THE BEST OF TANZANIA - the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

14 Pages·2013·1.54 MB·English

T C Z P …
HE OLUMBUS OO RESENTS

T B T
HE EST OF ANZANIA
14 – DAY M S
IGRATION AFARI
O 17 - 30, 2014
CTOBER
HOSTED BY TOM HOF - VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND
PHILANTHROPY

Photo- Elisabetta Rosso
$7250 per person sharing plus international airfare

Optional 7-Day pre Kenya extension - $4375 per person sharing

Optional 6-Day post Rwanda extension - $4650 per person sharing
SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS:

Expert naturalist safari guides
Tanzania – unrivaled wildlife and habitat diversity
Exploration of the best known parks and reserves
Accommodations include deluxe lodges and tented
camps carefully selected to maximize wildlife viewing Tom Hof with school children in Rwanda
While at Kikoti Safari Camp in Tarangire National Park you will have a bush lunch on the Tarangire
River, an escorted nature walk and an evening game drive
Custom, comfortable 4x4 Land Cruisers – maximum six guests per vehicle
Cultural visits – village and school visits
Olduvai Gorge lecture and museum
Hosted by Tom Hof - Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Philanthropy

T B T
HE EST OF ANZANIA
14 – DAY M S
IGRATION AFARI

DAY 1 – FRIDAY – OCTOBER 17 – DEPART USA
International air from the U.S. to the Kilimanjaro Airport has not been included in the cost of this safari. This allows
guests flexibility in using frequent flyer miles, booking air from their home towns and of spending time in Europe on the
way to or from East Africa. Please call World Discovery Safaris (205-972-8733) if you would like our assistance with
your air arrangements.

DAY 2 – SATURDAY – OCTOBER 18 – KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA
Welcome to Tanzania! On arrival at the Kilimanjaro International Airport near Arusha, you will clear customs,
claim your luggage and will then be met by your safari guides in the arrivals hall. Transfer to the historic Arusha
Hotel for overnight.

DAY 3 – SUNDAY – OCTOBER 19 – ARUSHA / TARANGIRE
NATIONAL PARK
In the morning you drive to Tarangire National Park. Upon
entering the park you begin to see wildlife and also the many
baobab trees which thrive in this area. These large, pulpy
trees, scattered in ones and twos throughout the park, may
be as old as California redwoods and can branch out as much
as 30 feet in diameter. Tarangire is best known for its herds Kikoti Safari Camp
of fringe-eared oryx as well as numerous elephant — the park is a seasonal home for about 3,000 of these large,
gentle creatures. In addition, there are many impala, African buffalo, and rarer mammals, such as wild dog,
leopard and lesser kudu. Goliath heron, woodland kingfisher, magpie shrike, both Fischer’s and yellow-
collared love-birds, orange-bellied parrot, bateleur eagle, secretary bird, Maasai ostrich, kori bustard, beautiful
sunbird and paradise whydah are but a few of the birds you can expect to see in this sanctuary where more
than 300 species have been listed. Your days are filled with wildlife viewing, and you spend the next two
nights at Safari Legacy’s Maisha Kikoti Safari Camp where you will enjoy a bush lunch, guided nature walk,
sundowner and an evening game drive. B/L/D

DAY 4 – MONDAY – OCTOBER 20 – TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
You spend the day exploring Tarangire National Park – famous
for its numerous baobab trees and large elephant population. The
park derives its name from the Tarangire River which, during the
dry season, is the only source of water for a vast area. During the
months of June through October it becomes a “sand river” with
almost no surface water. Although most animals are incapable, by
themselves, of reaching the water that still flows under the sand,
elephants are expert well diggers and it is on these water holes
that Tarangire’s wildlife depends. As in other ecosystems,
vegetation type and animal species are closely related and it is the Photo- Safari Legacy
diversity of habitats that makes Tarangire such a superb wildlife
conservation area. The principal vegetation zones here include grasslands, floodplains, riparian areas along the
Tarangire River, Acacia-Commiphora woodlands and rocky outcroppings, each with its unique component of
wildlife. Your meals and overnight accommodations are at Kikoti Safari Camp. B/L/D

