Tanzania safari
| country: | Tanzania |
| location: | Serengeti National Park |
| departures: | 2008: 13 Jul, 27 Jul, 10 Aug, 24 Aug, 7 Sep, 21 Sep, 5 Oct, 19 Oct, 30 Nov, 14 Dec, 28 Dec 2009: 11 Jan |
| price: | From US $1860 (7 days) excluding flights. Price includes all transport, accommodation as detailed, camping equipment, mattresses and stools (not sleeping bags), services of various local guides, all National Park entrance and camp site fees |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Lake Manyara are some of your spectacular destintions on this trip, but we also includes two cultural discovery days where you can find out about the way of life of the Maasai and other local people living here.
Many tourists pass through these areas leaving only a cloud of dust but a visit to some of the local initiative eco-safari projects enriches your experience of this part of Africa and ensures more of the benefits of tourism reach the locals directly.
Accommodation is in bush camps (fully supported by our crew) and at our own permanent campsite - camping on this trip allows us access to wilder areas. We do not generally use the luxury lodges but neither do we compromise on health, safety or reasonable comfort. Lodge accommodation can be arranged for private group departures if required. Equipment will be carried by vehicles or local porters, you only carry a day-pack with personal gear. When camping you will not have to participate in camp chores. We buy fresh produce locally and to ensure good standards of hygiene all food is prepared by our own staff. We can cater for special dietary requirements and there are no extra food-kitty payments.
Many tourists pass through these areas leaving only a cloud of dust but a visit to some of the local initiative eco-safari projects enriches your experience of this part of Africa and ensures more of the benefits of tourism reach the locals directly.
Accommodation is in bush camps (fully supported by our crew) and at our own permanent campsite - camping on this trip allows us access to wilder areas. We do not generally use the luxury lodges but neither do we compromise on health, safety or reasonable comfort. Lodge accommodation can be arranged for private group departures if required. Equipment will be carried by vehicles or local porters, you only carry a day-pack with personal gear. When camping you will not have to participate in camp chores. We buy fresh produce locally and to ensure good standards of hygiene all food is prepared by our own staff. We can cater for special dietary requirements and there are no extra food-kitty payments.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Leave Arusha and drive to the Serengeti! Afternoon game drive in the rolling grasslands. Criss-crossed with forested riverine valleys, the Serengeti plays home to millions of Africa’s large mammals, making this one of the world’s most famous wildlife destinations. Camp overnight in bush campsite. |
| Day 2: | All day game drive in Serengeti. Best time for the wildebeest migration is Dec to June but there are spectacular wildlife sights at anytime of year. Camp overnight in bush campsite. |
| Day 3: | Further game drive in Serengeti and then on to the Ngorongoro Crater. Lunch en-route at Olduvai Gorge and a view of the archaeological sites (and visit the museum) where early human tools and fossils have been found. Camp overnight on the Ngorongoro Crater rim. |
| Day 4: | Ngorongoro is collapsed volcano - an incredible natural amphitheatre, 25 km across and teeming with all of the African big game. Early morning descent into the crater for day’s game drive. In mid afternoon continue on to Mto Wa Mbu village in time for local market visit or relax in permanent campsite where we stay overnight. |
| Day 5: | Leisurely walking safari through farms and villages along the richly cultivated foot of the rift valley escarpment. You can discover the farming, irrigation, fishing and cattle husbandry techniques, visit houses, sample local cuisine, visit income generation projects, wood carvers and generally gain a deeper understanding of the lifestyle of the people who live and work here. Camp overnight in permanent campsite near Mto Wa Mbu village again. |
| Day 6: | Game-drive around Lake Manyara National Park. This park is famed for the bird life around the soda lake - flamingos in particular, and is home to unusual tree-climbing lions. It also has a large elephant population. In mid afternoon drive on to Esilalei, a small village in the wildlife corridor between Tarangire & Manyara national parks for Maasai lands and life experience. Your visit supports the building of their school here. Camp overnight, and although you’ll sleep to calls of hyenas and the African night, there will be Maasai sitting up round the fire and guarding the camp. |
| Day 7: | Cultural insights around the village. Here with Maasai as guides you can visit traditional huts, take part in activities like herding goats, milking cows, jewellery beadwork, spot animals & birds on a walking safari in the bush, find out about the medicinal uses of the savanna plants and learn from an elder the history and culture of these fascinating people. Return to Arusha for mid to late afternoon. |
travellers' tales
The cultural walk, a proper Maasai market (not just beads but meat and sugar cane beer!) and the half day with the Maasai were absolutely fascinating and we all felt very privileged to be invited into one of the homes in the village. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
 There are no woolly "wherever possible" or "if available" caveats to our commitments to responsible travel practices benefiting local communities. We believe that all members in local communities must see rewards from tourism if they are to have an interest in safeguarding their environments. In Tanzania we co-operate with the Cultural Tourism Programs initiated by local communities who decided to do something for themselves to benefit from the tourism potential. They were supported in this by the Dutch Aid agency SNV. In Ilkurot, and Mtu Wa Mbu our activities with the villagers benefit their communities directly through the fees we pay - supporting families, local guides and a number of local farmers and businesses along the way. We have also built and continue to fund a primary school at Ilkurot for use by the wider community. All of our campsites are locally owned and staffed by Tanzanians. All of our foodstuffs are bought locally - often involving our clients in the shopping from markets along the way. Our drivers and guides adhere to the behaviour guidelines for conservation as set out by Friends of Conservation. Our staff are paid well above average wages and have contracts of employment with agreed conditions of service. We do not recruit on tribal or cultural allegiance grounds. We employ many local guides and camp assistants en-route. Treating our staff fairly creates loyalty to our company and commitment to providing our clients with superb service. We provide our clients with advice on responsible travel behaviour and encourage them to share their cultures with the peoples they meet as a way of improving understanding of our two very different life-styles. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |