YOGA IN THE WILD

10-day AFRICA SAFARI RETREAT

WITH LETI ALVAREZ

REVITALIZE YOUR SPIRIT & immerse in maasai culture in TANZANIA’S serengeti national park & ngorongoro


Trip highlights

Elevate your mind, body, and spirit with invigorating yoga sessions and mindfulness practices that ground you in the present

Dive into meaningful interactions with the Maasai people, learning their herbal healing methods and exploring their rich cultural heritage

Experience Tanzania’s stunning Serengeti National Park and the iconic Ngorongoro Crater, surrounded by nature's wonders and boutique lodges away from the crowds

Indulge in delightful meals crafted from locally sourced, fresh and organic ingredients from the fertile Kilimanjaro region

Engage with your fellow travelers and the local community, translating your personal growth "off the mat" into impactful interactions


Are you ready to embark on a life-changing adventure in Africa? Join us for a transformative 10-day retreat that combines yoga & meditation with adventurous safaris in Tanzania’s stunning Serengeti National Park and the iconic Ngorongoro Crater. Imagine wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle traversing the Serengeti and Masai Mara ecosystems, following the rhythms of nature in search of lush pastures and safe calving grounds. With our expert planning and a touch of luck, you may witness this astounding natural wonder as every day in the Serengeti unfolds a new landscape and adventure. Enjoy breathtaking landscapes, camaraderie with your fellow travelers and local guides, and guided reflective practices where you'll uncover clarity, connection, and a renewed sense of purpose. You’ll also experience the rich wisdom of Maasai elders, who will share their timeless healing traditions, offering insights into the power of natural remedies and the art of herbal medicine. Experience unparalleled safaris without the crowds in boutique luxury settings while rooting yourself daily with mindful movement and cultural connection. 

Book our 10-day Safari Retreat starting at $8995 per person. See all inclusions, itinerary details and complete pricing in the drop downs below.

  • STARTING at $8995 per person

    May 23-June 1, 2026

    Fully guided 10-day African Safari Retreat group trip

    6-14 people


Trip Inclusions

  • 9 nights’ boutique lodge and camp accommodations

  • Airport transfers from Arusha’s Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO)

    All ground transit for activities in a 4x4 Safari Vehicle

  • Daily yoga and meditation sessions

    Safari Excursions, including all National Park Fees and Concession fees

    UNESCO World Heritage site visit to Ngorongoro Crater (including fee)

    Teaching traditional Maasai practices for health and wellness

    Swahili Lesson

    Traditional sundowner at our boutique lodge

    Community integration at a traditional Maasai BBQ

  • All meals from Breakfast Day 2 to Breakfast Day 10

  • Visit with our local Community Partner + donation to their organization

    English-speaking local guide throughout the duration of the trip

    Traverse representative assisting you from booking to departure

    AMREF Flying Doctor coverage

  • Zanzibar 3-night extension (see details below)

  • International airfare and visa

    Additional meals, excursions and activities not listed

    Tips to your local guides and drivers

    Alcohol or other drinks, unless specified

    Required travel + medical insurance


Testimonials


DAILY ITINERARY

  • Travel to Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO). Arusha is a leading international diplomatic center. This city is considered the de facto capital of the East African Community. Arusha is surrounded by some of the most famous landscapes in Africa, including African National Parks (N.P.). The climate is mild and inviting at the foot of Mount Meru on the far eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley.

    Settle into your lodge immersed in abundant jungle-like gardens boasting towering palm and mango trees where Colobus and other monkeys reign supreme. The lodge is built and run by the Maasai people and has views of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Enjoy a welcome drink & snack as many flights arrive late.

    Meals: none

  • Participate in a community orientation and safety overview and welcome to Tanzania. Enjoy a relaxed day after a brief Swahili lesson at a leisurely breakfast. You can expect to feel settled and experience full body awareness through our first practice. Shed your layers of stress, travel, and expectation as you relax into awareness of your breath and body.

    After lunch, we embark on a 2.5-hour journey to our first eco-lodge. The Maasai welcome you in their very special, impressive way. Let us introduce you to the life of the Maasai at this ancient, mystical cultural region. Nothing is as you are used to it. You will live in clay houses with additional amenities, such as a Western toilet, shower, and sink. The large pool and the sauna also portray what you would expect from a luxury lodge. Be sure to visit the Mirror Cave which takes you into the African dream world.  Enjoy sunset yoga & meditation followed by an evening cocktail in the living room around the fireplace and a Welcome Dinner.

