Journey South
YOUR TRAVEL ITINERARY, TANZANIA

An untamed family adventure in Tanzania

14 days
13 nights
From $35k / £27k
Family of four
Ages 8+
Best for 8 to 17
Island, bush, river, ocean
Four landscapes
A note about this itinerary

Designed with care, experienced together

This itinerary is for families who want to go beyond a classic safari and experience a side of Tanzania that feels wilder, slower and a little more adventurous.

It combines some of East Africa's most remote and rewarding safari areas with time to absorb each place properly, ending with a few days to switch off completely beside the Indian Ocean.

Polly x
Your route

Island, bush, river and ocean

  1. Arrive
    Zanzibar
    Fly into Zanzibar, or into Dar es Salaam with a short connection to the island
  2. 1 night
    Emerson Spice Hotel
    Stone Town, Zanzibar
  3. 3 nights
    Kigelia Ruaha
    Ruaha National Park, by light aircraft from Zanzibar
  4. 4 nights
    Sand Rivers Selous
    Nyerere National Park, a short flight east to the Rufiji River
  5. 5 nights
    The Manta Resort
    Pemba Island, a flight to the coast for the beach finale
  6. Depart
    Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam
    Light aircraft from Pemba for your flight home
Watercolour map of Tanzania showing the flight route from Zanzibar to Kigelia Ruaha, Sand Rivers Selous in Nyerere National Park and The Manta Resort on Pemba Island
The journey

Thirteen nights, four remarkable places, one wild Tanzania

01

Emerson Spice Hotel

Stone Town, Zanzibar, 1 night

Ease into Africa among carved doors and rooftop terraces.

You begin in Zanzibar's historic Stone Town with a night at Emerson Spice. Hidden among the narrow streets and carved wooden doors, it's a chance to ease into Africa rather than rush straight into safari mode. Wander the markets, watch life unfold from rooftop terraces and soak up the energy of this fascinating island crossroads.

Emerson Spice is a lovingly restored merchant's house, created by a traveller who came to Zanzibar and never left. Its ten rooms are arranged around an airy central courtyard, with the Secret Garden Restaurant in the ruins next door and the rooftop Tea House, one of Stone Town's most renowned restaurants, above.

Stone Town's stories

Known as the Spice Island, Zanzibar sat at the crossroads of the Swahili coast, Arabia and the African interior. A walk past the Sultan's Palace tells part of that story, and for music-loving teenagers, Freddie Mercury's childhood home is just round the corner.

Where you sleep. Ten individually styled, air-conditioned rooms set around the central courtyard.
Comforts and connectivity. Two restaurants, bars, a lounge, a terrace and Wi-Fi throughout.
From Polly's notebook

Book a table on the rooftop for sunset. Watching the dhows and the call to prayer drift across the old town is the perfect first evening in Africa.

What you'll be doing
  • Wandering the spice markets and narrow lanes of Stone Town
  • A guided walk past the Sultan's Palace and the old slave market
  • Sunset from the rooftop Tea House
  • Fresh Swahili cooking in the Secret Garden Restaurant
02

Kigelia Ruaha

Ruaha National Park, 3 nights

Safari stripped back to what it should be.

From Zanzibar, fly into Ruaha National Park for three nights at Kigelia Ruaha. This is safari stripped back to what it should be: canvas tents, huge baobabs, very few other vehicles and wildlife that feels completely untamed. Days are shaped around the bush rather than the clock, with game drives, walking safaris and long periods simply watching what unfolds around camp.

The camp is a small encampment of just six tents in the eastern heart of the park, where the wildlife is most concentrated. Big days out can be very big, with all that excitement, sun and dust, so the camp is a quiet haven to come back to, disturbed only by visiting elephants.

A night under the stars

For adventurous older children, sleeping out on Kigelia's star beds is something really special. The beds sit alongside your tent, under a canopy of a million stars and the sounds of the Ruaha night.

Where you sleep. Six airy tents with safari-style bucket showers and flush toilets, including one twin-roomed, en-suite family tent for children aged eight and over.
Comforts and connectivity. Fans, in-room safes, charging in all areas, private dining and complimentary laundry. Wi-Fi and phone coverage are patchy, which most families come to love.
From Polly's notebook

Walk with your guide at least once. It's only on foot that the children discover baobab seeds taste of lemon and that the trunks hide owls, bats and reptiles.

What you'll be doing
  • Game drives in open vehicles through one of Tanzania's wildest parks
  • Walking safaris with expert guides (from age 12)
  • Sleeping out on the private star beds
  • Long, quiet hours watching wildlife from camp
03

Sand Rivers Selous

Nyerere National Park, 4 nights

Rivers, boats and the legendary foot safaris of the south.

The journey then shifts to the waterways of Nyerere National Park and four nights at Sand Rivers Selous. The atmosphere here feels totally different to Ruaha. Instead of focusing purely on game drives, safari becomes far more varied, with boat safaris, fishing, walking and optional fly camping. It's one of those places where children start to feel part of the landscape rather than simply observing it.

