Cultural Program (17 days) Tribes of tanzania - Sueños de Africa Safari

DAY 1: KILIMANJARO AIRPORT / MOSHI

We will pick you up at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport, according to your arrival times and destination. One of our guides will wait for you at the airport to help you with your luggage and get you to the city of Moshi, where your adventure will begin. In our cars you will have unlimited cold water as well as wifi network. Moshi is a small town of 150,000 inhabitants, located at the foot of the southern slope of the roof of Africa, the majestic Kilimanjaro. Surrounded by wonderful Natural Parks is the perfect place to start our journey. If you don’t feel too tired, we invite you to stroll around the city, enter its markets and mingle with its people or have a taste of one of the delicious local beers. You will be surprised by the proximity and friendliness of this city of the Great Rift Valley. (Accommodation and breakfast)

DAY 2: MOSHI / KINUKAMORI WATERFALLS / LAKE CHALA 

After breakfast we will head towards the waterfalls of Kinukamori, located in Chagga territory. The Chagga are a tribe of farmers who speak the Buntu language and live on the slope of Mount Kilimanjaro. The crystal clear water that flows from the natural springs of the volcanic rocks makes it one of the best views in the region. We will descend to the pools of the waterfall enjoying the tropical forest that predominates in the environment and we will serve them a tea or coffee while you enjoy the views or swim in the pools. Then we will resume our route to move to Lake Chala. Lake Chala was formed into a caldera crater located on the Tanzania-Kenya border. It is a place of unique beauty. We will serve you a picnic meal on the shores of the lake. In the afternoon we will return to your hotel in Moshi. If the weather lets us, on this journey we can enjoy the views of the Kilimanjaro at sunset, a really beautiful image. (Full board)

DAY 3: MOSHI / SINYA NATURE RESERVE / AMBOSELI LAKE

After breakfast we will start our route to the Sinya Nature Reserve, at the base of Kilimanjaro to make our first safari. The Sinya Nature Reserve offers us a landscape of savannah and large plains, and the ethnicity that inhabits it are the Masai, so today we will be accompanied by a Masai guide, to help us find the best areas of animals and approach the Masai culture, in an enriching cultural exchange. In the middle of the morning we will stop for a cup of tea or coffee and continue with our safari to the shores of Lake Amboseli. Sinya is a private concession of more than 600 km2, part of the ecosystem of Amboseli National Park, and although it seems unusual, it is still preserved in its purest form. The roads are not marked in Sinya. Large families of elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, gazelles, African wild boars, monkeys, lions and leopards, live here among acacia forests. We will serve you a picnic meal on the shores of the lake and then we will have the option to do a walking safari with masais. Return to Camp/Hotel (Full board)

DAY 4: SINYA NATURE RESERVE / MONTE LONGIDO / KITUMBEINE / GELAI BOMBA

Our day begins after our breakfast, getting on our way to Lake Natron. We will take advantage of this tour to make our safari. We will stop at the foot of Mount Longido to take our morning snack. We will resume our tour as we observe the wild nature on our way until we reach the village of Kitumbeine, where we will serve a picnic meal and we can mingle with the local people. After our meal we will continue our safari to Gelai Bomba (very close to the lake) where we will stay. (Full board)

DAY 5: LAKE NATRON / OL DOINYO LENGAI / NGARE SERO

Volcanoes, wildlife, masais shepherds and infinite plains, this is what awaits you today. For this, after breakfast we will travel through the natural environment of Lake Natron to make our safari. Lake Natron is a salt lake located in the Great Rift Valley, on the border with Kenya. Next to it is the 370.000-year-old Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, which the masais call the “mountain of God”, a sacred place for this ethnicity.  We will stop at its feet to enjoy our daily coffee or tea and the wonderful surroundings. The approximate area of the lake is 600-800 km2, although it can reach 1040 km2, and from it are extracted salts of chlorine, sodium and magnesium. Its waters, dyed red by the algae, are a paradise for the colonies of flamingos. We will serve you a picnic meal surrounded by nature and continue with our safari. In the afternoon, we will join the Ngare Sero population, the nerve center of the masais. Visit to Lake Natron to see the sunset and its colonies of flamingos. (Full board)

