A Short Safari – A Taste of Tanzania
It would be a pity not to experience a safari while staying in Tanzania. Many people have climbed Kilimanjaro with us, wish to add on a few days after their climb to experience Tanzania’s unique safari parks. Many once “bitten”, come again and again to explore this huge and diverse country in more detail.
We are happy to tailor make your safari to fit the time you have available. The following is just an example of what can be seen in 5 days. This camping safari is offered for the more adventurous and budget-minded which includes camping in the comfortable campsites around the national parks (we will supply your camping material, and an experienced chef to prepare your meals), or you can choose to stay in lodges, a slightly more expensive option, or even a combination of the two if you wish for us to customize a trip for you.
Karibu(Welcome) – If you have just climbed Kilimanjaro, you will be picked up by your friendly safari team in your specially adapted safari vehicle on the following day and the adventure begins. If you are starting your safari before going on to climb Kilimanjaro, Mt Meru or traveling on to Zanzibar, you will be met by your team at the airport and taken to one of our specially selected partner hotels in Moshi or Arusha, for a relaxing evening before setting off on safari….
| DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION | Kilimanjaro International Airport |
| DURATION | 5 Days + 2 Days for Arrival & Departure |
| INCLUDED |
2 nights hotel on a half board basis (twin rooms, sharing) |
| NOT INCLUDED | Hotel room service Bar expenses Laundry Tips Add on tours & activities |
Dates: 09/03/2019 – 09/07/2019
Day 1
After breakfast in your hotel, our first stop will be The Tarangire National Park, about an hour from Arusha. Red and green are the dominant colors in Tarangire, the most wooded of the Parks. Watch out for the large scarlet termite mounds, and the endearing dwarf mongoose, that occupies the termite mounds as soon as they are abandoned. Look out too for the brightly colored red and yellow barbet bird, which also uses the termite mounds to make its nest, and sings in a constantly repeated duet with its mate. As you enter the park you will be welcomed by huge Baobab Trees, and later the dense acacia woodland. After experiencing your first close-ups of giraffes and elephants in a truly amazing number (you might see up to 500 in any one day), buffaloes, and a huge variety of exotic birds, you will enjoy a picnic lunch and another game drive exploring the diverse habitats of the park. The permanent waters of the Tarangire River are a permanent attraction for animals, especially in the dry season between July and November, but the river is a lure all the year round. In the late afternoon, you will be taken to the Palm Tree Camp Site for a good dinner and a well earned rest.
Day 2
After an early breakfast, you will meet up with your team and will be Serengeti bound. We will go via The N’Gorongoro Crater Ring, where you will see your first glimpse of the vast crater 610 meters below. Get out of the vehicle and take in the view from Heroes Point, look at the stone pyramid where the famous zoologist, Bernhard Grzimek is buried, with his son Michael whose light plane crashed here in 1959, when it collided with a vulture. Look out over the vast crater, the largest caldera in the world. From here you might be able to pick out the blue waters of Lake Magadi on the floor of the crater, covered in pink flamingos. You will leave the Crater Ring and drive across the plains of the Serengeti to the famous Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakeys discovered the bones and footprints of our “hominid” ancestors in the exposed layers of rock in the gorge, which was once a lake bed. You will visit the museum, which relates the history of the discoveries and where there are some interesting remains on display including some of the footprints of our earliest ancestors. This part of the Serengeti is dry and almost desert like, from the safari vehicle you can pick out ostriches, zebra, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelle, wildebeest and giraffe grazing on the top branches of the clumps of acacia trees, which are decorated with the hanging nests of the brightly colored Weaver birds. We go through the Nabi Gate to register our vehicle, and then your driver will take you on a “Game Drive” The guides know where the best game can be found, they know the area like the backs of their hands and know the best places to find the animals at any particular moment. Tonight you will stay at the Soronera Campsite in the central Serengeti.
Day 3
The Serengeti is vast, so today your driver/guide will take you many kilometers into the plains. He knows where the animals have been sighted. Depending upon the time of year, you may be lucky enough to witness the vast herds of Wildebeest, zebras, and gazelle-you will see large numbers of animals-The Serengeti’s 15, 000 km² is at any one time literally millions of animals, predators like the lion, the leopard, the cheetah, and the jackal, the grazing herds of Wildebeest, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, gazelle, impala, Oryx, Oribi and Waterbuck to name a few. The word Serengeti means endless plains in Maasai, and you will travel the endless plains today, before returning to Soronera Campsite for dinner and overnight.
