21 Day East Africa Tour
Home » 21 Day East Africa Tour
This tour offers African overland adventure in the renowned Big 5 game parks, relaxation on the friendly laid back beaches of Lake Malawi, the tropical paradise of Zanzibar, and a visit to the Victoria Falls. It’s the ideal overland adventure and beach safari for those wanting to see the best of Africa. This tour includes participation camping. This means that guests will have to assist with camp chores, such as setting up your tent. See the day-by-day section for a more detailed description of the camp chores.
How to get there
- This tour starts and ends in Arusha/Moshi
- Africa Joy Tours as an operator can help select your international flights, but you’ll have to book them yourself
- Fly to/from Kilimanjaro Airport near Arusha/Moshi
- A transfer from and back to the airport can be arranged for an extra cost
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for an extra cost
Day 1: Livingstone – Lusaka
This morning we visit the Victoria Falls themselves. At over a mile wide and some 100 metres deep in high water, it forms the largest curtain of falling water in the world with spray visible from 20 kilometres away – hence their local name Mosi au Tunya ( ‘smoke that thunders’). We leave Livingstone and head through lush country and small villages to Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. Lusaka is Southern Africa’s fastest growing city with approx 1.7 million people and is located on the southern plateau. With its four main highways running north, south, east and west to different parts of Africa, this city is the commercial hub as well as the centre for the government. Our campsite for the evening is set in a tranquil and relaxing farm setting.
This is a participation tour where travellers help with camp duties, incl. setting up your tent and other chores. Accommodation: Budget camping
Meals: B x 1, L x 1, D x 1.
* Please note the Adventure Pass of US$ 760.00 is subject to change for all 2017 bookings.
Day 2: Lusaka – Chipata
We leave early and take the Great Eastern Road through lush countryside and small villages, crossing the Luangwa River to Chipata. Chipata, formally named Fort Jamerson, has a population of approx 98,000, and is the capital of the Eastern province of Zambia. This unique town has colourful fruit and vegetable markets and an unexpected amount of ornate mosques due to its large Indian community.
Meals: B x 1, L x 1, D x 1. Accommodation: Budget camping
Day 3-4: Chipata – South Luangwa National Park
Today we head to the South Luangwa National park, which is known to be one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, for 2 nights. The concentration of animals around the Luangwa River, and its oxbow lagoons, is among the most intense in Africa. There are 60 different animal species and over 400 different bird species inhabiting the area. Hippo’s, elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo, giraffe with many other species flourish in the 20,000 sq miles of savanna woodland watered by this 500 mile–long river. On arrival we set up camp and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure to enjoy the many optional activities from walking safaris and village walks. The next morning is at leisure where you can enjoy the swimming pool, which is the best place to be in the hot hours of the day. Later that afternoon we embark on a game drive along the river’s edge to see the abundance of animal and birdlife inhabiting the area.
Meals: B x 2, L x 2, D x 2. Accommodation: Budget camping
Day 5: South Luangwa National Park – Kande, Malawi
Leaving Zambia behind, we cross the border to Malawi stopping at Lilongwe, the capital, before taking the eastern road to Lake Malawi. Lake Malawi formally ‘Lake Nyasa’ covers almost a fifth of the country’s area and provides the source of livelihood for many of the Malawi people. Fishermen, fish traders, canoe and net makers all ply their trade, and a common sight is that of a fisherman in his Bwato, (dugout canoe made from hollowed out tree trunk) fishing on the lake at the break of day. The lake also has the highest number of endemic fresh water fish species of any in the world. We arrive at camp on the lake’s shore in the afternoon and have the rest of the day to swim and explore the beach and surrounding area.
NB: Although it is our intention to adhere to the campsites described, a certain amount of flexibility is built into our time in Malawi and the crew may make alterations to the published itinerary.
