Experience Tanzania
Situated just off the Tanzanian coast in East Africa, Zanzibar is a fascinating archipelago with a deeply embedded history, an intriguing blend of cultures and stunningly beautiful beaches and sea life. From our volunteer base on the east of Zanzibar Island, you will venture on to the Tanzanian mainland for breathtaking safari experiences in the world famous Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park, home to the wildlife phenomenon of the Great Migration.
Itinerary in brief:
Participants to arrive in Zanzibar Island on the first Sunday of the month.
| Day | Travel | Activities / Highlights | Accommodation | Meals |
| 1 | Arrive in Zanzibar Island and transfer to our base at Jambiani Beach (Ferry and transfers included) | Orientation at our base Enjoy a sunset over the Indian Ocean from our beach base | Bed and breakfast | D |
| 2 | Community volunteering in rural Zanzibar | Bed and breakfast | B, L, D | |
| 3 | Travel by ferry from Zanzibar Island to Tanzania's capital, Dar Es Salaam | Experience bustling Dar Es Salaam and beautiful beach camp | Makadi Beach Camp, Tents | B, L, D |
| 4 | Travel by road to Arusha | Tented camping at Masai Camp | B, L, D | |
| 5 | Travel from Arusha to Serengeti National Park | Game drive (included) in the world famous Serengeti. Sweeping savannah plains teem with wildlife. | Tented camping at Seronera Camp | B, L, D |
| 6 | Serengeti National Park | Game drive (included) | Seronera Camp | B, L, D |
| 7 | Travel by road to Ngorongoro Crater (Park fees included) | Game drive (included) in the stunning Ngorongoro Crater | Tented camping at Simba Camp | B, L, D |
| 8 | Ngorongoro Crater - Lake Manyara | Tented camping at Manyara Camp | B, L, D | |
| 9 | Travel by road to Tarangire National Park | Tented camping, Tarangire Campsite | B, L, D | |
| 10 | Travel by road to Moshi | Amazing sightings of Mount Kilimanjaro en route | Tented camping, Honeybadger Campsite | B, L, D |
| 11 | Travel from Moshi to Dar Es Salaam | Zip lining (foofy sliding) trip and surfing opportunity | Tented camping | B, L, D |
| 12 | Depart from Dar Es Salaam Airport |
Note on community work:
Day 1: As your flight prepares to land there will be breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean cosatline below. Arrive either on mainland Tanzania at Dar Es Salaam International Airport or on Zanzibar Island off the coast. You will be met on arrival by one of our trip leaders and given an orientation to your volunteering. Time permitting you will do some afternoon volunteering in the community.
Day 2: Community volunteering, Zanzibar Island
Despite being one of the Indian Ocean's most renowned tropical paradises, Zanzibar's local communities are severely affected by poverty, lack of education & training and unemployment. There are many possibilities to impact the lives of those affected by these problems, by getting involved in the local nursery, primary and secondary schools, tourism training schools and local environmental programmes to aid community development.
This project is facilitated by our sister organisation African Impact, and has a very rural feel and involves various aspects of community work and development. You will have the chance to be involved in number of different community initiatives which we facilitate. These include building work, orphan care work, skills development, literacy programmes, sports development and others.
The projects are always evolving so will be at different stages, volunteers should be prepared to be involved in a wide diversity of project work as things evolve and develop, all of which are moving the project towards a common goal.
Day 3: After an early morning start you will travel across Zanzibar Island from our project base on the East Coast to the main Port on the West Coast. Travel by Ferry from Zanzibar to Dar Es Salaam on Tanzania's mainland and explore the vibrant ancient arabic city. Overnight at a beach camp on the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam.
Day 4: Travel by road to Arusha en route to the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. Arusha is situated on the foothills of Mount Meru, Africa's 5th highest peak and home to stunning tea and coffee plantatins which this part of East Africa is famous for.
