AfricAid's Tanzania

Twelve kind, curious, and adventure-seeking Americans and Canadians + four Tanzanian schools + three game parks + two nights camping in the bush = one truly amazing, once-in-a-lifetime safari.

AfricAid and Africa Adventure Consultant’s first guided trip to Tanzania concluded a few short weeks ago. Participants witnessed AfricAid’s programs first-hand and got to experience Tanzanian culture through school and home visits. And, of course, it included the classic safari experience. The group visited Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti. In one day, they saw thirty lions and one leopard – and that’s just the cats.

The trip provided a very unique opportunity to see life-changing programs close-up and to enter Tanzanian schools and homes. The group visited two primary schools: Upendo and Losinoni, and two secondary schools: Muungano and Arusha Secondary. This was a blend of public and private, and urban and rural schools. Still, one thing was constant; there are thousands of bright, spirited, beautiful children who simply want to learn and make their lives and communities better. Children and travelers engaged in a postcard activity where each shared stories and pictures of their homes and lives at Losinoni, and sang, played, and asked questions to learn about one another at Upendo. Multiple home visits, including a visit to a traditional Maasai home, afforded the opportunity the better understand the culture in an authentic, unfiltered way.

The game park visits were extraordinary and offered the chance to see some of the famed wildebeest migration, as well as hundreds of other animals from the tiny dik dik to the mighty lion. Venturing out among a field of elephants is truly a life-changing, awe-inducing moment.

As we concluded this year’s trip, we’re already planning for next year. There’s certainly something in the air in Africa. The smell of smoke from cooking fires and fragrant flowers mix with sounds of calling birds and the occasional distant drum. Yes, there’s something magic in Tanzania and it’s not just in the air; it’s in the people. We hope each and every one of you can join us soon and experience it for yourself. Our 2012 safari will take place in June of next year and will be a family-friendly trip. For more information on AfricAid and Africa Adventure Consultant’s 2012 trip, please contact us.

Guest blog courtesy Elizabeth Abeshire (AfricAid). Photos courtesy Elizabeth Abeshire and Ashley Schulyer.

Kim’s East Africa Trip – Report #2

Tarangire National Park was rich with wildlife and charm. We met Frederick and Hashim, our trusty Tanzanian driver guides for the next seven days, at the Kuro Airstrip and headed in our pop-top 4x4 Land Cruisers into the bush on an hour game drive to Swala Camp. Along the thicket of acacia trees, we were greeted by elephant, Cape buffalo, zebra, giraffe, warthog, kudu, waterbuck, impala, and even a tiny tortoise. We were also unpleasantly greeted by the ever-dreaded tsetse flies, which are more prevalent in wooded areas. The best way to combat these pesky flies is to be pro-active – apply bug spray in advance (some people think it works), wear long pants and long sleeves, and avoid dark colors (black & navy blue which attracts the flies). Swala Camp can also be reached by road from Arusha – about a two hour drive to the park gate and then another 2.5 to 3 hour game drive into camp. We comfortably settled in at the luxury, 12-tented camp, nestled among a canopy of acacia trees before hopping into Swala’s 7-seater open air vehicles for an exhilarating night drive. After refreshing sundowners on a bluff, we continued our exploration for nocturnal activity and luckily spotted bush babies, zebras and one tiny chameleon perched on a branch. Back at camp, we were wined and dined (Swala is all-inclusive) by the friendly staff with gourmet food, a table set under the stars and the gentle chorus of a lion roaring in the very close distance!

Waking in hopes that the serenading lions were not too far away (fingers crossed we would spot them), we started our morning game drive through Tarangire, admiring the stunning scenery. Tarangire is not only known for its hefty herds of elephants but also for the striking baobab trees which stand tall along the horizon. There was also quite a bit of vulture activity as these scavengers were sharing a carcass with some Marabou storks. Along with the mighty baobabs, an abundance of resident game made for brilliant photos as we headed north. Other properties in the area include Tarangire Sopa Lodge (75 rooms, big pool & 10 minutes to a balloon launch site) and Tarangire Safari Lodge (35 tents, 5 bungalows & 15 minutes to the park gate). In my opinion, Tarangire Safari Lodge has the best views in the park, overlooking the Tarangire River. The camp is situated high on a bluff so that each tent and the outdoor lounge/boma look out over the river – you could spend all day on your verandah watching as the animals come and go to this dominant water source. Higher end choices include Oliver’s Camp (8 luxury tents offering specialty walking safaris) and Tarangire Treetops (20 suites, on a private game reserve bordering Tarangire NP).

