We leave in the late afternoon/early evening to Moshi. It is possible to leave the next day early morning directly to Morogoro, but this way we can pass the traffic to Moshi already.

In Moshi there are different possibilities to stay for different budgets.

We leave in the early morning, to be ahead of the big traffic leaving the city. The biggest advantage of this is that you can see the world waking up slowly.

The route we take will go south in Korogwe, passing Handeni. It’s not the ‘classic route’ to the south. Most people take the route to Chalinze, but this road is very popular for buses and trucks.

The road to Handeni take is way more quiet. A small part of the road is rough road, but still in a good condition, so it won’t bother much.

This route is scenic. From the green hills of Kilimanjaro region and Lushoto, to more open areas, to valleys, red earth on the side of the road, local trees, ...

After a full day of driving we arrive in Morogoro. A lively city, surrounded by incredible green hills. The contrast of the busy city centre with all its traffic and businesses, with the view over these hills in the background is almost unreal.

There are different options for accommodation. It is possible to stay more inside the city centre, or we could go up the hills to have a spectacular views over the hills and valleys. There is accommodation for any kind of budget. We ended up in a small hotel. We didn't expect anything, since it was quite cheap, but we ended up in a room with a terrace with this view!

This will be a full day of driving, but you won’t get bored! You will see a lot of interesting things.

One of the areas we will pass has huge grey/black rocks spread over the area. People on the side of the road break these rocks into smaller pieces or tiny rocks. On the inside you can see a shiny white glittering stone. But of course there is much more to see! Passing many villages, greeting people, witnessing different life styles, crossing a variety of landscapes, ...

We can have a local lunch on the way or we can take a lunchbox for on the way.

You will sleep in a lodge close to the Matambe-gate to Nyerere National Park.

Enjoy a full day of game drives in Nyerere National Park. This national park is with 30,893 km2 the largest park of Tanzania. Rufiji River runs through this park, which is the largest river of Tanzania. The river is home to crocodiles and hippo’s, among other animals. You can find a huge mangrove forest to this river. The river feeds multiple lakes inside the park.

You will have the chance to see different species of wildlife: lions, zebra’s, impala’s, giraffes, ... The park is also known for it’s big population of African Wild Dogs.

There are different options to stay inside the park.

Second day of game drive in this beautiful park.

Enjoy driving around, spotting all the different species.

In the afternoon, we will drive towards Mtemere gate. Not too far from this gate outside the park, you can find Matembezi Safari Lodge. This lodge has a wonderful view over Rufiji River, where you can see the sun go down in the river. You can even enjoy a boat trip in the afternoon!

From Nyerere National Park our road continues in the direction of Kilwa Masoko, in the district of Lindi. This district is located on the coast side, almost to the boarder of Mozambique.

In this area they grow a lot of fruits, so you will see coconut plantations, a lot of stalls with stacks of fresh pineapples and oranges. We will stop to taste one of the best pineapples you will have ever tasted...

Kilwa Masoko is a small town located at the coast side. There are different places to stay, for anyone’s budget. We would recommend to stay in a place with an ocean view. Kilwa is a small town, but so peaceful with the ocean breeze and views.

This day will be a day full of boat trips and culture!

From Kilwa Masoko, we take a boat to Kilwa Kisiwani for about 15 minutes. This island has a lot of historical value. In fact, it is an archaeological site and UNESCO Heritage (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/144/ ). It was the centre of the Kilwa Sultanate. Until today there are many ruins of mosques, the Great Mosque for example. You can also see the ruins of an old Portuguese fort. Beautiful area! This is a part of Tanzania that many people can’t imagine. If you would see a picture of some of these buildings, you would think it was taken in Spain or Italy.

From Kilwa Kisiwani we continue our boat trip to Kilwa Songo Mnara. Songo means sharp corner, since the island has a corner on one side and Mnara means tower or lighthouse.

A bit before this next island, you can enjoy some snorkelling or swimming. You can see small fish in tropical colours and some corals. Very nice experience!

Kilwa Songo Mnara is a more desolated island. This island is a UNESCO Heritage site too. Archaeologists have found ruins of mosques, houses and cemeteries on this island.

You will see local fishermen, a huge mangrove forest and more coconut trees than you can imagine.

When you come ashore, you walk through coconut trees, ending up at a small path in the middle of mangroves, leading to the historical site. The site shows the remains of mosques, a palace and some houses, all built with local materials like corals and wood of mangroves.

You can enjoy fresh fish prepared on an open fire by the fisherman, on the boat back to Kilwa Kisiwani. If everything goes well, you can enjoy the most beautiful sunset while arriving back to Kilwa Masoko.

From Kilwa Masoko, we will head into the direction of Dar es Salaam.

Before this, we can have a stop at Kilwa Kivinje, again a town with a long history. You will see the remains of a slave market and many buildings a mixture of German colonial and Arab architecture.

We will continue our road to Kigamboni, a district a bit south of Dar es Salaam, located at the shore of the Indian Ocean. White beaches, coconut trees, the ocean breeze, ... What else can you wish for?

A day to relax at the beach, swimming in the Indian Ocean, to make a boat trip if you want. There a many activities possible, like fishing, snorkelling, ...

Depending on your wish, you can visit the city of Dar es Salaam, you can take a flight back home or a flight to Arusha to visit other national parks. Of course we can also continue our trip together to Arusha by car!