Soon after we land in Dar es Salaam, local staff will whisk you away to your hotel accommodation for overnight; situated in a quiet part of the city. Rest up after your long travel day.

Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam is the bustling commerical capital of Tanzania, situated along a natural harbor on the Indian Ocean. The city is a melting pot of diversity, blending African, Indian and Arab influences to create a unique urban culture.

Flight to Selous & Afternoon Safari

A morning flight from Dar es Salaam Airport takes us south-west to the Selous Game Reserve. Enter Africa's largest protected area uninhabited by man, where Tanzania's greatest population of elephants wander in an area bigger than Switzerland! The Selous (pronounced “Seloo”) is considered important enough to be a World Heritage Site, in which the lucky few can experience a safari in absolutely wild and unspoiled bush. You will be met at the airstrip for your private guide and open, private vehicle for game drive to camp for a scrumptious lunch. You will enjoy a private afternoon game drive, before returning for sundowners. The tented villas are a haven of rest and relaxation overlooking the tranquil rapids of the Great Ruaha River and our resident hippo. Their unique 'eco-chic' design offers something very different and fresh and feature handmade items from community based projects.

Safari Game Drives

All game drives are in private, custom made 4 x 4 vehicles that have open sides and raised seating, ideal for comfortable game viewing and photography. A private vehicle is ideal so that the whole experience of coming to stay with us is a very intimate one. On arrival you are introduced to your guide who will be showing you the wonderful Selous for the duration of your stay. Due to the hot dry climate of the Selous games drives are best taken early in the morning or at dusk and can be accompanied by a sunrise bush breakfast or sundowner picnic.The park is named after an Englishman, Frederick Courtney Selous - conservationist, hunter, explorer and author, whose adventure books on Africa became best sellers in Victorian England. The park varies from rolling grassy woodlands and plains, to rocky outcrops cut by the Rufiji River - the lifeblood of the park, whose tributaries form a network of lakes, lagoons and channels. Volcanic hot springs even burst forth in places. The Rufiji offers a superb method of game viewing especially during the dry season when animals congregate.

Safari Game Drives

Selous contains about one third of all the wild dogs (often called painted dogs), in the world. Their need to roam vast areas and their formidable hunting skills have caused many to be shot by farmers, but here in Selous they have boundless woodlands and savannahs in which to roam. Along the Rufiji River, an array of grazing antelopes, crocodiles and hippos are commonly seen as well as black and white colobus monkeys in the riverine forests. During the dry season from June to October, the concentration of animals along the river is astonishing. Linked to the Rufii is Lake Tagalala where waterbuck, reedbuck and bushbuck gather at the water's edge. Magnificent sickle-horned sable and curly-horned greater kudu tend to keep to the longer grass and wooded shrubby areas.

We join a mid-morning flight from Sumbazi airstrip and pass other airstrips enroute to Arusha. Soon after we land in Arusha, Legendary Coffee Lodge staff will whisk us away to our lodge; surrounded by lush tropical gardens and a century old coffee estate. There are twelve luxurious, colonial-style cottages with Afro-European architecture and décor. With transporting views of Mt Meru, the cottages are your own personal retreat with a unique combination of amenities and stunning elements. Time for pre-dinner drinks to await the delicious fair that awaits on the dinner table.

Arusha

Arusha is the gateway to Tanzania's northern circuit, serving as a base for Kilimanjaro treks and wildlife safaris into Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. Transport hub aside, Arusha even offers its own opportunities for exploration, including day trips to Arusha National Park, canoeing tours on Momella Lake and Meru coffee plantation visits. For those looking to just rest and recover from jet lag, Arusha also features the perfect stop to relax and recharge, before continuing your African adventure!

Flight to Tarangire & Afternoon Game Drive

We enjoy a leisurely breakfast and guided walk in the gardens of the lodge. Following an early lunch, we are transported to an afternoon flight from Arusha Airport taking us west to Tarangire National Park.

Located in the Great Rift Valley System, Tarangire is known for its massive elephant herds, true sense of wilderness and backdrop of baobabs. During our game drives out of our southerly located Swala Camp, we’ll marvel at our first good looks at what is probably one of Africa’s largest population of free-ranging elephants, along with the cape buffaloes, impalas, giraffe, zebras, and wildebeest who— in addition to some big cats and two score or more other mammal species—make their domicile in and around the park.

