u/Confident-Candle-127

Me and my wife are going to Tanzania and Zanzibar for our honeymoon in October. 8-9 days total. Neither of us has been on safari before.

What we’re after:

We want to see animals properly, but we’re not trying to cover the whole circuit. We’d rather do fewer days well than have a packed itinerary. We also want to avoid long travel days, sitting in a car for six or seven hours isn’t how we want to spend our honeymoon. And we want a decent stretch at the end in Zanzibar to actually relax.

We’re visiting Serval Wildlife near Arusha. That’s the one we’re most excited about.

For the rest, these are the options on the table:

Tarangire
Ngorongoro Crater
Serengeti
Arusha National Park

Our operator has suggested:

Either one day in the Serengeti plus one day in Tarangire, or two days in Tarangire.

So the question is: what’s the best combination for people like us? How many days, which parks, and in what order?

Happy to be told our operator’s suggestions are wrong, or that we should be doing something completely different.

Thanks in advance.

Me and my wife are going to Tanzania and Zanzibar for our honeymoon this October. 9 days, two of us, flying in from the Middle East. Neither of us has done a safari before, so this is all new to us.

We got a quote from a local operator and before I pay the deposit I wanted to hear from people who have actually done this trip.

Price is €3,125 per person, so about €6,250 (~$7,200) for the two of us (International Flights Excluded)

Included: private 4x4 with our own driver-guide, all lodges and hotels (nothing fancy, mid-range), meals as listed below, all park fees and the crater descent fee, and the internal flight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar.

Not included: international flights, visa, the mandatory Zanzibar insurance, travel insurance, tips. With all of that plus our flights we’re looking at around $10,000 total.

Here's the plan:

Mainland

Day 1 – Land at Kilimanjaro, drive to Simba Farm Lodge in West Kilimanjaro. Full board.

Day 2 – Drive back toward Arusha, visit Serval Wildlife Sanctuary where you can feed giraffes. Overnight at Kutoka Lodge, Arusha. Full board.

Day 3 – Full day game drive in Tarangire. Overnight Tarangire Simba Lodge, on the edge of the park. Full board.

Day 4 – Drive to Ngorongoro and go down into the crater. Overnight Ngorongoro Safari Lodge, on the western side of the conservation area. Full board.

Day 5 – Drive to central Serengeti with game viewing on the way. Overnight Tukaone Mwalomi Camp, inside the park near Seronera. Full board.

Zanzibar

Day 6 – Morning game drive, then fly from Seronera airstrip to Zanzibar at 11:30. Overnight Seyyida Hotel, Stone Town. Bed and breakfast.

Day 7 – Morning in Stone Town, then transfer to Nungwi. Overnight The Zanzibari, Nungwi. Bed and breakfast.

Day 8 – Beach day at The Zanzibari, nothing planned. Bed and breakfast.

Day 9 – Fly home from Zanzibar.

Has anyone stayed at any of these? Especially interested in whether the Serengeti camp and the Nungwi hotel are worth what we’re paying.

They also gave us a cost breakdown: 42% transport, 33% accommodation and meals, 14% park fees, 6% concession fees, 4% activities, 1% misc.

One thing I should say about what we’re actually after. It’s our honeymoon, so we don’t want to come home more tired than we left.

We do want to see things properly and we’re excited for the safari part, but we’re not trying to cram every hour. Some good game drives, a bit of culture, and then real time to relax, especially in Zanzibar. We’d rather do fewer things well than run around ticking boxes.

So what I’m asking:

* Is this a fair price for October?
* Is the itinerary put together sensibly, or would you move things around?
* Does the balance between the safari side and the Zanzibar side feel right for what we want, or are we going to be worn out by the time we hit the beach?

Also curious about Zanzibar specifically since I’ve read less about it. Is one night in Stone Town and two on the beach a good split, or should it be different? And is the north coast the right area for a couple, or would you go somewhere else on the island?

Appreciate any honest opinions, even if the answer is that we got it wrong.

Hi, I recently got a job at SAP in Garching (Munich) and I'm moving with my wife. I'm looking for a 2-room apartment but everything near the office or on the S-Bahn is way too expensive.

I'd like a commute of around an hour by train (prefer no car). Where do people who work in the Garching area actually live to keep rent affordable? Any cheaper towns I'm missing?

Thanks!