Getting Started

About Mama Tembo Tours

My tours are ideal for individuals and private groups of families or friends, and special interest groups such as photographers and birders. I particularly enjoy introducing Tanzania to adventurous women only groups. I can help create and book a safari or I can create, book and escort a group on safari. It is rare that anyone returns home disappointed with the safari operator they choose - as they say, there isn't a bad day in the bush - but they might not be aware of what they weren’t shown, how much better it could have been.

I book my safaris through trusted, licensed tour operators in Arusha and Dar es Salaam which are members of the Tanzanian Association of Tour Operators (TATO). This is important. For more information about TATO please go to www.tatotz.org.

The cost of my tours is dependent upon the following factors:

• Time of year: peak seasons and prices are July/August and December/January. See When to Go.
• The length of travel: consider a minimum of ten days.
• Lodging style: I strongly recommend an itinerary which combines lodges and tented camps with some private or "special" camping. Please see Lodging Choice for reasons to camp.
• Your vehicle: Four to five is not only the ideal number of occupants per vehicle for comfort and visibility; it is also the most cost effective.

Please see Sample Itineraries and currently scheduled tours under News for prices.

Safari Planning

Why it helps to get informed advice:

• Where to go: Tanzania has northern, southern, and western safari circuits.
• When to go: Weather affects wildlife patterns. Weather renders some locations inaccessible. There are peak and off peak tourist seasons. You might want to avoid everybody, but to do so you might sacrifice the very reason behind the peak season. Despite all the other travelers on the popular northern circuit, it is possible to get away from it all. If you truly don’t want to share your wildlife sightings with the crowds, then the southern circuit is better for you.
• How to go: by road or a fly/drive combination.
• Specific interests: Are you interested solely in wildlife, birdlife, culture, or a combination of all three?
• Lodging Choice: Do you want private camping, tented camps, lodges or a combination of all three?
• A great deal of fanny-numbing time is spent in a vehicle while on safari. Do you want to incorporate hiking in your program?
• Questions to ask your safari operator: What is the make of vehicle? Land Rovers and Land Cruisers with pop-up roofs are the best for comfort and game viewing. Four to five is the ideal number of occupants per vehicle.
• If you intend camping, is there a supply vehicle provided? You do not want your gear on the roof obstructing your views and shots of wildlife, or to lose precious viewing time waiting for luggage to be loaded and unloaded.

Coming up with the perfect itinerary, which includes all your first choice accommodations and campsites, takes dedicated effort. More importantly, it takes time. Consider booking one year in advance, especially for peak season travel.

What a safari includes:

• Accommodations once safari commences
• Meals once safari commences
• Game reserve, conservation area and national park fees, ranger fees if applicable, or those of Maasai guides
• Transportation in 4WD Land Rover or Land Cruiser with unlimited mileage and with pop-up roof for game viewing.
• a supply vehicle, if you are camping.
• Experienced driver/guides
• Camp cook and assistant
• Park entries for Tanzanian staff
• Park vehicle entry fees
• Camping equipment if camping: tents, sleeping bags, mattresses or cots, chairs, tables, camp shower and chemical toilet
• Drinking water, two liters per person per day, more if trekking.

What a safari excludes:

• Flights to Tanzania
• Any internal flights within Tanzania or East Africa
• Airport pick ups and transfers in Tanzania ($50 US a vehicle from Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO). This is standard price used even by the taxi drivers at JRO. The airport is an hour’s driving distance from Arusha city.)
• Visa fees
• Health Insurance
• Emergency Evacuation Insurance
• Tips for Driver/Guides, camp staff, Maasai escorts and entrances to any Maasai villages where applicable.
• Beverages other than water
• Laundry Services
• Souvenir purchases or items for personal use like camera film

Downloadable content for off-line reading, printing and reference
These PDF documents contain much of the information contained in this Tour Info section.

MTT.TripPreparation.pdf (453kB)
MTT.AboutTanzania.pdf (552kB)

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