Elewana Sky Safari

Shanga Social Enterprise

Arusha

Give back while you travel by visiting Shanga, a social enterprise that employs Tanzanians with disabilities to make gifts from recycled materials. Visits usually last at least an hour and start with a brief sign language session so you’re able to greet the team. You’ll be taken through the workshop to departments, which include weaving, beading, glass blowing and woodwork. Everything is made from recycled materials whilst shredded paper and cooking oil fire the furnaces.

Shanga is based at Arusha Coffee Lodge and became part of the Elewana Corporate Social Responsibility Program in 2017. They have two main missions: to employ as many people with a disability as possible and to make the products with recycled materials. They currently employ 52 people, 35 of whom have some sort of disability. In 2019 they saved up to 100 tonnes of waste from going to landfill. The main focus of the tour is to remove the stigma that people with disabilities often face.

Some of the staff have faced huge challenges because of their disabilities; many are deaf, have prosthetic limbs or are in a wheelchair so just getting an education and a job can be a mammoth task. Through word of mouth though, they get a lot of people come to them looking for work and when there’s a vacancy, they train applicants to make everything from necklaces to shopping bags and glass vases.

There are lots of activities you can take part in too. Sit with a team and make a bracelet or shopping bag and try trickier tasks like weaving, Tinga Tinga painting and glass blowing. Guests love the face-to-face interaction with the team and seeing how happy they are to work at Shanga. At the end of the tour, you can browse the gift shop. All the profit from sales goes straight back into Shanga and gives them the chance to employ more people with disabilities in Tanzania.

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Bean-to-Cup at Arusha Coffee Lodge

Arusha

Learn all about the history of coffee in East Africa on this bean-to-cup tour. It’s a one-hour walk through the plantation at Arusha Coffee Lodge, where you’ll discover the entire coffee-making process, from planting to harvesting and roasting the beans.

The walk itself is lovely as you get to stroll among the lush fields, entertained by monkeys and bush babies, while birds sing in the indigenous trees.

During harvest season, you can join the coffee pickers to experience the art of selecting ripe beans. The best part of the tour for most guests is getting to taste a freshly-brewed cup of coffee from the fields. You also have the opportunity to buy the beans from the store.

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SkySafari Flight to Tarangire

Tarangire

Soar above Tarangire National Park in a luxurious eight-seater light aircraft. This is the first flight of the 10-day SkySafari trip in Tanzania, which takes you from Arusha to the elephant-filled plains of Tarangire and UNESCO-listed Ngorongoro Crater, ending in the world-famous Serengeti.

It’s a very scenic journey that offers views of rolling hills and forested areas, then lush green waterlogged terrain as you swoop in to land at Kuro Airstrip. On the final approach into Tarangire, there’s a large swamp area where animals like to graze and you’ll often spot elephants and buffaloes here - your safari really does start from the air.

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Maasai culture, game drives and walking safaris at Tarangire Treetops

When you stay at Tarangire Treetops, you’ll get to explore the area on game drives and walking safaris, as well as get an insight into traditional Maasai life. The lodge lies on a private reserve on the edge of Tarangire National Park, which is the sixth largest in the country and famous for its impressive baobab trees. They are proud to have a close connection with the local culture and many of their guides hail from the Maasai community.

During your stay, you’ll experience a Maasai boma evening with traditional barbecue and welcome songs and dances. To delve deeper into their heritage, a guide can take you to a nearby village where you’ll get a tour and learn all about the Maasai culture, history and how they care for their sacred cattle.

Guests are often surprised by how much wildlife they manage to see just around the lodge, from elephants at the watering hole to lions hunting. However, you’ll also spend plenty of time exploring Tarangire National Park on game drives with experienced guides. The park has some of Africa’s largest elephant herds, as well as other members of the Big Five and rare tree-climbing lions. There’s plenty more to spot, from zebras to wildebeest, giraffes, baboons and over 550 species of birds.

To get even closer to nature, join a walking safari. You’ll leave at 6.30am for the walk, which can last up to two hours. Experience the sounds, smells and textures of the landscape as you walk, looking out for animal tracks and indigenous plants that are used natural medicine. You may come across animals too – it’s a much more intimate experience than seeing them from a safari vehicle.

Sunset is a magical time of day in Tarangire, especially at Sunset Hill. From here, you can sip a cocktail or a beer and watch the sky change colour over the National Park and Lake Manyara. When darkness falls, the sky lights up with stars – you can even see the Milky Way. Guests love finishing the day with a night drive, where you might spot nocturnal species like owls, jackals, honey badgers and big cats.

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Sundowners at Tarangire Treetops

Tarangire

At Tarangire Treetops, there is a special sundowner spot called Sunset Hill, where you can enjoy a chilled drink while watching the sky transform with dramatic shades of orange and pink. After a day of exploring nearby Tarangire National Park, which is home to some of the largest elephant herds on the continent, there’s nothing better than taking a moment to sit back, relax and enjoy the iconic African sunset.

