Day 1: Arrival / Arusha

You'll be met at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to the delightful Moivaro Coffee Plantation Lodge. Relax in your thatched cottage, savor the enchanting views of Mount Meru, and unwind on the private verandah. Located just outside the vibrant town of Arusha, and set in its own tropical gardens, the lodge provides a gentle introduction to the natural beauty of Tanzania.

Day 2-3: Serengeti North

This morning you will rise for fresh local coffee and breakfast on the verandah, with a misty view of Meru in the distance. Awake and refreshed, you will then return to Arusha for a private air transfer to the Kogatende Airstrip in the northern Serengeti. Upon landing, a representative will meet you at the airstrip to transfer you to an exclusive mobile camp on the banks of the mighty Mara River. Alex Walker’s Serian Serengeti North Camp is a mobile camp positioned perfectly each year for the Great Wildebeest Migration and is a great place to begin your safari tour of Tanzania. As you descend into the Wogakuria Valley, you will happen upon eight classic safari tents in the heart of the bush. Luxuriously decorated with carpets, cotton and velvet curtains, this camp will be your private oasis over the coming days.

As you drive across the savannah and hillside in a private vehicle, you will begin your search for the rich wildlife that makes this park home. Signs of the Great Migration will be immediately obvious as you drive through a landscape speckled by wildebeest, zebra and gazelle. Those with a keen eye may even spot a lion hungrily stalking in the distance. Extensive birdlife will fly overhead, singing as the early morning ends. As the sun strengthens, seek refuge under a fig tree for a picnic breakfast in the bush. Spreading fresh fruit and pastries out over a checkered Maasai blanket will be one of many essential safari moments over the coming days.

Day 4: Serengeti On Foot!

Through this experience, you will have the opportunity for unprecedented intimacy with the Serengeti. Embarking on foot gives you the opportunity to learn and participate in the tracking process, rather than solely observing. It will also provide an opportunity to learn about the smaller insects, reptiles and plants that sustain this incredible ecosystem. Doing so at the hand of a Maasai will also give you the opportunity to learn of the strategies and methods that have enabled them to pursue a nomadic lifestyle for centuries. You will return to the camp again as the temperatures intensify, cooling off with an authentic – yet somehow glamorous – bucket shower before lunch. You will spend the afternoon lazing around camp in your airy tent, or perhaps in the main library.

Day 5: Sasakwa Grumeti Reserve

This morning you will rise for a final breakfast in the bush before returning to Kogatende Airstrip for a private flight to Sasakwa in Grumeti Reserve. The private reserve abuts the broader Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, offering guests total exclusivity in this epic landscape. Based around a turn of the century manor, Singita Grumeti has preserved all that was elegant and opulent from the old world, and carried it forward with modern amenities. The lodge sits proudly on top of one of the highest hills, offering majestic views of the acacia-stippled savannah below. As you walk through the impeccably designed lodge towards your private cottage, pause to admire the carefully selected antiques that transport you back to an earlier time.

Tonight, indulge as you admire the endless plains of the savannah with a glass of the continent’s best wine. Singita is one of Africa’s most influential wine purchasers, filling the property’s cellars with some of the most coveted African vintages. Sommeliers at Grumeti will happily introduce their collection, enhancing the sheer splendor of your experience. Join the lodge for a dinner under the stars as you enjoy an extravagant meal at the hand of the Tanzanian Chef of the Year, Michael Matera. Retire to your mahogany four-poster bed and turn off your chandelier before falling deep asleep.

Day 6-7: Sasakwa Grumeti Reserve

This morning, the elegance will reach new levels as you set out across the plains of the Serengeti on the back of a thoroughbred horse. This property is home to one of the continent’s best equestrian centers, and is one of the only properties permitted to offer safari on horseback. The staff will pair you with a horse suited to your experience and preferences before setting out across the private 350,000-acre property. Trails are designed to carry riders to the region’s most remote and romantic regions, weaving between gazelles and buffalo on route. Unrestricted and unobstructed, you will spend the early morning or late afternoon traversing this majestic landscape with total exclusivity. Approaching giraffe, elephant, wildebeest and gazelle in this manner is an unparalleled experience.