En route to the Ngorongoro Highlands, our scenery changed from the local wildlife to the local culture. As the land became more lush and green, we observed the agricultural way of life. Local markets with colorful fruits and vegetables lined the road, and more bicycles, now toting bundles of green bananas, pedaled along. Mto Wa Mbu village, just minutes from Lake Manyara, is the perfect spot to enjoy a cultural visit during your safari. You can then continue on a game drive through Lake Manyara National Park to see the soda lake, pink flamingos and, with luck, tree-climbing lions. Some lodging options in the area include the Lake Manyara Serena (67 rooms & 5 minutes from the LM airstrip), Kirurumu Tented Lodge (23 tented rooms & stunning views of Lake Manyara). In Karatu, near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area border, choices include Gibb’s Farm (20 cottages, located on the slopes of a working farm), Plantation Lodge (16 rooms with flowering gardens & the intimacy of a owner-run lodge), and very luxurious, The Manor at Ngorongoro (5-star property nestled high up on a coffee plantation, 18 standard rooms & 1 stable cottage with private chef & butler). We ended our day at the Ngorongoro Farm House, which is a well-appointed lodge with 51 rooms, sustainable vegetable garden, wildly landscaped gardens and decent food. We rested well in preparation for our following big day in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Back From Tanzania - Trip Report!

Gretchen Healey, travel consultant and the newest member of the team at Africa Adventure Consultants just returned from a research and exploratory trip to Tanzania. She was one of the first U.S. Africa specialists to visit the newly renovated Sanctuary Swala Camp in Tarangire National Park. Read on for her complete trip report on Swala, and stay tuned for more details on Kusini Camp and other lodges in Tanzania that she also visited.

On a recent visit to Tanzania, I stayed in the newly upgraded Swala Camp in the western region of Tarangire National Park. It’s a comfortable and interesting drive from Arusha to the park gate (paved road much of the way until the park). You get to see some of the bustling city and then break into the beautiful, desolate countryside. There, you are treated to wide open vistas, and frequently see Maasai herding their cattle under the stark African skies.

Once you enter the park, it’s an enjoyable game drive en route to camp. Swala Camp is set well apart from other camps in the park and has an excellent staff who are attentive and cater to guests every need.

The tents are roomy and well-thought-out with luxurious linens and elegant finishes, and the en suite outdoor showers are wonderful to experience, though there are indoor showers for the less adventurous. The roof and walls are canvas, but the en-suite bathrooms are cement. There is a desk and small sitting area in each tent as well. They have both twin and double bedded tents, and can add an additional single bed to either tent configuration as needed. The tents at Swala have a very plush and indulgent feel to them. It would be an ideal camp to luxuriate in during a honeymoon.

Swala has a small shop with artistic gift items as well as free internet access (one workstation) that is reasonably speedy for being in the middle of the bush! There are plenty of imposing and stunning baobab trees in the camp, one of which shaded my outdoor shower. They were in bloom during our visit, with gorgeous flowers the nearly the size of dinner plates!

The dining area, lounge, pool and campfire area are situated to take advantage of viewing animals, especially the impala and vervet monkeys that seem ever-present. I enjoyed watching the monkeys play amongst the treetops and wrestle each other on the deck of my tent. I woke one morning to nearly one hundred impala with their young quietly browsing past my bedroom window.

The food was excellent with several fresh and delicious choices for each meal. They even have a pizza oven, which they fire up several times a week for pizza snacks with sundowners and fresh breads, which was an unexpected surprise. The lounge is open to the bush, with comfortable seating both indoors and out and is the perfect casual space to enjoy sundowners and snacks. The dining area is also open and meals take place both within the dining structure and out on the verandah. The campfire is the perfect spot to enjoy an after dinner libation or a very early morning cup of Tanzania’s wonderful coffee.

We had excellent sightings while at Swala, from masked weavers building their nests to hundreds upon hundreds of Tarangire’s famed elephants (with lots of babies!), and leopard napping in trees during the heat of the day. We also saw a venue of vultures feeding on an impala carcass which was a truly unique sighting. One day we were fortunate to enjoy a bush breakfast at a remote picnic site where we were able to enjoy the immensity of the park while overlooking a large plain full of elephants.

The stay felt very exclusive as we rarely saw other vehicles in this remote area of the park and we were so well cared for by Swala’s staff. The animal viewing was varied and plentiful and the scenery in the park is incredibly beautiful. Swala Camp is a gem within Tanzania’s diverse Tarangire National Park!


Photos by Gretchen Healey.