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Essential Destinations We believe that tourism is the answer to conservation of natural resources historical sites and beauty. We believe that human beings can become better people by experiencing their roots knowing the world as it has always been before them and how it has changed through them in historical times. Tourism can raise the funds to allow countries like Tanzania to keep more then 30 of its territory protected rather than consume it through crazy development. In the bush we believe in small light footed and well spread apart operations. This way further protection can be guaranteed to the ecosystems without interference with the natural orders. We take you to the most spectacular and interesting sites in Tanzania. Our mission is to show you those places you should not miss. Because of their astonishing beauty wild natural essence and it is testimony of our ancient steps of mankind. We have created or chosen eco-friendly properties or camps in Tanzanias most beautiful sites. They are designed to have a minimum impact on the environment while supporting conservation and helping to sustain local communities. Who we are Essential Destinations was created by a team of ecologists and biologists with the belief that the best way to keep Tanzanias wilderness truly wild is to champion respectful and sustainable eco-tourism. We are proud to support the restoration of historical sites as well as a number of elephant and lion research projects. SELOUS GAME RESERVE Rivers lakes and bush experience. The size of Switzerland Selous Game Reserve is an immense area of protected wilderness that has remained untouched for millions of years. The Selous Game Reserve is the largest protected wet wilderness area in Africa covering a total area of 54600 km2 21081 sq. miles almost 6 of Tanzanias land surface. The Selous is four times the size of the Serengeti. A large area of the reserve is drained by the Rufiji River There are over 2000 species of plants over 430 species of birds and 60 species of mammals. In 1982 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the diversity of its wildlife and undisturbed nature. Its a unique environment rich in water channels and lakes. Abundant of wildlife and little visited by tourist compared to northern parks. You can enjoy a variety of activities thanks to the lakes and the Rufiji river. The Selous is also the biggest stronghold for wild dogs in Africa and surely one of the places where you would have more chances to spot them Experience adventure Keep it natural Feel the thrills of having an elephant eating Doum palm seeds right outside your tent. Hear the sound of its rumbling stomach and see how tender a mother is to her calf. We have so much to learn from our animal friends teachings that can help us to create a better world. We keep everything as it was before we arrived and this is why animals use the camp as much as our guests. Experience this magical romantic camp on the shore of the Lake Manze with stunning lake views from your own verandah. Experience the sunrise on a walking safari. Enjoy a delicious picnic bush breakfast or lunch during your game drive as you spot lions and wild dogs. Take a fishing trip on the lake. Get close and personal with hippos and crocodiles and thousands of exotic birds on a sunset boat safari. Delight in a sumptuous candlelight dinner on the lakeshore to the symphony of the surroundings. Youll never want to leave LAKE MANZE RUAHA NATIONAL PARK Remote and wild. Ruaha National Park. Prolific game extraordinary birdlife and diverse vegetation meet against a dramatic topographical backdrop endless rolling hills vast open plains secret groves of ancient baobabs and along the parks southern border the Great Ruaha River. These diverse areas of the park support 1650 plant species currently recorded in the park so far. In drastic contrast Selous Game Reserve has about 830 species recorded and the northeast Serengeti only 410. Large populations of all the great predators are present in the park. Lions leopards cheetahs spotted hyenas and wild dogs are all sighted. Large mammals that roam the park include the largest population of elephants in Tanzania with estimated numbers as of 2013 standing at over 20000 individuals. Species commonly sighted in the park include buffalos zebras impalas giraffes elands greater and lesser kudu and warthogs all thriving along the Great Ruaha River. Such an ample vegetational diversity creates anextremely abundantbird life with representation of both eastern and western species. Current records estimate that 573 species live in the park so far but more are constantly being recorded. MDONYA OLD RIVER Think wild We want you to THINK WILD Ruaha national park is the biggest and wildest national park in Tanzania. And we want you to get lost in it We want you to feel the real wilderness far from everybody else with only wild animals as our companions. Nothing can make you understand you are an animal yourself more then the roar of a lion next to your ear When we understand we are animals ourselves we shall surely become aware of the importance of their protection and conservation. In a way a stay at Mdonya Old River Camp is a journey to meet ourvery ancient roots. A time we were actually part of the bush ourselves in harmony and equal to all other creatures. You will fly to the heart of Tanzania in the center of the country to a plateau located a thousand mtrs high at the footstep of the Rift valley. That is where