Selous Safari, Kilwa, Mafia and Zanzibar Holiday

Style Rating:	££££ Superior
Holiday Ref:	TZSKMC

Selous Wildlife Safari, Ancient Kilwa Ruins & Indian Ocean Islands

If you are looking for a Tanzanian holiday full of contrasting experiences then our Selous safari, Kilwa, Mafia and Zanzibar holiday might be of interest to you. This exciting two-week safari holiday combines game viewing in the Selous, Africa’s largest game reserve, with a couple of adventurous days exploring ancient Kilwa; time for snorkelling and diving in Mafia Island’s marine park; and a few days lazing on Unguja, the world-famous ‘Spice Island’ of Zanzibar.

Including time at no less than three of Tanzania’s World Heritage Sites (Selous, Kilwa Kisiwani and Stone Town), you’ll mainly fly between locations, making use of the regular local inter-island/park flight services. But just to ensure you don’t leave mainland Tanzania without getting a feel for the country, its people and typical village life, we’ve included a scenic drive by private 4x4 from the Selous and down the Swahili Coast to Kilwa.

This particular Selous safari, Kilwa, Mafia and Zanzibar holiday is based on comfortable tented camp and lodge accommodation and should suit couples and private groups. If you’d prefer more or less time in a particular place, or perhaps have some alternative accommodation in mind, we can easily tailor this itinerary to match your requirements. Do bear in mind that we have designed this particular itinerary to include enough time in each location to really experience the places you’ll visit.

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Scheduled Departures and Operating Period

This Selous Safari, Kilwa, Mafia and Zanzibar Holiday departs every Sunday throughout the year (and other days upon request) except during the long rains of April and May when lodges in the Selous close. This itinerary operates on a private departure basis with a minimum of 2 people enjoying an exclusive Selous Safari, Kilwa, Mafia and Zanzibar Holiday experience.

Months of Operation

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

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Holiday Highlights

1	Enjoy a variety of game activities in Selous - 4x4, boat and on foot.
2	Experience villages and scenery of southern Swahili Coast.
3	Cruise to the ancient World Heritage ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani.
4	Discover one of Tanzania's hidden gems - Mafia Island.
5	Explore the backstreets and attractions of ancient Stone Town.
6	Chill out on an idyllic Zanzibari beach, snorkel and unwind.

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Selous Safari, Kilwa, Mafia and Zanzibar Holiday - Brief Itinerary

Day 1	Selous Game Reserve	Safari starts in Dar es Salaam. Short flight into Selous; boat safari.
Day 2	Selous Game Reserve	Choice of game viewing activities - 4x4 safari, boat safari or walking safari.
Day 3	Selous Game Reserve	Game viewing in the Selous - 4x4 safari, boat safari or walking safari.
Day 4	Selous Game Reserve	Morning and afternoon game viewing activities in the Selous.
Day 5	Kilwa	Scenic drive to Kilwa Masoko down the southern Swahili Coast.
Day 6	Kilwa	Boat excursion/visit to Kilwa Kisiwani; explore island ruins.
Day 7	Kilwa	At leisure; optional activities, dhow trip or snorkelling.
Day 8	Mafia Island	Fly to Mafia Island; transfer to beach lodge in Mafia Island Marine Park.
Day 9	Mafia Island	Optional visit to Chole Island, snorkelling or diving.
Day 10	Mafia Island	At leisure on Mafia; optional island tour or boat excursions.
Day 11	Stone Town, Zanzibar	Fly to Zanzibar Island, transfer to Stone Town; optional Stone Town tour.
Day 12	Stone Town, Zanzibar	At leisure in Stone Town; optional Spice Tour.
Day 13	Kizimkazi, Zanzibar	Transfer south to Kizimkazi; at leisure.
Day 14	Kizimkazi, Zanzibar	Optional dhow safari into Menai Bay Conservation Area.
Day 15	End of Holiday	Fly to Dar es Salaam where holiday ends.

View route map of Selous Safari, Kilwa, Mafia and Zanzibar Holiday

 

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Responsible Tour Operating in Tanzania

Specialist Tanzania works in close partnership with several locally owned and managed companies in Tanzania. We feel this approach has a more direct benefit on the local distribution of income from tourism. We support and fully endorse the recruitment and training of local guides, local group tour managers, drivers and representation staff. Rather than avoiding certain National Parks to minimise National Park entrance fees, we prefer to include them as this revenue goes towards maintaining and improving wildlife conservation and management in Tanzania.

With our guiding principle of employing local people wherever possible our guests see a direct benefit in the improved local knowledge of our local team, whether that be knowledge of flora, fauna, history or just general Tanzanian life. Through this approach we can also maximise the amount of your tourism revenue that is delivered directly into the heart of the local economy.

Specialist Tanzania is also determined to do what we can to help minimise any negative impacts on the environmental, wildlife and cultural welfare of Tanzania through promoting responsible visitor behaviour; promoting waste reduction; facilitating cultural exchange between guests and local communities; supporting local businesses, goods and services; encouraging guests to eat local foods rather than imported foods; encouraging the conservation of natural resources like electricity and water; and promoting the importance of protecting the local environment and nature.

» Read our full responsible travel policy