Tanzania

• More about your oliver guide: Megan Harvey
• Trip type: Family
• Activity level: moderate
• Ideal length of trip: 12 DAYS

to & from

Take any non-stop flight to a European hub that has non-stop flights to Kilimanjaro (JRO). KLM via Amsterdam (AMS) is a good option

Where to Stay

We mainly stayed in small tented camps:

• Kismia Ngeda on the shore of Lake Eyasi
• Country Lodge in Karatu
• Sangaiwe Safari Lodge
• Ang’ata Seronera Camp in the Serengeti

• River Trees: Our stay for the first couple of nights before the safari started.
• We booked our Safari through Amazing Tanzania.
• The Tanzanian safari travels from place to place with the same driver/guide/vehicle for the duration of your safari. We went from Arusha (Kilimanjaro) to Tarangire National Park to Lake Eyasi, the Ngororgnogo crater, then Ndutu and the Serengeti. Laura from Amazing Tanzania prearranged everything for us including selecting lodges with pools, fishing and guided walks.

Where to Eat and Drink

Gibbs Farm: On the backroads between Tarangire National Park and Lake Eyasi, we stopped here for an amazing farm fresh lunch overlooking the countryside and coffee plantations. Gibbs Farm also has accommodations and is a good break between safari drives.

What to Do

• Spot a cheetah and her cubs, listen to lions roar in the night and watch; a leopard jump into a tree and settle in for a rest, hippos play in the water, a lioness and her cubs lounge in the morning sun, a giraffe run and zebras graze.
• In wildlife areas we went on two drives per day, dawn and dusk, seeing the big five (Lion, Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard and Rhino) on most days. It was an unlimited private tour which enabled us to work with our guide to customize each day to our liking. We always felt very safe.
• In Lake Eyasi we visited with two of the local tribes; hunting one morning with the Hadzabe tribe (for small birds and rodents with bows and arrows) and watching the Datoga make jewelry.
• Explore Tarangire National Park, best know for the abundance of Elephants
• Bike through the farms and villages along the Usa River in Arusha Town
• Explore the Ngorongoro Crater

inside scoop

• Visas upon arrival: Make sure to have new, crisp $100 USD bills. $100 per person per visa.
• It is necessary to take preventative malarial medications, Malarone, 3 days prior to entry, during stay and 7 days post (check with your doctor prior to departure).
• Check CDC website for recommended shots.
• Make sure to have an original birth certificate for children under 18.
• Travel insurance is required we used a company called Nomads.
• Work with a travel agent to customize you trip. After countless hours of online research and talking with people in the know I booked with the outfitter Amazing Tanzania. Ask for Paul Gervas -- the best safari guide ever!
• A fun option after the Safari is to head to the Seychelles or Zanzibar. We had just spent 10 days in Mozambique so we passed.

What to Pack