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AFRICA BRIDGE - MT. MERU & VILLAGE TOUR

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BARRY CHILDS GROUP - JULY 2020AFRICA BRIDGE - MT. MERU & VILLAGE TOUR

Arusha - Arusha National Park - Tanzania Southern Highlands13 Days / 12 Nights

0 PersonsReference: MT. MERU

Date of Issue: 12 September 201901 July 2020 - 13 July 2020

Click here to view your Digital Itinerary

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Terms and ConditionsTRAVEL INSURANCE: it is absolutely essential for guests to have taken out, prior to travel, comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation guarantees that will cater for possible eventualities during their stay in Africa.

NOTE:

1. For clients’ safety and that of the wildlife, our driver-guides are not allowed to exceed a speed of 50KPH in the parks, while speed limit inside the Ngorongoro Crater is strictly 25KPH.

2. Game viewing from vehicles is restricted to designated tracks/ roads and driving off-road is not allowed except in specified areas; please check with your driver-guide.

3. Night driving is not allowed in the parks (from 1900hrs evening to 0600hrs in the morning), except where night game drives are permitted like in Lake Manyara National Park.

4. It is illegal to own or carry government trophies (wildlife parts and products) without a permit from the Tanzania Wildlife Division. For visitors who have purchased trophies from other countries, they are required to have import license and a receipt while in Tanzania. This is in line with the heightened conservation awareness on the part of the general public and increased surveillance by government agencies especially at points of entry and exit in Tanzania.

5. Use of drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) of any size for photo taking, filming and any other purpose is not allowed in the game parks.

Government Taxes and Levies: The rates above are inclusive of current levies & taxes as of today, however, should there be any new statutory taxes introduced and/or increase of any current levies by Government/statutory bodies the same shall be passed on to you

PLEASE NOTE: FROM 1 JUNE 2019 TANZANIA HAS ENFORCED A PLASTIC BAG BAN. TO AVOID HEAVY FINES KINDLY DO NOT USE PLASTIC BAGS.

Accommodation Destination Basis Duration

Four Points by Sheraton Arusha The Arusha Hotel

Arusha B&B 2 Nights

Miriakamba Hut Arusha National Park FB 1 Night

Saddle Hut Arusha National Park FB 1 Night

Miriakamba Hut Arusha National Park FB 1 Night

Four Points by Sheraton Arusha The Arusha Hotel

Arusha B&B 1 Night

Utengule Coffee Lodge Tanzania Southern Highlands

B&B 2 Nights

Landmark Hotel Tukuyu B&B 2

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Nights

Utengule Coffee Lodge Tanzania Southern Highlands

B&B 2 Nights

KeyB&B: Bed and BreakfastFB: Full Board - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch

PriceMT. MERU TREK: USD 1,944 Per person sharing

VILLAGE TOUR: USD 1,130 Per person sharing

IncludedAirport Transfers in Kilimanjaro and Mbeya, Accommodation: 3 Nights at Four Points at Sheraton Arusha on Bed & breakfast basis, 3 Nights - Mt. Meru climb, 4 Nights at Utengule Coffee Lodge on Bed & Breakfast basis and 2 Nights at Landmark Hotel on Bed & Breakfast basis

FLIGHT: JRO/DAR/DAR/MBEYA/DAR, Airport taxes, Safety fees and fuel surcharge

Please note: Luggage 7 kg on Hand Luggage and 23 kg baggage Allowance. 

ExcludedInternational flight, Visas, Tips, drinks, laundry, Travel, Baggage and Personal Insurances, Evacuation fees and any items of personal nature.

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Day 1-2: Four Points by Sheraton Arusha, Arusha (Wed, 1 July to Thu, 2 July)

ArushaArusha is the safari capital of Tanzania located at the foot of Mt. Meru, close to Mount Kilimanjaro, the Manyara, Tarangire and Ngorongoro National Parks. From there it’s only a short trip to the Serengeti. Just to the north, on the slopes of Mt. Meru is the Arusha National Park. Built by the Germans as a centre of colonial administration because of the temperate climate, Arusha is a good spot to take a day or two off from your safari.

