Two guides walking through grassland with elephant behind, Forest Chem Chem, Lake Manyara, Tanzania
Luxury lodge with thatched roof and outdoor seating area at dusk, Mama Simba, Arusha, Tanzania
Safari camp with canvas tent in open grassland under stormy sky with rainbow, Laba Migration Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Beachfront thatched bungalow illuminated at dusk with palm trees, Mnemba Island, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania
Large tree with golden lights over outdoor seating area, Forest Chem Chem, Lake Manyara, Tanzania
Illuminated lodge with thatched roof overlooking lit swimming pool at dusk, Mama Simba, Arusha, Tanzania
Safari tent bedroom with mosquito netting and forest views, Forest Chem Chem, Lake Manyara, Tanzania
Luxury safari tent interior with bed and lounge seating area, Laba Migration Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Beach pavilion with thatched roof overlooking turquoise ocean, Mnemba Island, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania
Luxury bedroom suite with thatched ceiling and fireplace overlooking gardens, Mama Simba, Arusha, Tanzania
Large elephant with tusks walking across grassland savanna, Forest Chem Chem, Lake Manyara, Tanzania
Open-sided safari vehicle with guests on game drive across grassland savanna, Laba Migration Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Bedroom suite with gauze canopy overlooking coastal landscape, Mnemba Island, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania

inspiration

tanzania: mobile camping and a private island

Private Safari
From $17,875 pp
6 guests
10 nights

trip highlights

  • At Forest Chem Chem the whole four-tent camp is taken by one group, on a community concession where walking with Maasai guides and night drives are both permitted.
  • Tarangire's elephant herds and baobabs and Lake Manyara's tree-climbing lions and flamingos lie a private drive from camp.
  • Laba Migration Camp relocates three times a year across the Serengeti, from the Ndutu calving plains to the Mara River crossings.
  • Mnemba Island sits behind its own reef within a marine conservation area supporting around 600 species of fish, with a maximum of 24 guests.
Scroll for the full itinerary
Fishermen displaying daily catch from traditional sailing boat, Mnemba Island, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania

From Meru's Slopes to Mnemba's Reef

This ten-night route runs north then out to sea, linking four contrasting parts of Tanzania. It opens on the North Dolly wildlife estate below Mount Meru near Arusha, moves to the Burunge corridor between Tarangire and Lake Manyara, then into the Serengeti to follow the migrating herds, and closes on Mnemba Island off the northeast coast of Zanzibar.

You travel by road and light aircraft, walking and riding where there are no predators, driving and tracking where there are, then trading the plains for reef and tide. Accommodation ranges from a nine-room estate lodge to a four-tent private camp, a mobile tented camp that moves with the herds and a twelve-banda island retreat.

plan your safari

Daily Itinerary Breakdown

Arusha and the North Dolly Estate

Your first morning is spent on the North Dolly wildlife estate, watching zebra and antelope drift across the grass below Mount Meru, thirty-five minutes from Kilimanjaro International Airport. There are no large predators here, so you explore on foot with Maasai trackers and on horseback, drawing close to grazing wildebeest, eland, kudu, impala and gerenuk. Mama Simba is a nine-room lodge; six garden cottages stand alone across the estate, each with a wood-burning fireplace, a freestanding copper bathtub and a private terrace turned towards Meru.

Tarangire's Elephant Corridor on Foot

A private drive brings you to the Burunge Wildlife Management Area, the community-run corridor that links Tarangire and Lake Manyara. Your group takes the whole camp, so the days follow no fixed schedule: you walk with Maasai guides who read the tracks and point out medicinal plants, and after dark the spotlights pick up genets, owls and smaller carnivores the parks reveal less readily. Tarangire's elephant herds and baobabs are a drive away, and Lake Manyara adds tree-climbing lions and flamingos. Forest Chem Chem has just four canvas tents raised on platforms beneath fever trees and mature baobabs, understated and light on the ground.

Following the Serengeti Migration

These days are spent in a mobile camp that relocates three times a year to follow the wildebeest and zebra across the Serengeti. From December to March it sits on the Ndutu plains for the calving; by mid-year it shifts west toward the Grumeti, then north to the Mara River. Where you stay depends on the season, and the herds are often close enough to graze between the tents and call through the night. Laba Migration Camp opened in 2024 and holds up to 22 guests; its mess tent reads like a natural-history study, filled with rare books, fossils and meteorites, and there is a tented gym with Technogym machines.

