So often, planning a solo adventure to a country as vast and diverse as Tanzania can be complicated – and really quite pricey too – but thanks to a host of set-departure trips, it’s easier than you might think. Set-departure trips in Tanzania are just that: pre-organised itineraries that depart on specific dates throughout the year and with a certain number of spaces available. These trips cater for all types of travel, solo or not, but as the trip is based on a set number of travellers, you’ll often save quite a few pennies if you’re travelling single. For solo adventurers, these trips take care of all the practicalities of travel, but also allow you to enjoy plenty of opportunity to exchange exclamations with fellow guests, while enjoying the many benefits of going solo.
Sound good? Read on for two of our favourite trips for solo travel in Tanzania.
Marvel at the wildlife of Northern Tanzania
Tanzania’s northern safari circuit is ideal for a driving safari (extra wildlife watching!), and a typical itinerary for a week-long trip includes Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and central Serengeti. Well-rested after a night at Arusha’s Rivertrees Country Inn, you’ll set off on a scenic drive to the Tarangire area, and more specifically, Lake Burunge Tented Camp. Perched in a prime spot within a wildlife corridor, sightings are out of this world without even leaving camp. Don your walking shoes to explore the area on foot, keeping your eyes and ears pricked for the incredible birdlife, or venture into Tarangire National Park, navigating ginormous baobabs amongst herds of elephant, buffalo, wildebeest and the famous tree-climbing lions. Then again, getting a bird’s eye view from a hot air balloon is dreamy to say the least. After a day of exploring, the down-to-earth comforts of camp await, including a lovely pool to wash off the dust, drinks as the sun sets over the lake, and dinner when moonglow has replaced the sunlight.
From Tarangire, you’ll make the beautiful drive north to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where you’ll want to keep your binos handy at all times. Your home is the Ngorongoro Farm House, set in picturesque gardens on a working coffee farm. Here, you’re mere minutes from the crater, or ‘Africa’s Eden’ as it’s often known, and a spectacular variety of animals including zebra, lion, wildebeest, cheetah and black rhino – it’s one of the best places to see them up-close. Enjoy 4×4 game drives, but don’t rule out walking expeditions either: take a tour of the farm on foot, or join members of the Maasai tribe to explore the Crater Highlands area, learning about their way of life. In your spare time, take a dip in the secluded pool at the Farm House or enjoy an in-room massage.
If you’d love nothing more than the thought of waking to sunlit grasses, watching as zebra, giraffe and elephant wander just metres away from your tent, then Kati Kati in the Serengeti will check every box. Should you be planning a trip to see the Great Migration, rest assured that this tiny mobile camp is always set up in an ideal location for catching all the wildebeest action. But whatever the season, wildlife is ever-present as you roam the vast savannah of the Serengeti, stopping for picnics of homemade treats along the way, or evening sundowners in yet another beautiful location.
Wildlife sensations & beautiful Zanzibar
On this trip, combine Tanzania’s most mind-boggling and prolific wildlife destinations with a good helping of island bliss in Zanzibar. Get your first taste of safari as you drive from Arusha to Bougainvillea Safari Lodge, cleverly-located between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater. Pick between epic drives in the Ngorongoro Crater or walking safaris beside Lake Manyara – or enjoy a bit of both! With a welcoming atmosphere, beautiful, birdlife-filled gardens, and sun loungers upon which to enjoy a snooze beside the pool, the lodge is just what you need to re-energise between safari adventures. Not to mention their mouth-watering, five-course dinners…
At Kati Kati Tented Camp, in a secluded sector of the Serengeti, you’ll be in the heart of nature and surrounded by the wildlife of your wildest dreams. The camp is completely mobile, keeping its footprint as light as possible, and the safari experience is as authentic as they come – you can’t beat sharing stories and meals cooked over the fire, listening to the sounds of the African night. For a touch of luxury, take to the skies in a hot air balloon, soaring above the heads of wildebeest, elephant and big cats, before touching down for a champagne breakfast.
Sitting high above an iridescent, white-sand beach on Zanzibar Island, Shooting Star Lodge is the antidote to travel-weariness. While away the hours in the saltwater infinity pool, sipping on cocktails or sunbathing with the sound of the surf in your ears, or delve beneath the surface of the ocean to dive and snorkel amongst the marine life. Look out for playful octopus, stingrays, Hawksbill and green sea turtle, whale sharks (in the right season) and pods of dolphin. Get to know the local lifestyle with a cycle into the village to peruse items at the bazaar or watch fishermen return with their catch. Speaking of which, the seafood at Shooting Star Lodge is superb and the only reason to check your watch is to make sure you don’t miss lunch…