Day 1 - 01 July 2020

Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Meet and greet and drive to Arusha.

Overnight at Four Point by Sheraton in Traditional room on Bed & breakfast.

Day 2 - 02 July 2020

After breakfast day at leisure at the Hotel.

Optional City Tour of Arusha town can be arranged at an extra cost. The Four Points Hotel is in the heart of Arusha City and you may be able to take a walk to the nearest cafe or shops around the area. 

For your own safety, we advise not to walk by yourself and would be happy to arrange for a guide to take you around.

Overnight at Four Point by Sheraton in Traditional room on Bed & breakfast

Consultant NotesWe advise the flight arrivals to be at the same time to avoid extra costs for Airport transfers.

Overnight: Four Points by Sheraton Arusha The Arusha Hotel The Arusha Hotel is located in the beautiful city of Arusha, Tanzania. The hotel offers 106 stylish rooms that feature Wi-Fi access, a television and a sitting area. Guests can enjoy a delicious meal at the onsite restaurant as well as unwind with a refreshing drink at the bar. The hotel also offers an outdoor swimming pool, a gym and a terrace that overlooks a tropical garden.

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Basis: Bed and Breakfast

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Day 3: Miriakamba Hut, Arusha National Park (Fri, 3 July)

Arusha National ParkSituated in northeastern Tanzania, the Arusha National Park is idyllically set against the spectacular backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro. This 552 square kilometre park is renowned for its remarkable scenery and excellent choice of trekking possibilities. This exceptionally beautiful area is divided into three parts: Mt. Meru, a spectacular volcanic cone; the Ngurdoto Crater, with its lost-world feel; and the multi-hued Momela Lakes. It features a wide range of habitats which provide a home to an array of wildlife and plant life. Commonly spotted species include: Cape buffalo, giraffe, zebra, warthog, monkey, flamingo, lion and elephant.

Day 3 - 03 July 2020

ARUSHA ~ MOMELLA GATE (4,920 ft. / 1,500 m) ~ MIRIAKAMBA HUT (8,250 ft. / 2,514 m)

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer from Arusha city center into Arusha National Park, to the Momella Gate (about 1.5 hours) after completion of administrative formalities and meeting with the guide, porters and ranger, you will begin the 4 to 5-hour trek to Miriakamba Hut, through the crater floor.  The gentle uphill trek will take you through thick woodland, past the giant fig tree arch up to the Itikoni clearing where there are likely to buffalo grazing.  Then you’ll then cross a large stream just above the Maio waterfalls, and take a steep path up the crater rim wall to Miriakamba.  You may encounter elephant along the way, and an armed ranger will escort you at every step. Have dinner then retire for the night at Miriakamba Hut.

Overnight: Miriakamba Hut

Basis: Full Board - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4: Saddle Hut, Arusha National Park (Sat, 4 July)

Day 4 - 04 July 2020

MIRIAKAMBA HUT ~ SADDLE HUT (12,300 ft. / 3,750 m)

Saddle hut is at approximately 2 to 3 hours trekking from Miriakamba Hut.  The path will take you through a mix of trees and pleasant glades up to Mgongo wa Tembo (elephant ridge), where you will have a clear view of Meru crater and the cliffs below the summit.  Continue through a pass between the slopes of Meru and the peak of Little Meru to reach Saddle Hut.

There is an optional 1 to 1.5 hour round trip hike to the summit of Little Meru, from the Saddle Hut. After Lunch explore little Meru

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Overnight: Saddle Hut

Basis: Full Board - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch

Day 5: Miriakamba Hut, Arusha National Park (Sun, 5 July)

Day 5 - 05 July 2020

SADDLE HUT ~ SUMMIT (14,979 ft. / 4566 m) ~ MIRIAKAMBA HUT

You will be woken at about 5am, and begin trekking at about 6am, to avoid night-time trekking. A trek of approximately 4 to 5 hours along a narrow ridge, between the sheer cliffs and the sloping outer wall, will see you to the summit.  The walk has been said to be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking.  Whatever the reaction, the breathtaking sunrise over Kilimanjaro makes it all worthwhile. 

