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Tanzania: A Grand Family Safari (Family Tour)
2010 – 11 Days from $5,734 plus on-tour airfare
There's no more enriching family vacation than a real African safari - on Tauck Bridges' family Africa tour! On morning and afternoon game drives, our experienced tracking guides will help your family spot Tanzania's Big Five as you roam through national parks like Kilimanjaro, Lake Manyara and Serengeti from luxurious tented camps. Soar over the savanna in a hot air balloon at dawn... meet the Maasai and learn about their way of life... picnic in a 2-million-year-old crater... and visit a gorge where some of the oldest human fossils were found. Tauck Bridges' family Africa tour is truly the family journey of a lifetime!
Day-by-Day Itinerary
2010 Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Arusha, Tanzania - and your Africa tour begins
Tauck Bridges' family Africa tour departs: Kilimanjaro International Airport.
A transfer is included from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Arumeru River Lodge in Arusha - get a good night's rest! An African safari is one of the world's greatest adventures - and it begins with the departure of your family's Africa tour in the morning.
Meals:
Lodging: Arumeru River Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania
Day 2 - Hiking in Kilimanjaro or a game drive in Arusha
A choice of adventures awaits to kick off your Tauck Bridges Africa tour and safari* today! You can choose to hike with us in Kilimanjaro National Park -
home to Mount Kilimanjaro, one of the world's highest mountains. While you won't be going all the way to the top, you'll take an exciting walk up (and down) Kilimanjaro's Merengu Trail, keeping an eye out for inquisitive monkeys, doe-eyed antelopes and abundant birdlife; you'll also visit the traditional home of a woman of the Chagga tribe, who will reveal the art of making beverages from bananas. Or, your family can join an experienced local guide on a full-day game drive* in Arusha National Park (the first of many on your family's Africa tour) to look for gentle giraffes, boisterous baboons, colorful flamingoes and big buffalo. Later, everybody meets back at the lodge for a welcome dinner tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Arumeru River Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania
Day 3 - Experience Tarangire... where legends say life began
Your family's Africa tour continues as you head to Tarangire National Park today - the place where life began, according to Maasai legend, and immortalized in many movies about Africa. Marvel at the classic African savannah stretching out all around you, the wildlife-rich plains studded with baobob trees. Hop aboard our open-topped safari vehicles for an afternoon game drive; look for big cats lounging under baobab trees or elephants cooling off at a watering hole. Following dinner at your tented camp tonight, join members of a local Maasai tribe, who'll share some of their tribal customs - including how to perform their traditional dances - with you and your family.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Kikoti Tented Camp, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
Day 4 - Lessons from the Maasai in the African bush
Tauck's safari and Africa tour ensures an up-close look at 
daily life in Tarangire today, starting with a morning game drive. Then local Maasai teach you how to make colorful beaded handicrafts, throw a spear and shoot a bow and arrow! Later, indulge in even more experiences guaranteed to create shared memories that will last lifetimes... taking in incredible vistas from "The Viewpoint"... noshing on a barbecue dinner in the bush... and learning Swahili around the campfire - mastering such words as jambo (hello), kwa heri (goodbye), simba (lion) and ninafurahia (I am having a great time)!
