Canoe Safari

There's a version of Tanzania that most safari-goers never see — not because it's hidden, but because it can't be reached by vehicle. The Momella Lakes, tucked beneath the slopes of Mount Meru in Arusha National Park, are best explored the way they've always been explored: by canoe, at the pace of the paddle.
You'll set out in the cool of the morning, when the water is glassy and the light is soft. Your guide steers close to the reed beds where giraffe come to drink — an animal rarely seen this near the water's edge — and past pods of hippo watching warily from a safe distance. Overhead, fish eagles circle, and if the season is right, thousands of flamingo turn the shallows pink.
Unlike a game drive, there's no engine noise, no dust, and no other vehicles competing for the view. It's quiet, slow, and entirely private to your group. Most guests pair it with a morning game drive elsewhere in the park, making for a full and varied day — game viewing from a vehicle, then from the water, all before lunch.