planning a trip to tanzania and zanzibar

I think 2 days there is a minimum it is long enough to see the main things but not get repetitive. They created a special secret email just for my readers, write to them there [emailprotected] and you will get your 5% off by default! Then we started going down to the center of the crater and those headed to Serengeti just passed by. The visit to Njiro Secondary School and Twende Social Innovation was so inspiring and overwhelming. Do you want to meet the local Tanzanian population that is authentic, nomadic and lives without technology or mobile phones? We reached the crazy Stone Town, where traffic was back to normal (we got so used to be kind of alone on the road those days). Mangapwani beach was chosen for a stop it turned out to be an abandoned resort with a huge ship parked on the beach and a few locals repairing boats nearby. At low tide, you can actually see the beach and its wide and white, waters are azure. Its not a cliche to get lost in Stone Town, as its actually quite easy. Charles took us to the market in Arusha and then the magic of lots of shop owners bringing clothes and shoes for us to try happened! Once we saw the airfare deal, we adapted our Tanzania and Zanzibar itinerary so we can fly between Arusha and Zanzibar for 40 USD per person and then skipped the ferry from Zanzibar City to Dar Es Salaam and flew for less money and just 15 minutes instead. Second, we love wildlife, being in nature, spending time being active outdoors. Some people stay there after the hike too for a day to chill, we just took a shower and moved on to the safari to February. We reached a sand island and it was time for snorkeling. So here are our reasons to visit Tanzania, the best time to go there, how to choose the right safari package. The hotel allowed us to stay longer in the room, we had breakfast on the rooftop and then started walking on the tiny streets of the old town. Lions Paw Ngorongoro is located 12km away from Ngorongoro Crater and some of the great services it includes are free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, a garden, a bar and daily breakfast! It is said its probably the best beach on Zanzibar island. We wouldnt go for intercity public transportation as we only had 10 days in total and we didnt want to spend half of the time on the road. This is a good private one, for example! It was definitely the season of seaweed, but what can you do? . Travel with us and share our journey on Instagram! Most flights out to the islands leave from Dar es Salaam and the connections are so easy, adding a few days at the beach is almost compulsory. Truth be told, this was probably the hardest thing I have done in my life but I dont regret it one tiny bit! So, a vacation in Tanzania is a great idea because you can do a variety of different activities there: I did all of the above and it ended up being one of my most memorable vacations partly thanks to my Kilimanjaro ascent, of course, but also because of how varied my vacation was! Each room has a private bathroom with shower included and while youre there, you can observe and participate in the farms activities! The flight connections in and out of the major airports (Entebbe in Uganda, Nairobi in Kenya and Kigali in Rwanda) are good and time-wasting is kept to a minimum. After a one-hour flight, we landed on the humid and sunny Zanzibar island (the name of the main island is Unguja). After all the things you did in Tanzania, it is time to say goodbye to this amazing country and head back home with your heart full of memories! In the evening we browsed the hotel neighborhood for tasty local treats (mostly beer). MY EXPERIENCE: We bought our tickets about 3 months in advance and the flight from Moscow to Zanzibar was only $500 USD roundtrip (with a 12 hours transfer in Muscat), plus another $350 USD from Zanzibar to Kilimanjaro (JRO), which we bought only ~ 10 days before the flight. If you want to know how to choose the best tour operator for your safari or how to organize it by yourself if you are traveling on a budget, when is the best time to go there, how much it is going to cost and other practical information, I recommend this post. Later we stopped by Chwaka fishing village to see the hard-working fishermen and the bustling fish market. In the morning, we had one of the richest breakfasts ever served the hospitality of Ali and his team was enormous and headed to Nungwi beach to board the boat. Yet I have one question where do you keep the luggage needed the safari & Zanzibar whilst you climb Kili? In this article I gave you all the details you need about my Tanzania itinerary from what to do, prices for accommodation and transportation, how long to stay, when to go in the country etc. ), a country where there is a yellow fever risk, Top 10 Unmissable Things to Do in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Climbing Kilimanjaro 7 Things you should know before you go, The Complete packing list for Your Kili trip, Where to Stay in Cape Town for the First Time. Read More, What is it about Seychelles dance and Mauritius dance that makes everyone instantly dream of After a couple of hours of rest, a car picked us up and took us to Arusha (thats the city