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Not only is Tanzania the most linguistically diverse country in East Africa (over 100 different languages are spoken), but it’s also home to Africa’s highest and lowest points: Mount Kilimanjaro and the floor of Lake Tanganyika. The country also harbours three of Africa’s Great Lakes, and the biggest inactive and unfilled volcanic caldera on the planet, the 3-million-year-old Ngorongoro Crater. Arguably, Tanzania is most famous for providing the stage for the Greatest Show on Earth, the annual Wildebeest Migration.
Very few countries can rival Tanzania’s rich diversity of wildlife, fascinating cultures and see-it-to-believe-it landscapes. It’s also a rewarding safari destination that can easily be combined with a chimpanzee or gorilla trekking experience, as well as a tropical island vacation – which is why it’s such a popular destination for many holidaymakers. Here are six past Go2Africa travellers sharing their stories and experiences of Tanzania with itineraries we tailor-made for them:
1. Edwards family follows Wildebeest Migration during calving season
We loved our African safari in Tanzania! We placed our trust in Go2Africa and followed Ramona’s advice for the trip completely. She covered every detail perfectly! The lodges were clean, beautifully maintained, and very comfortable.
The Sanctuary Kusini camp was luxurious, a real treat for the four of us. We were all captivated by the sights and experience of Tanzania.
Who knew that traveling to Africa could be this easy! All the arrangements made for us were perfect. Every detail was handled, changes we made to our itinerary were a breeze!
– Stephen Edwards, USA
8-day itinerary
After arriving in Tanzania, Stephen and his family enjoyed a couple of days on the edge of the Mto Wa Mbu escarpment overlooking Lake Manyara – home to the country’s famed tree-climbing lions. Then, they journeyed to the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, the biggest inactive and unfilled volcanic caldera in the world. Because the Stephens family travelled during January, they could top off their African vacation with a sensational Wildebeest Migration safari during calving season – hundreds of wobbly babies and heart-stopping predator action.
Accommodation
1 night at Arusha Coffee Lodge
1 night at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge
2 nights at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
3 nights at Sanctuary Kusini
Activities
- Guided walk and picnic among the volcanic mountains of the Ngorongoro Crater Highlands
- Visit to a local Maasai village to meet the community
- Game drives in the Serengeti in search of the Big 5
- Experiencing the wildebeest calving season at Sanctuary Kusini, perfectly located for the Migration during January and February
- Dining beneath the African stars in romantic locations in the bush
2. Laura Jean and Paula’s bush to beach adventure: Wildebeest Migration and Zanzibar
Amazing trip – I highly recommend Go2Africa!!! The planning of the trip was excellent. The order of visitation of the parks, the hotels, the guide – in his understated style – the vehicle… it was all fabulous. I also very much appreciated the greeter who met with us and explained the whole journey.
I loved the Serengeti – and camping out there! I will come back!
– Laura Jean Grenning, USA
13-day itinerary
Laura Jean and Paula Fertik’s sensational vacation started with a stopover at a charming country estate on the banks of the Usa River in northern Tanzania. Their next destination was a luxury tented camp overlooking Lake Burunge, followed by a couple of days on the border of Lake Manyara National Park before heading to the champagne-coloured savannahs of the Central Serengeti. After being surrounded by thousands of wildebeest for three days, they headed into the Karatu Highlands to stay on a coffee farm just a very short drive from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Laura Jean and Paula placed the cherry on top of their action-packed migration safari with some well-deserved R&R on Zanzibar’s most beautiful beaches.
Accommodation
1 night at Rivertrees Country Inn
1 night at Lake Burunge Tented Camp
1 night at Kirurumu Manyara Lodge
2 nights at Serengeti Kati Kati Camp
2 nights at Ngorongoro Farm House
4 nights at Zanzibar Queen Hotel
1 night at Maru Maru Hotel
Activities
- Game drive along the wildlife-rich Tangire River
- Game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, home to rare tree-climbing lions
- Game drives in the Central Serengeti to spot lion, cheetah, leopard and thousands of wildebeest
- Cultural visit to a local Maasai village
- Exploring the Ngorongoro Crater
- Visiting the Hazabe and Datoga tribes of the Lake Eyasi
- Relaxing on one of the most beautiful coral beaches in the world, Matemwe
- Exploring the mesmerising alleys, shops, eateries and stalls of historical Stone Town
3. Husband and wife experience Wildebeest Migration and climb Kilimanjaro
Tanzania Experience was a great tour provider. All their drivers were very friendly and helpful. Our safari guide, Lazaro was particularly engaging and showed us a fabulous time. He was a wealth of information and made the whole experience that much more pleasurable. Lazaro had a fantastic eye for picking out the animals. We appreciated his hard work and thank him for taking such good care of us.