daily life in Tarangire today, starting with a morning game drive. Then local Maasai teach you how to make colorful beaded handicrafts, throw a spear and shoot a bow and arrow! Later, indulge in even more experiences guaranteed to create shared memories that will last lifetimes... taking in incredible vistas from "The Viewpoint"... noshing on a barbecue dinner in the bush... and learning Swahili around the campfire - mastering such words as jambo (hello), kwa heri (goodbye), simba (lion) and ninafurahia (I am having a great time)!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Kikoti Tented Camp, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
Day 5 - Meet village students and watch the birdies at Lake Manyara
On the way to Lake Manyara National Park, stop at a new primary school that Tauck helps support, and visit with the students and faculty. Arrive at the birder's paradise of Lake Manyara, and set out on a game drive to look for baboons and great birds of prey from your safari vehicle! Continue on to your farmhouse hotel, where your accommodations for the next two nights sit on a 500-acre coffee plantation, facing the Oldeani Volcano.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Ngorongoro Farm House, Ngorongoro Highlands, Karatu, Tanzania
Day 6 - Ngorongoro, Africa's "Garden of Eden"
One of the best places in Africa to spot the Big Five - elephants, leopards, lions, buffalo and the rare black rhinoceros - ancient Ngorongoro Crater is home to almost every species in Africa... except the giraffe, who can't negotiate the steep incline down. Game drives and a unique picnic lunch on the crater floor offer ample opportunities to spot lions, cheetahs, hippos and lots of birds. Then it's back to your farmhouse lodge for the evening.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Ngorongoro Farm House, Ngorongoro Highlands, Karatu, Tanzania
Day 7 - The "Cradle of Humankind," Olduvai Gorge
Olduvai Gorge, in the Great Rift Valley, is thought to be the home of some of earth's earliest "people." Pack your own box lunch before heading out to see the place where anthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey found the fossilized remains of one of the first humans to walk upright. Your Africa tour then takes you across the seemingly endless plains of the Serengeti to Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp, in the heart of world-famous Serengeti National Park, where you'll spend the next two unforgettable nights.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Day 8 - Soar Over the Serengeti in a hot air balloon
Rise early for a hot air balloon ride* at dawn over the vast Serengeti plains as animals, large and small, start a new day in the African bush - a true highlight of Tauck Bridges' fascinating family Africa tour!
This afternoon's game drive with a local guide offers up-close encounters with zebras, hyenas, elephants and jackals... and more stories to share around the campfire back at your tented camp tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Day 9 - Wonders of the western Serengeti
Make tracks for the western Serengeti, a great place to see the wildlife of the region. A morning game drive showcases Africa untamed, as you view lions, giraffes and zebras and more. Arrive at your hilltop lodge off the beaten path, where you'll spend the next two nights in a tented chalet overlooking the Mbalageti River. Enjoy lunch and some time to relax before embarking on a late afternoon game drive for yet another unique safari experience, spotting prides of lions, fleet-footed cheetahs, and the creature said to have been "put together with spare parts" - the African wildebeest.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Mbalageti Serengeti, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Day 10 - Safari traditions and Serengeti sundowner fun
Your riverfront lodge in the western Serengeti enables you to savor the African landscape as you wish on the last full day of your family's Africa tour. Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in the western corridor of Serengeti National Park, where you can often see wildebeest and large numbers of lions and cheetahs, as well as herds of giraffe and zebra - a most unforgettable spectacle of Africa's circle of life, right before your eyes! Equally impressive are Tanzania's magical sunsets, which out here are celebrated at traditional "sundowners"... like those you'll enjoy at your lodge on your final night on safari, followed by a festive farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Mbalageti Serengeti, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Day 11 - Fly back to Arusha for your journey home
Your family's amazing Africa tour concludes after a flight back to the city of Arusha, a guided tour of a local coffee plantation, and lunch at the Cultural Heritage Center in Arusha. Flights departing Africa leave late tonight; we have reserved a day room for you at the Arumeru River Lodge so that you can repack and relax as you wish. A transfer is included from Arumeru River Lodge to Kilimanjaro International Airport this evening. Tauck Bridges' family Africa tour ends: Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
*For activities marked with an asterisk (*), participation is at your own risk; a signed liability waiver will be required.
Don't miss the opportunity to share the adventure of an exciting Tauck Bridges safari and Africa tour with your family in 2010!
Prices
11 Days from $5,734 plus airfare
| June - August |
Land Price | + | On-Tour Air (1 flight) |
= | Total per Person |
| Double |
$5765 | + | $225 | = |
$5990 |
| Single |
$6315 | + | $225 | = | $6540 |
| Triple |
$5734 | + | $225 | = | $5959 |
| Holiday Departure December 19 |
Land Price | + | On-Tour Air (1 flight) |
= | Total per Person |
| Double |
$6040 | + | $250 | = |
$6290 |
| Single |
$6590 | + | $250 | = | $6840 |
| Triple |
$6009 | + | $250 | = | $6259 |
30 meals included.
Group size limited to 24! All departures are limited to 24 guests to ensure a more intimate safari experience!
International Airfare is additional. Call Tauck for special rates on international air, in coach or business, for travel originating in the U.S. (subject to availability).
Children 11 and under Discount $500
All gratuities are included.
Please ask at time of booking about our comprehensive Guest Protection Plan. For your family’s comfort and enjoyment, we recommend booking an additional hotel night before your journey.
