Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar: The Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and the Spice Island

This is the trip that made us want to see everything. In July 2019 we flew to Tanzania with Colin’s family for a week on safari, from Arusha through the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater, and then finished on the beaches of Zanzibar. Every day there was something we’d only ever seen on a nature documentary.

Route: Arusha → central Serengeti → northern Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater → Stone Town → Zanzibar beaches
How long: 12 days
Who came: Colin, me and Colin's family
How we booked: Through a travel planner
When: July, the dry season and the Great Migration in the north
Best for: A bucket-list family trip

Arusha and the first game drive

Arusha is where most northern Tanzania safaris begin. Within hours of landing we were watching a cheetah cub lying in the grass close enough to count its spots, and a lioness stretched out under a single acacia tree, the exact picture you have in your head before you go.

A cheetah cub resting its chin on a log in dry grass — Close enough to count the spots

A couple standing on a green hillside with a volcanic peak behind them

A person in a safari hat looking through binoculars over the plains

Two people walking away down a grassy farm path lined with trees

The central Serengeti

Then came the Serengeti: endless open grassland, giraffes peeking over the acacias, zebras everywhere, and a lodge pool looking out over the plains as a rainstorm rolled across the horizon.

A giraffe standing among green bushes on the Serengeti plains — Tallest neighbor in the Serengeti

A giraffe's head and neck rising above thorny acacia branches under a bright sun

An infinity pool on a wooden deck overlooking plains with a distant rainstorm

Wide open green and gold grassland stretching to the horizon

A rock-lined plunge pool at a lodge under dramatic grey clouds

The northern Serengeti and the river crossing

In July the Great Migration moves into the northern Serengeti, and we got to see a line of wildebeest plunging across the river. It’s loud, chaotic and unforgettable. We also found a young lion napping on the rocks, an ostrich showing off its feathers, and the reddest sunset we’d ever seen.

The wildebeest crossing

A young lion lying on rocks in golden grass looking at the camera — Staring contest: lion wins

A group of family members in safari hats posing on and beside a safari vehicle

A male ostrich with fluffed black feathers standing in dry grassland

A red sun sinking behind acacia-dotted hills under a pink sky

A smiling couple in safari hats taking a selfie above a river valley

The Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is a huge collapsed volcano with a whole world of animals living on its floor. We stood on the rim looking down at the soda lake, drove down for a day among the acacias, and hiked to a waterfall in a mossy gorge.

A couple standing on the crater rim with the crater floor and lake below — On the edge of the world's biggest caldera

A person in safari gear by a calm lake with a large acacia tree and misty hills

A couple in safari hats standing by a lake with an acacia tree behind

A small group standing at the base of a tall waterfall in a mossy rock gorge

A lodge room with a canopy bed and curtained glass walls opening to a deck

Stone Town, Zanzibar

After a week in the dust we flew to Zanzibar. Stone Town is a maze of narrow lanes, and its famous carved wooden doors are on every corner. We spent the evenings watching the sun go down over the Indian Ocean.

A woman in a flowing blue dress beside a weathered turquoise carved door — Stone Town doors are the real celebrities

A couple standing in front of an ornate carved wooden arched door

The sun setting over the ocean seen from a thatched balcony with wooden railings

A couple taking a selfie with an orange sunset over the sea behind them

Zanzibar’s beaches

We finished with a few lazy days on the beach: clear turquoise water, a natural rock arch to swim through, and wooden dhows sailing past at sunset.

A person posing under a natural limestone rock arch above turquoise water — Nature built the perfect frame

Four family members standing inside a rock arch overlooking the sea

An orange sun setting over the ocean with a small dhow on the horizon

Tanzania safari tips

Go in July to October for the dry season, and head to the northern Serengeti if you want a chance at a river crossing.
Use a travel planner. Ours set up the guides, lodges and flights, and with a big family group that made it easy.
Book a guided safari. A good guide and a pop-top Land Cruiser make the whole trip.
Pack neutral colors and layers. Early mornings on game drives are cold.
Add Zanzibar at the end. A few beach days after a safari are the perfect reset.