12 Days Tanzania Joining Group Safari

Arrive in Arusha, Tanzania Transfer to lodge
Destination: Arusha

Accommodations: KIBO PALACE
Dinner/Evening: Upon arrival at your hotel in Arusha this evening, you will have the option to eat dinner at the lodge, or retire to your room for the night to rest before the next day activities.

FOR THE CASE OF EARLY ARRIVAL
Make the most of your time in Arusha with these suggestions for independent exploration from our local regional office. Your Guide will lead the activity with the most traveler interest.

• Visit a local family home in Arusha Village: Ask your Guide to arrange a home visit and help you get to know the locals. It's up to you how long you stay an average home visit lasts about 3 hours. But, you might choose to spend a whole day with a family, perhaps helping fetch food for their livestock, cleaning the house and doing laundry, going to the market, and preparing and maybe even sharing a meal with them.
How to get there: A 15 – 20 to -minute walk.
Hours: Guide to arrange.
Cost: Free.
• Immerse yourself in the arts and culture of Arusha at Cultural Heritage: This cultural center, located on the outer border of Arusha, features an impressive array of arts and crafts, an art gallery, and even an onsite restaurant. Let the colorful sights and unique scents of spices fill your senses as you make your way throughout the center, perhaps finding a souvenir or two to take home.
How to get there: An approximate 25-minute taxi ride from the lodge, around $25 USD one way.
Hours: 8:30am-5pm, daily.
Cost: Free.

Arusha Visit Safe Water Ceramics Conversation about the persecution of Tanzanians with albinism
Destination: Arusha

Meals included: B L D
Accommodations: KIBO PALACE or similar
A traveler learns the art of ceramics from a local worker at Safe Water Ceramics of East Africa, Arusha, Tanzania
Breakfast: At the lodge.
Morning: we'll visit Safe Water Ceramics of East Africa, where a worker at the facility will teach about this organization's efforts to increase access to clean water for the people of Africa. After learning many Tanzanians didn’t have access to clean water in 2005, an American woman and volunteer pottery instructor co-founded the organization, which now produces affordable ceramic water filters which provide five years of clean water for each family. We'll get a hands-on demonstration led by a worker at the organization of how the handmade filters work, as well as a tour of the award-winning facility. We will also have the option to purchase a filter (or several as a group) to provide to locals in need later in our adventure.

Lunch: At a local restaurant in Arusha, where we will learn how to make traditional dishes such as polenta, plantains, and makande (a succotash made with kidney beans and maize) during a cooking demonstration led by the restaurant staff. After our instruction, we enjoy the fruits of our labor for lunch.
Afternoon: After lunch, we'll visit the Albino Peacemaker Center, a local organization that helps albino people living in the area. Here, learn about albinism in Tanzania and the continued persecution of those with the condition. This is an appropriate backdrop for our conversation, as the center is a beacon of hope for this targeted population. They rely on the organization for many things from counseling services to career opportunities and even sunblock. The peacemaker center also works closely with government officials to affect social change and combat negative and false connotations associated with albinism.
To facilitate this discussion, we meet with the director of the organization, who will begin by outlining concerns for albino Tanzanians as well as the steps being taken to change public perception of the disorder. We also learn how the center strives to educate albinos about their condition, particularly in so far as how it is impacted by sun exposure. In speaking with her, we come to understand the many superstitions surrounding albinism, also includes politicians, government officials, and prominent businessmen. Our conversation will examine the dangers of ignorance and unfounded beliefs relating to albinism, as well as the struggle to protect a vulnerable population.
After returning to our lodge, you have the freedom to choose how you spend your time this afternoon. Perhaps you take a dip in the pool, relax in the outdoor bar area, walk around the lodge grounds to view the flora or just rest up before dinner.

Dinner: At the lodge.
Evening: On your own, you are free to remain in the bar area for a nightcap, or retire to your room to relax before tomorrow day of discoveries.

Overland to Tarangire National Park Visit Maasai market Game-viewing drive

Destination: Tarangire

Meals included: B L D

Accommodations: Lake Burunge Tented Camp or similar

Get up close to the wildlife in Tarangire National Park

Breakfast: At the lodge.

Morning: We'll board our safari vehicles and depart for Tarangire, Tanzania's third-largest national park.

After arriving at the gates of Tarangire National Park, we'll set off on a game-viewing drive. With nine distinct vegetation zones ranging from grassland to woodland, from deep gully vegetation to scattered rocky hilltops, Tarangire offers a diverse geological landscape, as well as diverse wildlife including the largest recorded concentration of breeding bird species in the world. Baobab trees dot the landscape, and the valley of the Tarangire River dominates the entire scene.

Lunch: We will enjoy a picnic lunch in the park.

Afternoon: After lunch, we'll continue our game-viewing drive to witness the wildlife of Tarangire National Park. Afterwards, we'll head to our lodgings, a permanent tented camp in the midst of the wilderness.

