Where we travel
From the big cats of the Masai Mara to the white sand of Zanzibar, these are the places we know first-hand and weave into your journey. Every route is private, guided, and built around what you most want to see.
Kenya · Big cats & the Great Migration
The Masai Mara is the northern reach of the Serengeti ecosystem and the heart of almost every Kenyan safari. Its grasslands hold some of Africa's highest densities of big cats year-round, and from roughly July to October the great wildebeest herds move through, with dramatic river crossings on the Mara and Talek rivers.
Best time to visit · Jul – Oct
Kenya · Elephant herds beneath Kilimanjaro
Amboseli is famous for two things: some of the most relaxed, well-studied elephant herds on the continent, and the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro rising across the Tanzanian border. Its open, low scrub makes for superb sightings and photography, especially in the clear light of the dry seasons.
Best time to visit · Jun – Oct · Jan – Feb
Kenya · Walking safari & a Rift Valley boat cruise
A gentle, scenic counterpoint to the big parks, Lake Naivasha opens almost every Hodari itinerary. On Crescent Island you can walk on foot among giraffe, zebra and antelope (there are no big predators), then take an afternoon boat cruise past pods of hippo and perched fish eagles.
Best time to visit · Year-round
Kenya · Rhino sanctuary & flamingo shores
Lake Nakuru National Park is one of Kenya's best places to see rhino — it's a sanctuary for both black and white rhino — alongside Rothschild's giraffe and tree-climbing lion. The soda lake itself draws flamingo and pelican, and the compact park makes for rewarding, easy game drives.
Best time to visit · Year-round
Tanzania · Endless plains & the Migration
The Serengeti's vast plains give the Great Migration its stage for much of the year, from the calving season on the southern short grass (January to March) to the dramatic northern river crossings later in the year. Resident predators and plains game make it exceptional whatever the season.
Best time to visit · Year-round (calving Jan – Mar)
Tanzania · Big Five in a collapsed caldera
The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest intact volcanic caldera, its floor a self-contained ecosystem with a remarkable density of wildlife. It's one of the few places you can reasonably hope to see all of the Big Five in a single day, including the Crater's resident black rhino.
Best time to visit · Year-round
Zanzibar · Indian Ocean beaches & Stone Town
After days on the plains, Zanzibar is the natural place to slow down. The island pairs white-sand beaches and warm Indian Ocean water with the layered history of Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its spice farms. It's the most popular beach extension on a Hodari safari.
Best time to visit · Jun – Oct · Dec – Feb
Tanzania · Elephant herds & ancient baobabs
Tarangire National Park is known for large elephant herds that gather along the Tarangire River in the dry season, set among iconic baobab trees. Quieter than the northern headline parks, it rewards unhurried game drives.
Best time to visit · Jun – Oct
Tanzania · Northern circuit gateway & Mount Meru
Arusha is the starting point for almost every northern Tanzania safari — the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara are all within reach. Arusha National Park itself offers walking safaris, canoeing on Momella Lakes and giraffe against a Mount Meru backdrop.
Best time to visit · Jun – Oct · Jan – Feb
Tanzania · Tree-climbing lions & flamingo shallows
Lake Manyara National Park packs remarkable diversity into a slender strip of land. The groundwater forest at the park entrance gives way to open woodland, hippo pools and the soda lake itself, whose shallows attract flamingo. It is one of very few places where lions regularly climb trees to rest in the branches.
Best time to visit · Jun – Oct · Jan – Feb
Tanzania · Chimpanzee trekking on Lake Tanganyika
Mahale Mountains National Park is one of Tanzania's most remote and rewarding destinations. It is home to a habituated community of wild chimpanzees in dense equatorial forest, and the trek to find them is one of Africa's great wildlife experiences. The park sits on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, offering pristine beach camps as a backdrop.
Best time to visit · May – Oct
Tanzania · Africa's largest game reserve & wild dog packs
The Selous Game Reserve — now partly gazetted as Nyerere National Park — is one of Africa's largest protected areas, yet sees a fraction of the visitor numbers of the northern parks. It is known for large elephant populations, healthy wild dog packs, boat safaris on the Rufiji River, and walking safaris in the buffer zones. A genuine off-the-beaten-track destination.
Best time to visit · Jun – Oct