Beginners Safari - Step 3: Leaving the Serengeti and on to Zanzibar

On the 6th day, we had our final breakfast at the stunning Bush Rover camp and headed off to Oldupai Gorge. Oldupai Gorge is the historical place discovered by Dr Leakey where they have fossils from what was believed to be the first human being in the world. Not my usual cup of tea (I’m not a history buff) but we had an interesting talk by a guide on evolution and the first human fossils found here. The museum hosted lots of artifacts and fossils throughout the ages and for anyone who is interested in evolution, it is a must see!

After we finished up at Oldupai Gorge, we headed to the jeep to continue on to the Ngorongoro conservation area. We had a little panic when the jeep wouldn’t start but luckily a few of the other guides from other tour companies, chipped in (a bit of ‘bush engineering’ aka hitting it with a rock!) and we were soon on our way. This is one thing I love about the Tanzanian’s – they are all so friendly and will never leave someone stranded. There is a strong, unspoken code, amongst all the guides and drivers. There is no element of competition – everyone chips in to make sure the guests have the best possible experience.

Ngorongoro is an enormous volcanic crater which provides one of the most stunning backdrops for viewing a huge number of wildlife. You can choose to stay here but we found it very crowded so opted to view it from the rim and then drive on to Karatu where we stayed for the night. The next afternoon, we flew over to Zanzibar from Arusha airport. Once we landed we were met by our driver and taken to our first stop on North of the island – Zanzibari boutique hotel. If you are a honeymooner, you get an upgrade to the Frangipane suite – what a little beauty. It’s got it’s own private pool, beach, and 2 bedrooms – one of which is half open air and just beautiful (full video on my Instagram highlights!) We relaxed here for 3 nights, enjoying the low tide (you can easily walk up to Nungwi to cafes and bars), sunbathe on the beautiful sand banks, spending time at our private pool and enjoying some lovely massages on the beach.

Our final 3 nights were spent on the south of the island, at The Residence. This property is stunning and has wild monkeys and lots of birdlife. We were frequently woken by monkeys jumping on the roof or messing around with the outdoor furniture. We quickly learned not to leave anything outside!

A honeymoon is supposed to be one of the best holidays of your life and I can honestly say that both of us would do this all again in a heartbeat! We loved the variety of the adventure in the Serengeti mixed with the beach & relaxation time in Zanzibar. We don’t often choose to go to the same place twice but I can definitely tell you that we will be back to Tanzania!