Our Leader plans to meet you at the hotel reception at 8.30 for the welcome meeting.

Heading directly from the lodge, the day starts with a walk around the grounds, comprising 30 acres of arable land, all situated in the foothills of Kilimanjaro. We stroll through lush gardens, visit the coffee plantation and learn how coffee is grown, harvested, and processed.

Heading further afield, we drive to the small village of Materuni, a short distance outside of the town of Moshi, and set within a dramatic landscape covered in the tropical rainforest. The village is home to the Chagga tribe. From the village, it is a short walk to a 150m high waterfall. We pass along a network of waterways and irrigation systems feeding farmland where coffee, bananas, and other fruit are grown.

There is ample opportunity for a refreshing swim near the waterfall, after which we return to our vehicle and drive back to Moshi. The rest of the day is free.

Today we visit Lake Duluti, a small crater lake located to the east of Arusha. The dense forest around the lake is home to a variety of mammals, reptiles, and over 140 species of birds including giant kingfishers, fish eagles, darters, and barbet.

Take a canoe trip and paddle for a couple of hours on the tranquil waters of the lake, allowing us the chance of getting close to nature in these beautiful surroundings. Returning to Moshi and our hotel in the afternoon we make a stop at the Meserani Snake Park. Here we learn about some of the most dangerous snakes in the world, from the Black and Green Mamba, Egyptian Cobra, and Puff Adders as well as watch the crocodiles at feeding time.

Covering some 15,000 sq km the Serengeti is the oldest and largest park in Tanzania. It is on these plains that we focus most of our attention with early morning and late afternoon game drives in search of the ‘Big 5’ and so much more. Our exact movements are dependent upon the location and concentration of wildlife.

We may head to the Ratina Pool, the Moru Kopjes or perhaps the Seronera River area in search of leopard and lion. Cheetahs are often seen out on the Serengeti plains and during the annual migration, hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra move north-westward, covering some 800 km from the central plains through the park’s ‘long corridor’, towards richer grazing lands and fresh water. These spectacular journeys are often fraught with danger as their long trek invariably draws the attention of the ever-present predators – lion, leopard, hyena, and crocodile. This is nature in its rawest sense, where the struggle for survival is played out daily across these expansive plains.

This morning we may have the opportunity of visiting a village orphanage in Mto Wa Mbu before returning to Arusha for our onward flight to Zanzibar. If you would like to give useful gifts such as stationery, footballs, and toys to the children, this is possible – mention this to your local leader before the visit itself.

The exotic spice island of Zanzibar is a land of sun-kissed beaches, Arabian dhows, and swaying palms, where the rich smell of spice in Stone Town’s old quarter mingles with colonial and Arabic architecture to create a perfect getaway island. Zanzibar’s glorious scenery, fascinating culture, and remarkable history make any visit to the island a captivating experience, with beaches and reefs to explore, plantations to wander through and a rich history of conquests, slavery, and pirates to investigate.

Your Tour Leader will be with you throughout the safari however they will not continue with you to Zanzibar. Upon arrival on the island, our local representative will meet you, assist with the transfers and be available for booking excursions, but essentially from this day onwards the tour is unaccompanied.

Today we take a walking tour of Zanzibar’s ancient capital of Stone Town, meandering through a landscape of labyrinthine alleys and whitewashed houses, where the pungent aroma of coffee and spices permeate the town and the backstreets are filled with a cacophony of noise and color. Much of the town was built on the back of trade and slavery, which at its height saw some 60,000 unfortunate souls processed through these narrow streets, to be shipped off to the far lands of Arabia, India, and the overseas colonies of the European powers.

The town still retains the feel of its Arab roots, many of the existing buildings dating back to the reign of Sultan Barghash in the 19th century. The end of the slave trade and a devastating cyclone saw the end of Zanzibar’s heyday. The island passed from Arab to British to African hands over the intervening years and neglect followed, until Stone Town’s inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage Listings saw a return to something of its previous glory. Those who wish to learn something of Zanzibar’s rich history, visit the Sultan’s palace, and see clove plantations established by the Sultan in the 19th century can take an optional ‘Spice Tour’ of the island (including lunch).

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel on the coast.

It’s possible to extend your holiday with additional nights on the coast or request a late checkout, please speak to our reservations team should you wish to do so.

There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Zanzibar at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you’ll need to depart from Zanzibar International Airport (ZNZ), which is around 90 minutes drive, 40 miles.