Our Motto goes:
There's No Substitute for Field Experience.
The Tanzania Roots Go-Minus 26 is a Cultural Exchange Programme that involves young tourists (below 26 years) from Belgium and the students of PROTS. These programs started way back in 1998 and have proved very successful. Usually each group comprise 10 tourists and one tour leader. Five students are selected to join them, interact with them and guide them around.
Currently, the program is a 21 days Itinerary.
The best and unique thing about these groups is that the tourists and the tour leader are required to write an Evaluation Report (left) for each student. This help us to have an evaluation from an outsider, on the field and above all from the tourists' point of view.
We are therefore very grateful to Joker and Karavaan who have made this program possible. And we are also grateful to all tourists who have joined this program and hope they enjoyed our educational and cultural adventure of a lifetime. Please tell your friends to join the Go-Minus 26!
At this juncture, we send out our request to other Travel Agents, Tour Operators and individual tourists who are planing to come to Tanzania to join this program. We would also like to get in touch with other tour operators in Europe, America and elsewhere in order to organize these tourist groups.
The experiences we have from the Go-Minus 26 is great and we are ready to share it at wider range.
20 Great Hi-Lites of Go-Minus 26 Programs.
1. Preparations and Students' Participation.
Above: PROTS Students on the internet going through the 22-day program.
2. Arrival and Settling In.
Tourists are received at the Airport or Shuttle Terminal and taken to our nearby Campsite in Sanawari village.
3. Around Sanawari village:
A village tour for orientation of the surroundings.
4. Visiting the Bureau d' Change, Internet & Lunch at Via Via Cafe.
5. PROTS: The School.
A visit at the School gives the chance to the visitors to understand our programs and get the insights of our challenges.
6. Hiking to SAPUK & Waterfalls.
A visit to Oldoinyo Sapuk, a nearby village, gives our visitors to learn about the lifestyles of the local people. The hike is a great adventure with magnificent panoramic views with an overnight in the village.
Above: A visit to the waterfalls is a great reward.
7. Arusha National Park: Walking Safari
A Walking Safari in the park is combined with a Game Drive around the Momella Lakes and Ngurdoto Crater
Above: The tour around the Ngurdoto Crater rim.8. In and Around Arusha: Sightseeing & City Tour.
Arusha has great sights. Tourists and students get a great time going through the town and getting to know the way of life of the Arushans.
Above: At the Sikh Temple.
At the Swimming Pool.
9. Home Stays.
Another great cultural experience with the students families. One weekend is spent at Home Stays. Each two tourists visits one family of a student. There they participate in the daily chores of the family, like cooking, praying, etc.
10. Hand Crafts Activities.This is optional. Tourists may wish to spend their time doing some handcrafts like making drums and Batiks.
11. Maasai Culture & Mountain Climbing - Longido.
Maasai culture is one of the main attraction and this gives the visitors an opportunity interact with the Maasai.
Below: A difficult but adventurous hike up Mt. Longido is a memorable experience.
12. Side Trips and Local Markets & Lake Duluti.The experience of going local is a great reward to any visitor to Tanzania. Our people are very friendly and regard visitors with respect, love and hospitality.
13: Safari - Tarangire National Park.
Tarangire is famous for the Huge herds of Elephants and huge Baobabs believed to be thousands of years old. A Full day Game Drive in this savannah wilderness is a real treat.
14. Safari: Lake Manyara National Park
15. Safari: Ngorongoro Crater.
16. Cultural Tourism: Mto wa Mbu.
Mto wa Mbu is a Cultural Melting Pot with almost all the tribes in Tanzania having representatives there. Lifestyles, Dishes, Local Brew, night life and other economic activities are worth a day's tour. And a Biking tour, of course!
17. Arusha Nightlife, Dinner & Disco
18. Shopping for Souvenirs
19. Evaluations & Graduations:
A nice & cool evening is passed with students and their families. Belgian Dinner is optional. Evaluations by the tour leader and tourists are handed over to the students. Start of the Good Byes!
20. Saying Goodbyes!
Photo: The PROTS team as they waved bye byes to the departing group at Bella Luna Hotel: From Left - Vedasto Izoba, Principal and students who guides this group - Irene Lilly-White Kashaija, Leonard Kivuyo; Emmy Sawe and George Moses.
The KOEN Group 2009!
Left: Bruno with a beer bottle given to him by the Go-Minus 26 (2004) group he interacted with. His great friend Dieter (right) looks on. The bottle has signatures from all the group participants! he treasures that very much!
Left: Bruno is now a manager with one of the leading tour company in Dar-es-Salaam. He has huge responsibilities and he attributes his success to the experience he got from the Go-Minus 26 and from the tourists who came back to Tanzania for the second time, like Dries (Below). Bruno is married!
Left: Dries, a former Go-26 tourist visiting Bruno on his second trip to Tanzania.
The KOEN Group 2009!
The Great Cultural Adventure is in the offing! One can already smell it in the air, depending on the kind of a nose you have, of course. This time the Tour leader from Karavaan is Koen. We will be keeping you uptodate with the progress of this rare interaction between tourists from Belgium and PROTS students - one of its kind! New entries are entered on top.
Photos of the students and their tourists will be published soon. Also we will feature photos and captions from the previous groups!
Have a wonderful Summer
!
Kirenga (seated left) a PROTS Student, by then was among the group.
Kirenga has been employed with several high notch companies and is now an internation professional guide. He was recently in Namibia & Botswana with tourist groups.
No comments:
Post a Comment