the Mdonya Old River is. Even though we are animals we do like to have all our comforts but be extremely light footed. FANJOVE PRIVATE ISLAND Only you What if we told you Take off your shoes and learn to live off your own wit and skills Ah we would be joking but here you could learn how life would be without shoes Oh so comfortable The sun the crystal blue water fishes and birds and a whole island to yourself what else do we need in life And here your contribution has allowed us to keep a fantastic 11 km of intact coral reef. Thousands of migrant birds that rest and feed green turtles that lay their eggs hundreds of dolphins that roam the seas as well as humpback whales that pass through in their migrations have given the community an alternative to consumptive utilization of the resources. Nobody lives on Fanjove except you and our dedicated staff as we have rented the whole island from the near-by village of Songosongo and also contribut 3 of our income to the social development of the community. We are proud of our achievement and we want to keep doing better and better and keep the island natural so that we can all learn what life is all about You will fly to Songosongo island and you will be able to explore the community life of the fishermen from a time Long Ago and then you have a short boat ride to Fanjove Private Island accompanied by a pod of Bottle Nosed dolphins if you are lucky. NGORONGORO CRATER Your ancient home. Ngorongoro is a majestic volcanic area from where we all originated. For over two million years we started to walk on these planes. You cannot mistake the feeling of knowing your Ancient Home. Created by a huge volcano caldera of over 250 sqkm this astonishing environment with its fertile ashes allow the highest concentration of mammals in the world. Breathtakingly beautiful prepare for sensory overload as you spot black rhino in the most magnificent setting imaginable. It is also an example of how wildlife and people can live together. You can admire the beauty of the Masaai culture while wathing zebra and cows grazing together led by a small Masaai child or a young Morhan warrior. It is where we were all born. Get to know yourself We have turned the house of the first conservator of the Ngorongoro into a tourist hotel. You can feel the atmosphere he felt. Get to know the current inhabitant of the area the proud Masaai and wild animals friends roaming through the hotel premises with which the Masaai have shared such land for hundreds of years. The Rhino Lodge has 24 rooms overlooking the lush forest and the Oldeani peak and is the perfect location to unwind as you watch bushbacks and buffalo grazing from your verandah. Share our eco lodge with the wild animals who roam freely on the grounds. Spend your days in the crater and enjoy a picnic bush lunch. The Ngorongoro is also home to the proud Masaai tribe. See how they continue to live in harmony with wildlife and the natural environment as they have done for hundreds of years. Experience their world first hand as they tend their herds. Visit a Masaai village. Relax in front of a roaring lodge fire in the evening as you enjoy an apertif and savour a delicious dinner. ZANZIBAR Enjoy getting lost in the small narrow alleys of Stone Town and discovering its ancient beauty. The word Zanzibar signifies a place of tranquility and natural beauty. It is an exotic island with a rich culture and a unique history. The islands of Zanzibar or Unguja and Pemba along with the surrounding islets together form Zanzibar. Stone Town is a city of prominent historical and artistic importance inEast Africa. With its architecture dating back to the 19thcentury Zanzibar is a mixture of Arab Persian Indian and European origins. Due to this the town was entitled as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Zanzibar was a thriving Sultanate state trading spices ivory and slaves. You can still see all of these aspects of the Swahili culture in the historical buildings of beautiful Stone Town in the spice tours inland and on prison island just to cite a few. As if the beauty of the island and its history were not enough you can also wander around incredible white beaches on the east coast visit the Jozani forest where the endemic Red Colobus monkey lives and snorkel or dive on the amazing reefs. Enjoy getting lost in the small narrow alleys of Stone town and discover its ancient beauty. MAFIA ISLAND The perfect beach destination with some of the best diving spots in the world. Mafia Island is the largest of a small archipelago of islands and atolls and it truly is a paradise in the Indian Ocean. It is the most southern of the three big islands Pemba Zanzibar located off the coast of Tanzania and is the perfect beach destination with some of the best diving spots in the world. Easy to reach by light aircraft 30 minutes from Dar es Salaam and 45 minutes from Zanzibar and the Selous Game Reserve. It is known as a beautiful Indian Ocean tropical resort famous for deep sea fishing and scuba diving. As it is protected by the Mafia Island Marine Park the aquatic life is abundant and the coral gardens are pristine. It is also probably the only place in the world where whale sharks are very abundant and spend so much time so close to the shore. Up to 60 individuals were counted in one season. Mainly juveniles it seems that they spend approximately 6-8 months of the year November to April feeding off the Rufiji delta rich in nutrient rainy season waters. The first lodge on the island and hence has the best