tanzania

Penny & David’s Life Changing Safari in Tanzania

“We had the most amazing time on our trip!  It was truly life changing.  We have probably overshared our adventures with anybody that will listen!”– Penny & David

Photo by Penny

We really enjoyed having the same guide Mibuko at both Chem Chems and the same guide and tracker Hussein and Puis at both Alex Walker camps. We formed a real bond experiencing all those extraordinary adventures with them. They were the best of the best! We also did two walking safaris and loved every minute!

We particularly loved just sitting and watching all the amazing wildlife! We happened upon Omo the white giraffe (pictured on the right) which was a nice surprise. We witnessed two wildebeest crossings and we watched one build all day so it was a big one. Hundreds of the wildebeest died because they couldn’t get up the steep enbankment in some areas.

We watched a younger looking hippo actually save a number of exhausted wildebeest from drowning by escorting them to the edge of the river. One large wildebeest he had been popping up around did drown. The hippo was pushing his body to the edge when a crocodile came toward them. The hippo went into attack mode and the croc disappeared. It was fascinating!

Camps & Lodges

We liked the luxurious accommodations at Chem Chem but then was nice to have a more authentic mobile tent experience with Alex Walker. There’s nothing like a hyena whooping in the middle of the night directly on the other side of your canvas. The White Sands Villas and especially our beachfront property were a real treat! The accommodations, food and service exceeded our expectations immensely.

Looking Forward

We would definitely like Next Adventure to plan our next African safari trip. In a couple years we are interested in seeing the gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda. We are also interested in experiencing the calving season in South Tanzania. In five or six years we would like to take our family and stay at Giraffe Manor and family friendly camps like Chem Chems.

MORE OF PENNY’S PHOTOS

in Blog / Client Gallery / Client Testimonials / Tanzania
Lion Cuddles in the Serengeti

Green Season Safaris in Tanzania

While Tanzania is best known for being home to the iconic Serengeti plains, the Serengeti can be known for peak season crowds especially concentrated around river crossings and migratory herds.

However, we see the Serengeti as a 10-month destination with lots of options for shoulder season and off-peak travel which offers great value, expanded access to unique wilderness areas and a wider variety of activities.

ASILIA GREEN SEASON

NOMAD GREEN SEASON

in Blog / East Africa / Featured Destinations / Tanzania
Chimpanzee Trekking - Greystoke Mahale

New Greystoke Mahale Video

Nomad Tanzania just released a series of 3-minute videos about some of our favorite places including this one about Greystoke Mahale:

Remotely-set on the shores of Tanzania’s Lake Tanganyika, Greystoke Mahale is your home-base when trekking through the Mahale Mountains with one of the largest remaining populations of wild chimpanzees. It is also consistently praised for its tranquil setting and exceptional hospitality.

Chimpanzee Trekking in the Mahale Mountains

Chimpanzee Trekking in the Mahale Mountains

It’s easily one of the most unique places in the world, and one of Kili’s all-time favorite experiences. Here’s some photos of her trip there in 2012:

On the way to Greystoke Mahale
On the way to Greystoke Mahale
Greystoke and the Mahale Mountains backdrop
Greystoke and the Mahale Mountains backdrop
On the shores of Lake Tanganyika
On the shores of Lake Tanganyika

For more, visit the gallery here, then get in touch to start planning your next safari…

in Featured Destinations / Tips & Insight
Chongwe House - Zambia

The African Safari House

When our clients come home from safari, they usually say, “We’re going back?” followed by, “Next time, we’re taking friends.” Increasingly, families and small groups of friends are taking advantage of the benefits of sharing a safari. Traveling as a small private group opens up a world of value and possibilities unavailable to couples or solo travelers.

The growing availability of “Safari Houses” is one of the most exciting new offerings for safari goers. These private, exclusive-use accommodations are specifically designed to allow for the privacy and personalized service families and small groups enjoy. Safari Houses can usually accommodate 8-12 guests, and they can come with exclusive amenities like customized activities, flexible schedules, private vehicles, specialist guides and a dedicated house manager, personal chef and dining team.

