Pingwe/Stone Town/Serengeti Itinerary Guide For Seniors

Pingwe/Stone Town/Serengeti Itinerary Guide For Seniors. The tropical lagoons, peaceful beaches, cultural events, and underwater suites of Zanzibar make trips easy for older people. Wildebeest herds, prides of lions, spotted cats, and zebra stripes provide constant safari thrill in the Serengeti. This meticulously planned vacation visits four faraway places, starting with an eclectic island experience and ending with a leisurely big game safari. The huge wildebeest migration will surround you once you’ve settled into island paradise.

Pingwe | Zanzibar Tanzania | Tropical Paradise | Drone cinematographic video

Pingwe/Stone Town/Serengeti Customizable Itinerary

Day 1: Pingwe – Settling into a Quiet Beach Escape

You will be able to see the ocean from a beach cottage. As the sun sets, the tranquil waters reflect the sky’s shifting shades of blue and green. Even if you can’t always see the waves, you can sometimes hear them. A mile offshore, they’ll slam into a coral reef, transforming the seas near the shore into a lagoon. The water’s temperature and the absence of currents might make it feel like you’re swimming or wading in a bath. Floating and swimming here is perfectly safe for people of all ages, even at high tide when the waves are too high to swim.

At low tide, the eastern coast will also provide a breathtaking view. As the sea level drops, you’ll be able to walk on water no deeper than your ankles or knees. Coral reefs will be teeming with tropical fish and other marine life, so you may see a wide variety of aquatic creatures without snorkeling during certain times of day. A sense of calmness will also accompany that initial perception. Little will disturb the stillness on this uninhabited portion of the island. Get ready to step into a tropical paradise as you kick off your shoes and groove to the soothing rhythm of Zanzibar. Activities on the island can be planned for a later date, though.

Day 2: Pingwe – Resting Up on the White Sand

No matter where you’ve just landed, Pingwe is the perfect place to go away. After a long day on an African safari, you’ll be able to relax and recharge in this tranquil setting, perfect for getting some much-needed perspective. Located two or three rows back from the beach, Nungwe is Zanzibar’s most well-known beach resort. On the other hand, the entire southeast is bordered by coastline. Every bungalow at the resort provides plenty of room to move around. Whitewashed walls, thatched roofs, and big windows let in the ocean breeze, and the whole structure is built in a classic style. Nothing is taller than two floors.

The beach is usually a bit too hot for sunbathing, according to many tourists. Here, it’s typical practice to lie on a lounger outside your bungalow, where you may enjoy a beautiful view of the beach and, if needed, some shade from the trees. After a day of relaxation, you will dine at a fine restaurant on Zanzibar. Located on a secluded coral outcrop, your beachside eatery will require a little boat ride to reach. The Italian-Zanzibari cuisine, which has been hailed as some of the finest in Africa for quite some time, goes perfectly with the breathtaking scenery.

Day 3: Pingwe – Another Beautiful Day in Zanzibar

There is a lengthy stretch of wide beach. Even though it’s not completely private, you probably won’t see more than a handful of other individuals there. There will be no pushy beach vendors, but you might meet a native and strike up a chat every once in a while. At high tide, the beach’s rugged coral cliffs will divide the shoreline into several smaller beaches; at low tide, however, you’ll only be able to travel twenty kilometers on white sand. We don’t have anything scheduled for today, but if you’d like to do something water-related, like go fishing with a local guide, you can.

Day 4: Stone Town – Walking with Monkeys and an Easy Tour of the Old Maze

Stone Town, Zanzibar 🇹🇿 Walking Tour | A Walk Along Zanzibar Island

The upper branches of Jozani Forest will have tails drooping from them. Their genus is Colobus, and they’re a stunning red subspecies of monkeys that are unique to this island and of which there are less than a thousand wild specimens. They have ochre-colored fur swishing across their backs and stunning white beards and hair encircle their black features. Sykes monkeys, a cheekier species that often wanders the ground, join them in the trees. Sykes are energetic spheres that frequently gallop off the resident duikers, in contrast to the graceful and undisturbed colobuses that lounge mythically in the canopy. The paths leading to Stone Town through Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park are flat and smooth, and it normally takes no more than five minutes of walking before you see monkeys.

After lunch, you’ll head to Stone Town to spend the afternoon sightseeing. Stone Town is quite small, with narrow alleyways that barely allow the donkey carts to pass. Due to the high likelihood of becoming lost and the ineffectiveness of current GPS systems, you may find yourself trekking indefinitely. You will be escorted by knowledgeable locals as you soak in the evocative ambiance at sites like the Old Fort and the House of Wonders, as well as the spices and merchants at Darajani Market. The Old Slave Market Museum and Tippu Tip’s House will take you on a journey through the island’s slave trading history, while the Sultan’s Palace and People’s Palace Museum will take you on a tour of several architectural eras.

Day 5: Stone Town – Evocative Spice and Slave Trading History Tour

The vast spice plantations of Zanzibar’s past are visible beyond Stone Town. Even before you reach there, another era will be brought to life. You will find the Mangapwani Slave Chamber down a short flight of steps, next to some partially completed palaces. The Mangapwani Coral Cave, another resting place for the stolen, is just as dark. Slave dealers would use these caverns all through the 19th century to covertly load their ships with slaves thanks to their secret entrances. This hazy tale will be cleared up by an enticing variety of new aromas. As you stroll around the plantation, you’ll smell the aromas of pepper, cloves, cardamom, lemongrass, nutmeg, and vanilla.

