13 DAYS/12 NIGHTS TANZANIA AND ZANZIBAR

[Adventure panorama]

This is a wonderful complete Tanzania Northern circuit safari covering bird watchers paradise of Lake Manyara, the famous Serengeti National Park, the game-rich Ngorongoro Crater & Tarangire with its baobabs and tree-climbing lions. Afterwhich you spend the rest of your holiday relaxing on Zanzibar Island with its warm turquoise waters, ideal for snorkelling, scuba diving & fishing.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Kilimanjaro	• Arusha	• L.Manyara Big Five	• Serengeti N. Park
• Game Drives	• Ngorongoro Crater	• Tarangire Reserve	• Tree Climbing Lions
• Zanzibar	• Snorkel -Scuba Diving

Bush and Beach Safari: Serengeti + Ngorongoro + Manyara + Tarangire + Zanzibar

Day 1: Airport - Arusha
Meet and greet services by our staff at Kilimanjaro Airport and transferred to your hotel in Arusha for a bb basis accommodation.

Check into your hotel in this warm and friendly town in the northern highlands, situated beneath the twin peaks of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro & formerly an administrative centre in German East Africa.

Day 2: Arusha – Lake Manyara:
After a morning at leisure and safari briefing, enjoy lunch in Arusha (own account)

We depart from Arusha around 14.00 and travel 3-hours to beautiful Lake Manyara in our safari minibus, with pop-up roof for game viewing and window seat guaranteed.

We travel through the picturesque villages of the Masai Steppe and at the town of Makuyuni we turn northwest and continue our journey up through a scenic escarpment to our lodge perched on the edge of the Rift Valley, with stunning views over distant Lake Manyara. Check in and enjoy dinner in your wonderful surroundings.

Day 3: Lake Manyara – Serengeti:
Depart Lake Manyara in the morning as you enjoy a game drive en-route to Serengeti which boasts a wide variety of wildlife including plains game, monkeys and the unique tree-climbing lion. Also flamingos and large pods of hippos that congregate where rivers run into the lake.

We then travel 5-hours through game viewing country to our lodge or campsite in the great Serengeti (which means "Endless Plains"). A World Heritage site, Serengeti National Park hosts the largest and longest wildlife overland migration in the world as around October each year, nearly 2 million animals travel 500 miles from the northern hills toward the southern plains - crossing the Mara River in pursuit of the rains. In April the animals return to the north, through the west, once again crossing the Mara River in their migration.

Day 4: Serengeti Whole day:
Today is devoted to game viewing in the great Serengeti National Park.
This vast conservation area, which is larger than Northern Ireland, lies between Lake Victoria in the west, Lake Eyasi in the south and the Great Rift Valley in the east. The landscape varies from open grass plains in the south, savanna with scattered acacia trees in the centre, hilly wooded grasslands in the north and woodlands and clay pans in the west - with small rivers, lakes ands swamps scattered throughout.

With more than 70 large mammals and over 500 other animal species, including large prides of lions and great herds of wildebeest, zebras and gazelle, outstanding game viewing is guaranteed on a scale only seen in East Africa. Bird watching is also outstanding.

Day 5: Serengeti - Ngorongoro:
This morning we leave Serengeti National Park and enjoy more game viewing as we drive 3-hours to the Ngorongoro Crater, stopping en route for an included picnic lunch.We visit a local Masai Village, before continuing to our lodge or campsite set high on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater.

Stretching across 8,300 sq km, the high altitude malaria-free Ngorongoro Conservation Area boasts a dramatic variety of volcanic landscapes, wildlife, people and archaeology. Its grasslands, waterfalls and mountain forests are home to an abundance of animals and also to the Masai people, and has been declared a World Heritage site.

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater:
This morning enjoy a tour into the basin of the Ngorongoro Crater, including game viewing and a picnic lunch on the crater floor.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest intact caldera, forming a spectacular bowl of about 265 square kilometres with sides up to 2,000 feet (600m) deep. Although animals are free to move in and out of this contained environment, the rich volcanic soil, lush forests and spring lakes on the crater floor attract both grazers and predators all year round, with up to 30,000 animals living in the crater - including lions on the open savannah and elephants and monkeys in the forests. You may also see flamingos in the lake area.

Day 7: Ngorongoro - Tarangire:
This morning we travel 3.5-hours from Ngorongoro to Tarangire.
One of the least visited of Tanzania's northern game reserves, Tarangira National Parkis famous for its giant baobabs, huge herds of elephants and tree climbing lions. Enjoy wonderful game viewing in this wildlife sanctuary this afternoon and enjoy the spectacle of an African sunset.

Day 8: Tarangire – Zanzibar:
After some final early morning game viewing in Tarangire National Park, transfer 2.5-hours to Arusha Airport for your flight to Zanzibar.

You will be met at Zanzibar airport and transferred 1-hour to your beach hotel on the beautiful Zanzibar Archipelago. Check in and relax in your wonderful surroundings on this exotic East African spice island.

Days 9 To 12: Zanizbar Beach Rest:
At leisure to relax on the warm golden Indian Ocean beaches of the Zanzibar Archipelago.

You can enjoy a traditional Arab dhow cruise, catamaran sailing, magnificent scuba diving or deep sea fishing. If you wish to explore the island further, day excursions include a Spice Island tour, a snorkelling trip to Prison Island where you can see giant tortoises, a visit to Josani Forest or to Kizimkazi where you can see dolphins.

Day 13: Zanzibar – Home:
Transfer to Zanzibar Airport for your flight home.

Price range: From £1,775