Day 1

Fri DEC 30 Depart the U.S. for your African Safari!

Day 2

Sat DEC 31 Arrive in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Emmanuel will meet you at the airport with his jeep and you’ll ride 1 hr. 20 min. to Forest Hill Hotel where you’ll overnight.

• Snacks and water provided enroute to the hotel.

Day 3

After breakfast at the hotel, Emmanuel will pick you up for a tour of the Arusha area. Below are some of the possible sites to visit.

• Historical Heritage Museum
• Central market
• Maasai market- You may wish to stop in Arusha at the Maasai Market Curios and Crafts to admire handcrafted gifts. There is a shop owner at this market, Gasto Minja, who makes all my beaded animals. He will not pressure you to buy. His English is excellent, and he is delightful to visit with.
• Arusha Clock Tower – It is a midpoint on “The Great North Road” between Cape town and Cairo!
• Lake Duluti at sunset
Overnight at Forest Hill Hotel
(All meals included)

DAY 4 – Mon JAN 2 Moshi Day excursion

After breakfast at your hotel, Emmanuel and the other driver/guide (his brother Philipo), will drive you to the Moshi region for the following activities:

• Guided waterfall hike
• Coffee tour – Full Demonstration
• Hot local lunch
• Hot local lunch

What to bring for an excellent experience at Materuni Village Cultural Tours:
• Swimsuit (if you are interested in swimming at the waterfalls)
• Good walking shoes (you will be hiking up the slopes of the mountain)
• Comfortable clothes (consider layers as the climate can change from cool to warm.
• Comfortable clothes (consider layers as the climate can change from cool to warm.
• Comfortable clothes (consider layers as the climate can change from cool to warm.

Depending on time, dinner may be in Moshi, or on the way to your overnight stay at Heart of Africa Lodge. (All meals included)

DAY 5 – Tues JAN 3 Cultural experiences in the Kisongo Area

After breakfast, Emmanuel will pick you up for the Arusha Meserani Snake Park Masai Village Tour.

• Visit the soda shop located inside the park, and visit with Mama Snake, the founder of the park. She will delight you! (Look for the post-it notes advertising Boaz Safari Adventures inside the shop.)

Return to Heart of Africa Lodge for lunch and then depart for a visit to Shanga Gifts & Workshop to see how disabled people make gifts for sale. Overnight at Heart of Africa Lodge.
(All meals included)

DAY 6 – Wed JAN 4 Tarangire National Park

After breakfast at the lodge, depart for Tarangire, Tanzania’s third-largest national park.

• Tarangire National Park is known for its elephant’s herds of up to 300, migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland grazing and browsing in the dry riverbed. There is Silale swamp that attracts 550 varieties of birds, the most breeding species you’ll see in one habitat anywhere in the world! The park is also home of tree climbing pythons, as well as lions and leopards.

Game drive in Tarangire
• Enjoy packed lunches in the park.

Overnight at Octagon Lodge in Karatu.
(All meals included)

DAY 7 – Thu JAN 5 Manyara National Park

After breakfast you will pack your lunch, and Emmanuel and Philipo will drive you to the beautiful Manyara National Park for a full game drive. We hope to see a group of migratory flamingos in Lake Manyara. On your way back to your lodge you’ll have the opportunity to visit the African Galleria. View their display inside the store to learn about Tanzanite mining. Dinner and Overnight at Octagon Lodge. (All meals included)

DAY 8 – Fri JAN 6 Drive to Serengeti National Park

After breakfast, this will be the breakdown of your day: Drive time 1 hour to the Ngorongoro Maasai Boma Cultural Tour site to see how the Maasai live. This cultural experience will last about an hour. Be forewarned, they will want to sell you their wares, but do not feel obligated to buy. The next stop is a quick overlook of the Ngorongoro Crater. You’ll descend into the crater for a game drive on day 11. After the crater overlook, you’ll travel 1 hour 30 mins to the Olduvai Gorge located in the Great Rift Valley, between the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park entrance. It is here, in 1959, that Louis and Mary Leakey discovered fossil fragments, which led them to a new understanding of human evolution. Suggested duration at the museum is 2-3 hours. You will have lunch here or at your next stop, Naabi Hill. In 1 hour, you’ll be at Naabi Hill, which serves as the Serengeti National Park’s main entrance. When at Naabi Hill, walk the scenic observation trail, which provides a view of the vastness of the plains of the Serengeti. Look for the colorful lizard that bobs his head! The older male is pink and purple. Continue your travel into the Serengeti that is lovingly called the “African massage” for 3 more hours, until you reach your camp at sunset. It is a washboard straight road and “vibrating” over it at about 65-75 mph is best on the vehicle and is totally safe. The next jeep rides within the park will be much more enjoyable, as you will drive slowly on dirt roads looking for animals. So, bear with the road. The animals you will see during your next few days will be worth the drive! Dinner and overnight at Sound of Silence. (All meals included)

