Tanzania Travel Guide

very full on

Dear Tribes team,

I have just got back from my Tanzanian trip which I must say certainly was more challenging than the last couple of trips you organised, as I battled to survive an attempt on my life (Uduzungwa), a series of bold robberies (Selous), and a potentially embarrassing international incident in Sadaani.

Impala camp in Selous was lovely in all respects. There was plenty of game in the immediate vicinity, and I had giraffe, bush babies and hippos around my tent most nights. The view in the evening from my wooden verandah as the sun set over the Rufiji river was absolutely wonderful. However, I suspect the camp at the absolute epicentre of game viewing is still Lake Manze and we had a longish drive to see most of the “serious” animals. Once we did so, we saw plenty of lions, a pack of 15 wild dogs and even a leopard which strolled right up to the vehicle which first spotted it (not mine, sadly- I only caught a few minutes as it disappeared into the deep bush). Hippo, monitor lizards and crocs on the river beneath my tent were commonplace and the birds were as I remembered them from my last two trips, spectacular. The robberies themselves were certainly very bold - vervet monkeys descended on my early morning tea and biscuits and left devastation in their wake; weaver birds ganged up to deprive me (successfully) of my breakfast cereal; and in the evening the bush babies distracted my attention and stole the delicious bread rolls from my plate.

Sable Mountain Lodge was an unusual place. It was very nice and comfortable, but there were relatively few birds or animals in the area, and it was surprisingly quiet in the jungle around the lodge. I had it pretty much to myself, which was a shame for the staff who were attentive and helpful. Abdullah, who has been at the Lodge since it was built, is absolutely charming.

The drive to Uduzungwa was very tough. It was fun to see the little villages and the women going about their routines (the men were sleeping, mainly), but it took about 9 hours and the roads for the most part, were ghastly. The last 30 k up to Hondo Hondo camp took over 2 hours and at times the road was indistinguishable from the bolder strewn streams which we crossed on the way. Fine for the more intrepid traveller, but I would say definitely not recommended for the casual tourist.

This is a shame because Uduzungwa and Hondo Hondo camp are certainly to be recommended for the sheer jaw dropping variety of unusual animals, birds, plants and insects. I saw five different primate species in the space of an hour around the camp within a few minutes of my arrival. It was also lovely to be welcomed by Belle and Ginger, two of the best turned out and well cared for donkeys in Africa, whose main duty (apart from welcoming guests) is to keep the grass down efficiently. Worth mentioning too, because I like to think I know a fair amount about European mycology, were the fungi, which were astonishing in variety and weird beauty, most of which I could not even begin to place in general families, much less identify as species.

The camp was the most basic I went to, and could possibly do with a quick Health and Hygiene visit, but was perfectly nice, and the staff absolutely lovely. I suspect that they obviously struggle with the heat and humidity (as did I), and mould stuck the pages of books together and pervaded the tents. I got severe diarrhoea and since another (non hiking) guest did too, I am not sure it was just the exertion of the hiking which was to blame. I also fell down a waterfall and ended up having to do a makeshift dressing with loo paper, which may have aided rather than stopped the bacterial infection which followed. Since the place is too remote to have a Duka La Dawa (chemist) anywhere close, it would have been advisable to have taken a much better First Aid kit with me.

Of course it was the trekking which nearly killed me. I had imagined that the distance and timings in the publicity were for the benefit of the “chubbier”guests (after all - who takes 4-5 hours to do a 6 km walk?), but they were not. I told my guides that they were trying to murder me on the longer Hidden Valleys walk, and they laughed, but my goodness I did find it hard. I had two guides and a ranger with a gun (I can perfectly understand why this was necessary, as we scared a leopard off its kill by one remote stream) and they were marvelous, solicitously carrying my haversack, then my camera then my hat, as I divested myself of everything remotely adding to my weight on the 8km relentless climb up. On the 8km climb down I was ready just to curl up in a ball and allow myself to be rolled down. Was it worth it? - goodness yes, but I am sure I would have enjoyed it more if I had not been hallucinating.

One quick word about prices, because I see a theme of complaints about the cost of the park fees and guides on Tripadvisor. I think the guides are $20 a day and I tipped each on top of that. They were great, although their knowledge of the flora and fauna could be better. They were out with me for a full day (9 hours) which works out at a little over $2 an hour before tip. That is not a high price for any Western tourist to pay, frankly. Likewise the Park fees are absolutely justified having regard to the sheer scale of the park management tasks which they cover. Of course locals should not have to pay those sort of fees and they do not, but visitors from Europe, America and Australia are incredibly privileged to be able to afford to travel the world to see such beautiful places, and should not feel resentful about the cost. London and Paris are no different – try visiting London Zoo with children, for a real wallet busting experience.

