About this trip
Join Walker Wellness Retreats on an All-Inclusive Luxury Safari to Tanzania. On this retreat, you will visit the best of Tanzania in just 6 days.
August is a great time to come and enjoy pleasant weather, less bugs, and view the biggest variety of wildlife courtesy of the Great wildebeest migration from Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.
July through November is traditionally considered the best time to view the Great Migration. Between July and August, the wildebeest move en masse into Kenya's Maasai Mara, crossing the Mara River in staggering numbers. For travelers, river crossings rank among the most sought-after moments of the Great Migration
The Great Migration is today one of the natural worlds most astonishing phenomena. Each year nearly two million wildebeest and accompanying large numbers of zebra, and smaller numbers of Grant's gazelle, Thompson's gazelle, eland and impala trek from the Serengeti to the Maasai Mara and back again in search of fresh grazing. Viewing these vast herds on the move is always unforgettable sight. This experience is rated as one of the most spectacular natural events.
All activities and excursions are completely optional and you are free to participate in as little or as much as you would like since this is your vacation.
Trip Style: Adventure. We will be traveling from place to place with multiple accommodations. While there is certainly some down time, this retreat is more on the active side with the schedule due to the shorter trip length and lots of animals to be seen!
Accommodations in 5-Star Safari Camps
When we think of camping, we usually think of thin canvas tents, air mattresses, and sleeping bags. Not on this retreat! Enjoy 5-star safari camps in the beautiful African wilderness complete with thick canvas-walled tents, beautiful furnishings, comfortable beds and linens, fully stocked bathrooms, and more. Enjoy delicious meals cooked by an onsite chef while looking out on the African bush. You will hardly believe you're in a camp!
You will be staying in luxury accommodations throughout the duration of your time in Tanzania.
Meet Your Host
Amy Walker, MSW, LCSW, CCM, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Owner of Walker Wellness Retreats. Amy started Walker Wellness Retreats in 2016 due to her love for travel and helping others experience the world. When Amy is not leading international retreats, she works as an online mental health therapist. Amy is passionate about helping individuals and couples work through barriers and find new ways to communicate, connect, and thrive. In addition, Amy loves international travel, wine tasting, whale watching, and the outdoors. Amy works alongside her husband, Brian Walker, to run Walker Wellness Retreats.
To meet more of the Walker Wellness Retreats team, visit the About Us page on our website.
Helpful Tips
The roads are very bumpy and dusty in some places. Women may wish to wear a sports bra in the vehicle due to bumpy roads.
USD is widely accepted but please make sure the bills are crisp, new and without any imperfections.
Everywhere we went to shop started off at a very high price. You can haggle down to about half price.
Please note, you must have a yellow fever vaccine with yellow booklet to enter Tanzania and you must have a visa to enter Tanzania. You must arrange for this in advance and it costs $100 USD.
Please note the itinerary is subject to change due to weather.
Payment & Cancellation Policy
Questions about refunds or cancellations? Click here to view our payment and cancellation policy.
The deadline to book an international retreat is 30 days before the retreat begins; however, some exceptions can be made based on availability. Email us at contact@walkerwellnessretreats.com to inquire about booking after the deadline has passed.
What’s included
- Accommodations5 night/ 6 days at 5-star accommodations
- Airport TransfersPick-up and drop-off at Kilimanjaro airport (JRO)
- DrinksAny drinks of your choice (non-alcoholic and alcoholic)
- MealsAll meals during the retreat (breakfast, lunch, & dinner)
- Game DrivesDaily game drives
- Private GuideLocal guide for our group only
- TransportationAll transportation during the retreat
- GratuityGratuities for tour guides, restaurant staff, and drivers
- Village ExcursionVisit to a local Maasai village
- Intercountry FlightTransfer by Nyikani to Kogatende Airstrip Coastal Schedule Flight Kogatende to Kilimanjaro ETD 0925/ ETA 1300
- AirfareInternational Airfare Kilimanjaro (JRO)
- Additional ItemsSouvenirs, drinks, snacks, additional excursions, or other personal items
- Additional GratuityGratuities of a personal nature (hotel staff, spa services, etc.)
- InsuranceTravel insurance and medical insurance (required)
- Travel FeesAny travel-related fees (visas, passports, baggage, etc.)
- Tanzania VisaVisa to enter Tanzania
- Optional ExcursionsHot air balloon ride & any excursions before or after the retreat
- VaccinesVaccines for Tanzania ( consult your local travel clinic)
Available Packages
Double occupancy includes a private bedroom and private bathroom for 2 people.
Helpful hints: If you have two people who would like to share a room, select 2 Double Occupancy packages. If you are traveling alone but want to be paired with another solo traveler, select 1 Double Occupancy package. If you are traveling alone and want your own room, select 1 Single Occupancy package below.
Itinerary
SUN 4TH - TUE 6TH AUG 2024: PLANTATION LODGE / 2 NT
Arrival in to Kilimanjaro Airport. You will be met by Amy Walker, Owner of Walker Wellness Retreats. We will travel to the Plantation Lodge, stopping for lunch along the way.
Today we travel to Karatu. Karatu is an agricultural town set on the slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater highlands, and is only a 30 minute drive, depending on which actual property you are staying in, from the Ngorongoro gate and also about the same distance away from Lake Manyara NP. Nestled right up in the Ngorongoro Highlands the town is usually pretty lush and green and at an altitude of over 5,000 feet it can get quite chilly in the evenings, so come prepared.
Karatu is the bread basket of northern Tanzania with a multitude of crops and vegetables being grown here and a trip into the local market will be awash with color and variety. Karatu is also an important coffee growing area, with some of the original coffee farms in the country. Coffee was introduced into the Tanzanian region from modern day Ethiopia in the 16th century. In the past, the area around Karatu and Ol Deani was of great importance to the German colonial administration. The area's cool climate, verdant hills, and amazing views made it popular with settlers and farmers.
Plantation Lodge is owner-run, and a stay there really feels like you are a guest in someone's home. Only a 20-minute drive from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, it's a well-placed spot from which to see the Crater and surrounding Ngorongoro Highlands.
The lodge has 15 standard rooms and seven Suites, all scattered through beautiful gardens. They take great pride in their gardens, with flowering beds and mango and avocado trees planted throughout. The gardens can also be the backdrop to lunch or afternoon tea and are a great place for bird watching: Fischer's Lovebirds and the Yellow-Bellied Sunbird are regular visitors.
Food plays an important part in life here, with a vegetable, herb and fruit garden helping to supply the table. Meals are a relaxed affair in the main lodge, with the bar and upstairs veranda being a popular place to relax after a long day. Swim in the main pool, or relax with a treatment from their qualified masseuse. Alternatively you can visit a nearby coffee plantation to learn how coffee beans are treated and processed or take a walk into one of the farms adjacent, to see how people there live and work.
Hotel/Lodging Details:
Plantation Lodge