2027 Tanzania Photography Safari
The April 2027 photography trip is now open!
There is room for 5 guests on this trip. We keep the groups small so that we can all share our own private safari truck, and we do our best to matchmake groups that will have a blast together.
All levels of photography experience welcome! Aaron will meet with guests before the trip to help you pick a camera or learn how best to use the one you have. You'll get hands-on photography support & tips from Aaron every day on safari. Photography/photo editing classes and one-on-one feedback sessions are built into the trip.
If you would like a spot, email us at: aaron@twodustytravelers.com
Here are all the details:
DATES:
April 9-17, 2027 in Tanzania
Plan extra time for air travel depending on where you're coming from.
You will fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (airport code JRO).
ACCOMMODATIONS:
One night at Kilimanjaro Airport Planet Lodge
Five nights at Mvuli Mountain Lodge Ngorongoro
Two night at Serengeti Classic View Camp inside Serengeti National Park (it's called a "camp" but you will not be camping - the rooms are very nice, with running water and hot showers)
Mvuli Mountain Lodge is a lovely locally-owned boutique lodge nestled in lush hills near Ngorongoro Crater and the town of Karatu. They have a delicious restaurant and a pool.
Each of you will have your own private room with beautiful views of the forest and starry night skies (unless you prefer a shared room).
Itinerary
Subject to minor changes
Day 1 - Arrival
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where Aaron and Rapha (your local guide) will meet you! Overnight at Airport Planet Lodge.
Day 2 - Tarangire National Park
We’ll hit the ground running with our first day on safari! After breakfast, we’ll drive three hours to Tarangire National Park, with lots of opportunities to glimpse life in Tanzania along the way.
Tarangire is the park is for elephant lovers! This is a great place to practice with your camera, fine tune your settings, and get warmed up doing wildlife photography.
After our safari, we’ll drive two hours to Mvuli Mountain Lodge. Have dinner at Mvuli, settle into your room, and download your photos.
Day 3 - Karatu & Photography Workshops
Sleep in after the previous busy day and have a leisurely breakfast, followed by our first photography workshop.
After the group workshop, Aaron will host individual sessions to work on your photography goals, fine tune your camera settings, and get ready for your upcoming Serengeti safari.
If you have free time, you can explore the town of Karatu, go on a hike, or tour a local coffee farm (cost not included).
Overnight at Mvuli Mountain Lodge.
Day 4 - Serengeti National Park
We'll depart early in the morning for the Serengeti! This will be a long day of driving with opportunities for wildlife viewing and photography throughout.
Overnight at Serengeti Classic View Camp within the national park (sleeping in the Serengeti, surrounded by the sounds of wildlife, is a truly special experience.)
Day 5 - Serengeti National Park
ALL DAY GAME DRIVE
We’ll start early with a sunrise safari in Serengeti. This is when carnivores are most active and the light is fantastic for photos.
You never know what a day in Serengeti will bring - each safari is its own special experience. Rapha, our fantastic local guide, will use his expertise to find us the best wildlife sightings.
Overnight at Serengeti Classic View Camp.
Day 6 - Serengeti National Park
We’ll spend the first half of our day on safari in Serengeti, then make our way back to Karatu. Just like on the drive here, the route passes through conservation areas so there are many opportunities for wildlife spotting throughout the day.
We’ll return to Mvuli Mountain Lodge to spend the night. Start your Serengeti photos downloading!
Day 7 - Karatu & Photo Workshops
Sleep in and have a slow morning after our full days in Serengeti.
We’ll start the day with a photo editing workshop, followed by individual sessions to get any feedback and/or hands-on help editing the photos you’ve taken so far.
We’ll leave plenty of time for downloading, choosing, and editing photos (it takes longer than you might think!). If you have free time, you can explore the town of Karatu, go on a hike, or tour a local coffee farm (cost not included).
In the evening, we’ll gather and share our favorite shots from the trip so far.
Overnight at Mvuli Mountain Lodge.
Day 8 - Ngorongoro Crater
We’ll set out before sunrise for our final safari: Ngorongoro Crater National Park (one of my favorite places on Earth).
Ngorongoro is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, created when a volcano exploded and collapsed in on itself 2-3 million years ago. The eruption left behind a 10-mile-wide crater that is now covered in grassland and home to a stunning variety of wildlife.
Ngorongoro is home to some of the world’s highest concentrations of predators, with the crater wall offering a beautiful background for wildlife photos in every direction.
We’ll have our final dinner together and a celebration sharing our favorite photos from the trip!
Overnight at Mvuli Mountain Lodge.
Day 9 - Farewell!
We’ll check out of Mvuli Mountain Lodge and drive about four hours back to Kilimanjaro International Airport.
You are welcome to extend your trip if you want to stay longer - just let me know and I’ll help facilitate!
What we provide:
Aaron Reddecliffe, your trip leader and photography instructor, will be with you every step of the way.
A personal relationship with our local guide. You'll start on day one feeling like you're with friends because we are close with our local contacts and they love to see our groups coming!
Trip planning & payment: We'll organize your itinerary and accommodations, and take care of payment.
Our very thorough Tanzania Travel FAQs document, which we’re constantly adding to (including info about travel health, a packing list, and helpful Swahili vocabulary).
