Walks are all optional and easy. Travel in Tanzania - as in much of Africa - involves some rough roads. Accommodation is both stylish and comfortable.

Tsetse flies are attracted to the colours blue and black. For your comfort we advise you to refrain from wearing these colours whilst on safari.

Learn some Swahili (Lonely Planet have a handy little guide to learning Swahili) which will add an extra dimension to your trip! There are also many good internet sites so you can learn some simple words before you travel. Your efforts are sure to be rewarded with a warm smile (no matter how wrong you sound!) – go on be brave!

Jambo – hello: is the first word you will learn, but very touristy so say instead Habari – How’s things?
Asante (sana) – thank you (very much)
Hakuna Matata – no problem
Simba – Lion
Wapi choo? – where are the toilets?
And to really get you learning try pointing to things and say ….
Unasemaje ….. kwa Kiswahili….? How do you say.…. in Swahili?

SOME INTERESTING READING:
The Shadow of the Sun: My African Life - Ryszard Kapuscinski
Birds of East Africa (Photographic Guides) - D. Richards
Livingstone's Tribe: A Journey from Zanzibar to the Cape- Stephen Taylor
Zanzibar - Giles Foden

We offset the carbon emissions associated with the in-country travel on all of our trips by supporting a solar stove and clean energy project in Madagascar.

However, it is your flight that will have the largest environmental impact on your holiday. We offer you the opportunity to offset your carbon dioxide emissions with a donation to our solar stove and clean energy project in South Africa. The project is run by the non-profit organisation Blue Ventures Carbon Offset and validated by the Tourism Industry Carbon Offset Service (TICOS) as delivering measurable carbon reduction and wider sustainable development benefits for local people. We strongly encourage you to donate to our project, so if you would like to offset the carbon emissions generated by your flight, please contact us. Offsets start from as little as £4.

Since the increase in popularity of bottled water, many countries are experiencing a problem of litter especially where adequate recycling is not available. Please could you try, where possible, to use purification tablets or filters for water or buy bigger bottles of water between group members and decant into your individual water bottles.

Bagamoyo Orphanage

For every person who books this trip The Adventure Company will pay US$5 to the Bagamoyo Orphanage. The Orphanage is home to around 20 children, half of whom have HIV and are on the WHO HIV programme. The money that we raise for them goes towards education and medical fees, clothes and solar panels that power their water pump.

Below is a suggestion of what you might find useful to take on this trip. It is not an exhaustive packing list. If you need further advice, please call us or consult your nearest specialist outdoor clothing and equipment store.

• Lightweight cotton clothing for the safari - brightly-coloured clothing is not appropriate on safari as it is easily seen by animals and attracts insects; wear muted tones in natural colours (beige, khaki, olive but not army-style camouflage clothing)
• Windproof/ waterproof outer shell (i.e. lightweight jacket/kagoul)
• Lightweight trail boots
• Fleece for early game drives and evenings (especially Jun-Sep)
• Trainers/sandals for relaxing
• Swimming gear and sun-hat
• Old shoes or sandals for beach walking in Zanzibar (sea urchins)
• Long sleeve shirt or sarong/bandana for sun protection on game drives.

• Torch
• Water bottle
• Sunglasses, sunscreen and lipsalve
• Insect repellent
• Personal first aid kit
• Binoculars
• Snorkel and mask
• Dust can be a problem for cameras - take a dustproof/waterproof bag
• Plenty of spare camera batteries – no chance to recharge in Selous.

For your comfort we recommend you travel as light as possible; many airlines impose a maximum weight limit of 20kg – we advise you to take 10kg as you will be on the move a good deal! For domestic flights using light aircraft the usual weight limit is 15 kg.
One main piece (a soft bag or rucksack, not a hard suitcase).
A daypack (25-30 litres), large enough to carry what you need for the day including camera, water, etc.

The underwater world is a very fragile environment. Please take these simple measures to help protect the area's delicate reef system for future years:

- Touching coral, even unintentionally, will create lasting damage. Fragile corals can be poisoned with a dose of oily sunscreen.

