BEST TIME TO TRAVEL: We traveled during the “short rains” from end of October into early November. We thought this was the PERFECT time to go because it helps keep costs lower, and since it is a shoulder season, there aren’t many (if any) other jeeps to obstruct your view of the animals. Also, this is springtime in Tanzania, so we saw so many newly born babies–cheetahs, lion cubs, and zebras quite literally taking their first ever steps right in front of our eyes.
NOTE ON BOOKING: We have never planned a trip with an agency before, but in Tanzania it’s often required in order to stay at luxury properties. We worked with Mark Smith at &Beyond, and our experience couldn’t have been more amazing. He worked with us for months making sure he found properties that fit the vibe, experience, and budget we were looking for.
arusha/kilimanjaro.
We started our trip by flying Ethiopian Airlines from Dulles to Kilimanjaro. We stayed at this Airbnb, since we were only staying in Arusha for one night. There isn’t a lot to do in Arusha, so one night should be sufficient before you start your safari. It’s super affordable and has SPECTACULAR views. It’s a little complicated to get to, so I’m glad we arranged for a driver through the hosts in advance. You can get local food delivered, sit back, and relax before your safari begins in the morning!
ngorongoro crater lodge.
Recommended 1-2 nights.
When traveling in Tanzania, everything is connected by bush plane. Technically, you can drive, but planes are pretty cheap and make travel significantly easier. As a result, you’ll want to pack soft-sided luggage, and make sure you review the weight limits for the airline you’re flying. I’ll really never forget the experience of landing on our first dirt airstrip with zebras and giraffes running alongside us.
From Arusha airstrip, you’ll then fly to Ngorongoro crater to stay at the famous &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. This is one of only a handful of lodges that actually overlook the crater, and luckily is the closest one to the entrance to the crater. Everything from start to finish here is luxury–think champagne and bubble baths filled with rose petals when you come back from a long safari day. There are resident zebras that have learned how to drink out of the water spigot. If you want to be treated like royalty, definitely plan to stay here.
If we planned the trip again, I probably would skip NCL. I think it’s a coin toss for first-time visitors to Tanzania. Yes, it’s famous. Yes, it’s luxurious. The topography is unlike any other area we saw in Tanzania, so it’s a unique setting. However, the crater doesn’t have the same diversity of animals that you’ll see elsewhere. So if prime animal-viewing is your priority, I’d spend more time elsewhere. We also found it a little stuffy, and preferred the other lodges where we really got to know the people working there. I don’t regret staying here at all because it was a very unique experience, but next time, I’d probably opt for &Beyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge.
songa migration camp.
Recommended as long as humanly possible (minimum 3 nights).
Wow. Just wow. This place was truly life changing. Songa Migration Camp with Legendary Expeditions had hands-down the best animal viewing of anywhere we went. We saw the famous Mara River Crossing (if this is super important for you, go earlier than we recommended for a guaranteed sighting), followed a Leopard through a morning hunt, and got up close and personal with a beautiful lion pride close to our camp. If you stay here, be sure to request Titus as your guide–he’s so incredible that he literally showed up as an expert in a guidebook at another lodge we stayed at.
Songa is such a special place that it moves twice a year to follow the migration. Our tent had three (yes THREE!) rooms, complete with Jack + Jill sinks, a walk in closet, and a front yard overlooking a herd of zebra. Our Askari (guide) walked us safely to our tent every night, where we heard lions and hyenas while we slept. The food was impeccable (I think my favorite of anywhere we stayed–especially the picnics out in the bush), and we loved how we would have a bonfire every night with the staff to learn more about their lives in Tanzania. On the last night, they set us up a “sundowner” on this huge rock overlooking the landscape below, which took my breath away. It just felt so authentic and raw in the middle of the Serengeti, and I nearly cried when we left.
grumeti river lodge.
Recommended 3-4 days.
We were ready to move here by the end of our stay. Grumeti River Lodge is one of the newest &Beyond properties, and was absolutely STUNNING. The architecture and décor were everything I had hoped for and more, complete with a private plunge pool overlooking a watering hole for wildebeests and zebras. Every meal was served in front of a hippo pool, so you always had dinner and a show. One night, when our Askari was walking us back to our room, there was actually a hippo blocking our front steps!
Grumeti really stood out because of the incredible lodge itself, but the game viewing was also great. Since the area is smaller, the drivers have a good sense for where to find the type of game you’re looking for. We were fortunate enough to see a pride of 12 lions, a cheetah with her cubs, and a lion hunt. Unlike Legendary Expeditions, &Beyond only does private drives for an additional fee, but we really liked everyone we met at Grumeti–it had the most social atmosphere of any of our lodges. Between the luxury accommodations, social staff and guests, and great game viewing, we felt like Grumeti really hit the sweet spot for the type of experience we were looking for.
mwiba lodge.
Recommended 2-3 days.
Mwiba Lodge is the most unique safari experience of anywhere we stayed. The lodge is on a private concession–this means that the rules that normally apply within Serengeti National Park, don’t apply here. Since it used to be a hunting ground, the animal viewing isn’t the draw here, but instead there are three really unique experiences you can only have at Mwiba–night drives, walking safaris, and cultural experiences. The lodge itself is great too–try to ask for Room 6. We were perched up in a treehouse, and often looked down to see elephants bathing in the watering hole beneath us. Mwiba also has an incredible spa (with a complementary massage for every guest), so take advantage of it while you’re there. The afternoon high-tea was also such a highlight everyday.
