Comfort
Permanent Camp/Lodge (1 night): the first night is spent at a boutique, family-run wildlife lodge with six en-suite bedrooms. The lodge is located within Dolly Wildlife Estate, only thirty minute drive from Kilimanjaro International airport and Arusha Town, nestled between Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru and home to zebra, wildebeest, Eland, Kudu, other species of gazelle and antelope including the very shy and rare Gerenuk.
Mobile camp (6 nights): Each site is carefully chosen. The tents are spacious and each has a bush toilet and a bucket shower. Comfortable bedding and bath towels are provided.
Meals
Meals are prepared by a professionally trained bush chef.
Breakfast is traditional and includes fresh fruit juice
Lunch is either sandwiches from the saddle bags or a selection of light dishes produced from the support vehicle in a shady spot.
Dinner is three courses and a mixture of local and international dishes with fresh salads and freshly baked bread.
Drinks are included whilst on safari but payable locally at lodges added on at the beginning/end.
Climate
Tanzania has two main seasons - the dry season and the wet season. The dry season is from May to October, when it is unlikely to rain and the daytime temperatures are warm.
There are two rainy seasons: the long rains extend from mid-March to early May, with the majority of the rain in April. Evenings can be cool or even cold.
The short rains are from early November to mid December - during this period the rain is not constant but falls in heavy showers during the day.
The hottest months are December to February.
Around Mount Kilimanjaro there is often snowfall overnight in January and February, and freezing cold nights in July and August.
Guide and local team
All guides are qualified and professionally trained, with good knowledge about Tanzania’s fauna and flora. A keen interest is taken in the smaller creatures as well as bigger game. The cultural visits bring in knowledge of medicinal and traditional beliefs about Tanzania’s trees and plants.
Out on safari the lead guide is either armed or carries a bullwhip and communicate over radios and cellphones, with a mobile station in each vehicle
Tips
Tipping in Tanzania is common and well received when you are happy with the service. We recommend $25-40 per day per day per person (for the whole team), but it is left at your discretion.
Packing list
Head
- Equus Journeys strongly recommend that you wear a riding helmet and that you take your own to ensure a correct fit.
-Sunhat for when not riding
- Sunglasses - with a cord attached so they don't fly off when riding
- Buff or bandana
Upper body
- Long sleeved shirts provide protection from the sun and thorns
- T-shirts
- Fleece, jumper or jacket - the evenings can be cold
- Waterproof jacket - the rains can be difficult to foresee and it's better to be prepared
- Casual clothes for the evening
Legs
- Lightweight, comfortable riding trousers or jodhpurs - we recommend riding in them at home before taking them on holiday to ensure they don't rub
- Shorts for lazy lunchtimes
- Casual clothes for the evening
Hands and Feet
- Comfortable riding boots. We recommend short boots with half chaps but you may wish to take long chaps to protect against thorns. We don't recommend taking your favourite long leather boots in case they get damaged
- Sandals, flip-flops or trainers for moving around the lodge and camp
- Gloves - your hands are particularly exposed to the sun whilst riding
Nightwear
Our Recommendations
- Please don't take a hard sided suitcase. Your luggage should be soft sided for easy transportation between camps.
- Wherever possible you should wear neutral colours, such as beige, brown or natural bush colours for riding as bright colours, such as red, yellow or white can startle the wildlife and they will see you long before you've seen them
- We recommend travelling in your riding boots and carrying your hat and some riding clothes in your hand luggage - then if your luggage goes astray you are still able to ride!
Other useful items
- Waterbottle to keep in the saddlebags
- Swimsuit - for the Lake Natron ride
- Towel. A camping towel will both dry quicker and pack lighter
- Binoculars for viewing game
- Camera and high capacity memory card. Spare battery
- Bumbag for carrying your camera and small items whilst riding
- Headtorch or small torch for moving around camp at night
In your luggage
- Any liquids, such as shampoo, moisturiser, deodorant unless they are less than 100ml and all bottles can fit in a small, clear, plastic ziplock bag
In your hand luggage
- Any valuables, such as your camera, ipod, ipad etc.
- Your riding hat
Medical kit
- Sunscreen and lip balm - must be high factor
- Insect repellent, preferably containing deet
- Any medication you regularly take
- Blister plasters in case of any rubs
- Antiseptic cream, plasters, aspirin, anti-histamine, insect-bite salve etc...
- Spare prescription glasses/contact lenses
- Ear plugs, particularly if you are a light sleeper
- Anti malarial tablets and Yellow Fever Certificate (check with your doctor)