DAY 5 – TUESDAY – OCTOBER 21 – TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK / LOSIRWA VILLAGE / LAKE MANYARA
NATIONAL PARK / KARATU
Following breakfast you depart with a picnic lunch, descend onto the floor of Africa’s Great Rift Valley and
arrive at Losirwa Village. Maintaining the balance between wildlife needs and the needs of the human
population is a fundamental aspect of the long-range goals of every successful conservation effort. Tree
planting projects, such as the one you will be involved with here, are designed to provide an opportunity to
interact with rural Tanzanians on a one to one basis, establish a genuine cross cultural interaction with these
people and help you understand their life style. The trees that have been selected for this project are a species
of Acacia, used extensively by the local population for building, as fuel wood and as fodder for their livestock.
In addition these trees, when full sized will provide shade and enrich the soil with their nitrfixing properties.
In the afternoon you drive to Lake Manyara National Park. This beautiful wildlife sanctuary is famous for its
tree-climbing lions, great herds of African buffalo, and a thriving population of elephant. You enter the park
along a road that passes through a ground water forest frequented by troops of baboons, blue monkeys, and
elephants. Nile hippo wallow in the channel that directs the water of the Mto-wa-Mbu River into Lake
Manyara and many species of shore and water birds frequent this area. Pink-backed and white pelicans, long-
tailed cormorant, fulvous and white-faced whistling ducks, African and lesser jacanas, common pratincole,
water thick-knee, and African fish eagle are but a few of the many species you may see here. This national park
has been designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve and is one of the prettiest parks in northern Tanzania. In
the afternoon you check into your accommodations at the Manyara Wildlife Safari Camp. B/PL/D

DAY 6 – WEDNESDAY – OCTOBER 22 – MTO WA MBU VILLAGE / AKWESO IRAQW CULTURAL CENTER
In the morning you visit the village of Mto-wa-Mbu which is located on the floor of the Great Rift Valley. Here
you join a local guide who introduces you to the medical, agricultural and cultural practices of this diverse
community. You also stop at a wood carver’s and artists guild where craftsmen sculpture ebony and
mahogany masterpieces and painters produce their Tingatinga art. Unique to Tanzania, if you are fond of
bright colors and design simplicity, then Tingatinga paintings are for you! An excellent and informative article
by Berit Sahlström explains the history of the Tingatinga style of painting. After a traditional lunch, prepared
by the women of the village, you drive to the village of Karatu and visit
the Akweso Iraqw Cultural Center. Here you meet Daniel and are
introduced to the ancient culture of the Cushitic people who moved
into what is now know as Tanzania from the “Horn of Africa’ nearly
1000 years ago. You should also have time to visit the Shalom
Orphanage before checking into your accommodations at the
Bougainvillea Safari Lodge. B/L/D

DAY 7 – THURSDAY – OCTOBER 23 – LAKE EYASI & THE HADZABE
BUSHMEN
Early this morning you depart for the Lake Eyasi area to visit the Iraqw Cultural Center
Hadzabe (Hadzapi) and Datoga tribal groups. The Hadzapi are one of the few remaining tribes of bushman in
Tanzania. There are fewer than 600 individual members and they speak one of Africa’s oldest “click”
languages. They are nomadic hunters and gatherers and do not live in villages. Your local guide, who speaks
their language, will locate a family group for you to visit. During your visit you’ll learn how the men prepare
their bows and arrows and hunt. You may also have an opportunity to forage with the women for the seeds,
berries, roots and other plants that provide about 80% of their dietary needs. Later in the day you’ll spend
some time with the pastoral Datoga. Although superficially similar to the Maasai, these people speak a
different language and are Africa’s traditional smiths, using charcoal ovens and goat skin bellows to smelt iron
and steel from the local ore. They keep goats, sheep, donkeys and a few chickens, but cattle are, by far, their
most important domestic animal. In the afternoon you ascend to the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater and check
into your accommodations at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. B/PL/D

DAY 8 – FRIDAY – OCTOBER 24 – NGORONGORO CRATER
After an early breakfast you depart with a picnic lunch for a full day’s game drive on the Crater floor. Ngorongoro
is the largest unbroken crater on earth, and a veritable Garden of Eden. The year-round grazing and fresh water
available here provides a permanent home for approximately 23,000 large mammals. Herds of wildebeest,
common zebra, African buffalo and Thomson's gazelle mingle as they feed in this serene setting. With almost 100
lions, masses of spotted hyena, and numerous golden, silver-backed, and side-striped jackals, the crater also has
the highest concentration of carnivores of any place on earth. Leopard and cheetah occur here, but are not
commonly seen. In the lakes and marshes you look for Nile hippo, common waterbuck, black rhino and any of the
220 species of birds that have been seen here, including greater and lesser flamingos. In the afternoon you return
to the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. B/PL/D

