EXTENSIONS

You will already be in Tanzania – why not make the most of your time?
If you’re coming for a Kilimanjaro climb or a wildlife safari, we suggest you add an extra day or two to experience the local culture. Or, add on anywhere from a half day to 2 days to learn more about some of the local communities. For many travelers, due to the long journey they will only come to Tanzania once so you should try to fit in as much as you have time available.

We frequently hear from travelers that they wished they had planned to stay a little longer. So, just plan it from the beginning!

GIVE BACK – MAKE AN IMPACT

Serengeti Pride – Safaris & Kilimanjaro Climbs appreciates the worthwhile causes and projects below. We can help arrange the details for you. Often people say this is the most rewarding part of their trip.

We are proud members of Pack for a Purpose, an initiative that allows travelers like you to make a lasting impact in the community at your travel destination. If you save just a few kilos of space in your suitcase and take supplies for area schools or medical clinics in need, you’ll make a priceless impact in the lives of our local children and families. Please search for “Serengeti Pride” on their site to see what supplies are needed for our project/projects.

• 1. All types of school supplies are much appreciated.
• 2. Porter gear/clothing project – all types, all adult sizes of hiking clothing, gear, hiking boots are needed. These should be in good condition/gently used but not worn out, and should be synthetic fabrics. Cotton items such as street clothes for the porters or their families can also be brought, but the most important item is good warm and waterproof gear to protect them as they climb Mount Kilimanjaro.Please click on the “Pack for a Purpose” Logo or link to find full lists of most-needed items.

Happy faces of children in a primary School in Makumira, Tanzania

Primary schools in Tanzania are often bursting at the seams. Like most public schools in several places around the world, they suffer from insufficient government funds to maintain and expand the school facilities for a growing student base. It’s really fun and rewarding to visit a school – please let us know if you would like us to arrange this for you. It only takes a short time (an hour or so) and often ends up being a highlight of the trip.
Donations of dictionaries, pens, pencils, expandable shoes, reusable sanitary towels, are much appreciated. If you’d like to help on a larger scale, the schools often need funds to build toilets and hand washing stations for the students and teachers. We can help arrange for you to visit one of the schools in our area.

Cradle of Love Baby Home

Cradle of Love is a very special place located in Usa River. Cradle of Love is a Baby Home – basically an orphanage that specializes in taking care of babies from birth to about age 2. After Cradle of Love provides great care and nurturing during their infancy, these kids are well prepared for adoption or to return to their extended families. Some of the babies have health concerns such as prematurity, HIV, etc and they come from impoverished backgrounds. Cradle of Love accepts short and long-term volunteers, with housing available. Visit them for an hour, a day, a week, or longer! They have cottages available for rent on a bed and breakfast basis to volunteers or to anyone looking for an inexpensive place to stay in Usa River (even if not volunteering). Proceeds benefit this and other nonprofit projects. Please consider making a monetary donation as they have many medical expenses as well as staff salaries for the Tanzanian nannies who care for the babies, birth to toddler, who were orphaned or whose families cannot care for them. We can easily arrange for you to drop by Cradle of Love so you can bring much-needed donations of hand sanitizer, newborn diapers, baby wet wipes, etc. (Baby clothes are not needed usually).

Cross Cultural Solutions

Please consider volunteering in Tanzania with Cross Cultural Solutions. We’ve had past clients do this, and they rave about the experience! There is a location in Moshi, and also other areas of Tanzania.

Global Solace

Global Solace is a non profit/NGO that brings solar power to schools and clinics. In 2015 they installed a solar project at Uraki school in Tanzania – bringing electricity, and future computer labs, to the school children. The entire local community will benefit from this enhancement to the childrens’ education. Thank you so much to our Serengeti Pride clients who were inspired to bring this project to Tanzania!

CULTURAL VISITS

Partial or Full Day Visits with Local Communities and Schools

If you have an extra half day, full day, or 2 days in your itinerary, we have many activities we can suggest. These opportunities will allow you to meet and understand much more about the lives of everyday Tanzanians than you will on typical safari itineraries that are mostly focused on viewing animals.

Visit a School

Visit a local primary school or orphanage (it’s nice to bring school supplies or help them in some way in exchange for their generosity in accommodating a visit). The visit is usually 1-2 hours. We have adopted a couple of Primary Schools very near our headquarters, where many of our staff were students years ago.

See our Giving Back/Volunteering page for information about a clean water project Serengeti Pride clients have done in the past.

Donations of school supplies are very much needed – bring your own as part of our Pack for a Purpose Partnership, or we can arrange local purchase of school supplies if you prefer to bring money. We’ll help you get school supplies purchased in the amount you specify, and depending on which items the school needs most at the time.

Meet Local Communities

In Arusha, visit Mulala women’s cooperative, a cultural tourism program where you will spend time with some wonderful local people of the Meru Tribe. Take a walk high in the foothills of Mount Meru, learn about their traditions, and have a delicious lunch of local food. This can be a half or full day.

On Safari, you’ll get a much better understanding of the Maasai and/or Hadzabe tribes if you can schedule an extra/day night off the main road so you can spend some amazing time with these tribes (Maasai in Ngorongoro Highlands, Hadzabe in Lake Eyasi area). This will give you a much better understanding of their culture than the quick Maasai village visit along the main road we can fit in on a regular safari schedule. Many of the Maasai tribe still live as polygamous cattle herders, some still moving around with the seasons. One can always visit a Maasai village on the main road to/from safari for an hour or two, but the best experience is to schedule a day/night off the beaten path so you can really get to visit with them in a less touristic manner. The Hadzabe are a very small tribe that still follows a very traditional hunter/gatherer lifestyle; scheduling a day and night in Lake Eyasi area is the only way to spend time with them, and it’s well worth it for anyone interested in traditional cultures. If you want, we can arrange for you to go on a hunt with the Hadzabe; otherwise, you’ll visit with them in their camp, learn about their traditional lifestyle, musical instruments, singing and dancing.