Trip Summary
Tanzania has a lot to offer to visitors, especially those traveling with children. This safari has taken into account the special interests of children by incorporating places that specifically offer children friendly attractions, rather than those that simply accept them. Tanzania is an amazing and inspiring vacation destination for the whole family, where children get their own space and flexibility in their meals and activities. Where possible they even get an opportunity to interact with Tanzanian children, and the private safari guides that we allocate on Tanzania Family Safaris are both patient and children friendly.
Day by Day Itinerary
Welcome to Tanzania! Your arrival at the Kilimanjaro International Airport will be met by our representative who will usher you into a waiting vehicle and transfer you to the Karama Lodge Hotel in Arusha. Our representative will have a short safari-briefing session with you at the lodge and leave you to relax before dinner.
Here you will visit the community in Arusha, Tanzania’s capital city, with activities including visiting a local Masai market, the Snake Park in the outskirts of Arusha, and a children’s orphanage. In the late afternoon or evening, you’ll return to your hotel for rest, dinner, and a good night.
After breakfast you’ll be met by your professional guide/driver, who will deliver a short safari-info-briefing, after which you’ll travel east to Arusha National Park. This small but beautiful Tanzanian National Park is the closest to both the famous Arusha “safari town” (30 km) as well as the Kilimanjaro International Airport, making it ideal for day safaris and tours. Not only is the animal life in the park abundant, but it is also one of the most beautiful and varied parks in Tanzania. The park’s three most significant features include the rugged Mount Meru (Tanzania’s second highest peak at 4566m), the notably different colored Momela Lakes, and the 3km wide Ngurdoto Crater, which was formed about fifteen million years ago! You’ll have lunch at the Momela view picnic site and have exciting morning and afternoon game drives, to both the Momela Lakes and the Ngurdoto Crater. The park’s wildlife includes African buffalos, elephants, hippos, giraffe, warthogs, antelopes, zebras, blue monkeys and sometimes a rare leopard or hyena. In the late afternoon we’ll head back to Karama Lodge Hotel in time for dinner.
Our Tanzanian safari starts at 8:30am as you drive from Arusha to Lake Manyara with a picnic lunch en-route. You’ll enter the majestic Lake Manyara Game Park and embark on the first of the six Tanzanian safaris. This small park is sandwiched between the Rift Valley escarpment and the large sodiforous Lake Manyara. It is a beautiful location, with a good range of game, including giraffe, elephant, baboon, and the rarely seen tree-climbing lion.
After your breakfast at the lodge you will be on your way to Lake Natron which is the seasional breeding site for millions of lesser and greater flamingos which migrate here. On your way you will visit Masai villages, and after an hour you will be at Engaruka village where you will have brief stop to visit the Engaruka ruins. These are the ruins of an ancient and mysterious city with irrigation canals that are believed to be more than five hundred years old. Afterwards you will be on your way again to Lake Natron. You’ll arrive in time for lunch at your lodge. Take a short rest before going for a walk at the Lake and depending on water levels you can take a dip or go for a boat ride. You will have the chance also to walk up the Ngaresero River to the waterfalls. You are very likely to encounter monkeys and baboons along your walk. In the evening you can watch the sunset at Lake Natron.
Today’s activities will start with another walk to the lake if you wish, and afterward you’ll leave for the Serengeti National Park. You’ll cross the Loliondo Game Controlled area where the wildebeests herds stampede in November and December. After registering at Klein’s Gate, you will go for a game drive in the vast plains of the Serengeti National Park (on your way to the lodge) where you will get the chance to see plenty of animals and bird life. Among the animals that can be seen here are zebras, buffaloes, baboons, topis, impalas, cheetahs, leopards, and the recently reintroduced Rhinos.