The drive from Uduzungwa to Sadaani took 9 hours and even the so called "good" non Tarmac road through to Sadaani was gruelling. Maybe it was just an age thing, and I am sure my bottom was much more resilient when I was younger.

Sadaani is quite a different experience, and although there was a lot of game to be seen, we had to work much harder to find the few individual zebra, giraffe and elephant and the birds. Lions are in the park, and the previous guests saw 10 of them. I saw none, but the driver told me that near Sadaani village they have become man-eaters, the last person served up as dinner, was only as far back as December last year. The warthogs are to be found in the middle of Sadaani village grazing happily with the goats and chickens. They are not stupid, and have worked out that it is perfectly safe to hang out in a non pork eating Muslim community, which will probably also keep an eye out for lions.

Tent-with-a-view is very nice and quirky, and the beach was by and large completely deserted. I did get to talk to the fishermen, who were friendly and laughed a lot. The food was good and baobab ice cream is really very nice. Hassam does a hilarious Del Boy Trotter impression - “lovely jubbley!” - how did that happen?

The drive back to Dar es Salaam was fine until we got within 10 km of the airport - that last bit took almost as much time as the rest of the 150?km journey. I would not willingly undergo that experience again on a full bladder.

Oh, and the international incident was when the male park guards tried to sell or even give away their very large female colleague to me. Olivie (for that was she) roared with laughter as my Swahili only just managed to keep pace with the most obvious innuendo and rudery. I am sure my wife and family would have been thrilled (not) if I had brought her home as my second wife. Mind you, there was plenty of her to go round.

All in all a super trip, but I now need a little lie down.

Tanzania is a very full on safari experience, but incredibly rewarding for anybody who is prepared to be a bit forgiving. The people are charming and have a great sense of humour, and thrilled if you tell them how lovely the country is . It needs more visitors - we in the West ask a lot from the Africans to care and manage the heritage of their wildlife, but we have to realize that it comes for them at a huge cost – in not many parts of the world do the major tourist attractions (think British Museum and Buckingham Palace) destroy your crops and eat you, so we have a duty to support them as much as we can.

General misinformation is also to blame for the current dearth of visitors – apparently the Ebola scare has decimated the numbers despite the fact that Tanzania is at less risk of an outbreak than Europe.

Now, about my next trip...

With very many thanks
Marcus

Our expectations exceeded

My wife researched many of the safari operators before selecting Gosheni. Boy, did she get it right! This company is exceptional. Peter, the Managing Director, responded immediately to her email enquiries and tailored a tour to our expectations and needs.
We were met on arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport by Jonas, our driver/guide, and taken to Arusha for lunch with Peter and then off we went. We immediately struck up an excellent relationship with Jonas who was full of fun. When we were out animal observing he really demonstrated his skill in finding and understanding the animals' behaviours. One example: as we drove around the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater we encountered another vehicle watching the long grass and bush alongside the road. We stopped and discovered that they were watching a leopard moving about in the scrub. After a time the leopard disappeared and the other vehicle moved off. Not Jonas though,who said that the animal will show itself again in a few minutes. And so we sat there for several minutes when the leopard suddenly moved out onto the road and walked along passing the vehicle within a meter while observing us. And so it went. He was able to find some exceptional sights and experiences for us - surrounded by elephants, a herd of 26 female lions and two young male brothers, a giraffe that had survived a lion attack, a pride of lions patiently waiting for a wounded cape buffalo to weaken, and so on. We were there in the middle of the annual great migration of the wildebeest which also was another amazing experience.
The company's vehicles were late models, beautifully maintained (we saw three other vehicles break down), and comfortable, the accommodation was excellent, the food first rate, We flew back to Arusha from the Serengeti airstrip and were again met on arrival and taken to lunch where we de-briefed with Peter before being taken to Kilimanjaro Airport for the return flight.
Our safari was flawless and the experience of a lifetime. We have no hesitation in recommending Gosheni.

More than expected!

We enjoyed our Safari with It Started in Africa. Planning from Canada a couple of months in advance the team took care of flights getting us from South Africa to Kilmanjaro and onward to our final destination. Being met at the airport and taken to our hotel was the opening level of service and care we enjoyed throughout. The expert driver always made us feel safe and took time to show us parts of the city and viewpoints that were a joy to experience. Our patient guide was very observant and as a team with the driver ensured we were given ample opportunity to take pictures and observe the vast amount of wildlife. Our guide was very knowledgeable of the customs, plants and animals of the region, making it a great time of learning. Lake Manyara and Ngorangoro crater were absolutely beautiful. The accommodations and food were exceptional and we felt like it was first class all the way.

An incredible safari country in the world.

