— Photograph: Paje Kitesurf safari —
A YapYap Experience · Safari · Tanzania Mainland

The other half
of the country.

A day or three in the Arusha national parks — game drives, volcano country, the long horizons the coast doesn't have. A proper mainland counterpart to a Zanzibar villa week.

The trip

Arusha, and the parks around it.

Tanzania's mainland has arguably the best safari infrastructure in East Africa — the Serengeti ecosystem to the north-west, Ngorongoro Crater in the middle, Tarangire and Lake Manyara to the south, and the hiking country around Mount Meru closer in to Arusha town. Most visitors to Zanzibar never see any of it; they should.

Paje's safari arm runs out of Arusha. They handle the flight or road transfer from Zanzibar, the guide, the Land Cruiser with pop-top, the park fees, and the lodges. Routes are built per trip — what you see depends on how many days you have and what you want to prioritise.

Short on time: a day game drive is the fastest way to be on the ground and back. With three days you can properly dip into Tarangire and the Crater. A week opens the full northern circuit.

Day safari
$150 / person
Game drive day out of Arusha, groups of five to seven. Includes guide, vehicle, lunch, park fees.
3-day package
$550 / person
Three days across two or three parks with lodge nights. Custom route, typically Tarangire + Manyara + Crater.
Practicalities

What you should know before you book.

Getting there
Zanzibar to Arusha is a 1-hour regional flight (Precision Air, Coastal) or a full-day land transfer via Dar es Salaam. Paje books the flight as part of the package if you want. Land transfer suits tighter budgets but takes most of a day.
Group size
Five to seven per Land Cruiser on shared trips. Private vehicles available on request — usually the better option for families or couples who want to set their own pace.
Add-ons
Motorbike tours around the Arusha region, Mount Meru day hikes, Kilimanjaro base-camp walks, visits to a Maasai boma. Bolt-ons are priced per activity — mention what you want when enquiring.
Best time
The dry months (June–October and January–February) make game viewing easiest. The green season (March–May) is quieter, lusher, and cheaper — but roads can be rough and some lodges close. Paje advises honestly on this; ask.
Book with Paje

Tell them how long you have.

Safaris are quoted per trip — the price depends on days, parks, lodge level and group size. The fastest way in is WhatsApp or email with your dates. Paje's team is based in Arusha and handles logistics end-to-end; you book with them once and they run it.

See safaris on pajekitesurf.com → WhatsApp → Email →

Prices above are indicative group rates. Private vehicles, upgraded lodges, and custom routes are quoted separately. Cash on-site in TZS, USD, EUR, GBP; card / transfer accepted for packages.