The viewpoint lies just ten minutes from Tarangire Treetops and is surrounded by ancient baobab and marula trees. When you arrive at Sunset Hill, the team will serve you with a variety of drinks and snacks while you settle in to savour the view. You might spot herds of antelope crossing the plains or parades of elephants in the distance as dusk falls and the sky gets ready to welcome a tapestry of stars.

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Spa Day at Elewana The Manor at Ngorongoro

Treat yourself to an indulgent spa day at Elewana The Manor Ngorongoro. Nestled within the Shangri La Coffee plantation and surrounded by hills, the stately home is the ideal place to enjoy a rest day on your Tanzania trip.

Start with a dip in the pool and then head to the spa, where there is a peaceful treatment room. The skilled therapists offer a range of massages with various oils, tailored to your personal needs, as well as manicures, pedicures and facials with Healing Earth products.

The High Tea experience is the perfect way to follow your spa session. A charcuterie served with a selection of cured meats, cheese, pickles and preserves, as well as fresh fruit, artisan breads and two sweet options. The focus is on healthy options, moving away from gluten and starch, served with plenty of fresh coffee from the estate. You can enjoy the High Tea in the lounge, dining room or out in the gardens, where you can admire views of the rolling green hills.

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Serengeti Adventure from Elewana Serengeti Migration Camp

The Serengeti

Spend a full day exploring the wonders of the Serengeti, from Big Five sightings to tracking the Great Migration. Head out in the morning with one of the guides, who have expert knowledge of the Serengeti’s wildlife and terrain. The 4×4 Landcruisers have open roofs and large windows for supreme animal sightings and photography.

As you journey across the Serengeti’s endless plains and woodlands, you’ll see various African animals including giraffes, hyenas and hippos. Rhinos are hard to spot, but you’ll likely see the other members of the Big Five, as well as cheetahs and grazing game. You never know what you’ll encounter. There'll be a packed lunch and a shady place in the bush will be picked to enjoy the picnic accompanied by incredible views.

If you visit the Serengeti during the Great Migration, you’ll also see massive herds of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle. You’ll park up to watch the animals run a gauntlet through the crocodile-infested waters of the Grumeti River. The animals are followed overland by predators searching for a meal, so you might even witness a big cat kill. Outside of the main migration, the Serengeti is still full of wildlife and hosts other natural events, including the wildebeest calving in the grasslands, so it’s a great place to explore all year round.

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Sundowners at Elewana Serengeti Migration Camp

The Serengeti

Watch the sun go down with a chilled cocktail at the tented camp in the middle of the Serengeti. Located in the path of the Great Migration and surrounded by kopjes, the camp has panoramic views of the endless plains and nearby Grumeti River, where dramatic river crossings take place. After a long game drive, relax on the sunset deck and watch the sun sink down over the Serengeti, before you dine under the stars.

The view is just breath-taking, with the Ndasiata hills in the distance and the mighty Grumeti flowing. You can hear hippos honking as they get ready to go foraging after dusk. Choose from a range of cocktails, wines, beers and soft drinks accompanied by finger food while you watch the evening show. The firepits will be lit as dusk falls and the stars come out, filling the sky with constellations. It's the perfect end to the day.

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Witness the Wildebeest Great Migration

The Serengeti

The Serengeti is a grand stage for the world’s top wildlife show: The Great Migration. This epic event sees millions of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle make their yearly journey from the Serengeti into Kenya’s Maasai Mara, following life-giving rains and lush grasslands. Track their quest from the comfort of your 4×4 and witness this timeless wildlife spectacle in its various stages – from mass calving on the southern plains to early summer’s scramble north, complete with dangerous crossings over the crocodile-infested Grumeti River.

What’s special about watching the migration in the Serengeti, rather than the Maasai Mara, is that you don’t just get one chance to follow the action. Visit between December and March and you’ll see millions of baby wildebeest nursing on the short-grass plains, or watch the drama of the herds on the move between June and October when they funnel north like a parade of ants. Your guide will know the best places to catch a glimpse of the show – some safari camps have even adopted a mobile set-up, meaning they can migrate right alongside the herds.

Nothing can quite prepare you for this world-famous wildlife display. Known as the largest mass movement of land animals on the planet, the herds move as one snorting, thundering sea of hooves across the parched savannah. It’s a wonder best appreciated from above on a hot air balloon ride or while swooping in to land at your safari camp in a private Cessna. More exciting still are the famed river crossings which bring heart-in-the-mouth moments as the herds stream across the Grumeti, chased from behind by big cats while Nile crocodiles lie ahead, jaws ready to snap. It’s the ultimate safari experience.

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Serengeti Hot-Air Balloon Safari

The Serengeti

After watching the crew inflate their craft at the launch site, take flight and drift upwards as the sun rises for an entirely different perspective of the Serengeti.

The bright pink-orange haze visible for miles across the vast savannah; a group of grazing zebra becoming distinguishable from their silhouette forms below; a family of elephants wandering just below you. The photo opportunities are incredible. And, wherever you land, a Champagne breakfast will be laid out for you to enjoy. It’s one of the most highly recommended safari experiences.

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