Family Tanzania Safari

Arrive in Arusha and transfer to your hotel, set on Mount Meru’s fertile slopes and surrounded by gorgeous vistas. Depending on arrival time, you may also meet your Child Activity Coordinator, who joins your group for the journey.

This morning, meet the children and staff of Ilboru Primary School, a project supported by Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy and one of the few schools in the region that offers programs for deaf students and children with special needs. Later, travel overland to intimate, wildlife-packed Lake Manyara National Park and your luxury lodge, ideally set on the rim of the Great African Rift Valley and overlooking Lake Manyara. Young guests are invited to join your Child Activity Coordinator by the lodge pool for time to relax and play. Tonight, gather for a special welcome dinner. The next day, set off on an exciting game drive through this dramatic park, home to millions of flamingos as well as the famous tree-climbing lions. Other creatures to spot include hippos wallowing along the shore, pelicans skimming the surface, monkeys leaping between the trees and giraffes under the shade of a 1,000-year-old baobab. Return to your lodge for lunch. This afternoon, join a local chef in a cooking demonstration and sample the dishes you create together, all part of a special Family Foodie Experience.

This morning, Ride Like a Local on a tuk-tuk to the nearby village of Mto wa Mbu. Look forward to some family-friendly competition as part of a treasure hunt through the local community, during which your family sets out with money and a list of “treasures” to purchase. Afterward, journey to Ngorongoro Crater, stopping en route at Gibb’s Farm for an organic lunch. Continue on to your luxury lodge, just a 15-minute drive from the gate of the 14-mile-wide Ngorongoro Crater. Once settled in, younger guests can join your Child Activity Coordinator for games or a dip in the lodge pool. A collapsed, once-active volcano, Ngorongoro Crater is now home to a spectacular “lost world” of wildlife including large populations of lions. The next day begins with a game drive into the crater, where you look for rhinos, wildebeests and bounding gazelles. Enjoy a picnic lunch before returning to your lodge later this afternoon.

Fly to the wild Serengeti, one of the greatest wildlife-watching destinations on the planet. Settle into your luxurious tented safari camp, which offers families exciting opportunities to get to know more of the Serengeti through optional guided game walks and nighttime game drives. Later, take a game drive through the grassy, rambling park, site of the annual Great Migration, in search of Africa’s “Big Five” — lions, leopards, Cape buffalo, elephants and rhinos. Then, as the sun sinks low on the horizon, gather in a surprise location for a family-friendly sundowner experience, complete with cocktails and kid-friendly mocktails. Tonight, relax in your split-level suite tent, with views from your veranda. The next morning, as the animals begin to stir, set off on a first-light game drive to view the Serengeti’s prolific wildlife. You may spot hippos returning to water after nighttime foraging, elephants rustling through trees in search of breakfast, and lions returning from a hunt. During the afternoon game drive, families visit the Ololosokwan Maasai tribe and learn more about the fascinating local people of Tanzania. Back at the lodge, families have options, whether choosing butterfly catching and maskmaking with their Child Activity Coordinator or a thrilling night game drive with an expert driver guide. On your last night, celebrate your adventure at a special farewell dinner.

Fly to Arusha, where you may relax in a dayroom before departing for home.