Dragoman: Road to Zanzibar Overland

Itinerary

Rather than just go for a game drive in the Serengeti we actually camp out in the park for 2 nights, and you shouldn't miss the chance to go game viewing from the air on a hot air balloon safari, as well as seeing the Ngorongoro Crater. We explore the stunning Usambara Mountains, visiting small villages and going on walks through the surrounding bush, before heading to the beaches of the Indian Ocean, ending the trip on the idyllic and exotic island of Zanzibar.

• Day 1: Nairobi

  Group meeting tonight at 18.00hrs. Your leader will leave a note at reception telling you where this important meeting will take place. After the group meeting there is the option of joining the group for dinner For those of you who arrive early, head out to explore the National Museum of Kenya or the Karen Blixen Museum (author of Out of Africa), or Bomas which displays the traditional homesteads of several Kenyan tribes in an outdoor village. Tonight we stay in a simple hotel with swimming pool, restaurant and en suite bathrooms.

• Day 2: Arusha

  We set off early today, heading for the border with Tanzania. We are able to spend some time in Arusha, before heading to our campsite on the out skirts of the city, Meserani (400 km, approx 8-10 hours). Arusha is the gateway to some of Tanzania's most popular tourist destinations including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and Mount Kilimanjaro. Tonight we stay at a campsite with flush toilets and showers.

• Day 3: Mto Wa Mbu, Karatu

  This morning we drive for 1.5 hours to reach the village of Mto Wa Mbu where we participate in a local community village program. Later we take time to explore the market in this small village. Many crafts and fabrics are found here and the batiks and makonde wood carvings are particularly good. After lunch, we then travel on towards Karatu, our base for launching into our Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari (approx. 1 hr). Tonight we stay at a campsite with flush toilets and showers.

• Day 4-5: Serengeti National Park

  Today we are up very early, leaving our truck behind, putting our camping and personal gear into 6 person jeeps and heading out for our three day excursion. The bush camps where we stay are very simple (showers and flush toilets) but are located in the middle of the plains, surrounded by animals and the nocturnal noises - something to experience. Your leader will outline the basic safety rules to be followed when camping in an unfenced location where wild animals are present.

• Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater

  We are up with the sun as we make an early start, exiting the Serengeti and heading for the world famous Ngorongoro Crater (approximately 3 hrs drive). After a picnic lunch we descend onto the floor of the Crater. We make the most of our safari in the crater, spending between four and five hours exploring this area. Departing the crater late in the afternoon, we return to our campsite at Karatu for an evening relaxing at the campsite's bar reliving our safari experience. Tonight we stay at a campsite with flush toilets and showers.

• Day 7: Moshi, Marangu

  Back on board our truck we climb high onto the slopes of Kilimanjaro and to the village of Mshiri (300 km, approx 5-7 hours). In Moshi we will meet the very special kids of the Amani Children's Home. Amani supports street children giving them a safe place to stay and educational and emotional support. Check out the new school which has been built with the help of donors and be inspired by this project which is changing these children's lives. We then drive on to the village of Marangu where we set up camp for the night. Our campground is basic with flush toilets and showers.

• Day 8: Marangu, Lushoto

  We spend this morning with the team at the Village Education Project. Beginning with a walking tour of Mshiri Village, the base for the Village Education Project, we can witness the day-to-day life of the Chagga people, long established as crop-growers on the fertile slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. Then it's time to get off the well beaten track and head into the remote Tanzanian Mountains (270 km, approx 7-9 hours).

• Day 9: Usambara Mountains, Lushoto

  We have a full day in the beautiful Usambara Mountains to explore this lovely unspoilt area of Tanzania. Unlike the coast and the north, very few tourists visit this area and so it has a freshness that can be hard to find elsewhere. From our base we will organise a short day's walking trip out to the beautiful Irente viewpoint. On our way back we visit a local village cultural and ecological project based at Irente farm where we will have a picnic lunch. We base ourselves at the old German colony of Lushoto where we stay in the grounds of one of the earliest hotels in Africa. Our campsite has flush toilets and showers.

• Day 10: Dar Es Salaam

  Leaving the mountains behind we have a long travel day today we travel further south towards the coastal city of Dar es Salaam (380 km, approx 9-11 hours). Once in Dar es Salaam, we set up camp on a balmy beach outside of the city. The camp is on the grounds of a hotel and has flush toilets and showers. Feel free to jump in the ocean and have a swim before dinner.

• Day 11: Zanzibar

  Today we catch a ferry to the "Spice Island" of Zanzibar (approx 90 minutes). Our first night is spent in the exotic port town of Stone Town in a basic inn with double/twin share rooms.

• Day 12-13: Zanzibar

  On our second and third days here we head to the northern beaches. Our accommodation in Zanzibar is in twin share rooms.

• Day 14: Dar Es Salaam

  Today we transfer back to the ferry (approx. 90 minutes) and return to our campsite by the beach outside Dar es Salaam arriving in the late afternoon.

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