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire is one of the most diverse National Parks in Tanzania. Covering a promising area of 1,360 sq km, Tarangire is situated in the northwestern corner of Tanzania’s Masai Steppe, east of The Great Rift Valley. This region boasts large herds of elephant and buffalo, in addition to an impressive concentration of big cats. Featuring over 500 different species, Tarangire also offers the best bird diversity in East Africa. The rugged landscape offers a unique safari backdrop, that blends seamlessly between rolling grasslands, messy swamps and forests of baobab trees.

Safari Game Drives

In the heart of Maasai country and a remote corner of the Tarangire, in total seclusion among giant acacia trees and looking out beyond the flat savannah, Swala Camp offers a very exclusive safari experience. The picturesque landscape is filled with ancient baobab trees, ambling elephants and birds in flight. Built to the highest eco-friendly standards, this camp has a particularly low-carbon footprint. Each of the twelve canvas pavilions is shaded by tall acacia trees and all are within sight of the well frequented water hole. They are unashamedly luxurious and exquisitely furnished but still close enough to nature to permit an exciting night under canvas. The tents feature a spacious open plan arrangement with comfortable king or twin beds, campaign chairs and plush sofas and boasts an en-suite bathroom with both indoor and outdoor shower for that extra bit of luxury. Sip cocktails or enjoy scrumptious dinners on your own private veranda and watch the waterhole which regularly draws lions, leopards and resident bull elephants while your own personal attendant caters for your every need.

Morning Flight & Game Drive

After a morning game drive and breakfast you make a memorable flight northwest, to an airstrip on the Manyara Escarpment. From here you will meet your Crater Lodge transfer driver to escort you up the winding road to the fabled Lost World of the Ngorongoro Crater, a volcanic bowl abounding with life and beauty, unknown to the outside world until 1892 (which helps account for its wealth of wildlife, everything from a burgeoning lion population to fine stands of flamingos).

Our lodge, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, is perched on the gigantic crater’s rim, allowing us to gaze at the flat, 100-square-mile crater floor hundreds of feet below. Ngorongoro is one of the world’s largest volcanic calderas; Ngorongoro’s floor, down to which we’ll wind our way for a full-day game drive tomorrow, is a mesmerizing, eventful place.

Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater is one of Tanzania's most amazing sights: a collapsed volcano which forms an incredible natural amphitheater, 25 km (16 mi) across and teeming with all of the African big game. Many of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhino can be seen grazing on the open grassland of the crater floor surrounded by some of the 20,000 large animals that occupy the crater, including lion, cheetah, eland, zebra and gazelle. Flamingo, among other bird species can often be seen feeding at Makat soda lake. This is an area of spectacular beauty and superb game viewing, a truly unique safari destination.

Safari Game Drives

We take part in an early morning game drive before returning for lunch and resting. An estimated 25,000 mammals are resident in the Crater, including large herds of resident wildebeest, 16 highly endangered black rhino and around 70 lion. Nomadic cheetah move in and out of the area and leopard are most often encountered in the Lerai Forest. Both golden and black-backed jackal are abundant, while the normally shy and nocturnal serval are frequently spotted during daylight hours. Vast numbers of buffalo, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle also occur. While the grasses are short in winter, it is easy to spot even caracal.

After breakfast, road transfer to Manyara airstrip for our charter flight to a private game reserve, north-western Serengeti.

Only 10 minutes from the airstrip is Singita Sasakwa Lodge. Located in the Grumeti Reserves , the area forms part of the Serengeti Mara ecosystem. The view from the lodge’s spacious veranda is almost endless over the majestic Serengeti plains below. A sense of grandeur is woven throughout the turn-of-the-century manor house and private cottages through a blend of authentic European style and East African influences. Spanning over 350,000 acres of untouched wilderness, this magnificent conservancy is ideally positioned on the renowned migratory route traversed annually by more than a million wildebeest. Afternoon game driving in open vehicles allows us an introduction to these incredible lands.