After the summit, you will retrace your steps back to Saddle Hut for a rest, then descend down the ridge to Miriakamba for some rest, dinner, and overnight. The total trekking time this day is from 8 to 11 hours.

Overnight: Miriakamba Hut

Basis: Full Board - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6: Four Points by Sheraton Arusha The Arusha Hotel, Arusha (Mon, 6 July)

Day 6 - 06 July 2020

MIRIAKAMBA HUT ~ MOMELLA GATE ~ ARUSHA

Continuing down through open mountain meadows and wooded streams directly to the Momella Gate, where you will be met by your driver and proceed to Arusha for some rest at Four Point by Sheraton BB Traditional Room. The total trekking time this day is from 3 to 4 hours.

Overnight: Four Points by Sheraton Arusha The Arusha Hotel The Arusha Hotel is located in the beautiful city of Arusha, Tanzania. The hotel offers 106 stylish rooms that feature Wi-Fi access, a television and a sitting area. Guests can enjoy a delicious meal at the onsite restaurant as well as unwind with a refreshing drink at the bar. The hotel also offers an outdoor swimming pool, a gym and a terrace that overlooks a tropical garden.

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Basis: Bed and Breakfast

Day 7-8: Utengule Coffee Lodge, Tanzania Southern Highlands (Tue, 7 July to Wed, 8 July)

Tanzania Southern HighlandsThe Tanzania Southern Highlands is an idyllic rural area made up of 4 provinces namely, Iringa, Mbeya, Rukwa and Ruvuma. This region features volcanic mountains, vast grasslands, rolling hills, lively markets, jacaranda-lined streets, comfortable lodges and plenty of wildlife. Visitors can look forward to an array of wonderful activities including: visiting Lake Nyasa, discovering a variety of beautiful orchids of Kitulo National Park, exploring the ancien Isimila stone age site and viewing the colonial buildings in the heritage town of Iringa. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy a wildlife safari at Mikumi National Park.

Day 7 - 07 July 2020

An early start today. With packed breakfast boxes, you'll be transferred to Kilimanjaro Airport.

07:00hrs Depart with Precision Air Flight to Dar Es Salaam.

08:20hrs Arrival at Dar Es Salaam Airport.

Wait at the Airport for Connecting flight to Mbeya.

13:15hrs Depart with Air Tanzania Flight to Mbeya.

14:45hrs Arrival at Songwe Airport in Mbeya.

You'll be met and transferred to Utengule Coffee Lodge. Overnight at Utengule Coffee Lodge on Bed & breakfast basis.

Day 8 -  08 July 2020

Coffee Farm Visit - Has to be pre-arranged with the lodge. Coffee Tour and AB Briefing.

Overnight at Utengule Coffee Lodge on Bed & breakfast basis. 

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Overnight: Utengule Coffee Lodge Utengule Coffee Lodge offers guests an oasis of calm on the slopes of the mighty Mbeya range in Southern Tanzania, with spectacular views across the East African Rift Valley. In terraced gardens on an estate famous for its gourmet coffee, the lodge has 16 rooms with en-suite facilities, the most luxurious have open glass frontages and large balconies overlooking the pool and the Rift Valley beyond. There are five attractive bungalows offering longer term accommodation, comfortable camping and a helicopter landing pad.

Guests at the lodge can expect a personal touch with home cooking using locally-grown ingredients and exceptional hospitality offered with a smile. Guests can swim, play squash or tennis, walk, take a guided trek, a tour of the Coffee Farm, read a book, or simply watch the variety of birdlife in the gardens and marvel at the gorgeous sunsets.

