Full day game drive in Mikumi, visiting the different pools, or a trip into the close Udzungwa National Park for a guided walk through the rainforest up to the Sanje waterfalls which offers you a view over huge cane sugar fields. Lunch can be taken in the Lodge or have a picnic outside.

After breakfast, you will embark on a varied half-day drive, partly along Ruaha River, up through Baobab valley to Iringa. On the way you will visit the Isimila Stone Age site. The large excavation unearthed stone tools. In the valley, sculptural pillars rise into the sky. These were formed by severe weathering of the surrounding rocks and look similar to the ones at Brice Canyon in the USA. You will spend the night at a guesthouse or lodge in Iringa.

Iringa the centre of the southern highlands is located on a high plateau which leads to pleasant temperatures. The area around Iringa is famous for craftsmanship: cloths, braids, and shoes are available at reasonable prices on the regional market.

The drive from Iringa to Ruaha National Park takes about three hours. Many consider Ruaha the most beautiful and varied park in Tanzania. Whether along the bushy banks of Ruaha River with many large animals and waterfowl or in the hills – the area’s sceneries are breathtakingly beautiful.

Full day of wildlife viewing along Ruaha River, where many animals gather during the dry season, or through the rolling hills with huge granite boulders where leopard sunbathe on.

Depending on the season, it is possible to explore the park on foot for two to three hours, guided by a trained and armed park ranger. Walks are a great way to learn more about the behaviour of animals, reading tracks, and watching birds.

Morning flight from Ruaha National Park to Mahale National Park. Transfer by boat to the park and overnight at the camp of the Tanapa park administration. If you are lucky you may enjoy the first chimpanzee trekking already in the evening depending on how far away the chimpanzees are.

Chimpanzee trekking through the jungle of the Mahale National Park guided by a park-ranger. Depending on the hiking time, there is still time in the afternoon to explore the area on your own by foot or to relax on the beach of Lake Tanganyika.

Transfer by boat to Mahale Airstrip, fly directly to Kipili where you will be picked up and taken to the nearby Lake Shore Lodge. The lodge's chalets are located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

Alternatively, you may terminate your safari at Mahale and fly back directly to Dar es Salaam or to a beach in Zanzibar or Mafia Island.

Enjoy the stunning Lake Tanganyika by swimming, kayaking, snorkelling, scuba diving or alternatively hiking or biking around the beautiful region. You may also choose to just relax and enjoy the wonderful Lakeshore Lodge.

Day trip to Mbeya via Sumbawanga and Tunduma, the border town to Zambia. At Utengule Coffee Lodge you will spend the next three nights.

The lodge is located at the foot of the Mbeya Hills (former volcanoes) and offers wonderful views over the East African Rift Valley.

Relax at the lodge's pool or visit the coffee plantations, hike through the rainforest up to the crater rim of the extinct Ngozi Crater or visit Mbozi one of the largest iron meteorites in the world. Enjoy the excellent local cuisine and the best coffee in East Africa.

After lunch leave the lodge and take the 1.5 hour flight from Mbeya Airport to Dar es Salaam at 3pm. Return home later in the evening.

Option: Extend your stay by 4 days beach holidays on Zanzibar or Mafia Island. Departure at 9am from the local airport to Mafia Island or Zanzibar.

The snorkeling and dive sites at Mafia Island Marine Park, where Butiama Beach Resort runs its own dive center, and the slightly simpler Big Blue, are around 15 minutes away on the other side of the island. Entry to the Marine National Park is USD 20 per person per day.