where most safaris start from). Rental car Zanzibar 35 USD per day For more, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. EXCELLENT write up. The green vibes and friendly owner Ali made up for the frustration of getting lost on those narrow dusty streets earlier. Game viewing in places like the Serengeti is phenomenal (think lots of babies being born and beautiful, emerald plains), and plenty of migratory birds in places like Ruaha and Tarangire. So the chances of not spotting at least some animals is very low, as the area is very big and they live there. Her blog MissTourist.com is created with the purpose to inspire people to travel more and to share her advice of how to travel "smart". Did you enjoy it? You did it so well. We wont write the typical conclusion, well use the end of this post to put some fascinating places for our next visit! The last day of your Kilimanjaro hike will be super easy it is basically a short and pleasant downhill walk through the rainforest. Here is a fast description of my Kilimanjaro route by dates: READ MORE: Machame Route In Kilimanjaro a day-by-day itinerary. NOTE: Even though we ate in good restaurants they were not super fancy Michelin star ones, and our accommodations were very good (upper middle-priced with good reviews) but we didnt stay in 5-star hotels. It was super chill, relaxed, and amazing what we needed after some very active days. We gave away our bag of clothes to the hotel maids and we couldnt even describe the level of happiness and gratefulness sometimes things we dont use anymore might be the reason for many smiles! We decided to get some sleep, rest, and chill on our last day in Zanzibar. No worries, Currency: Tanzanian shilling ($1USD = 2,299.90 TZS), Religion: 1/3 Muslim, 1/3 Christian and 1/3 traditional African religions, The country was called Tanganyika until 1964 when the mainland area was joined by the island of Zanzibar, Go party there are many great clubs there . Our unexpected late-evening encounter was with a professional Maasai, a boy who introduced himself as Filip Kirkorov, and a very person who was a real comedian. We managed to arrange a visit to the Twende Social Innovation Hub and their workshop. READ MORE:Best Zanzibar Hotels Where to Stay on the Island (with prices!). Tanzania is an amazing country with so much to offer. Did you visit Tanzania yet? After the hike we were tired but very determined to continue. Again, if you think you want to explore the city of Arusha as well (you can find a couple of things to do there below), make sure to add another day to your itinerary for that. You can get a quote for your trip right here. TIP: It Is best to have yourself checked by your doctor before heading to Tanzania, especially if you want to climb Kilimanjaro for example I know that people with asthma cannot do it. In this article I did my best to help you plan your vacation in the easiest way, so I will provide all the information you need, starting with the names of the cities and attractions to prices, transportation, timing and other practical information that will immensely reduce your planning time. Middle-priced (from $100 to $200 USD): Karatu Tented Lodge is a 3-star accommodation that awaits you with an outdoor swimming pool, an on-site restaurant and even a bar! All in all, we did not find it enjoyable, and it was not really romantic either, mostly just very dusty. Check out our suggestions for things to do in Tanzania. Epi, Chris, two alumni Twende volunteers, Nace, and I headed to Njiro Secondary school. Of course, flying is more convenient, even if its more expensive (I paid around $350 USD for an internal flight from Zanzibar to Kilimanjaro and back). There are different tours offered for climbing Kilimanjaro and they usually take from 6 to 9 days. The staff was watching a football game so we cheered with them as Tanzania won. If you have the time to aimlessly roam do it! We had no idea what we were supposed to do on that day on Arusha as we had just one day free and then a flight to Zanzibar the next day. Plus, there are so many awesome things to do over there! We stayed in a very good hotel included in our safari package called Green Mountain Hotel, and the food was included too (excluding alcoholic beverages). It was nice to walk on a tiny sand island, just like we did it some time ago in Isla Paradiso in the Dominican Republic. We hit the road south, destination Stone Town or Zanzibar City. We dont have the overall budget for this itinerary, but here are some budget notes that might help you plan your trip to Tanzania. The Wiseman at the bungalows convinced us to have the Safari blue tour. Now that you found out more about the way to organize your itinerary in the country, lets find out about some practical information about your Tanzania vacation: Here is how much we spent for a 2-person trip, following this exact itinerary you can find above (in USD): Total: $9,870 USD (for 2 people, everything included), PRO TIP: If you are going to choose the tour operator I recommend Altezza, and they will give you an extra 5% discount to the price of the tour, yay (lucky you, I actually paid the full price!). I managed to try the super good Tanzanian coffee everyones bragging about a good