The Faces of East Africa

Itinerary

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

Day 2 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.

Day 3: Meet and Greet
Today you will transfer to your base which is located in the heart of Njoro village. 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. You will meet some of the most important people of the village and get a tour of your new home as well as the projects that you will be working on for the week.

Day 4: 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 the summer that will benefit the students of Poli Primary School, which is located in Njoro Village. 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 building two new classrooms for the school and painting the classrooms that Rustic Pathways' students built last year. 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 5, 6, 7, & 8
During the next four 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 school 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 village teams play a soccer match or set up a match with the local students. Another afternoon your group might explore the surrounding area, perhaps taking an enjoyable hike to a nearby waterfall or visit homes in the community to learn how to cook traditional dishes!

Day 9: Goodbye Africa
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 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.  We will make the transfer back to Arusha for lunch.

If you are departing to the USA tonight, your afternoon will include a stroll through the streets of Arusha with staff checking out the local markets that are filled with high quality crafts for 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 (Day 10) morning.

 

Faces of Eastern Africa Packing List
All of the items below are guidelines. Here is the packing list for the Faces of Eastern Africa. 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. Keep in mind, it is Tanzania's winter time so temperature during the day is around (65-75) and cool and at night (50-60). If you have any questions about the Faces of Eastern Africa packing list please feel free to email our Tanzania team at tanzania@rusticpathways.com.

Travel Documents:
Valid passport
Copy of passport
Airline Ticket

Carry-On Luggage:
Wallet
Spare T-Shirt
Sunglasses
Toothpaste/ Toothbrush
Camera
Journal and Pens
Medications
Contact lenses and accompanying paraphernalia

Checked Luggage:
1x Blue Jeans
8x Underwear
5x Socks
4x T-Shirts
1x Long Sleeve T-Shirt
3x Shorts
1x Heavy Hooded Sweatshirt
1x Sweat Pants
1x Lightweight Rain Coat or Poncho
1x Woolen Hat
1x Tennis Shoes or Sneakers
1x Sandals or Flip-Flops
Personal First Aid Kit
Flashlight with spare batteries

Personal Items:
Toiletries Bag
1x Towel
Sun screen and lip protection, SPF 30+

Optional Items:
Camera Binoculars
Notebook & Pen
Deck of Cards
Frisbee or Hackysack
MP3 Player
Reading Material
Musical Instrument (Guitars and Harmonicas)
Power Converter

 

1 - Will the students be drinking purified water?
Yes, Rustic Pathways will provide bottled water for the entire program.

2 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
Upon arrival, you will be able to purchase a visa from the immigration officer. You do not need to obtain a visa before your trip.  If you are an American citizen, you need to bring $100 USD with them (other nationalities need $50 USD). *Note: Make sure the bills are clean, undamaged and printed after the year 2000.*

3 - What will the accommodation on this trip be like?
Students will be staying in a a guesthouse directly in the village.  Western toilets, warm water showers and school children as neighbors.

4 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
As a company, we are unable to advise students as to which type of immunizations they should receive, however we do recommend that you check on the World Health Organization’s website, the Center for Disease Control website or speak with a local travel clinic doctor for the latest information.

5 - What costs are not included on this trip?
We recommend students bring spending money for souvenirs, extra snacks and if so desired, their safari guide. *Rustic Pathways guides do not, under any circumstances, accept monetary gifts/tips.

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 in Tanzania as well as their return flight home.

7 - How does this program connect to other programs?
Due to lack of airline connectivity and Tanzania's geographical location, it is difficult to connect to the other countries in which we operate. We suggest any student interested in connecting programs, first return home and join the following week's group flight. 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 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. They do a wonderful job of creating familiar dishes for the students, while also fixing the occasional local meal. Meals typically include soup, salad, main course and dessert.  Special circumstances, such as being a vegetarian, can be accommodated.

10 - Is the itinerary different from last year?
Yes, there have been a couple small changes to the program, namely the accommodation moving into the village as well as several new cultural activities.