Recommended age: 8+. Children must be at least 8 or older to participate in the hot air balloon ride on day 8.
Note: Children under 18 must be booked in a room with at least one adult. Triples are usually a two-bedded room plus one rollaway cot, when available. Quadruple accommodations are not available on this tour.
Need to Know
Inclusive Prices
Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All safari expenses and adventures, local guides, entertainment, land transportation, luggage handling, admission fees, the services of the Tauck Director, as well as the hot air balloon ride and one on-tour air excursion are included.
Safari Lodge and Hotel Accommodations – Tauck’s price includes all hotels, safari lodges and tented safari camps with en suite facilities including showers, flush toilets and hot and cold running water. The Tauck standard is to provide the best available accommodations without sacrificing value. Although the quality of accommodations may differ from place to place, Tauck's commitment to your comfort is unwavering.
Two-bedded rooms with private bath are reserved in most lodges and hotels. Triples are usually a two-bedded room plus one rollaway cot, where available, and are not recommended for comfort. Quadruple accommodations are not available on this tour. On some itineraries, rollaway cots may not be available and triple accommodations must make use of existing bedding. At some properties in Africa where rooms and beds are small, a triple may be accommodated in a single and double-bedded room. Connecting and adjacent rooms are by request only and are not guaranteed
Child/Adult Pricing - Children less than 18 years of age must be booked in a room with at least one adult. To qualify for a child discount, the child’s birth date must be provided at time of booking.
Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary.
Tauck Director – Each tour is conducted by a Tauck Director who remains with the group throughout the duration of the tour. Your Tauck Director is a professional, fully-trained employee of Tauck.
Gratuities Included – All appropriate gratuities for luggage handling, bellmen, doormen, dining room servers, housekeepers, local guides, drivers and Tauck Directors are included
No Options Sold - Tauck Directors sometimes assist with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance, but they will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed, pleasant experience for you.
Not Included
Airfare to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from Tauck for travel originating in the United States subject to availability).
Safari Lodge or Hotel Accommodations Before and After Tours – To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, many guests prefer to secure lodge or hotel accommodations for the nights preceding or following their tour. As a service, Tauck will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through Tauck. Safari lodge and hotel accommodations will be added to the tour cost. Airport transfers are included for these bookings. If you wish to spend additional nights, please consult the Extend This Journey section on this website and discuss it with the reservations agent when you book your tour.
When traveling with children, ensuring that everyone is well rested at the start of any journey adds immeasurably to the joy of the trip. We recommend that you arrive in Arusha the day before the Africa tour itself begins. We will be happy to arrange lodging for your family.
Luggage Responsibility – Although every effort is made to handle guests’ luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, airline and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please refer to Tauck Travel Protection for more information.
Personal Expenses - Phone calls, room service, alcoholic and bar beverages, mineral waters, soft drinks, laundry, airline excess luggage charges, visa fees (if applicable), vaccinations, and optional or incidental extras are not included and may be significant.
Additional Information
Airline Security Measures – Travelers must provide identification in the form of a passport at the time of airport check-in. Your passport name must match the name on your tour reservation and airline ticket or you may be denied boarding.
Air Services – Airfare may be purchased through Tauck for travel originating in the United States. By using Tauck's air services, you agree that Tauck, in purchasing, selling or otherwise arranging air transportation, is acting only as your agent and is not liable or responsible for any accident, death, personal injury, illness, property damage, delay or other loss or expense of any nature whatsoever arising directly or indirectly out of any act of God, or any actions or omissions (including any failure to provide services) or default of, any carrier. All carriers are independent contractors and are not owned, managed, controlled or operated by Tauck. Your airline ticket constitutes a contract between yourself and the airline (and not Tauck), even if purchased through Tauck. Tauck is not liable for, and does not assume responsibility or accept claims with regard to, seat assignments, schedule changes, flight changes, cancellations, claims for a refund or reimbursement of airline ticket fees, or any other loss incurred by you for any reason whatsoever (including, without limitation to, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar relief from creditors). Tauck must handle ticketing for Tauck's special fares, which are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed until reserved. Special fares cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Tauck's air services can only be purchased in conjunction with a Tauck tour. Tickets or e-ticket numbers will be mailed with final documents. If you cancel or change your air before or after departure, all airline cancellation and change fees will apply.
