In the Footsteps of a Tanzanian Guide

Day 1: ARUSHA COFFEE LODGE

You will arrive at Arusha Coffee Lodge and will be met by your host, your private Regional Ranger Trainer. The aptly named Arusha Coffee Lodge lies hidden amongst the sprawling grounds of Tanzania’s largest coffee plantation, set below the rugged peaks of Mt Meru. The charming town of Arusha is renowned as the safari capital of Tanzania and offers a plethora of attractions and adventures. Take a stroll through one of the oldest coffee plantations in Tanzania – a wonderful experience. Dinner will be hosted and you will be briefed on the adventure that awaits.

Days 2-4: KLEIN’S CAMP

After breakfast you will be driven to Arusha airport to catch your flight to Klein’s Camp. On arrival you will met by your Maasai guide, Karipoi, whom will also be accompanying you on your adventure. You will then be whisked away on a scenic game drive to the lodge. In a remote corner of the game-rich Serengeti National Park, Klein’s Camp offers you an exclusive Tanzanian safari adventure. Perched on the edge of the Kuka Hills, enjoy breathtaking views down the valley that borders both the Serengeti and the Masai Mara National Reserve. Embodying the very soul of the Serengeti, this private and remote camp offers guests the spirit of wild Africa. Relish a delicious lunch at the camp.

Enjoy a thrilling afternoon game drive with excellent lion and cheetah sightings, other predators including leopard, golden and black-backed jackal, African wild dog and spotted hyenas as well as giraffe, Grant’s gazelle, impala, topi and eland.

Visit the Mwewe Ranger Training School, situated near Klein’s Camp, for a delicious brunch. Here, you will have exclusive access to go behind the scenes as you discover what it takes to become a guide. Learn how hopeful trainees are constantly pushed to the limit and faced with adversity, challenges and triumphs. The course delves far beyond general knowledge, guiding skills and flora/fauna identification and interpretation. It also shapes and develops interpersonal, hospitality and communication skills that are crucial in the field of guiding. Each trainee also undergoes a series of official walking, shooting, birding and game drive assessments. Be enchanted at the evening sundowner stop with drinks, snacks and spectacular views of the Serengeti. Enjoy a delicious dinner with your hosts as you prepare for the next days adventures.

Day 5: SERENGETI UNDER CANVAS

After an early breakfast, strap on your walking shoes for a six-hour walk from Klein’s Camp towards Lobo airstrip. Accompanied by your Regional Ranger Trainer, and a Maasai guide, learn about the bush from a different perspective.

Learn to identify different plant species, the medicinal uses for both humans and animals, and spend some time appreciating and learning about the delicate balance of this unique ecosystem. This is also an opportunity to hone your tracking skills, mimic the bird calls nearby, identify different wildlife species from their tracks and scat, and get up-close to some of the region’s famous inhabitants.

Around midday, be rewarded with a sumptuous lunch set up in the middle of the Serengeti at Seronera. You will then be driven to Serengeti Under Canvas where our friendly staff and your luggage will be waiting for you.

Experience a classic tented safari in soothing solitude and spectacular comfort, with only the canvas walls of your tent separating you from the wonders of the Serengeti.

The ultimate in luxury camping, enjoy a private butler service, silverware, crystal, ensuite flush WC, outdoor heated bucket style showers and comfortable beds with fluffy duvets. Custom made rugs and polished brass samovars add a touch of elegance and romance. Enjoy an optional afternoon game drive through the Serengeti. Relax under the dark velvet night sky and savor hearty cuisine served on sparkling crystal and silver that reflects the twinkling light of millions of shining stars. Cluster around a roaring campfire with your feet up to share stories of the day’s magic and listen to the African night come alive.

Days 6-8: GRUMETI SERENGETI RIVER LODGE

Experience the breathtaking beauty of the Serengeti National Park on a once-in-a-lifetime private hot air balloon flight. Before dawn, rise as the sun greets the day and float in whichever direction the winds of the morning take you. Your pilot can precisely control the altitude of your balloon, sometimes flying at treetop height, sometimes much higher, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below.

A Serengeti balloon safari is an extraordinary opportunity to get a bird’s eye-view of the phenomenal sweeping plains below. Tiny little dots rove across the diverse landscape and as you get closer you are spectator to the most magnificent view of dramatically striped black and white zebra, sashaying enormous grey elephants meandering towards the river, wiry warthogs foraging in the grassy scrub and subtle swishes of golden tails reveal lions lolling under a shady tree. Drive to Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge and tuck into a delectable lunch.

Situated on the banks of a tributary of the Grumeti River, the proximity to water draws a profusion of game looking for water and seasonal resident hippo pods can be seen in the river pools, right in from your tents. Located in the remote western reaches of the Serengeti, there are few other lodges here, and one rarely sees other vehicles. This makes for an exceptional game viewing experience, with the feeling of the ultimate exclusivity.

Hop in a safari vehicle for your afternoon game drive and encounter large lion prides and clans of hyena, big herds of resident plains game and black and white colobus monkeys, found nowhere else in the Serengeti. Enjoy an unforgettable dinner in a traditional African boma with the sounds of the night providing a gentle backdrop to tales of the day’s safaris.

Day 9: ARUSHA

Enjoy a slower start and delicious breakfast. You will be transferred to the airstrip for your fixed wing flight to back to Arusha. Wave a fond farewell as your unforgettable journey with us comes to an end.

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This extraordinary 9-day journey offers avid wildlife enthusiasts, adventurers and repeat travellers to the Serengeti, the unrivaled opportunity to learn, first-hand, some of the skills of our East African guides. Guests explore diverse terrain, enjoy the opportunity to encounter iconic wildlife, enjoy unforgettable community interactions and traverse the Serengeti on foot in an educational, informative and entertaining way. Guided by some of the best wildlife professionals in the world, participate in a host of practical skills and opportunities such as plant and animal identification, tracking, bird and bird call identification, how to use camera traps and so much more. Guests will stay at three of our much-loved lodges and camps in Tanzania; including a night spent under the stars in our Under Canvas camp.

Date: Nov 8-16, 2022

Price: from $11250