East Africa Safari: Serengeti, Zanzibar & Falls

East Africa safari tour begins as the group leaves Nairobi and crosses south into Tanzania. After border formalities, the drive continues to Arusha, the gateway city to northern Tanzania's national parks. The Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Mount Kilimanjaro all lie within reach from here.

A full day on a serengeti safari tour through the Seronera valley. The Serengeti holds one of the highest concentrations of large wildlife on the continent and the group tracks lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and cheetah across open grassland and acacia woodland for the entire day.

The route from Karatu stops at Mto wa Mbu market, a trading hub known for rice cultivation and red bananas on the road between Serengeti and Arusha. The drive shifts from highland coffee farms through open savanna toward the green foothills of Kilimanjaro on the approach to Moshi.

The group drives to Dar es Salaam, boards the ferry and crosses to Zanzibar. After arrival, transport heads to a beach resort on the east coast for two nights. The zanzibar safari package segment begins with time to swim, use the pool or explore the coast by bicycle.

The morning drive to Stone Town stops at spice farms where local workers demonstrate how cloves, vanilla and cinnamon are grown and harvested. After the spice tour, the group walks Stone Town's alleyways, visits the old slave market and passes the birthplace of Freddie Mercury in this zanzibar kenya tanzania highlight.

Driving inland, the group reaches Mikumi for a two-night stay. Mikumi National Park is Tanzania's fourth largest protected area and forms part of the 75,000 sq km Selous ecosystem. The kenya safari package portion of the journey is behind us; the southern Tanzania wildlife corridor opens ahead.

The drive north to Iringa stops briefly in the Baobab Valley, an open landscape of ancient baobab trees that makes for a distinctive group photo. Iringa itself sits on a cliff above the Ruaha River Valley with German colonial buildings, a local market and a Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery from World War I and II.

The group leaves Tanzania, drives down the Great Rift Valley and crosses into Malawi, the Warm Heart of Africa. The destination is the northern shore of Lake Malawi for the lake malawi tour stage. Snorkeling in the clear water reveals colorful cichlids found in no other lake on earth.

A leisure day on the shore of Lake Malawi for reading, swimming, canoeing or joining activities offered on site. The africa overland adventure allows a full day here with no scheduled driving, making it a natural recovery point before the Zambia crossing and the safari days ahead.

A full day in South Luangwa National Park on the south luangwa safari. Morning options include an early game drive or a walking safari available in the dry season from April to December. The afternoon brings a sunset drive with a sundowner in the bush, and the night drive raises the chance of seeing nocturnal wildlife rarely spotted by day.

The Great East Road connects Lusaka with neighboring Malawi and the route passes through rural Zambia via the Luangwa River crossing. Villages, smallholder farms and wide open landscapes define the drive and form a contrast to the urban backgrounds many travelers bring to this east africa group tour.