The itinerary below is a sample itinerary. Depending on the group and travel times, the actual itinerary may vary in day-by-day content and total number of days. Call us (877-627-1425) for specific details. This is a tentative itinerary for a workshop to Tanzania. The timeline is flexible.
Groups interested in a DECREASED cost programs should inquire about our Tarangire National Park, Arusha National Park and Ngorongoro Crater National Park program.
Day 1
Travel to Tanzania
Day 2
We arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha in the evening. We will spend the night at a hotel in Arusha.
Day 3
After breakfast we will enjoy our first day in Tanzania! We will begin with an informative briefing about Tanzania and the details about our adventure here. We will continue on to the Country Office of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) to learn about their important work with enhancing and creating wildlife corridors for migratory animals throughout Africa. Our Roots & Shoots student partners will join us for all of our activities prior to the safari. This afternoon we will spend time getting to know each other as we have a language training session to practice our Swahili. We will spend the night in Moshi.
Day 4
Today we will get an early start for a day of research. We will spend the day getting our hands dirty as we learn how to study soil. We will learn a soil sieving technique which we will use to assess the profile, characteristics and properties of the soil. We will analyze this data and compare it with the USDA system for assessing soils for different uses, including ecological, economical, or recreational. Our Roots & Shoots partners will be right alongside us digging, sieving, studying and analyzing the soil. We will be sure to take some breaks from our work to enjoying a picnic lunch in the shade together.
Day 5
We will begin the day with a chance to do some shopping in Moshi and perhaps take a walk through the local market. We will continue on to Mweka Wildlife College where we will learn about the college and have a chance to tour the campus. After lunch, we will enjoy a hike and have a chance to learn more about conservation challenges in the region.
Day 6
Today we will head out to a rural community to participate in an exciting program supported by Global Explorers through our Service Partnership Grant Program. Through this program, Global Explorers is supporting Roots & Shoots to provide 150 students and 6 teachers in 3 rural communities with skills, knowledge and practical approaches to help their communities conserve the surrounding Mt Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve. Roots & Shoots plans to accomplish this by establishing a permanent 2 ha field educational site adjacent to the reserve where they will host monthly field training sessions and create a tree nursery for native seedlings. The monthly trainings will include teaching students how to build and use fuel efficient stoves, various water retention schemes and how tree nurseries can be used as alternatives to deforestation. During our visit, we will build several demonstration Fuel Efficiency Stoves and then use them to cook a celebratory meal of traditional foods that we will share with our Roots & Shoots partners and many community members.
Day 7
This morning we will begin our safari. After departing from Moshi, we visit a rural Maasai village or boma. The Maasai are a pastoral tribe whose traditional range is from central Kenya to northern Tanzania. We learn about the lifestyles of Maasai women and men in an interactive, fun and educational way and we also have a chance to purchase some handicrafts. We continue on to our beautiful campsite on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Day 8
The group will spend the morning touring Ngorongoro Crater, one of Africa’s best-known wildlife viewing areas, home to the largest density of predators in the world. This 20km wide crater is a conservation area, not a national park, which means that local Maasai tribesmen still use the land for herding their cattle. Students learn about the symbiotic relationship between the human and animal communities as they view the variety of habitats and species that are contained in the Crater. Students will conduct behavioral observations, recording and analyzing data. This afternoon includes a discussion about local conservation issues. The will students camp again on the rim of the Crater.
Day 9
In the morning we pack up and head to the Serengeti National Park, a World Heritage Site and Tanzania’s largest National Park. On our way we will stop at Olduvai Gorge to learn about the Origins of Man. This is a 50km gorge where some of the oldest fossils on earth have been found including a 1.8 million year old ape-like skull. At Olduvai, we tour the small natural history museum and learn about the local topography. Afterwards, we continue on to our campsite in the Serengeti, an official park campsite within the Serengeti plains. While the sites are equipped with modern bathrooms and showers, the kids will still be hanging out with the wildlife as they eat their meals prepared by safari chefs.
Day 10
Today is filled with game drives in the Serengeti. We can expect to see lions, elephants, buffalo, cheetahs, antelopes, and hippopotamuses. We camp again tonight under the Serengeti skies.
Day 11
We will do a final game drive and make our way back to Arusha. We will enjoy dinner and a welcome hot shower at our hotel in Arusha tonight.
Day 12
We will have a chance to do some shopping this morning and repack our bags for the trip home. We will enjoy a late lunch and then head to the airport to begin our journey back to the US.
R&S Group Trips
Roots and Shoots groups have a modified itinerary that roughly follows the agenda below. Please contact your R&S leader for specific details.
Day 1: Arrive TZ, overnight in Arusha
Day 2: Roots & Shoots Activities in Moshi
Day 3: Roots & Shoots Activities in Moshi
Day 4: Roots & Shoots Activities in Moshi
Day 5: Roots & Shoots Activities in Moshi
Day 6: Arusha National Park, camp
Day 7: Tarangire National Park, camp
Day 8: Tarangire National Park, camp
Day 9: Ngorongoro/Maasai, camp
Day 10: Crater Tour, overnight in Arusha
Day 11: Travel to Kigoma
Day 12: Explore Gombe
Day 13: Day in Kigoma with Roots & Shoots
Day 14: Shopping and depart for U.S.
Day 15: Return to U.S.