A truly varied experience with some of Tanzania’s top highlights. The northern Serengeti in the dry is a real spectacle. We are expected to share this spectacle with other travellers (although we do try and maintain our own space). Afterwards, we will escape to the remote west of the country where few people venture visiting. Big game in an understated authentic camp in Katavi with the option to walk and fly-camp, followed by bizarre chimps and beach combo in the rare Greystoke Mahale… Truly a unique spot.
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Ecorating: 4.0
This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
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This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
Sample Itinerary
Arusha to Serengeti Safari Camp.
Hop on an early flight from Arusha, up over the Ngorongoro Highlands and beyond to the wide plains of the Southern Serengeti. At this time of the year, these nutrient-rich plains draw the great herds from the north to prepare for calving. You’ll be met by your Nomad guide for a short game drive to our Serengeti Safari Camp. Relax, settle into your tent and perhaps head out for a game drive after lunch to see the lay of the land.
Serengeti Safari Camp
Watch the sun rise from the verandah of your tent while sipping on a warm cup of tea. After having an early breakfast you’ll board your safari car for a full day out exploring. Your guide knows this area well and will be able to interpret all that you see.
Return to the camp in time for a hot shower and a well-earned drink by the fire before dinner.
Serengeti Safari Camp
Serengeti Safari Camp is one of the first camps to follow the migration on it’s seasonal circuit. Light enough to move every couple of months, but all the creature comforts laid on, this will become a wonderful bush home to return to after each day’s adventures. Typically, early morning and afternoon game drives will take you out in search of predator and prey, stopping to watch as nature displays in all it’s glory.
Serengeti Safari Camp
The Serengeti is not just about the wildebeest, half a million zebra also migrate. In addition you can expect to see giraffe, gazelle, hartebeest and many other herbivores. Of the predators, lion, cheetah and hyena are the most common though you may be lucky enough to spot a leopard too. Birds are fascinating, especially the vultures and you’ll no doubt make some fascinating discoveries about this area courtesy of a great guide.
Serengeti – Greystoke Mahale
Depart Ndutu Airstrip on Nomad’s scheduled flight to Western Tanzania, via both Serengeti & Katavi, arriving in Mahale after noon. A light snack on the dhow as you head down the lake to Greystoke itself. Settle into camp, relax or loosen up with a short walk in the forest. Watch the sun set across Lake Tanganyika to the Congo beyond.
Greystoke Mahale
As news comes in from the trackers, head into the forest after a leisurely breakfast in search of your first group of chimps. As well as time spent watching the chimps as they play, groom and possibly even hunt, you should see other forest game as well as amazing birds, butterflies and plants.
Treks can be lengthy but you’ll usually return to camp for lunch, a siesta or swim. The afternoon might be the perfect time to head out for fishing.
Greystoke Mahale
You’ll be able to spend time chimp trekking on each full day you’re in Mahale. In addition there’ll be the chance to go for deep water swims off a dhow, fish in the lake, kayak or just head up to one of the amazing waterfall pools in a quiet corner of the forest. This is a place for healthy activity and relaxation!
The chill-out deck of your room is perfect for an afternoon together with a book or just to ponder the view of Lake Tanganyika.
Mahale – Arusha
Depart camp after breakfast for the return dhow trip to the airstrip and your onward flight from Mahale back to Arusha.
Trip details
Ecorating: 4.0
Season: All year round
Airport: Arusha airport (ARK)
Duration: 7 nights or as long as you wish.
Included: Activities, full board accommodation, drinks & laundry but exclude park fees and flights – we help you organize this.
Travel ethics: Show respect for the religion and culture.
Visa: Visa to Tanzania
Time zone: GMT + 3
Vaccinations: Vaccinations for Tanzania
Packing: Sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen, swimmers, bush colored clothing for trekking in the forest, long sleeves and trousers, good walking shoes.
Local Currency: Tanzanian Shilling
Weather Arusha: Weather
Mobile networks and email: Mobile networks works ok.
Water: Buy bottled water, make sure that the bottles end up in the waste sorting.
Safety: This is considered as a safe place for tourists.
More information at: Travel tips Tanzania
Ecorating: 4.0
This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
Does my trip make a difference?
Read more
This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
Since inception this camp is part of a group of camps. Investing in local people and conservation is an integral part of their operation. The tourism industry depends on the preservation of Africa’s wild places, so it makes good business sense to look after it.
Car & guide: For many years camps has been providing their Tanzanian guides with micro-finance loans and to buy their own safari vehicles. We hire guides and their cars, allowing them to earn double.
Opportunities & Recruitment from within: Central to their core business is the wish to see employees do the best they can for themselves. Many of the top guides started out as waiters or room stewards, and they continue to look for ways of giving everyone opportunities to realise their own ambitions within the company. The camps are especially proud of Emmanuel, the bike messenger, who is now competing at the Tanzanian National Cycling events and doing exceptionally well. His employment with the camps affords him better food which has made a huge difference to his performance. He also gets loads of practice on the job!
Training: The camps has had the most continuous and rigorous guide training program in Tanzania. Each year, both old and new guides come together to advance their knowledge through a series of modules and practical examination run by experts in the field. This not only includes wildlife skills and bushcraft, but photography, general knowledge and basic hospitality skills to make them amongst the best in the African safari industry. They are truly proud of their guides and all people working there and they wouldn’t be what they are without them.
Concession fees: Nduara Loliondo is a Maasai community area and an important buffer zone bordering the Serengeti National Park. As part of the wider Serengeti eco-system, it’s critical that wildlife can move unhindered through the area. The Maasai communities don’t benefit at all from the great visitor numbers in Serengeti. The concession fees allow the Maasai to benefit from tourism, and create an incentive to look after the game that passes through.
Eco-loos: Many guests are blissfully unaware of the difficulty of obtaining water in certain remote areas of Tanzania. In some this group of lodges operate, water bowsers must travel 80km each day to fetch enough water just for showers. To reduce the burden on our sensitive habitat, one has chosen to adopt eco-toilets that use a minimum amount of water and environmentally sound digesters while still ensuring the comfort of guests.
Home-grown veggies: In the wild Mahale Mountains, there is a 24 hour ferry journey from the nearest town (or a 4 hour flight), where most of the camp food comes from. Through the Nomad Trust, they have set up a community vegetable garden a little closer to home, which now supplies a great proportion of the fresh veg we use, and provides a valuable local income.
Getting involved: We don’t operate in a vacuum and as a company, we take a keen interest in what is going on throughout Tanzania and Africa. We are actively involved in our national organisations that work towards better governance of wildlife and natural resources, and are strong advocates for responsible tourism wherever their voice can be heard.
Supporting worthwhile projects: In addition to the Nomad Trust, we contribute to various organisations that are doing wonderful work around Tanzania. Most of the furniture in Lamai, for example, was made by a company that has been training up former street kids to become professional carpenters.
