Compare Road to Zanzibar by Intrepid Travel vs Tanzania's Spice Islands by Audley Travel

Day 1 Nairobi

Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important meeting. If you arrive early, perhaps head out and explore the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum or the highly recommended Bomas of Kenya, where traditional homesteads of several Kenyan tribes are displayed in an outdoor village.

Day 2 Mto wa Mbu

Depart early for Mto wa Mbu in your overland truck. The trip includes a border crossing from Kenya into Tanzania, so be sure to have your passport handy. While you're on the road, there will be a stop at an ATM and a market or shop to stock up on any supplies you might need for the coming days. Arrive in Mto wa Mbu and acquaint yourself with this delightful small village – it's a fascinating snapshot of small-town African life, situated well off the tourist trail.

Day 3 Ngorongoro Crater / Serengeti National Park

Get up early, put your camping and personal gear into a six-person jeep and head out for an excursion into the Serengeti via the Ngorongoro Crater. Enjoy a safari in the crater, spending 3 to 4 hours exploring this incredible, perfectly intact volcanic caldera. Watch for black rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, impalas, zebras and hippos. The crater floor offers excellent game viewing all year round (some 30,000 animals live here) and the photo opportunities are unrivalled. Next, it's on to the wide-open plains of the Serengeti. Green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season, this is perhaps the quintessential image of Africa – the home of thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators. Your campsite is within the Serengeti itself, so listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep.

Day 4 Serengeti National Park

Awake at dawn and embark on a game drive. You will head out while the animals are at their most active, then head back to camp for brunch at around 11 am. After spending the middle of the day relaxing, just like the animals do, head out again as the day begins to cool. You'll return from this second game drive in time for dinner. There's also the option of a balloon ride over the park this morning – in place of some of today’s game drives. If you have pre-booked this activity, you will be picked up before dawn and driven to the launch site. After a safety briefing, glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, getting some amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you will ascend, getting an overview of the enormity of the plains and the early morning movements of the teeming herds. After landing, indulge in a five-star bush breakfast, then be returned to camp.

Day 5 Serengeti National Park / Mto wa Mbu

Rise with the sun and enjoy another game drive as you leave the Serengeti in your dust. Jump back into your overland vehicle and head for Mto wa Mbu. Once camp is set up, join the local community for a guided stroll around the farming areas, milling machine, and local homes and farmlands. After, we'll share a local dinner in town and if time permits you may have the oppertunity to watch how it's made with a local cooking demonstration. After setting up camp, we'll take a guided stroll through the farming areas, milling machines, and local homes and farmlands, getting to know the local community and their way of life. Later, we'll enjoy a scrumptious local dinner in town. If time permits, you might even get to witness a local cooking demonstration and see how it's made.

Day 6 Usambara Mountains

Prepare yourself for a long travel day heading for the Usambara Mountains. Stretch your legs during a brief supply stop in Arusha, then jump back in the vehicle and watch the ever-changing scenery, read your favourite book or get to really know your fellow travellers. Your base will be Lushoto – an old German colony and home to the Wasambaa people. This highland town sits at approximately 1400 metres and this evening you'll camp in the grounds of one of the oldest hotels in Africa.

Day 7 Usambara Mountains

Explore the beautiful Usambara Mountains today – a lovely unspoilt area of Tanzania. Unlike the coast and the north, very few tourists visit this part of the country, so it has a freshness that can be hard to find elsewhere. As beautiful as the surrounding mountains and rainforests are, however, the real jewels here are the local people and villages. You'll experience some hospitality on a visit to some of the small local communities. From your base, you will take a walk out to the gorgeous Irente viewpoint. It's best to pack some water and snacks in a day pack for this trip. On your way back, visit a local cultural project based at an Irente farm and enjoy a picnic lunch.

Day 8 Dar es Salaam

Leaving the mountains behind, travel further south to the coastal town of Kipepeo Beach in Dar es Salaam. Your camp at Kipepeo is by the beach, so make the most of it – perhaps take a stroll along the shore after you arrive and settle in.

Day 9 Stone Town

Rise and shine to catch a ferry to Zanzibar. Filled with pristine white-sand beaches, winding cobblestone alleyways and fragrant bazaars, Zanzibar has had a colourful history – everything from slave traders to Arabian sultans and fruit exporters. The sight of traditional dhows sailing along the coast evokes what the island must have been like in centuries ago. Explore the many charms of Stone Town, the historic part of Zanzibar's main city, with a local guide. Taste the local delicacies and gain insight into daily local life living on Zanzibar.

