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Expedition Overview
Nestled in the heart of East Africa, Tanzania beckons with a symphony of natural wonders and cultural riches. Our Tanzania Safari and Beach experience will transport you to a realm where wildlife roams freely, where ancient tribes uphold their traditions, and where pristine beaches meet the azure waters of the Indian Ocean.
This 16-day adventure unveils a tapestry of experiences, from close encounters with Tarangire's elephant families to cultural immersion with the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes, and the majesty of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Venture into the legendary Serengeti, where the Great Migration unfolds, and soar above it all with a breathtaking hot air balloon safari.
Finally, relax on Zanzibar's white sandy beaches, where time seems to stand still. Join us on this extraordinary journey through Tanzania, where every day is a new adventure, and every moment is a treasure.
Highlights:
Wildlife Encounters: Immerse yourself in the rich biodiversity of Tarangire National Park, known for its elephant families and diverse wildlife.
Cultural Immersion: Journey to Lake Eyasi and engage with the unique Hadzabe and Datoga tribes, experiencing their daily life and traditions.
Scenic Beauty: Explore the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and enjoy a leisurely walk through the highlands, soaking in the breathtaking landscapes.
Ngorongoro Crater: Descend into the world's largest intact crater, home to an astonishing array of wildlife, including the Big Five.
Serengeti Adventure: Embark on a safari in the world-renowned Serengeti National Park, famous for its Great Migration and diverse predator sightings.
Hot Air Balloon Safari: Experience the Serengeti from the skies with a breathtaking hot air balloon safari at sunrise.
Zanzibar Beach Bliss: Unwind on the white sandy beaches of Zanzibar, enjoying crystal-clear waters and optional island activities.
Explore the full itinerary to uncover all the incredible experiences that await you on your Tanzania Explorer adventure.
When To Come
This captivating Tanzania Explorer Safari & Beach adventure is open year-round, offering something extraordinary in every season. Here's a breakdown of the best times to embark on this unforgettable journey, each offering a unique perspective on Tanzania's natural wonders:
Dry Season (June - October):
Wildlife Spectacle: This is the prime time for wildlife enthusiasts, as the dry season draws animals to water sources in Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. You'll witness incredible concentrations of wildlife, including elephants, lions, and rhinoceros.
Serengeti Migration: July to September marks the Great Migration's epic river crossings in the Serengeti. Witness millions of wildebeests and zebras battling the crocodile-infested waters of the Mara River.
Balloon Safari Magic: The crisp, clear mornings of the dry season are ideal for the Serengeti hot air balloon safari, offering unmatched aerial views of the landscape and wildlife.
Green Season (November - May):
Lush Landscapes: The "green season" brings refreshing rains, transforming the landscape into a lush oasis. It's a great time for photography, as the scenery is vibrant and green.
Baby Animals: This period sees an abundance of newborn animals, including wildebeest calves and zebra foals. Predators are active, taking advantage of the easy prey.
Fewer Crowds: While it may be slightly wet, the green season offers a more intimate experience with fewer tourists, allowing for quiet contemplation of Tanzania's beauty.
Cultural Connections (Year-Round):
Lake Eyasi Tribes: Visiting the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes is possible throughout the year. Witness their unique way of life and cultural practices whenever you embark on this adventure.
Maasai Village: Engaging with the Maasai community near Ngorongoro is a year-round opportunity, offering insights into their traditions and daily life.
Beach Bliss (Year-Round):
Zanzibar's Coastal Paradise: Zanzibar's beaches are a tropical paradise, and you can enjoy them year-round. Whether you seek relaxation, water sports, or cultural exploration, Zanzibar's coastline has something for everyone.
Snorkeling and Diving: The Indian Ocean's warm waters beckon snorkelers and divers year-round, with stunning coral reefs teeming with marine life.
No matter when you choose to embark on this journey, Tanzania welcomes you with its diverse offerings. Each season tells a different story, ensuring that your Tanzania Explorer Safari & Beach experience is nothing short of extraordinary.
Expedition Summary
Day 1: Arrival in Arusha, Tanzania's gateway city.