    Meals: B, L, D

  • After yoga and breakfast, you will discover the medicinal plants of Maasai with a naturopathic guide. After lunch, you will have the opportunity to try on traditional Maasai clothes yourself and to attach the traditional buckets to your donkey in order to get water. For the Maasai, this is a very funny sight. You will enjoy your next glass of water with great gratitude!

    The rest of your day is completely reserved for you and your personal well-being. Enjoy the swimming pool, sauna, massage, and wonderful view.

    Also, in the evening, you’ll have an opportunity to dance with the Maasai. The more you participate, the wilder the songs and the dances become.

    The scenery of this happening depicts Mount Meru in the setting sun and the highest mountain of Africa, the Kilimanjaro, which now sinks into red clouds. At the campfire, you will listen to the cultural stories of the Maasai with your dinner.

    Meals: B, L, D

  • After yoga and breakfast, you will drive 4-4 1/2 hours towards Karatu, stopping en route at Mto wa Mbu, a culturally vibrant town, for an optional market visit. Once we arrive, the Karatu area offers a variety of activities such as canoe, bike or hike. You will learn about many things and see a different side of Tanzania before checking into your accommodations close to the Ngorongoro Crater rim for an overnight stay in an intimate private camp in a beautiful bush location. The camp is set on the Eastern side of the Ngorongoro Crater’s rim, close to the Crater Lodge. Just inside the park boundaries, our location permits early game drives down to the crater, leaving you almost alone to discover this World Heritage Site. Up to 25,000 animals call the crater their home, except the Maasai Giraffes, who cannot cope with the crater's steep slopes. The main attraction, and also the most elusive, are the 23 Black Rhinoceroses that live inside the crater, maybe the one and only chance to see them in the wild.

    Meals: B, L, D

  • Following an early breakfast, we descend into Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic caldera, a magical place teeming with wildlife. Your safari drive will follow the road along the crater's rim, affording breathtaking views across the 100 square mile crater floor 2000 feet below, and then descend to the crater floor. The crater's steep walls and verdant floor serve as a natural sanctuary for some of Africa's densest populations of large mammals, including a few rhinoceros. After a day of wildlife viewing, we gather around the fire for happy hour, sharing stories with your Retreat Leader and local guide before yoga, a delicious meal and time for reflection, journaling, and dreamtime.

    Meals: B, L, D

  • Wake up to nature and your spirit with a soulful morning yoga practice. Each day of the next few day’s safari will differ slightly depending on the group's wishes and wildlife movement, but generally, we will have a morning sit and yoga session at our camp, and lunch will be served picnic-style on the safari. Here’s what you’ll see:

    Ngorongoro Conservation Area: Hailed as the premier safari destination and home to the annual migration of over a million wildebeest, Serengeti offers prime opportunities to view breathtaking vistas teeming with wildlife. You have a chance to see elephants, lions, cheetahs, and leopards and truly immerse yourself into primordial natural rhythms. This is where the Great Migration takes place,  one of the world's most spectacular natural events – every year, over a million wildebeest and zebra and antelope migrate.

    Seronera Valley in Central Serengeti. The Seronera region is an important wildlife transition zone between the southern grasslands and the northern woodlands and is renowned for its year-round game viewing due to its abundance of water in the many rivers, as well as for its large populations of resident big cats. Additionally, between April and June and again between November and January, this area is crossed by the annual wildebeest migration, which always provides thrilling wildlife drama.

    Ndutu Plains. The area has high densities of cheetahs and lions particularly when the wildebeest inhabit these plains from December to March. There are two beautiful sodic lakes in the vicinity. Being in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) you will be able to drive off road - a great advantage for getting close up to Africa's large mammals! This area is also the traditional birthing ground for the wildebeest, which are attracted to the area by the high concentrations of phosphorus in the soil, an essential mineral for lactating mothers. It is one of the greatest places in Africa to sit around a campfire and listen to the night sounds under a sky full of stars.

    Evening story time: During your stay, you will experience the healing power of storytelling around the campfire, African-style. Your local hosts will illuminate the parallels between what you see on the game drives and our human society, the sacred masculine and the sacred feminine from an Indigenous African perspective.