Day 5-6: Serengeti National Park
The most famous safari destination in Africa. This is the African safari experience how you picture it in your mind's eye - sweeping savannah plains teeming with wildlife, the landscape dotted with acacia trees and your eyes trained to spot the first signs of a noble predator.
The Serengeti covers 15,000 square kilometers and is most famous for being home to the phenomenon that is the Great Migration - one of the seven natural wonders of the world which you will have the chance to experience during migration season. Even when it's not migration season however, the wildlife viewing opportunities will still leave you in awe.
Day 7: The magnificent Ngorongoro Crater
Traveling Eastwards from the Serengeti National Park we will head towards the Ngorongoro Crater. You will pass near to Olduvai Gorge en route, the 'cradle of mankind' famous for archaelogical discoveries. This famed 'hole in the ground' is the world's largest volcanic caldera at 20km in width, and home to a vast gathering of wildlife which make their home on the golden savannah plains of th crater floor. The slopes of the crater, dotted with colourful Masai herdsmen and their cattle, flow down dramatically to make a breathtaking backdrop to one of natures most unforgettable experiences. There are forests fo yellow-fever trees, swamps filled with wallwoing hippos and yawning lions in the open grasslands.
Day 8: Today you will leave the Serengeti behind and travel to Lake Manyara, famous for it's tree-climbing lions and also for being the backdrop to Ian Douglas-Hamilton's book 'Among the Elephants'.
Day 9: Travel from Lake Manyara to Moshi, a picturesque town near to Mount Kilimanjaro where you will overnight in a tranquil camp near the foothills of Mount Meru, Africa's 5th highest peak.
Day 10: Drive from Moshi through rural Tanzania back to Dar Es Salaam experiencing intriguing sights along the way. Overnight in Dar Es Salaam back at Makadi Beach Camp.
Day 11: Depart from Dar Es Salaam International Airport. Our project staff will take you to the airport.
Cost:
11 Day Experience Tanzania trip: GBP1295 / US$2595
Please contact our booking staff if you would like to extend the volunteer portion of this trip.
Cost Includes:
Cost Excludes:
Accommodation:
We find that participants living together and working closely together with their project staff is the surest way of guaranteeing their safety and being able to attend to their most pressing needs. For this reason, we expect all participants to stay only in the accommodation provided for them and do not allow you to spend nights away in the town or nearby villages, unless away on pre-arranged sightseeing excursions.
Meals:
You will be provided with three wholesome meals a day.
Breakfast is on a help-yourself basis and usually consists of cereals/porridge, toast, fruit, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner are full meals, and will be cooked for you by our experienced staff.
Note:
Please advise us of any specific dietary requirements before you arrive! Please also remember that you will be on a rural placement during the volunteer portion of your trip, and food will be quite simple, though plentiful and nutritious.
www.happyafricafoundation.org
Regd UK Charity Number: 1123529
Pathfinders and The Happy Africa Foundation
Pathfinders is proud to have been instrumental in the establishment of The Happy Africa Foundation and continues to be one of the Foundations major supporters. Donations made to support our community and conservation initiatives by private donors as well as by Pathfinders as a voluntoursim company are managed and distributed on our behalf by The Happy Africa Foundation.
The mission of The Happy Africa Foundation is to empower the African people through the support of community and conservation based initiatives that operate at grass roots level.
Conservation Development:
The Happy Africa Foundation works together with local African communities to conserve and protect the environment, wildlife and cultures in areas where the Foundation is involved. Thus, the Foundation supports, financially or logistically (or both), local and international organizations that operate projects supporting conservation education and research at a grass roots level.
Community Development:
The Happy Africa Foundation strives to initiate, facilitate and support community development projects that are sustainable. As such, The Happy Africa Foundation makes every effort to ensure and takes relevant measures in assessing, planning and monitoring community development projects for the benefit of local African communities.
The Happy Africa Foundation provides travellers, volunteers and other donors with a chance to give back to the communities they visit or volunteer in on their African journeys, or that they wish to support remotely through donations.