manze. A walking safari is quite simply a 'must do' activity in the Selous, and we would definitely recommend doing this at least once in your stay.
You will have a game-drive on the way to the airstrip today, where you will take the morning Coastal Aviation flight to Zanzibar - an hour's flight away (this flight may touch down in Dar es Salaam).
On arrival you will be met by a driver from Gallery Tours who will transfer you across the island to the beautiful palm-fringed north-east coast. The journey will take you through colourful villages and past spice plantations on the way, and will take around two hours. You will stay at Shooting Star for the next six nights, where you can relax after your safari and enjoy the activities on offer from the hotel.
You can spend your time at the Shooting Star doing as much or as little as you choose. The beach is a fantastic place to have a stroll or read a book under the shade of a palm tree, and the shady beach bar is a great spot for unwinding during the heat of the day. There isn't a dive centre on site, but if you want to arrange a dive or snorkelling trip, just ask the managers and they can point you towards the dive centre down the beach, or make the necessary arrangements for you. There are bicycles to hire, which are a fun way to explore under your own steam, too!
For something completely different to the beach, you could head into Stone Town one day for a daytrip - the town is located on the west coast, around an hour and a half away, and is a busy and fairly dusty town. However, it's full of shops and street stalls, so if you`re looking to buy souvenirs this is the best place for it, and the narrow winding streets are reminiscent of Marrakech. There are also dozens of restaurants here where you can eat out.
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!
The dhow building sanctuary in the north of Zanzibar is a lovely place to visit if you want to see traditional craftsmanship at work. Whilst you're there, you could also visit the nearby turtle sanctuary at Nungwi.
One of our favourite things to do in Zanzibar 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.
Early morning transfer to Zanzibar Airport for your flight from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam. On arrival you will be transferred to the international terminal for your onward flight back to London Heathrow, arriving the same day.