Canoeing in Arusha NP, night drives in Manyara NP, Green Footprint Adventures
 

Hello all:

Has anyone done the canoing in Arusha NP or the night drives at Manyara NP? Done any other activities with Green Footprint Adventures (walks around Ngorongoro crater for example)?

t.
Giving this a second go-round even though I realize there are much more important issues at stake--censorship, rocco's racing heart, etc.

I was hoping that someone had been canoeing at Arusha--but if not, perhaps we'll be the first to report back.

bat,

This is of interest to me, as well. I will be spending three nights in Arusha, and I think it would be nice to do some canoeing the day before the Kiliminjaro Marathon, which will be my only full day in Arusha.

Do you have a link for the canoeing...I saw something on the website for the Serena Mountain Village but it didn't show much.

Thanks.

Bat

There has not been enough water in Lake Manyara for canoeing! We all hope this will change in the future!

Instead, Green Footprint is offering cultural bike rides through the towns near the lake and microlight flying is also becoming popular!

Night drives are still in the infancy stage. Green Footprint is allowed to do this. I think this could be an exciting addition to the Lake Manyara experience.

The CCAfrica Tree Lodge may also offer night drives in the near future so you may want to check with them as well.

Green Footprint is one of very few companies that are equipped to do cool things such as walking safaris and such and certainly worth talking to!

Yes, they are done by Green Footprint Adventures. Here is their website.

http://www.greenfootprint.co.tz

Their website says to contact Mary [email protected]

She will send you the list of their activites (walks at the crater, also).

These folks do the "Serena Active" activities as I understand it. [Altough what you saw at the Arusha Serena may have been canoeing at Lake Duluti--the Arusha NP canoeing looks more interesting IMO.]

They used to do the canoeing at Manyara but the water is too low. They have been able to add it at Arusha just this year.

Also, because of your 2 nights at Manyara, you may be interested that they have recently received permission to do night drives there. I do not know how good they will be--especially if you have been on good night drives elsewhere--but there are limited opportunities for night drives on your trip so you may want to check it out.

bat,
I don't think they used Green Footprint, but I believe JazzDrew and family took a hike...um, in the Ngorongoro Conservation area or around the Crater.

His report is somewhere down there, although it may not be exactly what you're looking for. They travelled this June.

hi climbhighsleeplow:
I missed your post while I was writing. They now have permission to canoe at Arusha NP --the Momella (sp?) lakes.
In fact, I learned about it inadvertently from an earlier post on this forum (ain't it grand the way one thing leads to another!)--the one reporting the new increased park fees. That link also reported the new canoeing at Arusha.

bat,

Thanks for the link.

Regarding night game drives in Lake Manyara, hopefully these will be limited to the very few lodges that operate within the park.

I do have all the confidence in the world in CCAfrica (Manyara Tree Lodge) so I am not too concerned about the quality of the night game drives. One thing I love about elephants & night game drives, is that you never know when an elephant is going to pop out.

Last year, while on a night game drive at Chichele Presidential Lodge in South Luangwa, there were four guests...two women from San Diego, my wife and I.

So, we are driving along in the darkness of night when all of a sudden the calm is shattered by an elephant trumpeting as loud as it can, seemingly right in our ears...it could not have been more than ten feet off the road...then the elephant trumpet is followed by a shrieking scream from the vehicle! Once we are a safe distance away from the elephant, the guide laughs and turns around at the two women from San Diego and asks which one of them screamed...at which point they turn around to look at my wife and I...at which point my wife turns and looks at me! Yes, I screamed like a little girl, it was me! :)

Although I love elephants, I am scared ****less of them at the same time! Just one more reason to love Africa. :)

Oops, I misread your post!

I saw Lake Manyara and started typing without seeing Arusha NP!

Indeed, they've been doing the canoeing at Arusha NP for a few years now. It's a very good trip and worth it.

In fact, they used to have a desk at the reception in the Serena Mountain Village. I've not been to this hotel lately but I assume the desk is still there!

Leely:
Thanks, I will re-read that. And, hey btw, does he not owe us another installment--or am I wrong?

Through corresponding with Mary, I am beginning to think that some of these walks at the crater that are booked with tour operators are "done" by Green Footprint. Nothing wrong with that--She just made the point of telling me that I could book their activities through my safari operator. But the canoeing is at the beginning of the trip when we are in Arusha on our own. And, they will direct book but I will have to send a wire deposit.

Ok Rocco--that story made me laugh aloud!

climbhighsleeplow-uh, oh, have to be careful here--can't contradict the fount of wisdom--or bite the proverbial hand that feeds you might be more accurate--BUT as I understand it, the canoe trips that they have been doing for years are on Lake Duluti by the Serena. New this year are the canoe trips on the Momella lakes in Arusha NP. ???

The purpose of mentioning this is not to set the rcord straight but to find outunot thaks,

oops, ignore that trail of typos/rejects

bat,

Just as embarrassing was just a couple days earlier at Kaingo in South Luangwa.

There was an elephant in the camp and one of the guides, Ian, went out, armed with nothing more than a flashlight, to scare the elephant away. Behind Ian were a couple more women who were curious of the elephant and wanted to get a closer look. Well, I, too, wanted a closer look and I was inched up behind the three of them.

So, Ian claps a few times in his effort to get rid of the elephant, one of the women holding the flashlight for him, when what does the elephant do...it storms right at us...or so it would appear to the fleeing fat guy (me) who ran 100 yards, clear across the camp!

After making my way to safety I looked back, expecting the others to be right behind me, but they were nowhere to be found! So, I breathlessly walked back to the scene of the crime only to find Ian and the other women still there and the elephant, by now, retreating into the bush. I was told that it was only a mock charge and the elephant only took a single step towards us! :)

So, that single elephant step prompted me to sprint clear across camp, as I was not taking ANY chances! ;)

all part of your training for marathons?

more like all part of my training for keeping myself from getting gored by an elephant! ;)

Bat

I will blame old age and memory loss if I am wrong but my newphew and I stayed at the Mountain Village early in 2004 when I remember running into a very happy group who just returned from an amazing canoe trip on Small Momella!

So I don't know ;)

It looks like a super trip anyway!

chsl:
What? You are basing your information on having met people who actually did it compared to my reading a website? Glad to hear that they liked it. I think that we will try it.

I have actually been canoeing in Arusha NP and also did the night drive (with bush diner) in Manyara NP.
Both were really REALLY great!
Seeing the hippo's so close to your canoo on the water was simply amazing. Seeing animals coming to the lake to drink from the water was also a great experience.

The night drive with Bush diner was also very very nice. Driving in an open vehicle under the stars in such a lovely park, seeing the fireflies and porcupines running from you, bushbaby in the trees... etc. etc.
I really can recomend these activities :)

Nikao:
Glad that you added your experience to this thread. I should add mine since we did do the canoeing in Arusha. We too, liked it very much. In addition to the hippos and the animals drinking from the lake edge, we really enjoyed being on the water with all of the birds.
We thought well of Green Footprint--the guide, the vehicle, etc.

I should mention that the guide was in the canoe with me while my 2 companions were in a separate canoe. So depending on the number in one's party, you may not have a guide in your canoe if that matters to you.

good addition bat, and good to here that you liked the canoeing too ;)

About the guide in your canoe; I'm sure they'd be able to arrange extra guides to accompany you if you feel uncomfortable without a guide in your canoe..

did you also do the night drive ?