Itinerary

When the earth formed the Great Rift Valley, one of the sites was discovered to be the cradle of humankind. The archaeological discoveries of East Africa are renowned; the human species which were left behind have been estimated to be 1.75 million years old.

East Africa is an incredible place to travel because of the concentration of animals, spectacular terrain, different climates, natural history, and rich culture that has remained unchanged for centuries. And in our 21st century Africa still holds its wonder... walks and game drives through its vast plains has brought countless visitors to East Africa. Tanzania offers some of the best wildlife spotting opportunities on the continent with stunning landscapes of hills, escarpments and golden savannas resting in quiet beauty. Ancient rock outcroppings appear on this corridor of the Serengeti Plains. As we travel by foot on this safari we truly meet the environment, the tribe’s people. We will walk through miles of vast open spaces beneath the infinite sky of East Africa hearing the sounds of Africa, seeing its remarkable birdlife.

Africa is home to wildlife that will amaze; the buffalo, elephant, antelope, monkeys, gazelles, zebra, giraffes, leopard and wildebeest are but some of the animals we will see in his walk in Tanzania. The unspoiled wilderness and wildlife of East Africa are a beautiful setting for a safari. It is where humans and wild animals have lived together naturally for thousands of years.

On February 8 a small group will meet at Kilimanjaro Airport. We will be guided by our Dorobo Safari friends, naturalists who have based their adventure travel on the philosophy that the natural environments, wilderness and wildlife, are intimately and irrevocably linked to people, both locally and globally. They offer unique educational experiences; thus we have traveled with them for 16 years.

February is a friendly weather time in East Africa with temperatures ranging in the low 70s. The total from homeland departure to return is 18 days.

We are excited about our upcoming Trek through Time in East Africa. With our experienced naturalist, Thad Peterson of Dorobo Safaris, we will offer a stimulating walking safari. Thad has been guiding Journeys Inward treks and walking safaris for the past 19 years. (Click to learn more about Dorobo Safaris.)



