Hippos in love
Giraffe at Serengeti 
Leopard up tree
Flamingos in Ngorongoro
Ostrich in Ngorongoro
Kilimanjaro - On Glacier
Glacier at the top of Kilimanjaro
Rocky Kilimanjaro
Arrow Glacier, Kilimanjaro
Hiking in mist on Mt Kilimanjaro
Snorkeling at Zanzibar
Zanzibar Beach
Narrow lanes of Stonetown, Zanzibar*** Tanzania ***
* Zanzibar Island – Old town, beaches, islands and snorkelling *
After a long overnight bus ride from Malawi, I boarded the ferry from Dar es Salaam to Stonetown on Zanzibar Island. Stonetown was a fascinating place to see, with its numerous narrow winding lanes of old buildings and houses with enclosed courtyards and the Arabic/Islamic influenced Swahili culture. I visited the old fort enclosure, the Sultan’s somewhat grandiose residence and an old disused Persian bath house.
I then hit the beaches in the north of the island, staying at Kendwa Rocks on a beautiful white sand beach, with perfect turquoise waters. Here I went for a short kayak paddle to some nearby uninhabited islands and also joined a tour out to a larger island for some excellent snorkeling along a beautiful coral reef.7
* Mt Kilimanjaro - 6 day trek *
Heading back to the mainland, I travelled straight to Mt Kili and embarked on a 6 day trek up this 5895m high monolith. I hired a friendly guide and together we bought supplies, packed and set off on our grand journey. The first few days were for acclimitisation, as we ascended slowly through the beautiful rainforest, heathlands and grasslands above the treeline. There was some rain in the afternoons, but at least the mornings were clear with great views up to the top! En-route we detoured to see the Arrow Glacier, clinging to the side of the mountain. We also passed by many Senecio plants, which give the landscape a truly unique appearance.
Having felt the effects of altitude (slight headache, dizzy and lethargic), the final summit push starting at 1am was not easy (especially above 5500m)! But when we reached the top of this old volcano just before sunrise, I had a rush of energy and was absolutely elated! It was well below zero at the top and we were surrounded by a fresh dusting of snow and numerous glaciers. Then came the long descent down 4000m, which we pushed through in one day, creating a few aches in my knees along the way.
* Safaris at Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater and Lake Manyara *
Next mission was to see some of the famous wildlife parks of Tanzania. I joined a camping-based tour that took us firstly to Lake Manyara, a pretty salt water lake backed by an escarpment of the Rift valley. There were lots of animals grazing, including Zebras, Elephants, Giraffes, various antelope, Warthogs and monkeys. There were thousands of pink flamingoes in the saltwater lake, plus pelicans, hippos and other birds in the fresh water section. Plus we saw a couple of lions lazing about.
And next came the simply stunning Ngorongoro crater, the highlight of the safari. A huge flat-bottomed caldera that is simply packed with wildlife. We descended steeply down into the crater to see many of the grazing animals, including Ostriches, Wildebeast Buffalo, Zebras, Gazelle, Warthogs etc. Plus numerous lions (some with cubs), Hyenas resting by a lagoon, and a couple of cheetahs on the prowl. It was amazing how close we got to some of the wildlife. At close range, we even saw a Serval cat pounce on a mouse and eat it whole! Bird life was also prolific at a gorgeous freshwater lake where a kite swooped down to take a chunk of chicken from our hands! Our camp on the crater wall, looking down into the crater was simply excellent as well.
And last stop was the famous Serengeti, a vast plain of savanna grasslands where numerous animals come to graze, along with their predators. The scenery was remarkable as we saw many of the animals, including huge numbers of Gazelle, Zebras and other antelope (including Topi, Heartbeast and Waterbuck). And in the seasonally greener eastern parts, there were huge herds of Wildebeast. Giraffes and Elephants were abundant too. There were also lots of Lions lazing about in the grasses and on rocks while other animals were grazing nearby. Hyenas were at the waterholes again, and after a tip-off, we found a Leopard resting up a tree which we got very close to. We also saw quite a few Jackals moving about. We camped in the middle of the plains, hearing Buffalo munching away as we dozed off to sleep…
Along the way between parks we passed by a few Masai tribe villages, getting a glimpse of how the Masai live and their impressive checkered dress and extravagant jewelry. I really enjoyed these safaris, as the scenery and wildlife was simply astonishing.
* Around lake Victoria *
Crossing the rest of the Serengeti on a very bumpy public bus, I attempted to get a ferry across the Lake Victoria. Unfortunately, due to limited buses at night, and after hitching a ride with a semi-trailer truck at night-time, I missed the ferry by 1 hour! On the flip side, the truck driver was extremely friendly and generous, and took me to his family home for the night as it was quite late. The next day I spent travelling by bus and hitching along the rough dirt roads of this region to reach the border with Uganda.
