Summer Volunteer and Adventure Program Tanzania (4 Weeks)

Location: Arusha, Tanzania Start/End point: Arusha
Food: Local food (3 times a day)
Room: Host family or hostel
Date: 4 weeks ( June 25 – July 22, 2012)
Program fee: $2269 for 4 weeks (including 5 days/4 nights of Safari)

Volunteer in Tanzania , beautiful Tanzania boasts the highest mountain on the continent, the exotic spice islands of historical Zanzibar , and the famous Serengeti National Park . In this country, the Great Rift Valley gives rise to unique geological

formations, its endless plains stage one of the greatest spectacles of animal behavior. Volunteer in Tanzania is the perfect way to explore this great country having hundreds of different ethnic groups and cultures, from the red-clad herders of the Masai tribes on the Serengeti plains to the modestly veiled women of Zanzibar 's Islamic Stone Town.

June 26: Arrival

June 27: Orientation and Discussion

You will initially meet with IFRE's local staff members, participate in a general question/answer sessions, discuss the program's itinerary, and go through a general orientation on the IFRE program, as well as learn the history, culture, tradition, and other important issues (health, safety) in Tanzania. In your free time (evenings & weekends), you can travel the nearby culture and scenery.

June 28 – July 18 – Service Projects: Moshi & Arusha

During this phase , volunteers will work in an orphanage -sharing their love and time with the needy children in various parts of Tanzania . They will teach them basic conversational English and encourage them to face the challenging world where English has become more and more necessary. In your free time, you can hike to nearby bazaars and/or hillside villages; explore the beauty of mesmerizing Tanzania -gaining first-hand experiences of Tanzanian lifestyle, culture, and values.

July 19: Closing of service project, departure to Arusha for wildlife safari.

Tanzanian Safari and Excursions (5 Days/4 Nights)

After spending quality time with the impoverished children of Tanzania , volunteers will then embark on a seven-day tour, traveling the sights of the unrivalled parks of northern Tanzania while living in tents; recapturing the original spirit of the safari. This safari includes walking through the Masai Land, the N'gorongoro Crater (one of the major attractions of Tanzania and one of the wonders of the natural world), the Serengeti (one of the best-known wildlife sanctuaries in the world hosting over 3 million large mammals); and Lake Manyara National Park (an ornithologists' paradise dually noted for its elusive tree-climbing lions).

July 20. Pick up at your hotel after breakfast and transfer to Lake Manyara for full day safari with picnic lunch. Although one of the smaller Tanzanian parks (325 sq.kms) in the Rift Valley, Manyara National Parks boasts a large lake. During the months of July through April, the lake waters are tinged pink from the hundreds of greater and lesser flamingos who feed there. Other features of the park include its stable herds of elephants and buffalos, enormous troops of baboons and its famous tree-climbing lions.

Dinner and overnight: Camp Vision guesthouse or campsite at Mto wa Mbu village. Meal Includes: (L), (D)

July 21. Transfer to Seronera in the middle of the Serengeti. Picnic lunch and wildlife observation on the way. This most famous game park in the world encompasses nearly 15,000 sq. km and is unrivaled anywhere for its seasonally shifting concentrations of herbivores. Nearly 1.5 million wildebeest, 500,000 gazelle and 250,000 zebra completes a cyclical annual migration within the ecosystem between November and June. The Serengeti is also known for its large prides of lion, cheetah, wild dogs and leopard.

Dinner and overnight: public campsite in the national park.

Meal Includes: (B), (L), (D)

July 22. Morning safari in the Serengeti. Afternoon transfer to the Ngorongoro Crater for overnight on the crater rim.

Dinner and overnight: Simba campsite.

Meal Includes: (B), (L), (D)

July 23. After breakfast, the group will arise to an early-morning safari before traveling to the Ngorongoro Crater in the afternoon. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is located on the far east area of the Serengeti and contains four distinct habitats – all offering unparalleled game-viewing opportunities year-round. Some of the phenomenal safari experiences include such epic observations such as the Great Migration – tens of thousands of zebra and wildebeest stampeding across the Serengeti. Also contained within Ngorongoro area are world-renowed archeological sites of Laetoli where some of the oldest proof of human existence can be found – footprints over 3.6 million years old.

Dinner and overnight: campsite at Karatu village.

Meal Includes: (B), (L), (D)

July 24. Voyage to Tarangire National Park for a full day's safari accompanied by a picnic lunch. Native land to a vast number of elephants (in upwards of 1000), Taragrine National Park offers numerous chances to observe lions, cheetahs, and leopards in addition to its massive diversity of wildlife as wll as the symbolic Baobab tree. Tarangire National is an ornithologist's paradise, offering a variety of feathered species, including some of the most aggressive birds of prey flapping their expansive wings over the famously-varied fauna rich in birds of prey and an incredible diversity of avifauna. The day concludes with a return-trip to Arusha in the evening where participants will remain overnight.

Dinner and overnight: simple economy hotel (share).

Meal Includes: (B), (L), (D)

End of program

Program Fee Covers:

• Airport pick up
• Domestic, in-park transportation in a modified 4-wheel-drive vehicle including a releasable roof hatch for documenting the experience
• Foods/Meals as per itinerary
• Services of a professional safari guide
• All wildlife reserve entry fees and camping fees
• Comprehensive insurance

Program Fee Does Not Cover:

• Airport Drop-off
• Tips (for safari guide and/or camp staff)
• Other items of personal consumption (i.e. soft drink, bottled water, etc.) Note:
• You program fee covers room and food from the first day (first or third Monday) to the last day of the project. IFRE does not cover the cost of room and food for the first day of arrival (usually Sunday) and after the completion of project. If you choose to use IFRE's hostel, you will only be required to pay $30 USD per day for food and accommodations.

Program itineraries are merely samples and may change to meet the needs of the volunteers as well as field conditions. This itinerary will be finalized on the start day of this program during orientation in Moshi.