11 Days Barefoot Wild & Beach

Arrive in Dar Es Salaam, met and transferred to your hotel. Dar Es Salaam Serena Inn | Meals: Breakfast

Dar es Salaam's origins have been influenced by a myriad of Sultans, the Germans, and the British. The city started as a fishing village in the mid-19th century, is now Tanzania's largest city, and has become one of East Africa’s most important ports and trading centres. With its great atmosphere, mix of African, Muslim, and South Asian influences, picturesque harbour, beaches, chaotic markets, and historical buildings, it is well worth extending your stay beyond the time between flights.

It’s a short flight from Dar es Salaam to Selous Game Reserve – Africa’s largest protected area, spanning 55,000 square kilometres, and swarming with wildlife. Settle into your luxurious accommodation at Siwandu, its spacious octagonal tents nestling into a peaceful palm grove on the shores of Lake Nzerakera.
Set deep in the reserve, Siwandu offers a varied menu of experiences. Head out on a walking safari, watching for giraffe, elephant or even lion, track game on a jeep safari or take to the waters of the Rufiji River system on a boat (depending on the season) with an experienced guide. As well as perhaps 70,000 elephant, 120,000 buffalo, 40,000 hippo and 4,000 lions, there’s also the chance of spotting a roaming pack of ‘painted’ African wild dogs. With rarely seen sable antelope and more than 350 bird species, Selous is a treat for wildlife-watchers – and with very few lodges and camps, you’ll have the vast riverine expanses largely to yourself.

Board a short flight west to Ruaha National Park, a vast but remote reserve encompassing over 10,000 square kilometres of wooded hills and plains – another rarely visited destination empty of tourists. Relax in your tented suite at Jongomero Camp, studding a meander in the Jongomero River in the park’s isolated southern reaches, and sip a sundowner as dusk silhouettes the baobabs that line the rugged hills.
Explore the park with an expert guide, spotting huge herds of elephant, rare species such as sable and roan antelope or even the elusive leopard, or drink in the spectacular views from your raised verandah. Between June and November the mighty Ruaha River draws profuse game – expect to see lion, elephant, giraffe and buffalo, along with countless antelopes and a selection of around 500 bird species.

Enjoy two full days in Ras Kutani, relax whilst listening to sounds of the waves, or take walks along the beach and forest. Indulge in spa treatments, or snorkel along the shipwreck of The Chyko and take a kayak or boogie board out to explore the sea. In season witness the green turtles nesting. Ras Kutani | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Pack up your belongings for a short flight back to the mainland where you can relax with day use room at the Oyster Bay hotel. Take one last seaside stroll and eat a final tasty dinner before heading to the Dar es Salaam international airport in the evening for your departing flight.