Organizing a 3-day safari with kids then Zanzibar

Hello How old are the kids?

About the safari part, I don’t understand the first day—going to Tarangire then heading back the same day to Ngorongoro doesn’t make sense. It’ll be mostly driving on roads and tracks, paying the park entrance fee, and seeing almost nothing while rushing. Same for day 4, the route including Arusha Park or Manyara—meh.

With that many days, you could combine Tarangire and Manyara with more time in Tarangire. Otherwise, Serengeti would be better. Or add more days while sticking to a limited number of parks.

It’s better to do fewer parks but do them well.

For airlines, Precision Air, Tanzania Air—Ethiopian and maybe Kenya Airways also offer flights.

Hi there,

First tip—if you haven’t already—is to **carefully** read all the tabs in the travel advice from our embassy’s consular services, here: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs/conseils-par-pays-destination/tanzanie/

Next, it’s best to take out a solid travel insurance policy (don’t just rely on the one from your bank card, which often only covers advances on expenses). Make sure to read the latest version of the contract.

A simple example: Chapka travel insurance.

As for kids (I don’t have any), I personally think they don’t really enjoy this kind of trip and don’t understand what "wildlife" is all about! I’ve seen plenty of kids get bored and make life miserable for their parents—or just play video games on their smartphones in the back—during safaris in Kenya and Tanzania. That’s a pretty expensive trip for something like that... This is just my observation and personal opinion, though.

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... continuation.

- Are you fans or lovers of wild nature and animals? (mammals, birds) What’s your motivation or expectations for such a trip?

- How old are your kids?

- Regarding the planned route, you might not fully grasp the size of the reserves and the distances to cover between them.

My travel/vacation motto: Do LITTLE, but do it WELL!

The Tarangire is a stunning reserve—my favorite in the north. But it’s enormous. Spending just a short half-day there would be pointless and a waste of money (X4) for NOTHING! It’s a reserve where I’ve often advised friends to stay for 4 nights. I think you could dedicate your entire safari trip to this reserve alone. Also, for this 10th-anniversary celebration, packing and unpacking for 4 people morning and night... not cool for mom!

Arusha doesn’t offer much of interest (in my opinion), even less for a very short stay. If your flight arrives in the first half of the day, don’t stop in this city. Head straight to the entrance of your first chosen reserve.

I don’t recommend going to Ngorongoro—it’s overcrowded. In seven safari trips, it’s my only (big) disappointment in this country. At times, it feels like Place de la Concorde during rush hour...!! Plus, it’s the most expensive safari spot in Tanzania and doesn’t live up to the hype. (Again, just my personal opinion as a wildlife and safari enthusiast.)

If you spend time in Tarangire, there’s no need to visit Manyara, which is more of a stopover on the way to the Serengeti. Manyara is a small reserve, and a full day (or a morning followed by another morning) is enough to explore it.

Given that you’ve planned to go to Zanzibar, which is on the opposite side of the country from the northern reserves, why not consider the southern reserves instead? You could arrive in Dar es Salaam and head to either Mikumi (the closest) or Selous (my favorite reserve in the south). It’s about a 4- to 5-hour drive from Dar es Salaam to Mikumi. If you want to get an idea of these two reserves, check out my travel journal (2004) in this forum.

https://voyageforum.com/forum/mikumi-selous-dans-sud-tanzanien-juin-2024-d10707408/

Happy planning! Cheers,

Puma2A

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Okay, while waiting for your clarifications—especially about the kids' ages—here’s my take: kids enjoy safaris, but not beyond 3 days / 2 nights. They don’t complain, but you can tell their energy isn’t the same. Safaris can get really long without always seeing much (or seeing the same things over and over), and it’s tiring in any case. If your kids like camping, you could consider a public campsite bivouac—it’s cheaper, and better because you can leave at dawn and return at dusk, the two times you see the most animals. Plus, the campsite is super immersive (in Tarangire, we heard lions roaring, hyenas cackling, elephants passed by the tents at night, and giraffes were around in the morning).

After that, it really depends on the kids, so it’s hard for us to say if they’ll like it or not, or if they’ll handle it for long.

As for park choices, everything’s possible, and Puma’s advice is always solid. If you’re staying in the North, it’s up to you, but don’t do just one night or a full day in a park—honestly, it’s not worth it (Ngorongoro is different because of special rules). Ideally, 2 nights, but Manyara needs less time since it’s small. You can find some really nice lodgings in Mto Wa Mbu. Personally, I’ve stayed at Migombani Camp before, and if I remember right, it wasn’t too expensive, had a gorgeous view, and a pool under a baobab tree. It could work for a Tarangire/Manyara combo over 3 or 4 nights

Hi

The question is... the kids' ages. I did Tanzania + Zanzibar when they were 8 and 12. Our itinerary was: Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro + first night Day 2: Tarangire Day 3: Tarangire Day 4: Ngorongoro Day 5: Departure to Zanzibar via Arusha, night in Stone Town Day 6: Stone Town Days 7 to 11: Matemwe Day 12: Return

In the end, 3 days of safari was just right. I think the kids would have been okay with a 4th day, but not more—the call of the sea was too strong [;)]

Thanks everyone, I couldn’t log into my account anymore. My kids are 6 and 8 years old. After careful consideration, we’re going to opt for Sri Lanka!

Ah okay, that’s quite different. Any destinations that are more step-parent friendly? [;)]

haha no, my mother-in-law will panic no matter what But the flight tickets to Tanzania were 1,400 € per person, which made for a pretty big budget and there were the constraints: Malarone/malaria, etc. I’m thinking Sri Lanka will be more relaxed, and we can also do a "mini" safari

Good luck with the preparations and have a great trip! And a box of Xanax for the mother-in-law ;)

Hi there,

We went on a safari in Tanzania with our 5- and 8-year-olds. They loved it and never got bored. I saw you changed your destination—we also took our kids to Sri Lanka, and it’s really great too.