12 Days Tanzania Bush Beach Safari

You will be met by our representative at DAR airport or your hotel and depart for Mikumi national park, with a picnic lunch stop on the way. Proceed to the park arriving in the afternoon for an amazing sunset game viewing and wildlife spotting such as elephants, giraffes, lions, hartebeest, hippos, elands, zebras. Transfer to your lodge for dinner. Overnight: Vuma Hills Tented Camp

After your breakfast this morning, head to the park for the entire day of game viewing. The Mikumi flood plain is one of the park's most significant features bordering the Uluguru and Udzungwa mountain ranges. The park is further decorated by its superbly scenic plains and baobabs and it is home to various wild animals and birds species. The park is endowed with spectacular concentration of wildlife which are rarely seen in other parks like magnificent Sable antelope, African hunting dog, blue wildebeest, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest and others. The gentle foothills and vast miombo woodland savanna in the southern parts of the park are quite spectacular. Dinner and overnight: Vuma Hills Tented Camp

After an early breakfast, drive to your second destinaton of your tour. Spread across the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains National Park boasts a diverse range of natural habitats including tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo woodland, grassland and steppe. This vast expanse of unspoiled wilderness serves as a habitat for over 400 animal species. These include, among others: elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, African wild dog, six different species of primate, and a variety of birdlife. Tourism is centred around hiking as the park is only accessible on foot. The most common walk is the Sanje Waterfalls trail which takes around four hours to complete and allows visitors to swim in the refreshing plunge pools at the bottom of this impressive 170-metre waterfall. The incredible diversity of tropical flora and fauna species has earned the park recognition as an Ecoregion of Global Critical Importance by the World Wildlife Fund, as well as a World Biodiversity Hotspot.  Arrive at the small and friendly Hondo Hondo Udzungwa Forest Camp located not far from Sanje waterfall. Here you can enjoy a refreshing dip in the pool and marvel at the formidable views of the surrounding sugar plantations. Overnight: Hondo Hondo Udzungwa Forest Camp

This morning, embark on a guided trek on the Sanje Waterfalls Trail. The tropical green & lush environment of Udzungwa is the natural habitat of several endemic butterflies, birds and Sanje mangabey monkeys. In the afternoon, say goodbye to udzungwa and transfer to Nyerere national Park, arriving at the relaxed and very friendly Sable Mountain lodge set over two small hills with great views from every room in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight. Overnight: Sable Mountain lodge

Today, head out for a full day game drive and a thrilling boat safari on Lake Tagalala in the heart of the national park. Nyerere national park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) is one of only two parks in the whole of Tanzania where you can do boat safaris, the other being Saadani National Park. After what promises to be a wonderful morning of game viewing, it’s exciting to suddenly find yourself at the edge of a huge lake. Just standing at the edge offers stunning views of wildlife coming down to the lake to drink and a myriad of birdlife fishing and drinking too. The boat safari gives a nice break from the game drive car and a lovely smooth safari gliding along the beautiful lake. There is nothing quite like sitting with your packed lunch amongst the huge hippo pods, crocs and dazzling birdlife on the lake. Overnight: Sable Mountain Lodge

After an early breakfast, depart by car to Saadani National Park, the only coastal wildlife preserve in East Africa. Located in the center of the historic triangle of Bagamoyo, Pangani and Zanzibar, Saadani National Park covers 1,100 square km and is the only wildlife sanctuary in Tanzania that borders the sea. The climate is coastal, hot and humid. It offers a unique combination of both marine and mainland flora and fauna in a culturally fascinating setting. About 30 species of larger mammals are present as well as numerous reptiles and birds. Besides boasting over 40 species of fish, green turtles, humpback whales and dolphins occur just off the shores as well. Gazetted in 2005, it encompasses a preserved ecosystem including the former Saadani Game Reserve, the former Mkwaja ranch area, the Wami River and Zaraninge Forest. Many villages exist around the boundaries of the park. Before being included in the national park, the Zaraninge forest was managed by the World Wide Fund (WWF) whose goal was to preserve the extremely high botanical diversity of one of the last coastal rain forests remaining in Tanzania. Arrive at Simply Saadani Camp for a late lunch and rest for the rest of the day.

For the next couple of days, enjoy the camp activities including nature walks and canoe rides along the local creek, swimming in the wild ocean; go for a game drive and boat safari on the river and/ or visit the fishing village of Mkwaja and meet the locals. Saadani village once was an important harbor-town and slave trading center in east Africa. Now it is a small Swahili fishing village with about 800 inhabitants whose livelihood is mostly fishing. Other villages adjacent to the park make their living through farming coconuts and other food. A variety of trees, including Acacia Zanzibarica with its long spines, offer shade to several large herds of buffalo, white-bearded wildebeest and hartebeests. The common waterbuck occurs all over the park area and are easily recognized by the white ring around their tails. The density of reedbucks is especially high in Saadani, although this medium-sized antelope might be difficult to spot in tall grasses where they lie down for shelter. Warthogs are omnipresent and even come into Saadani village. As most of the villagers are Muslims, warthogs have learned that they will not be harmed. The tallest animals in the world and the national symbol of Tanzania, giraffes, are also numerous in the area. From East to West, the open ocean with coral reefs changes to brackish water ecosystem characterized by mangrove forest, salt pans and bare saline areas as well as the inland running Wami river. The beaches of Saadani are the only place north of Dar es Salaam where sea turtles still come to lay their eggs. Other wildlife found along the river include Nile crocodile, an incredible diversity of bird species including kingfishers and large groups of hippo to name a few. At night you may hear the hyenas laughing and roars of lions and encounter genets, porcupines and civets. Dinner & overnight: Simply Saadani Camp

Today, transfer to Saadani airstrip for the connecting flight to Zanzibar island, only 20 minutes by air. On arrival at the airport, meet your driver and transfer to your beach hotel for a few nights of relaxation.  Dinner and overnight: Essque Zalu Zanzibar

Say "kwaheri" (Goodbye) to Zanzibar as you are trasferred back to the airport for onward arrangements. These are the times you will be reminiscing over the years to come on just what a treasure Tanzania is!