Conservation Projects

Arusha

A gentle arrival in northern Tanzania

Meet your driver at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Rivertrees.

After the airport welcome, continue to your accommodation in the Arusha area. The first afternoon is reserved for settling in, with time to unpack only what you need for the night and enjoy the gardens or a quiet drink after your flight.

Your safari briefing covers tomorrow’s departure, luggage arrangements and the rhythm of the first wildlife days. Tell the team about any dietary needs or mobility considerations before setting off. If your flight arrives late, the priority is a comfortable transfer and rest; sightseeing is not squeezed into the evening.

Rubondo Island

From the plains to Lake Victoria

Transfer to Arusha Airport and fly to Rubondo on the confirmed service, followed by the island transfer to camp.

Meet your island guide and continue to camp after landing on Rubondo. Settle in and take in the change from open safari country to forest and lakeshore. The arrival afternoon is an introduction to the environment, with the exact activity shaped by flight timing and local conditions.

Discuss the forest programme, walking requirements and available water activities before dinner. Keep sturdy shoes and rain protection accessible. Chimpanzee tracking requires patient searching and appropriate permissions; it is not a guaranteed close encounter or a fixed-length stroll from camp.

Rubondo Island

A day in the island forest

If confirmed for your stay, set out with the tracking team to search for chimpanzees. Follow the briefing carefully, keep a respectful distance and let the guides decide the route and pace. The forest itself is part of the experience, even when the animals are difficult to locate.

After the outing, return to camp to rest. A boat activity may offer a different view of the lakeshore if weather and arrangements allow, or enjoy time watching birds near camp. Tracking success and duration vary, so avoid attaching another tightly timed excursion to the same day.

Rubondo Island

Explore the lakeshore and woodland

Use this full day to discover another aspect of Rubondo with your guide. A forest walk or an island excursion can focus on plants, birds and the signs of animals moving through thick vegetation. Decide the programme after considering yesterday’s activities and the current weather.

Boating or fishing may be available by separate arrangement, with equipment, rules and any additional costs confirmed before departure. Another chimpanzee outing requires its own availability and permit check rather than being automatically included. Spend your last evening beside the lake preparing for the next flight.

Eastern Serengeti

Arrive in the eastern plains

Fly from Rubondo to the Serengeti and continue from the airstrip to Namiri Plains.

From the airstrip, continue by safari vehicle towards your accommodation in the eastern Serengeti. The drive introduces open grassland and kopjes, with stops for animals where practical. After the welcome and orientation, enjoy a little time in camp before an afternoon outing if the flight schedule allows.

Talk with your guide about recent activity and your interests for the coming days. This is a place to observe the relationship between predators and the animals they follow, not to expect a hunt on demand. The first evening is kept relaxed after the journey.

Eastern Serengeti

A day devoted to the open plains

Start early and scan the grassland and rocky rises with your guide. The open views are well suited to watching movement and behaviour over time; a distant animal can become a far more interesting encounter when you wait rather than drive straight past.

Return for a break during the hotter hours, then explore again as the light changes. Your guide may discuss predator ecology and how different species share the landscape. Any dedicated research encounter must be arranged and confirmed separately; ordinary game drives should not be presented as guaranteed access to scientific fieldwork.

Eastern Serengeti

Another perspective on the Serengeti

Spend the morning following a fresh route or returning to an area that deserves more time. Let the guide choose based on current sightings rather than a fixed map. A picnic may be practical for a longer outing, while a shorter drive leaves more time to enjoy the camp setting.

If a guided walk is available and suitable for your party, enquire about the requirements before planning it. Otherwise, use the afternoon for another drive with a different focus, such as birds or landscape photography. Enjoy your final evening here and prepare your small-flight luggage for tomorrow.

Usangu, southern Ruaha

Arrive in a remote wetland landscape

Continue by air to the Usangu area on the confirmed routing, followed by the camp transfer.

Continue to your camp in the Usangu area and meet the guiding team. The first outing introduces the relationship between the open plains, woodland and seasonal water, rather than chasing a long list of species on arrival. Settle in and discuss the areas accessible during your visit.

This is an exploratory part of the journey, where habitat and conservation are as important as individual sightings. Ask your guide how seasonal changes affect both wildlife and the routes used by vehicles. End the day with a camp briefing about the options for the next morning.

Usangu, southern Ruaha

Read the landscape with your guide

Begin with a game drive looking at how wildlife uses the different habitats around camp. Tracks and signs can be just as informative as a sighting. Give your guide time to explain the water system and why protecting connected habitats matters to the wider park.

Later, discuss any available conservation interpretation or camp-based presentation. Meetings with researchers are subject to their working schedules and cannot be guaranteed. Walking or after-dark activities may be considered where authorised and arranged; the written proposal identifies which experiences are included and which need separate booking.

Usangu, southern Ruaha

A final day of exploration

Today allows room to follow up on yesterday’s discoveries. Choose a different driving route or return to a promising area, with the guide setting a sensible pace for the terrain and weather. Bring binoculars as well as a camera: distant birds and subtle movement often reward close attention.

Leave space between outings to rest and absorb the quieter character of this landscape. If a specialist activity is available, confirm its duration, safety requirements and any extra charge before committing. Round off your stay with dinner in camp and a briefing for the next transfer.

Dar es Salaam

Your onward journey

Transfer to the local airstrip for your confirmed flight to Dar es Salaam. The road journey and any intermediate flight stops are allowed for in your final schedule.

Enjoy breakfast and a final look at the setting before your collection, subject to the departure time. A last wildlife activity is only possible when the transfer schedule genuinely leaves enough room; it is not automatically included on a flying day. Keep passports, medication and valuables in your hand luggage.

Before confirming international flights, let us check the complete connection, including any airport change, baggage collection and immigration requirements. If the timings are too tight, an additional overnight stop should be arranged rather than relying on a rushed transfer. No accommodation is scheduled for tonight in this itinerary.