- Avoid touching anything with your fins and try not to stir up sediment. - Only tread water in deeper parts, away from the coral, to avoid accidental kicking.

- Do not take coral or any other item (e.g. shells) as souvenirs.

- Do not rest or stand on coral.

- If you are a beginner, practice snorkelling away from coral first until you have mastered buoyancy control.

- You may be offered the option of a dolphin cruise. We do not recommend these as most boat operators practice unethical methods.

Overnight flight to Dar Es Salaam

From Dar es Salaam airport you travel (approximately one hour) to your accommodation and check in. Your group leader will get your group together for a briefing, so that you can all meet each other and discuss any optional excursions and what will happen over the next few days.

The rest of the day is free to relax and recover from your journey and to explore Dar es Salaam, or just relax around the hotel complex with its traditional souk shops and restaurants. On the island you can lounge in the shade on the beach or take a dip in the sea and go snorkelling. Hotel – 1 night

This morning is at leisure, although if you wish, you can take a short trip to Bongoyo Island or go on a city tour of Dar es Salaam. This includes sights such as the Askari Monument, which was erected in memory of the soldiers who died during WW1, Mnazi Moja Park, the National Museum and the Tinga Tinga Centre, which houses the creations of local artists. Afterwards you transfer to Dar’s Tazara Station and board the train to Selous. The four and a quarter hour journey shows an interesting view of rural Tanzanian life as well as a chance to spot game as the train passes through Selous Game Reserve.

You arrive at Kisaki station; the village is home to many Masai. From here it’s a 20 minute drive to Sable Mountain Lodge. Your home for the next four nights is set high above riparian forest at the north-west corner of the reserve, in an area of considerable elephant activity. It consists of eight delightful stone cottages and five tented bandas, with a swimming pool (great for cooling off in between safaris!), en suite facilities, solar power, and its own supply of spring water. Its high elevation provides wonderful views over the surrounding hills and forest with magnificent views of the Uluguru Mountains beyond. The lodge also has its own waterhole where you can watch the animals come down to drink in the evening. Regular visitors include elephant, buffalo, zebra and in November and December, the rare sable antelope.

Selous, at 55,000 square km; (about 5% of Tanzania’s total land area) is the largest wildlife preserve in the whole of Africa and contains the largest populations of elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocodile and wild dog on the continent, as well as large populations of giraffe, zebra and various antelope species. However, as it receives fewer visitors than some of Africa’s more famous reserves, you can benefit from more relaxed game viewing experiences; the north-west sector in particular is away from the busier routes and it isn’t unusual for you not to see any other vehicles during your game drives here.

There are over 400 recorded bird species, including a dazzling array of bee-eaters, rollers, sunbirds and kingfishers, and a marvellous landscape which changes dramatically across the reserve. The reserve has an incredible diversity of habitats from deciduous hard woodland (miombo), open grassland, rocky hills scattered with thorny acacia, palm woodland, sand rivers (only channelling water in the wet season), riverine forest, swamps, lakes and rivers. Its ecological importance lead to the reserve being designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. This is one of the last great African wildernesses where it is still possible to watch lions stalking their prey without worrying about another vehicle interrupting the show. Private stone and thatch cottages with en suite facilities - 4 nights (BD)

With such a vast area of bush at your disposal, your first full day in Selous is spent exploring firstly on foot as you make an exciting early morning walking safari – a great way to really get in tune with the beauty, peace and tranquillity of the wilderness. Selous is one of the few parks and reserves in Tanzania where foot safaris are permitted; there is nothing to beat the thrill of going in search of big game without the confines or noise of a vehicle. Travelling on foot also allows you to take a closer look at the vegetation and follow animal spoor; your guide will be on hand to highlight points of interest and answer your questions. You may come across some of the park’s smaller, though no less interesting residents, such as birds and insects. Look out for dung beetles rolling elephant dung; their ability to move dung balls many times their size is amazing – especially as they may also have to fight off other beetles trying to steal their prize!

