Southern Tanzania and Zanzibar

On arrival at Dar es Salaam International Airport you fly with Coastal Aviation to the Selous Game Reserve, only an hour away. (15kg luggage limit per person; soft bags required for all  flights on this itinerary). Your guide from Roho ya Selous camp will meet you at the airstrip and game-drive you the short distance to the camp, giving an introduction to this beautiful reserve and its wildlife on the way. Settle into your spacious tent and after lunch there’s time to relax by the pool before you set off on your afternoon safari activity. 

A boat safari is a lovely relaxed introduction to The Selous, watching wildlife come to the water’s edge to drink, and stopping for sundowners on a sandbank.

Each morning and afternoon you can choose from the safari activities on offer. Game drives are a good way of exploring further afield and seeing the larger wildlife and predators. 

The Selous is home to a superb variety of wildlife including good populations of lion and leopard, and Africa’s largest population of wild dog. Walking safaris are a real treat and offer a slower pace to learn about the flora and fauna of the Selous. Boat safaris on the lake are particularly lovely in the afternoon, combined with a spot of fishing or sundowners, and are a good chance to get up close to pods of hippos and bird colonies nesting on small islands.

Depart on a short morning game drive to the airstrip to fly to Ruaha National Park, an hour and a half’s flight away. On arrival in Ruaha, a guide from Kwihala will meet you and game- drive you back to camp, exploring this very different landscape on the way. Settle in, unwind and freshen up before heading to the dining tent for a delicious lunch served in a shady spot overlooking the sandy river.

Rest during the heat of the day before afternoon tea is served and you set o  on an afternoon drive, searching for the big cats and other wildlife that make this park such a rewarding safari destination. In the evening, enjoy drinks around the campfire before a three-course dinner alfresco, surrounded by lanterns and often the sounds of elephants in the distance as they search for water.

Safari activities take place in the early morning and late afternoon, when the wildlife is most active.

You will head out with expert guides on game drives to explore further afield, on walking safaris to seek out the smaller details and learn how to track wildlife from prints and signs in the bush, and night drives to watch nocturnal species. Breakfast is often a picnic to maximize your explorations, and you will return to camp for lunch and a siesta.

After breakfast, depart camp and game-drive to the airstrip, where you will fly to Zanzibar, two and a half hours away. On arrival you will be met and driven by private vehicle to Matemwe Lodge in the north east of the island. 

Spend the rest of the afternoon unwinding in your thatch and stone chalet right on the oceanfront, snoozing in the hammock or swimming in one of the two pools.

One of only a handful of boutique lodges in Zanzibar, Matemwe is perched on a coral rock outcrop overlooking a sandy beach gently sloping into the Indian Ocean. Adjacent to the lodge, the corals surrounding the Mnemba Atoll offer superb diving and snorkeling. Fresh seafood, refreshing cocktails and relaxing massages are just some elements of the laid-back daily routines of Matemwe’s guests. Matemwe is made up of only twelve beach chalets all overlooking the Indian Ocean. Each of the private verandas is furnished with large hammocks and sofas, perfect for whiling away the time as the occasional dhow drifts past in the distance.

There are a variety of activities available either at Matemwe Lodge, or that can be arranged through reception. Activities outside of the resort can usually be booked at 24 hours’ notice, so it is best to arrange these on arrival at the lodge. Your days are therefore open to be structured as you choose, with either as much relaxing by the pool, or as many activities as you wish.

Spend your days at Matemwe relaxing and swimming in the warm Indian Ocean, taking a boat to the reef to snorkel or dive, kayaking along the shoreline looking for turtles, sailing in a dhow watching for dolphins or taking a picnic lunch to a remote sandbank.

After breakfast you will be driven back to Zanzibar Airport for your ight to Dar es Salaam, only 20 minutes away, where you can connect to your international flight home.

END OF SAFARI