ambo - karibu! “Hello and welcome” in Swahili - to Tanzania, the land of Mt. Kilimanjaro and home to more than 100 Bantu cultures. You arrive in Dar es Salaam, the capital, and immediately fly north to Arusha on the slopes of majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro. From here you journey to Lake Manyara where you have your first glimpse of this country’s teeming wildlife. This park is where Hemmingway wrote “The Green Hills of Africa” - a region famous for its monkeys, elephants, flamingoes and the amazing tree-climbing lions. In this part of the country, you will also meet many of the local Bantu people. Overland your trek continues to Ngorongoro Crater, a major wildlife reserve and World Heritage Site. Descend to the crater floor to see rhino and herds of impala, wildebeest and zebra – where lion prides, cheetahs and leopards find easy prey. From your balcony watch the crater's sunset. Tomorrow you venture into the vast Serengeti plain, bordering Kenya.

En route, visit a coffee plantation, stop at Maasai villages and discover one of your earliest ancestors at Olduvai Gorge - where the Leakey family found 3.7 million year-old fossil remains. You enter the Serengeti and you dine in the colors of an African sunset while anticipating your search for animals.

Morning dawns and you’re off to find the Big Five – leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino and lion! You haven’t long to wait, as the age-old game of predator and prey begins. During your time in the Serengeti you will also spot many of Tanzania’s more than 400 species of birds.

Finish your tour with a trip to historic Zanzibar, the ‘Spice Isle’. Here you tour plantations of nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, ylang ylang and clove. Find the rare Red Colobus monkeys and visit the palace ruins of wealthy sultans dating from the eras of Persian influence and the notorious slave trade. Spend your last day exploring the narrow streets of old Stone Town with its myriad passages and ornate carved doorways. Wander into the shops that feature hammered silver boxes, perfumed swahili kanga cloth, and spices and herbs. Scuba divers will delight in the crystal turquoise waters that surround Zanzibar and the outer islands of Pemba and Mafia. Those with time to spare will want to visit the resorts on the eastern shore. Sip one last tropical drink by the balmy waters of the Indian Ocean before saying farewell to exotic Zanzibar. You return to the mainland by high-speed hydrofoil and finish your safari back in the capital. Dar es Salaam means "The Haven of Peace" where a harbor was established in the 19th century by the Sultan of Zanzibar. Before your safari comes to an end, visit the streets around the colourful Kariakoo Market and see the clock tower.

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