Rongai , Safari and Zanzibar


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This comprehensive journey through one of East Africa's most diverse countries and gives us the opportunity to experience the best of its many highlights. We travel from the snow-capped heights of mighty Kilimanjaro, through to the rich game lands of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro and on to the tranquil shores of Zanzibar's Spice Islands.

Starting from the north side of the mountain close to the Kenyan border, the Rongai route is considered to be the easiest camping route up Kilimanjaro with gentle gradients and short daily stages. Affording spectacular views of the broad, flat Maasai plains during the ascent, the summit is reached via the east side of Kibo. Followed by a safari to arguably the two most famous gamelands in East Africa and time spent relaxing on the spice island of Zanzibar this is indeed the ultimate Tanzanian experience.

This Trek is rated Grade C/D. Grade C walks (Strenuous): Are for the more serious hillwalker and a higher evel of physical fitness is required. Walking days are normally 6-8 hours and may involve up to 900m or more of ascent or more of descent. You should be prepared for several days walking, often at higher altitudes, so stamina is very important for this. Grade D Walks (Tough): Require that you are very fit and previous trekking experience is strongly recommended. Grade D includes long walks with steep up and downhill gradients. There may be extremes of altitude (up to 6000m) and severe weathern conditions. Will involve several long days (up to 8/9 hours) of continual trekking without a rest day.

Details

Price Includes

(HK-6203-P)

Flights ( London - Kilimanjaro - London)

Accomodation ( Hotel/Chalet/Camping)

15 breakfasts

10 Lunches

10 Dinners

Price Excludes

Local Tour Payment 635 USD

Suitability / Level

Strenous

Theme

Small Group Travel (Click to Search All)

Itinerary & Highlights

SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS - Among the many highlights featured on this tour, we particularly mention:

KILIMANJARO
Climbing Africa's highest mountain.
SERENGETI N.P.
Magnificent game viewing in Tanzania's biggest national park.
OLDUVAI GORGE
Fascinating museum.
NGORONGORO CRATER
See black rhino in the unique setting of the famous volcanic caldera.
ZANZIBAR
Opportunity to unwind and relax in an idyllic tropical island paradise.

DAY 1. FRIDAY. JOIN TOUR MOSHI

We fly into Moshi this morning and transfer to our hotel. As the capital of the Kilimanjaro region, Moshi is located to the south of Kilimanjaro National Park with some spectacular views across to the towering peaks. Once we have checked in, the rest of the day is free to relax, possibly even enjoying a cup of Arabica coffee, one of the regions main crops.

DAY 2. DRIVE TO NALE MORU; TREK TO FIRST CAVE CAMP

Leaving the hotel this morning we transfer to the village of Nale Moru (1950m). The route we take up the mountain is the only one starting on the northern side of Kilimanjaro. It affords us a generally drier ascent, with sweeping views of the flat Maasai lands below. It is also considered the easiest of the routes up to the summit. Accompanied by qualified mountain guides, as well as our support crew, we walk through an area of cultivated farmland and enter a pine forest.

There is the possibility of seeing black and white Colobus monkeys in the treetops, their white-fringed capes flashing through the canopy above us. Our camp for this evening will take us around 3-4 hours to reach, located on the edge of the forest in a moorland zone some 2600m up. From here there are some breathtaking views over the Kenyan plains of Tsavo and Amboseli. Approx 3-4 hours walking.

DAY 3. TREK TO KIKELAWA CAVE CAMP

A steady climb this morning we bring us to the second of the caves today (3450m), with some spectacular views of Kibo peak and the eastern ice fields on the crater rim. Continuing on from here, we carry on towards the third cave, our destination for today. At 3600m our second nights camp gives us some even more breathtaking views across the range, as we settle in for another night under the magnificent expanse of an African sky. Approx 3-4 hours walking.

DAY 4. TREK TO MAWENZI TARN

This morning our climb takes us up steep, grassy slopes before leaving the vegetation behind as we reach Mawenzi Tarn (4330m). Situated in a spectacular cirque beneath the towering cliffs of Mawenzi, the rest of the afternoon is left free at our camp for acclimatisation and to enjoy the dramatic views down over the plains and across the border to Kenya. Approx 3-4 hours walking.

