Tanzania: Wildlife Safaris, Iconic Landscapes and Cultures

Depart Chicago on flight to Arusha.

Upon arrival to Kilimanjaro International Airport, a Holbrook representative will meet you outside of the airport and transfer you to the hotel. This is an arrival day and no meals are included. Check into Mount Meru Hotel, situated at the foothills of Mount Meru. The hotel lies on 15 acres of lush landscape; as the topographic centerpiece of the Arusha National Park, the property is surrounded by breathtaking vistas, rich with a diverse array of wildlife. Attend a program orientation this evening.

After breakfast depart for Arusha National Park. Upon arrival, receive an introduction to a variety of animals in a section of the park known as "Little Serengeti," and also learn about Mt. Meru and the history of Arusha National Park. Depart from the ranger post in the company of an armed ranger for a walk in the foothills of Mt. Meru, Africa's fourth highest mountain. Walk through Buffalo Swamp to a lookout point with views of the park and Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance. Continue to a waterfall and open grasslands dotted with giraffes, warthogs, antelopes, and a variety of bird species, including flamingos. Continue through a wooded area in search of colobus monkeys before returning to the ranger post. Enjoy a boxed lunch in the park during the exploration, and then later this afternoon return to the lodge.

Start the day with a pre-breakfast walk on the lodge grounds. After breakfast, check out and visit a local market to view a variety of colorful handicrafts and experience life in Arusha. Next, visit Shanga Beads, a local project founded in 2007 and made up of a group of more than 70 people with a wide range of disabilities who create a variety of products including weaving, glass blowing, beading, paper making and metal work, using recycled materials wherever possible. Their philosophy is that kindness is a language that blind people see and deaf people hear. Learn about the birth of the project, visit the workshops and also the gift shop to witness the amazing artistry of this heartwarming project. Continue to Tarangire Osupuko Lodge, which overlooks the famous Tarangire National Park and is crossed by the wildlife-attracting Tarangire River. The lodge features eight en suite bungalows that are designed to bring the park's beauty indoors. The refined Maasai huts have large windows for viewing grazing wildlife. A restaurant, lounge, well-stocked bar, pool, library, array of games and spectacular game-viewing verandas are all available from the comfort of the lodge. Have some time to relax and enjoy the wildlife. Before dinner, attend a presentation on the elephants and Tarangire National Park.

This morning will start with a game drive in Tarangire National Park. The Tarangire River snakes through the park, and as it’s the area’s only permanent river, wildlife travel long distances to reach it. The 1,096 square miles of protected lands are home to a large variety of game, such as wildebeests, elephants, zebras, gazelles, elands, gerenuks, lions and leopards. Extensive grasslands, dotted with the occasional acacia or baobab tree, provide the optimum conditions for viewing wild animals. Bird enthusiasts will have the opportunity to see more than 500 avian species, including Yellow-collared Lovebirds, Rufous-tailed Weavers, Ashy Starlings, Stocking-thighed Ostriches, and Kori Bustards. After lunch at the lodge, you will have time to relax or take a guided nature walk. Later in the day you will take another game drive in the park.

After breakfast we'll transfer to a local Maasai village to observe as members of the community go about their morning rituals. Next, we'll transfer to Mto wa Mbu. During our walk through the village, we'll be able to observe the way of life in this rural community. We will enjoy lunch prepared by a local family with an explanation of the different culinary delights and how they are made. After a picnic lunch, we will continue to the lodge. Once we arrive at the lodge we'll check in and settle into our rooms, followed by free time to rest and relax.

Early this morning, begin our descent into the Ngorongoro Crater in preparation for a full morning game drive among one of the most unique concentrations of wildlife on earth. Vast grasslands cover most of the crater floor and provide ample grazing for resident zebras, gazelles, wildebeest, elephants, warthogs and rhinos. With such a large number of prey species contained within the crater, it is not surprising that Ngorongoro is also home to a dense population of lions. We will enjoy a picnic style breakfast in the Crater then transfer to Southern Serengeti National Park, Ndutu area. March is situated toward the end of the green season and offers some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities out of the entire year. The Serengeti plains are a beautiful shade of green, dust levels are minimal, and most wildlife species are easy to spot. The famous migration is concentrated in massive numbers on the Serengeti plains, which in turn attracts large numbers of predators. March is the time of plenty, and many animals time the birth of their families to coincide with the green season.

Early in the morning, we'll board our vehicles in order to begin our morning game drive of the day in Serengeti. Our game drive experience will include breakfast out in the field. We will return to the camp late in the morning and have lunch at the camp. We'll enjoy some free time to rest and relax at the camp before heading out for our midafternoon game drive. Before dinner, we will gather around the campfire and have a discussion with our group leader about the Great Migration.

Today we move to Central Serengeti, near Seronera River, which provides an important water source, and therefore attracts a lot of wildlife. This area is the best for Hippos, Crocs, Carnivores, Elephants, and Giraffes, to name a few!

Early this morning visit an amazing Hippo pool where we will have an opportunity to see hippos coming back to their pool after a night of grazing. Return to camp for breakfast and relaxing before a second game drive mid afternoon.

Depart Serengeti and head toward Karatu. En route, we will stop at Olduvai Gorge. After escorting us through the museum, the museum curator will accompany us on a walk to the Leakey camp. In the early 1930s, archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey began excavating at Olduvai Gorge in the hopes of finding clues to the origin of mankind. Their discovery of primitive tools and, later, fossilized hominid remains (Australopithecus boisei; Homo habilis) helped lay the foundation for present-day theories on human evolution. Upon arrival to our lodge, we will have a short exploratory walk around the lodge's farm/coffee plantation.

After leaving the lodge early this morning, we will drive to a local school. We will learn what a typical school day in Tanzania is like as we interact with teachers and students and sit in on classes. After lunch, enjoy some free time to enjoy the beauty of the lodge, swim or explore the coffee plantation before our farewell dinner.
*It is not mandatory to bring anything to donate to the school and/or the children. However, anyone wishing to do so might consider bringing a few basic school supplies, such as pencils and erasers, pens, colored markers, etc. to donate during the visit.

After a leisurely morning, we will transfer to Arusha. Before arriving at our hotel, we will pay a visit to a local home to enjoy a family hosted lunch. Transfer to our hotel for overnight.

Today will be at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities before leaving for the airport, enjoy a light snack at the hotel. Check out at 11am. Transfer to the Kilimanjaro International Airport and check in for overnight flight to the U.S. this afternoon.

Arrive Home.