    Camp & Tent Sites: From the private terrace of your tent you can observe the wildlife of the area. Many animals visit the lake in search of water and therefore this camp is in a privileged observation point. Besides, this area is the principle setting of the Great Migration which takes place from December to April and the Big Five visit the area. The camp is set-up every year in a different part of the area, to make sure that you will always have the best place to see this impressive spectacle from your own tent.

    In addition, the camp is ecological without losing in comfort and attention. The electricity is generated by solar panels and the water is rainwater collected during the rains. All the products used are biodegradable.

    Meals: B, L, D

  • After breakfast, make your way towards Olduvai Gorge; here, you can immerse yourself in ancient history at the fascinating paleo-anthropological site of Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important in the world. Set between the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park. Learn about archaeology, history, and our ancient hominid ancestors at Olduvai Gorge. Olduvai Gorge is a canyon carved by water through the southern Serengeti plains. Its chief claim to fame is the rich treasure trove of human and animal fossils that it has yielded. Few places in the world can match Serengeti's long human history, and this fact has earned this part of Africa the title 'Cradle of Mankind.' There is a museum and visitor's center overlooking the gorge, as well as a daily lecture by a Department of Antiquities guide.

    At tonight’s lodge, elephants abound, and there is a huge diversity and variety of birds. You may also catch sight of tree-climbing lions. You can shower under the sky or sleep under the “upside-down tree of the African plain,” the Baobab Tree.

    Tonight, we’ll have our special closing yoga ceremony and Farewell Dinner together as we wrap up our adventure.

    Meals: B, L, D

  • We say farewell to our Safari experience today. Depart in the afternoon or evening today from Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) in Arusha.

    Or add on our 3-day excursion to Zanzibar. Keep reading for all the details!

  • Want a little more time in Africa? Add on 3 days in Zanzibar for the ultimate experience!

    Getting there: We’ll drive to Lake Manyara’s airstrip to depart for Zanzibar at midday.

    Inclusions: 3-nights in boutique luxury accommodations with daily breakfast and dinner at your hotel, local airfare to Zanzibar, airport transfers, and add-on concierge service.

    Add-ons include diving, snorkeling, wildlife viewing, a spice tour, tea ceremony, and special workshops including Swahili, cooking, spice blending, traditional dancing, music, painting, incense making and much more.

    About Zanzibar. Zanzibar is an island off the east coast of Tanzania. This magnificent island has pearl-white beaches, a clear blue sea, and pleasant temperatures. The word “Zanzibar” is said to have both Persian and Arabic origins—from the Persian “Zangh Bar,” loosely translated as “land of the black people,” or from the Arabic “Zayn Z’al Barr,” which means “Fair is this land.”

    Zanzibar is called ‘The Spice Island’ because it grows a variety of spices. It is also famous as the birthplace of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. Zanzibar is often described as a ‘cultural melting pot’, owing to the various different peoples who’ve settled here over the ages. All of them have left their mark in one way on this island, whether it be in the architecture, the customs, the food, the beliefs, religion, or on the people themselves. The Swahili name of Unguja means “bowl of fruits” – quite fitting really!

    Experience the real Zanzibar. As you step into our boutique accommodations you will instantly be charmed. Informal luxury meets island colors and traditions. Take off your shoes and let go of your stress in the pristine white sand of the expansive Indian Ocean.

    Culture & flavor. The mix of cultures and flavors, coupled with the proximity to the Indian Ocean means that Swahili cuisine is possibly the best food in all of Africa. Expect fresh fish and food cooked with traditional spices and plenty of coconuts.

    Zanzibar today: Nowadays, Zanzibar is a land of contrasts. It’s a place where the modern world meets the old world as traditional dhows (sailing boats) line the harbor alongside yachts and catamarans. A place of beauty and decay. With dark winding alleys and beautiful open beaches. A place to pray and place to party. 

    What to do: There are lots of places to grab a cup of coffee or tea in Zanzibar, but a few of our favorites include Zanzibar Coffee house, The Zanzibar Cafe, Lazuli, and Cafe Africa Shops. And if you’d like a true Zanzibari experience, we will head to Jaws Corner for a coffee or Babu Chai for tea. Babu means ‘grandfather’ and ‘chai’ is tea. Babu Chai is a stall, rather than a shop or coffee, and he sets up each evening at around 6pm. As well as sweet spiced tea and ginger tea, you can also buy coffee (kahawa), donuts (mandazis), chapatis with egg (chapati mayai).



