Thomson Family Adventures | All Inclusive Tanzania Family Safaris

Come join us on this special itinerary for families who are fascinated by wildlife and interested in exploring some of the planet's most remarkable landscapes. This special safari provides a wonderful opportunity to get your family into the wilds safely and comfortably. With knowledgeable local guides at the helm, adults and kids of all ages can explore far and wide in the scenic parks of northern Tanzania, the only place on earth where you can see the "Big Five"—lion, leopard, African elephant, Cape buffalo, and rhinoceros.

Take advantage of incredible wildlife viewing in Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti, and a private nature refuge that Thomson guests have exclusive rights to visit. Enjoy unforgettable cultural encounters on a visit to a local school and during village visits to a local Maasai boma.

Included in this exceptional itinerary are several special opportunities for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive tours and activities, such as:

Visit a private nature refuge, part of the Serengeti ecosystem, where Thomson guests have exclusive visiting rights and things such as walks and night drives are permitted.

Enjoy an extended Serengeti experience. Spend much more time in the Serengeti than most safaris offer, getting the full experience of this diverse and truly tremendous ecosystem.

Benefit from seasonal camps in the Serengeti. The camps we use in the Serengeti depending on the season, so we're always in the right place at the right time for the optimal wildlife viewing experience.

Authentic meetings and interactions with the Maasai. Experience exclusive off-the-beaten path opportunities to meet and interact with Maasai, both in their boma and at our camp.

Unmatched variety. The variety of experiences offered by this adventure puts other family safaris to shame; it hits on so much of what makes Tanzania such a precious destination, from the vast Serengeti, to Ngorongoro, to the exclusivity and unique cultural encounters offered by the private nature refuge.

Final payment can be made by credit card. Exclusively on our Smithsonian Family Adventures, families are able to make their final payment by credit card.

2013 Dates
Dates	Adult Price	Teen Price	Child Price
07/16 - 07/27	$6,490	$6,190	$5,490
07/24 - 08/04	Sold Out
12/19 - 12/30	$6,490	$6,190	$5,490
12/23 - 01/03	Sold Out

2014 Dates
Dates	Adult Price	Teen Price	Child Price
03/15 - 03/26	$6,790	$6,490	$5,790
06/14 - 06/25	$6,790	$6,490	$5,790
07/12 - 07/23	$6,790	$6,490	$5,790
08/10 - 08/21	$6,790	$6,490	$5,790
12/20 - 12/31	$7,090	$6,790	$6,090

Days 1-2 – Depart Home / Arrive Tanzania

Upon arrival in Arusha, you and your family will be met and transferred to your lodge. Rest and relax after your long journey—the real adventure begins tomorrow!

Days 3-4 – Ngorongoro Conservation Area

As you travel to the Ngorongoro Highlands, you and your kids will head up a steep, winding road near the edge of the Great Rift Valley. Make sure to keep your cameras ready on the drive—you will be rewarded with expansive vistas of Lake Manyara and the exquisite surrounding plains. At the top of this slope lie the lush Ngorongoro Highlands, where the region's rich volcanic soil makes for some of the most fertile land in Tanzania. Your unique camp surroundings are conveniently located a very short drive from the Crater floor. At this camp you’ll have a special opportunity to try some traditional Tanzanian dishes. Local cuisine here is known for its fresh, flavorful ingredients, diverse culinary influences, and masterful use of spices.

Friends Across Borders Meeting (pen pals)
Wildlife viewing on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
Special Tanzanian dinner

Days 5-6* – Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park is almost the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut, and features grassland plains and savanna as well as riverine forest and woodlands. The word “Serengeti,” which derives from the Maasai word Siringet, has been translated as “the land that flows on forever.” Serengeti National Park covers 6,000 square miles of pristine land, and is home to the largest migration of mammals on earth, which includes 1.5 million wildebeest. Your family spends time in two different locations of the park, with a total of four nights in your comfortable Nyumba camps.

Visit excavation site at Olduvai Gorge
Relax at your nyumba
Optional hot air balloon ride
Wildlife viewing
Swimming
Swahili lessons

Days 7-8* –Serengeti National Park

For a different perspective on the scenery, you will move to a Nyumba located in the Kogakuria region of the park. The northern part of the Serengeti is home to the famed Mara River, which cuts through the ecosystem. Few travelers have access to this exclusive region, so the riverbanks and surrounding woodlands remain pristine. With your skilled guides at the helm, the wildlife viewing promises to be interesting in each new area you visit.

Wildlife viewing
Evenings at camp

Days 9-10 – Private Nature Refuge

Drive to a new part of the Serengeti ecosystem today. Just outside the park’s northeastern boundary lies an exclusive 12,000 acre property that guests of Thomson have the privilege of visiting. Here you have the flexibility to traverse the landscape on foot during guided walks, to do some off- road driving, and to visit with the local Maasai people. There are very few visitors to the area and the connection guests make with local people is extra special as a result. Whether you’re listening to folk tales from a Maasai grandmother or welcoming the warriors as they return home at night, each visit is unique and will add an unparalleled measure of authenticity to your family’s safari experience. This is off-the-beaten-path travel at its best!

