7-Day Tanzania Family Safari with Hadzabe and Datooga Encounters

• Your safari begins in Arusha, Tanzania's safari capital. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met by our friendly driver-guide and transferred to your lodge.
• Relax and enjoy the scenic drive to Arusha, a charming town in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak. Depending on your arrival time, you may have the opportunity to explore Arusha's vibrant markets or visit a local Maasai boma (homestead) for a cultural experience. You can also choose to relax at your lodge.

Overnight stay in Arusha.

• Experience the rich cultural tapestry of Mto wa Mbu, a bustling village located between the eastern and western escarpments of the Rift Valley, two hours from Arusha. For a glimpse into local cultures, encounter a variety of local flavours and discover Mto wa Mbu's eclectic mix of communities.
• Set off on a leisurely bike tour through banana and rice plantations, visit five local communities, and learn about their way of life, including how bananas are planted and harvested for various purposes. You will also visit a local pub and enjoy its banana beer beneath the surrounding banana palms during this 2-hour biking excursion.
• Enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by a local family in the extension of a resident's kitchen. This local lunch offers a taste of authentic Tanzanian cuisine.
• In the afternoon, after all excursions, visit Lake Manyara National Park, renowned for its scenic beauty and diverse wildlife, which made Ernest Hemingway exclaim. Lake Manyara covers two-thirds of the park, and the backdrop is the wall of the Great Rift Valley.
• Enjoy a game drive spotting the famous tree-climbing lions, elephants, zebras, giraffes, and over 400 bird species, including a chance to witness flocks of pink-hued flamingos as well as other large water birds such as pelicans, cormorants, and storks.
• In the late evening, continue with a game drive en route to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

• Prepare to be awestruck by the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest intact caldera in the world. Home to over 30,000 protected animals, it offers spectacular beauty, excellent game viewing, and a unique safari destination in Africa.
• Descend to the crater floor for a breathtaking full-day game drive. Witness abundant wildlife, including black rhinos, giant tusked elephants, big-maned lions, and flamingos congregating around the soda lakes.
• Enjoy a delicious picnic lunch amidst the breathtaking scenery of the crater rim.
• Later, ascend the crater rim and continue your journey to Serengeti National Park for dinner and overnight.

• Start your day with a thrilling morning game drive in the vast Serengeti National Park, the "endless plains," Tanzania's crown jewel, after a tasty breakfast. Explore these sweeping plains, marvelling at the stunning scenery teeming with wildlife and aptly known as the home of the "Big Five" - lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinos. Witness the beauty of the African savanna and the awe-inspiring spectacle of the Great Migration (seasonal). Your knowledgeable guide will share their expertise, helping you spot animals and understand their behaviour.
• Return to your lodge for a hot lunch in the afternoon.
• Embark on another exciting evening game drive along the plains as golden light bathes the savannah.
• Finally, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

• Enjoy a morning game drive in the Serengeti before departing for Lake Eyasi. Lake Eyasi is a unique ecosystem bordering the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and is home to various indigenous communities.
• In the afternoon, interact culturally with the Datooga tribe, renowned for its blacksmithing skills and rich traditions. Your local Datooga guide will share insights into their way of life, offering a deeper understanding of Tanzania's diverse culture.
• Start your day with a morning game drive in the Serengeti and explore Lake Eyasi in the afternoon.
• Visit the Datooga people in the afternoon to learn about their blacksmithing skills and rich cultural traditions.

Evening at leisure for an overnight stay near Lake Eyasi.

• Rise early for a once-in-a-lifetime experience: a unique opportunity to accompany the Hadzabe tribe on a traditional hunting expedition. Learn about their fascinating lifestyle as hunter-gatherers living in makeshift shelters. Witness their use of bows and arrows in their daily activities. Observe their age-old way of life and gain insights into their deep connection with the land.
• After a rewarding morning, return to the lodge for breakfast. Your guide, a local Hadzabe tribesman, will explain their lifestyle before departing for Tarangire National Park.

Dinner and overnight in Tarangire.

• After breakfast, depart on a game drive in Tarangire National Park, a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, known for its large elephant population, iconic baobab trees, and predators, making it superb for game drives almost year-round.
• Explore landscapes dotted with baobab trees and witness large herds of elephants, the park's main attraction, with up to 3,000 in the park during the peak season months. Keep an eye out for other animals in good numbers, including giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, buffalo, Thomson's gazelle, greater and lesser kudu, eland, oryx, and predators such as lions and cheetahs. Tarangire is also a birdwatcher's paradise, with over 500 species recorded.
• Enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush in the afternoon before continuing your game drive.
• Then, drive to the airport.