You return to the lodge for lunch and have the afternoon to relax by the pool or check to see if there are any visitors at the waterhole. After the heat of the day subsides you embark on your first game drive. Using an open-sided 4WD vehicle you travel deeper into the reserve in search of more game. Selous Game Reserve is a vast wilderness and there are numerous routes to take. A stop at one of the many dry sand river beds may reveal elephants digging for water – a truly thrilling experience. You may also spot wild dog; unlike many other parks, Selous has a thriving population. The park is also home to a large population of giraffe and it is not uncommon to see large groups of them browsing the tops of trees and shrubs.

After dinner back at the lodge, the perfect way to cap the day’s activity is to gaze up at the stars from the hill-top ‘snug’ and soak up the night sounds. The constant sound of cicadas chirping is quite soporific while the sound of a hyena laughing or a lion roaring has a more spine-chilling effect! (BLD)

Today you make a full day game drive including a boat safari and a chance to spot pods of partially-submerged hippo, crocodile and other waterside dwellers at close quarters. Hearing hippo laugh is an experience which will delight everyone but only the brave will dare to look a crocodile right in the eye!

Bird life is prolific; you are likely to see pelican, African skimmer, goliath heron, fish eagle, ibis and various species of kingfisher including the aptly named giant kingfisher – the largest in the world. The area is also home to Pel’s fishing owl but you would be very lucky indeed to see one. You may also spot other game at the water’s edge coming down for a welcome drink, especially during the dry season (mid-June – mid-November). Buffalo, waterbuck and impala are the most likely candidates but elephant, lion and leopard need to quench their thirst too. On returning to the camp after dark, look out for some of the area’s nocturnal species at the waterhole. (BLD)

Today is free to relax at the camp, enjoy the swimming pool, spot game visiting the water hole or make your choice of optional safaris. (BLD)

NB: The day by day activities described for the Selous Game Reserve may vary due to weather conditions and also the location of wildlife in the reserve.

This morning there is a last chance to wallow by the pool before breakfast. A final short game drive ends at the Selous airstrip by mid-morning where you board the aircraft for a stunning flight across savannah grassland and shrub before crossing the Straits of Zanzibar to Zanzibar Island. As a result of its trade in slaves and spices, Zanzibar was for many years the most important town on the East African coast. The Sultans of Oman, who introduced the clove tree to its fertile soil at the start of the last century, moved their court here from Muscat in the Gulf and ruled until independence in the early 1960s.

As a major trading centre, the 'Spice Island' is also reputed to be the birthplace of Swahili, the simple lingua franca that developed to allow trade between people of different languages. In the heart of the original merchant city the baleful cry of the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer resonates though the narrow stone streets. Hotel - 2 nights (B)

Please note that the Zanzibar section is unaccompanied by a Group Leader although transfers are organised for you.

Today explore the atmospheric, faded splendour of Stone Town. As you wander through the narrow, whitewashed streets, watch out for the bustling old fish market, the vibrant colours of the stalls in the fruit market, and the evocative mix of veiled women and men in white pillar-box hats. (B)

Today you take a half-day ‘spice tour’, which brings to life the story of the island by visiting its many ruins, and the extensive plantations which produce cloves, pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and cardamom as well as fruit and herbs. Then you transfer to a beach hotel (about one hour’s drive). Hotel - 4 nights (BD)

The beautiful coastline with its palm-fringed beaches creates an image of a forgotten paradise. Most are protected by coral reefs and are made of white coral sand. Here you can relax on the balmy, tropical shores of the Indian Ocean. In the morning it may be possible to see some of the local fishermen, in their traditional dhows, bringing in their catch.

Spend the days relaxing or snorkelling off the beach in crystal-clear water. There are bicycles for hire or several other optional excursions can be arranged through your hotel, such as scuba diving, boat excursions or fishing trips. (Bx3, Dx3)

The trip ends for Land Only clients in Zanzibar. Those on group flights transfer from the beach directly to the airport (about one hour drive) and fly home. (B)