BUSHMEN EXPEDITION SAFARI

This trip is designed only for realer who want to explore and experience rich African culture and way of life in total. The trip mainly focuses on exploring some of 120 different cultures among Tanzania society.  We select three unspoiled indigenous Bushmen tribes to visit and learn more about their traditional way of life. Hadzabe the last hunters and gatherers tribe left in Tanzania, Datoga and Masai the two pastoralist and greatest enemies’ tribes of all the time.

Duration

7 Nights 8 Days

LOCATIONS

LAKE NATRON
LAKE EYASI
MTO WA MBU
LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK

DAY 1: ARUSHA-LAKE NATRON

Soon after having breakfast at your hotel in Arusha, you drive away with packed lunch boxers straight to Lake Natron.  Lake Natron is a soda lake at the base of the active Ol Donyo Lengai volcano, the area around Lake Natron is often described as having a desolate and almost lunar beauty. The native people around the area are typical Maasai people. You will arrive at your campsite after five hours drive in very beautiful and breath taking Oldonyo Engai(mountain of God) and Maasai land scape. After setting up your tents you have chance to walk to the baked mud to the shores of the great soda lake itself, in which algae and zooplankton thrive – which in turn attract the flamingos that line the lake's shore or you may choose to  take the chance to walk up to the Engero Sero Waterfalls. This walk winds up through a shady gorge (very welcome in the heat) between steep cliffs. There's a bit of gentle scrambling involved, and you'll also cross the river a few of times. However, after a few hours you'll reach a beautiful natural swimming pool surrounded by steep rock walls – showered by cascades of spring-water and overlooked by palm trees.

Dinner and overnight at your campsite

DAY 2: LAKE NATRON

Today you start your day early as possible just after a cup of coffee and biscuit and drive to maasai village to start a day together with maasai family and get to involve in their daily work routine activities. Maasai has division of labor according to sex, gender and age as well. Men will go out with maasai men,women do the same as well. Your driver will drive back to the camp and bring you a hot lunch at maasai village for spending the whole day there.

After long day for the more adventurous might like to try and climb Oldoinyo Lengai. This climb usually starts at midnight, and you climb for around six hours, through the night, to reach the spectacular views of the top by sunrise. Anyone embarking on this walk must understand that it is a very tough climb, and that as this is an active volcano, so high risks are involved. If you would like to do so, then after morning arrival to the camp you take a breakfast then take a rest before lunch time and departure for your next destination.

Dinner and overnight at your camp.

DAY 3: LAKE NATRON –LAKE EYASI

After breakfast or lunch in your camp at Lake Natron, you drive straight to Lake Eyasi. After over a couple hours of dusty driving Southwest of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Crater, one arrives at the Northern shore of Lake Eyasi. The scenery of Lake Eyasi differs dramatically to that of the surrounding areas. Compared to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Highlands this area seems downright tropical. Palm trees border the lake and make homes for birds such as Fischer’s lovebird. Other trees in this area include the umbrella thorn acacia and sand paper bush.

Arrive at any time depends on what time you leave from lake Natron, after setting up your tents at your base camp you will drive to Lake Eyasi for short walk and enjoying African sunset at the lake.

DAY 4: LAKE EYASI

Today you start your day early as second day at Lake Eyasi and drive to Datoga villages for spending the whole day at the traditional living families of Datoga community. You will get to learn their interesting culture and engage yourself in their daily life routine; they do have division of labor as Maasai does too. So women will interact with Datoga women and does the same work as women do- same apply to men.  Off cause you will be accompanied with local guide from the same tribe who speak English and local tribe language.

Diner and Overnight at your camp base.

DAY 5& 6: FLY CAMP (HADZABE FAR BUSH)

Today you drive around45km from your previously camp base at Lake Eyasi to the hiding caves of Hadzabe Bushmen deep in the bush.  A visit with the Bushmen is worthwhile and they will graciously show you where and how they live and hunt. They subsist entirely off the bush and by bow hunting. Everything they use is made from local materials, including their bows which are strung with giraffe tendon and their arrows which are coated in lethal poison. Their language resembles that of Kalahari Bushmen tribe (who were featured in the 1980 film ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’) with clicking noises used. You will spend two days with Hadzabe learning how to survive with no food and how to grow with no medicine and off cause how to speak their click sound language.

DAY 7: LAKE EYASI - MTO WA MBU

After breakfast under baobab tree in the morning, you will have chance to see and dance some special dancing for saying goodbye with Hadzabe then drive back to Mto wa Mbu with packed lunch box or either stop on the way in Karatu town and have some hot lunch. Arrival at your camp in Mto wa Mbu will be during evening time, you will find mountain bike waiting for you to drop down from your safari jeep and ride away to mto wa mbu cultural town. Mto wa Mbu is very small and beautiful town close to Manyara National Park, there is so many beautiful Makonde crafts, banana and rice plantation in mto wa mbu streets which makes biking idea more interesting.

Dinner and overnight at your base camp.

DAY 8: MTO WA MBU - ARUSHA

After breakfast early in the morning you will drive to the nearest Manyara National park. Although small in size, this park is one of the most diverse reserves in the country. Lake Manyara covers two thirds of the park. At the backdrop is the wall of the Great Rift Valley, before which lies the ground water forest, areas of open grassland near the lake foreshore, and the Soda Lake. We enjoy a picnic lunch in this area, which consists of open grassy areas, hot springs, dense woodlands and steep mountainsides. Lake Manyara National Park is a birding paradise that has more than 350 species of bird. The park is also famed for its unique and elusive tree-climbing lions. In late hours we drive back to airport for catching your flight back home.

Package Price Includes:

  • Full board accommodation whilst on safari
  • Private safari guide
  • Maasai Experience tour
  • Extended Toyota Land Cruiser
  • Private 4 x 4 safari jeep with pop up roof for game viewing
  • Transfers in both directions between the International Airport
  • Park fees
  • All meals while on safari
  • Airport Arrival/Departure Meet and Greets at the airport
  • Datoga visit tour
  • Hadzabe visit tour
  • Government taxes, VAT and service charges relating to accommodation and included meals

Package Price excludes:

  • Tanzania Visa:
  • Personal Expenses (e.g. laundry, telephone, beverages, etc.)
  • Meals not listed above
  • Tips and any items of personal nature
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