DAY 6: NATRON LAKE / NGARE SERO FALLS

After breakfast, we will go out as every day to do our safari, being able to take a walk through “the mountain of God” if you desire, where we will take our daily coffee, and when the heat increases, we will go to the Waterfall of Ngare Sero, where we will be able to swim in one of its natural pools. We will serve you a picnic meal and after the refreshing rest, we will visit a Masai village to soak us up in its culture and tradition. We will approach Lake Natron and stop at the archaeological field called “Ngare Sero Footprints”. Flamingo watching and sunset on the lake. If you wish we can organize a night visit to the top of the “sacred mountain”, the only one of the volcanoes that is still active today, to be able to observe its crater filled with lava. The tour starts around midnight and you reach the top to see sunrise. The descent takes about 3 hours. (Full board)

DAY 7: SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK (NORTH ZONE) 

After breakfast, we’ll leave the Lake Natron region behind to head for the Tanzanian highlands. We will enter territory of the Sonjo ethnic group, known for their use of irrigation systems in agriculture. We will reach the town of Waso, where we will stop for a tea or coffee and continue towards the Serengeti National Park, entering through the north gate of the park. With 14.763 km2 (5.700 mi2) the Serengeti National Park is the largest in Tanzania and one of the largest on the African continent. It is the cradle of Masai culture and the house of the “Big 5”. As you know, we will stop in the middle of the morning for a tea or coffee and continue in search of predators (lions, leopards, cheetahs) and other mammals (antlopes, gazelles, zebras, hippos, hyenas). The black rhino, the giraffe (national animal of Tanzania) and herds of elephants and african buffaloes, are some of the many animal species that can be found in the Serengeti National Park. We will eat our picnic meal in the middle of the Savanna and continue our adventure. (Full board)

DAY 8: SAFARI SERENGETI ( MARA RIVER)

Early and after breakfast, we start the day in search of The Great Migration. We will follow the migratory routes to the famous Mara River, where we can witness the spectacular crossing of the wildebeest. In the middle of the morning we will stop for a tea or coffee and continue with our safari. The Serengeti is thought to have the largest lion population in Africa, in part due to the large number of animals that serve as prey to them. There are currently more than 3.000 lions living in the park’s ecosystem and more than 1.000 african leopards, so they are frequently seen throughout the park. We will eat picnic as we watch the herds grazing placidly around us and after the well-deserved rest we will continue with our adventure. Have you already seen the big five? Feel like in a National Geographic documentary, as you go looking for the one you’re missing, there’s no better place than the magical Serengeti for it. The Serengeti National Park is also home to hundreds of unique birds such as the crowned crane, the kori bustard, the secretary bird, ostriches or the royal owl. If you wish we can visit one of the beautiful fishing villages that surround Lake Victoria.  Once in your accommodation, do not miss the opportunity, if you have not already done so, to observe a sunset in the Savanna. (Full board)

DAY 9: SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK (SERONERA) CENTRAL ZONE 

Today we will have the opportunity to return to the Mara to see more rows of animals crossing the river. Afterwards, continuing our safari in our way, we will head towards the central area, Seronera. The Serengeti National Park is the oldest in Tanzania and the main tourist attraction of the country. It was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1981, and its wildlife is of incomparable wealth, so make sure you have your photographic equipment always prepared.  As usual we will stop to have our morning snack and during the day, we will stop at Olduvai Gorge. It is a fascinating archaeological site that we will visit if you are interested in history and the Masai tribes. We will serve you a picnic meal as we observe the vastness of the plain in the Serengeti and then resume our safari. Dinner and accommodation at the Lodge/Camp. Don’t miss the opportunity to observe the magnificent sky in the African night, or to hear a beautiful Masai legend by the fire. Don’t forget that, if you wish, we can help you hire a balloon safari service. Definitely a special way to observe the Serengeti. We will continue exploring the area and with the sunset we will return to the camp. (Full board)

DAY 10: SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK / NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA

Morning safari through the park touring the Seronera Valley and moving to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. After our morning safari, we will take advantage of the stop at the entrance of the Park, to have our routine tea or coffee, to continue our journey. On the way we will stop at the Olduvai Gorge, an archaeological site of the Great Rift Valley, where we will take advantage to serve them a picnic meal. The ravines that form the Olduvai Gorge are also known as the “Cradle of Humanity” and constitute one of the most important places in East Africa in relation to prehistoric paleontological and archaeological sites. The sediments that emerge in  

the ravines of this canyon are closely linked to human evolution; tectonics and erosion have exposed sediments from a young age from just over 2 million years to about 15.000 years ago. We will reach the edge of Ngorongoro crater where we will spend the night. (Full board)

Note: This night may be colder and we recommend wearing some warm clothes.

