5 Days | 4 Nights A Taste of Tanzania’s wildlife and people
Overview
Materuni Tour’s team of specialists prepare itineraries for all generations, timed to match school holidays and packed with child-friendly sightseeing and activities. Tanzania is an ideal location for a family safari in Tanzania. One of the main reasons for this is that it so easily combines an action packed adventure with a relaxing stay on a nearby beach resort.
The safari in the Northern Circuit particularly suits families with young children as there is a huge diversity of parks and an abundance of wildlife to hold a child’s interest. A Tanzania family safari is not only action-packed and loads of fun, but also highly educational. Families encounter wildlife witnessed for the first time and interact with local communities, in particular the Maasai people. Coupled with this the nearby beaches of Zanzibar have totally child-friendly resorts, safe swimming beaches and predictably sunny weather. There are plenty of activities on offer to keep everyone in the family entertained.
Travel
17 Days, 5 Parks
Accommodation
13 Nights
Accommodation
16 Nights
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Depart Moshi late morning to arrive at the Maasai village in time for lunch (approx. 1.5 hour drive). Following lunch you will take a walk through the Maasai museum, learning more about their traditional culture, including how it is changing in modern times.
You will then go to have tea with the elder woman of the village, known as 'Bibi'. Via translator she will be able to answer any questions you have, and tell stories old and new. You can take a walk to discover some of the medicinal plants in the area that the Maasai use in their traditional medicine. In the evening enjoy a campfire and BBQ before heading into your Maasai hut. Here you will sleep on a traditional cow hide bed but with the added comforts of a sleeping bag and pillow, hot shower and flushing toilet.
After breakfast you will commence your drive to Lake Manyara National Park, famous for its expansive 220km² lake whose shores sometimes may not be seen for the pink carpet of flamingos.
You will have a picnic lunchbox on the way and then enjoy an afternoon game drive, where you may get the chance to see Lake Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions- not seen in any other national park! Following a day of game drives you will go to overnight at Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge. This beautiful tented accommodation located in the rift valley on the edge of Ngorongoro Conservation Area supporting the children’s home.
Wake up to a delicious breakfast at the lodge and then descend into the infamous Ngorongoro crater to view some of Tanzania’s more rarely seen wildlife including the black rhino. You will have a full day of game drives on the open grassy plains of the crater, stopping for a picnic lunch at Ngoitoktok hippo pools before returning to your accommodation at Rhotia Valley.
This morning you can visit the orphanage supported from profits from the lodge to find out more about the work they do. You will then go to Tarangire National Park to enjoy an afternoon game drive with the opportunity to see large groups of elephants that make this national park famous.
A picnic lunch box is provided to enjoy whilst on your game drive. Tarangire is home to many of the iconic Baobab trees as well as the Tarangire river flowing through the park attracting wildlife year round. Following your game drive you will go to your accommodation at Angata Tented Camp, inside the national park.
Early rise for a morning game drive inside the park before returning to Moshi mid afternoon.
Included in cost:
- Transport in private safari landcruiser with pop-top roof for wildlife viewing (see picture attached)
- At least one pair of binoculars in car
- Professional english-speaking safari guide
- Safari chef to cook up a storm
- All meals
- Drinking water and hot drinks
- All park entrance and camping fees and all camping equipment so that all you need to bring is your sleeping bag and comfy pillow (we can arrange hire if necessary).
The price does not include
- Sodas
- Alcoholic beverages
- Tipping for safari crew (see information below).
Enquire This Tour
General Safari Information
Our safari guides are all well experienced in the field and passionate about showing you the amazing wildlife and culture Tanzania has to offer. All are fluent in English, and if you have a special language request just let us know as many will also have an additional language (e.g. French, Spanish, German). They are also well trained in 4x4 driving so will be able to get you anywhere on the varying road qualities we have here! Please feel free to ask your guide any questions you may have about the wildlife, culture or trip along the way.
The safari chef will be responsible for preparing all of your meals. All of our chefs have cooked for so many different taste buds and dietary requirements that you will never be stuck without something delicious to tuck into. Please let us know in advance if there are any particular foods you can’t eat/ just don’t like!
Although your chef will have only a mobile kitchen to cook from you will surprised at what they can whip up on a simple gas stove. They ensure to use the freshest locally sourced fruit and veg (thereby helping to support the local economy) but will also use some imported ingredients to bring the comforts of home to you whilst on safari.