THE ITINERARY

February 7		Leave the U.S.
February 8		Arrive Kilimanjaro Airport and to Ngurdoto Lodge Nestled between Mt Meru and Mt Kilimanjaro, Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge is located within a lush coffee plantation, 140 acres, with natural streams flowing through the property, from Mt Meru.
February 9		Arusha National Park - the “gem amongst parks,” we have an opportunity to see our first wildlife - giraffe, buffalo, bushbuck and hopefully the spectacular black and white Colobus monkeys. Night at Ngurdoto.
February 10		To Tarangire (with picnic lunch enroute) to Boundary Hill Lodge Literally perched on the edge of Tarangire National Park, among trees and rock outcrops, the lodge is nestled into the cliffs and huge granite slabs. Built of natural materials, predominantly local stone, wood and burnt brick, Boundary Hill Lodge offers outstanding views over the Silale and Gosuwa swamps, where elephant and buffalo graze among the acacia and baobab trees beneath the vastness of Africa's sky. A refreshing swim in the Lodge pool is also available.
February 11		Tarangire visit; Boundary Hill Lodge
February 12		Manyara Park gameviewing - This fine park has been a mecca for seekers of wildlife since safari travel began. Along its western border lie the cliffs of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, and its eastern border runs along the shores of Lake Manyara. Within this long and narrow corridor are dense concentrations of wildlife inhabiting a lovely and diverse landscape. Elephant, giraffe, lion, buffalo, and zebra are all to be found here, in addition to many other game and bird species. Evening to Selela Forest Camp
February 13		Forest/escarpment hike and biking option - Selela Forest Tented Camp (with private showers and toilets). On mountain bikes, we ride along dusty paths winding across wide- open plains in the rift valley. This area is largely inhabited by the Maasai people, and there will be plenty of cultural interaction with them as we ride past a number of homesteads where shepherds herd their livestock and locals walk or ride bicycles across the savannah. Possibly good sightings of big game animals. Also, we can venture off for a walk into the forest. Hopefully the elephants will be in their usual place grazing. As well there are resident giraffe, waterbuck, and monkeys and we'll be in search of all of them.
February 14		To Kisima Ngeda Tented Camp - a longish day On the shores of Lake Eyasi we see abundant bird life.... African fish eagles and crowned cranes are resident as are Verreaux’s eagle owls and hammerkops. Guinea fowl and francolin, kingfishers, herons, egrets, cormorants, plovers, and Egyptian geese abound. Some of the game in the area include dik dik, bush buck, reedbuck, vervet monkey and even hippos on occasion.
February 15		Yaeda - Dorobo Camp Yaeda Valley - Dorobo Camp. There we will camp with the Hadza. About 400 members of the Eastern Hadza tribe live in Tanzania today, the only hunter-gatherers who remain in Africa. It was a mere 12,000 years ago that our ancestors domesticated plants and animals. Until then, hunter- gatherers dominated Africa as they did the rest of the world.
February 16		Yaeda. Yaeda Valley - Learning with the Hadza - Dorobo Camp Yaeda valley - interaction with Hadza and hikes. The Hadza hunt game, gather edible plants and honey, and move from place to place whenever the weather changes, or the wild herds migrate, or they just feel like moving. In small groups of about eighteen adults and their children, they pitch camps among the rocks and trees of the dry savanna where they live on 1,000 square miles near Lake Eyasi, a salt lake in northern Tanzania. Every two weeks or so, they move to a new campsite.
February 17		To Gibbs Farm. We travel to Gibbs Farm, a lodge that has evolved into a charming site with lush gardens that has retained the atmosphere of a working farm and the mystique of an era. In an exotic location on the outer slopes of an extinct volcano, Gibbs Farm has huge views of the surrounding farmlands with a backdrop of forested slopes - are home to an abundance of wildlife, including elephant and leopard.
February 18		Option A: The Ngorongoro Crater. We descend into the Crater to view the scenic grandeur of the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken caldera in the world. There are 25,000 larger animals within the crater itself, mostly Zebra and wildebeest. This is undoubtedly the best place to see black rhino in Tanzania as well as prides of lion that include the magnificent black-maned males. More than a 100 species of bird not found in the Serengeti have been found in the Crater. Other game: leopard, cheetah, hyena, elephants, warthog, impala, buffalo, hartebeest, eland and lots of other members of the antelope family. Option B: Hiking around Gibbs/biking as well - Gibbs Farm
February 19		This will mostly be travel day to trailhead at Soit. We take time at Olduvai Gorge. The Gorge is known as the Cradle of Mankind - an archaeological site that features the remains of the earliest human beings, who were discovered by Dr. Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey in the earlier part of the 20th century. This is the place where humanity first appeared as a species. The first humans ever to exist, lived their life in Tanzania, specifically, as fossil records show that Olduvai Gorge was one of the earliest inhabited valleys. This is the site where Mary Leakey found the historical Zinjanthropus skull. Travel to Engaroi Camp via short grass plains and Olduvai - Dorobo Camp
February 20		Ridge walk - This is a day of walking on the ridge tops with great views over the Serengeti system to camp in plains. Our cars pick us up and we head to Soit Orgoss. Ridge walk - meet vehicles to Soit camp
February 21		In Soit Day This area is traditional Maasailand and buffers the Serengeti National Park. Dorobo Safaris have worked in cooperation with the local Maasai communities for over 10 years on how to best use and conserve this unique landscape with its incredible wildlife heritage. It is an area of remarkable kopjes, hills, rivers and open plains. It has a vast resident population of predators and plains game. Excursion to Soit
February 22		Day trip to Pastoral Women’s Council/CRT and Sambu School Visit/women’s project and PWC - Soit Camp
February 23		Air charter to Arusha = arrive before lunch. Arusha Hotel dayrooms - depart for airport.
COSTS:		8 clients:    $ 6200. 9 clients: $ 6000. 10 clients:   $ 5800.
Single Supplement: $ 700. NOTE: The cost covers everything except drinks and other personal extras at lodges, airport taxes and tips. For many years Leah Krawetz Travel in St. Paul, Minnesota has found fine prices to Africa. She can be reached at 1.800.544.0110. If you are using airline mileage, I would suggest you contact your airlines asap. NOTE: Travel to E. Africa is extremely busy at this time of year; in order for us to hold our planned reservations, we need to have deposits paid well in advance. A $1200. deposit will be needed from group participants IMMEDIATELY. Final payments will be due by December 10. For more information contact: Marilyn Mason Journeys Unlimited 369 Montezuma Ave., #199 Santa Fe, N.M. 87501 505.820.6306 info@marilynmason.com