DAY 9 and DAY 10 – Sat and Sun JAN 7 & 8 Serengeti – Game drives

Wish Emmanuel a Happy 31st Birthday on January 8th! Full game drives, returning back to camp near sunset. It is your vacation though, so you decide what time you’d like to start your day!

• You may wish to start your day early in the morning, when many animals are on the move in the cool of the day.
• You may wish to start later in the morning. It is your vacation and Emmanuel and Philipo will be happy to accommodate your preferences.
Picnic lunch, dinner and overnight at Sound of Silence Camp.
(All meals included)

DAY 11 – Mon JAN 9 Ngorongoro Crater

After your early breakfast, you’ll pack your lunches, and set out at approximately 6 am for the 3-hour drive out of Serengeti National Park (the African massage!). There will be two short stops as Emmanuel passes through the checkpoints at the park entrances. The crater which is the highlight of this day is a caldera which measures between 10 and 12 miles across and has an area of 102 square miles, making it the largest Caldera in the world. The crater contains all the big five animals (lions, elephants, rhinos, leopard and buffaloes), plus hippos, cheetah, antelopes and spotted hyena, different species of birds and many more animals. The only animal you will not find in the crater is the giraffe. Their legs do not allow for them to traverse the terrain to enter the crater.

• It is a 12–14-minute drive out of the crater on a paved switch-back road. If you like exciting rides, this may be a thrilling (but completely safe) experience that will thrill you!
After exiting the crater, it is an approximately 3-hour smooth ride to your Heart of Africa Lodge where you will enjoy a delicious dinner.
(All meals included)

DAY 12 – Tues JAN 10 Bethany School and Kisongo area tour

Wake early and ride the large school bus, as it picks up students along the way to school!
-Expect the bus to pick you up around the 7 am hour.
You will be welcomed by the school children with song and dance at Bethany Pre and Primary School. They start their 2023 school year on Monday, January 9th. You will help serve porridge for the students, and then assist the cooks in the kitchen. You will help serve lunch!
-Emmanuel can provide you a family lunch or enjoy the children’s beans and rice for lunch!
You may join in washing dishes with ladies or playing on the playground with the children. Read to the children in the library, if you wish.
-Ride the 3 pm large school bus with the children, taking Dominick’s route. Dominick’s English is very good, and he is also fluent in Spanish. He loves to ask questions and is a true joy to visit with. Sit up close to the front of the bus and enjoy!
I guarantee this will be a memorable day! Emmanuel will return you to Heart of Africa Lodge for dinner.
(All meals included)

DAY 13 – Wed JAN 11 Bethany Pre and Primary School Day

After breakfast, Emmanuel will pick you up for a variety of local Kisongo activities:

• Visit Bethany School [drone video overview of the school grounds]
• Walk up the small hill behind the school, gathering children as you walk along the paths (always a fun experience!)
• Visit Emmanuel’s parents’ house
• Bicycle around the area. Emmanuel will find 5 working bicycles.
Bicycle around the area. Emmanuel will find 5 working bicycles. Dinner and overnight at Heart of Africa Lodge.
(All meals included)

DAY 14 – Thu JAN 12 Prepare to return home

Check out from your lodge by 10:00 am and drive to the Cultural Heritage Centre.

• Stop and watch the woodcarvers at the Centre. They are fascinating!
• This can be a flexible day and plans may change depending on what you still wish to see.
Emmanuel will take you to lunch at AIM Mall or Tempo Lodge before driving to Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight back to the US. Your flight leaves at 9:10 pm. Arrive 1 ½ – 2 hours ahead of departure. Drive time from Kisongo to the Kilimanjaro Airport with traffic is 2 hours.

DAY 15 – Fri JAN 13 Whew! You’re home!