Day 4
Today you will visit what is perhaps the jewel in the glittering crown of the Northern Circuit, The N’Gorongoro Crater. After an early breakfast, we will arrive in the crater before lunch. The N’Gorongoro Crater animals rarely leave the vast extinct volcano crater surrounded by its 650m high walls, and it has one of the densest wild animal populations in the whole of Africa. These are wild animals, but the topography of the crater ensures that they are concentrated in the 260km² floor, which provides a range of diverse habitats. Lake Magadi, a shallow soda lake where there are large flocks of Flamingos and maybe Spotted Hyenas, hoping to sneak up on the wary flamingos for a fast snack. To the south of the lake there is the Gorigor Swamp, with an abundance of bird life, and to southeast of the Ngoitokitok Springs where there is a permanent hippo pool. The Lerai Forest, which mainly consists of Yellow Fever Trees, is the favorite stomping, the ground of the crater’s elephants; strangely most of the elephants are old males with impressive tusks, although females do pass through. The open grassland, which covers most of the crater floor, supports a very large number of wildebeest & zebra. Predators abound. You are almost certain to see lions, golden, and black-backed Jackals, cheetahs, and leopards are rarer. The chances of seeing black rhinos are high The only animals you won’t see are impala and giraffe, possibly because of the lack of the right kind of grazing, although some say it is because they cannot descend the steep sides of the crater. The crater is also a bird watchers paradise, ostrich is common, as is the beautiful crowned crane, with their conspicuous golden yellow head tufts and there are large flocks of migrant storks in the rainy season. You will spend the whole day in the crater stopping for a picnic lunch and leave for dinner back at the Haven Nature Camp Site.
Day 5
Today you will complete the Northern Circuit by spending some of the day in Lake Manyara National Park, famous for its tree-climbing lions. Lake Manyara is a shallow alkaline lake at the base of a steep stretch of the Western Rift Valley. The 330² km Park is comprised of two-thirds water, but it has a surprising variety of terrestrial species in the open grassy flood plains and the acacia woodland. You will see a variety of monkeys, giraffes, hippos, and of course, a huge variety of bird life. You will arrive in the morning in the Park and after a first game drive and a picnic lunch; we will leave the park to drive back to Arusha for your onward flight or to climb Kilimanjaro (see introduction). Time permitting, you will be able to stop at the bustling village of Mti wa Mbu, famous for its craft market. If you wish to buy souvenirs, let your guide do the bargaining for you.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
|
Risk |
Level of Likelihood & Gravity |
Actions taken to mitigate risk |
|
Clients losing luggage on their flight |
Relatively frequent on flights passing through Nairobi or Amsterdam |
1. Clients must be advised either to wear their climbing boots or to have them in hand luggage 2. We can replace clothing, gaiters, poles, sleeping bag and so on, we advise them to buy toiletries -We will charge a small fee for this (see equipment list) 3. We will do everything we can to recuperate the luggage from the airline and deliver it by relay to the camp – However, if they are at Barafu, it will be too late |
|
The clients fail to meet the person meeting them |
Small risk |
The driver is in contact with our office should something happen (accident, police). The clients will have our number(s) and must be told to wait -They should never take a taxi as they might well be cheated. We will have a prominent sign at the airport saying “A.T. Adventures International” |
|
A road accident during transfer |
Small Risk |
The drivers, cars are insured comprehensively |
|
A fire or similar event in the hotel |
Small Risk |
The hotels in and around Moshi and other tourist areas all have safety procedures in place. There has never been an incident. Electricity cuts can happen, but the hotels we use have their own generators |
|
Illness of client on arrival |
Small Risk |
The client will be advised not to climb and if necessary we will transport him/her to see a reputable Dr at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center. He/she must pay for treatment and accommodation. If the client recovers and there is a possibility we can supply an extra guide to take an authorized short cut (permission needed from authorities)up until the third day on the mountain. If this is not possible or if the client does not want to do this, we can offer him day excursions to places of interest at his/her own cost. Be aware park fees are paid once the client has paid for their tour and are not refunded at anytime for any reason: |
|
Illness or accident on the mountain |
Moderate risk |
