One of the popular excursions from Arusha is a trip to Moshi. I went with a group of 10 other IVHQ volunteers on a 2-day Moshi trip. We booked through Tanzania Host Experience and each paid $95 USD. We left on Saturday morning at 6:30AM and arrived back in Arusha Sunday afternoon around 3PM. Michael was our guide and he is amazing! He is very knowledgeable and personable. Day One On Saturday, we started the tour by going to Mt. Kilimanjaro base camp. Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, the highest free-standing mountain in the world, and one of the largest volcanoes ever to burst through the earth’s surface. Situated only three degrees below the equator with snow and glaciers covering its peak, and just under four miles high, it can be seen from more than 100 miles away on a clear day. However, this mountain is nicknamed “Shy Mountain” because it is almost always hiding in the clouds. On the Moshi trip, you will only go to one of the trail’s starting points. Here you can see a replica of the mountain and read some of plaques that give information about the mountain, as well as who holds the climbing records. The next stop is at a coffee plantation where you will learn how to make your own coffee. Babu (grandpa in Swahili) will show you around the grounds where you will pick, process, roast, and grind your own coffee beans. You will have the option to purchase a bag of coffee beans or small souvenirs to help Babu’s business. After the coffee plantation, we ate lunch at a local restaurant. In the morning you will stop by to look at the menu and make your selections so that is ready when you arrive. The next item on the agenda was Ndoro Waterfall. We hiked down to the waterfall where we could take an optional swim. It was too cold for me but some of the boys took the plunge. At the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Ndoro Waterfall is one of the most popular and largest waterfalls in the area. We then headed to explore an underground cave built by local tribes a long time ago. Over 120 tribes share the country of Tanzania and live together in peace, but it was not always like that. Before colonization, tribes were regularly fighting over land, cattle, and power. The Chagga tribe have always been living at the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. They were and are famous for growing vegetables, maize, beans, and bananas in the fertile soil of the mountain. About 200 years ago, there was a severe drought in Tanzania and people living in the lower parts of the country started to suffer heavily. So did the Maasai tribe who lived in the low lands of the Kilimanjaro area with their cattle. The Maasai and the Chagga always had a lively trade, but when the drought made the low lands impossible to live in, the Maasai tried to seize the fertile lands of the Chagga. The Maasai started to steal young boys of the Chagga to make them their slaves and kill them once they reached the age of fighters. This was when the mountain tribe developed the idea of digging caves to hide from the cruel Maasai warriors. It took them 54 years to finish digging them up with their bare hands, using cow bones, or volcanic rocks from Kilimanjaro. Once you enter the caves, you will see how clever the Chagga people planned their refuge. They built a living room, a room for cooking, and ambushing chambers where they hid to attack the incoming enemies. After several failed attempts of attacking the Chagga, the Maasai finally gave up, being afraid of the devil living in the caves. They ran far until they reached the fertile lands of Ngorongoro and the plains of Serengeti where they still live today. Our last stop of the evening was to have a taste of banana beer and banana wine at a banana farm. I think we only took a very small sip, and some of us spit it out instantly. It was not very good and something that I assume has to be acquired after a while. Not for me though. You will stay at Paradise Inn Backpackers hostel in Moshi, which is very nice. We had 2 rooms for the 10 of us with 6 in one room and 4 in another room. Dinner and WiFi is provided at the hostel. Day Two On Sunday, we started off the morning by having breakfast at the hostel and then setting off to have a town tour of Moshi. We stopped at a galleria where you can purchase paintings and souvenirs. The stores take credit card. We then headed to the Kikuletwa Hot Springs. This was the best part of the trip! The hot springs are very tropical looking, located in the middle of a semi arid landscape and surrounded by sprawling fig trees. I enjoyed using the rope swing to get into the water. We had a packed lunch before heading back to Arusha. The drive was approximately 2 hours. If you have any questions or comments, please post below 🙂
Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 20 miles off the coast of the mainland. It consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island referred to as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. The capital is Zanzibar City. Its historic center is Stone Town, which is a World Heritage Site. I stayed in Stone Town at Stonetown View Inn. If you wish to stay in a hostel, Lost and Found is the popular hostel that most volunteers stay at in Stone Town. Another popular area to stay is on the East coast at Jambiani Beach. Although this is a more picturesque beach, I preferred to stay in Stone Town because there were more accessible restaurants, markets, and nightlife. I took 2 day trips to the East Coast for very cheap so I think I made the right decision. Stone Town is also close to the airport making it nice on your arrival and departure days. Stone Town in Swahili means “Old Town” and is the old part of Zanzibar City. The newer portion of the city is known as Ng’ambo, Swahili for “the other side”. Stone Town is located on the western coast of Unguja. Day 1 : Stone Town On my first day in Zanzibar, I explored Stone Town by walking along the waterfront, strolling on the beach, and exploring the main market. Darajani Market has everything- from spices, fresh fish, meat and chickens to shoes, household goods, and electronics. It is all set out in a series of covered halls and overflows into the surrounding streets. If you’re buying food, come in the morning when everything is fresh, although it’s much busier then. After the main market, I explored more of the town by walking through the maze of streets filled with various souvenir shops. Be sure to bargain!! I also took a visit to the Old Fort (free of charge). The Old Fort overlooks Forodhani Gardens and the ocean. It was built by Omani Arabs when they seized the island from the Portuguese in 1698, and over the centuries it’s had various uses, from a prison to a tennis club. There is a line of souvenir shops and a nice cafe/bar here. I walked past the Old Dispensary historical building. It is located on the seafront, halfway between the Palace Museum and the harbor. It served as a dispensary in the first half of the 20th century. It now has a small museum about the history of Zanzibar. One thing that I did not get around to doing in Stone Town was visiting Sultan’s Place. I did, however walk by it. It is a 3-story building located on the seafront. The palace was built in the late 19th century to serve was a residence for the Sultan’s family. After the Zanzibar Revolution, in 1964 it was formally renamed to People’s Palace and used as a government seat. In 1994, it became a museum about the Zanzibari royal family and history. For dinner, I ate at the local street market in Forodhani Park where several food vendors prepare food along the waterfront. Each evening as the sun sets, Forodhani Gardens transforms into an open-air food market. You can eat while you watch the locals dive into the water during high tide. Another restaurant option that you can consider is the Floating Restaurant. I also went to Tatu night club to dance and have a drink. Tatu means three in Swahili and this place has three floors: a well-stocked bar on the 1st floor, a pub-style restaurant on the 2nd floor, and a rooftop cocktail lounge on the 3rd floor where you can soak up the ocean views and dance the night away. Day 2: Prison Island and Nakupenda Beach The next day, I took a private tour of Prison Island and Nakupenda Beach. I got contact information from reading reviews on Trip Advisor. You can contact Ali on WhatsApp at +255 773 518 781 or Mohamed on at +255 777 576 383. At first Ali wanted to charge me $120, but I told him that it was mentioned on Trip Advisor for $50 so he agreed to that cost. You seriously have to bargain with EVERYONE in Tanzania. They want your business and know that other companies are doing it for next-to-nothing so are willing to go pretty low. The $50 included hotel pick-up, entrance fee to Prison Island, the boat ride, snorkel gear, and a delicious seafood lunch. Changuu Island, also known as Prison Island, lies about 30 minutes by boat from Stone Town. The island was formerly owned by an Arab and saw use for confinement of slaves. It also became a quarantine station for yellow fever epidemics. Prisoners were never actually held here though. The island was bought by General Lloyd Mathews and his goal was to make it into a jail. The jail was built in 1893 and is still there today and hence the name “Prison Island”. In 1919, the British governor of Seychelles sent a gift in the form of four Aldabra giant tortoises to Changuu. Presently the species is considered vulnerable and has been placed on the IUCN Red List. There is a dedicated foundation on the island which looks after the tortoises’ welfare. The oldest tortoise at the sanctuary is 192 years old. The average weight of the tortoises is 200kg. While on the island you will be able to observe and feed the tortoises, swim, sunbathe, and snorkel. After two hours walking around and taking some time to relax, I got back in the boat where the two co-captains/guides took me to Nakupenda Beach. Nakupenda in Swahili means “I love you” and is the name of an amazing sandbank located just off of Stone Town. After another 30-minute boat ride, I took a walk in the sand and went snorkeling as the guys cooked lunch. For lunch, they cooked lobster, squid, octopus, fish, and
