.png){kind=logo}
LAKE EYASI, NORTHERN TANZANIA
Visit Natives Bushcraft Challenge -
The Hadzabe Way
About the experience
Are you yearning for a truly authentic adventure? One that will not only test your limits but also transform you, leaving you with new skills and knowledge to last a lifetime? Look no further than the Visit Natives Bushcraft Challenge! This once-in-a-lifetime experience will transport you to a bushcraft camp in northern Tanzania, where you'll learn ancient methods and traditions of the Hadzabe hunter-gatherers. You'll also develop essential survival skills and gain a deep appreciation for nature conservation. With stunning African landscapes as your backdrop, this unforgettable journey is not to be missed.
The Hadzabe Way
The Hadzabe hunter-gatherers are one of the last remaining groups of hunter-gatherers living around Lake Eyasi in Northern Tanzania. Their traditional lifestyle has been preserved for thousands of years, and you now have the opportunity to be a part of it. In the Visit Natives Hadzabe Bushcraft Challenge, you will learn essential bushcraft skills such as building a shelter, making a fire, identifying plants, navigating using natural landmarks and stars, collecting water, harvesting wild honey, and foraging for food.
If you don't have any previous experience in survival or bushcraft, that's completely fine. However, please note that our location is in a remote savanna with no access to roads, electricity, or running water, so you must be comfortable in such conditions. On the bright side, you'll explore some of Tanzania's most beautiful and secret corners.
The Hadzabe hunter-gatherers and an African field specialist guide the Visit Natives Bushcraft Challenge. Our professional guides are friendly and will ensure your safety at all times. They will teach you all the necessary techniques and skills, allowing you to learn at your own pace. But this journey is about much more than just learning new skills. You'll be fully immersed in the Hadzabe culture, which will be an unforgettable experience. From singing to telling stories by the fire at night, you'll witness and enjoy every aspect of their lifestyle.
Our Approach
The Natives Bushcraft Challenge is designed to respect and support the traditional lifestyle of the Hadzabe people without causing harm or interruption. During the challenge, Hadzabe guides and instructors will participate, share their knowledge, and increase awareness about the importance of preserving our planet and indigenous knowledge systems.
Visit Natives aims to preserve indigenous cultures by documenting the Hadzabe people's indigenous wisdom through the Visit Natives Bushcraft Challenge. The Hadzabe people have been passing down their oral tradition through generations, and this experience will allow us to gain insight into their culture.
Participating in this challenge will allow you to reconnect with nature and develop a better understanding of holistic nature conservation, which emphasizes that humans are just one part of the natural world. Supporting our mission will help us protect our planet's precious resources and cultural heritage for future generations.
The Visit Natives Bushcraft Challenge
Connecting with nature and embracing the indigenous traditions of bushcraft can be a life-changing experience. It allows us to rediscover our roots and better understand our place in the world. Completing all four activities will teach you the most fundamental bushcraft skills, emphasizing Hadzabe cultural survival. Become an an expert in African bushcrafting!
Start a Fire
Gain knowledge on different fire-starting methods without matches.
Build a Shelter
Learn how to build a natural shelter in the wilderness using natural materials.
Collect Water
Search for water from various sources and stay hydrated in the wild.
Foraging
Learn which food is eatable and gather fruits, roots, honey etc.. Learn to use a bow and arrow.
A Typical day at the bushcamp
5:30 Wake up and morning hunting
8:00 Breakfast
10:00 Bushcraft Skills: Firemaking
12:00 Lunch and rest
15:00 Bushcraft Skills: Hunting techniques and bow & arrow poisons workshop
17:00 Foraging with Hadza women: digging eatable roots and collecting honey and berries
20:00 Bush dinner
21:00 Campfire & story-telling time
The Greater Honey Guide
The Hadza people possess a unique and profound wisdom about the connection between humans and wild animals. Only the Hadza can call upon the Greater Honeyguide, a wild bird that leads them to honeycomb-filled trees. This bird species is not domesticated, and the Hadza uses a special whistle to communicate with it. The knowledge of interacting with these birds is passed down from generation to generation among Hadza honey foragers.
The Hadzabe culture possesses valuable knowledge that many Western cultures have lost. Our goal is to preserve and cherish the indigenous lifestyle of hunter-gatherers and maintain our connection to the Earth.
Experience the rich cultural heritage of the Hadzabe people at our Bushcraft Camp. Join us as we sit around the fire and listen to captivating stories that have been passed down for generations. By documenting these stories, we not only preserve their cultural significance but also promote environmental conservation. Join us and be a part of this unique and meaningful experience.
How to Book Hadzabe Bushcraft Camp
Time
You can book this trip anytime as a private camp or join our small group. The next joined Bushcraft Challenge excursion starts on 6th January 2025. Ask for more details.
Location
Nearest airport: Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), Tanzania
Location: Lake Eyasi, Tanzania
We will come to pick you up from Kilimanjaro airport or Arusha, where we will continue to Lake Eyasi. There are no roads, electricity, or running water, and it's a remote and beautiful African wilderness.
Accommodation
You will sleep in a comfortable tent (single share) in the African wilderness. We provide you with all the camping supplies, including a trekking bed and a blanket.
There are no shower facilities. Our bathroom is a bush toilet.
Food
You will enjoy three meals a day prepared for you in our bush camp. You will also learn to harvest survival food.
Price
Ask for price details. The price depends on how many people travel and how long you want to stay. We recommend staying at least two nights because the location is remote and travel takes time.
We invite both beginners and experienced bushcrafters and survivalists to safely practice survival skills with our expert guides in the African wilderness.
Impact
Our unique trips are managed and guided by the indigenous Maasai, Datoga, and Hadzabe hosts. They get the economic benefit and fair salary for hosting you in their home. Also, every trip contributes to a wider social mission. Learn more here
