Day 1London
Fly overnight to Nairobi from London Heathrow.
Change planes and fly onwards to Dar es Salaam, where you will be met and driven to the domestic terminal for the mid-morning flight to the Selous Game Reserve, only 40 minutes away. Here a guide from Lake Manze Tented Camp will meet you and game-drive you back to the camp where you can settle in and enjoy some lunch. There's time to relax during the heat of the day before going out on your first game-drive or boat safari this afternoon!
Today you can take your pick from game viewing activities from your camp - choose from game-drives, boat safaris, fishing trips and walking safaris. A game drive is a great way to explore more of the Selous, and see some of the larger animals which live there - there are good numbers of lion, elephant, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, eland and if you're lucky you might spot a leopard or one of the packs of African wild dog which are absolutely entrancing to watch hunt and play
You can choose from safari activities today - a walking safari is a good change of scene from the game drives - you get a totally different safari experience, focussing more on the smaller details and can practice your skills tracking some of the larger animals such as elephant and giraffe which have wandered close to camp overnight. The boat safaris are beautiful in the afternoons, taking a drink to enjoy on the boat or on the lake's sandy shore at sunset, and watching the larger animals come down to the water to drink.
Today you could perhaps do a full-day game drive, which would give you a great final day on safari, and means you can explore the varying landscapes of this very beautiful reserve more thoroughly. Hopefully you will see more of the lion prides, and possibly some of the rarer creatures such as the wild dogs, or leopard which are both fascinating to watch and would really finish off your safari part of your holiday nicely. You would take a picnic lunch with you, and your driver will stop in a shady spot under a giant baobab tree for lunch and a stretch of your legs at midday.
You will do a game-drive on the way to the airstrip today, where you will take the morning light aircraft flight to Zanzibar - an hour's flight away. 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 Echo Beach for the next five nights, where you can relax after your safari and enjoy the activities on offer from the hotel
You can spend your time here doing as much or as little as you like. If you want to relax, there's a lovely spa where you can enjoy a massage, and there are plenty of places to relax in the sun or shade by the pool or on the beach. If you're feeling more active, you can enjoy diving and snorkelling on the nearby reefs, sailing, or windsurfing.
I'd highly recommend heading out on a snorkelling trip at some point during your stay - you will sail in a traditional dhow to one of the reefs, and can spend an hour or two watching the colourful marine life living in the corals off Zanzibar. This is a lovely way to spend a morning or afternoon and a good opportunity to sail on a dhow as well!
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!
Your final full day on the beach, which you can spend doing as much or as little as you like.
Today you will leave Echo Beach and continue to Stone Town for your last night on the island. 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.
You will have most of the day at leisure, in the afternoon you will be taken to the airport in time for your international overnight flight back to the UK via Nairobi.
Day 13London
Arrive back in the UK.