Within striking distance of Ruaha National Park, Tanzania's second largest reserve, and Katavi National Park, one of the most remote and under-developed in the country, Utengule Coffee Lodge is a perfect base and springboard from which to explore the magnificent Southern Highlands. Being an hour from the Zambian border and two and a half hours from Malawi, it is an excellent place to relax before, or to refresh after a border crossing.

Basis: Bed and Breakfast

Day 9-10: Landmark Hotel, Tukuyu (Thu, 9 July to Fri, 10 July)

Day 9  - 09 July 2020

After breakfast, drive to Tukuyu in 2 x Land Cruisers. Visit Africa Bridge Village.

Overnight at Landmark Hotel on Bed & breakfast basis.

Landmark Hotel is situated in the small town of Tukuyu Mbeya. This hotel is a clean and safe hotel with a lot of character, which provides guests with a great place to stay while visiting the villages. The restaurant serves local cuisine and works with the program to provide meals featuring fresh, local ingredients.

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Tea is widely cultivated around Tukuyu. Tea is one of the perennial crops that many small-scale farmers depend on. Coffee is also grown extensively around Tukuyu.

Day 10  -  10 July 2020

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Africa Bridge Villages. Overnight at Landmark Hotel on Bed &

breakfast basis.

Basis: Bed and Breakfast

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Day 11-12: Utengule Coffee Lodge, Tanzania Southern Highlands (Sat, 11 July to Sun, 12 July)

Day 11  -  11 July 2020

After breakfast, Children meetings. Later proceed to Mbeya. Drop off at Utengule Coffee Lodge.

Overnight at Utengule Coffee Lodge on Bed & breakfast basis.

Day 12 - 12 July 2020

Day at leisure. Rest, Swim or hike. Overnight at Utengule Coffee Lodge on Bed & breakfast basis.

Overnight: Utengule Coffee Lodge

Basis: Bed and Breakfast

Day 13: End of Itinerary (Mon, 13 July)

Day 13  -  13 July 2020

Morning at leisure, later transfer to Songwe Airport for your flight to Dar Es Salaam.

Arrival at Dar Es Salaam Airport. Connect with your onward Flight back home or continue with the Zanzibar Extension.

END OF SERVICES

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Travel Information

The name Tanzania conjures up images of wildebeest stampeding across vast savannah, rain forests teeming with monkeys and birdlife, and great plains brimming with legions of game. All of these natural wonders and more are on offer in this exceptionally diverse African nation. Visitors typically visit Tanzania to partake in at least one of the four well known Tanzanian tourist experiences: a relaxing seaside vacation on the picturesque island paradise of Zanzibar, an underwater tour of some of the world’s most renowned dive sites around the gorgeous Spice Islands, a safari adventure in some of Africa’s most impressive game reserves, or a hiking excursion around Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. Whichever of these incredible holidays you choose, you will undoubtedly be welcomed by some fabulously friendly and peaceful inhabitants who, despite being divided into 120 different ethnic groups and cultures, live in harmony with one another and provide some of the most wonderfully exotic local cuisine you could imagine. With all of this diversity on offer, the most difficult part of your Tanzanian holiday experience is likely to be deciding where to go!

Banking and CurrencyCurrencyIn Tanzania, the unit of currency is the Tanzanian Shilling, which is divided into 100 Cents. Notes are issued in denominations of 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10000 Shillings. Coins are issued in denominations of 50, 100 and 200 Shillings.

BankingBanks are open from 9:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday. Many banks are equipped with 24 hour ATM machines. Credit cards and travellers checks are not widely accepted in Tanzania. Where they are accepted can high service fees and poor exchange rates be expected. Major foreign currencies - particularly US $ - are accepted in Tanzania and are convertible at banks and bureau de changes in the main towns and tourist areas. If bringing cash in US $, please make sure bank notes are in good condition, with no cuts or damage and are not older than 2004. Most banks offer higher exchange rates for US $ 100 / US $ 50 bank notes compared to US $ 20 / US $ 10 or US $ 5 bank notes.