Sunset hike and night drive
Morning nature walk with traditional Maasai healer
Learn about everyday Maasai life
Maasai boma visit
Wildlife viewing
Maasai elder visit

Day 11 – Arusha / Depart

Day rooms are provided for your family to take an afternoon swim, rest, repack and have a snack before your early evening transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport, where you’ll check in for your departing flight to Amsterdam.

Return to Arusha
Stop at Cultural Heritage Center
Meet the artisans at Shanga Shagaa workshop

Day 12 – Depart Amsterdam / Arrive Home

* Note that in December 2013 the group will spend nights 5 and 6 at Thomson’s Southern Serengeti Nyumba and nights 7 and 8 at Thomson’s Central Serengeti Nyumba, in order to maximize wildlife viewing opportunities by taking advantage of typical seasonal wildlife migrations.

Mountain Village Lodge

This beautiful lodge is located six miles outside of Arusha. The picturesque grounds overlook Lake Duluti, and on clear days guests enjoy the magnificent views of Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro. The thirty-plus spacious rooms are aesthetically set among lush tropical gardens, and have recently been renovated. Modern amenities and friendly, professional service make this an ideal starting point for your safari.

Nyumba Camps (Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park, Eastern Serengeti Ecosystem Private Nature Reserve)

Swahili for “home,” the Nyumbas are eco-friendly, mobile, tented camps, well-located for the best wildlife viewing in northern Tanzania. Designed exclusively by Thomson, for Thomson, and based on over 30 years of experience, these seasonal camps allow you direct access to the wildlife while keeping your family comfortable during your safari. Private, en suite bathroom facilities include self-contained, pump-flush toilets that do not require fixed plumbing. You will have all you need with plenty of washing water at any time, safari-style hot showers, a private dressing area, water basins, soft bath towels and hand-made soaps. These eco-friendly camps feature superior service, delicious gourmet and kid-friendly cuisine, fine bedding, and the luxury of peaceful and sustainable co-existence with the surrounding landscape and wildlife.

Mount Meru Hotel

An Arusha mainstay near the busy downtown area, the Mount Meru Hotel sits on a 15-acre garden and provides comfortable, modern accommodations. Amenities include cable TV in all rooms, internet access, currency exchange facilities, concierge, massage services, babysitting on request, playground for children, outdoor swimming pool, sun bed, a volleyball court, and a nearby golf course. The Themi Grill serves both international and African cuisine.

Why Tanzania?

Unbelievable wildlife viewing

There is no greater wildlife experience in the world than Tanzania — a nation that devotes 33% of its land to conservation and boasts the highest concentration of animals anywhere on the planet. From the vast Serengeti to the lust rain forests of the Mahale Mountains, Tanzania is home to wildebeest, chimpanzee, zebra, hippopotamus, giraffe, hyena and cheetah — just to name of few! Imagine seeing a hundred Thomson gazelle springing across a dirt road or majestic elephants leading their babies to a watering hole. Tanzania is the only place on earth where the “big five” — buffalo, elephant, leopard, the black-maned lion and the endangered, rare black rhinoceros — all live in one place.

Peaceful, safe and stable

Tanzania is a peaceful, safe country. A democracy since gaining independence in 1961, Tanzania is led by a president and national assembly elected by popular vote. While not a wealthy country, Tanzania is quite stable, and its people are committed to preserving its natural and cultural resources. Tanzania is referred to as the “Switzerland of Africa,” peacefully sustaining more than 120 different ethnic groups and free of the political upheaval present in some other African countries.

Serengeti National Park

Protected since 1921, the Serengeti became Tanzania’s first National Park 30 years later. The Serengeti is almost as large as the US state of Connecticut, and features grassland plains and savanna as well as riverine forest and woodlands. Wooded knolls mark the official entrance, called Naabi Hill Gate, which then drops into the park’s signature wide-open expansive plains. Like no other, this stretch embodies the meaning of the word “Serengeti,” which derives from the Maasai word Siringet, and has been translated as “the land that flows on forever.” Covering over 6,000 square miles of pristine land, the Serengeti offers not only sprawling landscapes but the largest migration of mammals on earth, including 1.5 million wildebeest.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Designated a World Heritage Site in 1979, Ngorongoro Crater is part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a wildlife and cultural preserve covering 3,200 square miles. Ten miles in diameter, the crater is the largest unbroken caldera, or ancient colapsed volcano, in the world. All of the Big Five can be found here: buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and the endangered, rare black rhinoceros. Members of the Maasai tribe, the only people permitted to live within the preserve’s boundaries, are quite visible in their bright red and royal blue cloths as they tend to their goat and cattle herds.

Maasai

You’ll be warmly welcomed by the Maasai, a semi-nomadic people who live in northern Tanzania. The Maasai, who speak Maa, originated from the lower Nile valley and began migrating south around the fifteenth century, arriving in central Tanzania between the seventeenth and late eighteenth century. Your family will visit a Maasai boma (traditional village), where you will gain a glimpse into traditional Maasai culture and arts.

