South Africa And Tanzania Gap Year (800) 321-4353

Africa has mesmerized the world for generations, with its stunning scenery, ancient civilizations, and unique wildlife. Stampedes of elephants and herds of antelope and zebras roam the plains, lions and cheetahs lurk in shady seclusion, and hefty hippos wade in murky pools. Led by a team of professional guides, cooks, and porters, students hike Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest freestanding volcano and Africa’s highest mountain. Work closely with Tanzanian village leaders to design projects that will have positive environmental impact in their communities. Set out on a 3-day safari through the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater National Parks with ample opportunity to spot the Big Five animals: lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinos. This is one of the most spectacular events in Africa, and gives students a chance to fully immerse themselves into the wild. Next, Spend a relaxing week enjoying the unique lifestyle, culture, and beautiful landscape that is Zanzibar. Zanzibar’s brilliant white beaches lapped by the warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean provide the perfect place to relax soak up the sun and take a break after climbing Kilimanjaro and participating in our service projects.

Special Note: Scheduled Gap Year programs generally include all breakfasts, and about half of the lunches and dinners during your program. Students are responsible for getting themselves to the starting point for their gap year program. Internal transportation and all accommodation and included tours, activities, admissions, and fees are included as stipulated in the itinerary. For more details and further information about our gap year programs, please email our Gap Year Guru Marc Bartholemew at marc@rusticpathways.com.

Tanzania Gap Year Itinerary- (30 days)

Marangu Route up Kilimanjaro: The most commonly utilized route, Marangu is popular with first time hikers. The route illustrates Kilimanjaro’s progressive changes in scenery from rainforest, extensive moorland and alpine desert, until the eventual climb up loose gravel to the snowline on the lip of this dormant volcano’s peak.

Day 1: Meet and Greet Welcome to Arusha, Tanzania.
On arrival you will transfer to our overnight accommodation where you will get to know the staff and have a briefing about the climb.

Day 2: Arusha to Mandara- 1280m to 2740m
The day starts with an early drive from Arusha to the Marangu gate. After registering at the park gates we begin trekking through rainforest, until we reach our first base camp of Mandara. Hike Time: 3-4hrs Distance: 7kms Day

3 & 4: Mandara to Horombo- 2740m to 3700m
After breakfast, leave the confines of the rainforest, and continue trekking past Maundi Crater into open rolling moorlands where you will get your first clear view of towering Kilimanjaro in the distance. Our base camp for the next two nights is Horombo. (We will take an extra day at Horombo hut for acclimatization.) Hike Time: 4-5hrs Distance: 11kms

Day 5: Horombo to Kibo- 3700m to 4700m
After a good night’s rest trek past the last water point to reach Kibo Saddle. This is a broad desert zone between the two peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. Early to bed tonight as the summit awaits us early tomorrow morning. Hike Time: 6-7hrs Distance: 10kms

Day 6: Kibo to Summit- 4700m to 5895m
Our summit approach starts at midnight, after a snack we precede to the summit through Gilman’s point (18,640ft). It is about 5-6hours from Kibo hut to Gilman’s point and from Gilman’s point to Uhuru Peak (19,340ft) is 1-2 hours. Thus reaching the peak in the early morning of the seventh day will arrive just in time to watch the sunrise. After some awesome picture taking on the Rooftop of Africa we start descending to Horombo hut for dinner and an overnight stay. Hike Time: 5-7hrs Distance: 4kms Summit to Horombo- 5895m to 3700m Hike Time: 4-6hrs Distance: 14kms

Day 7: Horombo to Arusha- 3700m to 1280m
Today is spent descending to Marangu Gate where it all started from. You will be presented with your certificate of accomplishment before transferring back to Arusha for some well deserved rest and relaxation. Hike Time: 5-7hrs Distance: 18kms Accommodation: Lodge

Day 8: Arusha and Relaxing
We spend the day relaxing, doing some shopping in Arusha for souvenirs and enjoying the chance to recount some of the wonderful memories we have of the last few days. Arusha is a small African town nestled in the shadow of Mount Meru with commanding views of the mighty Kilimanjaro.

Day 9: Let the Work Begin
Today will be your first full day of service work. You will be taking part in a number of different community service projects throughout your time that will benefit the neighboring villages outside of Arusha. Project work during the course of your program may involve participation in a variety of initiatives. You can expect to spend time within the local schools, tutoring students in English, helping with classroom activities and getting involved with local sporting events. Other projects will involve repairs and maintenance to school buildings, construction of new amenities or upgrading of present facilities. You can also expect to spend time working on a program planting trees around Kilimanjaro to address the problems caused by over-harvesting valuable Blackwood trees. As well as teaching the locals about hygiene, dental care and general medical issues. Your time of this program of service will be varied, interesting, challenging and extremely rewarding and worthwhile. At the conclusion of each afternoon’s work you will return to the base house for the evening.

