OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Probably the most beautiful balloon flight in the world and the Ultimate Safari Experience!!! AT 5:00 am Serengeti Balloon Safaris will collect you from the lodge and transfer you by vehicle to the launch in the Central Serengeti. Here you will meet your pilot, receive a briefing and watch the inflation of your balloon. At dawn take off, rising as the sun rises and float in whichever direction the winds of the morning take us. Your pilot can precisely control the altitude of your balloon. The flight takes about one hour depending on wind conditions. You celebrate traditionally with sparkling wine before sitting down to a full English breakfast prepared and served in the bush in 'Out of Africa' style with bone china, linen table cloths, King's silver, etc. After breakfast, you receive your Serengeti Balloon certificate and drive back to the camp to meet up with the rest of the group to continue your day's activities. 

Descend 600m into the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater (referred to as the Garden of Eden) for game drives. Witness an unforgettable spectacle of African wildlife - a world teeming with animals. The park sustains a vast variety of animals, including the black rhino, with its year-round water supply and fodder. Another big drawcard to this picturesque park is its dense population of predators, which includes lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-elusive leopard. A drive through the forest will allow you to feast your eyes on some of the most spectacular green vegetation you will ever see. We will enjoy a picnic lunch down in the crater and our last game drive en-route to the access point.

The picture of a Maasai warrior – beautiful, long hair caked in ochre mud and his body adorned with many colourful beads, leaning on his spear while he surveys the surrounding savannah – is one of East Africa's most recognisable images and the epitome of African dignity and tradition. The “Maasai Village visit” is an optional activity we offer en-route to the Serengeti National Park. We encourage clients to visit the Maasai Village or Manyatta if they are interested in Maasai culture and would like to experience a way of life unchanged for centuries. Visitors are always struck by the grace and beauty of the Maasai people, and the colourful lifestyle they lead. The village also has a curio market where you can buy traditional Maasai beadwork (but you need to negotiate as their prices aren't low). It is advised not to take photos of Maasai’s along the road – visiting the Maasai Village gives the opportunity of taking as many pictures as you like.

Follow the trail of the sultans, slaves and explorers in the winding streets of Stone Town. Your guide will tell you about the events that shaped Zanzibar, leading you through the buildings where it all happened, such as the former Slave Market and Anglican Cathedral, the House of Wonders and the Sultans’ Palace Museum, the Old Arab Fort and Dispensary.

While tracing the steps of the past, the walking tour provides you with a window into modern life in Stone Town. Explore the markets, seafood and fish piled in the fish market, fresh loaves of bread in wicker baskets and the neat stacks of fruit and vegetables as traders sell their wares from their stalls. Children play in the streets in the residential areas, mamas sit out and gossip while the men play board games. With the recent influx in tourists- particularly Italians with penchant for fine coffee- has seen a number of Zanzibar coffee houses throughout Stone Town. Explore these hidden gems and watch the world go on by as you sip on a variety of deliciously spice-infused African coffee. The City Tour is very flexible and can be adapted suit your interest and time frame, if you’re a shopaholic, culture vulture or history buff. If you want to hunt for antiques and souvenir shop, follow David Livingstone’s time in Zanzibar and walk the path of the slave trade, your guide can recommend and develop routes and itineraries that will optimise your time and get the most out of your trip.

In days past, Zanzibar was known as a spice island, exporting cloves, vanilla, nutmeg and cardamom across the world. The spices were brought over from Asia and South America and flourished in the tropical climate. Nowadays the plantations are a tribute to the island’s past, swapping spices for tourism, combining both in a spice tour, one of the most popular excursions in the island. Walk through the spice farm with your guide -touch, smell and taste different spices and tropical fruits. Try to guess which is which, from the crushed leaves, the fruit, shoots and vines and creepers crawling up the Zanzibar Spice Tour trees. Learn about their properties, their origins and their use as medicines and in food and drink. A visit to a spice farm village gives you an insight into local life and the opportunity to try some Swahili dishes, taste the fruits in season and try some spiced tea. An optional lunch is available at Hakuna Matata Beach Lodge, a special menu, prepared with the best of the seasonal fruit and spices introduced to you during the tour. Depending on the season you are visiting, you can find anything from vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, lemon grass, cloves, ylang ylang, cumin, garlic, ginger, coriander, pepper, allspice, tamarind, chili, oregano and more!

Fruits can include banana, pineapple, jackfruit, custard fruit, oranges, star fruit, tangerine, passion fruit, mango, avocado, pear, papaya, grape fruit and many others.

A full day excursion on tra¬ditional sailing dhows, Sa¬fari Blue starts from Fumba, the perfect starting point to explore Menai Bay, an official Conser¬vation Area. Home to beautiful uninhabited islands, the area is stunning, frequented by hump¬back and bottlenose dolphins. On arrival at Fumba, clients are given a briefing on Safari Blue and then you board your dhow and you’re off to explore the bay. Dolphins are sighted on approximately 90% of trips. Anchor is dropped at the Kwale sandbank, where sunshades are set up and guests have the chance to go snorkelling in the coral reefs, helped by the guides. After snorkelling, you’ll be of¬fered refreshments to whet your appetite before heading to Kwale Island, for lunch under the tam¬arind trees. Drinks are served throughout the day and lunch is a buffet of grilled fish, lobster, calamari, chicken and rice, with a tasting of tropical fruits.

After lunch, you can sunbathe, snooze or visit the beautiful mangrove lagoon. Depending on the tide, you may be able to take a swim in the lagoon. For the ad¬venturous, join the crew to sail in an “ngalawa”, a local outrig¬ger canoe but be careful not to tip the boat! Then it’s back to Fumba for around 5:30pm.