Day 1London
Make your way to London Heathrow airport 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 morning flight to Arusha.
On arrival in Arusha your Kearsley driver will meet you and take you to Onsea House where you will spend the night. Dinner is included here, and it certainly won`t be a dinner you`ll forget!
After breakfast you will set off for Tarangire National Park, a lovely scenic drive, heading down the Great Rift Valley Escarpment and past Lake Manyara. You will game-drive to the camp as soon as you enter the park, and can settle in at the camp before going on an afternoon game-drive.
Tarangire is a small but beautiful park, with the backdrop of ancient volcanoes in the distance and the green swamp areas which are magnets for game. Birdlife here is also abundant.
On safari in Tarangire National Park - you can enjoy game-drives this morning and afternoon exploring this very pretty park. The landscapes vary between open plains, swamps, majestic baobab trees and riverine forest, with the dramatic Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano in the distance.
This morning you will set off with your driver-guide for Lake Manyara National Park, where you can enjoy game-drives for the day. You will take a picnic lunch with you to enjoy at midday and can spend your time exploring this small but beautiful national park. The flamingos on the lake are a classic East African sight, and the other wildlife here includes buffalo, zebra and if you`re lucky, you may see a lion or leopard. You will leave the park in the afternoon and be driven up the Rift Valley escarpment to the Ngorongoro Highlands where you will stay for the night at Ngorongoro Farmhouse.
You will have a morning of game viewing in Ngorongoro Crater. If you are lucky you will see one of the ten resident black rhinos which live on the crater floor, as well as large prides of lion, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and hyena. The afternoon is free to relax at the lodge, swimming in the pool or visiting the colourful town of Karatu if you wish.
Today you will depart from the Ngorongoro Crater for the Serengeti National Park, passing Masai boma`s on the way, and driving through the Naabi gate into the park. You will be doing a game-drive en route to your camp, which is located in the west of the park. The vast open plains of the Serengeti are world-renowned, broken up only by rocky kopjes and the Gol Mountains in the distance.
Game-drives in the Serengeti - you can enjoy morning and afternoon game-drives from the camp, returning for lunch, or you can take a picnic lunch out with you to make the most of a full-day drive - the choice is yours! The Serengeti is home to large prides of lion, good numbers of cheetah and the ever-elusive leopard, as well as spotted hyena, zebra, wildebeest, giraffes and much more.
Another day on safari in the Serengeti - you can spend your time exploring the very different regions of this vast park with your driver-guide according to what wildlife you`ve already seen on your safari thus far. The birdlife in the Serengeti is also spectacular, with a variety of different bustards, the colourful lilac-breasted rollers and the shimmering wings of the superb starlings which are just as fascinating as the mammals.
You will do a game-drive on the way to the airstrip today, where you will take the morning light aircraft flight to Zanzibar.
On arrival you will be met by a driver and private vehicle who will transfer you across the island to the beautiful palm-fringed 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 the lovely Pongwe Beach Hotel for the next four nights, where you can relax after your safari and enjoy the activities on offer from the hotel.
You will have a whole day to relax. We would recommend doing a spice tour for one day of your stay - it`s one of the best things to do in Zanzibar - you can taste and smell the spices for which the island is famous on your walk around the spice plantation.
Free time on Zanzibar. On one day of your trip you might like to do a half day excursion to the Jozani Forest in the centre of the island, as a change from the beach. It`s a lovely drive through small villages, and the forest is home to the rare red colobus monkeys that originate from Zanzibar. This makes a great change of scene from the beach and is perfect if you`re looking to do something a bit different.
A final day at leisure - if you are keen on animals you might enjoy a dolphin safari trip from the southern tip of the island on one of your days on Zanzibar. I can advise going as early as possible, as this can get busy later on.
Early start this morning before Gallery Tours pick you up for your transfer to Zanzibar Airport and onward flight to Dar es Salaam. On arrival you will be transferred to the international terminal for your onward flight back to London Heathrow.