2-Day Nyerere National Park Safari from Zanzibar

Pick up from your Zanzibar hotel early morning and transfer to the airport for your flight to the mainland, where you are met by your guide and driven to Nyerere National Park, formerly the Selous Game Reserve. The drive takes you through rural Tanzania, passing sisal plantations, palm forests, and small villages. Arrive in the early afternoon and settle into your mid-range lodge before heading out for a boat safari along the mighty Rufiji River. The boat trip offers incredible close-up encounters with hippos, crocodiles, and a dazzling array of birdlife including fish eagles, malachite kingfishers, and giant kingfishers. Watch the sun set over the river as elephants drink and splash at the water's edge. Return to the lodge for a delicious dinner and your first night in the African bush.

Rise before dawn for an early morning game drive in Nyerere, one of Africa's largest protected areas, when predators are most active and the light is magical for photography. Search for lions, leopards, wild dogs, and enormous herds of elephants in the miombo woodlands and open grasslands. Stop for a bush breakfast in a scenic spot, surrounded by the sounds of the African bush. The park is home to over 400 bird species, so keep your binoculars ready for ground hornbills, palmnut vultures, and wattled cranes. Return to the lodge for brunch and check out before beginning the journey back to Zanzibar. Arrive in Zanzibar by evening with incredible memories of a wild and pristine African wilderness.