Day 10 Zanzibar Northern Beaches

Once checked out of your Stone Town accommodation, consider booking in to an optional guided tour of the island's spice plantations, learning all about the history of this town's spice trade. You will have the opportunity to smell and taste various spices, such as cinnamon, vanilla and ginger, plus sample some teas made with these spices too. After lunch, head to the Northern Beaches, where white sands and sparkling blue seas await. This is the Indian Ocean at its best.

Day 11 Zanzibar Northern Beaches

Enjoy free time in this beautiful archipelago today. There are many ways you can spend your day – perhaps talk to your leader for any recommendations they might have. Snorkelling in search of exotic fish is an excellent option, or you could take a traditional dhow boat on the water. You might also like to feast on a sumptuous lunch of grilled local seafood, or just relax in a hammock underneath a coconut tree with a good book. It's totally up to you!

Day 12 Stone Town

After checking out of your accommodation this morning, you will make your way back to Stone Town, arriving at a centrally-located hotel around 12 pm. With no activities planned for today, you are free to leave at any time. That doesn't mean your adventure has to come to an end! If you wish to stay on in Zanzibar, either at the Northern Beaches beach resort or in Stone Town, we'll be happy to organise additional accommodation (subject to availability).

Day 1 : International outbound flight

Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Dar es Salaam International Airport.

Day 2 : Mafia Archipelago

You will be met on arrival at Dar es Salaam International Airport and transferred to the domestic terminal for your short light aircraft flight to Mafia Island. A driver from Pole Pole will meet you at the airstrip and transfer you across the island to the lodge to settle in.

Day 3 : Mafia Archipelago

Spend today relaxing in the beautiful surroundings on Mafia Island. The lodge works closely with a local dive centre where you can arrange snorkelling and diving trips to the numerous reefs in Chole Bay. I highly recommend taking a trip out in a traditional dhow boat to dive and snorkel around the beautiful untouched reefs nearby, bursting with marine life.

Day 4 : Mafia Archipelago

Today you could visit the Swahili ruins on Chole Island where you can also take a guided village walk to see the island's famous colony of endangered fruit bats. If you have time, you can even look around the local dhow workshop where the islanders still use traditional techniques to build their iconic wooden vessels.

Day 5 : Mafia Archipelago

For a real treat today, you can arrange to take a boat out to one of the pristine sandbanks that are exposed at low tide. You can take a picnic to enjoy and do some snorkelling on the way. You'll return to the lodge as the tide turns and the sand starts to disappear back under the water.

Day 6 : Songo Songo Archipelago

Today you will fly south from Mafia to Songo Songo and then be taken on a short boat ride to Fanjove Private Island. You can spend the rest of the day relaxing in your own private slice of paradise.

Day 7 : Songo Songo Archipelago

At leisure on Fanjove Private Island - spend your time swimming in the warm Indian Ocean, snorkelling on the nearby reef or reading a book in the shade of a palm tree. Kayaking and diving can also be arranged with the lodge.

Day 8 : Songo Songo Archipelago

At leisure on Fanjove Private Island.

Day 9 : Songo Songo Archipelago

At leisure on Fanjove Private Island.

Day 10 : Songo Songo Archipelago

At leisure on Fanjove Private Island.

Day 11 : Stone Town

Today you will head back to Songo Songo airstrip for your flight north to Zanzibar. You will be met on arrival and transferred into the heart of Stone Town where you will spend the next three nights. Your hotel is in a great location for exploring on foot and has a wonderful roof terrace restaurant offering superb views out across the harbour.

Day 12 : Stone Town

Today you can enjoy exploring the sights and sounds of Stone Town - famous for its rich and dramatic history as a centre of colonial exploration and of the East African slave-trade. You can hire a guide to show you around or simply explore the charming alleyways and curio shops on your own.

Day 13 : Stone Town

Today I would recommend heading slightly out of town to one of the nearby spice plantations the island is famous for. This is a fascinating, hands-on experience as you get to taste and smell the spices as well as see them growing.

Day 14 : International return flight

You will be transferred back to the airport today for your onward flights.

Day 15 : International return flight

Arrive home today to complete your journey.