Visa application instructions and help booking flights as needed.
A WhatsApp group just for guests on this trip, so you can get to know each other and ask us questions any time.
1-2 Zoom meetings for trip planning. For prior groups, one several months in advance and another a few weeks before takeoff worked well.
Photography classes and hands-on support:
One individual Zoom with Aaron prior to liftoff, to help you choose a camera or learn how to best use the one you have
Photography & photo editing workshops in Tanzania
Two one-on-one sessions with Aaron in Tanzania, to help you fine tune any aspects of your photography
Hands-on photography support and tips from Aaron throughout every day on safari to help you perfect your photography in real time
Important Information
This trip will be an adventure, not a relaxing vacay! I’ve packed a lot into the itinerary because in my experience, guests want to see as much of Tanzania as possible in the time they have.
There will be a lot of driving on bumpy roads. That’s the nature of travel in East Africa! The distances are long, but the drives are anything but boring. Much of life is lived outside in Tanzania, so there’s a lot of culture and wildlife to see on your drives. There will also be several very early starts! Wildlife is most active in the early morning and evening, so safari days tend to start early.
I know that many of my followers are interested in COVID-cautious travel. I work to match up people who are comfortable with the same level of COVID precautions. For some groups that’s zero precautions; for others it's testing before departure, masking during air travel, etc. It’s important to me that groups have the same expectations so that everyone feels comfortable.
I trust the hosts and guides we work with implicitly.
Who You’ll Be Traveling With
Aaron Reddecliffe - Trip Leader
Aaron is an elementary school teacher and passionate wildlife photographer. He loves sharing his enthusiasm for photography with others and is a strong believer that you don’t need the most expensive equipment in order to take beautiful photos - the most important step is just to get out there and start shooting.
Aaron has traveled to East Africa many times, including living and working in Tanzania for several months. He is very much at home in this part of the world and loves introducing people to this extraordinary place.
You can see more of Aaron’s photography here
Raphael Ernest - Local Guide and Safari Partner
Born and raised in Tanzania, Rapha has spent years guiding travelers through Africa’s most iconic landscapes. With thorough knowledge of the parks and deep respect for wildlife, he creates truly special safaris tailored to his guest’s interests.
Rapha is more than a guide; he is also our close friend. We’ve spent countless days in Tanzania’s parks with him and he has made each one memorable. A budding photographer himself, he knows how to get in position for the perfect shot. With Rapha as your guide, you are guaranteed to leave not only with incredible memories and photos, but also a genuine personal connection to Tanzania.
Emily Scott - Trip Planner and Logistics (with you in spirit but not in person)
Emily will help organize and support this trip from our home base, though she can’t come along this time. She is a Registered Nurse and Africa enthusiast, having spent about two years on the continent over 19 different trips. She’s passionate about helping people discover what an incredible place Tanzania is.
Price:
$3950 per person
(All rooms are singles unless you prefer to share - please inquire for discounted price for a shared room)
If you would like a spot, email us at: aaron@twodustytravelers.com
Included:
Transport to and from Kilimanjaro International Airport
One night at Airport Planet Lodge (breakfast included)
Five nights and all meals at Mvuli Mountain Lodge Ngorongoro
Two nights and all meals at Serengeti Classic View Camp
Safaris in Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater
Private Land Cruiser and local driver/guide
National Park fees
Tips for lodge staff & guides
Not included:
Airfare
Lunch/dinner at Airport Planet Lodge
Alcoholic beverages
Travel immunizations/malaria prophylaxis
Travel visa
Extra activities on your free days
Payment Schedule:
A $1,000 deposit will be required to reserve your spot.
The remainder of your trip fees will be in two payments of $1475, due to me by September 1 and November 1.
Refund Policy:
Trip fees are non-refundable unless I can fill your spot. The closer we get to liftoff, the harder it is to replace guests so don’t hesitate to be in touch if there’s an issue. If I'm able to fill your place, I will refund your fees minus half of your deposit ($500). Thanks for understanding - I’d love to have a more flexible policy but I need to make this financially feasible for me and maintain a good relationship with our partners in Tanzania.
What Our Previous Guests Say
"LIFE. CHANGED. This was, hands down, the best trip of my life."
"Honestly words cannot accurately describe how much the trip meant to me. I truly wish more people could travel and experience cultures like this. I think we’d have a lot more kind humans if we did."
"It was a huge advantage that Emily knows the staff so well! It was incredible being treated like family the minute we stepped foot on site. I felt like the staff became family much quicker than normal because of her connection with them. This made the trip outstanding. I didn't expect to be so emotional saying goodbye to everyone when we drove away, but it indicated how impactful the week was for me."
"I didn’t expect to fall in love with the people at the lodge and the country so much. That’s never happened on a trip before. I knew it would be an amazing trip but thought it would be one and done. Now I cannot fathom not returning multiple times in the future."
"If you were at all hesitant to travel to Africa before this trip, you certainly won’t be once you are done, and above all you will be dreaming of how to get back to Africa as quickly as possible! Emily is such an amazing guide and her passion, knowledge and incredible organization make this trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone willing to get out of their comfort zone. If you are lucky enough to get the chance to take this trip, do it without hesitation."