Itinerary Changes and Price Flexibility – Tauck pledges to make every effort to operate all tours as advertised. Tauck reserves the right to alter or curtail the itinerary, or substitute sightseeing, hotels, and/or conveyances as deemed necessary. Any savings realized by these changes will be refunded to passengers. Any resultant added expense will be covered by Tauck. Although not expected, prices on this website may be modified due to unexpected significant external factors not forecasted at the time of printing.
Journey Start and End Times are provided at time of booking and are subject to change due to airline schedule changes. All booking agents and guests will be advised of such changes. When making flight arrangements, allow sufficient time to claim luggage and clear customs.
Membership will be granted to all persons. Tauck reserves the right to terminate the tour of any persons who are abusive of others or whose behavior disrupts the tour.
Photography on Tour – Occasionally, Tauck will use photographs taken by fellow guests or your Tauck Director on your tour for promotional purposes. If you prefer that your photo not be used in any marketing activities, please notify your Tauck Director at the start of your tour.
Preparing To Go
Air Conditioning – The Ngorongoro Farm House provides air conditioning; the Kikoti Tented Camp has fans. The safari vehicles are not air conditioned.
Clothing and Packing - This African safari is a very casual tour. Comfortable and casual clothing is recommended for both day and night. Formal and resort attire is not required.
Generally, lightweight, cotton, short- and long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and shorts are sufficient. A light jacket, fleece, or windbreaker, as well as layers of clothing, are suggested for cooler temperatures during early morning game drives and evenings. A bandana or cotton scarf will always comes in handy.
While on safari it is recommended you wear natural earth-colored clothing, such as khakis, tans, browns, and greens, as well as comfortable walking shoes. Bright colors and whites are not advised, and army camouflage uniforms or army hats are forbidden. Blue and black are not suggested, as these colors attract both the sun and Tsetse flies. It is also a good idea to bring a swimsuit, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and lip protection.
Game drives can be dusty, so wear clothing that can be washed while on safari. Dry cleaning service is not available; however, the hotels and lodges we stay in throughout the safari portion of our itinerary have valet laundry and pressing available for an additional charge.
A personal kit with medication for possible upset stomach, aspirin, and allergy medicine may also be useful. If you are taking prescription drugs, bring a prescription signed by your doctor in case you need an emergency refill while traveling. Insect repellent with DEET is a very important item to include in your kit. Pre-moistened towelettes, antibacterial lotion, and a flashlight will also be useful on your safari.
Pack your medical kit in your carry-on bag along with an extra pair of prescription glasses or contact lenses and a change of clothes in case of luggage delay.
For viewing wildlife, we recommend you bring a good pair of binoculars and your own photography supplies, such as plenty of film, batteries, a 200mm telephoto lens, lens cap, lens papers, UV filter and, for video-recording, an adequate supply of video cassettes.
Elevation - The maximum elevation on this tour is 8,000 feet, or 2,438 meters.
Health - All travelers to Africa should be in reasonably good health. There is a significant amount of walking on this tour, frequently in warm weather, as well as climbing in and out of safari vehicles. Tauck strongly advises that guests who require assistance walking or travel with oxygen tanks may not fully enjoy this very active journey.
Roads in rural and wildlife areas are bumpy and dusty. While we provide reliable and reasonably comfortable vehicles, land travel is not air conditioned and often slow, especially in wilderness areas.
We regret that we cannot provide individual assistance to guests for walking, dining or other personal needs. Persons needing such assistance must be accompanied by an able companion who will assist them.
Malaria pills are generally recommended for travel in East Africa.
As of January 14th, 2008, the Ministry of Health in has reopened Health Surveillance Desks at all borders and international airports. These Health Surveillance Desks require people entering from any country where yellow fever is endemic to provide proof of vaccination against yellow fever. The goal of this prudent effort is to prevent anyone possibly infected with yellow fever from entering the country, and it should thus make a safer place for our guests to visit.
