7:30am: Breakfast & group meeting

8:30am: Departure to Arusha Town & Arusha National Park (45 minutes to 1 hour to Arusha NP)

Packed Lunch

Arusha National Park is less traveled by tourists and has a lot to do due to its perfect mix of flora and fauna and diversified landscapes. Passing the “small Serengeti” during a game drive, you are likely to spot peaceful herds of buffaloes, shy bushbucks on the edge of the forest as well as warthogs and zebras. Heading towards the Ngurudoto Crater you will soon find yourself in a lush rainforest – a great place to spot the athletic black and white colobus monkey as well as the elegant mitis monkey. The Ngurudoto Crater is basically a smaller version of the Ngorongoro Crater and has a diameter of about 3 km. As we drive around the crater rim, with a bit of luck, you might even spot buffaloes in the swamps on the crater floor. Halfway through the game drive, our guide will find a place for the group to enjoy a picnic lunch before continuing on into the park.

7:30 Dinner at Marera Valley Lodge and overnight at Marera Valley Lodge or similar.(BLD)

6:00am: Departure to Ngorongoro Crater w/ breakfast to go

Drive time to crater 30 minutes

Packed Lunch

The Ngorongoro crater is an inactive volcanic crater with breathtaking views from both the rim and within the crater itself. As we descend by safari jeep, we pass through all of the conservation area’s various habitats from dense mountain forests and woodlands, grasslands, lakes and swamps.

The huge crater floor is spotted with large herds of zebras, wildebeests, elands, Grant’s and Thompson’s gazelles. As we get closer to the game, lions can be seen as well as the occasional herd of elephants and the endangered Black Rhino.  Rare species like serval cats, hyenas, jackals, and cheetahs may be spotted, and your guide will help you adjust your eyes to watching game and looking for behaviors that may indicate if predators are around.

Not only do mammals reside in the conservation area, Ostriches, Kori bustards, Crowned Cranes, White Backed Vultures, Black Kites, Cattle Egrets, Tawny Eagles, Augur Buzzards and Lesser Flamingos can be seen at Lake Magadi.

7:30pm: Dinner at Merera Valley Lodge. Overnight Merera Valley Lodge. (BLD)

Time TBA (8am?) Departure to Game Drive in Serengeti

Packed Lunch

Serengeti National Park is undoubtedly the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world, unequaled for its natural beauty and scientific value. More than two million wildebeest, half a million Thomson’s Gazelles, and a quarter of a million zebra, it has the greatest concentration of plains game in Africa. The great quantity of wildebeest and zebra form the cast of a spectacular event – the annual Serengeti migration. The next few days will be spent exploring this area.

7:30pm: Overnight and dinner at Suenos De Africa Camp or similar (BLD)

6:00am: Departure with breakfast to go

Hadzabes & Datoga Tribes

Lunch at Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge

Today we step back in time to meet the people of the past, the Hadzabes and Datoga tribes.

The Hadza people, or Hadzabe’e, are an ethnic group in central Tanzania, living around Lake Eyasi in the central Rift Valley and in the neighboring Serengeti Plateau for over 50,000 years.. Hadza people are among the last of the true hunter-gatherers and are a connection to the transition of a time when humans became farmers. While traditionally considered an East African branch of the Khoisan peoples, primarily because their language has clicks, modern genetic research suggests that they may be more closely related to the Pygmies. The Hadza are not closely related to any other modern people.

Visiting the Datoga tribe will complete your cultural experience at Lake Eyasi. Contrary to the Hadza people, The Datoga are skilled farmers and craftsman. The Datoga themselves blend in with their environment, their dress being the color of the reddish brown soil. Only on closer inspection will they appear colorful with their reddish, patched leather dresses, bead work, and brass bracelets and necklaces. A prominent decoration is tatooing of circular patterns around the eyes.

7:30pm Dinner and overnight Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge or similar (BLD)

6:30am: Breakfast

7:30am: Departure to Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National park with its Baobab crested landscape is scenically one of the most beautiful parks. Baobab trees tower above the savannah and these age-old trees play a vital role in the ecosystem as they act as homes for bees, birds and bats.

Cats are also very much present in the park and lions can be found soaking up the sun on the river banks, whereas leopards are sometimes spotted resting in the baobab trees. Rarer species include Cheetahs and African Wild Dogs.

At Tarangire National Park, keep your binoculars close as the park also boasts 550 different bird species. The most commonly seen birds include Yellow Collared Lovebirds, Red Billed Hornbills, Southern Ground Hornbills, Lilac Breasted rollers, Ostriches, many kinds of raptors as well as several kinds of water birds just to name a few.

7:30pm Dinner and overnight at Maramboi Tented Lodge or similar (BLD)

 I traveled with Green Edventures to Tanzania in May of 2019 and have been planning a return trip since the day I left!  I started the trip as a solo traveler and ended with many new friends – both trip mates and Tanzanian friends.  

A trip to Africa is like no other – from the thundering herds of animals to meeting the happiest people on earth – I’m not sure which I enjoyed more. One thing I knew for sure…. I had to go back! The trip exceeded my expectations at every turn. I knew we’d see animals, but I never expected the number to be in the thousands nor so many animals to be close enough you could see eyelashes! Our Tanzanian guides (Baraza and Karato) knew exactly when and where to be to see the most wildlife. Their expertise is unparalleled.  They positioned us alongside the mass migration – thousands of wildebeests and zebras running and leaping all around us. To see giraffes, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, ostriches and so much more all in their natural element is indescribable.  On an early morning drive two lionesses crossed in front of us with their five cubs in tow! On another morning, a gorgeous leopard appeared out of the mist and slowly walked right past our vehicle. The sky across the savannah is endless and gorgeous! We spent time with four indigenous tribes – learning about their different cultures, seeing arrowheads made, learning a few dance moves and the pinnacle event….joining the bushmen on a hunt!  I could go on and on! 

Africa – I’m ready to see all of your beauty and splendor again! I hope you will join me? 

Trip Leader:

Lori Anderson

+1-262-366-9930 

imeneone@gmail.com

Lori is the trip leader for Tanzania & Wisconsin trips. She has also traveled as a participant on Iceland South Coast & Laugavegru Trek, Idaho Main Salmon Rafting, Wisconsin Up North Adventure, Wisconsin Dog Sledding, Tanzania & Uganda Safaris.