Tanzania Adventure Serengeti to Zanzibar

Upon arrival tonight, we transfer directly to our hotel.

We meet our Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director and fellow travelers at this morning’s briefing about the journey ahead. Then we get our first taste of life on safari, as we set out this afternoon on a game drive in Arusha National Park, where we may spot waterbuck, zebra, giraffe, flamingos, monkeys, and more. In the distance, we may see iconic snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano and at 19,340 feet, Africa’s highest peak – and the highest freestanding mountain in the world. Inside the park, we see Mt. Meru, Africa’s fifth-highest peak at 15,000 feet. Tonight, we enjoy a welcome dinner together. B,L,D

We depart today for the two-hour drive to Tarangire, Tanzania’s 1,100-square-mile park known especially for its high concentration of elephants and for the many baobab trees dotting the savannah. We enjoy a game drive en route to our lodge, located within the park. After lunch and some time at leisure, late afternoon we enjoy another game drive in the park, where we may see zebra, wildebeest, Cape buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, and of course, elephants. B,L,D

In store today: morning and afternoon game drives in this gem of a park slightly off the beaten path. Along with the abundant game, we’re sure to see some of Tarangire’s 550 species of birds, as well as the many termite mounds scattered amid the grass- and swampland here. B,L,D

This morning we depart for Ngorongoro, wildlife haven and homeland of the semi-nomadic Maasai people. We arrive in time for lunch at our safari lodge uniquely set on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, blending in so much with the landscape as to be invisible from the crater floor. This afternoon is at leisure; the views of the crater from our lodge, spectacular. B,L,D

This morning we descend to the floor of magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO site and at 100 square miles the world’s largest intact and perfectly formed volcanic caldera. The unique biosphere here has remained unchanged for eons; towering walls encircle the crater’s floor which represents Africa in microcosm: grassland, swamps, lakes, forests, and some 25,000 mammals, including elephant, giraffe, lion, hippo, and zebra. Then we return to our lodge for an afternoon at leisure. B,L,D

En route today to the fabled Serengeti, we visit 31-mile Olduvai Gorge. It was here in 1959 that anthropologist Mary Leakey discovered the 1.8-million-year-old skull of Australopithecus boisei – and revolutionized the study of human evolution. Part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Olduvai is considered the “cradle of humanity” and ranks as one of the world’s most important prehistoric archaeological sites for its rich fossils and early hominid remains. Then we visit a Maasai village before we continue on to Serengeti National Park, home to such plains dwellers as lion, cheetah, zebra, and wildebeest. The Serengeti, the Maasai’s “endless plain,” is Africa’s finest park, and we begin to see why on this afternoon’s game drive. Today’s safari outing concludes at our lodge, which we reach in time for dinner. B,L,D

In Tanzania’s northeast corner sits the vast Serengeti National Park, 5,700 square miles (equal in size to Connecticut), one of the world’s last great wildlife refuges, and the Tanzanian portion of Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. Twice a year (Jan-Feb and Jun-Oct), some 1.3 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra, and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle migrate to new grazing lands, sparking one of nature’s most spectacular sights and the world’s largest migration. But the Serengeti’s plains teem with animal life year-round, as we’ll see on today’s game drives. B,L,D

We embark on more game drives today. We have the chance to see some – or all – of Africa’s “Big Five”: lion, Cape buffalo, elephant, rhino, and leopard, along with wildebeest, zebra, eland, gazelle, and other plains animals, and some 500 species of birds. B,L,D

We fly this morning to tropical Zanzibar, Tanzania’s semiautonomous Indian Ocean archipelago with a colorful and storied history. Upon arrival today, we set out to discover Stone Town, Zanzibar’s capital, a UNESCO site, and East Africa’s only ancient town still functioning. A heady mix of Moorish, Middle Eastern, Indian, and African influences (though predominantly Muslim today), Stone Town boasts a labyrinth of narrow alleys lined with shops, homes, hidden courtyards, and extravagantly carved wooden doors, as we see on our tour. B,L,D

A morning tour of a spice plantation reveals why Zanzibar is known as the “Spice Island” – its bounty of cloves, nutmeg, ginger, chilies, black pepper, vanilla, coriander, and cinnamon have found their way around the world for centuries. We return to our hotel in time for lunch on our own and an afternoon at leisure, perhaps to relax at the beachfront pool of our hotel. Tonight we celebrate our Tanzania adventure at a farewell dinner. B,D

This morning we take a quick flight to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city. Upon arrival, we will have a day room at a local hotel and an afternoon at leisure. After an early dinner tonight, we return to the airport for our flights to the U.S. B,D

We arrive in the U.S. today and connect with our flights home.

Summer – dry and warm; cooler at Ngorongoro because of elevation. Migration picks up, with plenty of game throughout central/southern Serengeti

Rains become possible, bringing plains animals in search of fresh grass and food. Significant movement of antelope and other game to the plains for calving season, predators follow

Dry season; can be cold on the rim of Ngorongoro. Wildebeest and plains game begin migrating in search of water. By July, wildebeest migration is in full swing, with opportunities for excellent game viewing and predator kills

Season of the “short” rains (brief daily thunderstorms); comfortable at Ngorongoro; warm in the Serengeti, with plentiful game

B = Breakfast included L = Lunch included D = Dinner included