What a trip! Twenty-three Atlanta Outdoor Club members descended on Tanzania in May 2026 for ten days of game driving, cultural immersion, and experiences that are genuinely hard to put into words.

We started in Arusha with a game drive and canoe outing on Lake Momella in Arusha National Park — a great warm-up that set the tone for what was ahead. From there the itinerary moved through some of Tanzania's most iconic landscapes: the Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Eyasi, the Ndutu Woodlands, and ultimately the central Serengeti.

The wildlife was exceptional throughout. Lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, hippos, flamingos, and more birds than we could count. The Serengeti gave us front-row seats to the Great Migration — one of those things you have to see to believe.

The cultural experiences matched the wildlife. Spending a morning with the Hadzabe Bushmen — joining an actual hunt, retrieving wild honey from a tree, tasting natural yams — was unlike anything most of us had ever done. The Datoga blacksmiths and a traditional Maasai village added further depth to an already rich cultural picture. A visit to the Shalom Centre for Street Children, where we delivered suitcases of donated clothing and supplies and watched the kids open them, was quietly one of the most powerful moments of the whole trip.

Our outfitter, Adam Stephen of Top Nature Tanzania Safaris (topnaturetanzaniasafaris.com), delivered on every front. His naturalist knowledge, his relationships with the parks and lodges, and his genuine investment in making the trip special made a real difference. His team kept us safe, well-fed, and consistently in the right place at the right time.

Accommodations were well chosen throughout — highlights included the Ngorongoro Farm House, the stunning crater-rim views at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, and the Serengeti Serena Lodge overlooking the plains.

Tanzania delivered. The group was fantastic. We'd do it again in a heartbeat!