When booking a safari in Tanzania, you should do your research in order to get the best price. Majority of the guides are offering the exact same packages, but will vary in prices. For example, Tanzania Host Experience (partners with IVHQ and Tanzania Volunteer Experience) charge a ton compared to other companies. They know that they have incoming volunteers every two weeks so know they can profit a lot by marketing at the orientation. I did a 3-day (2 night) safari that had the same inclusions for about $400 cheaper than what they would charge for 4 people. Instead of paying $970, we paid $580 per person. It was unfortunate that we weren’t in the big group with the rest of the volunteers going that weekend, but $400 is a huge difference! The price included park fees to Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, campsite fees, camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, mattress, pillow), a professional driver/guide, transportation in a 4-person safari jeep, cook, and all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner – which I may add were delicious!). We contacted Aron on WhatsApp at +255 757 522 522 and setup a meeting on the Tuesday before we went. Our tour guide was Moses and you can contact him on WhatsApp at +255 764 688 005. We also met him the Friday before we went. The company is currently working on a website. However, they have been safari tour guides for about 10 years. We read good reviews of Aron online and also heard about him from volunteers from another organization in Arusha. I recommend contacting them in advance to discuss itinerary and prices and then booking after you arrive and compare other local companies. Although I wasn’t with the large group of volunteers that went through THE, I enjoyed having a small group for this experience. It certainly had its benefits. For one, the car ride was much more spacious. We also could make more requests to the guide with a smaller group instead of trying to please 15+ people. However, if you do go in a large group, most of the vehicles will end up splitting off anyways so it will still be enjoyable. Day 1: Arusha to Serengeti On the first morning, we were picked up at our accommodation in Arusha and headed straight for Serengeti National Park. On the way, we stopped to pick up our cook, camping supplies, and food and then at African Galleria in Manyara for a quick bathroom and coffee break. This is a professional gallery that deals in antiques, art, Tanzanite and other gems, clothing, custom made jewelry, and additional souvenirs that you can purchase. The total drive to the Serengeti park entrance took about 7 hours. Once we arrived, we had lunch at the park entrance while our guide got our park entrance pass. While eating lunch, you will see lots of beautiful birds and amphibians. You will also realize how many rats scurry around scavenging for food. After you are finished eating, you can take a 5-minute hike uphill to get a great view of the Serengeti plains. The Serengeti is one of the most famous parks in Africa and is synonymous with wildlife and classic African scenery. It is Tanzania’s oldest park and a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is home to the spectacular wildebeest migration and offers top-class wildlife viewing throughout the year. After lunch, we put the jeep roof up and departed on our first afternoon game drive! We spent several hours getting excited by each and every animal that we came across. Be warned that you will get very very sandy/dusty! I recommend bringing sunglasses, a safari hat, or anything else to shield your eyes and face from the sand. As the sun was setting, we arrived at our campsite and set up the tents while dinner was being prepared. The dinner was phenomenal! Our cook, Kagere, made some delicious meals! Our meals included popcorn or peanuts to start, followed by soup and bread. Our main courses included meat, salad, pasta, quiche, and French fries. For dessert was a platter of fruit. The meals that I had this weekend were the best I had during the entire month I was in Tanzania. Shout out to Kagere!! I was pretty impressed by the campsite facilities. There is one building where the chefs do the cooking and another building for visitors to eat. Table and chairs will be provided by your tour guide. There are also western toilets and shower facilities available, which I was not expecting. However, you will need to bring your own toilet paper (this goes for pretty much everywhere in Tanzania). There are also mirrors in the bathrooms. Camping in the Serengeti is an incredible experience! After dinner, two of my friends saw a leopard not far from the bathroom facility. A guide was shining a torch on it. Be sure to take a few moments to look up at the sky and admire the starry night sky. In the middle of the night, we heard hyenas and lions. Don’t worry too much because there is always someone on patrol throughout the night. Day 2: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Breakfast is served at 6:30AM so that you can set out on your morning game drive right away and watch the sun rise over the Serengeti. We drove around for several more hours seeing different animals than we had on our first game drive. Anytime that you wish to stop, you can just let your guide know. If you didn’t see any big animals yet, their goal will be to find them for you. This is the morning that I got my favorite shot of a male lion walking up on a hill with a hot air balloon rising up behind him in the background. It was a magical moment! After the morning game drive, we went back to the campsite to have lunch and load up the car with all of our camping equipment. After
