Discover a Wilderness Shaped by Ancients Paths and Living Cultures
Tanzania is a place where the wild feels timeless — where ancient volcanic highlands rise above golden plains, and life moves to rhythms shaped by seasons, starlight, and the quiet pulse of wilderness. This journey weaves through some of the country’s most exclusive and enchanting landscapes, carried gently by seamless internal flights and anchored in a collection of intimate, world-class lodges. From Arusha’s tranquil coffee estates to the baobab-dotted vastness of Chem Chem and the sweeping grasslands of the Northern Serengeti, each step reveals a space where nature is protected, luxury is understated, and the experience feels both effortless and deeply immersive. You travel in the company of renowned private guide Lee Fuller, who has spent over a decade living and working in the Serengeti ecosystem — bringing to life the stories, subtleties, and hidden movements of a landscape he knows intimately.
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At Chem Chem, you enter a living corridor where wildlife wanders freely between Tarangire and Lake Manyara, and where community-led conservation is slowly restoring harmony to one of East Africa’s most important migratory pathways. Further north, the Serengeti opens outward into a vast, poetic wilderness — a place of shifting light, quiet drama, and predators that move like shadows through the grass. The journey culminates at Mwiba Lodge, a sanctuary of stone, springs, and ancient trees, where encounters with Hadzabe hunter-gatherers and Datoga pastoralists offer a rare, moving glimpse into cultures shaped by the land itself. Across every moment, this expedition invites you into a world of extraordinary beauty and purpose — a luxurious, soulful, and deeply connected exploration of northern Tanzania at its most inspiring.
Signature Qualities of This Journey
Guided by an exceptional field expert
Travel with Lee Fuller, an experienced private guide whose deep ecological insight and naturally joyful, engaging presence bring the Serengeti to life in unforgettable ways. Having spent more than a decade living and working within this iconic ecosystem, Lee carries an intuitive sense for its rhythms — the quiet shifts of light, the movement of wildlife across open plains, the hidden stories held in tracks and wind. His guidance invites guests into a more intimate, imaginative understanding of northern Tanzania, transforming each day into a journey of discovery and quiet awe.
Luxury With Purpose: Supporting Conservation on the Northern Circuit
Your journey contributes directly to the protection of the landscapes you explore. Across the private reserves and concessions where this itinerary unfolds, conservation initiatives support anti-poaching efforts, wildlife monitoring, habitat restoration, and community development. Through carefully chosen partners and responsible tourism practices, your stay helps safeguard these remarkable wilderness areas — ensuring that both wildlife and local communities can thrive long into the future.
Conservation in Action at ChemChem
Experience a living conservation story unfolding across the plains between Tarangire and Lake Manyara, where careful protection, restoration, and community partnership are breathing new life into one of northern Tanzania’s most important migratory pathways. Here, elephants wander unfenced landscapes, ancient baobabs stand sentinel over returning wildlife, and guests witness firsthand how thoughtful stewardship is shaping a more hopeful future for this remarkable ecosystem.
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Cultural Encounters at Mwiba Lodge
Deepen your connection to Tanzania through thoughtful, meaningful exchanges with the Hadzabe and Datoga communities — people whose traditions are intimately woven into the rhythms of the land. Guided by Mwiba’s longstanding partnerships and conservation ethos, these encounters offer a rare, respectful window into ways of life shaped by ancestral knowledge, resilience, and a profound relationship with nature.
Meet your guide: Lee Fuller
Lee is one of Africa’s most experienced and versatile naturalist guides, with a career spanning several decades across the continent and the Indian Ocean. He has worked and guided in some of Africa’s most remote and ecologically rich regions — from Gabon’s equatorial forests to the Seychelles, Madagascar, and the vast savanna systems of East and Southern Africa. His many years living and working in the Serengeti ecosystem shaped him into one of the most intuitive and knowledgeable field professionals in northern Tanzania today. Raised on a farm in KwaZulu-Natal, Lee’s connection to the natural world began in childhood and has grown through a lifetime of exploring, studying, and photographing Africa’s wild spaces.
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Alongside his deep expertise, Lee brings an infectious enthusiasm and a warm, generous spirit that immediately puts guests at ease. He is endlessly curious, kind, and joyful in the way he shares the wilderness — combining rigorous ecological understanding with a genuine sense of wonder. His passion for Africa is palpable, and he believes wholeheartedly in the ability of nature to reconnect people with themselves and the world around them.
For the Inala Expeditions Tanzania 2026 journey, Lee will serve as Lead Naturalist Guide, shaping each day’s explorations and revealing the subtle rhythms, hidden stories, and extraordinary beauty of northern Tanzania through his insight, humour, and intuitive feel for the land.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arusha
Set at the foot of Mount Meru, Arusha is the natural gateway to northern Tanzania’s great wilderness areas. Your stay at Legendary Lodge, nestled within a historic coffee estate, offers a serene and restorative beginning to your journey. Lush gardens, shaded verandas, and warm hospitality create a gentle transition into the rhythm of safari life, allowing you to unwind before heading into the wild landscapes beyond.
Days 2 – 4: Chem Chem Concession
Journey into the baobab plains of Chem Chem, a breathtaking landscape that forms a vital ecological corridor between Tarangire and Lake Manyara. This private concession is a sanctuary of vast open spaces, sweeping views, and ancient trees that have stood watch over the movements of wildlife for centuries. Your stay at Little Chem Chem invites you into the heart of this wilderness, where the Slow Safari philosophy encourages deep presence and unhurried exploration.
