Tanzania!

June 17-July 2, 2010

View itinerary.
Tell a friend about this tour.
Download the brochure. (770k pdf)
How to register.

 

Join UW–Madison’s Division of Continuing Studies for a journey to one of the most wondrous places on earth: Tanzania! Spend two weeks with like-minded learners in this fascinating country learning about its people, discovering cultural secrets, and being amazed by the majesty of the landscape and the numbers of creatures that inhabit this extraordinary destination.

Your African safari begins when you step off the plane at Arusha and load into your 4-wheel drive vehicle for the short trip to Serena Mountain Village in the foothills of the great Kilimanjaro where you will spend your first two nights. Sleep late on your first morning and awake to the sounds of the birds in this lush highland region before your game drive in Arusha National Park followed by a canoe safari on Momela Lake.

On your third day on the continent you travel overland to the alkaline Lake Manyara National Park for an extraordinary day of bird-watching in one of the planets richest habitats for this pursuit. Manyara National Park also contains hippos, lions, giraffe and wildebeest which accent the thousands of pink flamingos and hundreds of other birds that make this environment so special. Then you’re off to nearby Lake Eyasi for a full-day of Tanzanian culture as you visit the Hadzabe tribe and learn about their hunting techniques, traditional art forms and their way of living off of this land.

The next four nights will surely stay with you forever. Enter the vast and incomparable Serengeti National Park and make your way to your private mobile camp, set in the African bush away from the tourist crowds. Enjoy four full days on safari in this most spectacular of Tanzania’s parks. Predator vs. prey action; a million wildebeest on migration; 200,000 zebra; 300,000 gazelle; numerous prides of lion; 500 species of bird and countless other forms of life–and you–will share the mesmerizing Serengeti Plain. You’ll take exciting game drives by day and relax by the campfire at night. In short: a genuine African bush experience will be yours.

When you leave the Serengeti you visit the famous Olduvai Gorge on your way to one of Africa’s most impressive natural wonders: the stunning Ngorongoro Crater. Teeming with wildlife, you will spend an entire day following game on the floor of the crater in addition to a walking safari, a visit to a nearby Maasai village, and an intimate tour of the working farm where you will be lodged for three nights: the lovely Ngorongoro Farmhouse.

Your African adventure concludes in the stupendous Tarangire National Park. The greatest concentration of wildlife outside of the Serengeti, Tarangire is full of elephant herds, mammals and predators—all in search of the water that can be found in the Tarangire River. Two days of game drives and a night safari will complete your Tanzanian journey before you fly home with a lifetime of memories of this country, her people, and its extraordinary abundance of life. Group size will be limited to 20 persons to ensure a quality experience.

Educational highlights

This trip provides a rare opportunity to immerse yourselfin and to learn about the wildlife and culture of Africa and Tanzania. This is a first-hand experience. You'll visit the Hadzabe tribe and learn about their hunting techniques and traditional art forms. You'll also visit a Maasai village and receive an intimate tour of a working farm. This experience, plus the insights from our hosts and guides will make this educational adventure truly the trip of a lifetime.

Itinerary

Day 1
Depart the USA bound for Tanzania

Day 2
Arrive at Kilimanjaro airport and transfer to Serena Mountain Village for dinner and overnight.

Day 3
Sleep in this morning and enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the lodge. Afterwards you’ll receive a pre-safari briefing before driving to Arusha National Park where you can expect to see zebras, giraffes, elephants, hyenas and more. You’ll then have a picnic lunch by Momela Lake and set out on your canoe safari amongst the beautiful and varied waterfowl, returning to the lodge late in the afternoon.

Day 4
This morning you travel west to the lovely Kirurumu lodge and experience afternoon game drives in the superb Manyara National Park where you will see hippos, lions, flamingos and other wildlife living in this austere Rift Valley environment.

Day 5
Today is a full-day excursion to the starkly beautiful Lake Eyasi, with cultural visits to the villages of the Hadzabe people to learn about their way of life.

Days 6-9
Your next four nights will be spent at a bush camp in the incomparable Serengeti National Park. From your prime location on the plain you will be right in the middle of the action for four days of game drives, following the wildebeest migration, and having an up–close–and–personal experience in the wilds of Africa.

