Migration, Crater and Beach

Meet your driver at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Arumeru River Lodge for your overnight stay. Located just outside Arusha, Arumeru is the ideal location from which to start your safari adventure. Freshen up after your journey to Tanzania and unwind in the lush gardens – they are home to many Dikdiks, the smallest antelopes in Africa. These cute little animals can be observed at close range. Enjoy your first “wildlife encounter” by just walking in the tropical garden.

After a delicious dinner, it’s an early night before your safari itinerary kicks off in the morning!

After an early breakfast, pack your bags and depart with your driver to Arusha Airport. Connect with your Air Excel flight to Kuro Airstrip in Tarangire National Park.

On arrival at Kuro Airstrip, you will be met by your guide from Oliver’s Camp. A welcome table will be set up either at the airstrip or a short distance away, with tea and coffee, cold drinks and snacks allowing you to relax while your guide briefsyou on the surrounding area. A short game drive takes you into Oliver’s Camp. Once in camp, lunch will be served with the opportunity to relax and settle into your new surroundings. After a siesta and afternoon tea, you will head into the bush for your first game drive. Return to camp in time to wash away the days adventure before enjoying dinner and drinks around the camp fire.

After an early breakfast in camp, meet your expert guide and head out into the bush on foot for a morning walking safari in Tarangire National Park. There is no better way to experience the wilderness of East Africa up close and personal than on foot with the sun rising above the horizon. The morning walk will last for around 3-4 hours (temperature dependent), offering the chance to spot giraffe, buffalo, elephant, gazelle and of course, the ever-present predators.

A picnic lunch will be served under the shade of the large baobab tress that dot the landscape, before your journey back to camp a well-deserved siesta. The evening brings dinner in camp followed by whiskies and safari tales around the campfire.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kuro Airstrip for your Air Excel flight to Manyara Airstrip. On arrival at Lake Manyara you will be met by an Asilia driver guide and transferred to Lake Manyara National Park.

One of the smaller parks in Tanzania, Lake Manyara offers a microcosm of the safari experience to be found in Tanzania. The diverse landscape includes lush forest hosting baboons, monkeys and canopy dwelling birdlife and grassy floodplains that play host to larger mammals like buffalo, wildebeest, zebra and giraffe. Inland, one might find the famous tree climbing lions and herds of elephant. In addition to the wildlife, over 400 species of birds have been recorded within the park. Lunch is a packed picnic from Asilia.

In the afternoon, make your way up the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to The Highlands, the newest addition to the Asilia portfolio. While en-route, don’t forget to admire the spectacular views of the ancient volcanoes that make up the landscape. Once in camp, relax and unwind after your long drive. In the evening, a three course meal prepared by the fabulous chefs will be served in the dining room. Afterwards, enjoy a whisky in the Old Moti Bar or relax by the indoor camp fire in the lounge dome.

An early start to the day is the best in order to avoid the influx of tourists into the Ngorongoro Crater. The park gate opens at 06h00, so it is best to be there as close to this time as possible.

The Ngorongoro Crater is a large, unbroken, un-flooded caldera, formed when a giant volcano erupted and collapsed some three million years ago. Had it not become a caldera, it is possible that the volcanic mountain would be about the same height as Kilimanjaro. Down on the crater floor there is an abundance of wildlife including black rhino, wildebeest, zebra and eland. There are a number of lion which are typically larger in size than an average lion due to the large amount of game in the area. The crater floor tends to get very busy, with there often being numerous vehicles ay any wildlife sighting.

Enjoy a packed lunch under the trees on the crater floor, but keep an eye out for the monkeys which are always keen to take advantage of an opportunistic moment! In the afternoon, drive up and out of the crater and back down the road towards The Highlands camp. Once in camp relax and unwind before sitting down to a delicious home cooked meal.

After an early breakfast, pack your bags and depart with your driver to Manyara Airstrip. On arrival at the airstrip, you will be met by a resident guide from Ubuntu Camp. A welcome table will be set up either at the airstrip or a short distance away, with tea & coffee, cold drinks and snacks allowing you to refresh while your guide briefs you on the surrounding area. Depending on your preference, you may enjoy a short game drive or head directly for camp. You will enjoy a delicious packed lunch from Plantation Lodge / The Highlands.

UBUNTU SOUTH - Fly to Kusini Airstrip in the Southern Serengeti.  (1 January - 14 March / 20 - 31 December)

UBUNTU WEST - Fly to Grumeti Airstrip in the Western Serengeti. (1 June - 14 July)

UBUNTU NORTH - Fly to Kogatende Airstrip in the Northern Serengeti.  (1- 31 August)

Depending on your preference, there are a couple of options with regards to how your day is structured. One option is to break camp early and head out with a picnic breakfast on a morning game drive, returning to camp in time for lunch. Alternatively, you can eat breakfast in camp and head out with a picnic lunch on an afternoon game drive, returning in the mid-afternoon. Despite sharing vehicles on a Game Package basis, the camp will do everything it can to ensure that your ideal structure is met.

After breakfast, depart camp and make your way to the relevant airstrip (Kusini, Grumeti or Kogatende). Here you will bid your guide farewell as you board your Coastal Aviation flight to Zanzibar. On arrival at Zanzibar Airport you will be met by a representative from our Zanzibar ground handling company, Island Express, and transferred by road to Matemwe Lodge in the north east of the island.

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 snorkelling. 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.

After breakfast you will depart for Zanzibar Airport for your Coastal Aviation flight to Dar es Salaam Airport for your onward journey.