Day 2: Explore Tarangire: wildlife and iconic baobabs.
Day 3: Tarangire: walking safari and Silale Swamp exploration.
Day 4: Cultural visit to Lake Eyasi's tribes.
Day 5: Journey to Karatu village for relaxation.
Day 6: Walk to a Maasai village near Ngorongoro.
Day 7: Descend into Ngorongoro Crater for wildlife viewing.
Day 8: Drive to Serengeti, Africa's renowned wilderness.
Day 9: Full day in Serengeti for wildlife encounters.
Day 10: Thrilling Serengeti hot air balloon safari.
Day 11: Fly to Zanzibar for beach relaxation. 12-15.
Days 12-15: Unwind on Zanzibar's pristine white-sand beaches.
Day 16: Departure from Zanzibar, ending your adventure.
Day 1 – Arrival in Arusha
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met and transferred to the Hotel for your overnight stay on a half-board basis.
Arusha is a city in East Africa's Tanzania, located at the base of volcanic Mt. Meru. It's a gateway to safari destinations and to Africa's highest peak, 5,895m Mt. Kilimanjaro, lying some 100 kilometers northeast. To the west lies Serengeti National Park, home to wildlife including lions, rhinoceros, giraffes, and leopards. The annual migrations feature huge herds of wildebeests crossing its plains.
Accommodation: Hamerkop House by Lemala in Arusha.
Meals & Drinks: Dinner & Breakfast - Drinks not included
Day 2 – Fly to Tarangire National Park
Today after breakfast, transfer to Arusha airport for your schedule flight to Kuro airstrip in Tarangire National Park. Upon your late morning arrival at Kuro airstrip, you'll meet your guide and drive to the lodge for check-in, a quick rest, and your pre-safari briefing.
Lunch will be served at the lodge, followed by your first afternoon game drive in the park.
Tarangire is best known for its elephant families, savannah, iconic baobab trees, seasonal swamps, and the life-giving Tarangire River. The park is also home to buffalo, zebra, and wildebeest. These animals are closely followed by a range of predators such as lions and leopards and rarely cheetah. From the open roof of the safari vehicle, you will be able to absorb the landscape and watch the wildlife while in the truck.
After a full day in the park, you will return to the lodge, located inside the park, where you will be able to relax and enjoy dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Tarangire Nimali Lodge
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner excluding drinks.
Day 3 – Tarangire: Walking Safari and Silale Swamp Exploration
Having slept inside the park gives you the opportunity to start your early morning walking safari inside the park accompanied by your guide and an armed ranger. The walk will last approximately two hours, before returning to the lodge for breakfast.
After breakfast you'll enjoy game drive while exploring many areas of this great national park. Tarangire boasts a high concentration of elephants, partly because of the availability of water, especially during the dry season. The huge baobab trees can't be missed, as they grow very tall in the park.
You will also have a chance to drive along the Silale swamp for bird sightings and a chance to see the cats and other carnivores that wait for the animals to come and feed on grass and drink water.
After a full day of exploring, you will drive back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Tarangire Nimali Lodge
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner excluding drinks
Day 4 – Lake Eyasi's Tribes
Leave Tarangire behind you as your driver/guide takes you to Lake Eyasi, approximately one hour away. Lake Eyasi is a seasonal soda lake located just south of the crater highlands and the Serengeti. This scenic area is home to the hunter/gatherer tribe, the Hadzabe, the last of the bushmen in East Africa.
Here we will visit the Hadzabe tribe and join them on a short hunt in the bush, seeing how they procure food. We will also visit the Datoga tribe, another small tribe in the region who are known as blacksmiths, making spears and other metal equipment for hunting to barter with the Hadzabe. You will get an up-close look at how both of these tribes live, and have an opportunity to meet some of Africa's most interesting people before being driven to your next destination, Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge.
Accommodation: Lake Eyasi Safari lodge.
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner excluding drinks
Day 5 - Karatu Village
Morning at leisure before departing from the lodge and driving to Karatu village for more cultural exploration before proceeding to Gibb’s Farm lodge, arriving in time for lunch.
