World Adventure Program Itinerary

Day 1

Pick-up from Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) and transfer to Moshi to your accommodation (you can choose between guesthouse and host family).

Day 2

First day at your volunteer placement! You can choose the area where you want to volunteer. You will see the different options further down this page. We will pick you up from your accommodation in the morning and take you to your volunteer organization. In the afternoon, you will be picked up again and given a roughly 2-hour tour of Moshi town center.

Day 3

Morning at your volunteer placement. In the afternoon, there will be a guided tour through the rice fields outside Moshi and a rainforest inhabited by many monkeys.

Day 4

Day trip to Materuni Waterfall and Materuni Village. The Materuni Waterfall, with a height of almost 150 m (500 ft), is the highest and most impressive waterfall on the slopes of Kilimanjaro in the Moshi area. From Materuni Village, we will walk about 30 minutes to the waterfall. The walk itself is interesting, as you will see some smaller waterfalls and many waterways that are part of the irrigation system used by local farmers who grow coffee, bananas, and various other fruits and vegetables.

At the waterfall, you can refresh yourself in the cool and crystal-clear water – don’t forget to bring your swimwear! Upon our return, we will have a late lunch in Materuni Village, followed by a short walk around the village to experience the typical life of the Chagga tribe. The village, located at an elevation of around 1300 m (4300 ft) above sea level, is set within a dramatic landscape of high rises and deep valleys, all covered by tropical rainforest. Accommodation is in Moshi Town at your accommodation of choice.

Days 5 - 6

Volunteering at your organisation.

Day 7

In the morning, start the 5-day safari from Moshi. On the first day of the safari, we drive from Moshi to Lake Manyara National Park (about a 4-hour drive). The lake is impressively framed by the hills of the East African Rift Valley. In the tall trees of the humid forest, monkeys swing from branch to branch, and elephants stand in the shade of acacia trees. You can also see many zebras, impalas, giraffes, hippos, and waterfowl. A lunch box is provided on the go. Dinner is in Karatu (Camping or Simple Lodge).

Day 8

On the second day of the safari, we drive through Olduvai Gorge to Serengeti National Park. Olduvai Gorge is a bizarre landscape that was formed over millions of years due to tectonic shifts. Significant remnants of early humans were found here, fundamental for understanding human evolution. On the way to the Serengeti, we see many wild animals such as wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, giraffes, elephants, antelopes, monkeys, and various bird species. A lunch box is provided on the way. In the late afternoon, we reach our accommodation in the Ikoma area, where we have dinner and stay overnight.

Day 9

On the third day of the safari, we spend the whole day in the world-famous Serengeti National Park, one of the most renowned national parks in the worl and Tanzania's oldest national park. The Serengeti is one of Africa’s most complex and least disturbed ecosystems, shifting from dusty summer dryness to green winter and lush spring. The Serengeti offers visitors a unique world: large herds of buffalo and wildebeest, elephants and giraffes, eland antelopes, impalas, and Grant's gazelles inhabit the park. On the way, we pass through the bizarre crater highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where between December and June, about 1.7 million wildebeest, 260,000 zebras, and 470,000 gazelles migrate. A lunch box is provided on the way. We spend the night again in the Ikoma area.

Day 10

After breakfast, we take a 30-minute drive from the lodge to Ngorongoro Crater. Ngorongoro Crater is the largest non-flooded volcanic crater on Earth, and one of the most important natural wonders of our planet. It is not only home to the endangered black rhino, but also lions, leopards, hyenas, antelopes, and flamingos. We will have a picnic lunch near the “Hippo Pool”. Then we return for dinner and stay at our accommodation in Karatu (Camping or Simple Lodge).

Day 11

On the fifth day of the safari, we visit Tarangire National Park. The landscape of Tarangire is different from the other national parks in northern Tanzania, with many baobab trees and thick bushes. There are many elephants and tree-climbing lions here. A lunch box is provided on the way. In the afternoon, we drive back to Moshi, and stay overnight at the accommodation of your choice in Moshi Town (guest house or host family).

Day 12

Morning free in Moshi. In the afternoon, visit Shah Industries, a workshop for souvenirs made from leather and horn, employing many people with disabilities. Accommodation in your chosen accommodation in Moshi.

Days 13 - 14

Two-day tour with an overnight stay in a Maasai village near Arusha. The Maasai will show you their traditional dance, their herds, their houses, their handicrafts, and their school, giving you insight into their culture and daily life. You sleep in a real Maasai house or alternatively in a tent. The next morning, you can milk the cows with the Maasai and then accompany the Maasai children to the river with a herd. Full catering is included. In the afternoon of the second day, we drive back to Moshi. Accommodation at your guest house or host family.

Day 15 - 18

Volunteering at your chosen placement. Accommodation and meals in your chosen accommodation.

Day 19

Full-day trip to the hot springs near Arusha. The water of these crystal-clear blue springs is heated to a pleasant 24 degrees Celsius by volcanic activity. Here you can bathe and relax. Accommodation and meals in your chosen accommodation in Moshi.

Day 20 - 21

Volunteering at your chosen placement. Accommodation and meals in your chosen accommodation.

Day 22

Transfer back to JRO airport.

Please note: You can book the program for any start date, but depending on other participants' bookings, we may adjust the program sequence slightly so that you can do the excursions and safari with other travelers.

Depending on your start date, the order of the days might also change if according to above itinerary, days described as "at your volunteer placement" fall on weekends, when your volunteer placement may be closed. We would then do the excursions on the weekends.

The order of the safari days can also be adjusted, depending on weather, animal migration patterns, and other factors. During holidays or exam times in educational institutions, we may need to switch to another facility.

Volunteer Placement Options:

Childcare and Education

You will be placed in a kindergarten, school, or youth center. You will spend time with children and support the local caregivers. Activities for younger children may include teaching simple English, numbers, the alphabet, singing, clapping, and circle games, sports, or dance. For older children, you might help with homework and organize activities. You may also assist with cooking, washing up, and tidying. You can also create and carry out your own activities (e.g., "toothbrushing workshop").

Facility for Children with Special Needs

At a day center for children with special needs, you can support local staff in special education or focus on movement, play, and sports, depending on your interest.

Veterinary Practice

In a veterinary practice, you can observe and support the veterinarians treating pets. Several times a week, the vets visit farms in the Kilimanjaro area to treat livestock such as cows, pigs, and goats, where you can join them. The practice also runs a pet food store, where you can help.

Tree Nursery, Planting Trees, and Making Paper

At the tree nursery, you will cultivate indigenous trees that are donated for reforestation of cleared areas. There are also seedlings for timber and fruit trees. During the rainy seasons (March to June and October to December), large tree planting activities often take place, often on school grounds. The tree nursery also produces handmade paper for artist supplies, which you can learn and participate in.