As noted above, not everyone needs to provide proof of vaccination upon arrival. For example, if you are arriving directly into
If you will be transiting through any country where yellow fever is endemic, including making a connection through
Luggage Restrictions:
Special Luggage Restrictions for this Tour:
To help in your packing, Tauck will provide each guest with a duffel bag. The duffel bag has been specially designed to provide more than adequate space for essential items needed while on safari. Please pack light and bring ONLY the Tauck-issued duffel bag with you on safari.
Strict limitations on our on-tour flights require that each guest take only one piece of soft-sided luggage (the duffel bag) weighing no more than 33 lbs (14.97 kg). This weight limit includes all camera equipment. Soft-sided luggage is required to ensure your piece fits into irregularly shaped luggage compartments.
In addition, guests are limited to one soft-sided, carry-on bag per person not to exceed 15 lbs (6.8 kg), and no larger than an average knapsack. Each child less than 18 years of age will also receive a complimentary Tauck Bridges knapsack to bring on safari!
If you reside in the United States, the duffel bag will be sent to your home and should arrive approximately two weeks prior to your departure for Africa. Guests residing outside of the U.S. will receive their duffel bags upon arrival in Arusha due to customs regulations that prohibit the easy delivery of the duffel bags in advance.
Checked Luggage - General
While it is common for airlines to allow passengers to check more than one piece of luggage per person, space constraints during your Tauck journey make it difficult to accommodate extra luggage. We ask that you limit your checked luggage to one average size suitcase per person.
In addition, airlines have adopted more strict policies in enforcing size and weight limits. Luggage exceeding maximum restrictions may require expensive overage fees, frustrating and hurried re-packing at the ticket counter, or even risk being left behind.
As of June 2006, many carriers require checked luggage not exceed a weight of 50 lbs (22.7 kg) per piece. Airlines revise luggage policies frequently and often without notice; therefore, Tauck cannot be held liable to the weight limit listed above. We urge you to check with your airline before traveling to determine current weight and size restrictions. It is also important to note that restrictions for luggage size and weight may vary with the same airline based on the class of service you select. First and Business Class ticket holders may have different restrictions than Coach Class travelers.
Tauck Bridges cannot be held liable for additional fees or inconveniences imposed by the airline due to luggage size, piece or weight policies.
Please be sure to attach your Tauck luggage tag to your suitcase before leaving home.
Carry-on Luggage - General
Oversized bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, however, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or on-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.
For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to one small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and only those items you need handy during the day such as purses, make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or in the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may not allow for access during daytime travel.
Travel Document Requirements – If you are a U.S. citizen, you will need a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the completion of your tour and a current visa to enter Tanzania. Your passport must also contain two blank pages.
When we have received your deposit, we will fax or email a Zierer Visa Service (ZVS) Visa Kit to you or your agent 120-90 days prior to your departure date. Over the years, Tauck has successfully partnered with ZVS for processing visas to destinations for which U.S. citizens are required to have entry visas. The visa fee, as well as any applicable consular fees and shipping fees, are not included in the tour cost, and payment should be mailed with the completed application directly to the ZVS. The amount of the visa fee varies by destination and is stated on the application.
For more information, or to download a ZVS application, please log on to the ZVS Internet website by clicking here. To speak directly with ZVS Customer Service, call 866-788-1100 (toll-free in the U.S.). Please note that visas cannot be processed more than 90 days prior to departure and that the process does take several weeks to complete.
Please note that on the ZVS Tanzania Visa application form you should enter the following information:
- Point of Entry: Arusha
- Line 12: Group of Visa applied: Check the 'Single' box.
- Line 13: 'For mulitple visa, duration of stay...' , ZVS has automatically has checked the 'SIx Months' box. ZVS has assured us that only a single entry is needed and the their standard procedure is to issue a six month visa. Despite the 'multiple visa' lead-in, you will not be charged for a multiple visa.
Your passport must be valid for six months beyond the completion of your tour. In addition, we recommend that you make at least two photocopies of all the travel documents that you bring with you. Include copies of the photo page of your passport that contains the date of issuance, date of expiration and your citizenship, as well as both sides of your driver’s license. Secure one set of copies in the safe in your room while traveling and leave one set behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your documents are misplaced, lost or stolen.
Travel with Children –
Age Recommendations – Children 5 years of age or older at the time of travel are welcome on this Tauck journey. Based upon our experience with family travelers, for each itinerary we have a minimum recommended age to encourage comfort and enjoyment for all of our guests. All children must be accompanied on activities by a parent or guardian. At least one guest in the traveling party must be 21 years of age or older in order to make a reservation.
