Volunteer travel & safari in Tanzania
| country: | Tanzania |
| location: | Serengeti National Park |
| departures: | 2008: 18 Oct 2009: 17 Jan, 6 Jun, 1 Aug, 26 Sep, 21 Nov |
| price: | From £449 (14 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $400. We can arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
The Maasai people of Tanzania live in a stunning wilderness which encompasses the vast grassy plains of the Serengeti, renowned as one of the world’s greatest wildlife habitats, and the unique ecosystem of the Ngorongoro Crater. Until the 20th century this region was largely untouched by the western world but today the traditional lifestyle of the Maasai is fading.
Volunteers will take part in the day to day activities of a Maasai village, allowing you to experience and help preserve the Maasai culture first hand. You will also enjoy a fantastic safari with the chance to see a huge array of game including migratory herds of wildebeest, lion and cheetah, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.
The Volunteer programme
The Maasai village of Eluai lies in the shadow of Mt Meru near the town of Arusha, and it is here that volunteers will be based. A variety of tasks await you including bricklaying, carpentry, plastering, painting, gardening and farming (including milking the goats!) although the exact activities will be scheduled according to the season and community needs. No specific experience or training is necessary, just a healthy amount of enthusiasm. Other activities for the week include Maa language lessons, hiking and a visit to a traditional Maasai homestead. You’ll learn from Maasai warriors about medicines and plants and may even join the community forester on one of his outreach visits to community groups. In 2006 volunteers took up the challenge of building the final classroom for the community college.
Volunteers will take part in the day to day activities of a Maasai village, allowing you to experience and help preserve the Maasai culture first hand. You will also enjoy a fantastic safari with the chance to see a huge array of game including migratory herds of wildebeest, lion and cheetah, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.
The Volunteer programme
The Maasai village of Eluai lies in the shadow of Mt Meru near the town of Arusha, and it is here that volunteers will be based. A variety of tasks await you including bricklaying, carpentry, plastering, painting, gardening and farming (including milking the goats!) although the exact activities will be scheduled according to the season and community needs. No specific experience or training is necessary, just a healthy amount of enthusiasm. Other activities for the week include Maa language lessons, hiking and a visit to a traditional Maasai homestead. You’ll learn from Maasai warriors about medicines and plants and may even join the community forester on one of his outreach visits to community groups. In 2006 volunteers took up the challenge of building the final classroom for the community college.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Nairobi. Arrive and transfer to your hotel in Nairobi. Free day. |
| Day 2: | Nairobi - Arusha. Depart early by shuttle bus and make our way from Nairobi across the border into Tanzania, heading for Arusha, nestled in the shadow of Mt Meru. |
| Day 3-4: | Serengeti National Park. After breakfast we move on to the Serengeti, one of the best known wildlife areas in the world. Morning and afternoon game drives. |
| Day 5: | Ngorongoro crater. We drive to Ngorongoro Crater via the Olduvai Gorge, where fossil remains dating back to 1.75 million years ago were found. The crater is teeming with wildlife and birdlife and offers superb opportunities for game spotting. We descend into the crater using 4WD vehicles for game viewing. |
| Day 6: | Tarangire - Monduli. Drive to Tarangire National Park which has the highest concentration of game outside of the Serengeti ecosystem. Explore the area on a game drive before heading to Monduli town for the night. |
| Day 7-11: | Eluai. Transfer to the Maasai Village of Eluai and spend the next few days participating in a rewarding volunteer programme. |
| Day 12: | Eluai - Arusha. Leaving our project we drive to Arusha where we enjoy a traditional drum and dance workshop. |
| Day 13: | Arusha - Nairobi. We take the morning public shuttle bus back to Nairobi, where the the rest of the day is free. |
| Day 14: | Nairobi. Tour ends after breakfast. |
Highly Commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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The Maasai are one of the best known tribal groups to the western world, since they share their territory with one of the greatest collections of wildlife on earth and are renowned for their distinctive dress, weapons and bead jewellery. They have a reputation as brave fighters who kept the slave trade at bay and challenged early explorers, yet today they have to struggle to keep their identity and what remains of their land.
This volunteer programme is about assisting locals to develop their Maasai village whilst providing a learning experience for the volunteers. By learning how to make Maasai jewellery and by communicating to Maasai elders about herbal medicines we encourage traditions to be continued, thus supporting the Maasai with their struggles to keep their identity and their land. |
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 led 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. |