Project Activities | Itinerary | Price | Trip Reviews | Prior Trip Reports | Safety
Volunteer in Tanzania!
A land vibrant in cultural diversity, world-renowned for wide-open savannahs, lush tropical mountain forests, the Great Rift Valley and Mt. Kilimanjaro, Northern Tanzania is best known for its abundant natural resources, wildlife safaris, and home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Join us as we gain an appreciation for the people, local cultural heritage, and the highland and forest environments they call home while helping to preserve and restore the incredible ecosystems and landscapes near Lake Manyara National Park, part of the Great Rift Valley Escarpment, and in the Rau Reserve in Moshi Town at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Desertification is one of Tanzania’s biggest challenges due to climate change and deforestation caused by population growth. Our trip’s volunteer projects focus on reforestation and trail restoration in the highlands of the Great Rift Valley and at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in the northern part of Tanzania.
Our volunteer projects will support developing a sustainable environment for future generations. The trees we plant will help mitigate climate change, protect water sources, improve water quality, and reduce erosion. Providing shelter for wildlife, the trees promote biodiversity. Reforestation also provides space for the local community’s well-being.
Working in collaboration with local community organizations, our volunteer activities could include planting indigenous trees, growing rare trees in a nursery, collecting seeds, and carrying out essential surveys to monitor forest regeneration. We may also build a fence to protect and preserve natural resource land and remove non-native species. We will also help restore trails in the Rau Forest Reserve and learn about local forest restoration from an expert land manager.
Volunteer trips offer the opportunity to experience the land and interact with the local community in a unique way not available to the average tourist.
No prior experience is required! We will provide project training. You should be able to hike with a day pack, climb hills, move soil or rock with a shovel, pull unwanted vegetation, or carry stones. As always, our priority is your health and safety.
Look through the tabs on the left for more details about the itinerary, price, and gear list
Day 1: “Karibu Tanzania Rafiki” Introductions, Dinner & Orientation
Welcome to Tanzania, friend! Our volunteer trip begins at 4:30 p.m. at our lodge in Arusha. We will have an orientation meeting where you will meet your ConservationVIP® Trip Leaders, fellow volunteers, and local guide and get an overview of the exciting time ahead, including the history of Tanzania and its people after British Colonialism, thru independence to modern times. We will have an introductory lesson to the languages of Swahili and Iraqw (a Cushitic language) for an engaging exchange!
Day 2: Drive to Karatu and Gekrum Village. Keep an eye out for wildlife along the way!
After breakfast, we depart the lodge for the 2 ½ hour drive to our lodge in Karatu, with rest stops along the way. After checking into our lodging, we will make the 30-minute drive to our project site at Gekrum Village, which borders Lake Manyara National Park. Here we will be met by Gekrum Village members, a Cushitic community near our project site, with whom we will be working. We will enjoy a community welcome lunch, orientation and volunteer project overview.
Then we will begin preparations for our reforestation project. After our initial work is complete, we will return to the lodge for dinner.
Day 3: Reforestation Project with the Gekrum Community
We depart the lodge after breakfast for the project site, a short drive away at Gekrum Village. Our projects will vary throughout the week and may include removing non-native species, preparing the soil for planting, planting native plants, collecting water and watering, and mixing fertilizer. This may involve hiking 1 – 3 miles round trip per day. After our projects end for the day, generally around 4:30 p.m., you will have a little time to relax before dinner.
Day 4: Rest Day – Lake Manyara National Park
Today is a rest day. You can rest and relax on your own, enjoying the hotel grounds, or you can explore Lake Manyara National Park on safari. Our volunteer project helps to create a natural buffer zone between the village and Lake Manyara National Park which abuts Gekrum Village.
The safari to Lake Manyara National Park offers you the opportunity to see how our volunteer project in Gekrum helps to conserve The Great Rift Valley. Within its numerous microclimates, Lake Manyara National Park encloses a diverse range of landscapes and animal populations which mirror those of many different parts of Tanzania. We will enjoy lunch in the park. Later we return to the lodge to freshen up before dinner
Day 5: Reforestation Project Work with the Gekrum Community
Today, we return to the project site for tree planting work and have a celebration with our Gekrum Community Partners before saying goodbye. We return to the lodge for dinner.
Day 6: “Kwaheri Karatu, Habari Moshi” (Goodbye Karatu, Hello Moshi)
After an early breakfast, there will be an introduction to the next partner on our journey and a briefing on our upcoming activities at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro! Then, we will depart the lodge for the day-long journey northeast to the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro and our next project site. We will stop along the way for lunch and refreshments, then continue to our hotel in Moshi.
Days 7-9: Moshi and Rau Forest Reserve Reforestation and Trail Maintenance.
We begin our Rau Forest Reserve project with an expert land manager’s orientation about the Rau Forest Reserve, including visiting the community adjacent to the forest and learning about the local culture.
During our time at Rau Forest Reserve, we will engage in a variety of activities including planting indigenous trees, preparing the tree planting site, working in the tree nursery, forest trail clean-up, and maintaining trails.
