Travel stories

Our overland journey from the coast to the Serengeti

After a long but great flight we landed in Dar es Salaam last night. With the visa already in our pockets we walked smoothly through security and were met by Kazim, the driver of Explore Tanzania who took us to the hotel. I (Karlijn) tried to speak some Swahili, which was received enthusiastically! Before I knew it I was in a crash course in Swahili.

Our flight to Pangani was special. There was room for 10 people and we first flew to Zanzibar. The pilot himself welcomed us, told us how long the flight was and told us to stay in our seats. We landed in Pangani in an hour. Somewhere in the middle of …… there was a tree with a bench and a scooter with a tailgate. The latter turned out to be our transfer to the Emayani Beach resort. Really great! Karibu Tanzania! After a bumpy ride we arrived at the resort and were welcomed by Sali with a coconut drink! We will spend the next 2 days acclimatizing here.

Wonderful and special days at Emayani beach lodge. The day of arrival we had to recover and get used to the heat. After a good meal and 10 hours of sleep we were woken up at 07:30 with a knock on the door and coffee on the veranda! Sunrise after rain… beautiful! There were already many fishermen on the water. We are being looked after fantastically here. At the lodge we are told that turtles will emerge from their nests around 18:00 and whether we want to help. This is really so beautiful! Fifty little turtles running for their lives to reach the sea. They all made it! “Run, Forest, Run”!! Beautiful day and a great ending!

On Monday we snorkelled from a white sandbank. It was beautiful! We know that sunlight makes the colours in the water more beautiful, but even now the fish were colourful and it was special to feel the rain on your body. In raincoats we walked on the sandbank later and after some fruit and snacks, we went into the water again! After a night with lots of rain and thunder we woke up refreshed. Our driver Mozes was ready to drive us to our next destination in Lushoto at 08:30. On to a new adventure!

What an adventurous trip to Lushoto in the Usambara mountains! Mozes, our driver, was the hero of the day. He didn’t mind a bit of mud and drove us straight through the village past the truck that blocked the road. It was special to drive in this area and see and meet the local people. We slowly drove into the Usambara mountains to Lushoto and drove past cotton and bamboo plantations. Eventually, with a detour, we arrived at Irente village. There used to be a German coffee plantation here. Now a place where various projects have been set up, including a school for deaf children. We have a room at the farm. The farm house is very homely and has a beautiful view over the mountains. The next day we went into the Usambara Mountains with guide Ngoda. Last night we got an extensive briefing, so we left well prepared. We walked through the forest to a village, where we visited a school and spoke to children for a while. We visited a cave from WWI and walked through the rainforest. After lunch we walked further to the Usambara waterfall. Ngoda told us enthusiastically about trees, herbs and animals. We saw a chameleon, a sunbird and colorful grasshoppers. Another beautiful and special day!

After a good breakfast we left Irente Farm to Moses’ car. Around 13:00 we arrived in Moshi, where we transferred to a sturdy Landcruiser. Between Moshi and Arusha we drove off-road: bumps, puddles and waving children who shouted “Mzungu”. Around 16:00 we arrived at Amini Hillside Retreat in Momella, beautifully situated between Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru. We said goodbye to Moses and Stella, enjoyed the sun, a drink and delicious food. Even our wet clothes were washed for us. What a welcome! Today our first day on the road with guides Emanuel John (EJ) and Samuel. After a delicious breakfast we drove to Arusha National Park. There we took a walk with a ranger and saw pumbas, buffalos and giraffes – a beautiful area around Mount Meru. It was cloudy, but just in time the sun broke through.

Around noon we started our game drive along the Momella Lakes, where we saw many animals. Highlight: a group of elephants that crossed the road right in front of us! Later we also spotted black-and-white colobus monkeys – difficult to capture, but spectacular to see.

A day that is difficult to capture in words. You have to feel, smell and hear the nature here. Fantastic memories. Hamna shida – no worries! Yesterday we said goodbye to Amini Hillside Retreat, a beautiful place with great people. On the way we saw the projects of Amini, such as schools and water projects. When we got on the highway, Kilimanjaro suddenly became visible – another moment that you can’t really capture, but that will stay in your memory forever.

We drove on to Karatu and Ngorongoro, and arrived at Isoitok Lodge, in the middle of Maasai territory at Lake Manyara. Luxury camping with a shower in the tent and an outdoor shower! After a delicious lunch we went to Manyara National Park for a treetop walk. We came across a large group of elephants and saw hippos playing in the water. The giraffes are still special to see, and we spotted zebras and impalas. After dinner we made an exciting night game drive where we also spotted nocturnal animals. Lala salama!

Today, Sunday 18 May, we are going on a bike tour through rice and banana plantations. We cycled through the village of Mto Wa Mbu, where Edinash and Stephen told us everything about the plantations. We stopped more often than we cycled, especially at the market where everything from the village is sold. What an experience, from the sights to the smells! After the market we tasted banana beer in a hut – it didn’t look very appealing, but it tasted surprisingly good. After that we visited a wooden figure maker, which was super fun.

This morning we were woken up at 06:30 by Jozef with coffee/tea, and at 07:00 we were ready with our sticks to walk to the Maasai village of Bomba. On the way we learned “sepay” (hello) and “shengelingelinge” (thank you). In the village, between cow and goat dung, we saw huts where a man lives with four women and their children. The women take care of the children and animals, while the men are out with the cows. We were allowed to take a look inside a hut that was dark and warm, with a fire and a bed.

On our way through the Ngorongoro Crater we saw lions hunting a pumba, zebras, elephants, flamingos, hippos and even a rhino! The nature was so impressive that words failed us. Today an early and afternoon game drive in the area of ​​Ndutu Safari lodge. EJ our guide and driver often says something like “When you take nature as a gift, then miracles will happen…….” EJ has very good hawk eyes and sees a chita with a young one in the distance. We drive past acacia trees and giraffes, past wildebeest and bush chickens. A special day that we end with good conversations by the campfire.

Around noon and after lunch we drive into Serengeti NP. It is wide here and you can see endlessly into the distance. At the first turn on the right we come across 3 lions. The first time we see an adult male lion. We drive to the center of Serengeti and from there to the south of the park where our accommodation is located. We end up in a heavy rain shower, which makes the road to the tented camp challenging. But EJ knows how to park the car in an impressive way at the tented camp. The next 2 nights we sleep in a tent with toilet and shower, so luxury camping.

The next morning we set off early again. At 06:30 we were served our breakfast outside. Beautiful and wonderful to see the sun rise here. We drive the same challenging road back to the center of Serengeti. Apart from the large predators, the birds are also beautiful and there are also caterpillars, turtles and dung beetles. Well, who does not honor the small……. It is the time of the migration, we mainly see large groups of zebras and wildebeest here and that is beautiful to see and hear. At 16:00 we arrive back at our tent and recover from another beautiful day. Behind our tent an elephant appears enjoying fresh grass.

What a special night! It was a night safari of sounds, fantastic! Didn’t sleep much but heard everything passing by. Hippos, roaring lions, owls, a leopard, baboons and much more… At 12:15 we drove out of Serengeti NP and arrived back in the inhabited world of villages, rice and sugar plantations. After a week of safari with EJ the driver and Samuel the student, it was time to say goodbye. We had beautiful and impressive adventures together. And then it went fast! Our journey together is almost over. One more night at Lake Mwanza and then I will start the next adventure with my colleagues.