Why Tanzania with Thomson and Smithsonian?

Friends Across Borders

School visits and pen pal meetings are two of this trip’s greatest highlights. You and your kids will meet teachers and students at a school near the town of Karatu and learn more about education in Tanzania. Children who have signed up for our Friends Across Borders Pen Pal program will enjoy meeting their pen pal and sharing with one another.

Tanzania-based for over 30 years

Thomson is the first U.S. tour company licensed to operate safaris in Tanzania. Through 30+ years of experience, Thomson has created a one-of-a-kind experience for families. Nearly 70 staff are employed in Thomson's Arusha operation year-round, driving and maintaining safari vehicles, cooking, serving as expert guides, etc. Thomson's personal attention to detail and first-hand knowledge of Tanzania’s culture and natural resources ensure your family will have an unforgettable adventure. Your family will encounter new surprises every day traveling the back roads in custom four-wheel drive Land Rover safari vehicles. You’ll discover vast, ruggedly beautiful landscapes, stretching from the volcanic cone of Mount Meru to the Great Rift Valley, from the dramatic, tree-strewn landscape of Tarangire to the endless plains of the Serengeti. You'll meet local villagers, school children, artisans, the Maasai and your Tanzanian guides – who share their thoughts, traditions, language and everyday lives with you.

Private, custom-designed accommodations

Swahili for “home,” the Nyumbas are the culmination of over 30 years of safari expertise and are Thomson’s signature style of accommodation. Nyumbas are canvas structures luxuriously appointed with handcrafted furnishings, sisal rugs, Maasai beading, fine linens and antique textiles. The spacious layout offers plenty of room and each Thomson Nyumba includes a spacious private verandah with comfortable seating and a writing table. Oversized, fine-mesh windows look out over beautiful African vistas while allowing the fresh breeze in off the savannah. Private and comfortable en-suite bathrooms feature flush toilets and safari showers with plenty of hot water day or night. While at Thomson's Nyumbas, your family will enjoy unparalleled yet unobtrusive access to the wildlife. Unlike conventional lodges, the Nyumbas put you in the wild, up close to the animals. Imagine unhindered views of the star-filled night sky, gourmet meals prepared from fresh local ingredients in coal-fired ovens, and a sincere welcome from friendly, reliable staff at each camp. In short, it is the perfect balance of luxury, sustainability and immersion, a world away from civilization.

Tanzanian-born guides

The guide is the key to a great safari! A guide's knowledge, sensitivity, and good humor are some of the most essential elements of a great safari. And quite simply, Thomson guides are the best. We don't say so. Thomson's guests do! They rave about every one of them, from Abraham to Charles to Willie. Thomson's guides were born and raised in Tanzania, and love to introduce visitors to the natural beauty and wildlife of their country. Most of them have been with Thomson for years, often starting as drivers or mechanics, and working their way up to senior safari guide. The guides all take naturalist courses or have degrees in natural history and wildlife. They maintain mental maps of Tanzania's back roads and hiding places and keep up-to-date on animal migrations—and they have super-sharp wildlife spotting abilities! The bottom line is, Thomson's guides are happy with their jobs, love to interact with people from different cultures, and work hard to make sure each guest is satisfied. You’ll appreciate their passion and enthusiasm as you experience Tanzania through their insightful eyes.

Small groups and personal attention

Small group size gives Thomson the ability to respond to each guest as an individual, with unique needs, wants and desires. When you call, any member of our staff will answer your questions with authority and patience. After you book a trip, we'll stay in contact, providing you with thorough information about your trip. This level of personal interaction continues in Tanzania, where Thomson's staff is as curious about you as you are about them. To thank the Tanzanian staff, we bring each employee who has been with us five years or more (mechanics, cooks, drivers, guides) to the US to enjoy a cultural adventure of their own.

Unlimited exploration

Most safari operators restrict the number of miles their drivers can drive per day. Thomson wants you to have the most rewarding wildlife experience so there is no mileage restriction for guides and drivers.

There is something for everyone

Since our knowledge of Tanzania is so intimate and thorough, we really know how to cater to every type of traveler. We get it – not everyone has the same time availability, the same budget, or the same interests. Some people have more physical limitations than others, and some people like to live on the edge for a full-fledged family adventure. Whether you’re looking to spot lions and wildebeest in the Serengeti, leave the tropical temperatures behind on a trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, learn from members of the Maasai tribe and connect with local Tanzanians, or unwind on the beach in Zanzibar, Thomson has something for you.

Visit to a private nature refuge

Adjacent to the Serengeti and part of that ecosystem, your family will enjoy two nights at a private nature refuge that Thomson guests have exclusive rights to visit, where activities such as night drives and walks are permitted.

Meet and interact with the Maasai

Experience exclusive off-the-beaten path opportunities to meet and interact with Maasai, both in their boma and at our camp.

Final payment can be made by credit card

Exclusively on our Smithsonian Family Adventures, families are able to make their final payment by credit card.