Here are three of our favorite Safari Houses:

Chongwe Safari House – Zambia

Located on Zambia’s Chongwe River near the Lower Zambezi National Park, Chongwe River House sets the standard for the classic African Safari House. This four-bedroom house looks like it has literally grown out of the riverbank. Earthen walls mimic the lines of the surrounding terrain, and the sitting room furniture was carved from a single fallen winterthorn tree.

Wildlife viewing doesn’t get any better than in the Lower Zambezi with hundreds of species of bird, large herds of elephant and lion and leopard viewing.

Chongwe House at Sunset
Chongwe House at Sunset
From the Chongwe River
From the Chongwe River
Chongwe House Interior
Chongwe House Interior

The Villa at Grootbos – South Africa

The Villa at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve might be one of the most unique and distinctive Safari Houses in Africa. Located 2 hours from Cape Town in the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom, Grootbos is a luxury eco destination that has grown from one family’s passion for the unprecedented marine and botanical diversity found on the Southern tip of Africa.

The Villa offers spectacular views, stunning contemporary design and architecture, and exclusive opportunities to explore: guided fynbos nature tours, Milkwood forest walks, breathtaking coastal drives, marine safaris, wine tours and tastings and cliff-side cave excursions.

Grootbos Villa at Sunset
Grootbos Villa at Sunset
Grootbos Villa Entrance Way
Grootbos Villa Entrance Way
Grootbos Villa Pool
Grootbos Villa Pool

Singita Serengeti House – Tanzania

Singita Serengeti House sits on the slopes of the Sasakwa Hill, near the world-renowned Singita Sasakwa Lodge, with a wide, endless, unobstructed view of the 350,000-acre Grumeti Reserve and the wild Serengeti Plains. This private, exclusive-use lodge accommodates 8 guests with 2 suites in the expansive main house and a garden suite on each side.

The decor is a stimulating mix of contemporary European design with classic safari artifacts and details, and the world-class amenities include a private 25-meter infinity pool, a tennis court, an 18-horse equestrian center, and one of the most extensive wine cellars in all of Africa.

Serengeti House - Dining Room
Serengeti House - Dining Room
View from Serengeti House
View from Serengeti House
Main House Singita Serengeti
Serengeti House - Living Room

Each one of these Safari Houses boasts extensive children’s activities like tracking animals, star-gazing, flower-pressing, cooking and baking, young ranger programs as well as babysitting services and kid-friendly menus.

To learn more about these and other Safari House options, get in touch.

Click here for more safari options for families and small groups.

Photos are courtesy of the camps.

in Camps & Lodges / Featured Destinations / For Groups & Families / South Africa / Tanzania / Zambia
namibia kunene river valley

Busy Week at Next Adventure

three outgoing itineraries

Busy week!

While Co-Founder Louise is out & about on a 27-day trek in Northern India, we’ve been busy bees putting the finishing touches on three very exciting and very different itineraries:

namibia kunene river valley

Kunene River Valley – Namibia

Namibia – 10 days in Namibia for some of our most enthusiastic clients, The Clarks (WooHoo!) whose daughter has caught the Africa bug and works with World Camp in Malawi.

They’ll be meeting in Windhoek for a safari that takes them to Southern Etosha National Park, Mowani Mountain Camp and NamibRand Nature Reserve. Namibia  is one of the most unique destinations in the world: vast and ancient with an incredible diversity of wildlife and ecosystem.

desert and delta botswana safari map

Botswana Safari destinations

Botswana – Starting from Cape Town and finishing up at Vic Falls, this custom 14-day trip is a great value with visits to all of Botswana’s major destinations including Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve, and Makgadikgadi National Park.

We worked very closely with our partners Africa Pass and Desert & Delta to turn this trip around from initial inquiry to confirmed itinerary in less than SEVEN days!

aerial zanzibar tanzania

Flying over Zanzibar

Tanzania & Zanzibar – A very special 12-day honeymoon through Tanzania’s classic Northern Circuit including Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, with a final stop on the spice island paradise of Zanzibar, a bright tapestry of Arab, African and Swahili culture with remarkable beaches and a World Heritage Site for a capital.

Stone Town offers a labyrinth of winding lanes and ancient stone houses, Arabian arches and heavy carved wooden doors and a fascinating selection of bazaars, curio shops, art galleries and spice troves.


That’s just a little bit of what we’ve been working on.

