21 days, 20 nights – Walking Safari & Zanzibar

Day 1: Arrival

You will be met at the International Airport of Kilimanjaro by your driver/guide and our representative. We will take you to the Kiboko Lodge or Meru View Lodge. Our safari manager will welcome you and provide you with a full safari briefing. Dinner is included.

Day 2: Nkoaronga Village

Your walking safari starts with a full day excursion to Nkoaranga Village a local fair-trade coffee growers’ cooperative. It is made up of a group of small-farm coffee growers working together to build a sustainable, naturally grown, fair trade coffee business. Visit the Coffee plantations and see the different steps of coffee growing. Learn about how coffee beans are collected, processed, roasted, grinded and carefully packed. All proceeds from coffee sales return to the local farmers for reinvestment in the project, and to build their growing organic farming project – with the first organic bean harvest scheduled within the next two years. You will also visit the local school or orphanage and go for a walk in the village to have some insights in all day like of local farmers. Lunch is taken in the village before you return to your Hotel.

Overnight at Kiboko Lodge or Meru View Lodge. All meals included.

Day 3: Arusha National Park

After breakfast drive to Arusha National Park, passing by herds of zebra, buffalo, and giraffe on the savannah. Enjoy a picnic lunch at Momella Lake famous for huge flocks of colourful flamingos and its views of the majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Take a game drive around the different habitats of this truly beautiful Park. There are black and white colobus monkeys (unique to this park in northern Tanzania), Sykes’s and vervet monkeys, shy forest duikers, leopards, and substantial herds of antelope. Guided by an armed ranger you will hike at the slopes of Mt Meru, first across the buffalo meadow and then in dense forest up to some hidden waterfalls at the Crater rim of Ngurdoto Crater.

Overnight at a campsite at Arusha National Park. All meals included.

Day 4: Tarangire

After breakfast you start your way towards Tarangire, Northern Tanzania’s third large national park and sanctuary for an unusually large elephant population. Majestic baobab trees are also an interesting feature of the park, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. Animals concentrate along the Tarangire River, which provides the only permanent water supply in the area. There is a great diversity of wildlife including lion, leopard, cheetah and up to six thousand elephant.

After a game drive you will go on a ranger or Masai guided walk at the parks boundaries.

Overnight at a campsite at Tarangire. All meals included.

Day 5: Ngorongoro

After breakfast you proceed to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and descend into the crater for a wonderful game drive (with a picnic lunch) inside the Ngorongoro Crater – often described as one of the wonders of the world.

It is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and a natural sanctuary for some of Africa’s densest animal populations. It is one of the few places where the rare black rhino can be observed in its natural setting. As very few animals migrate in and out of the crater with its 2000 ft. high walls, you can expect to see lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, flamingos, jackals, rhinos, antelopes, many birds and other species. With a bit of luck the ‘Big Five’ can be spotted during just one game drive.

Overnight at a simba campsite at Ngrongoro on the rim of the crater. All meals included.

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater – Olmoti

Early start for your five day walking safari to the Northern Highlands, where you will be guided throughout by local Masai guides as well as an armed ranger (until Naiyobi, where the armed ranger will leave you).

First you drive to Lemala Gate where you start your walk to Olmoti. You reach your camp around noon. After pitching your tent and enjoying lunch you explore Olmoti Crater. This shallow grassy crater is the source of the Mungeriver, which pours through a gorge in the rim in a spectacular waterfall on its way to Ngorongoro crater. Walk up the Crater Rim and descent to the Crater Floor.

Overnight at Olmoti Campsite. All meals included.

Day 7: Olmoti – Bulati

After leaving Bulati Campsite you walk through Bulati Village and up the Bulati Ranges to reach Empakai Crater at around midday. You follow the crater rim, viewing Kerimasi Mountain and OldonyoLengai in a distance. In the afternoon you reach your campsite, perched high above Empakai Crater. The surrounding thicket is home to buffalos and hyenas. After pitiching your tent and taking a cup of tea you can descend the forested crater slopes to reach the crater floor, the majority of which is covered by a salt lake. Lots of water birds and flamingos can be seen as they migrate between the crater lakes of Ngorongoro and LakeNatron. It is also a joy to walk around the lake shore.

Overnight at one of the campsites at the Crater Rim at an altitude of some 3200 m). All meals included.