Thank you for traveling with Boaz Safari Adventures! Tell your friends! Asante Sana! Included in Your Trip Cost:

• All land transportation in an opened top safari vehicle
• Radio communication system in the Land Cruiser
• All national park fees and Entry Fees
• Accommodations for 12 nights
• 35 meals per person – daily breakfast, 12 lunches, and 11 dinners
• Daily activities, including 5 full game viewing days
• Gratuities for local guides, lodge and camp staff, luggage porters
• Bottled water in the vehicle’s cooler at all times
• Animal and bird handbooks and a set of binocular available in the vehicle. (You may wish to bring your own binoculars.)
Tipping Guidelines
-Whether you tip, and how much, is always at your own discretion. The tip is not included in your tour price. Listed below are the guidelines from 2017 Overseas Adventure Trip recommendations. They stated: “As a guideline, many travelers give $7-$10 per person per day. Feel free to express your gratitude as you feel is appropriate.” Often the co-driver on the safari is given a tip as well, but a smaller amount. Other trip information –
• Only US currency of 2009 and newer is accepted at many stores and banks. If you wish to exchange money at the bank, you receive a better exchange rate with $50 or $100 bills.
• If you are using a credit card, you must know the PIN number
• Voltage in Tanzania is 230-240 volts. The plugs you will want for adapting to their outlets is the Type G with the three-square prongs.
• Wash clothes are not a common item in Tanzania. If you wish to use one, please bring a quick drying one.
Below is information provided by a travel doctor:
Packing list:
• Immodium anti-diarrheal (Loperamide HCl)
• Wet Ones (wet wipes for hands)
• Hand sanitizer
• Sunscreen SPF 50
• Copy of passports (1 for traveling companion, 1 for friends or family in the US)
• US embassy information
• US embassy information
• Yellow Card (WHO International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis)
• Atovaquone-proguanil AKA Malarone (anti-malaria pills)
• Azithromycin (antibiotic)
• Pepto bismol
• Proof of COVID vaccination
• Electrolyte tablets
• Masks
• Light-colored (not blue) insect-proof clothing (treat in advance with Permethrin 0.5%)
• Hats
• Chapstick with SPF
• Register trip with the US Department of State
• 20% Picaridin insect repellent
First Aid Kit:
• Bandages
• Gauze
• Hemostatic gauze
• Antiseptic
• Antibiotic ointment
• Butterfly bandages
• Skin glue
• Splinter forceps
• Thermometer
• Antipyretic agents
• Antifungal creams
• Cough and cold remedies
• Antacids
• Hydrocortisone cream
• Blister pads
Prevention
● Important to eat, hydrate, and move your legs on the airplane to prevent blood clots. Some people wear compression socks.
● Yellow Fever has not been reported in Tanzania in 40 years
● Wipe down surfaces on airplane with sanitizing wipes
● Avoid unpasteurized dairy products (carries risk of a few diseases)
● Eat food that is steaming hot. Packaged and baked goods are fine. Food with shells or peels that can be removed are fine. Avoid creamy desserts, cold sauces, leafy or undercooked vegetables, salad. Sorry Mom.
● Avoid tap water. Rinse toothbrushes in bottled water.
● Avoid ice unless made from bottled water.
● Avoid eating certain fish (amberjack, bonito, mackerel, mahi-mahi, tuna) due to risk of scombroid poisoning.
● Sleep under a permethrin-soaked bed net if not sleeping in a sealed, air-conditioned room. Check the bug net for holes. Diarrhea
● Immodium: treats the symptoms
● Azithromycin (antibiotic)
○ Take 1 daily for 1-3 days to treat severe diarrhea
○ Recommended to take right away. Diarrhea usually is sudden onset and severe. Take antibiotics at the first onset. Skin
● Sunscreen SPF 50
● Ideally 30 minutes between sunscreen and insect repellent
● Insect repellent options
○ 20-30% DEET
■ Deep Woods Off
■ Repel
■ Cutter
○ 20% Picaridin (Sawyer brand is less stinky; picaridin in generally has less of a smell than DEET and does not dissolve plastics)
○ Permethrin 0.5% (Sawyer brand) to treat clothing (lasts 6 weeks)
○ Light-colored clothing (not blue) Malaria
● Atovaquone-proguanil AKA Malarone
○ Generally, well tolerated
○ Take 1 daily starting 1 day before entering malaria zone, daily through the trip, and 7 days after leaving. Best taken with food, but not with calcium or iron.
● Immediate medical attention is necessary for fever or influenza-like illness within 3 months after travel in malaria risk area
● Dusk to dawn be most vigilant about mosquitos Rabies
● If bitten by an animal, vigorously scrub the wound for 10 minutes with soap and water
● Seek medical attention within 24 hours