Arusha is the safari capital of Tanzania located at the foot of Mt. Meru, close to Mount Kilimanjaro, the Manyara, Tarangire and Ngorongoro National Parks. From there it’s only a short trip to the Serengeti. Just to the north, on the slopes of Mt. Meru is the Arusha National Park. Built by the Germans as a centre of colonial administration because of the temperate climate, Arusha is a good spot to take a day or two off from your safari. If driving from the Kilimanjaro International Airport, Arusha is approximately 90 minutes by road.
NOTE: Plastic bags are now banned in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, and are likely to be confiscated by customs officials on arrival, whether in clients’ baggage or carried by hand. For example, Duty-Free bags
Travellers heading for the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater will pass through the town of Karatu in the green hills of Tanzania’s northern highlands. Presided over by the towering Ol Deani Volcano, this small, colourful town serves as a popular overnight stop for visitors exploring the area’s many game parks. The town offers a variety of activities including browsing the bustling marketplace, sampling beer at a local brewery, visiting a traditional homestead, or taking a guided walk through the Ngorongoro Forest in search of waterfalls and caves. Whether you are looking for cultural tours, hiking and biking opportunities, a chance to enjoy an authentic rural Tanzania experience, or simply a break between safari game drives, this underrated town has plenty to offer.
The Serengeti together with Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Park form Africa’s most famous wildlife park. The image of acacia trees on an endless grass plain epitomises Africa for many, and then add a Masai warrior and some cattle to the picture and the conversation need go no further. Unlike the southern plains of the Serengeti that dry out, forcing all but the hardiest of species to leave, the Northern Serengeti remains lush and green throughout the year.
The annual wildebeest migration through the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara is the largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet – with more than a million animals following the rains. From July through to November the Migration is in the Northern Serengeti and this is where many of the most famous scenes of the Migration occur with almost daily crossings of the Mara River.
But that is not where the game viewing ends; large prides of lions, elephants and giraffes in grasslands, gazelles and eland to mention but a few.
Singita Serengeti Grumeti is located adjacent to the Western Corridor of the Serengeti, bordering the national park, and encompasses 350,000 acres of magnificent unrivalled wilderness. Vast river valleys meander through the plains, grasslands, woodland, and forest. The area forms part of the famous migratory route, which is travelled by hundreds of thousands of animals every year through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Called The Greatest Wildlife Show on Earth it has, since time immemorial, been the dramatic backbone of this enormous wilderness. Visitors can look forward to seeing all members of the ‘Big Five’, as well as large herds of wildebeest and zebra and numerous bird species. Activities on offer include game drives, guided walks and more.
Spreading out from the shores of beautiful Lake Tanganyika, the mountainous terrain of the Mahale Mountain National Park is home to some of Africa’s last surviving wild chimpanzees and trekking in search of these incredible primates is one of the main attractions of the reserve. Other highlights include walking game safaris that take in the park’s diverse wildlife, hiking up the 2460-metre Mount Nkungwe – the highest of the Mahale mountain range’s six peaks – and fishing and snorkelling in Lake Tanganyika on the park’s western border. While the park is home to over 900 chimpanzees, it is also home to a variety of other wildlife including: leopards, blue duikers, red colobus monkeys, giant pangolins, lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, otters and a variety of bird species.
Mnemba Island is privately owned and located off the northeast coast of Unguja Island, Zanzibar. The reefs surrounding the island are part of a marine conservation area and is a popular site for scuba divers. A guest lodge is available on the island where guests can experience many outdoor activities such as diving, boating, snorkelling, and other thrilling watersports. The island is easily accessible by boat from the main island of Zanzibar. Visitors can look forward to exploring the underwater coral wonderlands of the Mnemba Atoll, relaxing on picturesque white-sand beaches, and spotting an array of marine life such as turtles, humpback whales, whale sharks, dolphins, seabirds and over 600 species of tropical coral reef fish.