DAY 11: NGORONGORO CRATER

After breakfast, we will descend 2.000 feet to the bottom of the Crater in our 4×4 vehicle. Let’s explore this Garden of Eden. Ngorongoro is a huge, deep volcanic crater, one of the largest in the world. There are rich pastures, swamps, forests and permanent water on the crater floor. That’s why the wildlife here is so diverse and numerous. Following our customs, in the middle of the morning we will stop for a coffee or some butter cookies, to resume our safari with energy. There are up to 25.000 large animals that live here. It would be the best opportunity to see the black rhino and many other rare species. Specifically in the Munge River area, we will have the opportunity to see the lions with the darkest mane. We will enjoy a picnic meal watching the hippos bathing. We will have a fantastic day and we will see the wildlife at its best. The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the best places in the world to photograph wild animals up close, without interfering or altering their daily life. A paradise of fauna and flora, without a doubt a unique place. In the afternoon we will go back to the crater walls to return to our Lodge/Camp. If you have a chance to watch the sunset over the Crater, feel lucky! It’s one of the images you won’t forget for the rest of your life. (Full board)

DAY 12: TREKKING THROUGH THE EMPAKAI CRATER / LAKE EYASI 

After breakfast, we will move to Empakai Crater where we will make a walking tour. Overlooking Ol Doinyo Lengai, the sacred Masai mountain, Empakai is an area of great natural beauty. The crater of Empakai is a fairly isolated area, where you can enjoy the tranquility and nature in all its splendor, since even the masais shepherds keep their cattle on the outskirts of the crater, as they do not venture inside with their large herds because of its steep slopes. The trail continues to the lakeside, where you can see many waterfowl, including flamenco, and where we will take advantage to take our daily snack. During the hike you may find wildlife such as buffaloes, monkeys, gazelles, giraffes and wildebeest. After the tour we will continue to Lake Eyasi, the territory of the Hadza, one of the last ethnic hunter-gatherer groups in Africa. Lake Eyasi is a seasonal, shallow and salty lake. It is located at the bottom of the Great Rift Valley, at the base of the Serengeti Plateau. We will take advantage of the beautiful views of the lake to serve you a picnic meal, while we observe the flocks of flamingos and different waterfowl, then we will resume our safari and move back to the hotel at the Ngorongoro. (Full board)

DAY 13: CULTURAL EXCHANGE WITH ETHNICITIES (NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA)

Early in the morning, after breakfast, we will meet the ethnic groups around Lake Eyasi. Today we will have a day of coexistence with the Bushmen or Hadza, a people traditionally hunter-gatherer. The ancestral land of the hadzas lies on the edge of the Plains of the Serengeti, in the shadow of the Ngorongoro Crater. They’ve probably lived in Yaeda Chini for millennia. Genetically, and like the Bushmen of southern Africa, they are one of humanity’s most “ancient” lineages. The hadzas speak a chastened language that bears no relation to any other on Earth. Later, we will go to meet the Ndatoga, a cattle and agricultural town in the area. Datoga is the original name of the Mangati, masai meaning “fierce enemy” as they are ancient enemies of the Masai. Its origins are probably southern Sudan or the western highlands of Ethiopia, approximately 3.000 years ago. A gradual migration of their ancestors to the south has established them in the territories of the mountainous regions of Kenya and Tanzania. They have a reputation as fierce warriors. At the end of this interesting day, we will return again to the hotel. (Full board)