finish to our stay in Zanzibar. Ostriches and secretary birds greeted us. Outside of the safari package, we booked all our accommodations ourselves via booking.com. We discovered few local markets with aromatic spices, the typical bread and so many other tasty things. But we also know that organising a trip can be confusing and even a little bit frustrating and thats where we come in. Here comes the part you have been waiting for complete relaxation on a beautiful beach in Zanzibar! Together with their team, we crafted our 3-day Tanzania safari itinerary, which included Lake Manyara or Tarangire National Park (to be decided on the spot with the most recent weather forecast), Ngorongoro Crater Conservation area safari, and Lake Eyasi area, where we would meet local tribes and do some activities together. We still put on our freshly washed newly bought items and geared up for another, very classical for any Tanzania itinerary, safari day to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where the 260-square-kilometers-huge Ngorongoro Crater is. Those tribes live in their communities and families as they used to hundreds of years ago. We only recommend the things we actually use ourselves and never accept useless sponsored crap. After that, we continued with a flight straight to Zanzibar, where we decided to explore as much of the island as we could. One drone flight later, we were all friends. Check the current travel restrictions in every country. Hey, thank you for the question! While planning the trip to Tanzania, we tried to get in touch with local community centers, innovation hubs, and other projects and communities we would want to meet. If this sounds like your kind of vacation, I would be happy to hear that you used my recommendations and that this article helped you plan your ideal getaway to this beautiful African country. Nace had a friendly chat with guys with machine guns and flip-flops and we decided to go back. After some reading and thinking about how to make the most of Tanzanian adventures in wildlife and Zanzibar island beach life, we came up with a nice combination of adventure and safari on the mainland and beach hopping and snorkeling on the island. Alternatively, you can book a room at Mbali Mbali Soroi Serengeti Lodge, a gorgeous lodge with a breathtaking terrace and an on-site restaurant with packed lunch available on request! Alternatively, you can book a room at Honey Badger Lodge a great lodge located only 30km away from Mt. Check out our new book The Magic of Traveling in Tanzania. Our Zanzibar trip was kind of in-between and we felt quite comfortable. The hotel looks great and the rooms are tidy and comfy. We decided to spare some money and just photographed from every angle. But who doesnt love shopping? I have also included our full list of expenses for how much we paid so that you know an approximate budget to plan. He wasnt even aware of that, though. We stopped for lunch near a lake and could even see hippos nearby. You will be back at your hotel at 11 AM or around mid-day. Zanzibar is a most beautiful island i ever had been.. I hope you liked my ideal itinerary for a Tanzanian vacation! The main dry season runs from July to September and you can expect warm days and clear, blue skies as well as excellent game viewing. 50 USD pp Theres no need to say which one we chose! It was about $30 USD for a ride of about an hour. Our most common answer? KLM have just launched a direct flight from Europe to Kilimanjaro, which is 30 minutes outside Arusha and the perfect connection for anyone heading to the Serengeti and the parks in the north. We decided to skip diving around Nungwi and Zanzibar as a whole because it was crazy expensive. Now before we start, if you are planning on going to Kilimanjaro, I highly recommend reading my packing list post about Kili, as your success will HIGHLY depend on the quality of your clothes. Before we begin, here are some fast facts about the country: I suggest breaking down your trip into 3 main parts climbing Kilimanjaro, doing a Safari and chilling in Zanzibar. . Copyright 2014-2022 MissTourist | All Rights Reserved |, How to plan an ideal itinerary for Tanzania, Day 8: Final day at Kilimanjaro, Moshi Arusha, Climbing Kilimanjaro The Complete Packing List, Best Zanzibar Hotels Where to Stay on the Island (with prices! We managed to spot only some crabs but we could use the shade of the trees over there. We walked past improvised markets and dirt roads and got to the super fancy airconditioned bank only to get a lower exchange rate for our oldies. You can find all my posts about Tanzania here. Here are some options that you can book by yourself: Day 1 Accommodation close to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. At the airport, we saw there was a delay in our flight to Amsterdam but we had nothing else to do than to hang out in a local fast-food restaurant the only one actually. Take a shower, upload a picture on Instagram and tell everybody how you successfully climbed the roof of Africa, have a nice lunch and chill for one more day if you want to! They saythebestchance of seeing the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti is during June and July and the time to see the wildebeest