You’ll depart from Arusha after breakfast for the drive to Lake Manyara National Park. The journey takes approximately two hours, but we’ll pass through the market town of Mto Wa Mbu along the way. This agricultural and fresh produce market is a melting pot of local cultures and a souvenir hunter’s paradise.

After a brief stop at the village market, you’ll enter Lake Manyara, National Park. The park is truly a photographer’s playground and offers some of the best game viewings in the world. You can expect to see many of Africa’s most well-known animals, with the tree-climbing lions a particular treat. These proud predators lounge in acacia trees practically begging to be photographed.

Bird-watchers will find Lake Manyara is an absolute delight, with a wide variety of birds on display in the park. Even the novice can expect to be amazed by large flamingo flocks, circling birds of prey, and the brightly colored lilac-breasted roller.

We’ll take an early breakfast, as we’ve got a big day of exploration and adventure ahead of us!

We’ll begin the day with the scenic drive towards the Ndutu Region of the Serengeti/Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Along the way, we’ll pass through the mist-shrouded rainforests of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where you might be lucky enough to glimpse cape buffalo, baboons, or even elephants and leopards in the dense undergrowth.

It’s a nearly one and half drive to Ndutu, but you can choose to break up the journey with one or both of the below optional activities:

Oldupai Gorge Museum: Sometimes known as the Cradle of Mankind, the Oldupai Gorge Museum commemorates some of the oldest evidence of human habitation ever found. Here you can see some of the earliest fossil evidence in the world of human habitation, visit the Oldupai Gorge Museum to learn more about the human journey, and take in the stunning views of this stark gorge country.

Maasai boma visit: Pay a visit to one of the famous Maasai bomas, where you’ll have the opportunity to witness (and participate in) traditional Maasai dance, tour an authentic Maasai village, and even do a little souvenir shopping at the local market.

Both of the above activities attract an additional cost. Speak with your safari expert about adding them to your itinerary.

After a delicious lunch at the picnic area, it’s time to explore the Ndutu Region. Witness Africa’s iconic savannah landscape and be amazed by the sheer number of animals that roam these grassy plains.

You will enjoy watching the enormous herds of wildebeest moving around the area.

You’ll be up before dawn so that we can enjoy a sunrise game drive across the region. See the sunset fire to the savannah as carnivores such as cheetahs and lions in action while it is still cool enough for them to hunt.

After your sunrise game drive, you’ll return to your lodge for breakfast before taking a picnic lunch and heading to explore more of Ndutu. You’ll enjoy a day-long game drive through the region, taking in the shores of both Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek as well as the surrounding land where tens of thousands of young wildebeest take their first steps.

After breakfast, you’ll depart for Ngorongoro Crater, considered by some to be the Eighth Wonder of the World. When you get your first glimpse of this vast, verdant caldera from the panoramic viewpoint, you’ll soon understand why it has earned such a lofty reputation.
Home to over 120 species of mammal including the fabled Big Five, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the most sought after safari destinations in the world. It’s a particularly right place to see the endangered black rhinoceros enjoying a single meal out on the grass plains, as well as a place to see large numbers of hippopotamus enjoying the cool water.

From the comfort of your open-top vehicle, you’ll be able to observe and photograph some of Africa’s most recognizable faces. The crater is home to a large number of predators, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, and hyenas, as well as a large population of wildebeest, zebras, antelope, cape buffalo, and more. It is truly one of Africa’s premier safari destinations.

You will be picked up by a member of the Rough & Dusty Safaris team to be brought to Arusha Airport for your flight to Zanzibar. The flight takes about an hour and gives you a bird’s eye view of Tanzania.

Upon arrival on Zanzibar, our driver will be waiting to whisk you away to your Stone Town accommodation.

Beautiful, ancient Stone Town is every bit as synonymous with Zanzibar as the island’s picturesque beaches. A former spice and slave port, the city wears its history for all to see in the form of its ancient coral wrought buildings, its colonial architecture, and the lingering ghosts of the city’s role as a major slave port.

From today onwards you can just relax! Explore the magical island of Zanzibar or choose to spend your time on the beach. Of course, you can also enjoy the many water sports that the island has to offer such as snorkelling, scuba diving, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, and more!

Today is the last day of your adventure. You will be picked up from your resort and taken to Zanzibar Airport in time for your international departure flight. If you would like to extend your beach holiday – just let us know and we would be happy to design a custom trip for you.