DAY 14: LAKE EYASI / TARANGUIRE NATIONAL PARK 

We will pick you up at the Lodge / Hotel after breakfast and head to Tarangire National Park for our safari. On the way to the park the landscape with the huts of the Masai ethnic group will enliven the journey and we will observe in the distance its daily activities.  Taranguire National Park extends along the Tarangire River line and consists mainly of low hills on the plain of the Great Rift Valley. Its natural vegetation consists of acacia forests and gigantic baobab trees, with huge swampy areas in the south. In the middle of the morning we will make a stop to stretch our legs and drink if you wish a tea or coffee that gives us the energy necessary to continue our safari. In Tarangire National Park, both the river and the marshes act as a magnet for wild animals. Tarangire National Park has a reputation for containing some of Africa’s largest herds of elephants. After so many hours of emotions we will make a stop to eat and replenish strength with a picnic meal, in one of the many enabled areas within the park. Then we’ll resume our safari. This African National Park is also home to three rare species of animals: the large kudu, the fringed ear oryx and the ashy starling. Transfer to The Lodge/Hotel. (Full board)

DAY 15: TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK 

After breakfast, we will return to Tarangire National Park to spend the full day of safari on it. We will go back into the park to see how the animals wake up on a safari on the shores of the Tarangire River. This National Park is the third largest in Northern Tanzania and the only one where you can observe the centuries-old forests of baobabs. In the middle of the morning, we will make a stop on our safari to have a tea or coffee and enjoy these giants of nature. The park is known as an elephant sanctuary and its population reaches 6.000 specimens. We will eat a picnic meal in one of the areas enabled for it, and then resume our safari. We will continue exploring and deepening into the park until we reach the Silale marshes. In Taranguire National Park, the landscape and vegetation are very varied with a mixture that is not found anywhere else in the northern circuits. Return to the lodge/hotel. (Full board)

DAY 16: TARANGIRE / LAKE MANYARA / ARUSHA

After breakfast we will head to Lake Manyara National Park, established as such in 1960 and declared in 1981 biosphere reserve. Lake Manyara, a shallow and saline lake, has 231 km2, with a length of 50 km and a width of 16 km, is located at about 600 m altitude. It has a great diversity of landscapes and on its shores inhabit buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and a large number of birds. In the middle of the morning we will make a short stop to enjoy a tea or coffee. The lake was formed more than two million years ago, when the waters filled the lowlands after the formation of the Great Rift Valley. The lake contains large amounts of salt and phosphate. Of the 329 km2 of Lake Manyara National Park, the alkaline waters of the lake cover approximately 231 km2. We will serve you a picnic meal in one of the areas enabled for it in the park. Although it is known to baboons, the lake and its surroundings are also home to herbivores, such as hippos, impalas, wildebeest, elephants, buffaloes, wild boars and giraffes, and birds such as flamingos, long-crestely eagles and grey-headed kingfisher. Leopards and lions, although elusive, are also part of the park’s wildlife. Transfer to the lodge/hotel in Arusha. (Full board)

DAY 17: ARUSHA / KILIMANJARO AIRPORT 

Arusha is one of the most important cities in the country, surrounded by wonderful Natural Parks is the perfect place to finish our trip. It is located at the foot of Mount Meru, which with its 4.566 meters of altitude is the second highest point in the country. Arusha is a multicultural city, a range of religions and cultures that coexist in total harmony. If your schedule allows, we invite you to stroll around the city, enter its markets and mingle with its people. Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport to take international flight. (Accommodation and breakfast)

 THE PRICE INCLUDES

• All arrival and departure transfers at the airport.
• Land Cruiser-type 4×4 vehicle
• English or Spanish speaking professional driver/guide throughout the safari.
• Entry fees to the national parks mentioned above.
• Full board or half board (according to contracted plan) throughout the safari.
• Accommodation with breakfast at the Arusha hotel.
• Bottled mineral water during the safari (unlimited).
• Plugs for mobile chargers and cameras in the 4×4.
• Airport arrival transfer to the hotel.
• Transfer departure from the hotel to the airport.
• Electric fridge in the 4×4 to keep drinks cool.
• Coffee/tea during safari (in cars and with lunch)
• THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE
• Any service not specified as Included.
• International and domestic flight.
• Any type of visa.
• Drinks of any kind in the hotels except where indicated.
• Driver tips/guides and personal extras.
• Travel insurance, transportation costs in case of emergency, personal medical need.
• Extra activities during the tripAY