Tanzania: Investigating Biodiversity and Human Civilization

Depart for the overnight flight to Tanzania

Upon arrival at the airport you'll be met and escorted to the hotel in Arusha. Arusha is the gateway to the northern national parks of Tanzania such as Tarangire, Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and the famous Serengeti. The lodge is situated in the village of Movarian. Dinner will be included if the group is arriving earlier than 6:00 pm.

This morning, transfer to Lake Manyara National Park, stopping en route at a look-out point to view the spectacular scenery and discuss the Great Rift Valley. Upon arrival, take an afternoon game drive. This park is famous for its tree-climbing lion population and is named after the long lake that is fed by water from the escarpment of the Rift Valley. Other highlights include impressively tusked elephants, giraffes, buffalo, zebras, and banded mongoose, in addition to over 400 species of birds.

After breakfast, depart for Serengeti National Park, stopping en route at Olduvai Gorge. Nicknamed the "Cradle of Mankind," this famous anthropological site is located on a steep-sided ravine, approximately 30 miles long and 295 feet deep. During an informative on-site lecture, discover the accomplishments of Drs. Louis and Mary Leakey, archaeologists who excavated key hominid fossils that provided significant understanding of the course of human evolution. Exposed deposits show fossils and remains of objects dating as far back as 15,000 to 2 million years ago. In the afternoon, take a game drive in the rolling grasslands of the Serengeti and then arrive at your camp, located on the slopes of Rongai Hills. Osupuko Camp overlooks the Seronera Valley, which is home to most of the cats found in Serengeti as well as other notable wildlife including giraffes, zebras, gazelles, warthogs, baboons, monkeys, and more.

Spend the day adventuring on a safari and immerse yourself in the daily life of the fauna inhabiting Serengeti National Park. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the location of the world-famous annual migration of over 1 million wildebeests, zebras, and Thomson's gazelles. The Serengeti stretches over 5,500 square miles and is divided into two distinct geographical zones: the vast grasslands of the south and the woodlands of the north and west. Other wild game at the park includes buffalo, elephants, and giraffes. A boxed lunch will be provided during the safari. This evening, spend time by the campfire and star gazing.

Set off for an early morning game drive at Serengeti. Return to camp for a late breakfast and afterwards travel to the Ngorongoro Crater. Arrive at the lodge, which sits at a prime spot near the edge of the crater. Wildlife Lodge works very closely with local communities, and most of the staff are either Maasai or Iraqw. Supplies are all sourced from the local communities, including the fresh vegetables and fruits used for meals.

Enjoy a day full of spectacular scenery and game viewing in what has been described as the eighth wonder of the world: Ngorongoro Crater. As you descend down the crater rim, watch as the flora opens to grassy plains throughout the crater floor. Two and a half million years ago, Ngorongoro was an active volcano as large as Kilimanjaro, but violent eruptions reduced it to a caldera. An abundance of animals, including large herds of wildebeests, zebras, lions, elephants, rhinos, and hippos reside in the 433-square-mile caldera. Ngorongoro Crater is also an area of critical importance in the conservation of the endangered black rhino. Later transfer to Manyara Camp for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast visit Esilalei, a Maasai village along the shores of Lake Manyara. Upon arrival, receive an introduction to the community and learn about the Maasai culture and way of life. Activities here include visiting the nursery and primary school, visiting traditional huts, goat herding, jewelry bead work, bird watching during a short walking safari, and a cultural exchange with a village. You'll also be able to participate in a community service project. After lunch, work with school children doing art/songs/games at Losirwa Primary School. This afternoon depart for Arusha in time to freshen up in a day room before an early dinner around 5pm. Afterwards transfer to Kilimanjaro for your flight home.

Arrival to the United States.