Wildlife and Cultural Safaris
Tanzania has an amazing variety of national parks, game reserves, and conservation areas that highlight the nation's diverse animal, bird, and plant populations. You may also want to learn about and visit some of the 100+ tribes in Tanzania. There is something for everyone in this country! For first-timers, the "Northern Safari Circuit" (including Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park) is a great chioce for animal viewing, with Maasai and Hadzabe tribes in the area. Tanzania's southern and western parks and game reserves have fewer visitors, making them wonderful choices for those with more time to spend on their first safari, or especially for return visitors. Game drives are led by experienced driver guides who will amaze you with their ability to spot animals.
Family Safaris We are currently gauging interest family safari group trips for summer 2010 and future dates. Please let us know if you are interested in receiving more information. This is an opportunity for parent(s) or grandparent(s), aunts or uncles to bring children to experience an amazing wildlife safari. The itinerary will be designed to keep kids' interest while offering adults a wonderful experience as well. Time for cultural interaction with local tribes will be built in. A school visit and school supply donation project will be a highlight - perhaps with a playful round of soccer? Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Yoga Retreats and Safaris
We offer stays at the beautiful Ngare Sero Lodge with private yoga instruction by their resident teacher, Stacia, as part of any custom trip or as an optional extension to our group departures. Enjoy an open-air yoga platform surrounded by nature. We also plan group departure Yoga and Safari trips with a yoga teacher along on safari to start or end each safari day with outdoor yoga in an amazing natural setting. Please contact us if you would like to receive information on future group yoga and safari trips, or if you would like to book a private trip.
Visiting with local Tanzanians
Meeting local people and learning about new cultures can be an amazing experience. We can build as much opportunity for cultural interaction into your safari itinerary as you would like. In the Ngorongoro area we might arrange a visit to a local Maasai "boma" (home) where you will be amazed at the difference from your daily life. The Maasai in rural areas still follow their traditional lifestyle of cattle herding and polygamous marriage. However, change is ever-present and we can visit a local primary school for boys - and girls! - where we often arrange donations of school supplies. Near Lake Eyasi, the Hadzabe hunter-gatherer people still follow their traditional way of life, using bows and arrows to hunt for wild animals and constructing temporary huts as they follow the food supply.
Serengeti National Park
The vast Serengeti Plains are home to an amazing display of predators and prey. Although animals are present year-round in the Serengeti, January through March is the optimal time to visit the southern Serengeti and see the "great migration" of wildebeest, zebra, and other animals. At other times of year the migration is farther north or west, requiring more travel time to reach your destination, and added expense. Short flights between Arusha and Serengeti cut down on travel time if your budget allows. By special request, multi-day walking safaris can be arranged where you hike from camp to camp accompanied by a guide or ranger. This is a truly fantastic experience that gets you really close to nature and allows you to explore on foot.
Ngorongoro Crater
This volcanic caldera is world-famous, and for good reason! Many animals make their homes here year-round, making the game-viewing less dependent on the seasons than certain areas of the Serengeti, for example. Although you will see lots of other safari vehicles, you will usually see lots of animals as well. Rhinos are spotted here more commonly than in the Serengeti. By special request, multi-day walking safaris can be arranged in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area between the Crater Rim and the Serengeti National Park border. This is a unique experience, as you will experience the wildlife on foot and will likely interact with the local Massai tribes who live in this area.
Arusha National Park
This is a hidden gem of a park. Not far from the city of Arusha, it is easily accessible, uncrowded, and beautiful. Mount Meru, Tanzania's second highest mountain, looms overhead while Mount Kilimanjaro can be seen in the distance. Arusha National Park is a great place to experience an acclimatization safari day on arrival before heading to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Short hikes with rangers can be arranged to help with acclimatization. The endangered Black and White Colobus Monkey is often seen here.
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire is a classic dry-season park to visit from June-October. It has open plains, woodlands, and baobab trees. Often we visit it this time of year when the game is in the distant part of the Serengeti so not as accessible there. Usually in December-March we visit Serengeti instead, if you have sufficient time in your itinerary.
Lake Manyara National Park
A small park with a unique ecosystem surrounding Lake Manyara. Well known for its birdlife, tree-climbing lions, and elephants.
Southern and Western Tanzania Parks and Game Reserves
Our custom trips can include these parks such as Selous, Ruaha, and Katavi, as well as Gombe or Mahale for chimpanzee viewing expeditions. These parks involve greater travel distances than the Northern Safari Circuit and more complicated logistics, so they are best for those with with plenty of time and sufficient budget. These are great choices to get away from the more heavily visited Northern Circuit parks, especially for repeat visitors to Tanzania.
Zanzibar and Pemba Islands
It's always a wonderful idea to end your trip with a stay on the spice islands! The beaches, snorkeling, diving, and culture are amazing. Accommodations of all levels are available - just ask us for information.