DAY 9 – SATURDAY – OCTOBER 25 – NGORONGORO CRATER / OLDUVAI GORGE / SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast you descend from the Crater highlands into the great alter-crater where Maasai cattle mingle
freely with zebra and eland. As you crest the rim of the crater all of Africa seems to come into view. This is the
great Serengeti, the grande dame of all African game parks, a huge expanse of grass that was once a great inland
sea. After descending from the crater rim you stop at Olduvai Gorge, one of the world's most important
prehistoric archaeological sites. It was here, in 1959, that Mary Leakey discovered the fossilized bone fragments of
one of our earliest hominid ancestors. Several of the fossils, which have been found here, are displayed in a small,
but nice museum at the Olduvai Visitors Center. (Although most frequently written as "Olduvai," the more correct
spelling for the name of this area is "Oldupai," a Maasai name for a species of wild sisal, which grows abundantly
in the area.) In the afternoon you drive across the great Serengeti plains, game viewing along the way to your
accommodations, for the next two nights, at the Serengeti Serena Lodge. B/PL/D
DAY 10 – SUNDAY – OCTOBER 26 – SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK (SERONERA)
Morning and afternoon game drives allow you to explore this vast wildlife sanctuary. In addition to wildlife, the
area is rich in human history and you may take time to visit one or more of the sacred Maasai sites, such as
Gong Rock or some ancient cave paintings. Soon after gaining its independence from Great Britain, and with
the support of the Frankfurt Zoological Society, Tanzania’s government made several landmark decisions
regarding their natural heritage. Today more than 40% of its total land area is protected in one form or
another. Accordingly, Tanzania ranks as one of the most wildlife conservation oriented countries on earth.
B/L/D

DAYS 11 AND 12 – MONDAY AND TUESDAY – OCTOBER 27 & 28 – SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK (NORTHERN
SERENGETI)
Following breakfast you drive north to an area, near the Bologonja and Grumeti Rivers, through which, at this
time of the year, the migratory herds of wildebeest, zebra, eland and Thompson’s gazelle past as they travel
south from Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Reserve to the Serengeti’s short grass plains. In addition to the
migratory animals, the grasslands near these water sources provide a habitat for herds of Grant’s gazelle, topi,
Maasai giraffe, African buffalo and warthog and the riparian forests that flank the river are home to vervet
monkeys, olive baboons and numerous birds. After moving into your tented accommodation you gather for an
afternoon “tea” and lecture / discussion regarding the Serengeti – Mara ecosystem and the “great migration”.
Your accommodations for these two nights are at Migration Camp. B/L/D

DAY 13 – WEDNESDAY – OCTOBER 29 – SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK / ARUSHA / DEPART
Your morning game drive provides a final opportunity to spend time with Serengeti’s wildlife. Later in the
morning you transfer to a nearby airstrip and board the 1- hour flight back to Arusha. Following lunch at the
Cultural Heritage Center you check into day rooms at the Arusha Hotel. The remainder of the day is
unstructured providing time to shop, or rest in preparation for your return to the U.S. In the evening you join
your Tanzanian hosts for a farewell dinner before departing for the Kilimanjaro Airport. B/L/D

DAY 14 – THURSDAY – OCTOBER 30 – ARRIVE USA

B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; PL= Picnic lunch; D = Dinner
*Internal tickets issued by Safari Legacy

Photo-Richard Mills
K P – S E
ENYA RE AFARI XTENSION
OCTOBER 12 - 18, 2014

DAY 1 – SUNDAY – OCTOBER 12 – DEPART USA
International air from the U.S. to the Nairobi International Airport has not been included in the cost of this safari. Please
call World Discovery Safaris (205-972-8733) if you would like our assistance with your flight reservations.

DAY 2 – MONDAY – OCTOBER 13 – ARRIVE NAIROBI, KENYA
Upon arrival at the Nairobi International Airport, you clear customs and are met by your driver/ guides who
transfer you to the Ole Sereni Hotel for overnight.

DAY 3 – TUESDAY – OCTOBER 14 – NAIROBI /
SAMBURU GAME RESERVE
This morning you gather for a short pre-safari briefing
before departing on the drive north through Kenya's
famous "White Highlands." In addition to shambas of
maize, pineapples, bananas and millet, you pass
plantations of coffee, tea, sisal and pyrethrum and
soon realize that much of Kenya's agricultural wealth
is found here. At mid-day, you ascend the slopes of
Mount Kenya and stop for lunch at Trout Tree
Restaurant. This delightful open-air restaurant is
located under some giant African olive trees, Photo- Marie Gladwish
adjacent to a cool mountain stream and is an excellent place to find black and white colobus monkeys and
some beautiful highland birds. Along the way you are likely to pass some of the picturesque Samburu, a
pastoral people related to the Maasai. In the afternoon you arrive at the Samburu Game Reserve in Kenya’s
Northern Frontier District. You spend the next two nights at Samburu Game Lodge, in a beautiful setting on the
banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River. B/L/D

