Lake Duluti Canoeing

Lake Duluti is a small crater lake fringed by forest reserve close to Arusha. A guided canoe outing glides past the wooded shoreline where kingfishers, herons and fish eagles are common, and a walking trail circles part of the forest edge.

It makes an easy half-day, often paired with a coffee-estate visit.

Jozani Forest Red Colobus Walk

Jozani-Chwaka Bay is Zanzibar’s only national park and the stronghold of the endemic Zanzibar red colobus monkey, which is readily seen on a short guided forest walk. The visit also includes a mangrove boardwalk through coastal wetland.

It is an easy half-day from Stone Town or the east-coast beaches.

Mnemba Atoll Snorkelling

The reef around Mnemba Atoll, off Zanzibar’s northeast coast, is one of the island’s best-known snorkelling and diving areas, with clear water and abundant reef fish. Trips depart by boat from the nearby beaches; the atoll itself is a private island, so visits are to the surrounding waters.

Prison Island (Changuu) Trip

Changuu, widely known as Prison Island, lies a short boat ride off Stone Town. It is best known for its colony of giant Aldabra tortoises, some of them very old, alongside a historic former quarantine building and a small beach and reef for snorkelling.

Nungwi Sunset Dhow Cruise

Nungwi has a long dhow-building tradition, and sunset sailing trips aboard these traditional wooden boats are a signature northern-Zanzibar experience. The northern beaches are among the few that stay swimmable through the tides, and the west-facing coast is known for its sunsets.

Arusha National Park Walking Safari

Arusha National Park is among the few parks in Tanzania to allow guided walking safaris. Accompanied by an armed ranger, you walk the Momella area on foot among giraffe, buffalo, warthog and abundant birdlife, with Mount Meru rising above.

Game drives and canoeing on the Momella Lakes can be combined into a full day from Arusha.

Usa River Birding Walk

The Usa River valley sits in the transition zone between Kilimanjaro montane and Arusha savannah — a habitat boundary that concentrates extraordinary bird diversity. The morning walk with an expert Tanzanian birding guide targets the full range of habitats along the river corridor: riverine forest for African pygmy kingfisher and Narina trogon, open glades for secretary bird and crowned crane, garden edges for the spectacular Taveta golden weaver and four species of sunbird. The target list for a four-hour walk is 60 to 80 species. East African endemics including Shelley’s francolin and the Kilimanjaro white-eye are regularly recorded.

Chemka Hot Springs

Chemka (also known as Kikuletwa) Hot Springs sits 70 km west of Arusha in the dry Maasai plains — a jarring and beautiful contrast. Underground geothermal springs feed a deep, crystal-clear pool fringed by doum palms and fig trees whose roots reach into the warm water. The temperature holds at around 27°C year-round. Rope swings hang from the trees. Locals and visitors share the water in complete harmony. The drive through Maasai country is itself worthwhile — cattle herders, donkey carts, and vast acacia-dotted plains before the springs appear like a mirage. Bring a picnic, a mask, and an afternoon.

Lake Duluti Canoe Safari

Lake Duluti is a small but perfectly formed volcanic crater lake in the Arusha foothills — a hidden gem 15 km from the city centre. The one-hour guided canoe around the lake passes through dense papyrus beds alive with malachite kingfisher, pied kingfisher, and African jacana. The enormous African fish eagle calls from the trees above. Hippos occupy the deeper sections of the lake and viewing them from a silent canoe at water level is a genuinely thrilling experience. A forest walk around the lake rim completes the morning. The entire experience takes less than three hours — perfect for an early arrival day.

Materuni Waterfalls & Coffee Tour

The Materuni experience combines three of Kilimanjaro’s best offerings: the lower-slope Chagga culture, coffee farming, and a genuine waterfall. The hike begins in Materuni village on Kilimanjaro’s lower slopes at 1,500 metres — banana groves, coffee bushes heavy with red cherries, and views of the mountain above the cloud line. The Chagga guide explains the full traditional coffee process from picking to roasting to grinding — and the cup drunk at the end with local sugar cane is excellent. The waterfall at the end of the trail is impressive: 80 metres dropping into a forest pool cold enough to swim in after the walk.