Travels to Tanzania

October, 2018 travels with my mom and sister

Arusha

After twelve hours in the air, and a brief stop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we arrived at the Kilimanjaro International Airport, about an hour outside the city of Arusha. We couldn’t wait to stretch our legs and begin exploring. The AirBnb we arrived at was perfect for the start of our journey.

The home of “Mama” Jane and her husband John, a conservationist with more than 42 years of experience in East Africa, welcomed us with open arms and then some. Their beautiful property is complete with perfectly manicured lawns, a banana farm, pottery making facility, and every cozy amenity of home. It was instantly evident why everyone we met throughout Arusha warmly refers Jane as “Mama” – a name she more than lives up to. We couldn’t be more thankful to have started our travels with such wonderful hosts.

Tarangire National Park + Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Day 2 in Tanzania started bright and early as we departed for Tarangire National Park, the first stop on our safari. Mr. Damas Kimario would be our guide for the next two days and was eager to share the wonders of the region where he was born and raised.

We departed Arusha and drove about 3 hours south where we reached the gates of the Park. The drive introduced us to the expansive countryside and so much natural beauty not found in the city. Upon entering Tarangire, we were almost immediately greeted by giraffes, elephants, zebras, and smaller animals all converging at a watering hole– this initial encounter was a terrific indicator of things to come over the next two days.

After a scenic first day, we were dropped off at the cozy Eileen’s Trees Inn and Lodge– the perfect place to recharge for the next’s days adventure. Mr. Damas was back first thing the next morning, and as the sun was rising, we began our descent into the Ngorongoro Crater– the world's largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. The crater, formerly a peak taller than Mt. Kilimanjaro, has been home to over 3 million years of life which provided us with some of the most surreal views.

Stone Town, Zanzibar

After taking an evening to relax back in Arusha, we were on the move again the next day– this time by air. From the Arusha airport we flew one hour to Zanzibar, a tropical island with some of the richest history of anywhere I’ve ever set foot.

Famed for it’s importance in both the slave and spice trades, the capital, Zanzibar City, was our first destination on the island. We spent two days staying at the wonderful home of Malu, and exploring Stone Town by foot– taking in the markets, beaches, food, and incredible history.

Bwejuu, Zanzibar

The last leg of our travels took us to a small village on the east coast of Zanzibar. Bwejuu’s sleepy beaches are home to some of the whitest sand, calmest shores, and most notably, brightest sun anywhere in the world. We lounged around and strolled the beach our first day before bicycling our way to lunch the next afternoon.