Zanzibar & Selous

This morning is at your leisure, You may wish to do the Bongoyo Island this morning if you haven't done it yesterday afternoon. After lunch you transfer to Dar’s Tazara Station and board the train to Selous. The four and a quarter hour journey shows an interesting view of rural Tanzanian life. When the train departs on time, there is also a small chance to spot game as the train passes through Selous Game Reserve.

You arrive at Kisaki station; the village is home to many Masai. From here it’s a 20 minute drive to Sable Mountain Lodge. Your home for the next four nights is set high above riparian forest at the north-west corner of the reserve, in an area of considerable elephant activity. It consists of eight delightful stone cottages and five tented bandas, with a swimming pool (great for cooling off in between safaris!), en suite facilities, solar power, and its own supply of spring water. Its high elevation provides wonderful views over the surrounding hills and forest with magnificent views of the Uluguru Mountains beyond. The lodge also has its own waterhole where you can watch the animals come down to drink in the evening. Regular visitors include elephant, buffalo, zebra and in November and December, the rare sable antelope.

Selous, at 55,000 square km; (about 5% of Tanzania’s total land area) is the largest wildlife preserve in the whole of Africa and contains the largest populations of elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocodile and wild dog on the continent, as well as large populations of giraffe, zebra and various antelope species. However, as it receives fewer visitors than some of Africa’s more famous reserves, you can benefit from more relaxed game viewing experiences; the north-west sector in particular is away from the busier routes and it isn’t unusual for you not to see any other vehicles during your game drives here.

There are over 400 recorded bird species, including a dazzling array of bee-eaters, rollers, sunbirds and kingfishers, and a marvellous landscape which changes dramatically across the reserve. The reserve has an incredible diversity of habitats from deciduous hard woodland (miombo), open grassland, rocky hills scattered with thorny acacia, palm woodland, sand rivers (only channelling water in the wet season), riverine forest, swamps, lakes and rivers. Its ecological importance lead to the reserve being designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. This is one of the last great African wildernesses where it is still possible to watch lions stalking their prey without worrying about another vehicle interrupting the show. Private stone and thatch cottages with en suite facilities - 4 nights (BD)

Today you make a full day game drive including a boat safari and a chance to spot pods of partially-submerged hippo, crocodile and other waterside dwellers at close quarters. Hearing hippo laugh is an experience which will delight everyone but only the brave will dare to look a crocodile right in the eye!

Bird life is prolific; you are likely to see pelican, African skimmer, goliath heron, fish eagle, ibis and various species of kingfisher including the aptly named giant kingfisher – the largest in the world. The area is also home to Pel’s fishing owl but you would be very lucky indeed to see one. You may also spot other game at the water’s edge coming down for a welcome drink, especially during the dry season (mid-June – mid-November). Buffalo, waterbuck and impala are the most likely candidates but elephant, lion and leopard need to quench their thirst too. On returning to the camp after dark, look out for some of the area’s nocturnal species at the waterhole. (BLD)

This morning there is a last chance to wallow by the pool before breakfast. A final short game drive ends at the Selous airstrip by mid-morning where you board the aircraft for a stunning flight across savannah grassland and shrub before crossing the Straits of Zanzibar to Zanzibar Island. As a result of its trade in slaves and spices, Zanzibar was for many years the most important town on the East African coast. The Sultans of Oman, who introduced the clove tree to its fertile soil at the start of the last century, moved their court here from Muscat in the Gulf and ruled until independence in the early 1960s.

As a major trading centre, the 'Spice Island' is also reputed to be the birthplace of Swahili, the simple lingua franca that developed to allow trade between people of different languages. In the heart of the original merchant city the baleful cry of the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer resonates though the narrow stone streets. Hotel - 2 nights (B)

Please note that the Zanzibar section is unaccompanied by a Group Leader although transfers are organised for you.

Today you take a half-day ‘spice tour’, which brings to life the story of the island by visiting its many ruins, and the extensive plantations which produce cloves, pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and cardamom as well as fruit and herbs. Then you transfer to a beach hotel (about one hour’s drive). Hotel - 4 nights (BD)