Tanzania Family Overland

Welcome to Kenya! Today is arrivals day where you’ll be met from your flight at Nairobi airport and transferred to our camp for the start of the trip. If you arrive early there are various optional excursions you can arrange such as visiting the orphaned elephants at David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Or just relax at camp and recover from your flight.

This morning we will have our pre-departure meeting where your crew will show you around our overland truck, your home for the next few days, as well as demonstrate how to put up and break down your tent and what to expect from your family overland adventure. Our first wildlife experience of the trip will be right here in Nairobi at the Giraffe Centre, a sanctuary and conservation centre for the East African Rothschild Giraffe. Here you can observe these incredible creatures at close hand and even look them in the eye from a raised platform.

We board the truck early this morning for our first drive, taking us south across the border into Tanzania. Journeying across vast grasslands, we’ll pass villages and people going about their daily lives on our way to the town of Arusha. We will camp tonight at Meserani Snake Park on the outskirts of Arusha and get ready for tomorrow’s safari into the Serengeti.

Our safari guides and drivers will collect us after breakfast in specialist safari vehicles, and we’ll begin our journey to one of the most famous wildlife reserves in the world, the Serengeti National Park. Passing through rolling hills, we stop at Olduvai Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage site where fossils of early man have been unearthed and given us incredible knowledge of our own evolution. We visit the museum for wonderful views over the gorge and to learn about the site, see the fascinating fossils found here as well as tools used by early man. We continue to our camp for the night on the Serengeti Plain, where our tents and evening meal will be ready for us.

Early this morning we head out in our safari vehicles for our next game viewing drive, hoping to spot some of the Serengeti’s vast range of wildlife. We’ll look out for well known species like lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, hippo and buffalo as well as lesser known characters that may be new to grown ups and children alike, such as the dik dik, topi, dung beetles and mongoose. Depending on the season, we may view vast herds of wildebeest and a wide array of birdlife is usually seen. After a morning’s game drive, we will return to camp for lunch and time to relax before heading out again in the afternoon, driving through different areas and looking for animals we didn't see this morning. Keep your binoculars and cameras at the ready!

We start with an early morning game drive or you have the option to take a hot air ballon ride over the plains – an incredible experience and a unique way to look for wildlife! Please note the Balloon Safari is an optional activity at additional cost and must be booked in advance. After an early lunch at camp we start to head towards the rim of the Ngorongoro crater, visiting a traditional Masia Boma (village) on the way, before reaching our overnight stop at Simba Campsite. If time allows, we'll take a guided walk through the more forested countryside of the rim of the crater, a big contrast to the grassy plains we've mainly been exploring so far.

Today’s safari takes us from the rim to the floor of the crater which is home to a huge range of animal and plant species. This area has possibly the highest concentration of game animals in the whole Africa! We should see herds of zebra and wildebeest, family groups of hyenas and elephants and maybe glimpse the rare leopard or black rhino. There are also healthy populations of lions and cheetahs, so this morning should be packed with highlights. We’ll stop for a picnic lunch on the crater floor before a final game drive out of the crater and then the return journey back to Arusha where our overland truck and crew are waiting for us.

Our family overland journey continues this morning bringing us to the town of Marangu, in the foothills of Africa’s most iconic mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. Hopefully we will get clear skies over the next day or two for a view of this magnificent mountain’s peak. We’ll spend two nights here and we have some free time this afternoon to settle in and relax after our few days of driving and being on the look out for wildlife!

Today we’ll go on a village walk, taking in the lush environment and seeing caves and waterfalls and walking through coffee plantations. We may also have the opportunity to see a local blacksmith at work. For those that enjoy a more adventurous hike there is the option to trek to one of the base camps on Kilimanjaro.

Leaving Marangu, we drive south and head to the beach! Bagamoyo is a beautiful beach on the Indian Ocean and a great spot to break our journey on our way to Dar es Salaam.

We continue to Dar es Salaam where we say goodbye to our overland crew and truck and board the ferry to take us to Zanzibar Island! Our friendly local Oasis representative Daniel will meet us from the ferry from where we transfer to Nungwi, another fabulous beach location where we will spend the next 4 nights. He'll give everyone a briefing about the island and all the various activities available during your stay.

Today we’ll gain in insight into Zanzibar’s rich history on a Spice Tour. Venturing into the busy, narrow streets of Stone Town, we explore the spice market, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells! We can imagine the grim days of the slave trade as we walk around old slave forts and delve into dungeons before travelling out to working farms to learn how spices are produced along with other local fare. A delicious local lunch is included during the tour.

We have a free day today to snorkel, swim with dolphins, scuba dive or just enjoy Zanzibar’s famous white beaches! Our local representative will help you to arrange any optional activities.

Free time again today to enjoy your last full day on Zanzibar. This evening we will have a group meal to mark our last night on the trip and reminisce about our adventures over the last two weeks!

After breakfast, our family adventure comes to an end. Your transfer to Zanzibar airport is included. Extra nights can be arranged if you wish to have a longer stay on Zanzibar.