Zanzibar & beach

8-Day Mikumi Safari & Zanzibar Beach Holiday

Zanzibar, Mikumi National Park, Zanzibar (Jambiani)

Duration: 8 days · 7 nights
Islands: Zanzibar (Unguja)
Best season: June – October for the safari; Zanzibar year-round

your journey

Overview

Mikumi National Park lies on the Mkata floodplain between the Uluguru and Rubeho mountains, and its open grassland makes wildlife easy to find. Elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and eland graze the plains, lions and leopards hunt them, and more than 300 bird species have been recorded here.

On this trip you fly from Zanzibar to Mikumi for two nights of game drives, with the option of visiting a Maasai village near the park. Then you return to the island for five nights by the sea, based in Jambiani on the south-east coast, a fishing village where the dhows go out at dawn and the reef flats stretch far out at low tide.

It is a relaxed holiday with a real taste of the bush, best suited to travellers who want the beach to be the main event.

Who it suits

Couples and families who want mostly beach time with a short, easy safari, and travellers who prefer smaller, less busy parks.

Parks visited

Mikumi National Park · Zanzibar

what makes it special

Highlights

Game drives on the open Mkata floodplain of Mikumi
Elephant, giraffe, buffalo and lion in a quiet park
An optional visit to a Maasai village near the park
Five nights on Zanzibar, with Jambiani as your base
Optional diving at Mnemba Atoll or a spice farm tour

day by day

The itinerary

You land at Zanzibar's Abeid Amani Karume International Airport and connect to a light-aircraft flight to Mikumi National Park. Your guide meets you at the airstrip and takes you to your camp to settle in. In the late afternoon you head out on your first game drive across the floodplain, where giraffe and zebra graze in the open and elephants move between the woodland and the water. Dinner is at camp.

Meals: Dinner

After breakfast you spend the day on game drives around Mikumi, with lunch at camp or a picnic site in the park. The Mkata floodplain holds buffalo, wildebeest, eland, impala and warthog, and your guide will look for lion and, with luck, leopard. Hippo pools and waterholes draw animals through the heat of the day. In the late afternoon you can visit a Maasai village near the park to learn about their way of life.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Take a last early game drive or a guided walk, then return for breakfast before the transfer to the airstrip for your flight back to Zanzibar. A driver meets you on arrival and takes you across the island to Jambiani on the south-east coast. The rest of the day is free to settle in, swim and find a good spot for dinner, which tonight is at your own expense.

Meals: Breakfast

Four days to enjoy the island at your own pace. Early risers can watch the Jambiani fishermen bring in the catch in their dhows. Spend the days on the beach or snorkelling over the reef, hire a bicycle to explore the village, or join a boat trip or fishing excursion. Your specialist can also arrange a diving day at Mnemba Atoll, a spice farm tour, or a visit to a turtle sanctuary where injured sea turtles recover before release.

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast your driver takes you to Zanzibar's airport for your flight home. If your international flight leaves from Dar es Salaam, you will need a short connecting flight or ferry to the mainland first, which your specialist can book at extra cost. Leave plenty of time for the connection so that a delay on the island does not put your onward flight at risk.

Overnight: Departure, no overnightMeals: Breakfast

in pictures

Gallery

the price

What is included

Included

Airport transfers on Zanzibar
Return light-aircraft flights between Zanzibar and Mikumi
Two nights at a camp in Mikumi on full board
Game drives in a 4x4 safari vehicle with an English-speaking guide
National park entrance fees
Five nights at a beach hotel on Zanzibar with breakfast

Not included

International flights
Tanzania visa fee
Travel insurance
Lunch and dinner on Zanzibar
Maasai village visit and optional excursions on Zanzibar
Drinks, laundry and other personal expenses
Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff

Prices

Price on request

before you ask

Common questions

Yes. Many of our guests finish a safari or Kilimanjaro climb with a few days on Zanzibar. Your specialist will plan the connection, including the domestic flight from northern Tanzania to the island, and suggest beach hotels to suit your budget.

Explore Stone Town, the historic heart of Zanzibar City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, take a spice tour through the plantations where cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla grow, and go snorkelling or diving over the coral reefs. Your specialist can arrange excursions for you.

Zanzibar is warm all year. The driest periods usually run from June to October and from December to February, while the long rains fall around April and May. Your specialist can advise on the weather for your dates.

Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so the Tanzanian visa covers it. Rules on health documents such as yellow fever certificates depend on where you are travelling from, so check the latest requirements before you travel, and your specialist will help you.

Yes. We can arrange your transfers, hotel and excursions for a beach stay on Zanzibar on its own. Tell your specialist your travel dates and the kind of hotel you like, and we will send you options and a quote.

Yes. Mikumi is about 300 km, or five hours, west of Dar es Salaam along the Tanzania–Zambia highway. A road version starts with a pick-up in Dar es Salaam and adds a night in the park; ask your specialist.

Enquire

Ask about this itinerary

Every AAA Express Adventure trip can be changed to suit you: the pace, the lodges, the number of days. Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and our team in Arusha will come back to you with a plan and a price.

Your journey

Price on request

8 days · 7 nights