Southern Safari & Spice

Narrative introduction

Every great safari deserves a soft landing. Southern Safari & Spice gives the journey two movements: first the wild, met at full scale, and then the sea, where the dust of the plains rinses away in warm, clear water and there is nothing left to do but remember it all.

It opens on safari — the open country, the great herds, long unhurried game drives in the company of guides who read the land like a first language. Whether you follow the migration across the Serengeti or take the gentler northern circuit, the bush gives you its best, and then the journey turns east, to the coast.

Zanzibar arrives like a different world entirely. The air heavy with cloves and sea salt, the alleys of Stone Town winding between carved doors and old trade routes, the reefs alive just offshore, and a beach where the only schedule is the tide. This is the classic Tanzanian finish — adventure and stillness in one journey, entirely on your own terms.

Experience moments

• The herds and the open plains — Long days on safari, the wild at its fullest, the migration in season.
• The first sight of the sea — Watch the colour change from gold to turquoise as the journey turns to the coast.
• The lanes of Stone Town — Lose an afternoon among carved doors, spice markets and the layered history of the island.
• Reef and dhow — Snorkel or dive the clear water, or sail out at dusk under a triangle of sail.
• A beach with no schedule — Let the days go soft on white sand, the ocean warm and the plans optional.
• Spice and sunset — End where the cloves grow and the sky turns over the Indian Ocean.

How you'll travel

The journey carries its range across both halves. On safari, from an intimate Essential camp close to the action to a Private Collection retreat with the plains to yourself; on the coast, from a relaxed beachfront lodge to a Private Collection villa with the ocean at the doorstep. Every stay is chosen for the story it adds — a camp under the acacia, a barefoot suite above the reef. Not just a bed, but a place in the picture.

Make it yours

Choose your safari half — the Serengeti and the migration, the classic northern circuit, or the remote south. On the coast, add a spice-farm walk, a Stone Town food tour, a dhow sunset sail, or diving on the outer reefs. Stretch the beach for a honeymoon, or shorten it for a family with younger children. We'll balance the two movements to the trip you want.

The rhythm of the journey

• Arrive on safari — Fly into your chosen safari region by light aircraft; settle into camp, an evening drive as the light turns gold.
• Into the wild — Full days on safari at your own pace — following the herds or the classic circuit. Long lunches, unhurried afternoons.
• A last safari morning — One more drive before you trade the plains for the coast.
• East to Zanzibar — A short flight to the island; Stone Town's lanes and the first scent of the sea.
• The spice island — Reef, dhow, spice farms and Stone Town at your own pace, balanced with time to do nothing at all.
• Days by the ocean — The beach with no schedule, the water warm, the journey winding down.

Most travellers spend 4–5 nights on safari and 3–4 on Zanzibar. We'll shape the exact balance around you.

What's included

Typically included: all park and conservation fees · expert driver-guide · 4x4 safari vehicle · accommodation at your chosen tier on both safari and coast · meals as specified per camp and resort · internal light-aircraft flights and transfers as routed, including to Zanzibar · drinking water and game drives.

Not included: international flights · visas and travel insurance · premium drinks · gratuities · optional add-ons (diving, dhow sail, spice tour, private guide). Every journey is quoted in full, with no surprises.

What it costs

Southern Safari & Spice is designed bespoke, so the price reflects your journey — not a fixed tier. Because it spans both safari and coast, the daily rate shifts between the two halves; Your quote is built from live rates, season, group size, routing, guiding, permits and accommodation tier. We'll give you a clear, all-in quote before you commit.

Bush and beach, in context

Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous archipelago off Tanzania's coast in the Indian Ocean, long known as the Spice Islands, with Stone Town — a UNESCO World Heritage trading port — at its heart. It pairs naturally with a mainland safari: a short light-aircraft flight links the safari regions to the island, making bush-and-beach the most popular way to finish a Tanzanian journey. A typical combined trip runs eight to twelve nights — around four to five on safari and three to four on the coast. The coast is warm year-round; the main dry beach months run roughly June to October and December to February, with longer rains around March to May. Nobu designs the safari half to any season and balances it with the right amount of ocean for every kind of traveller, from honeymooners to families.

Related journeys

• The Great Migration Circuit — choose the Serengeti and the herds for your safari half. → Explore
• Northern Crater Highlands — the gentle classic circuit as your bush half. → Explore
• Wild South Expedition — pair the remote south with a Zanzibar finish. → Explore

Trust reinforcement

A KATO/TRA-registered operator with our own guides and 4x4 fleet, 24-hour support across both safari and coast, and financial protection on every journey. The detail handled quietly, so your journey stays effortless from plains to ocean.