beach It is set within the marine park looking over the Chole bay. It is an ideal location for diving and whale sharks trips. Visit the Chole mjini explore around the island or simply relax by the beach while watching bat foxes flying over your head at sun-set. 14 Superior rooms 18 Standard rooms and 2 Family rooms are set among the coconut palms with their own veranda overlooking the bay. All of them are self-contained with air conditioning. Twin and double beds are available. Among the 35 rooms there are 2 family accomodations with a living room. Hot and cold water is available 24 hours a day. The main lodge has a relaxing atmosphere with a large open restaurant a bar and lounge area. Board games table tennis and volleyball are also available. DAR ES SALAAM The past of the African fishermen life style meets and contrasts the frenetic rhythm of the modern world. The shopping with a view. Cities are cities and as they get bigger they get more chaotic and frenetic. We still have to live or spend some time there though. But why do we need to be crammed and get hysterical Is it not better to live in a small village by the sea Have a little piazza or square where people gather eat do some shopping and watch the sun-set over the sea If you feel the same as we do then The Slipway is the perfect place for you The Slipway began life as a boatyard and you can still set sail from here our boats leave regularly for the beautiful island of Bongoyo the first marine reserve in Tanzania. The hotel has 40 rooms 4 restaurants a wide variety of shops and a local market. But please do not confuse us with a shopping mall We want to keep the tradition of the old small villages and their lifestyle alive Filming in Tanzania Wildlife documentaries are the most powerful tools that exist in preserving the last remaining wilderness areas of Africa through the promotion of responsible tourism. To work in these remote areas of Southern Tanzania for long periods of time I would need to find individuals or organizations that also believed in the same vision that I had. Today I am proud to be associated with Essential Destinations -Tanzania and their vision and unselfish pro-active efforts for the preservation of African Wildlife. I also dearly value the life-long friendships that I have forged with the individuals working within or associated with the company. Essential Destinations -Tanzania is a group that encapsulates the term Responsible Tourism that all too many other companies use as a marketing tool to attract the ever growing eco-friendly tourist markets particularly from Europe and the USA. The invaluable support that I have received from the Mdonya Old River Camp in the remote Ruaha National Park enabled me to focus on the subject matter of my films which in turn influenced the quality and depth of these films. I hope that my films can contribute in some way to the continued success of the brand and to the greater vision and philosophy of the company-that being the sustainable preservation of these fantastic last wild frontiers of Africa. Owen Prmm Providing conservation support in Tanzania The PAMS Foundation is a not-for-profit conservation organisation registered in Tanzania. Our Mission is to help sustain and conserve biodiversity wilderness habitats and ecological processes through actions that benefit both nature and communities. Through a small but dynamic team of staff members the PAMS Foundation implements various conservation projects throughout Tanzania. PAMS supports and works closely with partner organisations in the implementation of projects and places a strong emphasis on capacity building for project longevity as the aim of sustainability guides our activities and the approaches we adopt. In the Ruvuma Elephant Project area in the Selous-Niassa ecosystem which has been impacted by some of the worst elephant poaching in Africa PAMS Foundation and partners have managed to reduce poaching to a level where the elephant population is now stable. Results achieved from the efforts included the seizure of 1 582 snares 25 586 illegal timber planks 805 firearms 1 531 rounds of ammunition 6 vehicles 15 motorcycles and the arrest of 563 people prison sentences of up to 10 years were given. PAMS also works in the Serengeti ecosystem and in the Ruaha National Park and are making good progress towards achieved improved wildlife protection and community based conservation. Much of our success would not have been possible without the support of partners and donors. PAMS Foundation is very grateful for the support it has received from Essential Destinations and Coastal Aviation. Providing conservation support in Tanzania Since 2013 we are establishing a long-term programme to monitor and study Ruahas elephants. So far we have identified 400 elephants and evaluated the current demographic trends under pressure of poaching including a rise in the proportion of tuskless matriarchs. We use camera-traps and trained field teams to observe elephants at natural springs and other areas where they are at bigger threat. By focusing our research on the effects and dynamics of poaching we aim to help the wardens and rangers of Ruaha NP to effectively protect this critical population and the wonderful Ruaha ecosystem. Trevor Jones Get in touch Contact us today to discuss your safari or make a booking. www.ed.co.tz HEAD OFFICE 255-222-601-747 - EMAIL infoed.co.tz - FACEBOOK facebook.comEssentialDestinations Dar es Salaam - Tanzania - P.O.Box 3052 photoAndreLaget-RobRoss-Colleen-Greta-EDStaff