Accommodation: Gibb’s Farm lodge
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner excluding drinks
Day 6 – Maasai Village Walk
Depart from your lodge in Karatu, and drive to your tented lodge in the Ngorongoro Conservation area, featuring great views of the crater rim. Here you'll enjoy lunch and quick rest.
Later in the day you will go for a walk to the nearby Maasai village, accompanied by your guide, an armed park ranger, and a Maasai tribesman from the village. Along the way you'll explore the Ngorongoro highlands as you make your way to the village. The walk takes approximately one and a half hours, at a gentle pace, and is a great opportunity to look out for wildlife and learn about the flora and fauna up close.
On arrival at the village, expect to be greeted in the traditional manner: plenty of singing and dancing, with participation very much encouraged! You'll have the opportunity to learn about some of the customary practices such as fire-making and beadwork.
Once your time in the village has come to an end, you can either be driven or walk back to the lodge, stopping for sundowners along the way. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Entamanu tented lodge
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner excluding drinks
Day 7 – Descend into Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, depart with a hamper lunch, and descend down to the crater floor for game viewing. The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact crater in the world. The crater life is estimated at 30,000 large mammals. Due to its natural borders, there is an abundance of wildlife throughout the conservation area which is home to the Big Five including the African black rhino as well as hyenas, zebra, and elephants to name a few.
Afternoon exiting the crater you'll proceed to your lodge for leisure, or enjoy an optional walking tour around the crater rim.
Walk around the Crater Rim
If you're up for it, you can join a guided walk around the crater rim with your safari guide and one of the local guides that lives in the area. On this 90 minutes educational tour, you will see an array of bird species, wildlife, plants, and flowers while enjoying spectacular views of the Crater floor below.
After your walk, you'll return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay perched at the edge of the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater.
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Entamanu tented lodge
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner excluding drinks
Day 8 – Drive to Serengeti National Park
Today after breakfast, depart from Ngorongoro, and drive to the most famous National park in the World, the Serengeti National Park.
The park has 6,900 sq. miles (18,000 sq. km); for most of it, the plains will stretch to the horizon, defying your senses and perception of distances. It is the home of the Great Migration and to 2 million wildebeests, hundreds of thousands of zebras, and all kinds of antelopes. It's also the place to look out for lions, cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas, with many television scenes like the famous river crossings filmed in this park.
In the evening you'll arrive at your tented lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Lemala Nanyukie lodge
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner excluding drinks
Day 9 – Full Day in Serengeti National Park
You will spend a full day in these incredible endless plains, exploring the park, its animals, and its incredible landscapes. The Serengeti is the habitat for an abundance of wildlife, such as impala, buffalo, crocodile, and hippo, but is more well-known for its great migrating herds of zebras and wildebeest. The animals’ trek is determined by the rainfall and varies from year to year.
Apart from the migrating herds, you may see predators like leopards, cheetahs, and lions. After further exploration of the park, you will drive back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Lemala Nanyukie lodge
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner excluding drinks
Day 10 – Serengeti Hot Air Balloon Safari
Wake up early morning at 04:30 am, and prepare yourself for the Balloon Safari adventure, departing the lodge around 05:00 am. It is still dark and you may be fortunate to see nocturnal animals on the way to the launch site.
When you arrive, you will meet your pilot and witness your balloon being inflated and prepared for launch. After a thorough safety briefing and demonstration of boarding and landing position, you board your balloon and lift off!
Rising as the sun rises your balloon floats in whatever direction the winds of the day are heading over this wonderful area. Your pilot will use varying altitudes and layers of air to navigate the balloon over this amazing area spotting the wild animals and enjoying the view around. We aim to fly for about an hour, depending on the conditions. After landing, you celebrate in the traditional way with a champagne toast before heading off to a special breakfast in the bush under an acacia tree.
After breakfast, you will meet back up with your group to enjoy a full day of adventures in the world’s most famous national park.
