Treasures Of Tanzania Safari

Saadani National Park is a fabulous, unique combination of beach and big game – the best of two different types of holiday. Saadani is dominated by acacia woodland and coastal thickets. It also protects a large area of mangrove swamps along the coastline north of the Wami River.

Accommodation is in the delightful Tent With A View camp, which is a secluded tropical haven, with raised treehouse-style bandas secreted among the coconut groves, just outside the park’s northern boundary on a delightful stretch of deserted, driftwood-strewn beach. The bandas, which are well-spaced out, have verandas and hammocks and are directly on the beach.

Selous, which is said to be the largest game reserve in Africa, is relatively untouched and offers some of Tanzania’s best big game safaris. This unspoilt gem allows visitors the chance to see a wild and expansive Africa. Sable Mountain Lodge provides great accommodation in stone cottages, spaced out midway up a small hill, plus tented rooms, all offering superb views.

Relax in Zanzibar at the small, delightful Dhow Palace hotel in the heart of Zanzibar’s historic Stone Town.

This itinerary is valid only for the following departure dates:
10 July 2013
24 August 2013
18 September 2013
16 October 2013
18 December 2013

DAY 1 WEDNESDAY OR SATURDAY HEATHROW-NAIROBI
Fly from Heathrow overnight to Nairobi on Kenya Airways.

DAY 2 THURSDAY OR SUNDAY DAR ES SALAAM
Fly to Dar es Salaam airport. Met on arrival and transferred to your hotel (approximately 45 minutes). Overnight: Slipway Hotel.

DAY 3 FRIDAY OR MONDAY SAADANI NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, drive to Saadani National Park (approximately 3 hours). Then drive to the lodge (approximately 1 hour 30 minutes) for lunch, before an afternoon game drive. Overnight: Tent With A View. (b,l,d)

DAY 4 SATURDAY OR TUESDAY SAADANI NATIONAL PARK
An early morning walking safari in the park. Return to the lodge for breakfast, and, perhaps relax before lunch. In the afternoon enjoy an elephant project lecture in the Saadani Wildlife Research Centre. Overnight: Tent With A View. (b,l,d)

DAY 5 SUNDAY OR WEDNESDAY SAADANI NATIONAL PARK
A day at leisure to explore the camp surrounds either by canoe on our Mafui Creek, on foot on one of four colour-coded nature trails, excellent for birding, or maybe swim in the warm Indian Ocean. Overnight: Tent With A View. (b,l,d)

Note: This can be an optional safari day or you may choose to pay for a night in The Roof of Saadani. The Roof of Saadani is a newly completed viewing tower in Saadani. It is 20 metres high with magnificent views to bush and the sea. It is located on the edge of the unique Saadani salt flat eco-system where many animals come, particularly in the evening, to enjoy the protection of the wide open sands. There are wonderful game viewing opportunities, particularly from the Crow’s Nest, in the early morning and late afternoon, due to the animals daily arrival and departure. The Roof has a double en suite bedroom and private bar & restaurant.

DAY 6 MONDAY OR THURSDAY SAADANI NATIONAL PARK
Depart late morning (11am) for full day game drive with boat safari on the Wami River. Overnight: Tent With A View. (b,l,d)

DAY 7 TUESDAY OR FRIDAY SELOUS
After breakfast, drive to Dar es Salaam (approximately 4 hours 30 minutes) in time for the train to Selous (approximately 4 hours 30 minutes). Guests will be accompanied by a member of the A Tent With A View team on the train journey. Transfer to your lodge (approximately 25 minutes). Overnight Sable Mountain Lodge. (b,d)

The train is the TAZARA train. There are 3 classes of seat: 3rd class, where almost 90% of passengers travel. 1st and 2nd class carriages are almost the same, except 1st class is a 4-berth and 2nd class is a 6-berth. Our guests usually travel in 2nd class, as the TAZARA Railway are reluctant to sell 1st class tickets to passengers disembarking in Selous, because it only represents 10% of the actual journey, leaving 1st class seats empty for the rest of the 40+ hour journey to Zambia. The train is a bit quirky and not at all luxurious, but it is a great cultural experience for those with the right spirit. Any guest who is expecting a luxurious old colonial style train will be disappointed. The train passes through local villages, which are colouful and a wonderfully real snapshot of Tanzanian village life. Timings can be a little erratic, although trains usually depart within an hour, or 2 maximum, of the scheduled time. It is rare that guests are made to wait for hours.

DAY 8 WEDNESDAY OR SATURDAY SELOUS
Morning visit to Masai. Lunch, then an afternoon game drive. Overnight: Sable Mountain Lodge. (b,l,d)

Note: Sable Mountain Lodge is very fortunate to have a long term friendship with Masai Saita, who takes a few of our Sable Mountain guests to visit his family in his Masai village, making this a relaxed, non-commercial experience.

DAY 9 THURSDAY OR SUNDAY SELOUS
An early start for a full day game drive, with packed breakfast. Return to the lodge for a late lunch. Overnight: Sable Mountain Lodge. (b,l,d)

DAY 10 FRIDAY OR MONDAY ZANZIBAR
After breakfast, drive to the airstrip (approximately 30 minutes) for your flight to Zanzibar (approximately 50 minutes), where you will be met and transferred to your hotel (approximately 20 minutes). Overnight: Dhow Palace hotel, Stone Town. (b)

DAY 11 SATURDAY OR TUESDAY ZANZIBAR
The day is free to explore Stone Town. Overnight Dhow Palace. (b)

DAY 12 SUNDAY OR WEDNESDAY HEATHROW
Transfer to Zanzibar airport for your evening flight to Nairobi and connect with your Kenya Airways overnight flight to Heathrow. (b)

Established in 1968, Somak Holidays is an independant Tour Operator specialising in holidays to East Africa.

Somak Holidays aim to offer inspiring holidays to the most superb locations in Africa. Above all they pride themselves on being a family-owned and run company. That means they are solely focused on the holidays they arrange, and not on appeasing shareholders. Somak Holidays continually inspect hotels and airlines, and test itineraries in order to improve some aspect or another.

Somak Holidays is a multi-award winning operator, winning such accolades as “Best Independant Tour Operator to Africa” in the Travel Weekly Awards 2010.

Our Opinion
“Somak Holidays has been arranging safaris to Kenya for over 40 years and have built an excellent reputation as the number one independant tour operator to East Africa.”