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Enhance your safari and tour adventure : A Tanzanian holiday is a dream come true and a once in a lifetime experience for most of our clients. We understand that every traveller is different and we are proud to offer a range of optional activities to enhance your safari experience.
Below is a list of our current “Enhance Your Safari” activities on offer and we’re always discovering new and exciting optional extras. Please ask us for the latest optional activity list with detailed tour descriptions and prices. All activities are subject to availability and we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment especially during peak season.
Night Game Drive in Lake Manyara National Park – Experience a whole new world of nocturnal animals inside Lake Manyara National Park as you drive into the thick ground-water forest and continue towards the lake following the Simba River to the hippo pools. This safari will give you an entirely different perspective of the park and wildlife.
Hot Air Balloon Safari in the Serengeti National Park – Launching at dawn and rising as the sun rises, your balloon will gently float in whatever direction the wind is moving above the breathtaking Serengeti National Park. You will fly over the plains for around 1 hour before returning to the ground and celebrating with a champagne breakfast under an acacia tree. This is a once in a lifetime experience.
Night Game Drive in Tarangire National Park – Night inside the Tarangire National Park is another world altogether – witness the landscape waxed in a silver moonlight as hippos emerge from the river and giant elephants make their way into and out of the shadows. Keep an eye out for eyes shining back at you from the spotlight.
Cycling Tour and Mama Lunch (Half or Full Day Tour) – Experience local life as you cycle past banana plantations, local shambas (farms) and shops while enjoying the sights and sounds of this vibrant village before riding to a Mama’s house where you will feast on a traditional Tanzanian meal including chapattis, ugali, roasted bananas, rice, spinach, salad, goat meat and fresh fruit, all cooked by Mama herself.
Your Guide will give you a history of the area and translate any questions for have for Mama. Be prepared to answer some questions too as she’ll be just as interested in your life as you are hers!
Enjoy free time at the largest art gallery in Tanzania before visiting the Maasai Craft Market where you will have the chance to stroll up and down the alleyways and engage with the locals while purchasing souvenirs if you wish. You will also have the opportunity to join us for dinner and enjoy a local dining experience (optional) before returning to your hotel.
See the sights of Arusha with a local Guide on a walking tour through the town centre. Visit the famous Clock Tower which is the half way point between Cairo in Egypt and Cape Town in South Africa. Visit the largest produce market in Arusha and watch people buying and selling fruits, vegetables, live chickens and fish plus local butchers in action. Enjoy free time at the largest art gallery in Tanzania before visiting the Maasai Craft Market where you will have the chance to stroll up and down the alleyways and engage with the locals while purchasing souvenirs if you wish. You will also have the opportunity to join us for dinner and enjoy a local dining experience (optional) before returning to your hotel.
Join us for a local dining experience and witness Arusha by night.
A farm to cup experience! Walk with your Guide through a village located on the outskirts of Arusha town and learn about the history of the area. You will pass small shambas (farms) where people grow bananas, maize, beans and other vegetables and fruits before arriving at a local organic Fair Trade coffee farm where you will meet the coffee farmers and workers who produce the coffee. Learn and see the difference between organic and traditional coffee farming and see the process from how coffee is grown as a young tree to when it is picked. At lunch time you will feast on chapattis, ugali, roasted bananas, rice, spinach, salad, goat meat and fresh fruit before visiting the coffee roasting factory where you will have the opportunity to taste freshly roasted coffee and see the process of roasting and grinding the coffee before taking home your very own bag.
Benson Safaris Tanzania is proud to partner with the Lengo Football Academy which has more than 140 current members (boys and girls) ranging from 5-22 years of age. Travel to a village on the outskirts of Arusha and visit the homes of the Lengo Football Academy’s platers. Majority of the homes are single-room mud-huts with up to 5-7 family members living together. You will witness first-hand the hardships this community face and how the Lengo Football Academy is making a positive impact to its players and their families. In addition to teaching responsibility, teamwork and commitment through football they also educate their players and their families on health issues such as basic sanitation, nutrition, STDs and HIV. They support players with their primary and secondary school education, vocational training and university education through sponsorships and have partnered with local companies to help its players secure employment which the aim to fight the cycle of poverty. In the late afternoon you will attend a training session where one of the players will take you through their program and explain how they assist and train the players. You will have the opportunity to meet the players and, if you like, have a kick of the football! You will also have the opportunity to join us for dinner and enjoy a local dining experience (optional) before returning to your hotel. Please note this activity is only available from Monday to Saturday.
Do you know Arusha is the only place in the world where Tanzanite is found and the mines are located on the outskirts of town? Before Benson’s bold career change into the tourism industry he was a Tanzanite miner for 10 years. If you’re in the market for tanzanite please speak to Benson directly and he will help you source the perfect stone to take home.
Lake Chala is a crater lake in a caldera located on the borders of Tanzania and Kenya on the eastern edge of Mount Kilimanjaro. Ranging in colour from deep blue to turquoise green, it is surrounded by the crater rim and the views are breathtaking. You can be as adventurous or as relaxed as you like at Lake Chala – it is a wonderful place to hike, walk down to the lake, around the rim of the lake and up Chala hill or into the bush. You will also have the opportunity to swim in the lake. For the less adventurous, you can enjoy the rugged beauty, the tranquillity and grandeur from the restaurant built on the Crater’s edge with stunning views from the lake to Mount Kilimanjaro. Lake Chala also hosts a tented camp; it’s stylish, romantic and luxurious offering you an unforgettable experience. The perfect way to unwind after a safari or mountain trek.
Maji Moto (Swahili for hot water) is located in the Loita Hills and is the perfect place to unwind after a safari or mountain trek. Enjoy a delicious picnic at the water’s edge, swim in the beautiful clear waters, relax in the hot springs or explore the surrounding areas, there is something for everyone.
Not everyone has the time or high level of fitness required to conquer the world’s highest free-standing mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. This is why we offer a one day hike along the Marangu Route to the first base camp where you will have the opportunity to walk around the Maundi Crater. The trek takes you through the rainforest where you will witness wildlife including the Colobus Monkey and numerous birds.
Nairobi, the bustling city of Kenya, is located 6 hours north of Arusha.
Nairobi is serviced by a shuttle bus departing at 8am and 2pm daily, or a short 1-hour flight.
Yes, we can book internal flights or the shuttle bus on your behalf.
The shuttle bus departs at 8am and 2pm daily.
The flight from Arusha to Nairobi is approximately 1 hour.
Yes, we can arrange city stays in Nairobi as part of your itinerary.
Yes, we can provide information and arrange additional services or excursions in Nairobi according to your preferences.
Benson Safaris Tanzania, founded in 2006, offers expertly guided Wildlife Safaris, Mountain Treks, and Beach Breaks.