* Zanzibar Island – Old town, beaches, islands and snorkelling *
After a long overnight bus ride from Malawi, I boarded the ferry from Dar es Salaam to Stonetown on Zanzibar Island. Stonetown was a fascinating place to see, with its numerous narrow winding lanes of old buildings and houses with enclosed courtyards and the Arabic/Islamic influenced Swahili culture. I visited the old fort enclosure, the Sultan’s somewhat grandiose residence and an old disused Persian bath house.
I then hit the beaches in the north of the island, staying at Kendwa Rocks on a beautiful white sand beach, with perfect turquoise waters. Here I went for a short kayak paddle to some nearby uninhabited islands and also joined a tour out to a larger island for some excellent snorkeling along a beautiful coral reef.7
* Mt Kilimanjaro - 6 day trek *
Heading back to the mainland, I travelled straight to Mt Kili and embarked on a 6 day trek up this 5895m high monolith. I hired a friendly guide and together we bought supplies, packed and set off on our grand journey. The first few days were for acclimitisation, as we ascended slowly through the beautiful rainforest, heathlands and grasslands above the treeline. There was some rain in the afternoons, but at least the mornings were clear with great views up to the top! En-route we detoured to see the Arrow Glacier, clinging to the side of the mountain. We also passed by many Senecio plants, which give the landscape a truly unique appearance.
Having felt the effects of altitude (slight headache, dizzy and lethargic), the final summit push starting at 1am was not easy (especially above 5500m)! But when we reached the top of this old volcano just before sunrise, I had a rush of energy and was absolutely elated! It was well below zero at the top and we were surrounded by a fresh dusting of snow and numerous glaciers. Then came the long descent down 4000m, which we pushed through in one day, creating a few aches in my knees along the way.
* Safaris at Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater and Lake Manyara *
Next mission was to see some of the famous wildlife parks of Tanzania. I joined a camping-based tour that took us firstly to Lake Manyara, a pretty salt water lake backed by an escarpment of the Rift valley. There were lots of animals grazing, including Zebras, Elephants, Giraffes, various antelope, Warthogs and monkeys. There were thousands of pink flamingoes in the saltwater lake, plus pelicans, hippos and other birds in the fresh water section. Plus we saw a couple of lions lazing about.
And next came the simply stunning Ngorongoro crater, the highlight of the safari. A huge flat-bottomed caldera that is simply packed with wildlife. We descended steeply down into the crater to see many of the grazing animals, including Ostriches, Wildebeast Buffalo, Zebras, Gazelle, Warthogs etc. Plus numerous lions (some with cubs), Hyenas resting by a lagoon, and a couple of cheetahs on the prowl. It was amazing how close we got to some of the wildlife. At close range, we even saw a Serval cat pounce on a mouse and eat it whole! Bird life was also prolific at a gorgeous freshwater lake where a kite swooped down to take a chunk of chicken from our hands! Our camp on the crater wall, looking down into the crater was simply excellent as well.
And last stop was the famous Serengeti, a vast plain of savanna grasslands where numerous animals come to graze, along with their predators. The scenery was remarkable as we saw many of the animals, including huge numbers of Gazelle, Zebras and other antelope (including Topi, Heartbeast and Waterbuck). And in the seasonally greener eastern parts, there were huge herds of Wildebeast. Giraffes and Elephants were abundant too. There were also lots of Lions lazing about in the grasses and on rocks while other animals were grazing nearby. Hyenas were at the waterholes again, and after a tip-off, we found a Leopard resting up a tree which we got very close to. We also saw quite a few Jackals moving about. We camped in the middle of the plains, hearing Buffalo munching away as we dozed off to sleep…
Along the way between parks we passed by a few Masai tribe villages, getting a glimpse of how the Masai live and their impressive checkered dress and extravagant jewelry. I really enjoyed these safaris, as the scenery and wildlife was simply astonishing.
* Around lake Victoria *
Crossing the rest of the Serengeti on a very bumpy public bus, I attempted to get a ferry across the Lake Victoria. Unfortunately, due to limited buses at night, and after hitching a ride with a semi-trailer truck at night-time, I missed the ferry by 1 hour! On the flip side, the truck driver was extremely friendly and generous, and took me to his family home for the night as it was quite late. The next day I spent travelling by bus and hitching along the rough dirt roads of this region to reach the border with Uganda.
No comments:
Post a Comment