This month, I (Kim) want to tempt you with the holiday of a lifetime!
My family and I had always dreamed of going on a safari and this trip was just perfect – we still talk about it now, five years later.
Take a minute to picture yourself staying, as we did, amidst the breathtaking landscapes of Tanzania: waking up to the sounds of the wild, watching the sunset on the Serengeti, the thrill of seeing ‘the big five’. Unforgettable!
There are multiple accommodation options: relax at Arusha Coffee Lodge, which is hidden among lush vegetation on one of the country’s biggest coffee plantations, or get a bird’s-eye view of the wildlife from your elevated room at Tarangire Treetops. If it’s old world charm you’re after, the luxurious and elegant Manor at Ngorongoro offers it in spades, or you could stay at either Serengeti Pioneer Camp or Migration Camp.
They each offer a different experience, and I would recommend you try them all. The accommodation at the camps is glamping tents, which really are luxurious. Each evening, the staff ensure your tent is zipped up so you are as safe as can be. You will be woken by your water tank being filled, so you can have a hot shower before breakfast. At Ngorongoro, with its rooms high up in the hills, you can watch the animals walking past your balcony and enjoy a lovely barbecue, which is laid on in the evening. We encountered such warm and friendly people everywhere we went, and we loved the welcome dance performed for us on arrival.
Each morning you will be taken on a game drive, with food provided. We left very early one day, while staying in the Serengeti, to chase the migration. Watching this actually happen in front of you was phenomenal – we saw…(deep breath!)…zebras, lions, elephant, giraffes, hyenas, rhinos, hippos, buffalo, leopards, wildebeest, warthogs, monkeys, crocodiles, greater kudu, ostrich, hundreds of gazelle and impala, vultures, baboons, flamingos and mongooses. And I’m sure I have missed some!
Between the camps we experienced some African culture by visiting a Masai village. We looked around a school, did a Masai dance and chatted with the head of the tribe. My kids still love looking back on this.
Our trip was enhanced by our fantastic driver that took us to wherever we needed to go and became our friend while we were there, and there are opportunities for bush walks, picnics, and even a morning hot air balloon safari if you can squeeze it all in!
Next stop, Zanzibar
We then flew to Zanzibar, directly from the Serengeti, in a small plane run by As Salaam Air. It’s an easy flight and we landed ready for some beach time.
We stayed at the beautiful Pongwe Beach Hotel, where we had two gorgeous en-suite rooms with verandas on the beach. Each morning we woke to coffee, tea and hot chocolate waiting for us. For a small extra cost we even managed to get all our clothes washed, which was much needed after our safari adventure.
We had five days of chilling on the beach, swimming in the pool, eating amazing food and being thoroughly spoiled. We swam, snorkelled, dived, kayaked, drank milk from the coconuts in the trees and had fun dinners on the stunning beach. No shoes for five days…bliss!
Obviously, the animals you see on safari does depend on the time of year you go – we went in July this time. For our next African adventure, we are planning a trip between July and October to the Maasai Mara, to see the Great Migration, one of the ten Wonders of the World.
I can’t recommend this holiday enough! If you are ready to embark on this sensational adventure, get in touch with us now and let us sort out a safari and beach holiday specifically for you. We will ensure it runs smoothly from start to finish, allowing you to make the most amazing memories, as we did.
We think you can probably tell how much we love what we do, and we’d like the opportunity to tell you more. We’re holding a coffee morning on Friday, 28 June, where you can ask us any questions you might have: email us on kimcooper99@gmail.com or katharine@luxetravellers.com to book your place.
Read our other travel columns here, and follow our travel adventures on Instagram: Kim and Katharine!
