Classic Tanzania safari

14 night Train-Fly ‘Tropical Islands and Wilderness Safari Adventure’

Visiting:

*Mikumi National Park with Udzungwa Mountain National Park staying three nights at Foxes Safari Camp or Vuma Hills Tented Camp *Ruaha National Park staying four nights at Ruaha River Lodge *Spice Islands of Zanizbar staying seven nights at Breezes Beach

Day 1:

Arrive Dar-es-Salaam by British Airways air to be met and transferred to TAZARA station for the 09:00am departure of the SAFARI EXPRESS train to Mikumi National Park, where you will stay at either Foxes Safari Camp or Vuma Hills Tented Camp.

The Safari Express private train is old style train travel through the Selous Game Reserve, leisurely winding its way through the spectacular Tanzanian countryside. An experience in itself, lunch and bar on board, there is nothing else like it in Tanzania. For the comfort of passengers straight from an overnight flight there is a shower on boards as well as usual bathroom facilities. You will arrive at Kidatu station at approximately 17:30 to transfer by road to Foxes Safari Camp in Mikumi National Park.

The central feature of Mikumi National Park is the fertile Mkata flood plain whose lush pastures attract wildlife from the surrounding mountains. Foxes Safari Camp is located on a rocky hill on this plain offering 360 degree panoramic viewing of game across the plain and Mwanambogo waterhole with the highest concentration of game in the park.

Day 2:

You will have the day to explore and discover Mikumi National Park with morning and afternoon game drives in specially adapted open game viewing vehicles accompanied by expert guides and driver. Your stay at Foxes Safari Camp includes full board accommodation, park fees, game drives in specially adapted open game viewing vehicles accompanied by an expert guide and driver, transfers, tea/coffee and laundry.

Day 3:

You will be transferred to Udzungwa Mountain National Park so that you can trek underneath the rainforest canopy with its endemic primates and endemic birds to come out at Sanje water falls with breathtaking views over the Rift Valley below. The guided walk is quite steep and takes 3-4 hours without allowing for stopping time and your picnic at Sanje falls. You would return to Foxes Safari Camp for sundowners.

The Udzungwa rainforest is a remnant of the ancient Eastern arc rainforest that stretched along the eastern rift. It has similarities with forests in Madagascar and West Africa. However, Madagascar split from the mainland 165 million years ago and the Udzungwa forests have remained isolated from those in West Africa for the last 5 million years. So that there exists a high degree of endemism with 25% of the plant species unique only to Udzungwa, 4 species of endemic primate, and several recently discovered endemic bird species

Days 4-7:

In the morning you depart from Mikumi National Park to fly to Ruaha National Park.

The central feature of Ruaha National Park is the Great Ruaha River that is the lifeline of the park. During the long 6 month dry season wildlife is drawn to this river from the surrounding hills. Ruaha River Lodge is located in a unique position in a bend of the Great Ruaha River where you can observe natural animal behaviour as wildlife is attracted to the river. From the comfort and safety of your natural stone and thatch bandas you can watch the drama unfold as game comes down to drink and the predators lie in wait.

Ruaha National Park is special because it is topographically varied (from grassland plains, to the Great Ruaha River, rocky kopjes, mountains and the escarpment plateaux) with a correspondingly varied number of habitats and consequently wildlife species. Altitude varies from 1000m to 1850m.

More importantly Ruaha National Park lies in the convergence zone between northern and southern hemisphere where you find plant, animal and bird species from both hemispheres. So for instance there are 1650 plant species found in Ruaha while only 600 plant species are found in the Serengeti and Selous. You therefore can find species less common in the northern parks such as Sable and Roan antelope and also both species of Kudu: Greater and Lesser Kudu. All the predators are present including larger populations of hunting dog, lion, leopard and cheetah.

Your 4 night stay at Ruaha River Lodge will be hosted by Peter and Sarah Fox who have lived in Ruaha National Park for most of the last two decades and will give you unparalleled knowledge of this special park. Your stay at Ruaha River Lodge is inclusive of F/B accommodation, park fees, morning and afternoon game drives (and/or walking safaris) in specially adapted open game viewing vehicles accompanied by expert guides and driver with radio backup, airstrip transfers, tea/coffee and laundry.

Days 8-14:

You will be transferred to the airstrip for the flight to Zanzibar Island. From the airport you will be met and transferred to the east coast of the island for your 7 night stay at Breezes Beach. The east coast beaches are famed for their white sands and clear sea. Scuba Diving by highly qualified Dive instructors at a Scuba Schools International affliated diving school offering SSI/PADI courses and a variety of dives (see below) and other water sports are on offer and historical excursions can be arranged from the hotel to explore the narrow streets of Stone Town so as to absorb the Arabic culture and history. It is highly recommended also to visit the Jozani Forest Reserve to see the endemic Red Colubus Monkey.

Day 15:

You will be transferred back to Zanzibar airport for an early departure by plane back to Dar to meet the British Airways flight back to Europe.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS & CURRENT COST FOR THIS ITINERARY OR ALTERNATE TANZANIAN ITINERARIES contact us

PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE ARE 'SUGGESTED' GUIDE-LINE ITINERARIES AND CAN EASILY BE MODIFIED TO SUIT YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR INCLUDE OTHER COUNTRIES