Day 8: Bulati – Empakai

After leaving Bulati Campsite you walk through BulatiVillage and up the Bulati Ranges to reach Empakai Crater at around midday. You follow the crater rim, viewing Kerimasi Mountain and OldonyoLengai in a distance. In the afternoon you reach your campsite, perched high above Empakai Crater. The surrounding thicket is home to buffalos and hyenas. After pitiching your tent and taking a cup of tea you can descend the forested crater slopes to reach the crater floor, the majority of which is covered by a salt lake. Lots of water birds and flamingos can be seen as they migrate between the crater lakes of Ngorongoro and LakeNatron. It is also a joy to walk around the lake shore.

Overnight at one of the campsites at the Crater Rim at an altitude of some 3200 m). All meals included.

Day 9: Empakai – Naiyobi

From Empakai your trail leads you around Empakai Crater Rim with constant great views towards the Crater Bottom and Lake. The surrounding forest is inhabited by buffalos and porcupines. Around midday you reach Naiyobi village, a picturesque Maasai Village at the edge of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where you will bid farewell to your armed ranger. Together with your Maasai Guide you will proceed to the Acacia Forest behind Naiyobi Village for overnight at Acacia Campsite.

All meals included.

Day 10: Naiyobi – Lake Natron

The last part of your trek is a longer hike downward towards the edge of the Rift Valley Escarpment. You hike along volcanic landscapes formed by the latest eruption of OldonyoLengai in 2008 until you reach PembeyaSwala, a distinctive landmark which leads you on a steep descent down to the plains surrounding Lake Natron. During your last trek you enjoy splended views of the Lengai volcano (OldonyLengai for the Maasai) and Mount Kerimasi until you finally reach Lake Natron for overnight at NgareSero Campsite (or moivaro campsite). All meals included .

Day 11: Lake Natron

Today you explore the highlights around Lake Natron famous for a vast numbers of flamingos and other water birds due to a high concentrate of in sodium carbonate, algae, and zooplankton.

A guide takes you there and shows you the nesting places of the flamingos. You can also trek to the NgareSero River which flows in the Lake Natron. In contrast to the surrounding dry landscape, here you can find a small paradise. After a strenuous walk up the stream you reach the source of the river, in cascading waterfalls the river gushes out of the mountain. It is an excellent and welcoming bath in the pools under the waterfalls for a nice cool-down from the hot sun. There may be baboons or other wildlife in the gorge.

Overnight at NgareSero Campsite at Lake Natron. All meals included.

Day 12: Longido

After breakfast we depart with the car to Longido on a 4 hour journey on a partly bumpy and dusty road. En-route you see many Masai villages, termite mounds, gazelle, giraffe, zebra, baboons, bee boxes, and birds such as vultures, ostrich, starlings, Cory Bustards, and kites.

At Longido you visit a project initiated by the SNV, an eco-tourism development organisation of the Netherlands. You spend the rest of the day walking around the extensive plains of Longido Mountain with lush forestation and get some insight into traditional African culture of the people living here.

Overnight at the campsite at Longido. All meals included.

Day 13: Longido – Arusha

After breakfast you either do another walk or head back to Arusha with some souvenir shopping en route if you like. Enjoy a delicious meal at a nice restaurant in Arusha. Spend a leisurely afternoon in your nice lodge.

Overnight at Ilboru Safari Lodge. All meals included.

Day 14: Arusha – Zanzibar

End of your walking safari, after breakfast we transfer you to Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight to Zanzibar. Transfer to Ngalawa Beach Village. Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 15-18: Zanzibar Beach

Relax and enjoy the beaches of Zanzibar. Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 19: Spice Tour

After breakfast transfer to Stone town. On the way we will do the famous Spice Tour. We have developed a special Spice Tour with in depth information not only about spices, but also organically grown herbs and a detailed description about their traditional uses in medicine cosmetics and cooking. After the tour we invite for an opulent lunch at our guides’ home, where you can taste the spices and fruits. In the afternoon you have some time at leisure.

Overnight Zanzibar Coffeehouse or Dhow Palace Hotel. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 20: Stone Town

In the morning we will show you Stone Town on our Historical Stone Town Tour. This tour takes you through fabled Stone Town, where history appears to stand still. With visits to the House of Wonders, the Palace Museum (People’s Palace) and the Arab Fort amongst others, it is a fascinating look at the essence of Zanzibar. You will see Zanzibar’s bustling market, winding alleyways, ornately carved and studded doors, two cathedrals and countless mosques! Rest of the day at leisure and time for own discoveries.

2nd overnight Zanzibar Coffeehouse or Dhow Palace Hotel Breakfast included.

All meals included