• Tanzania

Overview

This 11-day tour is a great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Tanzanian children in need & to admire the country’s spectacular variety of wildlife. Volunteer in the town of Karatu, assisting children with homework, guiding them through arts & crafts activities, & hosting a special, outdoor sports event. Enjoy safari game drives at sunrise, after breakfast, & in the afternoon. Discover the tastes of traditional cuisine as you enjoy lunch at a local’s house in the village of Mto wa Mbu, go on a banana plantation tour, & more.

Highlights

  • Safari game drives in the Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
  • Karatu Volunteer Project – Assist the staffs of a local nursery school & a local orphanage with various activities & duties. Work alongside teachers in the classroom, hold an arts & crafts workshop, install gutters, & more.
  • Maasai Community – Tour the community. Learn about the natural resources the members use for medicine.
  • Cycle Tour – Bike to one of Africa’s well-known flamingo hubs, Lake Manyara.
  • Hot Air Balloon – Admire the Serengeti from high above in a hot air balloon.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arusha

Arrive at the airport, & transfer to your accommodation in Arusha. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening. 

Day 2: Arusha – Manyara Region

Travel to your campsite in the Manyara Region this morning. Enjoy lunch in the bush. Afterward, tour the Maasai community, & hike to see the sun setting over Lake Manyara. Dinner will be held back at your camp in the Manyara Region. 

Day 3: Manyara Region – Mto wa Mbu – Manyara Region

Begin the day with a cycle tour. You’ll head to Lake Manyara again, where you might have the opportunity to observe a large population of bright pink flamingos. This adventure tour also includes a visit to the village of Mto wa Mbu. Here you’ll enjoy lunch at a local’s home. Upon returning to the camp, take a walk through the bush with a Maasai community member. You’ll learn about the natural resources the Maasai use for medicinal purposes. Afterward, relax & admire the sunset over the African plains, & enjoy dinner around the campfire. Optional tours include: banana plantation tour, Balaa Hill hiking tour, & community development tour.

Day 4: Manyara Region – Karatu

Head to Karatu this morning. Enjoy lunch at your accommodation. This afternoon, you’ll learn more about your volunteer project during a brief orientation. 

Day 5: Karatu

Make a difference in the lives of others today as you volunteer at a local nursery school & orphanage. This is a full-day project, with various activities & breaks for meals. Ways volunteers might assist the local staffs include working alongside teachers in the classroom, installing gutters, feeding & spending time with orphaned children, & preparing for the next day’s activities. 

Day 6: Karatu

Spend the day volunteering at the orphanage &/or the nursery school. 

Day 7: Karatu

Spend the day volunteering at the orphanage &/or the nursery school. 

Day 8: Karatu

Today you will participate in different activities at the orphanage & the nursery school. These include holding an arts & crafts workshop at the nursery school & making prizes for this afternoon’s special event. Before returning to your accommodation, you’ll bid farewell to the children by hosting a field day. The children will participate in sports & games, & win prizes. 

Day 9: Karatu – Ngorongoro Crater

Leave Karatu for the Ngorongoro Crater. Observe one of the world’s most beloved spots for observing wildlife. During your full-day safari, you’ll enjoy a bush lunch by the hippo watering hole! Enjoy another campfire dinner this evening. 

Day 10: Ngorongoro Crater – Serengeti

Set off on a safari game drive this morning. After heading through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, you’ll arrive at Serengeti National Park. Spend the rest of the day admiring the wildlife that calls the park home. You may have the opportunity to see the great migration of wildebeests, giraffes, leopards, & warthogs – amongst other fauna. Head up into the sky in a hot air balloon today for a unique, sunrise, sightseeing experience (optional). 

Day 11: Serengeti – Arusha

See the Serengeti at sunrise on another game drive. Enjoy breakfast afterward. The remainder of the morning consists of another game drive & a visit to the Olduvai paleoanthropological site & museum. Return to Arusha this afternoon for dinner & an overnight stay.

Day 12: Arusha – USA

Visit the Cultural Heritage Center, or spend the morning at leisure. This afternoon, transfer to the airport, & board return flight home.