Suggested Itinerary
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Embark on a walking safari in a beautifully remote area
- Learn from the experts at Noloholo Environmental Center
- Mingle with local people at a local primary school or family home
- Stay at Tanzania’s first all-female staffed camp, supporting local women
- See an abundance of wildlife found only in these special reserves
Day 1: Arrive Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Legendary Lodge
Upon arriving at Kilimanjaro Airport, you will be collected by your private driver and vehicle and transported to Legendary Lodge to rest and recover from your journey.
Located in the tropical gardens of a working coffee farm just outside Arusha, Legendary Lodge hearkens back to a gentle era with its sweeping green lawns, private nooks for sitting and reading, ample luxurious cottages and excellent service. Enjoy a first night here and excellent dinner before embarking on your safari tomorrow.
Day 2-4: Tarangire National Park
Oliver’s Camp
A five-minute transfer to Arusha Airport will take you to board your quick flight to Tarangire National Park, where you will begin a first game drive to take you to Oliver’s Camp, your home for the next three nights.
Oliver’s Camp was inspired by the trailblazing camps that pioneered the early days of safari. It gives you direct access to the dense concentration of wildlife you will find year-round in this remote region, as well as the chance to enjoy walking safaris and fly camping. Oliver’s Camp is intimate and personal and staffed by a world-class team that has worked together for many years to perfect a safari experience that guests consistently rank among their best.
Enjoy your days in this remote park, where you will see few other vehicles but an abundance of wildlife (especially elephants) from your tent.
While staying at Oliver’s Camp, you will have the opportunity to visit the Noloholo Environmental Center. Here, you’ll learn directly from local conservationists the challenges and opportunities for wildlife conservation in Northern Tanzania.
Dr. Laly Lichtenfeld, director and co-founder of the US non-profit, African People & Wildlife Fund, and its locally registered sister organization, Tanzania People & Wildlife Fund, is a National Geographic Explorer and distinguished alumni of the Yale Tropical Resources Institute.
Arriving shortly before lunch (11:00 am), you’ll receive a brief tour of the Noloholo Environmental Center, highlighting its environmental design. Following this, guests will gather for a 20-minute presentation from a program officer on the conservation efforts of the African People & Wildlife Fund. Following Q&A, lunch will be served in the center’s upper round with a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape (12:00 pm). A member of Laly’s team will join the group to further the conversation and to discuss the afternoon plans.
Following lunch (1 pm), guests will depart Noloholo with an APW representative to visit one of their on-the-ground projects. Activities are flexible and subject to change. They may include (1) a visit to a local primary school where guests can interact with local wildlife club members supported by the organization, (2) a visit to a Maasai family with a Living Wall (APW’s lion-proof, environmentally-friendly livestock corrals), (3) a visit with local women’s groups participating in APW’s environmental entrepreneurship program and/or (3) field activities such as checking camera traps for signs of big cats and wildlife tracking.
Days 5-6: Central Serengeti
Dunia Camp
Today you will fly up to the Serengeti to stay at Dunia Camp. Pitched on a major wildebeest migration corridor in the Central Serengeti, Dunia Camp offers superb sightings of the big cats, leopard and rhino that roam the forests on the fringes of the Seronera River.
Dunia is a tranquil semi-permanent camp with just eight spacious tented suites, each with expansive views of the pristine wilderness and game-filled plains from a large private veranda. Attention to every detail is balanced by a graceful simplicity in harmony with the serene location.
Dunia is the first all-female staffed camp in Tanzania. Staying here is a wonderful chance to get to speak with the women running this camp and better understand their lives.
Days 7-9: Northern Serengeti
Sayari Camp
The award-winning Sayari Camp is renowned for extraordinary wildlife sightings and supreme comfort. Set on the unspoilt plains of the Northern Serengeti, close to the famous Lamai Wedge, Sayari gives you easy access to the Mara River and multiple river crossing points.
Sayari Camp offers some of the world’s finest game viewing – and it does so in remarkable style. Relax in your extra-comfortable hillside suite after a day on safari, or take a dip in the glorious rim-flow swimming pool with dramatic views over the northern plains. Intimate, contemporary and elegant, it is no surprise that this permanent camp is regularly voted one of the top safari escapes on the planet.
In addition to offering first class safari activities, you will be able to visit the local village for the day where you can farm with local farmers, collecting vegetables for your dinner that night. Teach English at a local school for the day and visit a local home to prepare a traditional meal.
Day 10: Serengeti-Arusha-Kilimanjaro
Today a scenic flight will return you to Arusha Airport, where you will be transported to Kilimanjaro Airport for your international departure or depart to Pemba for your coastal extension.
Days 10-14: Optional Pemba Extension
Fundu Lagoon
Remote and peaceful, Fundu Lagoon has a distinct Robinson Crusoe air, with charming rustic buildings nestling on the shore of the Indian Ocean, shaded by thatched roofs made from sundried coconut palms. While crowds flock to Zanzibar, few have heard of Pemba Island, Zanzibar’s little sister to the north, which remains largely undeveloped. Living up to the ‘Spice Islands’ nickname, cloves form a major part of the local economy. Magic is also embedded in the culture, with ju-ju witch doctors providing medicine and social cohesion.
Only accessible by boat, the resort extends along a natural beach, where the lush jungle meets the sea. Fundu Lagoon’s staff are almost all from the local villages and bush babies, vervet monkeys and dolphins also call Pemba home.
Whether relaxing by the infinity pool, wandering along the shore and watching local women collect seaweed for the beauty industry, kayaking through the mangroves or admiring the pristine coral gardens around nearby Misali island, days here can be as relaxed or fun-filled as you make them.
On your last day, depart for Zanzibar and connect to a flight to Dar for your international departure.
Interested in booking this itinerary or customizing a trip to Tanzania? Get in touch with a private travel designer!
