Day one – The family were met at Kilimajaro airport and taken to the town of Arusha, the gateway to northern Tanzania’s safari circuit. Here they overnighted in one of the plantation houses in the grounds of the lovely Arusha Coffee Lodge. The lodge is built in colonial plantation style on one of the largest of the coffee farms in the area, at the foot of Mt Meru, sister volcano to Kilimanjaro.

Their safari began in Tarangire National Park. Here they saw their first elephants on their game drive through the park, driving through the stands of acacia trees, criss-crossing the river, and over the grasslands dotted with giant anthills. They stayed in tented Simba Lodge, featuring one of the park’s signature Baobabs, and from where they could enjoy views across to beautiful Lake Burunge.

Next day the family travelled four hours to Ngorongoro, passing Masai herdsman, draped in their traditional bright red ‘sukas’, herding their cattle. They stopped at the top to look down into the 20 km wide crater, in anticipation of what they could see below. They then descended the steep road onto the crater floor - 600 m down. After a productive game drive through marshes, lakes and forests, and a picnic lunch, they ascended up the other side to Ngorongoro Camp. We chose this camp as it is the closest camp to the crater’s edge, enabling guests to maximise their precious time down in the crater. We love Lemala’s camps as they are truly authentic. Set up each year, they are furnished in classic safari style, with deep leather sofas, candled chandeliers, glowing lanterns, big wooden cabinets and chests, and soft, richly coloured rugs. There is always a campfire set out in front of the mess tent to sit around and talk under the stars.

The journey further, to iconic Serengeti - the ‘extended place’ - was an easy four hours. The huge grassland plains support two million wildebeest, half a million zebra and a quarter of a million Thompson’s gazelle. We had chosen Ndutu Camp because it is set on the edge of a marsh so cool breezes come of this and blow the dust away. More importantly, it is close to the river, and they drove out that very afternoon in the hope of seeing a crossing. Location paid off and, after waiting just a short time, taking in the giant Nile crocodiles lurking in the water, and the wildebeest milling about and hesitating on the opposite bank, one decided, plunged into the water and it was on! Hundreds of wildebeest swimming as fast as they can, and scrambling up and out on the other side, lowing loudly is truly a sight to behold. On other drives they saw predators – large and small - Ruppel’s vultures, many other antelope, and more.

This day began with a three-hour game drive through the park to Ewanjan Camp, to explore a different part of the Serengeti. This camp is put up annually, in a spot under a hill, at the end of a valley, so no one passes by. They enjoyed more game drives over the grass plains, dotted with the flat topped Acacias and rocky kopjes so typical of this area. Their guide set up sundowners on the hill above camp so they could enjoy the spectacular African sunsets.

Their guide dropped the family at Seronera airstrip for their three-hour flight to Dar es Salaam. From there they took another short flight to the ancient port town of Pemba, Mozambique. Pemba has a charming vibe, has a rich fishing and trading history, and boasts the world’s third largest deep-water bay. They overnighted at the Pemba Beach Hotel, an attractive mix of African and Arabian architecture. The manicured lawns, dotted with towering palms, lead down to the deep blue Indian Ocean. It is only 15 minutes from the airport so enables quick and easy access to the Quirimbas Archipelago.

The family flew by helicopter to their heavenly retreat on uninhabited Quilalea Private Island. The island is in a marine sanctuary, vital to protect the habitats of turtles, crab plovers and migratory birds. It is also known as an important nursery area for whales and bottlenose and humpback dolphins. Diverse corals, mangroves, sea grasses, sandy and rocky shores all add to the high biodiversity value of this region. Built entirely by hand, in partnership with the local community, Azura Quilalea has just nine, spacious ‘beach chic’ designer villas. They are made of natural coral stone and makuti thatch, located a few steps from pristine white sand beaches, and placed with seclusion in mind. In line with their eco ethos, cuisine at Quilalea is focused around the simple natural produce available locally. Fresh seafood dominates the menu. The family enjoyed superb snorkeling and world class scuba diving straight off the beach. They took walks around the island, kayaked through the mangroves on nearby Sencar Island, enjoyed a sunset trip on a hand built dhow. Their butler set up their dining table in a different special spot each night, and organised lazy picnics on Baobab and Turtle beaches. A day was spent on nearby Ibo Island, strolling through the sandy streets, exploring the fascinating Portuguese built fort, and admiring the work of the island’s well known silversmiths.