Meals: B x 1, L x 1, D x 1. Accommodation: Budget camping
Day 6: Kande Beach
Today is yours at leisure to try some of the water sports typically available including diving and snorkelling, take a horse ride along the beach and surf or else simply relax and enjoy the warm fresh waters of Lake Malawi. There is the opportunity to meet the local people, generally known as amongst the friendliest in Africa to gain insight into their way of life.
Meals: B x 1, L x 1, D x 1. Accommodation: Budget camping
Day 7-8: Kande Beach – Chitimba Beach
Taking a nice scenic drive through rubber plantations to Mzuzu – the capital of the northern region and the third largest town in Malawi, where we stop for a short while to grab supplies and check out the markets before arriving to Chitimba Beach for the next two nights. Enjoy time on the beach, take a leisurely village walk or do the full day trip to Manchewe Falls where after 11km of hiking you can cool off in a natural bath.
Meals: B x 2, L x 2, D x 2. Accommodation: Budget camping
Day 9: Chitimba Beach – Iringa, Tanzania
Leaving Chitimba Beach, we travel the short distance north to cross the border into Tanzania. We steadily climb in altitude through Tanzania’s Southern Highlands all the way to Kisolanza Farm House. This farm is at an altitude of 1600m ensuring a pleasant fresh climate in one of the most scenic areas of Tanzania. Home to the Ghaui family for over 70 years, Kisolanza remains a working farm providing organic meat (beef, lamb and chicken) and vegetables to the surrounding markets as well as further afield in Dar es Salaam. This farm house is famous for their hot showers, chocolate brownies and hot chocolate that can be bought at their quaint candlelit bar.
Meals: B x 1, L x 1, D x 2. Accommodation: Budget camping
Day 10: Iringa – Dar es Salaam
We continue towards the Indian Ocean coast and the port city of Dar es Salaam (‘Haven of Peace’). This route runs through the Makumi National Park and we may, with luck, spot forest elephant or giraffe feeding near the side of the road. ‘Dar’ is Tanzania’s hub of commerce and industry – a hot, humid and bustling seaport city of high rises, colourful markets and Arab influenced architecture on the coast accessing one of the most important sea routes on earth (with an interesting history too). To a majority of travellers, this city is the port of call to the more exotic Zanzibar and the remaining of the Archipelago islands. We set up camp at our campsite on the beach just outside of the city centre, usually having time to browse curio markets – best known for ebony wood – and prepare for our trip to Zanzibar.
Meals: B x 1, L x 1, D x 1. Accommodation: Budget camping
Day 11-14: Zanzibar Island
Evocative and exotic Zanzibar conjures up images of idyllic, sandy palm fringes beaches, romantic winding cobbled alleys and lush tropical forests. You will find all of these here – and an intriguing history. Zanzibar was the base of the great 19th century explorers such as John Hanning Speke, Richard Burton and David Livingstone and once was a major trading centre of spices.
Our time on the island is not structured and your time is at leisure. Perhaps the best way to see Stone Town is on foot: explore the bazaars for old maritime trinkets, cloths, wooden carvings, visit mosques, palaces, courtyards and alleyways of the old town. Spices are grown in plantations nearby and you can take day tours to visit some and have your senses dazzled by the tastes and scents experienced. If it’s white sand, sparkling ocean and hot sun you prefer – head to the northern beaches and enjoy the Indian Ocean at its best.
Meals: B x 4. Accommodation: Sunset Bungalows Kendwa Beach
Day 15: Zanzibar – Dar es Salaam
We leave the northern beaches behind and make our way to Stone Town. We have the morning to do any last minute shopping or enjoy one last swim before catching the ferry back to the African mainland and Dar es Salaam and onwards to our campsite on coast for the evening.
Meals: B x 1, D x 1. . Accommodation: Budget camping
Day 16: Dar es Salaam – Pangani River
Departing early from Dar es Salaam, we head north to the Usambara and Pare Mountains in the Eastern Arc Mountain Range and camp near the Pangani River. The Pangani River basin is one of the most important rivers in the country sustaining the source of hydropower generation and smaller irrigation projects of vital importance to the economy.