Travel, Transport and Getting AroundIf you are visiting a number of parks and reserves in Tanzania, you can either drive or fly between them. Roads in most of the wilderness areas are in poor condition and unmarked, and self-driving is not recommended. Operators will supply you with a driver who doubles as an informal guide; alternatively, you can arrange to fly to your destination and utilize a car and driver supplied by the lodgings. Elsewhere in Tanzania, towns and cities are linked by a steady stream of buses and dala-dalas (minibuses), and in the cities, there is public transport in the way of buses, dala-dalas, taxis, and, in some places, bicycles or tuk-tuks.

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Precision Air run regular services, mostly via Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar, to all main towns and other destinations in East Africa and beyond. All national parks and some of the top-end luxury lodges have airstrips and Coastal Air operates between these and the main airports on the mainland and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia. ZanAir has frequent connections between Zanzibar, Pemba and the mainland.

Driving is on the left hand side of the road

Food, Drink and Cuisine AdviceMost camps, lodges or hotels cater specifically to tourists and serve Western-style food, ranging in standard, but generally are excellent. Game lodges tend to offer a daily set menu with a limited selection, so it is advisable to have your tour operator specify in advance if you are a vegetarian or have other specific dietary requirements. First-time visitors to Africa might take note that most game lodges in and around the national parks have isolated locations, and driving within the parks is neither permitted nor advisable after dark, so that there is no realistic alternative to eating at your lodge. 

Tap water in Tanzania is generally not safe to drink, and most travellers try to stick to mineral water. Filtered and bottled water can be difficult to find you are travelling outside of main town and so it is advisable to stock up. Most camps, lodges and hotels have bottled water readily available.

Climate and WeatherJust south of the equator, Tanzania is huge and its sheer size means that the climate varies considerably within it. However, generally the main rainy season, or the 'long rains', lasts during about March, April and May. Afternoon tropical downpours are the norm – which are heavier and more predictable beside the coast and on the islands. The humidity is high and daily temperatures reach the low-mid 30°s.

The long dry season lasts throughout June, July, August, September and October is when rainfall is unusual, even on the islands. Temperatures vary hugely with altitude and location, but it's usually a fine, clear sky and sunny weather – it's a great time to visit Tanzania. During November and December there's another rainy season: the 'short rains'. These are much lighter than the main rains and less reliable.

If it has rained during the short rains, then it normally dries up for a few months, January and February, which is Tanzania's 'short dry season', before starting to rain again in earnest in March.

Clothing and Dress RecommendationsIt never gets really cold in Tanzania so lightweight clothing, preferably cotton or linen, is recommended. While on a game viewing safari, avoid brightly coloured clothing, stick to whites, beiges, khakis and browns. There may be long days sitting in safari vehicles, so it is advisable to wear light comfortable clothing such as short sleeved shirts and cotton/linen trousers or shorts. Denim will become too hot and extremely uncomfortable. Walking shoes and socks will be required.

The evenings will be chilly, so long sleeved shirts and trousers should be worn. A sweater may be needed. These will also prevent you being bitten by insects. A hat should be worn at all times outside. The sun may sometimes not feel hot, but it can still easily burn, especially if it is cloudy and overcast.

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If visiting Zanzibar or any coastal town don't forget to take a swimsuit, as it is invariably warm. Ladies are recommended to take cotton skirts, blouses and dresses. Sandals are a must for this environment! On the beaches and within the confines of hotels, normal swimwear is acceptable but nudity is not.

As over a third of the population in Tanzania is Muslim, it is therefore not etiquette for ladies to walk around in public displaying their legs and shoulders. Remember to dress modestly as short shorts, miniskirts, vests and tank tops will be frowned upon.

Electricity and Plug StandardsThe electricity supply in Tanzania is 220/240 volts at 50Hz. Plugs are 3 point square (UK Type).  Adapters are available at major airports.