100% customisable travel idea
Uganda and Tanzania From Myths to Hidden Treasures, East Africa Revealed
Uganda - Entebbe - Bwindi - Tanzania - Arusha - Lake Manyara - Karatu - Tarangire - Zanzibar
100% customisable travel idea
Uganda - Entebbe - Bwindi - Tanzania - Arusha - Lake Manyara - Karatu - Tarangire - Zanzibar
100% customisable for you
Night spent on the plane, arrival the next day.
Meet and greet at Entebbe Airport. Transfer. Night in a former presidential residence, no less! The property’s transformation has yielded excellent results: a beautiful, private garden, spacious, cheerful rooms, and simple yet genuine comfort with a fresh, lively feel. The staff contribute to the charm of the place. The cuisine, too, no doubt owes its subtle Mediterranean flair to the manager’s Corsican roots. In any case, the dining experience blends well with the whole ambiance. And massage treatments are a welcome treat after the flight.
On the itinerary - the shoebill, a remarkable bird. The Mabamba marshes are a Ramsar site - a wetland of international importance. Its papyrus and water lilies are home to abundant wildlife. Among the fauna, the shoebill stands out as a noble lord with its enormous beak and stiff posture. Besides, humans do not impress him much; if he meets one, he tends to regard them calmly. An opportunistic hunter in murky waters, he is frequently spotted dipping his beak in the water. Approach by canoe, with a private guide.
Transfer to the airport and flight to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Meet your private guide-driver. Stay for two nights on the shores of Lake Mutanda. In a cabin on stilts. Its views of the grey-blue water, bushy little islands and volcanic cones are idyllic. From a misty dawn, the air takes on a coppery hue, then azure; in the evening, the ambiance invites quiet contemplation - made easier by your private veranda. The rooms and outbuildings are perfectly satisfactory, offering an excellent environment to recharge and regain energy. With its well-polished woodwork, the dining room is a real pleasure. Between the hotel and the lake lies a meticulously kept garden, where flowers add vibrant bursts of colour. At water level, long dugout canoes pass silently by.
Included - In search of gorillas. Accompanied by an English-speaking ranger, set out to meet the most famous inhabitants of these woods: the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei). The 430 individuals in Bwindi make up half the total population of the species, with the other half found in Virunga National Park. The animals you approach are no longer surprised by a discreet human presence. These vegetarians are truly impressive, with the largest among them reaching nearly 2 metres (6.5 feet) in height. They live in polygamous groups led by a silverback male. He is the boss and the focus of everyone’s attention. In return, he must lead his group to good feeding areas and may have to defend them, even at the risk of his own life. A vehicle drops off the small group of participants in the right area, then they continue on foot. What follows is a memorable experience.
Drive to Entebbe Airport. Flight to Kilimanjaro Airport, Tanzania. Meet and greet upon arrival. Transfer to Arusha. Overnight stay in the south of Mount Meru Reserve. A beautiful tropical garden surrounds your home for the night. The attractive property is spotless and tidy. The rooms are bright and comfortable, decorated with wickerwork and pottery. And the public areas share the same pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant serves homemade, contemporary African cuisine, while in the bar, old photographs add a vintage touch. To relax your body and mind, there are massage treatments and an outdoor pool. An evening around the campfire is always a time of warmth and friendship.
And if there is a Bongo Flava concert in town that night, it’s a chance to hear the sound of modern-day Tanzania.
Meet your new driver-guide and set off for Lake Manyara. Your lodge overlooks the lake. Set within a meticulously maintained park, it comprises a main house and elegant villas, each perfectly appointed: bedroom, living area, indoor/outdoor shower, and private pool. Set against a pristine backdrop, the décor highlights the contemporary relevance of African patterns, crafts and design. Modern Tanzanian cuisine speaks for itself in winning you over. To tell the tale of your adventures, you may hesitate between the bar and the traditionally enclosed boma. And also between the massage room and the long, winding pool for suppleness.
On your itinerary - Lake Manyara National Park. Wedged between the western horst of the Great Rift and the lake, the Park has a long, sloping shape. Not very wide, it nevertheless offers a variety of habitats. The flora rises gradually, from water lilies to baobabs. The waters provide food for lesser and greater flamingos, as well as white and grey pelicans. With its large size, red-orange face, and black plumage, the southern ground hornbill is an impressive bird. Wildebeest in abundance, zebra, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, impala and Cape buffalo all enjoy the grasslands along the lakeshore. The baboons are right at home here.
Drive to Karatu, between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater. A night in a lodge that ticks all the boxes: a well-kept garden with a pool and open views, a cool and contemporary African atmosphere, top-notch facilities, comfort, space, daily cuisine, a well-equipped gym, and a spa. And that little African touch that turns a set of technical qualities into a warm experience with a human touch.
On the itinerary - Safari in the Ngorongoro Crater. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage natural site, is one of the continent’s wonders. This is exemplified by the caldera of the volcano of the same name. Regular in shape, with a diameter of 12 miles (20 km), it is home to remarkable flora and fauna. Here you find both African rhinoceroses: the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) and the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). Is it because Tanzania was once part of Deutsch-Ostafrica that the German names Spitzmaulnashor (pointed-mouth) and Breitmaulnashor (wide-mouth) highlight the difference between the black and the white better?