Days 10 to 14: Village Life in Tanzania
During the next four days your focus will primarily be on the projects you are undertaking for your time in Africa. Each morning and afternoon, you will be assigned a specific project, you will then work alongside and under the guidance of a Rustic Pathways staff member and various members of the local community that take an interest in the projects. The description contained here should give you a good idea of what may happen during your stay. After your morning project you will typically continue your work for a few hours after lunch and then your group may head off to watch the local village children play a soccer match. Another afternoon you might explore the surrounding area, perhaps taking an enjoyable hike to a neighboring waterfall or a stroll through the streets of Arusha with staff checking out the local curio markets that are filled with high quality crafts and see Maassi warriors in full regalia.

Day 15: Safari Time
Today we set out on a full day of wildlife spotting in Arusha National Park. This is one of the most spectacular events in Africa, and gives you a chance to fully immerse yourself into the wild. This is an incredible opportunity to get up close and personal with Africa’s native wildlife, and discover the true beauty of nature in this magnificent country.

Days 16 to 18: The Work Must Go On!
Each morning you will continue with the community service projects. Afternoon activities will depend on your rate of progress and several afternoons may also be full of work. The days most always end with an incredible Tanzanian sunset.

Days 19 to 20: The Big Five
We head off for the next two days to one of Africa’s best-known wildlife viewing areas, Ngorongoro Crater. The park is inhabited by vast herds of wildebeest, huge populations of elephant and buffalo, as well as diverse herd animals and their predators – all spread out across the savanna. Here you’ll witness the incredible ecological diversity, and animals living as they have for millennia. All these animals interact and roam freely, and the vegetation and bird life is as fascinating as the big game.

Days 21 to 22: More Exciting Projects
For the next two days it is back to participating in community and environmental service projects. When not engaged in village service projects, you will have the opportunity to learn unique customs, traditions, and some basic Swahili language.

Days 23: Goodbye Village Life
This morning will be the conclusion of your service work within the local villages. A time for farewells and best wishes and a chance to reflect on the experiences and memories which have encapsulated themselves in the heart of you over such a seemingly short period of time. Incredible friendships are made that will be cherished for many years to come.

Day 24: Head to the Island of Spice
This morning we will drive to Arusha airport and fly to Zanzibar, where ancient Islamic ruins, noble Arabic houses, and white, sandy, palm-fringed beaches coexist. We will spend the afternoon visiting the multitude of historical buildings in Stone Town. Building to see include: Forodhani Gardens, The Palace Museum, St Joseph's Cathedral, Arab Fort, House of Wonders, Durajani Bazaar and many more.

Day 25: Sun, Sand and Relaxing
Today will be spent relaxing on one of the island's most pristine beaches. Enjoy a day at the beach for snorkeling, sailing, or taking an optional scuba-diving excursion.

Day 26: A Spice of Life
Zanzibar is known as the spice island, and today we will visit where the various spices are grown and harvested. We will have the pleasure of seeing cinnamon trees, nutmeg trees, vanilla trees (believe it or not) and the likes. You will be asked to smell and taste various spices and guess what they are, as well as witness harvesters climbing huge trees with no harnesses or protection, to bring down coconuts for your delight.

Day 27: Day of Sailing to Prison Island
Earning its name as a former prison for slaves and a quarantine station for Zanzibar and the mainland nowadays the island gives you the chance to escape for some peace and quiet. The island lies just off the Old Stone Town and is home to giant tortoises that were imported from the Seychelles in the late 19th century. It is fringed with a beautiful coral reef, ideal for snorkeling, and has a lovely white beach for sunbathing.

Day 28: Explore Jozani Forest
Today we head off for Jozani forest which is a protected forest and is home to some of our primate cousins. The Red Colobus monkey are indigenous only to Zanzibar and there are about 2300 in and around the forest. We will explore this amazing forest by foot.

Day 29: Wild Dolphins
This morning we will drive from Stone Town to Kizimkazi a small village to the southern point of the island which will take us one hour. The surface of the Kizimkazi channel is broken by the skimming arcs of wild bottle-nosed dolphins. Here you are taken by an outboard engine boat into the sea to see the dolphins, and if lucky you will be able to swim quite close with them, as they are very friendly and playful. Please note that the dolphins at Kizimkazi are wild but there is an 85% chance of seeing these animals.

