Travel stories

The feeling of being in the middle of the wilderness…

What was the moment you thought: “Wow, I’ll never forget this”?
Rene: The lions devouring a buffalo.

Lidy: In the Serengeti, we were eating in a cage while the monkeys hopped around happily outside. It was a world turned upside down, so to speak.

Emma: The whole of Serengeti! That feeling of actually sleeping among the animals, because you can see them just a few meters away. That you’re in the middle of the wilderness, without electricity or internet. And falling asleep under the stars and the Milky Way, which was especially visible.

Marnix: Those lions devouring the buffalo.

What surprised or touched you about Tanzania? Perhaps something you hadn’t anticipated?
Rene: The care people take in preparing their food. Buying everything fresh every day—no packages, no refrigerators.

Lidy: The Great Migration. I expected it to be a stream of wild beasts crossing the Mara.

We saw a group gathering to cross; there were hundreds of them. They were walking towards the water, and suddenly some of the rearguard walked back, and then the whole group walked back. A little later, they all returned and headed towards the crossing again. So it took hours for them to cross. It was very impressive to see all those wildebeest approaching and then all turn around again.

Emma: Ngorongoro National Park. From above, the crater looked like a vast plain, a plain where nothing happened. But when we went on a game drive down below, it was anything but monotonous. The landscape was so diverse: some places were completely barren, others resembled a swamp, and there was even a sea. Just as the landscape was so varied, so were the animals that lived there.

Marnix: The way of life for a large part of the population, for example, in self-built houses.

How did you experience meeting the people and the culture?
Rene: Tip! There’s a difference between restaurants where locals eat and those where Western tourists eat. The former happily wait a few hours for their food because it’s freshly prepared, while for the latter, it’s practically ready.

Lidy: Our cook, who served us meals three times a day with a big smile. He brought all the food/ingredients himself, as well as the kitchen utensils, stove, charcoal, etc. He got up very early in the morning, full of good spirits.

Emma: Everyone was so friendly, especially Sam & Goodluck, our guide/driver and cook.

Marnix: Super polite people. Good English. The pole-pole way of life.

What would you recommend future travelers absolutely not to miss?
Rene: The local cooking workshop in Zanzibar.

Lidy: Sleeping in a tent. At night, the sounds of the animals sound completely different.

Emma: What not?

Marnix: The local cooking workshop in Zanzibar.

What will you take with you from this trip, in your head, heart, and/or travel bag?
Rene: Hakuna Matata.

Lidy: From a very young age, children are involved in household chores. For example, there was a 5-year-old boy who washed his clothes in a bowl. This was considered normal.

Emma: How hard some people have to work just to support their families.

Marnix: Hakuna Matata.