Days 10-12
Depart camp and travel to the famous Olduvai Gorge, then visit a Maasai village before setting out on an afternoon walking safari. You’ll wind up at your lodging for the next three nights: the atmospheric Ngorongoro Farmhouse.

The next morning you visit one on the most impressive geologic and environmental sites in Africa: Ngorongoro Crater. You’ll spend an entire day on the floor of the crater following the herds, tracking animals, and marveling at the beauty of this unique and exhilarating environment. Your third day in the crater highlands is a flexible one as you may choose to spend a cultural day exploring the village and working farm, relax around the lodge, or take an optional walking safari.

Days 13-15
The final stop on your African adventure is the parched Tarangire National Park. You’ll embark on three adventurous game drives as well as a night safari, all while comfortably housed at Roika Tented Lodge.

Day 16
Today you say goodbye to Africa…until the next time…

Important information

Everyone is welcome to join us. We respectfully request that you honestly evaluate your physical condition and your ability to travel comfortably in a developing nation. Tanzania is a little behind the curve regarding travelers with serious mobility challenges. All accommodations are very nice and comfortable, but some foods may be unfamiliar, hot water may be sporadic, the night sounds will be genuine, and you will almost certainly be outside of your comfort zone at some point in time. It will be an exhilarating and fun journey but we wouldn’t want you to be unhappy, so please understand that the realities of travel in Africa are unique.

All transfers will be in 4-wheel drive vehicles with driver/guides. No vehicle will contain more than 4 travelers so everyone will have a window seat and plenty of room in the roof-top opening for game viewing. We have tried to minimize long travel distances, but some driving on bumpy and dusty roads will occur. However, the scenery is awesome and the rewards at your destination are worth the effort.

You will stay in small lodges throughout, with the exception of the mobile camp in the Serengeti which consists of very large tents with real beds. You will receive first-class service, but it is not the most expensive high-end luxury camp on the continent. It is, however, a real safari camp in the African bush providing extraordinary access to the wildlife, attentive service, and delicious meals under vast blue skies. Evenings will be spent around a campfire with your travel companions, sharing stories of the day’s events, and listening to the night sounds under Africa’s stunning star-filled night. Don’t miss this trip.

Fee details

The all-inclusive price of this trip is $7099. This price includes everything: your roundtrip international airfare, all lodging, all meals, all park fees, all transfers, guides, gratuities and services. This price is based upon double occupancy; single supplement is $812 extra. Personal tips and drinks are extra, as is your visa and any airport departure taxes.

How to register

Download the registration form or contact Kim Seymour at 608-262-3731 or kseymour@dcs.wisc.edu to reserve your place for Tanzania!

Location/accommodations description

Serena Mountain Village 2 nights
www.serenahotels.com/tanzania/mountainvillage/home.asp

Kirurumu Lodge 2 nights
www.kirurumu.net/camps_and_lodges/kirurumu%20tented%20lodge.htm

Serengeti Medium Camp 4 nights
www.africa-adventure.com/accommodation/serengeti_medium_mobile_camp

Ngorongoro Farmhouse Lodge 3 nights www.expertafrica.com/lodge/Ngorongoro_Farmhouse_Lodge.htm

Roika Tented Lodge 2 nights
www.tarangireroikatentedlodge.com

 

Your travel director

Doug Whittle, UW-Madison director of educational travel, has led programs to Amsterdam, St. Petersburg, Paris, and New York City. He's traveled independently in Asia, Africa, Europe, and throughout Central and North America. Doug also served for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zaire. Before coming to UW-Madison, he spent a decade as professor of painting and printmaking at Converse College in South Carolina. His paintings and prints have appeared in museums and galleries from Richmond, Virginia to Krakow, Poland.

Traveler comments about previous trips

“I thought the guides were superb. Knowledgeable, gracious, friendly. They were a highlight of the trip for me…”

“Not only did we enjoy this trip, we felt changed by it–and isn’t that what education is all about?...”

“Unparalleled, unforgettable.”

 

Contact information

For information contact Doug Whittle, 608-263-7787, dwhittle@dcs.wisc.edu, or Kim Seymour, 608 262-3731.

 

UW-Madison Continuing Studies | Classes | Services | Register | About Us