On your itinerary - A private visit to Karatu market. Parks and reserves do not comprise the whole of Tanzania. To see for yourself, there’s nothing like a stroll through the market. In Karatu, as in every country in the world, people buy, sell and chat. It’s still the surest way to get the information that matters. So, there are a lot of people. There is also colour, noise, movement. Life, in short.
Road to Tarangire National Park. Enjoy a two-night stay in the northern part of the protected area. The camp is set up on a platform to reduce its ecological footprint, among other reasons. The operating principles follow the same approach, and comfort is not compromised - in fact, quite the opposite. Your canvas tent is elevated and covered by a large thatched roof. The layout is as pleasant as can be - comfortable, airy, and open to a wide-angle environment. The restaurant and bar match the standard of the trip. The pool provides a welcome place to unwind.
On your itinerary - Safaris in Tarangire National Park. It is a gently undulating wooded savannah, where you can easily observe rich and thriving wildlife from your vehicle. Climbing lions, savanna elephants, zebra of the plains, Masai giraffe, impala, blue wildebeest, buffalo, bushpigs, Cape eland, crescent-horned kob, and more. In the northern part of the Park, majestic baobabs highlight the symbolic importance of this species. Twilight is the ideal time for a safari. Dawn too, for the reverse movement of the species. You can watch the birds, which gather in large numbers along the wet banks of the Tarangire River. You can spot masked lovebirds there, a brilliantly coloured parakeet. Or the white-faced whistling duck, the red-billed hornbill, the African marsh harrier, and the black-headed heron, for example.
Drive to Arusha airport. Flight to Zanzibar. Settle in for two nights in Stone Town. Your residence was built in the 19th century for an Omani princess. The restoration has restored the building’s aristocratic appearance. Outside, white dominates and reflects the light; inside, it shades the amber yellow. Light and shadow are part of the décor. Everywhere, carved wood lends virtuoso touches. In short, there’s an atmosphere. In the rooms, a touch of Swahili glamour enhances the comfort. True to Indian Ocean tradition, the cuisine is carried by the four winds. And the tea room on the rooftop terrace invites you to savour languid sunsets. Massages are given with just the right amount of vigour and the appropriate gentleness. The tropical garden reveals a swimming pool.
The Stone Town waterfront is lined with grand buildings, starting with the House of Wonders, built in 1883 for the sultan. It commands the area with its size and its tower. More modest and down to earth by contrast, the Omani fort dates from the 17th century. Still, it’s a fine example of military architecture. In the distance, you can see the two towers of Saint Joseph Catholic Cathedral, built at the end of the 19th century by French missionaries. The Anglican cathedral was built a few years earlier and is called Christ Church. Carved balconies, stained glass, stucco -the Old Dispensary takes its cues from India. It is another palace that houses the Palace Museum, where the rooms showcase traditional Zanzibari life. Behind this institutional façade, the network of alleyways shapes the city’s lively, artisanal and commercial character. A city for those who still make a living from what the sea brings them. Its calling to welcome travellers is nothing new.
Transfer to the east coast. Settle in for three nights on Paje Beach. White sand - and it really is white! - and the blue sea are the main attractions. Everything opens onto it, and everything leads to it. The hotel feels like an antechamber. Easygoing and made for laid-back living. Clearly, we’re here to unwind and let the good vibes do their work. Your room overlooks the pool, in case of a water emergency. The restaurant serves tropical cuisine, with vibrant flavours, colours and good cheer. Cocktails and sunbeds go hand in hand. Spa treatments and massages are optimally suited to the circumstances. They ease the last remaining physical and mental tensions.
We all agree, the itinerary includes everything between the room and the beach. That’s the foundation. However, you could also consider slightly extending the range. And excursion in Jozani Chwaka Bay, for example. Here, nature-lovers can spot the Zanzibar red colobus - Piliocolobus kirkii. This charming leaf-eating primate is the emblem of environmental protection in the archipelago. The diademed monkey is another notable figure in the Park. When you sail for a while, there is a real chance of seeing dolphins surface and play around the boat. When conditions are right, you can join them in their element. So, why not?
On your itinerary - A private tour of Pungume Island on a dhow. In the company of your guide, you board Zanzibar’s all-purpose boat. The dhow, or “boutre”, is the versatile vessel found across the western Indian Ocean. The sails are set for Pungume. The waters around the small island (still little visited by tourists) are ideal for snorkelling. The fish display a dazzling array of colours and shapes in a flickering perpetuum mobile. So we dive into this colourful world with a mask and snorkel. Next, a lovely stretch of pristine sand at the water’s edge is an ideal spot for a picnic and to surrender to the pure pleasure of swimming.
At the end of the day, transfer to the airport and return flights. Night on board, arrival the next day.
Every day, our travel specialists craft bespoke experiences shaped around each traveller's profile, desires and budget. These passionate experts design experiences delivered on the ground by a local network of Concierges and trusted contacts. These fully customisable, made-to-measure trips are complemented by a wide range of high-end services (lounges, 24/7 assistance, travel booklet, app, Wi-Fi, restaurant booking, etc.)
Let us create your trip
Every day, our travel specialists craft bespoke experiences shaped around each traveller's profile, desires and budget. These passionate experts design experiences delivered on the ground by a local network of Concierges and trusted contacts. These fully customisable, made-to-measure trips are complemented by a wide range of high-end services (lounges, 24/7 assistance, travel booklet, app, Wi-Fi, restaurant booking, etc.)
Let us create your trip
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