They require no more than 1 or 2 additional days and are an excellent chance to really have some authentic experience and genuine interaction with some of Tanzania's most unique tribes.

The focus of these extensions is cross-cultural experience and not wildlife. Guests can try their hand at bow-hunting with the Hadzabe tribe or sit within a traditional Maasai boma with the elders. We encourage our clients to embrace these rare experiences - for they are as close to time travel as one can get in today's world!

Lake Eyasi Extension

A chance to meet the Hadzabe - some of the last hunter/gatherers of East Africa

After some dusty driving south - west of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Crater one will arrive at the Northern Shore of Lake Eyasi. The drive will continue to the yaida valley, some 4 hours, a place barely visited by tourists. Here you can find the Hadza bushman who have made Lake Eyasi and its surrounding bush their home.

There is no lodge there and very few animals (but an abundant bird life!) in this vast area. After a late lunch, with a guide, you will search for a Hadzabe camp; they are nomadic by nature and are constantly moving. They are the last existing East African hunters and gatherers and still live in the way of their ancestors. Their small population continues to be seriously threatened and a visit to them helps them.

Their language is similar to the click languages of other bushmen further south in the Kalahari. Clients are often invited to come and see their simple bush homes where the tree canopy alone or a cave provides them with shelter. They live entirely off the land as they have been for centuries.

A few hours spent amongst the Bushmen makes the apparently inhospitable bush country come to life. To watch them hunt is truly unique experience - from the age of 4 and up - they stealthily spot then creep up on their prey skillfully killing it.

We make camp at the Lake Eyasi Campsite and spend the night under the canvas falling asleep to the unfamiliar sounds of the bush, returning to Arusha the following afternoon.

Hiking with the Maasai in Monduli Mountains

Home of our base camp and Tanzania's most famous Tribe: the Maasai

Drive to the Monduli Mountains, home to the Maasai Tribe. Stay at our base camp overlooking the Rift Valley with fantastic views of Gelai, Ol Donyo Lengai, Kilimanjaro and Meru. Take an afternoon walk or relax and enjoy the view. Tropical Trails is the only company that has its own base camp in this area - in these Maasai lands - home to a Maasai Tribe.

The Monduli Mountains are known for their natural beauty and breath taking cultural appeal, situated approximately 2 hours drive from Arusha. The peaks of these mountains are forested with cedar trees and other lush vegetation, and on the lower slopes are the dry thorn bushes which spread down to the Rift Valley floor.

Our camp overlooks the Rift Valley with spectacular views of the Kilimanjaro, Meru, Longido, Gelai, Kitumbaine and Ol Donyo Lengai (which is known as the "mountain of God" in the Maasai language). It is from here that you can explore the area, going down to the Rift Valley Floor for game trekking on foot or walk high into the Monduli range. Experiences the rich culture of the Maasai with our very own Maasai trekking guides (whose home it is). They will ensure that you not only get a warm welcome, but you get the true taste of adventure and a genuine cultural experience! See their traditional way of life; be invited into a Maasai home, even trade goods if you feel so inclined!

After an afternoon of trekking and cross-cultural exploration, spend the night at our base camp under the stars. In the morning, enjoy more trekking in Monduli, in the afternoon return to Arusha.

Half-Day visit to the Arusha Children's Trust

Our very own project here in Arusha!

The guiding principle of the charity is to develop a sustainable way of assisting in those areas in which Tropical Trails operates (the Arusha and Rift Valley regions) without creating a dependence on tourism revenue or diluting the cultural heritage of rural communities.

In 1997, during a trek operated by Tropical Trails on behalf of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), participants recognized the need for a project that would directly assist rural communities, primarily children, by improving access to education and health programs, increasing the awareness of environmental issues and preserving culture and tradition. It was for this purpose that the Arusha Children's Trust was created.

The Arusha Children's Trust actively and directly supports the children in the Arusha and Rift Valley regions of Tanzania through enhancing education, improving health awareness, increasing knowledge of environmental conservation and upholding the traditions and culture of people within the region.

You can take a day trip to the trust for a very nominal transfer fee to see what we are up to! It is a lovely visit and the children are always thrilled to meet new people and show them what they are working on!