Tanzania, Done Right: Safari, Spice Island and the Mountain in One Trip

Tanzania has a branding problem, and it is a good one to have. Most countries are known for one thing. Tanzania is known for three, and each of them would carry a whole trip on its own: the Serengeti, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro. The mistake first timers make is trying to do all three at full volume in ten days. The trick is picking a lead and letting the other two play support.

Start with the north

Almost every safari itinerary begins in Arusha, the gateway to what is called the Northern Circuit. From there the classic loop runs through Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. Tarangire is underrated and famous for elephants and baobab trees. Ngorongoro is a collapsed volcanic caldera with a self-contained ecosystem on its floor, and it is one of the few places where you have a realistic shot at seeing a black rhino. The Serengeti is the Serengeti. You already know what it looks like. It still does not prepare you.

Four to six days of game drives is the sweet spot. Less than that and you spend the trip in a vehicle getting from park to park. More than that and, unless you are a serious photographer, the days start to blur.

Then slow down on Zanzibar

A short flight from the mainland puts you on the Zanzibar archipelago, and the pace changes the minute you land. Spend a night or two in Stone Town, the old quarter that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, then head to the coast. Nungwi and Kendwa in the north are the easy beach picks. The east coast is quieter, with dramatic tides that pull the ocean far out every day and bring it right back.

After a week of 5:30 a.m. wake up calls for game drives, Zanzibar is where the trip turns into a holiday.

Kilimanjaro: climb it or frame it

Climbing Kilimanjaro is a commitment of roughly a week on the mountain, and it deserves its own trip, or at least its own section of one. If the summit is not on the list this time, you can still see the mountain. On a clear morning, the snow capped peak floats over the plains in a way that photos rarely capture. Lodges around Amboseli across the Kenyan border and around Moshi on the Tanzanian side are known for the view.

When to go

There is no bad time, only different trips. The long dry season, roughly June to October, brings easy wildlife viewing as animals gather near water. Late January and February are calving season in the southern Serengeti, which is its own spectacle. The long rains, roughly March to May, mean lower prices and greener landscapes, with some roads and camps harder to reach.

The honest money talk

Safari is not a budget trip, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. Park and conservation fees are significant and they are part of what protects these places. Where you do have control is in the lodge tier, the number of days in the parks, and whether you share a vehicle. A mid range tented camp in the right location will give you a better trip than a luxury lodge an hour from the action.

The short version

• Pick one lead: safari, beach or summit.
• Give the parks four to six days, and give Zanzibar at least three.
• Book a reputable local operator and ask how they treat their guides and porters.
• Check current entry and health requirements well before you fly.

We are building out our Tanzania coverage over the coming months, with on the ground reporting from the Serengeti and Zanzibar. If you run a camp, lodge or tour in Tanzania, we want to hear from you.