DAY 4 – WEDNESDAY – OCTOBER 15 – SAMBURU GAME RESERVE
Morning and afternoon game drives take you into the semi-desert
thorn bush bordering the Ewaso Nyiro River. A primary reason for
coming to this area is to find and photograph the wildlife
characteristic of the “Horn of Africa” and not found far south of
the semi-arid Samburu region. Grevy's zebra, Somali ostrich, beisa
oryx, gerenuk, olive baboon, Gunther’s dik-dik and reticulated
giraffe thrive in this harsh but picturesque landscape. Fan-tailed
raven, black-faced sandgrouse, blue-naped mousebird and
vulturine guineafowl are a few of the many unique birds found
here. In addition to wildlife you may opt ($25 per person) to visit a
traditional Samburu village where you will have an opportunity to
visit with the people, see inside their loaf shaped homes and learn
about some of the ancient traditions of these pastoral people. B/L/D

Photo- RichardMills
DAY 5 – THURSDAY – OCTOBER 16 - SAMBURU GAME RESERVE – MAASAI MARA GAME RESERVE
After breakfast, transfer to the airstrip for your flight to the Maasai
Mara via Nairobi, to the world famous Maasai Mara Game
Reserve and your accommodations for the next two nights at
Mara Intrepids Tented Camp. Located in the center of the
Maasai Mara National Reserve, above a sweeping bend in the
Talek River, Mara Intrepids provides all the comforts of home.
The public areas are under a makuti and gum pole construction.
Breakfasts and lunches are served on the champagne terrace and
dinner is served in the central dining area near the river's edge.
After dinner young people, from a nearby Maasai village, often
visit the camp to perform some of their traditional dances. An
askari (night watchman) escorts you back to your tents, and you fall asleep to the comforting nocturnal voices of
the African bush. B/L/D

DAY 6 – FRIDAY – OCTOBER 17 - MAASAI MARA GAME RESERVE
You awaken to the morning chorus of birds and are soon out doing just what you came for - to find,
photograph, observe and learn about African wildlife. This northern extension of the Serengeti virtually throbs
with life. "The Mara" savannas are famous for their concentration of grazing and browsing animals and their
predators - lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena. Morning and afternoon game drives take you to different areas,
depending on where your safari guides feel there are the best chances of seeing exceptional wildlife. They may
suggest you rise early and return for a late breakfast, or depart with a picnic breakfast and lunch and spend
the entire day away from camp. The order of your day may differ, but one thing is guaranteed - you will see
lots of mammals, birds, and other wildlife. Your meals and accommodations are at Mara Intrepids Club.
B/L/D

DAY 7 – SATURDAY – OCTOBER 17 – SERENGETI / NAIROBI / TANZANIA / DEPART
After breakfast you transfer to the airstrip for your flights to Nairobi and Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Airport. On
arrival you are met by your safari guides and transfer to the historic Arusha Hotel. B/L/D

Photo- Marie Gladwish

B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; PL= Picnic lunch; D = Dinner
*Internal tickets issued by Safari Legacy
R P -S E
WANDA OST AFARI XTENSION
October 29 - November 3, 2014

DAY 1 – WEDNESDAY – OCTOBER 29 – SERENGETI NATIONAL PARI / KIGALI, RWANDA
In the morning you transfer to a nearby airstrip and board the scheduled flight to Kigali via Mwanza.
Following your arrival at the Kigali Airport you are met by your Rwanda safari guides and transferred to your
accommodations at the Kigali Serena Hotel. B/L/D

DAY 2 – THURSDAY – OCTOBER – KIGALI – GORILLA VIEW LODGE
Following breakfast you depart on a scenic three hour drive over good roads and through a lush and rolling
countryside towards the Parc National des Volcans (Volcanoes National Park). In the afternoon you check into
Gorilla View Lodge, your accommodations for the next three nights. This recently opened lodge has
comfortable, nicely appointed rooms with modern bathrooms and hot water. It has a spacious restaurant with
a large bar and reception area and friendly service. On a clear day the views, from the lodge, of the volcanoes
and surrounding hills are spectacular. B/L/D

DAY 3 – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 – PARC NATIONAL DES VOLCANS
/ GORILLA TREK
After an early breakfast you drive to the Parc National des
Volcanas (Volcanoes National Park), one of the last refuges of
the mountain gorilla. Here the volcanic massif ranges in
altitude from 8,500 to 11,000 feet above sea level. Its densely
forested slopes are dominated by Hagenia trees with twisted
trunks and lichen covered low branches. The mountain
gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the most endangered
primates in the world. Fewer than 700 of these magnificent
animals still cling to a fragile existence in small, protected
patches of rainforest in northwest Rwanda, southwest