Get in touch so we can start working on your Next Adventure…

in About Us / Trip Reports
Handsome Lion in the Serengeti

Peter & Ellen’s Pics from Tanzania

Peter & Ellen visited some of our favorite camps and lodges during their trip to Tanzania earlier this year.

Here are just a few of Peter & Ellen’s amazing photos… Thanks for sharing! 

Hyena with buffalo horns Ngorongoro Crater
Hyena with Buffalo horns in Ngorongoro Crater, or is that a mustache...
Young hippos in the Serengeti
Young hippos in the Serengeti
Rare Serval in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater
Rare Serval in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater
Jackal in Tanzania's Tarangire National Park
Jackal in Tanzania's Tarangire National Park
Starling Tarangire National Park
Starling in Tarangire National Park
Handsome Lion in the Serengeti
Handsome Lion in the Serengeti
Read More›
in Client Photos / Tanzania
elephant trunk tarangire

Tanzania Family Safari Trip Report

Arrival in Tanzania
Our guide, Emanuel, met us at Kilimanjaro International Airport for the 45 minute transfer to Lake Duluti Lodge. We enjoyed a small late dinner before a good nights’ rest in a comfortable forested cabin.


View tanzania family safari 2013 in a larger map

Overland to Maramboi Tented Camp
After a delicious breakfast, we drove through bustling Arusha Town to Maramboi Tented Camp located between Tarangire & Lake Manyara National Parks. This medium-sized, classic tented camp is spectacularly set with open views on Lake Manyara and the Rift Valley Escarpment. While Kili enjoyed a sundowner, Jeremy and Rainier took a dip in the pool, and herds of zebra and wildebeest surrounded the deck and took advantage of a waterhole near the main lounge.

air transfer over tanzania
Somewhere over Tanzania
ready for game drive
First pic of the trip. Who looks ready
maramboi tented camp
Our 'tent' at Maramboi on Lake Manyara
looking out over tarangire
Kili looking out over Tarangire
zebra smiling
Smile!
baby elephant trying trunk
Trunk in training...
elephant trunk tarangire
Trunk expert...
tarangire lion with baobab
Tarangire Lion with Baobab
safari kid
Future is so bright.
safari surfing in tarangire
Rainie and Dadu Safari Surfing - Tarangire - Tanzania
african horizons guide
Our guide and friend Emanuel
mto wa mbu artists guild
Rainie checks out the art - Mto Wa Mbu

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in Jeremy Trip Reports / Kenya / Kili's Trip Reports / Tanzania / Trip Reports

Art and Alison’s Mahale Chimp

This is a great photo of a great subject. Just look at this wise old chimp shot in the Mahale Mountains National Park.Chimpanzee in Mahale Mountains National Park

Art and Christine brought their kids along for this safari that took them through Tanzania…

in Client Photos / Tanzania

Tracy K. has got an eye!

Tracy and a few friends did a big trip with us back in the Summer of 2012 including gorilla tracking in Rwanda, game drives in the Serengeti and Okavango Delta and a helicopter tour over Victoria Falls. Here’s one of our favorite client pics ever. Great lighting, a very interesting expression and the sense that this leopardess is perched right above us!!!

Leopard in a tree in Serengeti

Here’s another favorite! Everybody loves baby animals, and a baby hippo has got to be one of the cutest.

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in Client Photos

Hot safari spots for 2013

Next Adventure always has an eye on the best up-and-coming safari spots. Our picks for next year are from two very diverse countries, Botswana and Tanzania.

Greystoke Mahale

With our intimate knowledge of Botswana, we always have a secret to tell you about the best camp to visit any month of the year. The Okavango Delta’s floods bring a distinct seasonality to the patch-work ecosystems of the region and wildlife viewing varies dramatically between even neighboring spots! Our favorites pics for dry season are Duba Plains,  Selinda Camp and San Camp.

 

In Tanzania, we love combining the seldom-visited northern Serengeti, where the Migration masses without attendant throngs of tourists, with lush and remote Mahale National Park on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. where you can sit next to wild chimpanzees! Our favorite accommodations in these hot spots are Lamai Serengeti and Greystoke Mahale – stylish and upscale camps managed by innovative safari company Nomad Tanzania. Ask us about the best seasons to travel to these hidden gems.

 

 

in Camps & Lodges