Tanzania - Safari & Zanzibar

As tempting as it may be to start your safari immediately after landing, we strongly recommend leaving at least 24 hours between your arrival in Zanzibar and the start of the safari. This provides a valuable buffer in case of flight delays or other unexpected issues. For example, our flight was delayed by almost an entire day. Because we had planned an extra night in Zanzibar, we were still able to start our safari exactly as scheduled. We recommend staying in a hotel near Stone Town, so that the following morning your safari operator can pick you up and take you directly to the terminal for your domestic flight. Another advantage is that safaris are often cheaper when they depart from and return to Zanzibar, rather than flying directly into mainland Tanzania and then booking a separate flight to Zanzibar afterwards. There is also a major practical benefit: you can leave your large luggage at your hotel in Zanzibar and travel to the safari with only what you need, making the whole experience much easier and more comfortable.

Start the morning with a short flight from Zanzibar to Arusha, lasting approximately one hour. Your safari operator will arrange a hotel pick-up in Zanzibar and, upon arrival in Arusha, your guide will be waiting for you at the airport. We booked our safari with King Mufasa Expedition and had an excellent experience from start to finish. After a quick introduction, a briefing on the safari rules and getting to know your guide, it’s time to set off for your very first safari experience: Tarangire National Park. We arrived at the park at around 10:30–11:00 AM. From the very beginning, the scenery and wildlife will leave you speechless. Tarangire is the perfect place to experience the feeling of a true African savannah, with wildlife appearing almost as soon as you enter the park. Lunch is served in a designated picnic area, where you’ll likely be joined by some very friendly and curious monkeys. After lunch, spend the entire afternoon on safari, taking your time to explore the park and observe its wildlife before heading to your lodge at around 6:00 PM. For accommodation, we chose the mid-range option, Fig Tree Lodge, which was a great choice. After a long day, you can relax at the lodge, take a dip in the swimming pool and enjoy a well-deserved dinner. One detail that we particularly appreciated: if you book a private safari, you will have your own personal chef for the entire three-day safari. The chef prepares all your meals and is attentive to your dietary preferences and individual needs. We highly recommend choosing a private safari. It costs a little more, but having your own guide, vehicle and chef makes the experience much more comfortable, flexible and personal.

Day 2 – Ngorongoro Crater Safari Today is dedicated to one of the most spectacular places in Tanzania: the Ngorongoro Crater. The Ngorongoro Crater is a huge volcanic caldera, formed millions of years ago after the collapse of an ancient volcano. Its unique ecosystem is home to an incredible concentration of wildlife, making it one of the most extraordinary safari destinations in Africa. The day starts early, with the drive taking you up into the highlands. You can reach around 2,000 metres above sea level, so temperatures can be surprisingly cool in the morning. We strongly recommend bringing a windbreaker or warm jacket. Once you reach the crater rim, you’ll begin the descent into the crater itself. From the moment you enter, the landscape feels completely different — and the wildlife is everywhere. During the safari, you have the chance to see an incredible variety of animals, including lions, black and white rhinos, hyenas, zebras, wildebeest and many other species. The concentration of wildlife in such a relatively small area makes the Ngorongoro experience truly unique. Lunch is served at a designated picnic area overlooking a small lake filled with hippos. Having your lunch while watching them in their natural environment is an experience you will never forget. In the afternoon, it’s time to leave the crater and return to the lodge. It is a fairly tiring day, mainly because of the long driving distances and the early start, but every single kilometre is absolutely worth it. The Ngorongoro Crater is one of those places that is difficult to describe until you have actually seen it for yourself.

On the third day, since Lake Manyara is relatively close and your flight to Zanzibar is scheduled for the late afternoon, around 6:30 PM, you can enjoy one final safari before leaving Tanzania’s mainland. The safari takes place in Lake Manyara National Park, an area that offers a completely different landscape from the savannah you experienced during the previous days. Even on the way to the park, you can often spot large groups of baboons living in the forest surrounding the lake. Lake Manyara is a fascinating place to explore because of its diverse ecosystem. The landscape changes from open areas to dense forest and, of course, the huge lake itself. It is home to an incredible variety of bird species, including flamingos, pelicans and many other water birds, as well as giraffes, elephants and smaller antelopes. The picnic area is another highlight of the day, with a spectacular view over the forest and the lake — a beautiful place to stop for lunch and take in the surroundings. After the safari, around 3:00 PM, you will head towards Arusha Airport. The drive takes approximately 2.5 hours, giving you plenty of time to reach the airport for your flight to Zanzibar at around 6:30 PM. After three intense and unforgettable days of safari, you can finally leave the wildlife behind and head back to Zanzibar — where your well-deserved week of relaxation begins.