Photo- RichardMills
Uganda and the eastern corner of the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC). Following your arrival at the park headquarters you are briefed by one of the park rangers
before setting out in search of gorillas. During the next two days you visit different groups of habituated
gorillas. Well-trained guides lead you to the site where a gorilla family was encountered the previous day and
from this point you track them to their current location. The trek can take between one and six hours, at
altitudes in excess in 8,500 feet, up steep and muddy sloops and over rough terrain. Although the hike may be
demanding, the anticipation of the exciting experience ahead is invigorating and the beauty of the forest and
its inhabitants fascinating. Observing a wild gorilla family in its natural habitat and on its terms is considered,
by many naturalists, to be one of the most profound natural history experiences in the world. Each strictly
regulated 60-minute visit passes all too quickly and you must depart, leaving the gorillas to their fragile
existence. After a visit with the gorillas you return to the park headquarters, rejoin your drivers and return
with them to Gorilla View Lodge. Time permitting you will also have an opportunity to visit the Bisate School
which is supported by the Columbus Zoo. Over the past seven years the Zoo’s Partners in Conservation
program has provided this school with funding, textbooks, school supplies and information about
conservation. More than 2,500 students, including some of the gorilla trackers’ own children, attend the Bisate
Primary School. As a result of this support the number of students passing their national exams has increased
from 23% to 69%, and their parents are seeing how conservation programs are benefitting their children and
helping protect the gorillas and their habitats. B/L/D

DAY 4 – SATURDAY – NOVEMBER 1 - PARC NATIONAL DES VOLCANS (VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK) - GORILLA
TREK
Today you have a second opportunity to trek into the Parc
National des Volcanas and spend another hour with a gorilla
family. In the afternoon you return to the Kigali Serena Hotel
and, time permitting, join your guide for a city safari and
optional visit to the Genocide Museum which has been
constructed on one of the sites where mass killings occurred.
Today it serves as a sobering reminder of our fragile society
and how badly things can become when we fail to work and
live together. B/L/D

Kigali Serena Hotel
DAY 5 – SUNDAY – NOVEMBER 2 – KIGALI / DEPART
After breakfast you transfer to the Kigali Airport for your flight to the USA.
Please Note: International air from the Kigali International Airport has not been included in the cost of this safari.
Please call World Discovery Safaris (205-972-8733) if you would like our help shopping for international air.

DAY 6 – MONDAY – NOVEMBER 3 – ARRIVE USA

B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; PL= Picnic lunch; D = Dinner
*Internal tickets issued by Safari Legacy

Please note: The treks to see and observe gorillas can be physically demanding. Accordingly we suggest you carefully
evaluate your physical condition before registering for this extension. No one under age 15 is permitted to trek gorillas.
COLUMBUS ZOO & AQUARIUM DISCLAIMER

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (hereafter “Zoo”) is not the safari operator.

Zoo is not responsible for changes of flight times, fare changes, dishonor of airline, hotel or car-rental
reservations, delays, losses, injuries, inconveniences, cessation of operations, airline or safari operator
bankruptcies, acts of God, or any other event beyond the Zoo’s control.

Zoo acts only as agent for participants with respect to travel services, and it shall not be responsible for
changes of flight times, fare changes, dishonor of airline, hotel or other reservations, injury, damage, loss of
baggage, accidents or for the acts or defaults of any person or entity engaged in conveying participants or in
carrying out other arrangements of the safari. Further, Zoo shall not be responsible for losses or additional
expenses of any participant due to sickness, weather, strike, civil unrest, acts of terrorism, quarantine, acts of
God, or other causes beyond its control.

Zoo shall not be responsible for alteration of the itinerary as deemed necessary for carrying out the
safari and the right is reserved to substitute hotels of similar quality. The right is further reserved to cancel any
safari prior to departure; in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on the
Zoo’s part. The right is also reserved to decline to accept or to retain any person as a member of the safari
should such person’s health, actions or general deportment, in Zoo’s opinion, impede the operation of the
safari or the rights or welfare of the other participants. No refund will be made for any unused portion of the
safari.

Applicants for participation in this safari accept in full all the conditions set forth in the above.

Please contact Patti Cattey (phone: [phone], e-mail: [email protected]) or Richard Mills
(phone: [phone], e-mail: [email protected]) with any questions regarding this travel program.