Tanzania is a land blessed with an abundance of wildlife, panoramic vistas and some of the most kind, hospitable and gracious people in all of Africa. It remains untouched by time and is still as wild, rugged and untamed as ever.
Over 35% of its land is allocated to national parks and game and forest reserves. It is also home to the highest point in Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro – which measures in at 5895 meters or 19,341 feet. Tanzania is also a politically stable, safe country in which to travel. The proximity of so many stunning parks and conservation areas only adds to Tanzania’s appeal as a safari destination. Several parks and conservation areas can be visited in a few days, allowing visitors to take in a wide range of Tanzania’s landscapes and scenery in a relatively short period of time.

its a wonderfull combination of nature wildlife hospiltality realxiation. Its paradise lost

The nearness of Gnoe

All right, wildlife does not evoke the same emotions Norah Jones does with her beautiful song but believe it or not, when you’re in the middle of a herd of Gnoes and other wildlife for the first time in your life, tears come to your eyes. It’s an emotional moment.
It’s January, rain and storm rule where we live in Holland. Tanzania is just 9 hours away with its beautiful nature, lovely climate and astounding wildlife.
Our trip in Tanzania knew three stages: relaxing days in and around Moshi, acknowledging the snowy peak of Kilimanjaro every morning, an exciting 11-day safari in Tarangiri National Park, Ngoro Ngoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. Our R. and R. was on Zanzibar, with our feet in the turquoise water of the Indian ocean.
Nothing was standard in those memorable days. Dutch born and raised Selma Kamm and her Tanzanian husband Ngomi Kamm of Moshi based Makasa Tanzanian Safaris excel in tailor-made trips. They had excellent and very practical suggestions on where to go and what to see and still made us feel ‘captain of our ship’.
On the spot, in Tanzania, Makasa service is impeccable and their guides and drivers are out to give you the time of your life.
We grew very much attached to our driver /guide Humphrey. He has an amazing knowledge of both flora and fauna and seems to have bionic eyes. My expensive binoculars are no match for his experience and eyesight when it comes to spotting wildlife. And yes, we saw the big five, and the small five and much more. We walked along thousands and thousands of Flamingo’s in Empakaai Crater, drove through paradise lost Ngoro Ngoro crater and were awed by the vastness of Serengeti. There is so much more to tell.
On safari we stayed in what they call tented lodges: an excellent invention. The cosiness of a tent, the size of a small bungalow, excellent double bed, chairs, and of course your own bathroom and shower. In the morning you wake up at the friendly voice just outside your tented lodge, asking if you want a hot or a cold shower.
Tourism is still relatively small in Tanzania, so when you visit a local family, its just you and the family, and together you prepare a local lunch –very tasty indeed- while they enjoy the way you potter around with their cooking utensils.
To top it all we spent 4 days in guest house Kilima Kidogo, in Paje, Zanzibar: white beaches, warm ocean, beds for an afternoon nap, lovely food and very friendly service.

Karibu indeed.

Trip of a Lifetime

We booked our itinerary with Planet Africa. Their attention to detail was commendable and the service was excellent from beginning to end. We first stayed at Ubuntu Migration Camp in the south Serengeti for two nights. The camp was amazing and we really were out in the middle of the bush. Guiding, staff, food and service were excellent. My only criticism was the 2 hour drive to the airstrip, but we did see lots of wonderful animals on the way. We then went to Sayari Camp in the north for 3 nights and it was perfect. The location and service was outstanding. Kathryn, Julie and the whole team did everything to ensure our trip was perfect for us. Sundowners on Christmas day beside the river viewing in excess of 30 hippo was wonderful . Our guide Elia was outstanding - he worked very hard to ensure we saw all of the big 5 on our 3 days. We wished we could have stayed there longer. We transferred to the Baraza Resort and Spa in Zanzibar. The villas are luxurious and Arabic in style and the beach had the most amazing white sand. The only thing I would do differently next time would be to take a direct flight to Zanzibar as the journey was over 4 hours.

The most beautiful country in the world

Tanzania has everything, the tallest free standing mountain, the most incredible national parks and some of the best beaches. The people are fantastic and the food is great :)

Tallest mountain in the world, exotic zanzibar, Crater of Ngorongoro and great migration in the Serengeti. What else?

Beautiful Scenery, Unbelievable Animal Hub.

Its true most travelers have no notion of the beauty that lies in Tanzania. To be honest, I too didn’t know until I was invited on a trip to Tanzania and we were hosted by Asante Tanzania Safaris. Anybody who needs more comfort and luxury should go for lodges, there are pretty much affordable lodge accommodation but you need to confirm in advance especially if you plan to visit during the peak season.
The position of our country makes us hear what I can refer to as very little to nothing about Tanzania hehee. However brief or short the time was, we had very pleasant moments and recommend Asante Tanzania.

Amazing Country

We have been in Tanzania and we love this country.... Spectacular landscapes, amazing creatures (animals) and friendly people!!!!
We recommend this country to everyone!!!