Spend your days on private game drives through plains alive with elephant herds, giraffe, zebra, and the shadows of predators that move quietly through tall grasses. Guided walks reveal the intimate details of the ecosystem — tracks in the dust, scents on the wind, and the stories held in every baobab. Evenings bring lantern-lit dinners beneath the stars and the distant calls of lions echoing across the landscape.
Chem Chem is also a place of active restoration. As you explore, you witness firsthand the impact of ongoing conservation work: anti-poaching teams protecting vulnerable species, community partnerships reducing conflict, and habitat restoration efforts slowly reviving the wildlife corridor. This is a rare opportunity to experience a landscape not only wild and beautiful, but genuinely being healed.
Days 5 – 7: Northern Serengeti
Fly north into the Northern Serengeti, a region defined by boundless horizons, dramatic rock outcrops, and valleys where predators thrive. Here, at Legendary Nyasi Tented Camp, you step into one of Africa’s most iconic and awe-inspiring wilderness areas — a place where the Serengeti feels vast, raw, and deeply alive.
Private game drives take you across sweeping savannas and riverine woodlands, revealing lion prides resting in golden light, cheetahs scanning the plains, elephants moving in slow deliberate rhythms, and endless herds of plains game drifting across the landscape. The atmosphere is cinematic: shifting skies, wind through grass, the timeless drama of predator and prey unfolding around you.
Walking safaris, when conditions allow, bring a different perspective — a chance to feel the Serengeti beneath your feet, to understand its rhythms through silence, scent, texture, and movement. Throughout your stay, Lee Fuller, who has spent more than a decade living and working in this ecosystem, interprets each moment with insight, warmth, and intuitive understanding. In his presence, the northern Serengeti becomes more than a place of extraordinary wildlife — it becomes a living story, rich with history, behaviour, and connection.
Days 8 - 10: Mwiba Wildlife Reserve
Fly south into the Mwiba Wildlife Reserve, a secluded landscape of rugged boulders, ancient coral trees, and freshwater springs that serve as lifelines for wildlife throughout the year. Here, the wilderness feels intimate and alive, shaped by dramatic topography and the quiet movement of animals drawn to the permanent water sources. From your base at Mwiba Lodge, you enter a world where the pace slows and the sensory texture of the bush becomes vivid and immersive.
Private game drives reveal the reserve’s extraordinary diversity — leopard moving along rocky ridges, elephants gathering at hidden springs, giraffe stepping gracefully through acacia woodland, and nocturnal species emerging under the glow of the moon. Night drives offer an entirely different atmosphere, where sound and shadow create a deepened sense of wilderness. Walking safaris bring yet another layer of connection, allowing you to experience Mwiba through scent, silence, and the subtle signs that shape this ecosystem.
Mwiba is also a place of profound cultural significance. Time spent with Hadzabe hunter-gatherers and Datoga pastoralists offers a rare and respectful glimpse into ways of life rooted in ancestral knowledge and deep relationship with the land. These encounters add a meaningful human dimension to your safari, rounding out a final chapter defined by beauty, insight, and the quiet magic of northern Tanzania.
Accommodation
Legendary Lodge
Set within a historic coffee estate on the outskirts of Arusha, Legendary Lodge offers a serene and restorative beginning to your journey. Shaded by jacarandas and framed by views of Mount Meru, the lodge feels like a quiet refuge where the pace of travel begins to soften. Spacious garden cottages, warm East African hospitality, and the tranquillity of the estate create an atmosphere of understated luxury.
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Refined dining, lush grounds, and thoughtful service make Legendary Lodge an ideal place to unwind after your international flight. Whether enjoying a slow breakfast on the veranda or strolling through the gardens, this is a gentle, elegant transition into the rhythm and romance of safari life.
Little Chem Chem
Nestled among ancient baobabs on a private concession between Tarangire and Lake Manyara, Little Chem Chem embodies the spirit of the Slow Safari. Its intimate, beautifully appointed tents are positioned to capture sweeping views of the plains, creating a feeling of immersion while preserving complete comfort. Wildlife moves freely through the unfenced landscape, and the camp’s quiet, refined aesthetic allows nature to take centre stage.
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With attentive service, lantern-lit evenings, and the soft sounds of the bush surrounding you, Little Chem Chem offers a rare combination of authenticity and elegance. It is a place where time stretches, the senses sharpen, and each moment feels deeply connected to the land.
Legendary Nyasi Tented Camp
Set in the remote Lamai region, Legendary Nyasi Tented Camp blends the romance of a classic tented safari with the comfort of contemporary luxury. The camp’s spacious canvas suites, elegant furnishings, and far-reaching views create a sense of openness and freedom. Here, the Serengeti feels both vast and intimate, with wildlife-rich plains unfolding directly from your doorstep.
Thoughtful touches — from exceptional dining to personalised service — ensure an experience that is both atmospheric and refined. Nyasi’s remote location allows you to feel fully immersed in the wilderness while enjoying the quiet comforts that elevate a stay into something truly memorable.
Mwiba Lodge
Perched among massive granite boulders and overlooking natural springs, Mwiba Lodge is a sanctuary of elegance and seclusion on the southern edge of the Serengeti. Its suites blend organic textures with contemporary design, creating welcoming spaces that open seamlessly to the outdoors. The views stretch across rolling valleys where wildlife gathers year-round, adding a sense of constant, gentle movement to the landscape.
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Exceptional cuisine, warm hospitality, and a deep connection to place define the Mwiba experience. With expansive decks, intimate common areas, and access to the reserve’s diverse springs and habitats, the lodge offers both luxurious comfort and a profound feeling of closeness to the natural world.
Contact Valerie directly to secure your place on this small-group, conservation-led expedition.