Blogs from Arusha, North, Tanzania, Africa

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Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha December 3rd 2023

To celebrate our (planned) conquer of Mt Kilimanjaro, I had planned a "luxury" safari trip for three days - also to celebrate her PhD and new job. Despite my abandoned attempt, my friend A did conquer it! It was miserable apparently - ice crystals blowing sideways up the slope, no views above or below of anything but grey cloud, a frozen sign as it was -20C, and many of them throwing up a few times. Out of our group of 8, 6 summited, so she did amazing! Though yeah, I would most likely not have made it, and even if I did, it would have been miserable. So, I was happy with my decision. I was initially taken to the Brubru hotel for one night then onto the Weru Weru River Lodge for the next few ... read more
Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge
Weru Weru River Lodge
Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha August 12th 2019

Abfahrt von Nairobi bei 14 ° - wahrscheinlich hatˋs in Gauting mehr gehabt. Und als ich u 8.30 endlich auf der Straße war, schlief diese Stadt noch immer. Also nicht direkt Tiefschlaf, aber doch Schlaf. Die Fahrerei war dementsprechend angenehm und ich kam ohne größere Angriffe auf Pauls oder mein Leben davon. Ein paar Marabus glotzten mich an, dann war ich aus der Stadt draußen und es wurde sehr ruhig. Die Straße zur Grenze ist neu ausgebaut aber wenig befahren. Es geht durch Maasai Gebiet, große Kuh Herden ziehen dahin und wirbeln hohe Staubfahnen auf. An einem Brunnen warteten mehrere Herden geduldig, bis sie dran kamen - so gesittet wie Engländer an der Bushaltestelle. Die Maasai Männer haben alle einen Stock dabei, schon die kleinen Jungs. Die Frauen hier waren mit Halsreifen und Ohrringen aus bunten ... read more
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Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha December 17th 2018

Our African adventure is under way! We left sunshine behind us in Alicante on a much delayed Transavia flight (they got the wheels off the ground 5 minutes before we would have been due any compensation!) and arrived in Amsterdam in freezing fog. There was snow on the ground and we couldn’t see over the road so we didn’t venture far beyond the NH Schipol Airport Hotel.That’s not to say we didn’t leave the hotel. We did actually cross the road to the Best Western, but like the hotel where we were staying, the restaurant was closed to cater for the multitude of passengers stranded due to the weather. We had some great schnitzel in the nearby Bastion hotel then turned in for an early night with KLM awaiting us the next morning. A welcome McBreakfast ... read more
Museum Entrance
Natural History
Natural History

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha » Arusha City December 16th 2018

“The journey to a thousand stars is not too far a journey” when you love a place. That is Africa for me. I keep going back there to smell its red dirt, acacia and baobab trees, unruly callous beauty spread all across that is worth living for. So when the KLM flight 571 sailed like a giant nightjar and touched down at Kilimanjaro airport in Arusha, Tanzania, I took a deep breath. Yes, I was in Kenya just a few months ago. I am back in the neighbouring Tanzania again in November. Why do I keep coming back? “I had a farm in Africa”…the day I watched the movie ‘Out of Africa’, I somehow knew this has now become my all time favourite movie. It was past 9:00 pm and dark…not sure I could notice the ... read more
River Nile under a setting sun- flying over Egypt
He has the right of way!
Elephants taking shelter from the hot African sun

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha October 16th 2018

Before arriving in Tanzania, I completed an involved personality test. There were 28 characteristics that, after escaping from a vortex of multiple choice, were ranked in order from “most prevalent” to “least prevalent.” Among my top 5 were traits in leadership, discipline, vigilance, curiosity, zest and a category that struck me as interesting: fairness and equity. I was classified, among other things, as a “make-righter.” In other words, I want things to be equally divided and put into reciprocating boxes to make sure everyone gets what’s theirs. Knowing that debts are left unpaid, gifts have gone ungiven, or “I love yous” have not been returned leaves me with ethical anxiety. We don’t steal, we don’t lie, we don’t cheat, and we sure as sh*t pay each other back for the fifty cents I found in your ... read more
Mama's Groups Crafting Initiative
Post-Birthday Coffee with my buddies!
Reasons to check your shoes: tarantulas

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha September 18th 2018

Tanzania day 10 Making our own coffee at a cultural tourism project in Arusha, Tanzania, Africa Coffee!!! Today was about coffee!! The world’s finest drink and we were going to learn all about it. I had found a company through Lonely Planet and then through the internet that does coffee tours and so we dicided to stay in Arusha an extra day. I wasn’t exactly sure what a coffee and villages tour entailed but I knew I’d be getting some coffee, meeting local people and giving something back to the community. There are many cultural tourism programmes in Tanzania so Tengeru is just one of them. Each of them have to give at least 65% of their income to the local community so having tourists come is important. We were told today that Tengeru has set ... read more
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Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha » Arusha City September 18th 2018

The Tengeru Cultural Tourism Programme is an organisation for tourists to experience local communities of the locals and culture of the Meru people of Tanzania, this is where we spent most of today. 65% of their profit goes into local schools, orphanages, women's projects and tree planting projects, so it is all good. Glyn found this place when researching coffee tours, as it also does this plus a village tour. The guys at Hekima House had no idea where it was situated, but sorted us out a lift there and as always, it was down a very long and bumpy dirt track including such a steep part that I didn't think the car could make it back up! The building itself was home to Mama Gladness, who owns the business and it was very beautiful with ... read more
Avenue of banana trees
coffee beans on bush
Peeled coffee bean from the bush

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha » Arusha City September 11th 2018

Tanzania Day 3 A flight delay, a car accident, glaring locals and going up north in Tanzania After the theft from another room last night I don’t think we were being over cautious when we took all our valuables to breakfast this morning. I’d barricaded the doors last night as well, just in case. Claire had planned to get up for the sunset but ended up getting woken by a thunderstorm instead. I heard a bit of it but was pretty dead to the world while she managed to get up and shoot some video of some interesting sheet lightening. We didn’t get up until EIGHT am! Crazy, lazy days. Breakfast was odd and I’m not even sure what two of the things on our plates were. There was coffee though that was drinkable so that’s ... read more
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Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha » Arusha City September 11th 2018

A huge thunderstorm awoke me at around 5am, the room was intermittently lit by bright lightening and the curtains were blowing in like a horror movie. The window was open but we were protected by a veranda, mosquito net and wrought iron bars. I got up to watch it over the lake. I've never seen so much lightening in one storm, it was sheet lightening that lit up the entire sky turning the palm trees into black silhouettes. It flickered like a faulty light at varying intensities as the wind attacked the trees and the lake was totally mad. The thunder too was intense and frequent, being particularly loud at times. This went on for around 40 minutes and what baffled me further was that Glyn didn't wake up. Afterwards, the sky was a dingy grey ... read more
breakfast
view of Lake Tanganyika from our room.
Kigoma airport

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha » Arusha City August 18th 2018

Woken early by a knock on the door. Wake up call. Hmmm, phone didn’t go off, old style manual call. Found out at breakfast that others got a call. Must have knocked the phone so it didn’t work. Good service. Brekky then into the bus for our short trip back to the airport. Back through the check in routine and towards customs, etc. Farewelled our tour guide, Graham. He has been really good and keeps saying we have been the best group he has ever had. We vehemently say he is talking shit but he steadfastly says he has had loads of fun and hasn’t had to work hard at all. Anyway, more hugs and kisses - and handshakes for some. Then we head through his secret security entry which is much quicker than the first ... read more




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