u/Obvious-Still-4378

First time booking a trip to East Africa and didn't realize how tricky booking flights would be. Looking for advice on which route makes the most sense.

We're flying out of Chicago to Kilimanjaro (JRO) and stuck between two main options:

• Option A: Fastest option, but has a 1-hour layover at Paris (CDG). I'm super nervous 60 minutes isn't enough time to connect at CDG, and if we miss it, we're stuck waiting a day or more for the next Air France flight to JRO.
• Option B: Longer layover (which would be nice to break up the long flight), but gets us into JRO at either 9:00 PM or 2:30 AM.

We have access to the Uhura Lounge at JRO and a private driver picking us up to take us to our hotel ~30 mins away. We also have a full day at the hotel to rest and recover before starting our safari, so a late night wouldn't ruin day one.

A few questions for anyone who has done this route:

1. Is a 1-hour layover at CDG a total non-starter, or is it doable?
2. Should I be worried about arriving at JRO in the middle of the night (9pm or 2:30am)? Is one much worse than the other if we already have transport lined up?

My husband and I are planning a 10 day trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar for our honeymoon in February 2027. Looking for some advice on our rough itinerary and lodges.

1x night = Arusha - Rivertrees Country Inn

2x nights = Ngorongoro Crater = Kitela Lodge

3x nights = Ngorongoro Ndutu = Lemala Ndutu Camp

3x nights = Zanzibar = Zuri Zanzibar Hotel