Arrive in Zanzibar at around 8:30 PM, where your included airport transfer will be waiting for you. You will be welcomed at the airport and taken directly to Kibanda Lodge & Club, with the journey taking approximately 1.5 hours. Why Kibanda? We chose Kibanda because it offers an excellent balance between quality, flexibility and price, with several all-inclusive options available. Since we don't drink much alcohol and rarely have drinks outside of meals, we personally chose an all-inclusive package that included drinks with meals, purchasing anything extra when needed. Drinks outside the package are reasonably priced, so this option worked very well for us. Another important consideration when choosing where to stay in Zanzibar is the tide. Tides can have a significant impact on the beach experience, and some areas of the island can make it difficult to enjoy the sea throughout the day. For this reason, we recommend staying in Nungwi or, even better, Kendwa, where the beaches are much less affected by the tides. One of Kibanda's biggest advantages is its flexibility. Every day, you can choose whether to eat at the lodge or at the beach. The lodge is around 15 minutes' walk from the beach, and there are also free shuttles running throughout the day. In the evening, you can even choose to have dinner directly on the beach. Kibanda also has an agreement with Kendwa Rocks, one of the most beautiful beaches in the area. For around €12, you can get access for an entire week, and you can also eat there. If there is no available table, they will prepare a delicious lunch box for you, included in the price. This flexibility is what makes Kibanda particularly appealing. You can enjoy the beach, explore the local village and experience a little bit of everyday Zanzibar life, rather than staying inside a traditional resort that feels completely closed off from its surroundings. First Day in Zanzibar After the long journey from the safari, we recommend keeping the first day simple. Head to Nungwi Beach, spend the day at Kibanda Beach, relax, swim and enjoy the ocean. There is no need to plan too much — after three intense days of safari, this is the perfect moment to slow down and start enjoying your well-deserved time in Zanzibar.

Before planning your days in Zanzibar, always check the tide times, as they can significantly affect your beach and boat experiences. One excursion we highly recommend is the combination of Prison Island and Nakupenda Sandbank — one of the most beautiful day trips you can do from Zanzibar. We recommend booking the excursion directly through your hotel. It may be slightly more expensive than the tours offered by local beach boys, but there is a major advantage: the groups are usually much smaller, with a maximum of around 6 people, allowing you to enjoy the day much more comfortably and without the feeling of being part of a large organised tour. The excursion starts with a transfer from Kibanda to Stone Town, where you board the boat. After approximately 30 minutes at sea, you reach Prison Island, famous for its historic prison and, above all, its population of giant Aldabra tortoises. You can explore the island, learn about its history and spend some time enjoying the beautiful surroundings. After Prison Island, you head towards Nakupenda Sandbank, where lunch is usually served. This spectacular sandbank appears in the middle of the Indian Ocean and is surrounded by crystal-clear turquoise water. You will have several hours to relax, swim, snorkel and simply enjoy this incredible natural setting before heading back to Zanzibar. A truly unforgettable experience and, in our opinion, one of the must-do excursions during your stay in Zanzibar.

For this excursion, we recommend booking with a local operator, as they know the area much better and can take you to places that are difficult to discover on your own. It is a 4-hour quad bike tour, with the option of being picked up directly from your hotel by quad. We booked ours through MJ Tours, located just to the right of Kibanda Beach. The experience is much more than simply riding a quad. It takes you through beautiful landscapes and, most importantly, gives you the opportunity to meet local people and experience a side of Zanzibar that you would never see from inside a resort. The first stop is Jombo Beach, a beautiful and colourful stretch of coastline where you can take a break and enjoy the scenery. From there, the route continues through coconut plantations until you reach a local village. Here, you can visit one of the homes, see how coconut milk is traditionally produced using local tools, and get a glimpse into everyday life in the community. You can also buy food — such as rice and local sweets — to distribute to the community. We also recommend bringing clothes and school supplies, which can be extremely useful and are greatly appreciated by those who need them. This was one of the most meaningful experiences of our trip. It takes you far beyond the typical tourist experience and allows you to see a completely different side of Zanzibar — one that you simply cannot experience from a resort. An experience that stays with you long after the trip is over.

We also booked this excursion through MJ Tours, but personally, we would not recommend it — not because of the operator, but because of the experience itself. The excursion includes dolphin watching, but we found the activity to be far from ethical. There are often many boats chasing the dolphins at the same time, creating a chaotic and stressful environment for both the animals and the people trying to enjoy the experience. Instead of feeling like a respectful wildlife encounter, it can become more of a race between boats to get as close as possible. Mnemba Atoll itself, however, is absolutely beautiful. The turquoise water, coral reefs and marine life make it an incredible place for swimming and snorkelling. Unfortunately, since the dolphin-watching part is essentially an integral part of the excursion, we didn't feel that the overall experience was worth it. Our honest recommendation: skip this excursion. Mnemba is beautiful, but there are other ways to enjoy Zanzibar's marine environment without contributing to an overcrowded and stressful dolphin-chasing experience.