Tanzania |
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(continued from Kenya...) We arrived in Arusha, eager to find a cheap, but -this time- good safari company. We were shocked to see that the cheapest company was offering a 3 nights-4 days in the Serengeti and Ngonrongoro crater for 135$US per person per day (basic camping). A luxury camping was starting at 150$US per person per day, where lodges safari were varying between 250$ and 1000$US per night per person!!!! That was well above our budget. We found Victoria Expeditions, located in Muru Hotel on … street and they had a tour leaving the next day and we managed to bargain the safari down to 90$US per day per person for 5 days (including an extra day walking in Arusha National Park). Even with the reasonable deal, it broke my heart when we gave Victoria Expedition $900US cash for our trip. I tried to explain the owner how hard we had to work to save this amount of money we were about to spend it with his company. He told me that the profit margins of Safari Companies are low, only because of the park fees. For example, in the Serengeti, the entry fee is 30$US per day per person, 20$US per night per person to camp, $20US for a vehicle, and 5$ for the local guide/driver. If you add the cost of gas, the food prepared (included in our price), the cook, the vehicle maintenance and the salaries, you quickly realize that $90US per day is very good value for what you get. |
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Victoria Expeditions was well above our expectations. We ate more food than we really needed, the food was delicious (we had quiche in the middle of the Serengeti), the cook friendly and the guide very knowledgeable. The vehicle was in excellent condition and the group size was small (only 5 of us in a big Land Rover). We strongly recommend this company. The Serengeti blew my mind and I do understand now why it has such an international reputation: never-ending plains, striking landscapes and of course, lots of animals. We saw the same animals as in the Masai Mara, but in larger quantities. We saw thousands and thousands of zebras and wildebeests migrating, 40 lions, over a hundred giraffes, elephants, hornbills, impalas, gazelles, hippos, crocodiles, bushbucks, hyenas, dik-dik, just to name a few. The Serengeti receives over 3000 tourists a day (which is frustrating when you travel 200km on a dirt road to realize that 30 vehicles are waiting at the gate.), but the park is so big (10000km square), that you barely see any vehicles when you are on a game drive. We quickly left Arusha to go to Moshi, the city at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I was happy to see the snow-peak mountain at the sunset, and was even happier I wasn’t climbing it. We met many travelers who climbed Kilimanjaro, and let me tell you it is simply a BIG rip-off. Again, tour operators charge about 125$US per day per person to climb the mountain and you need a minimum of 5 days, but preferably 6 days to climb it. (Do the math, this is $1450US for a couple). Than, you need to tip the guide (which uses at least 2 porters), your cook, plus your own porters. Most people we met tipped between 100$US and 200$US and everyone gets really angry at the poor tips you are leaving. I am sorry to say that, but $1700US for 2 people to climb a mountain for six days is simply stupid. I climbed 2 mountains over 5000 meters and one over 6000 meters last year in Peru for 20$ (the price to enter the park!!!). I spent 15 days in the national park and had my own food. |
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Zanzibar was nevertheless beautiful, especially Nungwe, at the northern part of the island. I dove for a day on Mnemba atoll with Africa diving & sport center located in Nungwe and although the visibility wasn’t that good (about 15 meters), we saw lots of marine life. The German owner was the official dive master on the boat, and looking back, the center wasn’t very safe. Body check wasn’t done; bottom time was exceeded by about 6 minutes (according to PADI tables), engines were leaking oil and lots of food was thrown in the ocean, something that disturbs the feeding habits of fishes and destabilizes the ecosystem.
Northern Tanzania and Kenya were great, but very touristy and we were, at this point, looking for something more real, down to Earth. We wanted to experience the real Africa, get lost in villages, meet more local people and learn some of the language.
We left for Mbeya, which is a transit point in the South between Tanzania, Zambia & Malawi. This city has not a lot to offer in itself, but the surroundings are full of attractions that need to be discovered: hot springs, mountains to be climbed, fishing in unspoiled rivers, craters to be discovered, meteorites to be seen and so much more!
We met Peter, a local guide who is trying to slowly make a living by guiding tourists in the region. He is not the most organized guy (and has no vehicle), but we spent 3 days with him and we climbed Ngozi crater (2800 meters) and cycled 15 km (30 km return) through small villages to see one of the top 10 biggest meteorite in the world. It was fantastic! People laughing at you on your bicycle, kids crying because they never saw white people before, school kids approaching you with an interested, but questioning look, women almost naked breastfeeding babies, etc. We were really in the middle of Africa!
For a total of 4 days, we didn’t see a single white tourist. It was great! Peter made us discover the real Tanzania: a very poor country, with very few paved road, a corrupted government, but very friendly people. We talked a lot about his life, his friends, his family, but what we really liked about Peter is what he was offering: something really new, unspoiled, and real. We’re still trying to pass the message around: stop in Mbeya for more than an overnight stop! Explore the region, you won’t regret it. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE TO MALAWI.