Dinner: At the camp.

Evening: You are free to remain in the lounge area to discuss the day activities or share pictures of the animals you saw with fellow group members.

Freedom to Explore

Make the most of your time in Tarangire with these suggestions for independent exploration from our local regional office. Your guide will lead the activity with the most traveler interest.

Take a leisurely nature walk to Lake Burunge: At your own pace, discover the medicinal plants that locals use as a first aid to survive in the bush. And observe the everyday life of local fishermen along the shores of the lake. You can plan to spend about two hours on your walk.

• • How to get there: Located in the area surrounding your camp.
  • Hours: Self-scheduled.
  • Cost:

Visit with local Maasai women basket weaversfor a glimpse into traditional crafting in the area: In the village of Mdori, these women will show you their process for creating intricate designs from palm leaves and colorful patterns with dye. Perhaps you'll even try your hand at helping the women weave.

• • How to get there: About a 15-minute walk.
  • Hours: By appointment.
  • Cost:

Learn about the other local people of central Tanzania in a nearby Mbugwe village: A group with similar customs to the Maasai, the Mbugwe descend from the Rangi people and are the only ones who speak a traditional Banti language in the area. You'll visit a flat-roofed hut for conversation with members of the community, who will speak to their daily lives here and of how they honor their ancestry.

• • How to get there: An approximate 15-minute drive from the camp by safari vehicle.
  • Hours: By appointment.
  • Cost:

Game viewing in Tarangire National Park

Destination: Tarangire

Meals included: B L D

Accommodations: Lake Burunge Tented Camp or similar

Tarangire National Park

Breakfast: At the camp.

Morning: We return to Tarangire National Park for a morning game-viewing drive. The variety of wildlife here is excellent, from lion, cheetah, zebra, and Cape buffalo to a wealth of birdlife. Elephants are plentiful here, traveling in large herds that are not often seen elsewhere in Africa. After several hours of game viewing, we'll return to the camp.

Lunch: At the camp.

Afternoon: Enjoy the afternoon to relax or join one of our recommended activities.

Dinner: At the camp.

Evening: You are free to remain in the lounge area to discuss the day activities with fellow group members, or retire to your tent to rest before tomorrow discoveries.

A Day in the Life of a Maasai village in Tarangire Controversial Topic: Female genital mutilation Visit Mto Wa Mbu village Transfer to Karatu

Destination: Karatu

Meals included: B L D

Accommodations: Neptune Ngorongoro luxury lodge or similar

A traveler participates in A Day in the Life of a Maasai village, Tarangire, Tanzania

Breakfast: At the lodge.

Morning: Today, we'll get to experience A Day in the Life of a Maasai village. The Maasai are a nomadic community known for their vibrant clothing and ornate, beaded body decoration. Attire says much about the person wearing it: Color choices tend to vary by age and location, and the accessories worn offer context into a person personality and position within the village. During our visit, we'll learn how the Maasai tend their livestock, make natural medicine, and create their ceremonial dress, as well as take part in these daily activities from milking the cows or plastering a home to jumping into ceremonial rituals. We also meet the village chief, who resides here with his three wives, 23 children, and thirty grandchildren.

In addition to meeting the chief, you have ample opportunities to make connections with the warm and spirited Maasai people over casual conversation while we join them for daily chores or during a vibrant traditional dance celebration. If you like, you may choose to bring a small trinket from your hometown to share with our hosts: A postcard, photo, or map is a wonderful way to convey the great distance you traveled to participate in this special day.

We also sit down with the chief and one of the tribeswomen to discuss the Controversial Topic of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the Maasai community, a ritual practiced for centuries. FGM involves injury to or partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. For the Maasai, female circumcision signifies the girls passage to adulthood and usually takes place prior to marriage, which is often sponsored by their prospective suitor. During our conversation, we glean insight into the history of this contentious rituals history proudly defended by the chief and we also learn why many Maasai women are calling for an end to it.

After bidding the Maasai villagers farewell, we'll board our safari vehicles and head towards our lodge in Karatu. Along the way, we'll make a brief stop at Mto Wa Mbu village, an agricultural community known for producing various crops including the famous red banana. There, we  visit a local market, interact with locals, and perhaps sample some fresh fruit.

Lunch: At the lodge.

Afternoon: After lunch, the rest of the day is yours. Feel free to rest up after today's discoveries.

Dinner: At the lodge.

Evening: After dinner, you have the freedom to spend the evening as you wish, whether you like to enjoy a beverage at the bar area, or retire to your room to relax before we head to the Serengeti in the morning.

Overland to Serengeti National Park Game-viewing

Destination: Serengeti National Park

Meals included: B L D

Accommodations: Wildlife lodge Seronera

Breakfast: At the lodge.

