Venture Through the Serengeti

Tanzania is a country in Africa known for its wildlife and culture. Thirty percent of the country is made up of National Parks, with the city of Arusha being its safari capital. After beginning the trip in Arusha, travelers will see the Serengeti National Park. Here, travelers will partake in a three-day wildlife safari in which they will visit Ngorongoro Crater, a conservation area that is known for having Africa’s best wildlife view. Travelers will also have the option to take a hot air balloon ride and will get to go down to the crater floor. Travelers will then pass by Mount Kilimanjaro on the way to Dar es Salaam before spending the last few days of the trip in Zanzibar. In Zanzibar, travelers will get to visit Stone Town. This is one of the oldest parts of Zanzibar and is one of its historical centers with amazing architecture and beaches.

This is a G Adventures 18-to-Thirtysomethings trip catering to 18–39-year-old travelers. All G Adventures trips are led by a local guide, a CEO, Chief Experience Officer, and trip revenue is driven to help the local community. Starting at $1565 per person, this experience lasts over the course of 9 days. Transportation between destinations, some meals and accommodation will be included.

Volunteer to Assist Maasai Communities in Tanzania

Volunteers are based at a village in remote Maasailand of Tanzania. Here, they can live and learn from the Maasai people who have lived in areas of what are now Tanzania and Kenya for hundreds of years. The Maasai of Tanzania are pastoralists, with a lifestyle centered around cattle. Volunteers will support a rural Maasai community in various ways, including environmental conservation, poverty reduction, farming and welfare. Volunteers can also help local doctors, create social media content, and work on construction projects for school expansions.

This is a two-week trip offered by International Volunteer HQ. All IVHQ volunteer programs include airport pickup and accommodation, program orientation, and 24-hour IVHQ staff support. This project costs $463 for two weeks.

Experience Tanzania

Tanzania, a country in East Africa sitting just south of the Equator, is a study in topographical contrasts, filled with vast stretches of plains and plateaus as well as jutting mountains, the most famous of which being Mount Kilimanjaro. The country is also home to more than 120 ethnic groups and a diversity of cultures and traditions. During this trip, travelers will be able to experience some of these many cultures, chatting with members of local tribes and participating in myriad activities such as drumming, cooking and traditional metallurgy. The journey begins in Arusha, a city located at the base of the volcanic Mount Meru, where the group will be able to experience daily life in the city and visit the local market. The next day, travelers will learn about the peanut butter production process and visit the Nelson Mandela Institution of Science and Technology, a public university in Arusha, to connect with the students and learn more about their projects and research. A full day will also be spent in Tarangire National Park, the 6th largest National Park in Tanzania. From observing the diverse wildlife in the park to visiting the Kakoi Water Project – a project that aims to construct a constant water source for 15,500 local people who live in the surrounding areas of the park – the day will be full of adventure and learning. In the days following, travelers will also have the opportunity to go on a morning hunt with the Hadzabe tribe and learn to make metal handicrafts with the Datoga tribe. 

This 9-day and 8-night experience starts at $3,000 per person and includes accommodation, transportation, and contribution to the Kakoi Water Project through the 501(c)(3) organization Second Look Worldwide. 

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OFF SEASON ADVENTURES

Visit Tanzania and Zanzibar in the Offseason

Take a trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar with Off Season Adventures to visit Serengeti National Park, home to exotic wildlife such as giraffes, zebras and crocodiles, and the Ngorongoro Crater, a volcanic crater turned into a conservation area that is home to Africa’s “Big Five” animals: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo. This trip starts in Arusha, where travelers have a chance to explore the city or take part in a farm tour, market tour or cooking class. Arusha lies at the base of Mount Meru and also provides views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Throughout the trip visitors will experience multiple national parks including Serengeti, Tarangire and Lake Manyara. In Zanzibar, an exotic Indian Ocean island known for its beaches, travelers can explore Stone Town, take a sunset cruise and relax along the beach. This trip is by Off Season Adventures, an organization that organizes travels in the offseason to promote economic stability. Since tourism is one of the largest sources of income for Tanzanians, the lack of visitors in the offseason can lead to economic struggles. Off Season Adventures also donates 5% of each trip package to invest in local communities and the environment. This trip runs in November and costs $2,095 for the eight-day tour to Tanzania and an extra $750 for the 12-day tour that also includes Zanzibar. 

To learn more about Tanzania and Off Season Adventures, check out CATALYST’s Travel and Purpose Podcast in which Tanner Knorr, owner and founder of Off Season Adventures, is interviewed about his experience founding a sustainable travel company. 

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Off Season Adventures 

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Do Long-Term Volunteering and Hiking in Tanzania

Tanzania is one of Africa’s most renowned destinations. Home to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest mountain, and Serengeti National Park, home of the wildebeest and zebra migration along with local wildlife such as giraffes, rhinos and lions, Tanzania is a country with exotic animals and a rich culture. On this trip, travelers have the opportunity to volunteer in the Kilombero and Mvomero districts of Tanzania. Kilombero, located in the Morogoro region, is made up of vast flood plains, while Mvomero is situated near farms and rivers.

The trip is a three-phase volunteering program lasting up to 10 weeks. However, there are also shorter options for four, five or seven weeks. The first two phases of the trip include living with a host family. The first phase of the trip is the “community” phase, in which volunteers work on water, sanitation and hygiene projects in rural areas. The second phase is the “environmental” phase, where the primary goal is to increase awareness about protecting natural resources. This includes replanting trees in deforested areas, going to schools to talk about climate change and protecting national parks. The third and final phase is a trekking expedition that serves to build leadership and teamwork skills. This phase is a backpacking expedition through the Morogoro region or Tanzania’s southern highlands. The Morogoro region is found in eastern Tanzania and is known for its game reserves and mountain scenery. The southern highlands, on the other hand, are home to vast plateaus and volcanic mountains. The ten-week trip is run by Raleigh International, a young adult-oriented (ages 17 to 24) volunteering company that seeks to promote leadership and civic duty. The trip itself costs $5,500.

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Raleigh International

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Support Women’s Empowerment in Tanzania

Tanzania is an East African country known for its vast wildernesses such as the Serengeti. This park is famous for housing Africa’s “big five”: lions, elephants, leopards, buffalos and rhinos. The “Women’s Empowerment Volunteering” trip takes travelers to Arusha to support women in the area who have faced abuse. Arusha is located at the base of Mount Meru and is a gateway to the Serengeti and to Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa. The women’s empowerment program aims to assist abused women by offering them a refuge to escape the violence and plan for a better life. The project’s goals are to provide essential care to vulnerable women and children, to improve their prospects through education and skills training, and to enable intercultural exchange. A volunteer will typically work between four and six hours per day. The minimum duration is two weeks and participants must be at least 18 years old. For two weeks the trip costs $529, while the maximum of 12 weeks costs $1,899. This program truly allows enrollees to help empower women so that they can attain a better future.

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Love Volunteers

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