The Serengeti

Criss-crossed with forested river valleys, and vast plains, the Serengeti plays home to millions of Africa’s large mammals, making this one of the world’s most famous wildlife destinations. In addition, since the Ndutu region is not part of the actual Serengeti National park boundaries, the rules and regulations regarding game driving are much more flexible. Get up close and personal with the wildlife here like no where else in Tanzania.

Safari Game Drives

Daily game drives with professional guides and trackers provide the perfect opportunity to get up close to Africa’s incredible animals, while spot lit nighttime drives reveal the elusive magic of nocturnal Africa. During your stay, you are likely to spot a great variety of wildlife including cheetah, bearded wildebeest, bat eared fox, black rhino, Maasai giraffe, lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and zebra. Spanning over 350,000 acres of untouched wilderness, Grumeti Reserve demonstrates high quality game viewing while staying in a lodge that is ideally positioned on the renowned migratory route traversed annually by more than one million wildebeest.

Safari Game Drives & Lodge Activities

At Sasakwa, there are many other activities to partake in: equestrian center, environmental education center, shopping in the boutique & gallery, premier wine tasting, spa, gym & swimming. Split your day with game driving and be sure to enjoy the lodge's alternate activities.

As for the migration, it is difficult to predict exactly where the wildebeest herds will be any given time because the movement depends so much upon the weather patterns that occur naturally throughout the year. But generally over the year, herds move from the greener and wetter southern and eastern plains from November to March and to the drier northern areas of the parks (north and south of the Mara River) from May to October.

Safari Game Drives

The Grumeti Reserve was established in 1994 by the Tanzanian government in order to preserve the direct pathway of the famous Wildebeest Migration, the indigenous flora and fauna species and the vast, important eco-system. In 2002, The Grumeti Community and Wildlife Conservation Fund was granted 350,000 acres for the purpose of preservation and creating low-impact tourism opportunities to be able to maintain the area for the future of Tanzania. The area is home to the big cats and many other large mammal species, along with smaller mammals and excellent birding opportunities. It is hard to leave this African wilderness paradise.

Morning Flight & Afternoon Game Drive

After breakfast, road transfer to Singita airstrip for our charter flight to the Tanzanian coast, north of Dar es Salaam. This is one of Tanzania’s new national parks but allows for some varied game viewing and experiences.

The lodge itself is located in a pocket of lush rainforest, bordering the Wami River. Our suite is a private villa with its own infinity pool , two bedrooms and bathrooms, a living room and dining room. Saadani National Park begins from the ocean and moves into the salty mangroves of temporary dams and waterholes. The park is the only place north of Dar es Salaam where Green Sea Turtles arrive to lay eggs in their historical rookery. End your day with a cruise up the tidal Wami River and sundowners among the incredible birdlife like kingfishers, fish eagles and wading birds (and crocs!)

Cultural Visit

Saadani village once was an important harbor-town and slave trading center in east Africa. Now it is a small Swahili fishing village with about 800 inhabitants whose livelihood is mostly fishing. Other villages adjacent to the park make their living through farming, especially coconut growing. After periods of Portuguese and Arab domination, the region gained importance in 18th and 19th centuries following a rising international demand for ivory and slaves. Saadani's and Bagamoyo's caravan trade declined at the end of the 19th century while Dar es Salaam rose to be the most important trading center of the coastal region. Commercial production along the coast, such as rice, sugar and copra, which were exported to Zanzibar and the Indian Ocean, disappeared after the German invasion. These were replaced by cash crops such as coffee, cotton and sisal for the European market.

The location of the accommodation allows for exploration from east to west, the open ocean with coral reefs changes to brackish water ecosystem characterized by mangrove forest, salt pans and bare saline areas. The Wami River is the most important fresh water source beside numerous temporary rivers and dams and cruising by boat demonstrates the vast array of wildlife species to view.

Game Drive & Departure

Wake to the sounds of extraordinary birdlife. Early morning game driving into the heart of the park—explore endemic bird species, large mammals and a unique habitat not seen in other national parks in Tanzania. Even the walk from your suite to the main dining areas will offer a wonderful look into the high number of unique species that are found at Saadani.

After lunch, transfer to airstrip for flight to Dar es Salaam and assisted transfer to departing international flight.