This is also a great place to see fruit plantations; when you stroll through the fields, you’ll see banana trees, orange trees, jackfruit, custard fruit, star fruit, avocado, papaya, and countless more fruits. Traders from Asia and South America brought these fruits and spices. Zanzibar is known as the Spice Island because of the thriving tropical plants that were brought to the island from other parts of the world. There will be some free time in the afternoon in Stone Town following lunch at the farm. Featuring luxurious Persian and Omani-inspired furniture, your hotel will be housed in a historic coral structure. Spending a lazy afternoon on your balcony while taking in the sounds below is a sure bet. The streets are lined with fascinating antique shops, so you may take a stroll and see what you can find.

Day 6: Stone Town – Half-Day Traditional Dhow Cruise to Coral and Islands

Sunset Dinner Cruise Zanzibar Stone Town Tanzania.

As you set sail, you will sail across the lagoon-life waters of western Zanzibar, passing sandbanks and coral outcrops. You will stop at Prison Island, where the prison is now in ruins and wrapped around big clumps of coconut palms. Here, the beach is also white, and there will be time to walk around the deserted island. Along the way, you will see dozens of giant tortoises, some of which are over a century old. The sail will ruffle, and you will travel on the wind, just like the ancient explorers.

Day 7: Pemba – Surrounded by Marine Life in an Underwater Suite

Pemba is the second biggest island in the Zanzibar archipelago and the sister island of Zanzibar. Its seas are home to turtles. Together with them, you can expect to see reef sharks, rays, tuna, marlin, and an assortment of tropical species. On other islands, you’d have to go scuba diving or snorkeling to see such an abundance of marine life, but not Pemba. Underneath this natural aquarium is a hotel suite that may be reserved exclusively for your use. You can avoid getting wet by simply lying on the bed and watching the presentation, which will immerse you in a world of living organisms. There are just a handful of underwater suites like this one in the entire globe. Once the sun goes down, the show will go on with gentle outside lighting that will make it easy to watch the aquatic creatures passing by.

Traveling to Pemba is an adventure in and of itself. From Zanzibar Town to Pemba, you can take a short 30-minute scenic flight across the archipelago. People who claim that Pemba is just like Zanzibar in the past imply that there isn’t much of a tourist industry there. Pemba has its own unique culture and traditions, much like its larger sibling, and it also has a long history. As a result, you won’t miss out on the local culture and hospitality while enjoying the breathtaking maritime beauty.

Day 8 – 9: Pemba – Quiet Days on the Pemba Beaches

You will be transferred to a more conventional beachside cottage after spending the night and morning in the underwater suite. With no particular plans for these two days, your Zanzibar vacation will be complete. One option is to go on a safari to Misali Island by dhow and return at dusk; another is to visit Ngezi Forest, home to monkeys and small antelope. During these two days, you will be surrounded by a traditional island landscape, complete with towering palm trees and the characteristic colors of the Indian Ocean. Take off your shoes, relax, and soak up the island vibe on these days when there won’t be anything going on.

Day 10: Serengeti – Onto the Grass Plains

Combining an island getaway with a quick safari is now easier than ever thanks to direct flights between Pemba and the Serengeti. Landing on an airfield in the middle of nowhere requires frequent animal clearance, yet you’ll be able to fly in a small plane. You will be staying in the most verdant location because your camp will follow the huge wildebeest migration. In any case, you’ll jump right into a gaming drive, crashing across the grasslands to get your first encounters with the world-famous migratory herds, because the downtime will prepare you for the adventure. Zebras are densely packed, resembling a panorama of black and white stripes that local predators observe, in contrast to the vast, shambling herds of wildebeest.

Day 11 – 12: Serengeti – Idyllic African Safari for Seniors

Safaris are made easy in the Serengeti. Animals in the national park migrate with the seasons and congregate in different spots at different times of year, despite the fact that the park is bigger than New Jersey. Approximately two million animals are in the midst of their world-famous wildebeest migration. No predators, with the exception of vultures and hyenas, pursue the herds. Instead, they stock up on food while they wait for the migration to go through their area. Wildebeests and zebras populate the first panorama, but lion prides, leopards, cheetahs, and other big cats are just around the corner.

Morning and afternoon wildlife drives will make up your personalized safari. Because the cats continue hunting after the migration, you have the best chance of seeing one in action if you go out at sunrise. When you approach closely enough, you may hear the resonant roar of a lion chasing after scavengers after a slaughter, or you can hear the crushing of jaws on the carcasses. You get to choose the itinerary and duration of your private safari, which can include activities like a sunrise hot air balloon flight or a picnic site with a view of hippos. Staying in a mobile camp among the herds on a Serengeti safari allows for quicker interactions with all the species and less driving, which is why location is crucial.

Day 13: Kilimanjaro – Departure

You will be taken to the airstrip after your last game drive and then flown to Kilimanjaro International Airport to connect with your international flight.

End of the 13 Days Pingwe/Stone Town/Serengeti Itinerary