calving is late January to February. We decided to skip the Maasai village that was welcoming tourists weve already spent lots of time with Maasai people on our trip to Kenya. Hooray! The second part of the post is our detailed 10-day itinerary in Tanzania and Zanzibar. Safari Blue tour approx. This homestay has a garden, kitchen and bathroom access and you are served a great continental breakfast each morning! When the volcano collapsed, it formed an ideal environment for animals to live in! We headed straight to the East coast and Michamwi village where we booked the Mpole bungalows. No surprise, then, that its the most popular time to visit. The low tide didnt really help with spotless boarding so most of the people got really wet and we had to be extra cautious about the cameras and so on. Ngorongoro is a crater formed when a huge volcano erupted thousands of years ago. People in Tanzania are so warm and friendly! We received a free upgrade to a bigger room and took advantage of the air-conditioning, hot shower, and other simple pleasures. In the evening, when we got back in Nungwi, we did some heavy bargaining for souvenir shopping. Lets go on an adventurous journey in Tanzania and Zanzibar island to meet mesmerizing flora and fauna, inspiring people, and Hakuna Matata! Here are all the accommodations we stayed at in Tanzania and Zanzibar. but we want to drive in order to explore some other cuntries aswell. We decided to stick to public and private transportation while being on mainland Tanzania and rent a car to explore Zanzibar at our own pace. As I mentioned, there are a couple of airports where you can arrive, the most convenient of them being JRO (Kilimanjaro International Airport) this is where I arrived as well, but it also can be the one in Arusha or Nairobi Airport. If you are going to climb Kilimanjaro, I recommend reading this section where I am talking about the rainy season in the mountain and what you should know if you are hiking the mountain then. For me, Zanzibar turned out to be the best option. You start with riding to the Southern part of the island, then you hop on a boat and explore smaller islands, sand dunes in the sea, things like that. We met two boys from Bosnia and Herzegovina that seemed to be the only other tourists in the peaceful paradise at Michamvi. On the other side, the rain season is also a low touristic season so our budget didnt suffer too much. We decided to stay positive and imagine what would happen when we stayed in the same clothes for a few days. At the end of the trip, I had seen all the animals I wanted to see (including The Big 5), the Great Migration and much more! Below, weve put together our top Tanzania travel tips, from the right airports to fly into, to the best time of year to travel and a few nuggets of knowledge in between. The western part of the island was mostly empty it was hard to spot someone outside of the villages we passed. First on our list of Tanzania travel tips is this golden question and one that we get asked a lot. They say the best chance to spot wildlife in Tanzania is during the dry season the long one is from June to October, the short one is in January and February. Yes, this series of posts took quite some time to write so I am very happy to hear it was useful and made you remember your trip! It sounded like the perfect birthday adventure. We are planning a trip to Tanzania and I feel I have found everything I needed in this one article. We drove through herds of elephants, antelopes, gnus, gazelles, zebras, giraffes. Another excellent option is Rayan Apartments & Safaris where you can rent apartments and benefit from a beautiful outdoor pool, free Wi-Fi, kitchen and more! Maybe well do that one day, but now wildlife migration was not the focus of our trip. PRO TIP: The owner of the company I can vouch for both Kilimanjaro and a safari trip offered a whopping 5% discount for my readers, how cool is that? We finished with a short yoga session and then met with the principal to tell her how mesmerizing her students were and give the school library a gift (guess what ). Our 10-day Tanzania and Zanzibar itinerary table of contents, A trip to Sappho's island - Lesbos island itinerary, The Serengeti National Park (for when we win the lottery), parks and reserves where you can meet orangutans up close (if something is left from the jackpot), Lake Victoria and its scenery and wildlife, the beaches on the mainland (we heard they are the real deal), other parks, reserves, and tiny islands (have something in mind? Thanks in advance! There were tons of food stalls, most of them quite overpriced (mostly tourists eat there). Ali showed us around and we met hundreds of students at the end of the school day all those uniforms shining under the low sun on the dusty streets it was like magic! Our trip, A Rwanda & Tanzania combination is a good place to start. We even watched the typical Kigodoro dance played by locals in high spirits. As with any other destination, if you can book your tickets in advance, it is always better to do so! If your accommodation is not included, you can book your stay directly here: Luxury ($70 USD and up): Pink Flamingo is a great luxury hotel in Moshi with an outdoor swimming