The night drive starts out with the most INCREDIBLE sundowner. They literally brought furniture and a full bar out into the bush so we could have the most relaxing end to our safari. I was truly blown away. We watched the brightest sunset I’ve ever seen in my life, and then jumped back in the jeep for our night drive. Night drives are special because you can see the nocturnal animals that you can’t see during the day. You’re also sometimes in for a surprise since you don’t have your full sense of sight–we were charged at by an elephant and could only hear it chasing our jeep, rather than see it.
The walking safari was such an amazing experience as well. Animals typically picture the jeep as one large animal, so you feel really safe while in the jeep (seriously, we would regularly get within a matter of feet from the big cats). However, when you’re on a walking safari, you’re completely exposed. Whereas buffalo never concerned me when in the jeep, it’s a completely different experience crouching behind a tree hoping they don’t spot or smell you. You take a step, and suddenly a black mamba snake crosses your path. Your senses are totally heightened. Regardless of my adrenaline pumping, it really is very safe–you are required to do walking safaris with a trained member of the Tanzanian government (to protect you and the animals), so we had an armed guide both in front and behind our group. Upon finishing the walk, we were so surprised with an absolute feast set up in the middle of the bush–complete with a full omelette bar, enough pastries to fill a boulangerie, and freshly smoked meat. Seriously, you will NEVER be hungry while on safari.
Finally, the real gem of Mwiba are the cultural experiences. We were welcomed by two different tribes within the concession. First, we met the Datoga people. Their culture relies heavily on music, so we heard singing from a mile away, and saw them dancing as soon as we drove in. Their hospitality was so memorable–letting me dance in the women’s circle, and teaching my husband how to shoot a bow and arrow. We spent a few hours with them, learning their way of life, and truly being treated as friends. We ended the visit by buying a goat from them and bringing it as a gift to the second tribe we visited--the Hadzabe hunters. The Hadzabe people are the last truly nomadic tribe in Africa, and it was an honor to get to meet them. Since they move constantly, a member of the Tanzanian government had to go out in the morning and find them for us. Once we met them, we immediately ran after them into the bush to hunt for their next meal. Their diet consists primarily of honey, so they quickly found a Baobab tree with a bee’s nest. While singing a song of thanks, a member of the group climbed to the top, reached into the hive (they are fairly immune from bee stings), and started dropping honeycomb from hundreds of feet in the air to the group. It was THE BEST honey and probably most memorable travel experience I’ve ever had in my life. We felt incredibly fortunate, because you can only meet the Hadzabe hunters though Mwiba lodge.
mafia island.
Recommended 2 full days.
Mafia Island is a fairly small and untouched island off the coast of Tanzania. It is underdeveloped, and not for someone who only wants a luxury vacation, but the draw of Mafia Island is the ability to dive with whale sharks. Whale sharks are only in a handful of places in the world, and luckily for us at the time of year we visited, are pretty much guaranteed on Mafia Island. When staying on Mafia Island, we stayed at Pole Pole. While the accommodations are typical beach bungalow, we enjoyed the complementary activity included in our stay–giving us the ability to do a traditional Dhao sunset sail, swim in a vibrant blue lagoon, and tour nearby ruins only accessible by boat for no extra charge.
Swimming with the Whale sharks can be prearranged with Pole Pole, or done directly with Big Blu Dive Shop. You’ll snorkel with the whale sharks, but if you have your scuba certification, it’s also worthwhile to go for a dive–the reef was some of the best we’ve seen anywhere. Every diver said it was significantly better than diving off of Zanzibar. When you snorkel with the whale sharks, you’ll boat out about 30-45 minutes, until they spot one. As soon as they see one, they tell your group to jump in. It can be chaotic at first, but you quickly learn how to manage the crowds and keep up with the whale sharks. Be prepared for a workout, because you can only keep up with them for a matter of seconds. Then, you’ll jump back on the boat for a minute or two, and jump back in the water for an all out sprint to see the next one. I think we saw 15-20 in the course of our trip, which was incredible!
stone town.
Recommended 2 nights/1 day.
Stone Town was a lovely starting point for our time in Zanzibar! We stayed at the Emerson Spice Hotel in the Belle Room. It’s absolutely STUNNING and super unique. Be sure to book a dinner on the rooftop. I’d also recommend booking a traditional tea tasting at Emerson on Haruzmi–you have to book more than 24 hours in advance, so unfortunately we were unable to arrange the activity during our short stay, but I heard great things from other travelers. Instead we did a great walking tour of Stone Town, which I recommend strongly. There’s a lot of history, art, and culture in Stone Town, which we wouldn’t have been able to appreciate if we didn’t do the tour. I also absolutely loved visiting Karafuu Cafe. The owner was so friendly, the space is very modern, and the Moroccan tea tasting was divine. Finally, end your day at the night market (admittedly, it’s a little overwhelming at first). We really enjoyed our crepes, as well as tea and popcorn from Chai Babu.
As a piece of advice, don’t plan to stay in Stone Town for the beach. Enjoy the city, and then head up to the Northwest coast for some tropical relaxation.
Zanzibar.
Recommended 4-5 nights.
If you want a beautiful beach vacation on Zanzibar, I think you have two great options for accommodations. We stayed at Zuri, but if you can afford it, consider &Beyond Mnemba Island. Too many travelers we met didn’t like Zanzibar because they thought the beach was dirty and overcrowded, so I think it’s essential to splurge on a private beach up north. At Zuri, the water was the bluest that I’ve ever seen, and the beach was pristine. All of the restaurants on property were fantastic, the private yoga studio rivaled Bali, and the spa was lovely. You can take out paddleboards for free, and every evening there is a different event–I think my favorite was the fire dancing show on the beach. There’s really no reason to leave the property, and we wished we had an extra day or two to stay when it was time to end our trip.
If you’re planning a trip to Tanzania/Zanzibar or thinking about planning one, feel free to reach out!
