Tanzania
Spice island beaches with a safari attached
The honest version
Zanzibar is the reward leg; the northern safari circuit is the reason you flew. Do them in that order. The long rains in April and May close a lot of camps.
On the ground in Tanzania
Places our team has checked against their own sources. We hold the table, book the guide and split the cost across the crew.
When to go
Same country, four different trips. Pick the one you actually want.
Short dry
Jan – Feb
Hot and clear. Calving season on the plains.
Excellent and marginally quieter than August.
Long rains
Apr – May
Sustained rain, many camps close.
Zanzibar is still doable but wet.
Dry season
Jun – Oct
Dry and cool, game concentrated at water.
Migration river crossings fall in this window.
While you're there
Events in Tanzania that could anchor the trip instead.
Your countdown
Counted back from the day you fly. Lock dates in the planner and these become real calendar entries.
- Coming up3 months before you fly
Book flights
The 90 day mark is usually the floor for long-haul economy. Peak season windows want more like 150.
- Coming up3 months before you fly
Lock accommodation
Group-sized villas and adjoining hotel rooms are the first thing to disappear.
- Don't miss2 months before you fly
Check visa and passport
Confirm entry requirements for every passport in the group, and that nobody expires within six months of the return date.
- Don't miss6 weeks before you fly
Yellow fever certificate
Required if you are arriving from or transiting an endemic country. Malaria prophylaxis needs a lead time too.
Source - Don't miss4 weeks before you fly
Final group payment
Collect the balance from everyone before the supplier deadlines land.
- Good to know7 days before you fly
Pack for the season
Check the forecast against what this season actually does, not what the month sounds like.