pool, an on-site restaurant, a bar and many other great facilities that will make you feel spoiled during your stay! The underwater world was plentiful in the azure waters but I started feeling burning shots all over my body so I had to go back on board and eat fruits in the meantime. Its so absorbing to just watch how life goes for the local people. We also included where to stay in Tanzania and Zanzibar, how to move around by air, car, boat. In this article, you will find all the tips and tricks to plan your amazing trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar, including when to go, where to go, how to travel, where to stay, things to do, and other practicalities. Moshi will most probably be your starting point for your Kilimanjaro trek (except for a couple of routes that begin from the other side of the mountain). Read More, Its time to recap 2018! We combined all of the activities above in a single day tour just like this one and it worked out pretty great! . Later we saw a muddy rhino. So, what can you do? It has an outdoor pool as well, in case you want to relax and splash around after your Kilimanjaro hike! It is an amazing airport open-air waiting lounge, a local market and so much green everywhere. I created Miss Tourist travel blog to help you organise the perfect holiday. Things I do NOT recommend Renting a bike and going around the island. It was so hot outside! Our first view down the caldera was from above and it was fascinating! We started our safari at Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Middle-priced (from $50 to $100 USD): La Fontana Bungalows is an accommodation that offers great value for the money and it is located in Kendwa. NOTE: If you decide to stay and rest for one more day in Moshi, dont forget to add +1 day to your itinerary. As an alternative, I think it is pretty great to rent a bike and go to some places that are not that far away in this case it is definitely a good idea! Not yet booked. The road from JRO to Moshi takes a bit less than 1 hour and you will most likely be picked up by your Kilimanjaro tour operator from there. And the local public transportation dala dala comes always full and overloaded with people and baggage. In the morning we decided to do something about our currency problem. Middle-priced (from $30 USD to $70 USD): Mazzola Safari House & Backpacking is an amazing guesthouse that awaits you with free Wi-Fi, an airport shuttle and even an all-inclusive offer that is totally worth the money! The workshop was full of many tools and equipment so people could innovate and solve the social problems of their communities. We had a quiet dinner at the bungalows restaurant and then hanged out near the fire. We saw some ladies trying to hitchhike on the road so we stopped. This is the perfect combination if youd like to head down to the coast after your safari. That was the starting point in my case, but yours might be different maybe it will be more convenient to fly to JRO (Kilimanjaro), Dar es Salaam (the largest city in Tanzania), Arusha Airport (the safari starting point) or even Nairobi in Kenya (it is a 6-hour bus ride to Kilimanjaro). READ MORE: 10 UNMISSABLE Things to do in Zanzibar. Some people stay in Zanzibar for a week and I can totally understand that, especially if you want to just relax away from the hustle and bustle of your everyday life back at home! When we entered a village, stop at a sign that said Lake Eyasi Community and met with our guide for the day Rasuli. I think this beautiful country deserves AT LEAST 2 weeks. He will explain everything you need to know about your upcoming trek and will check your gear (and he will provide you with some clothes or other items in case you are not fully prepared). As Serengeti National Park is a famous area for safaris and the budget lodges cannot be found online, below I am suggesting only luxury lodges and hotels: Luxury ($200 USD and up): One Nature Nyaruswiga Serengeti is simply gorgeous and it is located in the heart of Serengeti! 3-day safari (including accommodation for 2 nights, food, entrance fees, activities) 890 USD pp It was like looking at two big kittens, just chilling with finesse. Even though it did not have direct access to the beach, my hotel Nyumbani Residence was lovely (I have written about my experience in detail here)! Back at home, we had arranged a transfer straight to the hostel near Arusha. More Than A Drop is another great hotel that offers an airport shuttle, a buffet breakfast each morning, an on-site restaurant and free Wi-Fi! So excited for your trip, it will be no less but epic! What is left for us to visit in Tanzania? And if youre still debating the finer details of your trip to Tanzania, have a look at our other guides on where to go here, and when to go, here. Then we hit the road with Charles towards the Ngorongoro Crater. There was a group of kids playing football. One of the Bosnian guys had just bought a piece of land nearby. here. We landed at Kilimanjaro International Airport, got a visa for Tanzania for 50 USD each, and found out that our luggage didnt arrive with us. As I mentioned above, choosing your base area on the island is very important.

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