No safari in Tanzania is complete without a visit to Serengeti National Park. At day break you’ll be out on the plains to greet the sunrise, and take a game drive for the only chance to see the nocturnal animals returning after the night’s hunt. You’ll also witnes the day-time species waking up to a new day. You’ll return for your own breakfast shortly after. Today you’ll have a full day of game drives exploring the Serengeti. Depending on the season and time of year, you’ll witness the magnificent natural phenomenon of the ‘Great Migration.’ More than one and a half million wildebeests, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of gazelles and zebras brave the crocodile infested rivers and cross the border into the Masai Mara in Kenya in search of green pastures and water. The resident animals and birds that stay all year round in Serengeti make sure that the park is a must-visit no matter the time of year. In the afternoon you will drive back to the campsite in time for dinner.
After breakfast you’ll start an 8:00am drive to the Ngorongoro Crater. After checking in to your Luxury Camp, perched high on the crater rim, you’ll enjoying lunch. Afterwards, you’ll descend the crater walls and spend the afternoon and early evening viewing the magnificent wildlife on the crater floor.
You’ll start your day early at 7:00am with a game drive (and picnic lunch) through the Ngorongoro Crater. Because very few animals migrate in or out of the crater it houses the highest concentration of predetors on Earth. You can expect to see lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, flamingos, jackals, rhinos, antelopes, many birds and other species. Your driver/guide will be in contact with other safari drivers and will amaze you with his skills at locating the hidden animals. After exploring all the nooks and crannies in the crater, you’ll return to your lodge for the night.
Today you’ll head to the Lake Eyasi area for the cultural encounter of a lifetime. Eyasi is the home of a hunter/gatherer tribe known as the Hadzabe who have withstood the advancement of westernization, and still live their ancient way of life; hunting animals and gathering fruits and tubers for food. The Hadzabes are a small ethnic group that has been able to co-exist harmoniously with nature. You will also have the chance to meet the Datoga people, another small tribe with a rich cultural heritage. Additionally, kids can attend an African school class to learn bush life and animal tracking techniques. Kids become junior Masai detectives as they listen for animal calls, search for animal tracks, and discover the hidden treasures of the bush. This is an excellent way for kids to discover environmentally-friendly practices and learn how these habits affect nature and the circle of life. You’ll wrap up the day watching the sunset at Lake Eyasi and, if you are here during the right season, you can take a dip in the lake.
Early in the morning, you will go for a traditional hunting session with the bushmen to see their techniques in action. After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge. You’re now on your way to Tarangire National Park, which is the third largest national park in Tanzania. After registering at the gate, you will go for a full-day game drive through this fabulous national park. The highlights are the gigantic baobab trees, and abnormally large herds of elephants. At Tarangire, you will have the chance to sight the rare Oryx, and other animals like zebras, giraffes, warthogs, leopards, and cheetahs. The Tarangire River is the life blood of this national park, and ensures a year round supply of water. The river bed takes center stage when animals gather to get this rare commodity resulting in a magnificent display or wildlife, as the predators try to take advantage of the opportunity to grab a meal. In the afternoon, you will drive back to Arusha for your flight to Zanzibar.
While in Zanzibar, there’s a lot of activities which are family friendly. You can take a tour of Stone Town, or a full-day tour of both the Spice and Prison Islands. The full-day tour will take you to the most scenic parts of the Old Town. The culturally-rich Stone Town got it’s name from the use of coral stone as the main building element. Being the oldest town in East Africa, the historic roots and influences can be felt at every turn. Starting from the House of Wonders, one of the most prominent landmarks of Stone Town, you’ll proceed to the Palace Museum, which was a Sultan’s residence. The Arab Fort, the Dr. Livingstone House, Freddie Mercury’s childhood home and the Hamamni Persian baths are just a few of the many attractions in this relic of a town. You will have free time in the afternoon to explore further on your own or to relax. In the evening, you’ll depart from the hotel for a sunset cruise along Stone Town’s waterfront. You’ll also stop at Forodhani Gardens for a glance at the town’s night life.
We’re sorry to see you go! You will be picked up from your hotel and driven to Zanzibar Airport for a flight to Dar-es-Salaam International Airport, where you will catch your flight back home. We hope you’ll come back to see us soon!