Babysitting – Tauck journeys are designed for adults and children to share the wonder of discovery together. However, our guests have occasionally inquired about babysitting services. If you are interested, your Tauck Director will put you in contact with the appropriate hotel staff with whom you may make babysitting arrangements, to ensure your precise needs are met. There is usually an additional fee for these services. Many hotels do offer babysitting services that may be arranged on site; however, babysitting services are not guaranteed at all of our hotels. Please note that our Tauck Directors are not responsible for providing babysitting services.
Safety and Welfare Responsibility – We welcome the participation of child travelers on our exciting excursions. For safety and security purposes, children under 18 years of age must be booked into a room with at least one accompanying adult. If you are traveling with a child on a Tauck journey, you have the sole responsibility for ensuring that that the child with whom you are traveling follows all rules of safety throughout the tour. By traveling with Tauck, you release Tauck, Inc. and our partners of all liability for any risks and/or injuries to the child with whom you are traveling.
Special Travel Documentation for Children
Authorization for Travel
If you travel into or out of the U.S. with children under the age of 18, you should be aware of the following: because of increasing incidents of child abductions in disputed custody cases and because children are at risk as possible victims of child pornography, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that unless the child is accompanied by both parents, you should have a note from the child's other parent (or, in the case of a child traveling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, or friends, a note signed by both parents) stating that the parent(s) not traveling acknowledge that the parent(s), family members, etc. who are traveling into or out of the U.S. with the child have permission to do so.
CBP also suggests that this note be notarized. While CBP may not ask to see this documentation, if they do ask, and you do not have it, you may be detained until the circumstances of the child traveling without both parents can be fully assessed.
If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child (deceased, sole custody, etc.), any other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, death certificate, etc., will be useful.
Many other countries also share this concern for children who travel without both parents. To ensure smooth travel, Tauck requires all guests to comply with the travel regulations of each country visited. This information is available from each country’s consulate.
All children traveling with you who are U.S. citizens must have a valid U.S. passport.
Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment
In the unlikely event of a medical emergency, a medical facility will require permission from the child’s parents to provide treatment. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you bring along a letter from both parents authorizing emergency medical treatment for their child.
If you travel into or out of the U.S. with children under the age of 18, you should be aware of the following: because of increasing incidents of child abductions in disputed custody cases and because children are at risk as possible victims of child pornography, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that unless the child is accompanied by both parents, you should have a note from the child's other parent (or, in the case of a child traveling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, or friends, a note signed by both parents) stating that the parent(s) not traveling acknowledge that the parent(s), family members, etc. who are traveling into or out of the U.S. with the child have permission to do so.
CBP also suggests that this note be notarized. While CBP may not ask to see this documentation, if they do ask, and you do not have it, you may be detained until the circumstances of the child traveling without both parents can be fully assessed.
If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child (deceased, sole custody, etc.), any other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, death certificate, etc., will be useful.
Many other countries also share this concern for children who travel without both parents. To ensure smooth travel, Tauck requires all guests to comply with the travel regulations of each country visited. This information is available from each country’s consulate.
All children traveling with you who are U.S. citizens must have a valid U.S. passport.
Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment
In the unlikely event of a medical emergency, a medical facility will require permission from the child’s parents to provide treatment. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you bring along a letter from both parents authorizing emergency medical treatment for their child.
Tauck is not responsible for the disruption of travel caused by improper documentation for any travelers, including children traveling without both parents. While there is no definitive format or standard for these letters, click here to view a sample letter for guardians or one parent traveling with a child.
Destination Information
While in Africa…
Tauck Bridges asks all guests to follow common sense guidelines to protect the wildlife and natural resources. Game parks and reserves provide protected natural environments for wildlife and visitors. Game viewing is an important part of the African experience – it is important to avoid any interference or harmful contact with animals in their natural habitat.
Cell Phones - We understand and appreciate the value of instant communication when we travel; it keeps us in touch with friends and family, and it's a reassurance in the event of an emergency. However, the use of cell phones can be disruptive to a tour and to other guests who are enjoying their vacation. As a courtesy to others, we ask that guests refrain from cell phone usage during motor coach travel, group functions, sightseeing and when the Tauck Director is addressing the group as a whole. There are usually ample opportunities to make or receive calls at times when it does not impact others, or the wildlife in the game reserves.