The clients will be briefed to report any symptoms to the guides. Not just for high altitude Mountain Sickness, but for any other condition. If the condition is serious enough & cannot be treated with first aid, the client affected will either be taken down by a crew member or in more serious cases administered oxygen or transported down in a Gammow Bag – If medical treatment is required the person will meet the Tanzanian Parks rescue team and be transported by them or our team to the Gate when they will be met and taken to The Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (a large well-equipped hospital with qualified medical practitioners). If in the eventuality that the client just feels that s/he is too tired to continue and wishes to go down, he will be accompanied by a qualified assistant guide and transport (no charge) &hotel accommodation (at their cost)will be ready when they arrive at the gate. They will be offered alternative activities at their own cost. If the client seems to be lagging temporarily and wants to continue, they will temporarily be assigned a member of the crew(assistant guide) to walk with them and carry their day pack. |
|
The Official rescue, services don’t show in an emergency |
Unlikely, but has happened |
We have enough staff to proceed on our own, with adequate safety equipment |
|
Risk of minor accidents in camp or walking |
Unlikely, but it can happen |
First Aid kit available |
|
Damaged Equipment |
Unlikely, but it can happen |
The most frequent problem is that tent zips will stick and the client will break them themselves or poles will be broken by the porters. We carry 1 extra tent, but clients will be briefed about tent zip handling. We order new tents twice a year so that tents for clients only get used for 2 seasons. |
|
Theft |
Moderate Risk in the campsites |
Clients should be advised to keep their valuables in their day packs, and also leave a photocopy (made in their home country) of their passports and airline tickets. All luggage carried by the porters and left in our office should be padlocked. Day packs should not be left in tents especially at Mweka as there was a case of outsiders crawling into the tents unseen during dinner. There is no risk of our crews stealing, but there is a risk of outsiders, including other tourists in some of the camps. |
|
Severe weather conditions |
Moderately likely |
There can be a lot of snow & wind on the summit day. The guide will assess the client’s capabilities and discuss whether they wish to continue or not. There has never been an avalanche on Kilimanjaro. In the event of heavy rain, the same procedure of consultation will be followed. Rainwear of a high standard is recommended. |
|
Tropical Infectious Diseases |
Unlikely, but it can happen |
We advise on vaccination for polio, hepatitis and tetanus. Yellow Fever vaccination is mandatory (certificate checked at the airport) The risk of malaria is low on the mountain, but higher in town-We advise malaria prophylaxis to be commenced before arrival to ensure tolerance and in consultation with a GP. We advise all clients to be equipped with personal medication. We use private portable toilets which are heavily disinfected daily.The official toilets are insalubrious and clients are advised not to use them. There is no Ebola in Tanzania. |
|
Sexual Harassment |
Unlikely, but it can happen |
Our guides and porters know that sexual innuendos to female clients are a sacking offense. They are warned not to pay attention to any one client. However, females traveling alone should wear appropriate clothing in the street, (especially in Zanzibar). There have been cases of clients being asked for their e-mail addresses – we have warned against this. Clients should decide for themselves whether to do this or not, as it can be seen as encouragement by some of the younger men. Most of our guides are married with families. |
|
Asking for tips |
Moderately likely with freelance crews |
The guide will explain tipping procedures in the initial briefing and one member of the group will be given an envelope by the guide for tips -This should be handed back to the guide unopened. Unfortunately, some of the porters might be freelance and will try to get money from the clients on the way down to the gate – If this happens and the guide is aware of this, he will stop it. If he is not aware the client will be briefed to say “I have put my tip in the envelope” -The envelope will be opened after the clients have left the mountain and distributed proportionately. between crew & porters by our office manager. or the guide. If the clients wish to give used clothing or extra tips to anyone they must first ask the guide. Clients should be warned that tipping is all invasive in Tanzania and told of the procedures we use to avoid clients being importuned. When buying souvenirs they should be aware that bargaining is the norm except in shops where the price is shown. They will be approached in the street by itinerant traders, but they are not aggressive and will go if ignored or told “no”
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