Morning: We transfer to Serengeti National Park by safari vehicle, enjoying game-viewing en route. On either side of the road into the park, wildebeest and zebra often dot the terrain, a speckled tapestry stretching farther than the human eye can even see.

Lunch: We enjoy a picnic lunch on our way to Serengeti National Park.

Afternoon: We'll reach Wildlife Lodges by late -afternoon and you'll have time to settle in before dinner.

Dinner: At the Lodge

Evening: You are free to remain in the main dining area or around the campfire to discuss the day wildlife with fellow, or retire to your room to rest before tomorrow day of discoveries.

Make the most of your time in the Serengeti with these suggestions for independent exploration from our local regional office. Your guide will lead the activity with the most traveler interest.

Explore the Serengeti Visitor's Center: Take a stroll along the walking path outside the visitor's center to learn more about the Serengeti. The path is lined with signs and exhibits detailing the park's history, ecosystems, and wildlife. At the conclusion of your self-guided walk, you may opt to relax under a covered picnic table with coffee or a soda.

• • How to get there: A 30-minute drive via safari vehicle.
  • Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Cost:

Visit the kitchen of the lodge: After savoring a hot meal at the lodge, you may be interested to see the kitchen where the food is prepared. If you'd like to make your favorite dish at home, the chef would be happy to share the recipe.

• • How to get there: Located within the lodge
  • Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Cost:

Embark on a guided nature walk: Join our guide on a guided walk through the area surrounding our lodge. He or she will point out interesting birds, plants, and insects we encounter along the way, and if you happen upon tracks or animal droppings, our guide will help identify the creatures they belong to.

• • How to get there: Located around the lodge.
  • Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Cost:

Explore Serengeti National Park

Destination: Serengeti National Park

Meals included: B L D

Accommodations: Wildlife lodge

Wildebeests and zebras, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Breakfast: At the Lodge.

Morning: We set out to explore the vast expanse of the Serengeti, where the wildlife sightings are typically at their peak in the early mornings and late afternoons, when the temperature cools. The multitude and diversity of wildlife species in this huge protected area are unrivaled anywhere on the planet. Serengeti, in fact, is the Maasai word that means endless plain. We return to camp in between game-viewing drives for lunch.

Lunch: At the Lodge.

Afternoon: After time to relax, we head out on our afternoon game-viewing drive. Your guide will again help us identify the more elusive animal species, such as bat-eared fox and golden jackal, as well as rare birds like the purple grenadier and the red-cheeked cordon bleu. See if you can spot the odd-looking Secretary bird or the elegant grey crowned crane.

Dinner: At the Lodge.

Evening: You are free to remain in the main dining tent area or around the campfire to discuss the day activities with fellow group members. Or, turn in early to prepare for tomorrow's game-viewing.

Optional Sunrise Safari & Hot Air Balloon tour Conversation about the struggle of communities Serengeti game-viewing drives

Optional Tour

Destination: Serengeti National Park

Meals included: B L D

Accommodations: WILDLIFE LODGE

Wild leopard, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Early Morning: Early risers are welcome to join our optional Sunrise Safari & Hot Air Balloon tour. An early wakeup call will be rewarded with a pre-dawn game-viewing drive on safari vehicles on your way to the hot-air balloon-ride, which offers a new perspective of the Serengeti and the creatures that call it home.

Breakfast: For travelers on the optional tour, a full English breakfast will be served with sparkling wine under the shade of an acacia tree following your balloon ride. Breakfast is at the lodge.

Morning: Set off on a game-viewing drive this morning. Later, we'll stop at the visitor center, which features educational displays about the Serengeti, for a conversation about poaching in Serengeti National Park, as well as the specific problems faced by communities meaning those who live along the park perimeter.

The perimeter of Serengeti National Park is home to approximately 2 million people, most of whom face life-threatening destitution. The fortunate few own livestock, and some even farm small plots of land, but by and large, these communities live on fees generated from the park, a tiny fraction of which is allocated to them. This money generally comes from a combination of entry costs, which total about $98 million a year, and trophy hunting profits, which amount to roughly $200 million annually across sub-Saharan Africa. Of the revenue generated, the government is supposed to issue about 7.2% to buffer zone communities, while 33% goes toward conservation efforts. Unfortunately, it all too common that these vulnerable communities do receive what they are owed, and if they do, the payment is rarely on time, forcing many to choose between starvation or subsistence poaching for bush meat is a criminal offense. Buffer zone populations have also been known to hide poachers from authorities in exchange for money or food.

Sadly, subsistence poaching is only on the rise and so is the necessity for it. The population of Tanzania is exponentially growing, and by the mid-century, this boom will result in an enormous and unsustainable loss of wildlife.

Lunch: At the Lodge.