Please contact your cell phone carrier to determine limitations and services that exist for the areas you will be visiting.
Currency and Exchange Rates – We recommend that you rely mostly on travelers’ checks while on tour in Tanzania. Although the major credit cards are widely recognized and are accepted at most hotels, shops, and restaurants, the exchange rate on such purchases is unfavorable and may result in an additional 10% being added to the total sale.
As in most countries, we suggest you do not carry large amounts of cash. However, U.S. Dollars are widely accepted and even preferred to other currencies in Tanzania. The amount of cash you bring with you for incidental purchases should be in small denominations. Exchanging large denominations has been made difficult – even at banks – due to counterfeiting.
ATM machines are becoming increasingly popular; contact your bank in advance of departure to determine whether you will be able to use your card while visiting Tanzania.
To obtain the up-to-date currency exchange rate, you may want to check your local newspaper or log on to the Internet website www.oanda.com.
Customs and Tax-Free Shopping – For U.S residents returning to the United States, current regulations permit bringing back $800 worth of items duty-free, as long as you physically bring them with you. There are limits to the alcohol and tobacco that can be a part of this exemption - one-liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, and 100 cigars. Certain restrictions apply to unaccompanied goods mailed from abroad to the United States. Please call your local customs office or consult the U.S. government's customs website for further details and up-to-date limits at. www.cbp.gov.
Citizens of other countries should refer to their own country’s rules and regulations regarding customs and duty-free shopping to ensure compliance.
Electrical Current – The electrical current in the lodges is 220-240 volts, 50 Hz. Guests whose appliances do not meet this standard will need to bring an electrical converter, with adapter plug set, as few overnight properties have this equipment. The socket configurations vary between the two- and three-pronged varieties so please bring the entire set of adapters with you.
All Serena Properties in Tanzania have power 24 hours a day. All camcorders and digital cameras can be re-charged at the guest’s convenience.
Time Zones – Tanzania is 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (or Greenwich Mean Time).. In June, Tanzania is 7 hours ahead of New York City. To determine current time in major cities around the world, we suggest you log on to the Internet website www.timeanddate.com.
Weather - East Africa is truly a year-round destination, as most frequently the climate features warm, bright days and cool, crisp nights. Daytime temperatures throughout the year typically range from 60 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, or 15.5 to 35 degrees Celsius. Evening temperatures can be cooler, ranging from 50 to 60 F, or 10 to 15.5 C.
Late afternoon rains are customary in East Africa. The rainy seasons are March to May (the "long rains") and October to December (the "short rains"). During these times downpours occur mostly in the late afternoons, and are generally brief. October to December is preferred by some for smaller crowds, verdant scenery, and delightful temperatures.
Climate Chart
| Average Temperature | ||||
| Serengeti, Tanzania |
||||
| Month | Farenheit | Celsius | ||
| January | 82 | 28 | ||
| February | 82 |
28 | ||
| March | 81 | 27 | ||
| April | 77 |
25 | ||
| May | 75 | 24 | ||
| June | 70 |
21 | ||
| July | 70 | 21 | ||
| August | 73 |
23 | ||
| September | 77 | 25 | ||
| October | 79 |
26 | ||
| November | 81 | 27 | ||
| December | 81 |
27 | ||
To determine current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website, www.weather.com.
If You Have to Cancel
Cancellation Fees – Regardless of reason, cancellations of confirmed bookings result in Tauck incurring costly penalties and cancellation fees from our travel and hotel providers. Therefore, Tauck will charge guests who cancel confirmed bookings a cancellation fee according to the when the cancellation notice is received in our Norwalk, CT office. To help limit guests’ liability, Tauck offers its guests Tauck Travel Protection.
Guests choosing to purchase the non-refundable Tauck Travel Protection will have cancellation penalties waived. Click here for more details.
Guests choosing not to purchase Tauck Travel Protection will incur cancellation penalties per person as follows:
60 days or more before departure
$600 per person
59-8 days before departure
$1250 per person
7-1 days before departure
$2000 per person
$600 per person
59-8 days before departure
$1250 per person
7-1 days before departure
$2000 per person