Our trek up Kilimanjaro was an amazing experience. Our guides Joseph and Nicas and the team from Steep Hill made it possible for us to summit Kili. Joseph and Nicas went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and success; the whole team made our adventure pleasurable with their friendliness, smiles and encouragement. Asante sana!
Our trip was very well organized. Bonita was fantastic with her ideas and communication. As a result, we had a wonderful experience in Tanzania.
– Wendy Staats, Canada
13-day itinerary
After arriving in Tanzania, Wendy and Paul spent a couple of days in Arusha before heading to the edge of the beautiful Lake Manyara National Park. Their next stop was a tented camp in the Central Serengeti, ideally positioned for a truly authentic migration safari experience, followed by a night at a luxury lodge perched on the highest point of the Ngorongoro Crater’s rim. They spent one night at a boutique hotel before their life-changing expedition to summit Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro. The next six days were spent hiking up Kili via the Marangu Route. After this bucket-list adventure, Wendy and Paul enjoyed their final night in Tanzania at Green Hills of Africa.
Accommodation
2 nights at Mount Meru Hotel
1 night at Kirurumu Manyara Lodge
2 nights at Serengeti Kati Kati Camp
1 night at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
2 nights at Green Hills of Africa
5 nights on Marangu Route (Kilimanjaro)
Activities
- Game drive in Lake Manyara National Park
- Game drives in the Serengeti
- Cultural visit to a local Maasai village
- Exploring around the Ngorongoro Crater’s rim
- Hiking the Marangu Route to summit Mount Kilimanjaro
4. Esteban and Alejandra’s Big 5, Migration and gorilla trekking adventure
Maureen was great. She was very aware of our needs all the time, and in a very short time she made us a proposal very close to our needs.
The trip itself was wonderful and exceeded our expectations.
If we return to Africa we will contact Go2Africa again and if possible, travel with the same person who attended us, Maureen.
– Esteban Grinan, Spain
14-day itinerary
Esteban and Alejandra touched down in Kenya and spent one night in Nairobi before their air transfer to Tanzania’s birding paradise of Lake Manyara. After three days at a gorgeous tree lodge, they moved on to one of Africa’s most glamorous and opulent safari lodges, situated in the Big 5-rich Ngorongoro Crater. A short-haul flight took them into the heart of the Serengeti where they witnessed the Great Migration, before another short-haul flight transferred them further north to a private concession area with excellent Big 5 viewing. After three days in the Northern Serengeti it was time to fly to Kigali to segue into a wonderful gorilla trekking adventure in one of the most biologically diverse forests in Africa, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Accommodation
1 night at Eka Hotel
2 nights at Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
2 nights at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
2 nights at Serengeti Under Canvas
2 nights at Klein’s Camp
1 night at Heaven Boutique Hotel
2 nights at Chameleon Hill Lodge
1 night at The Boma Entebbe
Activities
- Superb game viewing and birding around Lake Manyara
- Night game drives in Lake Manyara National Park to spot elusive nocturnal creatures like aardvark and bat-eared foxes
- Big 5 game viewing and decadent bush picnics in the Ngorongoro Crater
- Witnessing the Great Migration across the Serengeti plains
- Private game drives and bush walks in the Serengeti National Park
- Tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
5. Jorgen and Kine’s escapade: from rainforest to bush to beach
Thank you for the most pleasant and exiting holiday we have ever experienced. Travelling in March 2018, the lodges, the travel arrangements and even the weather turned out to be just spotless and absolutely top.
Bisate Lodge in combination with the gorilla trekking was an “out of this world” experience. Serian’s Serengeti was in the middle of the Migration with millions of animals and all the predators. Ending the safari part at Mwimba Lodge was perfect, with a walking safari with the bush people (Hadza) as one of the great memories from the trip. The ending on Mnemba was as close to paradise you can get – just fantastic!
It was a complex, tailored journey, but everything just worked as planned – no delays – no problems at all. All the guides and drivers were always on time and very pleasant. Even the weather was perfect with just a few hours of rain during the whole trip.
– Jorgen Kjaernes, Norway
15-day itinerary
Jorgen and Kine’s introduction to East Africa was a night’s stopover in Nairobi. Then it was straight into the Virunga Volcanoes Mountains for a unique gorilla trekking adventure in Rwanda’s alluring Volcanoes National Park. After three days tracking rare mountain gorillas in pristine rainforest, they headed to Kigali for another stopover en route to the sensational Serengeti, home to the world’s greatest concentration of wildlife. To top off their trip of a lifetime, Jorgen and Kine spent six tranquil days on the paradisiacal Mnemba Island.