Day 30: Arusha and Relaxing
We spend our final day relaxing, doing some last minute shopping in Arusha for souvenirs and enjoying the chance to recount some of the wonderful memories we have of the last 30 days.

An Important Note about Schedule Changes: Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.

Tanzania Gap Year FAQ's

Do we need to get visas for this program?
All visitors require a visa except citizens of some African and commonwealth countries. A visa will be obtained on arrival into Kilimanjaro International Airport. All that is required to obtain the visa is a passport and $1000USD. It’s important to have the correct amount of money as getting change can be difficult. All students will be informed about this fee and should have $100 with them. Passports must be valid for at least six months.

What will the accommodation on this trip be like?
This trip will stay in a variety of accommodations, please see descriptions below. Overall, the accommodations will always be clean, comfortable, and safe. While doing community service: The grounds are made up of 8 Country Style Bungalow’s and in the middle of it all is the large outdoor eating/meeting area. Each bungalow has its own shower and toilet and can sleep up to 4 students. The rooms are made up of 4 single beds with a small deck outside with table and chair’s. Each bungalow is decorated in African art. We will provide all students with a mosquito net to sleep in because we are nice people. While climbing Kilimanjaro: The 6 nights on the mountain are spent in small basic wooden huts. All that’s in the huts are 4 thin mattresses and a light. “Very rustic and cold”! While touring Zanzibar: This resort is quiet and full of character and has an internal courtyard and rooftop restaurant. Each room is unique and all are decadently decorated to give an idea of what Zanzibar must have been like in its heyday. Each room has its own shower and toilet and can sleep up to 3 students. Mosquito nets will be provided for all students.

Will the students be drinking bottled water?
Yes, students will need to use bottled water for drinking. What kind of food will we be eating? The students will eat a mixture of western and traditional foods. Most of the produce and seafood is grown and caught locally or brought from the local markets. Meals sizes are pretty big and you can always go back for more. Example of the daily meals: Breakfast: Cereal, eggs, toast and fruit Lunch: Cake (home made), fruit and sandwiches Dinner: Dinners are a 3 course meal. Soup then maybe pasta, fish, chicken, curries, salads, banana stew and then dessert.

How long is the flight to this country?
Tanzania is approximately 17 hours via a stop-over in Amsterdam from New York.

What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
All Rustic Pathways students are required to have an up-to-date tetanus shot. We suggest Hepatitis A and B and Typhoid vaccinations depending on a student’s medical background and recommend that you consult a doctor regarding immunizations for travel to the region. You can find additional information on immunizations for travel from the US Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov or the World Health Organization at www.who.org.

How often can I do laundry?
We’ll be able to wash our clothes once a week.

Are the mosquitoes a problem?
There are mosquitoes during some portions of our trip. They’re usually not too bad, but you will want to have a long sleeve shirt and long pants in the evenings. Also bring a small bottle of insect repellent containing DEET.

What is the weather like?
Zanzibar and the coastal areas are hot and humid and average daily temperatures hover in the 30°C range. In the Kilimanjaro area, temperatures vary from 15°C. As you head to the peaks of Kilimanjaro, temperatures can drop to below freezing, especially at night. The climate is temperate in the northern national parks and Arusha. The central plateau suffers a dry and arid climate with hot days and cool nights. For the country as a whole the hottest months are October to February. The long rains fall between March and May and the shorter wet season falls in November.

How often will I have access to email and phones?
Phones will be available nearly every day and Internet access will be frequent. The only exception is during the trekking portion, when students will be out of phone and email contact. Guides will have phone access in the event of an emergency.

What costs are not included on this trip?
Students are responsible for paying for half of their lunches and half of their dinners. This is to allow a flexibility of choice in meals and free time to enjoy with new friends. Other costs not included in the trip are Internet access, travel insurance, medical insurance,medical expenses, International Airfare, alcoholic beverages, laundry, small donations to organizations, temples, charities, souvenirs and excessive snacks (like five Red Bulls a day).

How hard is the climb?
The students that take part in climbing Kilimanjaro hike the Marangu Route up Kilimanjaro. This is the most commonly utilized route; Marangu is popular with first time hikers. The route illustrates Kilimanjaro progressive changes in scenery from rainforest, extensive moorland and alpine desert, until the eventual climb up loose gravel to the snowline on the lip of this dormant volcano’s peak. This Trek up Mount Kilimanjaro is a non-technical climb, any person with good physical fitness and mental health can attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the highest free standing mountain in the World.