8-Day Nyerere Safari & Zanzibar Beach Holiday

You set off early, when the animals are most active, for a game drive through woodland, grassland and the lakes of the Rufiji. Look for elephant, giraffe, buffalo, lion and the African wild dog, which the park is known for. After breakfast you choose a guided walking safari with an armed ranger or a boat trip on the channels. Lunch is back at camp, followed by a rest and an afternoon game drive until dusk.

Take one last morning activity, perhaps an early walk with the ranger while the air is still cool, then return to camp for breakfast. Your guide takes you to the airstrip for the flight back to Zanzibar, and a driver meets you on arrival for the transfer to your hotel. The evening is free to wander Stone Town or settle in by the sea. Dinner tonight is at a restaurant of your choice, at your own expense.

After several early starts, today has no schedule at all. Sleep in, have breakfast when you like and spend the day by the pool or on the beach. The water on Zanzibar is warm all year, so a swim is never a chore. In the late afternoon, walk along the sand as the fishermen bring their boats in, and stay out for the sunset over the Indian Ocean.

Relax at the hotel through the morning. After lunch, at around 3 pm, a guide collects you for a tour of a spice farm, where you see, smell and taste the cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper that once made Zanzibar rich. You then drive to Stone Town and explore its lanes and carved doors on foot. Stay for the sunset over the harbour, then try grilled seafood and Zanzibar pizza at the Forodhani Gardens food market.

Another free day to spend as you please. If sunbathing is not enough, your specialist can arrange a snorkelling trip over the reef, a diving lesson, a fishing trip in a traditional boat or a visit to Prison Island, where giant tortoises live among the ruins of an old quarantine station. These trips cost extra and are easy to book once you are on the island.

This morning you are collected from your hotel and driven to Fumba, on the south-west coast, to join a Safari Blue day at sea. Traditional dhows take you out across Menai Bay to sandbanks and a small island, with stops to snorkel over the coral and swim in a lagoon. A seafood lunch is served on the island, with tropical fruit to follow, before you sail back in the afternoon.

After breakfast you check out of the hotel and your driver takes you to Zanzibar's airport for your flight home or to Dar es Salaam. The pick-up time depends on your flight or ferry. If your international flight leaves from Dar es Salaam, we strongly suggest an early flight or ferry across so that a delay on the island does not put your connection at risk.