Compare Remote Tanzania: Safari and Beach by Wayfairer vs Migration Quest by Zama Tours & Safaris

Day 1

Upon arrival at Dar es Salaam Airport you will be met by a representative and transferred to the domestic terminal. You will then board your scheduled light aircraft flight to the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania. A representative will meet you at the airstrip and drive you to your camp or lodge where you’ll stay for three nights.
Overnight: Selous Reserve
Meals: (_/Lunch/Dinner)

Days 2-3

Selous is Africa's largest game reserve covering over 50,000 square kms, yet it remains one of Tanzania’s least known reserves and the numbers of visitors to Selous are much lower than the northern parks.
The rivers and lakes of Selous host some phenomenal game, including the largest hippo and crocodile and hippo populations in Africa. Along the banks of the Rufiji River you’ll find large herds of elephants, especially in the dry season (June to November) and you can also expect to see good numbers of buffalo, giraffe, zebra, impala, eland, wildebeest, baboon, hyena, lion and leopard, and endangered African wild dog.
As the Selous is a game reserve your guide can go off road in your safari vehicle and you can get much closer wildlife encounters than in National Parks where you are restricted to the roads. As well as morning and afternoon game drives you can also enjoy bush walks and boat safaris.
Overnight: Selous Reserve
Meals: (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Day 4

This morning you can enjoy one final game drive in the Selous before being transferred back to the airstrip for your scheduled light aircraft flight to Ruaha National Park. You will be met on arrival at the airstrip and are driven to camp or lodge where you’ll stay for three nights.
Overnight: Ruaha National Park
Meals: (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Days 5-6

Enjoy two full days on safari in Ruaha National Park.
With an incredible concentration and diversity of wildlife, Ruaha is the most significant National Park outside of the Serengeti. The main feature of the park is the Great Ruaha River which attracts an abundance of animals in the dry season. The game viewing here is incredible and you can expect to see large herds of elephants, huge prides of lion and the endangered African wild dog. The park is also home to some lesser known animals like the Kudu, Roan and Sable antelope that enjoy the dry, open woodland areas.
Overnight: Ruaha National Park
Meals: (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Day 7

Today you can enjoy a morning safari activity and then after lunch you’ll be driven back to the airstrip for your scheduled light aircraft flight to Mafia Island. On arrival at Kilindoni on Mafia Island you’ll be met by a driver and taken to your chosen accommodation where you’ll spend the next five nights.
Overnight: Mafia Island
Meals: (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Days 8-11

Relax and enjoy Mafia Island at your leisure.
You can dive or snorkel in Mafia Island Marine Park (the largest marine protected area in the Indian Ocean), or try windsurfing, kayaking or stand up paddle boarding. Or you may wish to join a full day excursion to the sand banks, enjoy a sunset cruise on a traditional dhow or enjoy a stroll through Chole village where you can visit the old mosque, the Fruit Bat sanctuary or the boat yard or you can explore Mrora Forest, Ras Mbizi Coconut Plantation or the Lighthouse at Ras Mkumbi.
If you’re visiting Mafia Island between October and March you’ll have the opportunity to snorkel with Whale Sharks, or if you’re visiting between July and October you may be lucky enough to see Humpback Whales. If you’re visiting from June to September you can join a turtle-hatching trip and witness hundreds of baby turtles scramble from the sandy beaches to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

Day 12

After breakfast you’ll check out of your accommodation and then you will be driven back to Kilondoni Airport for your flight to Dar es Salaam. A driver will meet you at the domestic airport to transfer you to the international airport for your flight home.
Overnight: International flight
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)

Day 1: Arusha

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Arumeru River Lodge

Activity: Transfer to Arusha

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met by our office representative and transferred to Arusha for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Arusha – Lake Manyara National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Oremiti Lodge

Activity: Game drive in Manyara

After breakfast, depart for Lake Manyara National Park with lunch box en-route. Nestling at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, the park is recognized for its incredible beauty. You can see many game animals such as buffalo, elephant, giraffe, impala, hippo and others. Enjoy an afternoon of game viewing in search of the famous but rare tree climbing lion. From a sea of pink flamingos as far as the eye can see to bull elephants at close range, Lake Manyara showcases a superb variety of herd animals and birdlife. Dinner and overnight in a tented lodge.

Day 3: Lake Manyara Area – Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Pakulala Safari Camp

Activity: Game drive in the Ngorongoro

The road from Manyara leads you through the Crater Forest and over the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Short stop at the viewpoint with breath-taking views over the crater, before descent onto the crater floor to emerge into this fishbowl of wildlife. On the grass steppe and in the acacia tree woods, you will find almost all species that are found in the East African savannah; with the exception of topis, Masai giraffes and impalas. Quite often you can observe the “Big Five” (lions, elephants, buffalos, rhinoceros and leopards) within a couple of hours. After an extensive wildlife tour and a picnic for lunch, just before sunset return close to the crater rim for dinner and overnight in a tented camp.

Day 4: Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ndutu/Seronera/Bologonja

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Depends on the season

Activity: Game drive in Ndutu or Serengeti

Time to chase the migration of wildebeest and zebra’s! Leaving the Ngorongoro area, the vast extensions of the Serengeti plains before you will impress you and wanting you to explore this area in deep. In general you will find impala, giraffe, hippo, hyena and often lions and other big cats such as leopards and cheetahs. The migration, consisting of around 2 million animals, is on the move all year round. Usually the wildebeest and the zebras during the short rainy season in October and November are to be found moving from the hills in the north of the Serengeti, to the plains in the south. During the longer rainy season of April, May and June they return north. With fluctuations of annual rainfall the exact location of the animals varies from year to year. Your guide however will know the location of the herds and also where to get the best views. Naturally it also attracts a mass of predators and you may be able to see a band of lionesses gather for a hunt. Your accommodation will be in a tented camp in the south, central or north of the Serengeti, depending on the time of the year.

Day 5 and 6: Ndutu/Seronera/Bologonja

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Depends on the season

Activity: Game drive in Ndutu or Serengeti

Two full days of exploring the Serengeti, trying to follow the tracks of the migration and be immersed in crowds of thousands and thousands of animals. Lunch in the camp or bush, dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Ndutu/Seronera/Bologonja

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Activity: Bush flight back to Arusha

After breakfast, we leisurely game drive to the respective airstrip for our charter flight back to Arusha.