DAY 5. TREK TO KIBO CAMP

Continuing to ascend along the eastern side of Kibo, we cross the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo. The morning sun dramatically lights up the sea of cloud, which shrouds the lower reaches of the mountains. After a rest we continue ever higher, past huge cactus-like groundsel and the last spring water (we now rely on porters to carry supplies). Breathing becomes noticeably more difficult and the climb now begins to test even the fittest.

Climbing above 4115m, we see clearer views of Kibo and the almost lunar landscape of The saddle. Here we'll find only the hardiest forms of vegetation amid the sand and rocks. Temperatures may vary dramatically and strong winds can whip up in a very short space of time. Despite the seemingly inhospitable terrain, it is not unheard of to see herds of eland at this altitude. Continuing for 2-3 hours across the plateau, we finally reach Kibo hut at the base of Kibo Peak.

The rest of our day is spent acclimatizing in readiness for our attempt on the summit later tonight. The air is considerably cooler here and once the sun drops, temperatures often fall to below freezing. If you are finding that the altitude is having an adverse affect on you, you may have to make a tough, but wise decision, to go no further than Kibo hut (4700m). Approx 5 hours walking.

DAY 6. PRE DAWN ASCENT OF KILIMANJARO; TREK TO HOROMBO CAMP

We set off very early this morning, in predawn darkness, to make our attempt on the summit. We walk up a steep scree slope, passing icy crevasses and giant boulders, en route to the final ridge. We will be ascending to 5660m in just a few hours to reach Gilman's Point on the rim of the crater. Although at times you may only be able to walk for only 10 paces before you have to stop and rest, there is no doubt that it is all worth it when you reach the top.

Gilman's Point is perhaps one of the most spectacular in Africa, where the whole of East Africa seems to spread out before you! One can see the Maasai Plains, the Rift Valley and the Amboseli and Tsavo National Parks in Kenya. From Gilman's Point, you may continue around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa at 5895m passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that cover this area. We descend down the same way we came up, via Kibo hut where we'll have a rest and then continue down to Horombo Hut.

DAY 7. TREK TO MARANGU GATE; TRANSFER TO ARUSHA

Today we descend the mountain. From our overnight camp in the rocky valley we walk down through a landscape of ravines and moorland filled with groundsels and giant lobelia, past alpine meadows to Mandara Hut. From here we descend through a dense rainforest to Marangu Gate (1800m), where we exit the national park and collect our certificates. Then we load onto our waiting bus and transfer to Arusha, Tanzania's commercial centre and our gateway into the Serengeti.

DAY 8. FULL DAY DRIVE TO SERENGETI N.P.

Today we head for the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania's oldest and largest park and without doubt one of the most renowned wildlife areas in Africa. We travel via Mto Wa Mbu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area en route to the Naabi Gate, where we enter the vast gamelands of the Serengeti. Covering an area almost 15,000 square km in area, its name is derived from the Maasai language and means the endless plains.

It is on these plains that we focus our attention on for the next two days as we take early morning and late afternoon game drives, in search of Africa's big 5. Once we enter the Serengeti we will slowly make our way towards our camp for the evening, at Seronera in the centre of the park, keeping a close eye out for game as we go.

During the migration season from December to March the territory between Seronera and Naabi is teeming with game as vast herds of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra make their way across the plains, attracting the large populations of predators that the park is renowned for.

DAY 9. IN SERENGTI N.P.; GAME DRIVES

Our itinerary today is very much determined by local conditions and the movements of the game. We intend to spend the morning and the afternoon driving through the park in search of wildlife, but our routing is very flexible. The density of large predators in the park beggars belief, with some eight thousand spotted hyenas and an estimated three thousand lions alone calling this home.

Cheetah are also often seen in family units on the semi-arid plains plains which teem with thousands of Grant's and Thompson's gazelles, zebra and the wildebeest a carnivore's giant smorgasbord. The park is not only rich in game though. The birds of the Serengeti are equally numerous with some 520 species being recorded here! The Serengeti is also home to some 34 species of raptors, so bird watchers should be more than catered for during our time here.

DAY 10. DRIVE TO NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA VIA OLDUVAI GORGE

This morning we leave the Serengeti and head towards the equally famous and richly populated Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Passing several Maasai homesteads en route, we travel to the Olduvai Gorge, where in 1959 anthropologists Dr and Mrs Leakey discovered the remains of an almost intact human skull named Nutcracker Man.

