Zanzibar, Spice Island & Safari

A group trip among the national parks of Tanzania & Zanzibar... adventure and fun: wild animals, savannah, sea, dolphins, sea turtles, spice farms... SAFARI We will set off from the capital Dar Es Salaam for the Great National Parks of the Serengeti, Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater for an adventure in search of the big cats, elephants and rhinos, to capture the most exciting hunting scenes and get close to the peoples and tribes who live in these wonderful settings... SEA ZANZIBAR We will then fly to Zanzibar, island of trade and ancient traditions. The stay includes a beach hotel, whole days of relaxation by the sea alternating with excursions. The very white beaches of coral sand and the crystal-clear water will immediately make us fall in love with this lovely group trip/stay A Group Trip organised by Imbarcoindividuale.com and Grandiorizzonti.it...

a wonderful experience offered with departures roughly every two months: February/March, June/July, August/September, December. Read our travel diary and get information for the next departures at info@imbarcoindividuale.com Here is our Travel Diary... ready to set off with us? 1. Flight from Italy - Domestic flight - Lake Manyara Domestic flight to KIA (Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport), estimated arrival around 11:00am and meeting with an English-speaking driver-guide and departure by 4x4 off-road vehicle for the Lake Manyara park. Packed lunch included and start of the 'Game Drive' until sunset among elephants, hippos and pink flamingos. The park is known for the large number of migratory birds (flamingos, herons, partridges, etc.) and for tree-climbing lions, the so-called 'lions that climb trees'.

Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel in the nearby village of Mto Wa Mbo. 2. Serengeti National Park Breakfast and departure for the Serengeti, certainly the most famous and spectacular park in Tanzania. A full day of 'Game Drive' in the parks, in the natural area of the Ngorongoro Crater, among animals and Maasai villages, along the fantastic depression of the Rift Valley and the primitive Olduvai Gorge, famous for having yielded the remains of the first known hominid, named 'Lucy'. Numerous encounters with herds of herbivores, buffaloes and the big cats of the Serengeti will be almost guaranteed. Dinner and overnight stay in a lodge inside the park. 3. Ngorongoro Crater Breakfast in the lodge and start of the 'Game drive' in the Serengeti park (we recommend getting up at dawn for the morning safari, which offers a greater chance of spotting the great predators in action).

We then continue to descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, an enchanted valley rich in wildlife. Here we will have the chance to meet all the 'Big Five' (lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and the rare African rhino). At sunset we will continue to the hotel on the edge of the park, dinner and overnight stay. 4. Domestic flight and landing in Zanzibar Breakfast and transfer to the airport for the domestic flight to Zanzibar; arrival expected around 14:00, and transfer to the hotel with our 'Beach Express'. Afternoon devoted to relaxation among palms, cocktails, turquoise waters and sunbathing on the beach. Dinner and overnight stay. Accommodation SEAFRONT (subject to availability) On the north-western part of the coast (Nungwi). Beach hotel, with restaurant and Diving centre, a pleasant and convenient place. Dinner served or buffet in the 'Beach Restaurant' with sea view.

An 'African' resort ideal for young people, groups and couples, where it is possible to organise a 'full-moon party', often also attended by other tourists and travellers in search of the 'local little spot'. 5. Free day. (Safari Blue optional excursion recommended). At breakfast we will drink 'Zanzibari coffee' before a whole day of relaxation. Today we recommend the 'Safari Blue', a day at sea among atolls and dolphins. Excursion programme: transfer to the village of Fumba, in the south-west of the island, to board a typical Arab boat with triangular sails, the 'Dhow' (or catamaran), and enjoy a real safari in the Blue at the 'Menai Bay Conservation Area'...

dolphins, sandbanks, snorkelling, swims in the warm, crystal-clear waters of a lagoon, lunch with barbecue on Kwale island [Zanzibar rice, seafood, fruit, cold beer, amarula, coffee, iced drinks..] At the end of the day we will sail back happily from a pure and breathtaking adventure. Dinner and overnight stay. 6. Free day. (Optional excursion recommended: 'Stone Town') A day we can devote to sunbathing, swimming in the sea or organising an optional excursion to the city of Stone Town or an optional excursion inland: the 'Spice Tour' in the farms and spice plantations of Zanzibar. Dinner and overnight stay. Stone Town Tour Visit to the famous Stone Town, rich in history and architecture.

You will visit the ancient and wonderful Residential Palace dating back to the period of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, the old Portuguese fort, the historic Catholic church and the first slave market of East Africa. 7. Free day. (Optional excursion recommended: Jozani Forest and 'Spice Island') After breakfast we will head for what is the only tropical forest in Zanzibar, which hosts and offers shelter to endemic species to be preserved, the Red Colobus monkeys. These spectacular monkeys are found only in Zanzibar, and particularly in the Jozani forest. In the reserve you may also encounter other rare species of monkeys, 'Sykes and Velvet', which we will observe in their natural environment. We push as far as possible into the dense mangrove forest, following on foot an expert ranger guide to learn in detail about the life habits of these strange primate specimens.

We continue with the spice tour: Spice Tour Visit to the famous farms of Zanzibar, introduced by the Arabs in the early 18th century. 8. Free day. (Optional excursion recommended: 'Prison Island', island of the giant tortoises) A day we can devote to sunbathing, swimming in the sea or organising an optional excursion to the historic 'Prison Island' (island of the giant tortoises). Dinner and overnight stay. 9. Free day. (Optional excursion to the 'boat yard with sunset cruise') A day we can devote to sunbathing, swimming in the sea or organising an optional excursion to the village, to visit the typical yard of the traditional sailing boats, the 'dhows', and then enjoy a short sunset sail. Dinner and overnight stay.

Visit to the Shipyard and Sunset Cruise The excursion begins with a visit to the shipyard where the ancient methods of assembling the traditional boats still used throughout the archipelago, known by the name of 'Dhows', are still applied. Besides briefly learning about the process used to build the boats, the visit to the village also focuses on the local activities connected with traditional food products and the milling of cereals and flour. Enchanted by the charm of local traditions, it will then be magical to be moved during the cruise made to admire the warm, colourful sunset offered by the Spice Island. 10. Return to Dar Es Salaam and flight to Italy Breakfast and transfer to the port, ferry to Dar Es Salaam (09:30 am), transfer to the airport according to flight times, boarding procedures and return flight. Next Departures: