The Allure of the Swahili Coast

Meet your Travulous guide at your Nairobi hotel. After completing our arrival in country procedures, we depart for Chyulu Hills National Park.

Chyulu Hills National Park is home to spectacular landscape views, including the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro. Located between Amboseli and Tsavo West National Parks, Chyulu is a rugged wilderness area which to this day still displays signs of its ancient volcanic origins, including spectacular cave systems and craters. The national park offers an abundance of wildlife.

Upon arrival at Chyulu Hills National Park, transfer to your accommodation. Spend the rest of your day at leisure enjoying its facilities.

Driving Time: 3:30 hours.

Meals: Dinner included, breakfast and lunch at own arrangement.

Overnight: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

After breakfast, you can enjoy your accommodation’s facilities, or explore Chyulu Hills National Park. Activities include bird watching, game drives, horse riding or mountain climbing.

Chyulu Hills is one of the national parks in Kenya which is proudly home to all the Big Five, including lion, elephant, black rhino, leopard and buffalo. Other wildlife also call this park their home, including giraffe, zebra, eland, bushbuck, mountain, reedbuck, steenbok and bush pig, amongst others. Bird watchers will love Chyulu as its home to a great selection of bird species including turaco, sunbird, mousebird, barbet, hornbill, reedwarbler and greenbul.

All meals are served at your accommodation. Spend the evening relaxing, enjoying its facilities.

Driving Time: 0:00 hours (unless you choose a vehicle based activity in Chyulu Hills National Park).

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

After breakfast, it is time to pack your vehicle and depart for Malindi.

Boasting a fascinating history, Malindi is a bustling town located on Kenya’s coast. Home to a number of historical sights, the town offers a good selection of accommodations, bars, restaurants, a nearby marine national park and some of East Africa’s best tropical white-sand beaches, including Malindi’s very own and also neighbouring Watamu.

Upon arrival in Malindi, transfer to your accommodation. Spend the rest of your day at leisure exploring Malindi or enjoying your accommodation’s facilities.

Driving Time: 5:30 hours.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

After breakfast, you can enjoy your accommodation’s facilities or explore the sights and sounds of Malindi. Activities include visiting its historical sights, shopping and enjoying a selection of good dining opportunities.

Malindi is also home to many nature based activities, such as discovering its tropical beaches, going snorkeling and diving to discover its marine life, embarking on a boat cruise, or visiting the Marine National Park. A visit to Hell’s Kitchen, which has become part of the local folklore and is comprised of a series of eroded sandstone gorges, is also worthwhile. A short drive from Malindi you will find the abandoned and crumbling city of Gedi, once one of the most important Swahili cities on the East African coast.

Spend the evening exploring Malindi or relaxing at your accommodation.

Driving Time: 0:00 hours (unless you choose a vehicle based activity in Malindi).

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

After breakfast, it is time to pack your vehicle and depart for Lamu Island, via a boat from Mokowe.

Going back in history, Lamu was once an important stopover on ancient trading routes connecting Africa to the rest of the world. A mixture of Arab, Chinese, European and Indian influences, Lamu Old Town is one of the best-preserved and oldest Swahili settlements in East Africa. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001, Lamu Old Town has become one of the pivotal centres for the study of Swahili cultures.

Upon arrival in Lamu, transfer to your accommodation. Spend the rest of your day at leisure exploring Lamu or enjoying your accommodation’s facilities.

Driving Time: 3:30 hours.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

Today, you can either enjoy your accommodation’s facilities, or explore Lamu Island. Activities include visiting its historical sights, beautiful beaches, or exploring the road-free island via motorbike.

Lamu’s pristine white sand beaches offer a good selection of land and water based activities, such as snorkelling its dazzling coral reefs. A visit to Lamu Old Town is an absolute must if you are interested in learning more about the Swahili culture. Characterised for its maze of narrow streets, traditionally constructed buildings with wooden doors, mosques, shops and boutiques, you can spend all day exploring its fascinating history and architecture.

Spend the evening exploring Lamu or relaxing at your accommodation.

Driving Time: 0:00 hours.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

After breakfast, it is time to pack your vehicle and depart for Mombasa.

Historically, Mombasa was an important port for trade across the Indian Ocean. It gained it’s reputation due to the trade in gold, spices and ivory which passed through it’s old port. It has cemented this role as Kenya’s, and indeed one of the region’s, most important trading hubs due to its modern deepwater port. The city also attracts many tourists, due to its historical significance and its proximity to a range of attractive beaches.

Upon arrival in Mombasa, transfer to your accommodation. Spend the rest of the day at leisure exploring Mombasa or enjoying your your accommodation’s facilities.

Driving Time: 6:00 hours.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

Today, you can either enjoy your accommodation’s facilities, or explore Mombasa. Activities include discovering the city’s many cultural and historical attractions, in addition to its lively music scene and great seafood cuisine.

If you are interested in Mombasa’s history, then a visit to its old town and Fort Jesus is an absolute must. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2011, Fort Jesus is one of the best preserved examples of 16th century Portuguese military fortifications. Other attractions include visiting the city’s spice, fruit and vegetable markets, stunning beaches and nearby marine national park & reserve.

Spend the evening exploring Mombasa or relaxing at your accommodation.

Driving Time: 0:00 hours (unless you choose a vehicle based activity).

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

After breakfast, it is time to pack your vehicle and depart for Tanga.

In the past, Tanga was a popular colonial town with wide avenues and an elegant waterfront. Being the location of grand hotels, including a swimming and sailing club, the town flourished as it morphed into a thriving industrial centre. Despite Tanga today being one of Tanzania’s largest cities, its previous standing as a destination for the wealthy is not as prevalent anymore. For Drive Into The Wild’s purposes, Tanga serves as a suitable transit stop enroute to Saadani National Park.

Upon arrival in Tanga, transfer to your accommodation. Spend the rest of your day at leisure exploring Tanga or enjoying your accommodation’s facilities.

Driving Time: 3:30 hours + 1 hour border crossing

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

After breakfast, you can enjoy your accommodation’s facilities, or explore Tanga. Activities include visiting the city’s Ropeworks, Independence Avenue, Railway Station, Library and Boma overlooking the old harbour.

Areas to visit around Tanga include a tour of the Amboni Caves, which form one of the most extensive limestone cave systems in East Africa. Some of the locals visit to offer prayers and sacrifices, as they believe the caves to be supernatural and the home of a powerful deity. Alternatively, nearby Tongoni Ruins are also worth a visit. Although dating from the 13th to 16th centuries, they also include mosques and tombs from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Spend the evening exploring Tanga or relaxing at your accommodation.

Driving Time: 0:00 hours (unless you choose a vehicle based activity).

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

After breakfast, it is time to pack your vehicle and depart for Saadani National Park.

Located along Tanzania’s coastline on the Indian Ocean, Saadani National Park is famous for being the only wildlife reserve in East Africa which has a beachfront with plenty of marine life, in addition to a national park which is home to wildlife. For those who want to combine game drives, walking safaris, Wami River boat trips and relaxing on the beach, Saadani is the perfect destination for you.

Upon arrival in Saadani National Park, transfer to your accommodation. Spend the rest of your day at leisure enjoying your accommodation’s facilities.

Driving Time: 3:45 hours.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included, lunch at own arrangement.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

After breakfast, you can enjoy your accommodation’s facilities, or explore Saadani National Park. Activities include game drives, walking safaris, river trips and relaxing on the beach.

Converted from a game reserve to a national park in 2005, it is not unusual to encounter wild animals on the beach of this coastal park. Saadani is breeding site for endangered sea turtles and the park also protects important mangrove forests, which are rapidly disappearing along Africa’s coastlines. The park's wildlife includes the elusive leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo, hyena, giraffe, wildebeest and warthog, amongst others.

All meals are served at your accommodation. Spend the evening relaxing, enjoying its facilities.

Driving Time: 0:00 hours (unless you choose a vehicle based activity in Saadani National Park).

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

After breakfast, it is time to pack your vehicle and depart for Zanzibar, via Dar es Salaam from where we board a ferry or flight to Zanzibar.

Few names evoke such a romantic image as the spice islands of Zanzibar. Stone Town, its capital, is one of East Africa’s best cultural highlights and provides a fine example of a Swahili coastal trading town. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, it is home to a fascinating maze of narrow streets, ready for you to explore. Zanzibar also has beaches, with the Nungwi and Kendwa beaches in the north of the island ranking as some of its best.

Upon arrival in Zanzibar, transfer to your accommodation. Spend the rest of your day at leisure exploring Zanzibar or enjoying your accommodation’s facilities.

Driving Time: 3:30 hours + 1 hour flight.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

Today you can enjoy your accommodation’s facilities or explore the sights and sounds of Zanzibar and the island’s many optional activities and tours on offer.

This is the Indian Ocean at its very best. Unwind on pure white sand beaches or enjoy a selection of optional activities. Learn about the rich history of Zanzibar, its culture or stunning marine life. Alternatively, participate in a great selection of optional activities including spa treatments, dhow and sailing tours, motorised and non-motorised water activities, snorkelling and diving, guided tours (Prison Island, Jozani Forest, spice plantation, and cultural excursions.

Spend the evening exploring Zanzibar or relaxing at your accommodation.

Driving Time: 0:00 hours (unless you choose a vehicle based activity in Zanzibar).

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.

Accommodations: When we create your itinerary, you will receive complete descriptions of all your property choices.

After breakfast, transfer to Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport for your onward travel arrangements.

Alternatively, consider extending this trip by adding one of our Extension Ideas (see below) to this program.

Driving Time: 1:15 hours.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.