Tanzania safari holiday, Mikumi and Ruaha National Parks
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Authentic Mikumi Camp is a seasonal wilderness camp which is removed during the low season and is designed to leave minimum imprint on the environment. The camp is owner/operated by a Dar es Salaam based company and run by Tanzanian staff.
Water is an obvious scarce resource in the bush so we encourage bucket shower use and explain ways to minimise water use in the bush at our camps. Our cooks are trained to minimise waste and wherever possible we use natural products and minimise use of packaged goods.
Our guides are trained by one of the directors of the company, Sven Liebchen who is a professional safari guide, in all aspects of respect for the environment, flora and fauna and safari ‘etiquette’ including respecting the space of the animals, off road driving and ‘leave nothing but footsteps’ principles. All guides are trained to adhere to the Tanzania National Parks and Wildlife Division codes of conduct.
A key aspect for the future of the environment is education of the local communities as to potential benefits from the wildlife areas, in Ruaha we support the Ruaha Conservation Fund which has built an Environment Centre at Idodi secondary school and organises visits for school children and teachers to Ruaha. Every bednight at our Ruaha camp includes a direct contribution to RCF.
In 2009 we will be moving away from paper company brochures and introduce an e-brochure, accessable online. Our office in Dar es Salaam uses energy saving light bulbs, fans not air conditioning, printed material is kept to essential use only and paper is recycled.
Community
Starting in Dar es Salaam a half day visit takes you to the Bibi Jann Day Care Centre. This is an inspiring example of how every little bit helps and the grass roots support for this primary school has changed the lives of many orphaned children and their grandmothers who exuberantly share their life experiences. Visitors bring old toys, clothes, books, school equipment and often end up sponsoring a bibi. We also campaign locally for donations whether financial or toys, etc. The developments at the school have all happened via sponsorship.
The Authentic Ruaha Camp supports the Ruaha Conservation Fund with a bed night contribution. Visits to the Idodi Environment Centre outside the park can be organized with advance warning to see how the RCF is working with the local communities. The RCF operates several educational and environmental projects in the Ruaha region including the wild dog protection project. We buy locally grown produce for our camps in Ruaha and Mikumi and encourage visits to local craft initiatives
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