Meals: B x 1, L x 1, D x 1. Accommodation: Budget camping
Day 17: Pangani River – Arusha
Today on our drive, if weather is clear we will gain a view of the magnificent snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain (5895m). We drive past the town of Moshi and eventually reach Arusha, a city situated exactly mid way between Cape Town and Cairo. This is Tanzania’s ‘safari capital’, a city of some 2 million people, a bustling melting pot of markets, vehicles and people – all nestling in the shadow of the brooding Mt Meru (4556m). With time to explore town we head out to our camp just outside the city at the edge of the Masai plains.
This afternoon we enjoy a walk to one of the local Masai villages, a local school and clinic, a small but highly interesting Masai museum, and the snake enclosure at the Meserani Snake Park.
It is from here that we prepare for our two night/three day excursion to the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. Accommodation: Budget camping
Meals: B x 1, L x 1, D x1.
Day 18: Arusha – Serengeti National Park
On day 18 we Switch to smaller more ‘game park friendly’ vehicles and drive west across the Great Rift Valley, passing through Mto Wa Mbo (‘mosquito creek’) and enter the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area. We pass into the park and drive around the ‘Crater’s’ rim and down onto the Serengeti plains. Green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry, this is home to an enormous variety of grazing animals, predators, and birdlife. Flatter and larger than the Masai Mara the Serengeti is simply huge – indeed the name derives from the Masai word Siringitu – ‘the place where the land moves on forever’. We game drive to our designated (but unfenced) campsite for the evening where lion and hyena roam nearby for an unforgettable experience.
Meals: B x 1, L x 1, D x 1. Accommodation: Budget camping
Day 19-20: Ngorongoro Crater – Arusha, Meserani Snake Park
On day 19 we drive out of the plains, game driving en route, and after lunch ascend the outer wall of the Ngorogoro Crater. We spend the night camping on the rim (you may need a jacket; it can be cold at night), where wildlife also runs free. At 326 square kilometres in area the Ngorongoro is Africa’s largest intact caldera and a World Heritage Site. If the view from the rim (2400 metres above sea level) is spectacular, the site from the Crater floor (some 600 metres below) is equally enjoyable.
On day 20 we descend the steep dirt road of the Ngorongoro Crater for a morning of game driving. All of the major mammals are present except giraffe (which cannot manage the steep slopes leading down onto the Crater floor). After our game drive we ascend to our campsite on the rim for a final view over the Ngorongoro Crater, pack up our camp and have lunch before retracing our steps to Arusha and our campsite at the Meserani Snake Park where we will overnight.
Meals: B x 2, L x 2, D x 2. Accommodation: Budget camping
Day 21: Arusha – Nairobi
Today, we wake early, pack up our camp and make our way across the Masai Steppe to the Kenyan frontier. Completing formalities at Namanga border post, we drive the last stretch of road to Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, where our tour ends.
Meals: B x 1, L x 1.
Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
A travel party of 1 or 2 people can join this group tour, but it requires a minimum of 6 people to run.
Rates include a local payment. This means that part of the rate must be paid upfront and part on location during the tour. Move your mouse pointer over a rate to see the local payment.
Rates per person – Tour and local payments must be paid in United States Dollar (USD)
Click a rate to request a quote
Solo (1 room) | 2 people (1 room) | 3+ people |
---|---|---|
$12560 | 8955$ | Request rate |
Included
- Park fees (for non-residents)
- All activities (unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (unless listed as upgrade)
- Camping equipment (sleeping bag excluded)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinks (as specified in the day-by-day section)
Excluded
- International flights (from/to home)
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Sleeping bag
- Bath towels
- Tips (No tip expected)
- Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
- Some meals (as specified in the day-by-day)