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Kilimanjaro foothills and safari in Tanzania

country:Tanzania
departures:This trip can be arranged at any time to suit you and can be tailormade to your requirements
price:From £1100 (6 days) excluding flights, based on twin share for 2 people. In order for us to put together a detailed response it would be very helpful if you could provide full details in your enquiry as listed below
 
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the amazing things you'll be doing
This is a short break including excellent gameviewing opportunities and superb walking in the foothills of Kilimanjaro. Kahawa Shamba is a traditional coffee 'shamba', or small farm, set in the lush slopes of Kili. It is a community-based project hosted by the local farmers, and a stay here gives you unparalleled insight into the lives of the people who live here. Three nights at Naitolia, a luxury tented camp in Tarangire offers you a great safari. The farm is in a fantastic location, set in the beautiful foothills of Kilimanjaro, on a ridge overlooking the Weruweru Gorge. On a clear day you can get an amazing view of Kilimanjaro’s summit - Kibo peak.

The accommodation is of a high standard, in chalets based on the traditional architecture of the local Chagga tribe. Each hut is thatched with banana leaves, and all have twin beds and en suite bathrooms. This gives an authentic experience of what life is like for the farmers in the region while retaining some of the comforts of home.

The surrounding area is lush and fertile, with abundant valleys and gorges. It is ideal country for exploring on foot, and a variety of guided walks are available, varying in duration from 1 hour up to 2 days.

These include trips along the river valley, cultural tours, and visits to nearby caves once used by the Chagga to shelter from Maasai raiders. An alternative to walking is to explore the area on horseback, on rides of either half a day or a full day. The river also offers some trout fishing as trout were introduced to these waters back in colonial times. You are staying in Kahawa Shamba for two nights before you head on for some magical days of gameviewing at Naitolia.

Your next three nights are spent in Tarangire, which is centred around the Tarangire River which provides permanent water throughout the year. There are nine vegetational zones ranging from acacia parkland and riverine grassland to deep gully vegetation and rocky hilltops. Between them they support large numbers of wildlife including large herds of zebra, impala, wildebeest as well as elephants, buffalo, giraffe, warthog, eland, big cats (especially cheetah) and many birds (over 300 species). The vegetation is predominantly denser here than in the Serengeti, giving it a wilder feeling and making it more challenging to spot the wildlife. Due to the permanent water of the Tarangire River, the park is best in the dry season between June/July and November, when it has Tanzania’s highest concentration of wildlife converging around the river. You will be staying at the charming Naitolia Camp which is in the Tarangire Conservation Area adjacent to the national park. Walking and night drives are permitted here, as well as standard game drives.

day-by-day itinerary
Day 1-2:Depart Arusha or Moshi for 2 nights at Kahawa Shamba (FB)
Day 3-5:Drive to Tarangire. Game drives and walks. Naitolia (FB)
Day 6:Transfer back to Arusha or Kilimanjaro airport (B)
tailor made holidays
This trip can be tailormade to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more luxurious trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments before relaxing in comfort. As this trip can be tailormade it would be helpful if you could you provide the following information: rough budget per person (stating with or without flights), your address and postcode, contact phone number, preferred date of travel, length of trip, number of passengers, preferred countries and areas within those countries, specific interests & type of accommodation.
highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.





how this holiday makes a difference
Kahawa Shamba is a new project developed by us with partners Cafédirect, the alternative trading organisation Twin, and the British government department DFID (Department for International Development) through their Business Linkages Challenge Fund.

World coffee prices have sadly dwindled it is difficult for smallholders to maintain their way of life. Combining our expertise and funding we have worked with the local coffee cooperative the KNCU to create this brand new community-based venture specifically to bring in extra income via tourism to the small-scale coffee farmers in the area.

Kahawa Shamba was doubly highly commended in the inaugural Responsible Tourism Awards, in the categories of Best Poverty Reduction and Best Innovation.

Staying at NAITOLIA benefits the local Maasai development fund to help with water and school projects.

Flights are automatically carbon offset through The Travel Forest, which plants 10 indigenous trees on your behalf (currently in northern Tanzania). Whilst the primary motivation for planting the trees is to offset carbon emissions, the project also works as a poverty alleviation and environmental improvement scheme.

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