Building Tanzania's a Brighter Future Daily Itinerary

Day 1: Africa here we come!
All of Rustic Pathways scheduled group flights to Tanzania depart from New York. All scheduled group flights to Africa are escorted by a Rustic Pathways Flight Leader. The flight departs New York in the evening and takes about 16 hours.  During your flight take the time to get to know other students on your flight, get some sleep in preparation for your arrival into Africa. 

Day 2: Meet and Greet                                         
Jambo! Welcome to Tanzania. You will arrive into Arusha, Tanzania in the early evening and will transfer to the Rustic Pathways Base. Spend the night getting to know the staff and as part of your initial orientation, you will be taught many aspects of Tanzania protocols and expectations of behavior. The base accommodation is located 10mins outside of the main city of Arusha. The property has been set up for Rustic Pathways to have sole use of the Country Style Bungalow’s and grounds throughout the summer. Our student’s safety is our number one priority on all our programs.  

Day 3: Doing It For The Kids
Today will be your first full day of service work. The students will be taking part in a number of different Servicio comunitario projects throughout the summer that will benefit the neighboring villEdad outside of Kuratu.  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.  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 for the evening.

Days 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9: Projects
During the next six days your focus will primarily be on the projects your group is undertaking for your time in Africa.  Each morning and afternoon, you will be assigned a specific project, the team then works 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 your group might explore the surrounding area, perhaps taking an enjoyable hike to a neighboring village or checking out the local curio markets that are filled with high quality crafts.

Day10: Goodbye Africa                                                                          
This morning will be the conclusion of your service work within the Kuratu village.  A time for farewells and best wishes and a chance to reflect on the experiences and memories which have encapsulated themselves in the hearts of your group over such a seemingly short period of time. Incredible friendships are made that will be cherished for many years to come.

If you are departing to the USA tonight, your afternoon will be spent in Arusha shopping for any final gifts or souvenirs. After a final meal with your group, you travel to the airport and bid Tanzania farewell (until next year perhaps).  You will arrive back into New York on Thursday morning.

Building Tanzania’s Future Packing List

All of the items below are guidelines. Here is the packing list for Building Tanzania’s Future program. If you are doing a combination of trips over two or three weeks, be sure to check the packing lists for all sections of your trip to pack appropriately. You will have the opportunity to wash your clothing during your trip in Africa. The following are specific items required for each trip portion. Temperature during the day is around (65-75) and cool and at night (40-50). If you have any questions about Building Tanzania’s Futurepacking list please feel free to email our Africa team at africa@rusticpathways.com.

Travel Documents:
Valid passport
Airline Ticket

Carry-On Luggage:
Wallet/Purse
Spare T-Shirt
Sunglasses
Toothpaste/ Toothbrush
Camera
Journals and Pens

Checked Luggage:
1x Blue Jeans
8x Underwear
3x Socks
4x T-Shirts
1x Long Sleeve T-Shirt
3x Shorts
1x Heavy Hooded Sweatshirt
1x Sweat Pant
1x Lightweight Rain Coat or Poncho
1x Woolen Hat
Sun Hat
1x Tennis Shoes or Sneakers
1x Sandals or Flip-Flops
Personal First Aid Kit
Sunglasses
Flashlight with spare batteries
Sleeping Bag
Personal Items:
Toiletries Bag
1x Towel
Sun screen and lip protection, SPF 30+
Money Belt for valuables
Medications
Contact lenses and accompanying paraphernalia
Optional Items:
Camera                                                                                                                          Binoculars      
Notebook & Pen
Deck of Cards                                                                                                              
 Frisbee or Hackysack                                                                                                       
CD Walkman or Ipod.
Reading Material                                                                                                        
 Musical Instrument (Guitars and Harmonicas)

Building Tanzania’s Future:

1 - Will the kids be drinking bottled water?
Yes, Rustic Pathways will provide bottled water for drinking at all times.

2 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
To obtain a visa if you are an American citizen, your son/daughter needs to bring $100 USD with them (other citizens need $50 USD) for when they arrive into Tanzania.  At the arrival gate they will be able to pay the immigration officer and receive the necessary visa.  You do not need to obtain a visa before your trip.

3 - What will the accommodation on this trip be like?
Students will be staying on a coffee plantation in newly built four person rooms.  There are showers, sit down toilets and cots within each space.

4 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
We are unable to suggest any type of immunizations necessary for the trip, however you can check on the World Health Organization’s website, the Center for Disease Control website or speak with a local travel clinic doctor for more information.

5 - What costs are not included on this trip?
Souvenirs and snacks need to be taken into consideration.

6 - Will there be a flight leader to this country?
A flight leader will meet all the students at JFK and be with them until their arrival into Tanzania.  One will also be present on the return flight home.

7 - How does this program connect to other programs?
Tanzania’s geographical location makes it difficult to connect seamlessly with the other countries we operate in.  We suggest any student interested in connecting programs should first return home and wait for the following week until the next program begins.  This will allow enough time to smoothly integrate into the upcoming trip, without missing out on the first couple of days.

8 - How long is the flight to this country?
It is roughly about 19 hours.

9 - What kind of food will we be eating?
We have cooks that provide most of our meals and have worked with us for a number of years now.  They do a wonderful job of creating westernized dishes for the students, while also fixing the occasional local meal to try.  Special circumstances, such as being a vegetarian, can be accommodated.

10 - How many girls and boys are usually on this trip?
Generally speaking, there are usually more girls than boys, but it is difficult to say with each trip being different.