16-Day Honeymoon: Four Parks & Six Nights on Zanzibar

Overview

Tour highlights

• Two nights at a camp inside Tarangire
• Full-day picnic safari in Lake Manyara
• Fly to the northern Serengeti near the Mara River
• Two nights overlooking the Ngorongoro Crater
• Six all-inclusive nights at a Zanzibar resort

1. Day 1 Welcome Drinks Under Mount Meru Stay Luxury hotel on a coffee estate near ArushaMeals Dinner

   Your guide meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport for the drive to Arusha, which takes about 50 minutes. Your hotel stands on a coffee and tea estate on the edge of town, with landscaped gardens and, on a clear day, views of Mount Meru. Check in, unpack properly, since you are here for two nights, and enjoy a relaxed dinner. Nothing is planned until the day after tomorrow.

2. Day 2 A Free Day to Find Your Feet Stay Luxury hotel on a coffee estate near ArushaMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Long-haul flights leave most couples tired, so today is yours to recover. Sleep late, swim, walk among the coffee bushes or book a massage. If you would like an outing, we can arrange extras such as a coffee tour, a canoe trip on a nearby lake or a visit to a Maasai community, at additional cost. Otherwise, simply enjoy the gardens and an early night before the safari begins.

3. Day 3 Across the Maasai Steppe to Tarangire Stay Luxury camp inside Tarangire National ParkMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   After breakfast, set off in your Land Cruiser across the Maasai Steppe; the drive to Tarangire takes about two hours. Once the park paperwork is done, game viewing starts at the gate. Tarangire is known for big elephant herds, giant baobab trees and the river that draws animals through the dry months. You reach your camp, which lies inside the park, in the late afternoon, in time to watch the light fade over the bush.

4. Day 4 Elephant Country, Dawn to Dusk Stay Luxury camp inside Tarangire National ParkMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   A full day in Tarangire. Follow the river to find elephants digging for water, giraffes browsing acacias and lions resting in the shade, and keep an eye out for the park’s rich birdlife. To the west, the Rift Valley escarpment rises as a long wall above the plains. Being based inside the park means no time is lost on the road, so you can head out early and come back late.

5. Day 5 Picnic Day at Lake Manyara Stay Luxury lodge near KaratuMeals Breakfast, Picnic lunch, Dinner

   Leave early with a picnic for a full day in Lake Manyara National Park. The entrance leads through tall groundwater forest of mahogany and fig, where baboons and blue monkeys move through the branches. Farther in, look for buffaloes, giraffes, impalas and elephants, and scan the trees for the park’s famous tree-climbing lions, which take some luck to find. When conditions suit them, flamingos line the lakeshore. In the evening, drive up to your lodge near Karatu.

6. Day 6 A Short Flight to the Far North Stay Luxury tented camp in the northern SerengetiMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   The airstrip is about half an hour from the lodge. Board a light aircraft for the flight to the northern Serengeti, where your camp guide meets you. Settle into a spacious tented suite, then take an afternoon drive to get your bearings. From about July to October, the wildebeest herds gather here and cross the Mara River; at other times of year the area is quiet and resident wildlife remains good.

7. Day 7 Lions, Rhinos and the River Road Stay Luxury tented camp in the northern SerengetiMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Spend the day exploring the northern Serengeti with your guide. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, zebras, topi and gazelles all live here year-round, and the rolling, wooded hills look quite different from the open plains farther south. If the herds are in the area, you may spend hours by the river waiting for a crossing. Back at camp, enjoy a massage if your camp offers one, or sit by the pool and watch for elephants or zebras passing by.

8. Day 8 Leaving the Plains for the Highlands Stay Luxury lodge overlooking the Ngorongoro CraterMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   After breakfast, set off on a game drive out of the Serengeti and on toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. It is a long travel day, but there is wildlife to see along the way and the scenery changes from open grassland to forested highland. Your lodge looks out over the crater. Evenings at this altitude are cool, so expect a fire, a hot shower and an early night.

9. Day 9 The Crater, and Choices Beyond It Stay Luxury lodge overlooking the Ngorongoro CraterMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Descend to the crater floor in a vehicle with a pop-up roof for game viewing. Within its walls live buffalo, wildebeest, zebras, hyenas and lions, along with endangered black rhino. If you prefer to vary the day, there are other options in the conservation area: hikes to the Olmoti or Empakaai craters, or a visit to a Maasai village in the late afternoon, when herders bring their cattle home.

10. Day 10 Fly to the Island Stay All-inclusive luxury resort on ZanzibarMeals All-inclusive

    Your guide drives you from the highlands to the airstrip for your flight to Zanzibar, which is included in the price. On arrival, a driver takes you to your resort, where meals and drinks are covered for the rest of your stay. Spend the first evening unwinding by the pool or on the sand. You have six nights here, so there is no need to rush into anything.

11. Day 11 Nothing on the Calendar Stay All-inclusive luxury resort on ZanzibarMeals All-inclusive

    Wake without an alarm for the first time in over a week. Take a long breakfast, find two loungers under a palm and spend the day between the shade and the warm, clear water. The resort’s restaurants and bars are part of your package, so lunch can be whenever you like. In the evening, look out for the private dinner arranged as one of your honeymoon touches.

12. Day 12 Below the Surface Stay All-inclusive luxury resort on ZanzibarMeals All-inclusive

    Zanzibar’s reefs are home to colorful corals and a great variety of fish, and the island has several dive centers. Today is a good day to try a dive or a snorkeling trip, whether you are certified or complete beginners. Ask the resort to book a trip that suits your experience. Back on land, rinse off the salt and spend the afternoon by the pool.

13. Day 13 Cooking and Weaving the Swahili Way Stay All-inclusive luxury resort on ZanzibarMeals All-inclusive

    Spend part of the day learning about island culture. A Swahili cooking class shows you how local cooks use coconut, spices and fresh seafood, and you eat the results afterward. On the beach, you may be able to try palm-leaf weaving, a craft still practiced along the coast. These activities can be booked through the resort. Finish the day with a swim as the sun drops.

14. Day 14 Paddles, Boards and Sails Stay All-inclusive luxury resort on ZanzibarMeals All-inclusive

    If you have energy to burn, Zanzibar offers plenty of water sports. Kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding are easy to pick up in calm water, while windsurfing and kitesurfing suit more confident couples when the wind is up. Lessons and rentals are available on the island and can be booked through the resort. Or skip all of it and return to your favorite lounger.

15. Day 15 A Final Day by the Sea Stay All-inclusive luxury resort on ZanzibarMeals All-inclusive

    Keep your last full day simple. Walk the beach at low tide, have one more swim, maybe book a couples massage. Use the afternoon to pack, then head out for a sunset drink. With six nights behind you on the island, you should leave rested. Enjoy a final dinner together and look back on everything you have seen, from Tarangire’s elephants to the crater floor.

16. Day 16 Transfer and Farewell Meals Breakfast

    After breakfast, there may be time for a last walk on the beach, depending on your flight. A driver then takes you to Zanzibar’s international airport for your journey home. If you would like to change any part of the trip, such as the number of beach nights or the choice of lodges, we can adjust it to suit your interests and budget before you book.

Questions about this safari