Accommodation: Lemala Nanyukie Lodge
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner excluding drinks
Day 11 – Fly to Zanzibar
Today after breakfast, transfer to Seronera for a scheduled flight to Zanzibar. Upon arrival at Zanzibar airport, you will be met by a member of our team, who will provide a private transfer to your beach resort for leisure, dinner, and overnight on a half-board basis.
Accommodation: Zanzibar White Sands Beach Resort
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, and Dinner
Days 12-15 – Zanzibar Beach Bliss
Your package includes a program that allows you to enjoy leisure time by the beach, or participate in optional activities as you desire.
Accommodation: Zanzibar White Sands Beach Resort
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, and Dinner
Day 16 – Departure from Zanzibar
After breakfast, check out from your room. You are welcome to use the shared facilities of your hotel till departure. Your driver will pick you up from your hotel to transfer you to Zanzibar Airport for your departure flight.
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast
Every Day for the Rest of Your Life - Amazing Memories!
Expedition Rates & Inclusions
Rates are quoted in US$ per person, based on double occupancy (two guests traveling together, sharing accommodations). If you're traveling alone, or if there are more than 2 guests in your party we will work with you to ensure you get the best rates for whatever your group may require.
November 15, 2023 - December 31, 2024
$12,650
Rates are quoted in US$ and may fluctuate. Additionally, our hotel and lodging partners are wonderful, and as a result availability can change quickly. The rates above are accurate as of the time published, and are intended to help you easily choose a trip that fits within your budget.
Quoted or advertised rates are not guaranteed until our expert expedition planners have prepared your customized expedition proposal, you've agreed to the booking terms and conditions, and you have confirmed your chosen expedition with a deposit. We make the process very easy, and accept many credit cards.
Unlike many operators, we include those items that you're most likely to want or need, while attempting to give you the flexibility of choosing those optional activities or services that may be of particular interest to you. If you have any questions, or would like to modify your trip to include or exclude anything, just let us know and we'll be happy to work with you to create a customized Betheli Expedition that is the perfect fit.
Included
Personalized trip planning assistance and comprehensive planning materials, including detailed packing lists
Round trip transfers from/to Kilimanjaro Internatonal Airport (JRO) & Zanzibar (ZNZ) as outlined
Park fees
Flight Arusha to Tarangire - Serengeti to Zanzibar
Walking Safari in Tarangire and Ngorongoro Conservation
Lake Eyasi Cultural Visit
Maasai Village Visit
Accommodations as stated in the itinerary
A professional driver/guide
Transportation (unless labeled as optional)
All Taxes/VAT
All Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
Drinking water on all days
Not Included
International Airfare: Arrange your international flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport and from Zanzibar.
Premium drinks
Visas
Items of a personal nature (drinks that are not mentioned, Telephone calls, Laundry, and postage), etc.
Step 3 - Experience
We've worked with you in Step #2 to plan the perfect itinerary and have collected everything we need to ensure a smooth arrival here in Tanzania. Now it's time for you to sit back and relax while we do the work (unless you're climbing Kilimanjaro with us, in which case you still have some work to do). Regardless, we'll be with you every step of the way to ensure that the only surprises will be the kind you want to have. We'll be here waiting for you, and look forward to welcoming you to our beautiful Tanzania.
Step 2 - Customize
Connect with us to plan the perfect adventure. Since we own the company, and manage every detail of your itinerary, we are able to accommodate many special requests. We don't like cookie-cutter experiences any more than you do, and that's why we will work directly with you to craft an Africa trip that is truly special. Once you're completely satisfied with your custom itinerary we make it safe and easy to confirm your reservation. Now it's time to move on to the last, and arguably the most important step, the experience.
Step 1 - Discover
Take a look at our expertly designed trips on the website and narrow it down to your favorite, or contact us and let us suggest an itinerary if you prefer. Don't forget to look at our most popular extensions to get some ideas for other activities you can experience while you're here. Our "pre-designed" trips are wonderful trips that have become client and guide favorites because they include many of the highlights you might expect to see while you are in Tanzania. It's likely that one of these trips will catch your attention, and get you excited about taking the next step.
Africa Is Only Three Easy Steps Away With A Betheli Expedition