Besides wildlife exploration on horseback, you will explore the savannah today by vehicle. Being a private reserve, you will not be confined to the roads and tracks of the National Parks. You will roam freely under the guidance of one of the continent’s best guides as you follow the movements of the wildlife. Your guide will spend today wrapping up an extensive tour of the untamed wilderness, leaving you with a deeper appreciation for the region and the paramount importance of preservation.

Day 8: Dar Es Salaam - Oyster Bay

This morning you will part with the wildlife and game reserves, returning by air to Dar es Salaam on the shores of the Indian Ocean. You will spend a single night in this city at the Oyster Bay Hotel, before carrying on tomorrow to your tropical paradise in the Quirimbas Archipelago. While it is a stopover, this hotel prides itself on its ability to turn a mandatory stop into a trip highlight. The sprawling colonial house is tucked away in a quiet suburb, with every airy suite opening up onto the turquoise Indian Ocean through French doors. Dar es Salaam itself rarely captures the hearts of its visitors, so we would recommend spending the day in the gardens of this leafy property. Enjoy a poolside Pimms and fresh lobster as you eagerly await the next leg of your adventure.

Day 9-11: Mozambique’s Vamizi Island in the Quiribmas Archipelago

Today you will leave the commotion of Dar es Salaam, in exchange for what is quite possibly the most perfect tropical island paradise imaginable. After a short hop on a private airplane, you will land on the shores of an unspoiled white sand beach, with calm teal waters lapping up around you. This precious narrow island exists in the northern section of the Quirimbas Archipelago - heralded as the new Maldives. Vamizi Island Lodge has come to define beachside elegance and romance. Having only enhanced the natural surroundings with white linen, wicker and a few special amenities, this island is the ultimate barefoot luxury retreat. There is no place like it.

Upon landing on the private airstrip, you will be transported to the main lodge over a 45-minute drive through the rugged interior of the island. Look to the trees during this bumpy adventure, where samango monkeys and the impressive coconut crabs are often found. You will then be taken to your exclusive kitala – a local Ki-mwani word for beachfront villa. Sprawling and airy, you will live in a third style of luxury that contrasts the opulence of Singita and the wilds of Serian North.

After days of adventure in the bush, you may wish to spend today quietly lounging on the shores of this private island. Days at Vamizi are completely individualized, with a fabulous team of staff who will eagerly organize any adventure or form of relaxation you wish to take.

Setting out on the lodge’s traditional dhow sailing boat, you will calmly be carried through the ocean to world-class snorkeling sites. Lucky visitors will also have the opportunity to swim alongside resident dolphins, and perhaps boat beside the breaching humpback whales. The colors of the Indian Ocean are inexpressible. Teal, aquamarine and turquoise only begin to describe the theatrical ocean that transforms with the tide. Cobalt, cerulean and sapphire evoke better imagery – but you really must see it to understand. Dipping your head below into a vibrant array of rainbow colored coral and marine life only further enhances the experience.

Deep sea fishing is also a popular activity here, and Vamizi staff will excitedly join you in a search for yellow fin tuna, wahoo and marlin. Setting out with the lodge’s professional anglers on a 28 foot Magnum is an incredible adventure for experienced and novice fishermen (and women) alike. Best of all – your catches will be brought back to the lodge dinners! Dinner will not get any fresher than this.

Day 12: Depart / Fly to Dar Es Salaam

Sun kissed and relaxed, you will board a private flight back to Dar es Salaam this morning in order to catch your onward flight. At this point, you will have experienced the absolute best variety of Africa and it will undoubtedly be difficult to pull yourself away. For guests wishing to extend the magic and romance just a little longer, this tour is completely customizable and we will happily add on an extension to Kilimanjaro or perhaps another safari.