Global Staci

At the tippy top of my list of favorite things is an African safari. The experience—one I’ve had many times—never gets old. There is something about being in a place so wild, beautiful, vast, and different from my daily environment back home, that moves me deeper into peace.

Being so connected to nature has a way of rooting us, calming us in our core, shining light into the cracks and evoking quiet and rest. Once you catch your first glimpse of a lioness playing with her cubs or stalking her prey, until your body lets you know, you won’t realize you’ve been holding your breath.

This itinerary purposely does not include the Serengeti because getting there requires a very long drive, or a small aircraft. This was planned as an optional R&R, post international volunteer trip, helping to build a house with a Tanzanian NGO in Moshi. Therefore, it’s a more affordable option, and gets to some interesting national parks, further away from the Serengeti.

[PRO TIP: Distances between parks and even between lodges and park entrances can be long, so be prepared to spend a lot of time in your 4×4. This is the trade off to spending more money and taking more time. Having travel companions whose company you enjoy helps!]

Day 1 | Drive to Arusha Region

Accommodations inside Tanzania’s national parks are few and expensive. There are, however, extraordinary places to stay just outside the park entrances. This is one of them. Hands down a team favorite.

Apart from its gorgeous location, with birds galore, breathtaking sunsets over terraced fields, Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge is on a socially conscious mission. A major portion of the cost of your stay at the lodge goes straight to the children’s home and local school, which you can visit. And the service, accommodations, food and drink are first rate.

BONUS: Due to the high altitude, you don’t need to worry about mosquitos!

Day 2 | Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is named for the large volcanic caldera within the area: Ngorongoro Crater. Legend has it that the name of the crater has an onomatopoeic origin, named by the nomadic Masai pastoralists after the sound of a ringing cowbell (ngoro ngoro). 

The sixth largest caldera in area and the largest unflooded and unbroken caldera in the world with continuous intact walls, the Crater is one of the most popular sites in Tanzania with good reason. Due to its bowl-like shape, it has effectively formed its own unique ecosystem. It boasts one of the highest densities of lion prides in the world, along with other impressive predators such as spotted hyenas, cheetahs and leopards.

We often saw the big cats leisurely strolling right past our vehicles. Also, on full display were loads of flamingos, elephants, hippo, zebra, various gazelle and wildebeest, to name just a few.

[Breakfast, Game Drive, Picnic Lunch in the Crater, Happy Hour and Dinner, Overnight at the Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge.]

Day 3 | Drive to Tarangire

Reluctantly leaving the luxurious trappings of Rhotia Valley after breakfast, on the drive toward Tarangire National Park we paid a visit to The Tanzanite Experience, a retail concept store with several locations in the country. Rarer than diamonds, Tanzanite was discovered in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro and only comes from Tanzania.

Not only can you shop with confidence, but you can learn about the history behind the stone’s discovery and mining. They also sell a special collection of necklaces and earrings from the Masai Women’s Project, a local initiative empowering Masai women from the mining area.

Once back on the road we continued the long drive to one of the country’s lesser-known treasures, Tarangire National Park. Founded in 1970, its landscape is dominated by ancient baobab trees, which store water in their massive trunks and shelter birds, bats, and bees. Many are centuries old. Tarangire is also famous for its elephant herds, and you can spot giraffe here, which are conspicuously absent on the steep terrain of Ngorongoro.

[Afternoon Game Drive, Happy Hour and Dinner, Overnight at Tarangire Luxury Hideaway.]

Day 4 | Drive to Masai Lodge

After some of us enjoyed another early morning game drive in Tarangire, breakfast and lunch at the Hideaway, we piled into the 4×4’s for one more long drive back up toward Moshi to be better positioned for our departure.

We arrived at dusk we were mesmerized by Mount Meru, baby sister to Kilimanjaro, in the distance. The weariness from the drive seemed to drain completely into the earth at Osiligilai Masai Lodge.

This is another magical place.

Osiligilai Masai Lodge is another model of sustainable tourism. Considered an eco-lodge that blends luxury with authentic Masai culture, the property blends seamlessly into the surrounding natural beauty of the savannah and the Masai steppe. The sunsets and optional activities—which we definitely recommend—are superb.

The lodge employs local Masai men and women from the community giving them opportunities to showcase their culture, customs and dress, and speak their language. The benefits of your tourism reach local families all the while offering you an unforgettable experience. Win, win.

[Happy Hour and Dinner at Osiligilai Masai Lodge.]

Day 5 | Masai Cultural Immersion

Because there are no game drives, in fact no drives at all (yeah!), we were free to spend the day enjoying the pool, sauna, delicious food, and activities like nature walks, bird watching, bike rides and beading classes with the local ladies. Sometimes the greatest pleasure is to do nothing at all.

[PRO TIP: Don’t miss the gift shop. Loads off unique, hand-crafted items locally made. The beaded dream catchers decorate practically every ceiling of every room of our lodge.]

In the evening, as the sun was beginning to set, the Masai men continued to tend the fire to cook the soup and evening appetizer, which we would try later. First, the spear throwing competition. Led by the men, decked out in traditional dress, this was great fun. After we watched them, we all tried to mimic their skill before climbing a rolling hill leading to the perfect sunset viewing area, set up to watch dancing and sing while we enjoyed a sundowner.

The men performed a traditional dance, jumping high into the air, their spears at their sides. The ladies, the beautiful ladies, responded in turn with their own dance, rapidly moving their neck and shoulders to turn their beaded necklaces in a circular motion. As the performance was ending the sun had nearly set and it was time to enjoy Masai storytelling by the roaring fire, served with a taste of nyama choma or roasted meat, a crisp and tasty appetizer (vegetarian options available too!).

Another fabulous and freshly prepared dinner awaited us.

All that was left was to enjoy the stars.

Day 6 | Departure

Another sad sigh preceded our departure from Osiligilai. After a leisurely morning, more relaxation and lunch, we had just enough time to do some last-minute shopping on our way to the airport to catch our flights home.