The lodge seems almost moored on the banks of the Rufiji River, with one side entirely open to the water. It pioneered legendary foot safaris in the early days, and life here is as action-packed as the natural world around it: breakfast on a sandbar, swimming in hot spring rock pools beneath the palms, or boating up the spectacular Stiegler's Gorge.

Fly camping

Leave the lodge and walk with your guides deep into the wilderness to a simple camp for one night. The fire is lit, voices murmur, and only the finest line sits between you and wild Africa. Fly camping must be pre-booked and is subject to availability.

Where you sleep. Open-fronted riverside rooms with panoramic views and en-suite bathrooms, with family rooms available. There is a large central pool and three private pools.
Comforts and connectivity. Only eight rooms, private dining, massages, a camp shop, complimentary laundry, fans and safes. Wi-Fi has limited bandwidth and phone coverage is patchy.
From Polly's notebook

Try barefoot tiger fishing in the shallows on the way back from a boat safari. It's the activity the children always ask to do again.

What you'll be doing
  • Boat safaris upstream past hippos, elephants and great white pelicans
  • Walking safaris along sand rivers and floodplains (from age 12)
  • Tiger fishing in the shallows
  • Breakfast on a sandbar and swimming in hot spring rock pools
  • An optional night of fly camping
04

The Manta Resort

Pemba Island, 5 nights

Swap safari shoes for bare feet.

Finally, swap safari shoes for bare feet on Pemba Island. Five nights at The Manta Resort gives your family time to unwind properly in a spacious villa overlooking the sea. Days can be as active or relaxed as you like, with snorkelling, sailing, paddleboarding, sandbank trips or simply enjoying having nowhere to be. After the adventure of the bush, it's the perfect soft landing before heading home.

Pemba has been set apart from the mainland and Zanzibar for decades, leaving a hilly, fertile island of clove and coconut plantations, mangroves, hidden beaches and the ruins of 17th-century mosques. The Manta is simple rather than showy, with just 18 rooms and villas, including its famous Underwater Room, on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

The Seafront Family Villa

Two open-plan buildings joined by a shared living space and a private swimming pool, blending traditional Pemban decor with contemporary comfort, and a quiet cooling system for a good night's sleep.

Where you sleep. The Seafront Family Villa, with two private buildings, a private pool and views across the turquoise water.
Comforts and connectivity. Seaview Restaurant, a beach bar, a pool, Wi-Fi, a PADI dive centre and the Kipepeo Spa, with a complimentary daily spa treatment.
From Polly's notebook

Plan one sandbank picnic and one Ngalawa sunset cruise, then leave the rest of the days completely free.

What you'll be doing
  • Snorkelling and guided coral reef safaris
  • Learning to dive at the PADI dive centre
  • Sandbank excursions and a traditional Ngalawa sunset cruise
  • Deep-sea fishing in the Pemba Channel
  • Village visits and inland excursions across the Clove Island
It's one of those places where children start to feel part of the landscape rather than simply observing it.
Polly Townsend-Rose
A day in camp

An unhurried rhythm, from bush to beach

  1. 01Early morning
    Out with the light

    Coffee and hot chocolate, then out on a game drive, walk or boat while the air is cool and the animals are busy.

  2. 02Midday
    A long, lazy middle

    Brunch, the pool, a book in the shade or a nap. On Pemba, a long lunch with sandy feet.

  3. 03Afternoon
    Something new

    A boat trip upriver, tiger fishing, a snorkel on the reef or a sail to a sandbank.

  4. 04Evening
    Stories under the stars

    Sundowners, dinner round the fire and, in Ruaha, a night out on the star beds.

Sleeping under the stars in Ruaha and fishing on the river in Nyerere were the highlights for our children, and Pemba was the perfect place to slow down at the end. Polly thought of everything.
HOLLINGER FAMILY, US, CHILDREN AGED 10,13 AND 15
Tanzania holiday
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What's included

Everything except your international flights

  • All accommodation for 13 nights, with meals throughout on safari
  • All light-aircraft flights within Tanzania, and road and boat transfers
  • Guided game drives, walks, boat safaris and the activities listed at each camp
  • Park and conservation fees
  • A complimentary daily spa treatment at The Manta Resort
  • 24-hour support from me for the length of your trip
Practical notes

The things families ask me first

Best months

June to October, the long dry season, and January to February. The heavy rains fall from March to May, when some southern camps close.

Getting there

Fly into Zanzibar, or into Dar es Salaam with a short transfer to Zanzibar. Light aircraft link the camps and Pemba, so keep luggage soft and light.

Children

Both safari camps welcome children from 8, with walking safaris and fly camping from 12. Kigelia has a family tent and Sand Rivers has family rooms.

HEALTH & PACKING LIST

Malaria precautions are needed. I will send a plain-English briefing with what to pack and what to expect at each camp.

Next step

Shall I shape this around your family?

Tell me who's travelling and roughly when, and I'll come back with a version of this trip built around your children's ages, your dates and your budget. Every trip I plan starts with a relaxed conversation, no obligation at all.

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