From Zanzibar: Mikumi National Park Fly-In Safari With Private Game Drives

Mikumi National Park 2-Day Fly-In Safari from Zanzibar

Trade the turquoise shoreline for golden savannah on this two-day fly-in escape to Mikumi, Tanzania's fourth-largest national park and the gateway to the vast Selous–Nyerere ecosystem. With private game drives on both days, a night under the stars at Mikumi Wildlife Lodge, and every meal taken care of, it's the most rewarding way to add a genuine Big Game safari to a Zanzibar holiday without losing days to long road transfers.

Day 1 Zanzibar to the Mkata Plains

Your safari begins with a pick-up from your Zanzibar hotel and a short transfer to the airport, where you board your flight to Mikumi. Within the hour the Indian Ocean gives way to the open grasslands of the Mkata Floodplain, often described as the closest thing in southern Tanzania to the Serengeti.

On arrival you are met and set out on a full-day private game drive in your own vehicle, with a guide dedicated entirely to your party. The Mkata Plains are home to elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, impala and wildebeest, with resident lion and the chance of spotting leopard or the park's famous herds against a backdrop of the Uluguru and Rubeho mountains. Because the drive is private, the day moves at your pace, lingering at a waterhole, following a sighting, or simply pausing for photographs whenever you wish.

A coffee and tea stop and a bush lunch out in the park keep you going through the heart of the day, so you can stay out among the wildlife rather than returning early.

As the afternoon light softens, you arrive at Mikumi Wildlife Lodge for your overnight stay. Set within the park itself, the lodge places you close to the action, with the sounds of the bush for company. Dinner, and your overnight, are on a full-board basis so the evening is yours to relax and recount the day's sightings over a meal.

Day 2 A Final Drive and the Flight Home

After breakfast at the lodge, you head out on a second private game drive. The early hours are prime time for wildlife, when the air is cool and animals are most active, a different rhythm to the previous day and often the best opportunity for big cats and birdlife. A coffee and tea pause and a bush lunch are again provided, rounding out your time in the park.

From there you transfer back to the airstrip for your return flight to Zanzibar, where you are met and dropped off at your hotel, back on the coast by the end of the day, with two full days of safari behind you.

Meal plan & accommodation at a glance

• Overnight: 1 night at Mikumi Wildlife Lodge (standard room)
• Board basis: Full board, breakfast, lunch and dinner included throughout
• Included meals in the park: Bush lunch and a coffee/tea pause on both days
• Game drives: Two private game drives (Day 1 full-day; Day 2 morning)
• Flights & transfers: Return flights Zanzibar ⇄ Mikumi, plus hotel pick-up and drop-off