Accommodation
1 night at The Boma Hotel
2 nights at Bisate Lodge
1 night at Kigali Serena Hotel
3 nights at Serian’s Serengeti Mobile – Kusini
2 nights at Mwiba Lodge
5 nights at Mnemba Island Lodge
Activities
- Encountering rare mountain gorillas in the wild
- Relaxing spa treatments after gorilla trekking
- Viewing the Wildebeest Migration’s mega-herds
- Game drives with expert guides and trackers in the Serengeti
- Night and off-road game drives in a private reserve
- Guided nature walk with the Hadza, an indigenous ethnic tribe of Tanzania
- Snorkelling and diving around Mnemba Island’s coral reefs
6. Thea and Mike’s mega-safari in Vic Falls, Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Rwanda and South Africa
Our experience was amazing due to the great organisation and skill of our travel agent, Anja Naude. We were supported very well throughout our 28 days visiting South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Each country was unique – everything was wonderful but the gorilla trekking was a highlight.
All in all, we had 15 flights including internal flights and to and from Australia. Our trip ran very smoothly. Thank you!
– Thea Sitcheff, Australia
28-day itinerary
Thea and Mike’s incredible journey kicked off with a stopover in Johannesburg, before being whisked off to a charming hotel within earshot of the world’s biggest waterfall, Victoria Falls. After three days they hopped on a flight to Nairobi, after which they travelled into the Masai Mara, Kenya’s flagship conservation area. They spent five days in the marvellous Mara until it was time to proceed to ‘The Land that Moves on Forever’, the Serengeti. Following their four days in Tanzania’s flagship park were another four days in the Ngorongoro Highlands. After a thrilling wildlife safari, Thea and Mike unwound for three days in Arusha, and then headed for the Virunga Volcanoes Mountains for a unique gorilla trekking expedition. Thea and Mike’s epic vacation closed with a 6-day grand finale in the gorgeous Cape Town.
Accommodation
1 night at City Lodge Hotel O.R. Tambo International Airport
2 nights at Victoria Falls Hotel
2 nights at Hemingways Nairobi
2 nights at Rekero Camp
2 nights at Naboisho Camp
3 nights at Dunia Camp
3 nights at The Highlands Ngorongoro
2 nights at Machweo Wellness Retreat
1 night at Kigali Serena Hotel
1 night at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
1 night at Volcanoes Virunga Lodge
1 night at Kigali Serena Hotel
5 nights at Victoria and Alfred Hotel
Activities
- Tours of the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides of Victoria Falls
- Tailor-made tours of The Giraffe Centre and David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi
- Seeing the Big 5 in the Masai Mara and the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater
- Witnessing the Wildebeest Migration in the Serengeti
- Hiking in the Olmoti and Empakaai Craters
- Cultural tour for insights into traditional Maasai life
- Relaxing spa and wellness treatments at Machweo
- City tour of Kigali, Rwanda’s capital
- Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Iby’iwacu cultural village tour
- Visiting the Twin Lakes of Rwanda
- Exploring Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, Winelands, city centre and surrounds
7. A Memorable Walking Safari in East Africa for David and Di Locke
G2A was excellent! Our representative Anja Naude went out of her way to make sure we made it to the camps we asked and even changed things around for us when we asked. Every email was answered and she was very understanding and helpful!
The 14 day trip to Tanzania went without any problems and every moment was a memory to treasure.
The info packs were great and helped us prepare for the differences in cultures and for the trip as well. Will definitely use Go2Africa again! A+++
– David Locke, Australia
14-day itinerary
David and Di’s journey started with a flight to Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere International Airport (Dar Es Salaam) with an overnight stop at the finest hotel. The hotel is situated in a beautiful neighbourhood which also houses the famed Botanical Gardens. From there, they travelled to Nyerere National Park (Selous), Africa’s largest remote game reserve with raw and wonderful wildlife moving about gracefully. They enjoyed the game viewing experience and spent 3 nights at Roho Ya Selous, a high-quality tented camp of the well-respected Asilia brand. The East Africa guided walking safari was a highlight and memorable experience that they will treasure for a long time to come.
Accommodation
1 night at Southern Sun Dar Es Salaam
3 nights at Roho Ya Selous
3 nights at Kwihala Camp
3 nights at Chada Katavi
1 night at Southern Sun Dar Es Salaam
Activities
- Big game viewing to witness the exceptional Big 5 members
- Guided walking safari to experience the rugged savannah of East Africa on foot. Walking safaris are the best way to get close to wildlife and local Maasai and Samburu guides
- Relaxing and dining at stunning tented camps close to nature
Our top Tanzania tours and safaris
Need more inspiration for a vacation in Tanzania? Have a look at our best itineraries – all completely flexible around your travel wishes:
Since 1998, we’ve developed our business on listening to our clients’ needs and travel wishes. Their constructive reviews help us to improve our products and services – and to continue tailor-making memorable vacations in Africa. Click here if you’d like to read some more short reviews and stories from our past travellers on Feefo – the most trusted, independent online ratings and review platform.
Ready to start planning your life-changing vacation in Tanzania? Get in touch with one of our Africa Safari Experts.