The projects may involve hiking 1- 3 miles per day. After our projects end for the day, generally around 4:30 p.m., we return to the lodge before dinner. After dinner is your free time to relax and unwind.
Day 10: Kiviwama Day & Celebration Dinner
Today we head back to the Rau Forest Reserve and meet up with our partners from Kiviwama, who will lead us in planting trees in the Njoro Juu Water Spring’s natural springs. Kiviwama (Young Activists in Environment affiliate in Moshi) was formed in 1999 during the national water week when the nation motivated the citizens to plant and care for these indigenous trees that are water friendly. After our work is complete, we return to the hotel to refresh and relax before dinner.
Before we say goodbye to our Rafiki (friends) in Tanzania, we will come together for a meal to celebrate our work together.
Day 11: Kwaheri Rafiki! Day of Departure.
Our trip ends after breakfast this morning. You may join the transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport or opt to extend your stay in Tanzania with a safari in one of the many national parks and reserves.
Note: Although we do our very best to adhere to the schedule above, the itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control, including weather and terrain conditions. Project details may vary with each volunteer travel experience according to the local needs at the time the trip takes place. Details are often finalized or revised after the group arrives and the trip leaders review the conditions at the site in light of the capabilities and special interests of the volunteers.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING AIR TRAVEL: Before purchasing your airline tickets, please check with us to ensure the trip has the necessary minimum number of participants required to operate.
$5,175 for 11 days: single supplement is an additional $300 (subject to availability)
(Note: Your trip expense may be tax-deductible. Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page and consult your tax advisor for details.)
Price includes:
- Trip Leadership and support staff for volunteer activities
- Local Guides
- All meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 11
- Hotel accommodations
- All transportation as noted on the itinerary
- Project tools and supplies, including purchase of trees and planting supplies
- All orientation and training as noted on the itinerary
- Park entrance fees
Price does not include:
- International airfare to/from Tanzania
- Visa fees
- Breakfast or Lunch on Day 1
- Meals after breakfast on the day of departure
- Medical immunizations
- COVID – 19 testing (if necessary)
- Insurance (emergency medical and evacuation insurance is mandatory)
- Excess baggage charges
- Airport taxes
- Snacks not noted in the itinerary
- Alcoholic beverages or soft drinks
- Personal items
Deposit and Cancellation
A deposit of $800 per person for a shared room ($900 for a single room) is required at the time of signup; final payment is due at 90 days prior to departure. The payment and refund policy can be found here.
Group Size: 8-10 plus trip leaders
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The opportunity to work closely with local individuals who care about their world was particularly rewarding. The hard work and commitment of local people was inspiring and I was touched by the gratitude displayed for the small contribution we made. I am impressed with the work that Maggie from Maggie's Tours is doing with local villagers near Gekrom (sp?) out of Arusha. The young women she is mentoring will benefit from her gentle guidance and leadership. I would recommend persons interested in a trip to Tanzania to consider this CVIP opportunity.
Great camaraderie developed quickly amongst a small group of like-minded individuals. The projects provided a great opportunity to work side by side with our Tanzanian partners and to observe and participate in cultural exchanges that typical tourist trips don't allow. The tree planting and trail clearing were physically demanding but not excessively so. While many of the volunteers felt we could have done more, it was gratifying to observe how appreciative our hosts were. The project location was very well situated to allow for independent safari travel preceding or following the volunteer trip. The weather was more comfortable than anticipated in terms of temperature, humidity, and rainfall, and there were surprisingly few bothersome insects. All in all this was an excellent first-for-the-region trip.
This was definitely a trip of a lifetime for us. We were able to give back to a community that was dedicated in addressing deforestation and climate change. The village members were so appreciative of Conservation VIP volunteers who were there to help them and showed their appreciation with a celebration on our last day with them. So thoughtful of them to do so. We planted a lot of trees between the village and at the RAU National Forest, including the unique Baobob tree. For the inaugural trip to Tanzania we felt everything was run smoothly for us volunteers. We are looking forward to future trips with Conservation VIP.
The key to staying comfortable while on an active trip is layering. To get maximum comfort with minimum weight, you need versatile layers that mix and match to create the right amount of insulation, ventilation, and weather protection. The gear list has been created to help you in choosing your equipment for the trip. View the Tanzania Gear List pdf.
Please click the link below to view Trip Report.
ConservationVIP has always focused on our volunteers’ safety. The COVID-19 pandemic heightened that focus. Traveling with COVID safety concerns requires some extra planning and flexibility both for trip leaders and trip participants!
While on the trip, participants may have to follow procedures such as mask-wearing and social distancing as instructed by the trip leader. More specific safety instructions will be provided to those registered for the trip.
Participants will also have to comply with any restrictions imposed by Tanzania and their country of origin at the time of travel. While we know that the restrictions may change between now and the time of travel, we cannot predict what those changes will be. Here is a link to the COVID information page on the U.S. Embassy website in Tanzania.