Afternoon: After some free time, we'll set off for more game-viewing. We may return to a location where a hunt was unraveling earlier in the day to see how nature scenes unfolded or head to other areas of the park in search of new wildlife.

Dinner: At the Lodge.

Evening: You are free to remain in the main dining tent area or around the campfire to discuss the day activities with fellow group members, or retire to your tent to rest before tomorrow day of discoveries.

Sunrise Safari & Hot Air Balloon - $599/person

If you choose to take this optional tour, plan on waking up before dawn as we'll begin with an early morning game-viewing drive. Then we'll retreat under the shade of a nearby acacia tree where we'll enjoy breakfast in the bush with a celebratory glass of sparkling wine. Following breakfast, our excursion continues with a breathtaking hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti. With a certified, professional pilot at the controls, we'll glide over the majestic savannas at dawn, when the morning light bathes the plains in a golden hue. There's simply no better vantage point from which to appreciate the sheer vastness of the Serengeti's more than 5,700 square miles of plains, riverine bush, and acacia woodlands.

Serengeti game-viewing drives

Destination: Serengeti National Park

Meals included: B L D

Accommodations: Wildlife Lodge

Pride of lions, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Breakfast: At the Lodge

Morning: This morning's game-viewing drive will focus on observing animal behavior and interactions. We don’t just stop to photograph the next animal on a list, but spend time really getting to know how different species behave. Throughout our ride, our driver-guides will provide expert insight on the various species we'll encounter.

Lunch: At the Lodge.

Afternoon: Enjoy a couple of hours of free time before heading out for our final game-viewing excursion in the Serengeti. Isolated rock groups, called kopjes, provide shelter to the solitary leopard, pairs of cheetah, and prides of lion. We'll learn from our driver-guides about the clues that tell you if one has recently hunted or is about to hunt. Their quarry is the lone gazelle or vulnerable calf spotted amongst the hundreds of thousands of hoofed herbivores: antelope, zebra, and the ever-present wildebeest.

Dinner: At the Lodge.

Evening: You are free to retire to your tent to pack or rest up before tomorrow day of discoveries.

Overland to Ngorongoro Crater Game-viewing Overland to Karatu

Destination: Karatu

Meals included: B L D

Accommodations: Neptune Ngorongoro Luxury Lodge

Zebras in Ngorongoro Crater

Breakfast: At the Lodge

Morning: We break camp and begin our drive to Ngorongoro Crater in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arrival, we descend to the floor of Ngorongoro for some game-viewing.

The caldera of Ngorongoro marks the ancient walls of a collapsed volcano, which was probably once the size of Mount Kilimanjaro. The circular crater is about twelve miles across, with steep walls of more than 2,000 feet. The crater's rim is 7,500 feet above sea level, the highest altitude we reach on our trip. Because of a permanent supply of water and a precise balance of predator and prey, most of the wildlife remains here year-round. The forest areas are home to herds of bull elephant, including some large, There are several prides of lion, and many packs of hyena and jackal.

Lunch: A picnic lunch in the crater.

Afternoon: Our experienced driver-guides, who are experts at locating the animals, determine our route as we exit Ngorongoro Crater and make our way to our lodge. If lucky, you may spot a bat-eared fox or a pair of cheetah. These predators stalk the numerous wildebeest, gazelle, and zebra. We should also keep our eyes peeled for rhino, as well as herds of Cape buffalo and groups of hippo. The birdlife is equally diverse, ranging from the scavenging vulture and bustard to the majestic eagle and crested crane.

Dinner: At the lodge.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the evening as you wish.

Make the most of your time in Karatu with these suggestions for independent exploration from our local regional office. Your Trip Experience Leader will lead the activity with the most traveler interest.

Discover bustling Karatu Town:Mingle with the locals in this dusty, vibrant, and colorful town of about a quarter million residents. You can look for local crafts, stroll through the markets, or relax with some coffee or the local beer.

• • How to get there: An approximate 15-minute drive by safari vehicle.
  • Hours:
  • Cost:

Get an intimate glimpse of local life in Karatu when you visit the nearby Tloma village: Known for its coffee production, this village is home to friendly locals who will introduce you to their day-to-day lives living and working on the coffee farms. There is also a moonshine distillery in the village if a tasting strikes your fancy.

• • How to get there: About a 10-minute drive from the lodge by safari vehicle.
  • Hours: All hours, daily.
  • Cost:

Visit the FAME medical clinic: The Foundation for African Medicine & Education (FAME) was established in 2002 with the goal of providing high-quality, patient-centered medical care to Tanzanians in rural areas. During your visit, you meet with the American physician and counselor who founded the clinic, discover what inspired their work in Tanzania, and learn about the local doctors and staff members who work at this state-of-the-art facility.

• • How to get there: A 15-minute ride via safari vehicle.
  • Hours: By appointment only.
  • Cost:

Drive back to arusha for departing going back home