Breakfast will generally be eggs (scrambled/ French toast, omelette etc.) with toast and spreads, lunch will mostly be a packed lunch enjoyed during the game drives and dinner will be a soup starter followed by main-course and fruits for dessert. Hot drinks such as tea, coffee and hot chocolate will always be on hand for those cold evenings and early mornings! We will provide a 1.5 ltr bottle of mineral water for you each day and for those of you wishing to enjoy a glass of wine/beer in the evening we can stop at a supermarket along the way to purchase any alcoholic beverages.
4x4 Safari Landcruiser with 7 seats. Our safari vehicles have been specifically modified for wildlife viewing, with a pop top roof which will be open during all game drives and sliding windows. We carry at least one pair of binoculars in each vehicle. Please note our regular safari vehicles do not have air conditioning or a refrigerator. If you would like an upgraded vehicle with these facilities please let us know and we can provide a quote.
Although we do everything within our powers to ensure your maximum comfort, the roads in Tanzania can vary greatly in quality from newly tarmacced to completely rough and muddy or dusty (depending on rainy or dry season!). Driving times can be long, even to cover what may seem like relatively short distances. Although we regularly maintain our vehicles (with a check-up in the garage after every safari) they can and do sometimes pop a tyre or breakdown. Our guides are well trained with lots of experience in car mechanics and 98% of the time can fix the issue themselves- and you’ll be off spotting zebras again in less than 20 minutes! Please be patient if your car encounters a mechanical issue.
You will be staying in a mixture of public and private campsites. We will supply all the camping equipment so that all you need to worry about bringing is your sleeping bag and a comfy pillow. Tents used are all 3-person dome tents, but with a maximum of 2 people sleeping in each tent you’ll have plenty of space to move around. On group tours only members of same sex will share a tent- please contact us if you wish to have your own personal tent. Some days you may need to assist with pitching and setting up your tent but where possible this will be done by your safari chef whilst you enjoy a game drive.
Your mattress will be a 3 inch foam mattress with removable cover that is washed between each use. All campsites have toilets and showering facilities although these can be quite basic in the public campsites and hot water not always guaranteed! At some of the campsites there are charging facilities but they may be all full once you reach the camp so please do not rely on this, but bring extra batteries just in case.
A great area of confusion and unease for many tourists, tipping is a generally expected and highly appreciated (although not compulsory) part of your safari tour. It is a great way of saying ‘thank you’ to those that have helped you to have a wonderful experience here. Tips should be given at the end of your safari when saying your goodbyes.
If you are part of a group safari it is best to try to discuss with everyone beforehand how you wish to do the tipping. To help you feel at ease we have provided a general guide below but please remember that tipping is a way of you showing your gratitude for your safari staff and is up to you! The guidelines given below are for a group amount, not individually.
Guide: 15-20 USD/ day
Chef: 10-15 USD/day
- Warm fleece/woollen jumper
- Waterproof jacket/windbreaker
- T-shirts (we recommend breathable and lightweight fabrics)
- Long-sleeved shirt/sweater for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- long, lightweight hiking pants
- 1 pair of long shorts
- Comfortable pair of sports shoes
- One pair of slip on/ sports sandals
- Sun hat/bandana and lightweight scarf (it can get quite dusty on some roads so will be handy to cover yourself!)
- Sunglasses
- Head torch
- Watch or alarm clock
- Camera, memory card and extra batteries
- Extra binoculars (optional)
- Plug adaptor
- Money belt
- Personal first aid kit
- Sunscreen
- Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, razor etc.)
- Toilet paper
- Hand sanitizer
- Sleeping bag (for camping safaris)
- Lightweight travel pillow (for camping safaris)
- Important documents (carried within your hand luggage): Passport, Yellow fever certificate, Visa (if pre-purchased), Travel Insurance document, Airline tickets.
- To carry your belongings we recommend a soft- suitcase or travel backpack. If you have extra items and will be returning to Moshi after the safari we can arrange to leave excess luggage at your hotel/the office to ensure there is more room in the safari vehicle.
FAMILY SAFARI PACKAGES
Tanzania Family Safari
- Tanzania Safari
Families with a sense of adventure can enjoy an adventurous family safaris in Tanzania, which is known for lion prides in the Serengeti, the stunning beaches of Zanzibar,
A Taste of Tanzania’s wildlife and people
- Tanzania Safari
Materuni Tour’s team of specialists prepare itineraries for all generations, timed to match school holidays and packed with child-friendly sightseeing and activities.