Mnemba's Private Island and Reef

After the plains you reach the coast, crossing to a private island about 3 km off the northeast of Unguja. There are no jetties, so you wade ashore, leave your shoes at the door and let the tide set the day. The reef within the surrounding marine conservation area supports around 600 species of fish, with green turtles, three species of dolphin and, between July and September, seasonal humpback whales passing through the deeper water. Mnemba holds just 12 open-air bandas and a maximum of 24 guests, each built without doors or windows beneath casuarina trees, with a private beach lounge and a personal sala.

Ed Charles photographing wildlife

Ed Charles, BBC Producer

Fitzroy are true specialists in accessing the wilderness. They know where to go and importantly, when to go there. Highly recommended.

Ed Charles

Bafta & Emmy award winning film producer of BBC’s Planet Earth 2 and A Perfect Planet

looking for inspiration?

Cheetah head profile against soft green background, Ubuntu Migration Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Silhouetted herd of wildebeest in dusty savanna landscape Colonial-style lodge building with manicured gardens and palm trees, Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania Safari tent at sunset with acacia trees and savanna, Namiri Plains, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Guest relaxing on canvas deck overlooking savanna landscape, Ubuntu Migration Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Wooden walkway through dense forest canopy with staff member, Greystoke Mahale, Mahale Mountains, Tanzania Tree-lined dirt path with purple flowering vines overhead, Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania Sunset view from lodge deck with infinity pool overlooking savanna, Namiri Plains, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Canvas safari tent with acacia tree at golden hour, Ubuntu Migration Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Couple relaxing in beachfront shelter overlooking ocean, Greystoke Mahale, Mahale Mountains, Tanzania Aerial view of lodge buildings nestled among dense forest trees, Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania Luxury bedroom with gold accents and patterned wallpaper, Namiri Plains, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Safari tent lounge with canvas walls and savanna view, Ubuntu Migration Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Couple relaxing on wooden deck overlooking forest valley, Greystoke Mahale, Mahale Mountains, Tanzania

tanzania

migration away from the crowds

Ten nights across Tanzania, from the eastern and southern Serengeti to chimpanzee trekking at Mahale on Lake Tanganyika.

  • Private Safari
  • From $15,635 pp
  • 2 guests
  • 10 nights
View Safari
Three African wild dogs interacting in natural habitat, Roho ya Selous, Nyerere National Park, Tanzania Thatched roof guest bungalows with wooden deck and stairs, Fundu Lagoon, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania Two African wild dogs standing on dusty ground Hippopotamus partially submerged in water during rainfall Safari camp outdoor dining area at sunset with campfire, Roho ya Selous, Nyerere National Park, Tanzania Safari tent bedroom with canopy beds and savanna view, Roho ya Selous, Nyerere National Park, Tanzania Wooden boardwalk pier extending into turquoise lagoon water, Fundu Lagoon, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania Boat with passengers on calm water at sunrise, Roho ya Selous, Nyerere National Park, Tanzania Wooden pier extending into turquoise lagoon water, Fundu Lagoon, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania Nile crocodile with open mouth on rocky surface Lioness yawning with mouth wide open, displaying teeth

tanzania

the rufiji river and pemba’s reefs

Ten nights in Tanzania, from boat and walking safaris on the Rufiji lakes to the reefs and forest of Pemba Island.

  • Private Safari
  • From $10,490 pp
  • 2 guests
  • 10 nights
View Safari
Young zebra foal surrounded by adult zebras in black and white Large herd of wildebeest crossing water during migration Luxury lodge with thatched roof and outdoor seating area at dusk, Mama Simba, Arusha, Tanzania Canvas tent accommodation at sunset in savanna landscape, Olakira Migration Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Elevated colonial-style lodge surrounded by palm trees and tropical vegetation, Breezes Beach Club & Spa, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania Illuminated lodge with thatched roof overlooking lit swimming pool at dusk, Mama Simba, Arusha, Tanzania Illuminated safari tent under starry night sky, Olakira Migration Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Wooden deck with chairs overlooking tropical resort pool and palm gardens, Breezes Beach Club & Spa, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania Luxury bedroom suite with thatched ceiling and fireplace overlooking gardens, Mama Simba, Arusha, Tanzania Safari tent accommodation at sunset in open grassland, Olakira Migration Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Tropical resort pool with palm trees and flowering gardens at midday, Breezes Beach Club & Spa, Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania

tanzania

mobile camping with the migration

Ten nights across Tanzania, from a predator-free estate near Arusha to the Serengeti migration and Zanzibar's reef coast.

  • Private Safari
  • From $8,200 pp
  • 2 guests
  • 10 nights
View Safari

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Planning a journey together

our approach

remote, exclusive
& personal

Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.

Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.

Every journey starts with a conversation. We favour a direct, personal approach: understanding your vision before anything else.

Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape a journey that is both thoughtfully considered and expertly delivered.

Get in touch to start planning yours.

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