  • You'll be paired with a roommate of your same gender unless you request your own room.

    STARTING at $8995 per person, double occupancy

    +$695 “my own room” upgrade

    Extra room nights, on request

  • For the ultimate experience, Zanzibar add-on, starting on Day 10:

    +$2395 Zanzibar (3 nights), price based on double occupancy. +$295 single supplement

    Zanzibar add-on includes:

    3-nights in boutique luxury accommodations

    Daily breakfast and dinner at your hotel

    Local airfare to Zanzibar

    Airport transfers

    Add-on concierge service.

    Additional excursions to add-on include diving, snorkeling, wildlife viewing, a spice tour, tea ceremony, and special workshops including Swahili, cooking, spice blending, traditional dancing, music, painting, incense making and much more. Price and customizations on request.


FAQS

  • Fly into Tanzania's Kilimanjaro (JRO)  airport in Arusha. Most flights to Africa arrive in the evening, and by the time travelers reach the lodge, it’s quite late. You'll have a transfer to the airport to get you safely to your accommodations for a good night's rest. You'll also fly out of JRO for both the base trip and Zanzibar add-on.

  • We stay at luxury eco-lodges that have amenities such as a Western toilet, shower, and sink. Several lodges also have a pool and sauna and you'll have outdoor spaces to enjoy sunset yoga & meditation and incredible views. 

  • We try to minimize too much driving in any single day, though some locations take a while to get to due to distance and road conditions. The longest stretch is four hours, and we'll be sure to have plenty of stops for bathroom breaks and leg stretches. We'll also wind down with yoga in the evenings. 

  • YES! Some of the best travel is done by yourself and we have no doubt you’ll leave with friends!

  • While of course you're welcome to participate, you're welcome to hold back from the yoga sessions and just enjoy the cultural and adventure aspects of the trip - or sleep in if that’s what you need!

  • Yes, absolutely! We take in any dietary restrictions prior to departure. You’ll have a wide selection of tasty garden to table cuisine throughout your stay. Our partners cater to visitors who eat gluten-free or have other dietary restrictions.


 About YOUR RETREAT LEADER

LETI ALVAREZ

Leti began her yoga journey years ago and has remained deeply committed to living her yoga. She offers empowering, inspiring flows that encourage students to explore and connect with their deeper, authentic selves. Leti meets students exactly where they are and encourages them to embrace their unique experiences. Leti loves yoga for all its transformative powers –physical and spiritual - and emphatically knows yoga is her “health insurance.”


Terms & Conditions

Please refer to your Registration Packet for complete Terms & Conditions, which can also be obtained by submitting a request to hello@traversejourneys.com

Deposit
A $250-500 non-refundable deposit is required for each traveler to secure the booking (varies by trip). 50% remainder due 30 days from booking. Balance due 60 days prior to trip start. Refer to the Flexible Booking Policy for cases in which the deposit may be transferrable.

Payment
Payments can be made either by 1) full payment on booking 2) Deposit on booking + payment schedule below. Payments will be invoiced via e-mail for credit card or Paypal payment online.

Cancellations Policy
Cancellations, less the trip deposit, are refundable up to 90 days prior to the trip start date unless otherwise specified.

Flexible Booking Policy Specific to COVID-19
In the wake of COVID-19, Traverse has implemented a flexible booking policy that allows for deposits and payments to be transferrable to the greatest extent possible to new trip dates should a recurrence of COVID-19 render travel impossible due to border closures and related travel restrictions.

Travel Insurance
The trip price does not include travel insurance. Trip protection-style travel insurance that includes travel medical coverage is required for all trips with Traverse. The coverage must have a minimum $150,000 of medical coverage and include injury, medical, evacuation, and repatriation. See more info at https://traversejourneys.com/insurance

Documents, Personal Identification, Vaccinations
Traveler assumes complete and full responsibility for all required travel documents including passport, visas, entry or exit fees, and vaccinations. Traveler is also solely responsible for any adverse consequences resulting from incomplete or defective documentation. Traverse does not cover the cost or assist in obtaining any of the above, and reserves the right to collect information on all.