Accompanied by a local guide we visit the Olduvai Gorge visitor centre and museum. Then we continue south east, to the huge bowl-like crater of Ngorongoro, an almost circular depression of a long extinct volcano with a diameter of 19 kilometres and without doubt one of Africa's most spectacular backdrops.

DAY 11. GAME VIEWING IN CRATER; DRIVE TO KARATU

We descend from the upper rim today, driving down a steep track that drops 600m to the grassy plain, lake and marshes of the basin floor below. This winding track, restricted to small 4WD vehicles, leads us out onto a rich tapestry of Africa in the raw. This is game viewing at its best.

Among the animals to watch out for are elephant, lion, cheetah, buffalo and rhino. The perennial marshes teem with birdlife, including flamingos, ibis and egrets. The crater itself, technically classed as a caldera, owes its existence to the violent fracturing of the Rift Valley over a period of some 2.5 million years.

At one time, a volcano occupied this spot, eventually becoming extinct and collapsing into the empty magma chamber beneath it, leaving only the gigantic natural basin behind. Tonight we camp at Karatu, just on the outskirts of the Conservation area and home to the Barbaig and Iraq tribes.

DAY 12. DRIVE TO ARUSHA; FLY TO ZANZIBAR TOWN AND TRANSFER TO NUNGWI

We drive back to Arusha this morning, for our afternoon flight to the island of Zanzibar. Passing through the lush oasis town of Mto Wa Mbu, an entrepot of cultural diversity, where social experiments back in the 1960s have left their mark on the town, with some 50 different tribes being represented.

Continuing through Makuyuni we arrive in Arusha and transfer straight to the airport for the short flight. On arrival we drive across Zanzibar's interior to the tiny village of Nungwi on the north coast. Staying in chalets beside a long, white beach, this is the perfect place to enjoy a little slice of paradise.

Nungwi was once the island's main centre for the construction of the distinctive Arab dhows that ply these waters. These days, however, it is a popular resort area with a number of options available to make the most of our time here include dhow cruises, diving, snorkelling, or just relaxing.

DAY 13. FREE DAY FOR OPTIONALS

Today is left free for you to indulge yourself as you wish. You really can do as much, or as little as you like here. Spend time watching the fishermen bringing in their catch or maybe even go out in one of the dugout canoes with them and try your hand at line fishing.

Stroll or cycle along the beach admiring the spectacular vistas or take to the waters with a mask and snorkel and explore the colourful offshore reef teeming with tropical fish. You may even choose to explore the surrounding area by mountain bike or try diving the nearby Mnemba Atoll, where you may find turtles, dolphins and even the occasional whale sharks.

DAY 14. AFTERNOON TRANSFER TO STONE TOWN; OPTINAL WALKING TOUR

After a further morning free on the beach, we transfer to Zanzibar's capital, Stone Town. The image most people have of Stone Town is one of exotic spices, sandy palm-fringed beaches, white washed houses and labyrinth of narrow streets. All true! The town still retains the feel of the Arab outpost that it was at the height of its power during the 19th century.

Zanzibar then was one of the most important trading centres in a vast network of ports along the monsoon route. Today the alleys are filled with colourful bazaars, the slave markets of old replaced by hawkers selling a myriad of more savoury goods and everywhere the atmosphere is permeated with the smell of spices. This afternoon there is the opportunity to take a guided tour of the town with a local guide (optional).

DAY 15. FREE DAY; OPTIONAL SPICE TOUR OF ISLAND

We have another free day today, to allow you some time to explore this fascinating town in more depth. There is the option to take a tour of the island (including lunch), which will give you some insight into the remarkable history of this colonial outpost of Arabia and includes visits to the Sultan's Palace, Livingstone's House and a number of plantations first established in the 19th century.

Alternatively, Stone Town itself has much to offer. Whether it is a stroll along the magnificent waterfront, with its spectacular architectural gems, a visit to the exquisite House of Wonders, or an amble through the peaceful enclave of Kelele Square, once the bustling core of Zanzibar's slave markets.

DAY 16. SATURDAY. TOUR ENDS STONE TOWN

Accommodation & Centre Details

4 Nighs Hotel
2 Nights chalet
9 Nights Camping

Rongai , Safari and Zanzibar

Details

Itinerary & Highlights

Accommodation & Centre Details

Holidays Extras