Day 2: Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, you will be collected by your personal Driver Guide and set off for Tarangire National Park. Drive time approximately two and a half hours. The Park is named after the Tarangire River which runs through it. This ‘river of warthogs’ is the only source of water for wildlife in the region during the dry season. In places, the vegetation is quite dense, including elephant grass, acacia woodlands and lush groundwater forest. The Park is well known for its elephant families, which can often be seen congregating by the river. You may also see giraffe, bushbuck and hartebeest.
These animals are closely followed by a range of predators, including lions and leopards. There are more breeding species of birds found in Tarangire National Park than anywhere else on the planet! The huge and ancient Baobab trees can be seen here. Some of them are said to have lived for more than a thousand years and can grow to have trunks reaching 30 metres in circumference.
Day 3: Relax and rest at Maramboi Tented Lodge
Maramboi Tented Lodge is one of our favourite places to stay in Tanzania and it is worth spending a full day here. It is quite magical. The Camp sits between Tarangire National Park and the shore of Lake Manyara, with the mountains of the Rift Valley providing a magnificent backdrop. The Camp is spread out across a plain that is filled with wildlife. During your stay, you may see giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala, wart-hogs and a rich variety of bird life. The Camp is simple, stylish and relaxed. Accommodation is a very spacious cottage/tent, with a private outside balcony and carefully designed bathroom. House drinks are included during your stay and Happy Hour whilst watching the sun slowly dip behind the mountains is just beautiful. There is a heated pool with views across the plain and it is possible to go on a guided walk with a Maasai Warrior.
Day 4: Central Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti is truly spectacular. It is famous for its vast open grasslands which allow for excellent sightings of wildlife. The Serengeti is Tanzania’s oldest National Park and it is also one of the oldest ecosystems on earth. Its climate and vegetation have remained largely untouched for millions of years. Whilst the Serengeti boasts abundant wildlife, it is perhaps best known for the annual Great Migration. Vast numbers of wildebeest; accompanied by large numbers of zebra and antelope move in an annual pattern, constantly seeking fresh grazing. The precise timing of the Migration is entirely dependent upon the rainfall patterns each year. Seronera is the heart of the park, where you will find some of the best game viewing at any time of year. Large populations of hippos, giraffe, antelope, elephants and zebras call this area home throughout the year. Big cats like lion, leopard and cheetah can also be found here. Seronera features a vast range of diverse ecosystems including grasslands that stretch out to the horizon and acacia forests. Central Serengeti offers some of the most iconic and romantic African landscapes.
Day 5: Enjoy the North Eastern Serengeti National Park
Spend two nights with all your meals and activities included in the Buffalo Luxury Camp, that offers a unique combination of luxurious accommodation, extraordinary wildlife, the exhilarating freedom to participate in guided game and nature walks as well as bush dinners, the rare opportunity to go on night game drives and a fascinating insight into the culture of the local Maasai tribesmen and women.
The camp is situated approximately five kilometres from Kleins Gate, to the North East of the Serengeti National Park and offers truly stunning views into the Serengeti National Park.
Highlights include walking in the bush with a professional guide, surrounded by all the sights, sounds and smells that Africa has to offer is something that cannot be experienced from inside a safari car. An important part of these walks is to understand the ecology of the area being visited as well as to gain skills in tracking, dung identification and medicinal uses of trees and bushed in Maasai tradition.
Night game drives are conducted in the camp’s open vehicle with a Maasai track seated in the jump seat to locate wildlife with the help of a specialist spot-light. The experience of a game drive at night is very different from one during the day and you can see an aardvark, striped hyena, lions on the hunt and kill, leopard, elephants, impala, zebra, owls, night jar, bush babies and giraffe.
Enjoy sundowners and bush dinners from a vantage point from where you can watch the sunset over the Serengeti National Park. This is followed by a bush dinner in an authentic Maasai krall, complete with acacia bush, camp fire and African night sky.
Day 6: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Today, you will have a final Game Drive in the Serengeti, en route to the Ngorongoro Crater.
Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater
Concealed by the steep volcanic walls is a pristine wilderness including sweeping savannah, pockets of acacia woodland and glistening lakes and swamps. The Crater was created when a large volcano exploded and collapsed in on itself two to three million years ago. It is famous for both its geological delights and for being a natural reserve which is home to some of the densest large mammal populations in the whole of the African continent. The drive down the into the Crater is an adventure in itself and when you reach the Crater floor, you quickly find yourself amongst large numbers of wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, and more than 500 bird species. The Crater provides you with the best chance of seeing the endangered black rhino, which can sometimes be spotted in the open grasslands. IN the afternoon, you will leave the Crater and return to Arusha.
Day 8: Arusha to Zanzibar
The flight from Arusha to Zanzibar is approximately one hour. You will be met at Zanzibar Airport by a Lion King representative and driven to your accommodation. Stone Town is the old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar and little has changed in the last 200 years. It is a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses. Stone Town has brought together many different elements of the cultures of Africa, the Arab region, India, and Europe over more than a thousand years. You can spend endless hours just wandering through the fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways, absorbing the years of history. We would highly recommend a guided tour of Stone Town, which can be organised at your hotel.
Day 9 to 11: Zanzibar, North Coast
Over the next few days, you will be able to relax and enjoy everything the Island has to offer. You can lounge on the beach or by the pool, or take part in some of the many activities. Your hotel will be able to arrange day trips to small islands or to the coral reefs. Professional PADI diving schools offer a full range of scuba diving with professional equipment. Other water sports such as kiting, kayaking, catamaran sailing, wind surfing, deep sea fishing, water skiing, parasailing and jet skiing are also on offer. Zanzibar is known as the Spice Island and was once the world’s leading producer of cloves. A guided tour of a spice farm is an option here.
Day 12: End of your honeymoon
Today marks the end of your honeymoon adventure with Company. You will be collected from the hotel and transferred to the airport at a time of your choosing.