How Hard Is It to Climb Kilimanjaro?

17 February 2018 by Raul 18 Comments

A few years ago I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the roof of Africa by virtue of being the tallest mountain there. I have written about how I prepared, what I wore for the climb, and how each day was from day 1 to reaching Uhuru Peak (Kili’s summit) to coming down the mountain. However, one of the things I have not written about directly is one of the questions I commonly get asked: “how hard is it to climb Kilimanjaro?”

I get the question directly but I also it in a different way: when people look at me like I did an almost impossible feat. I get that it is not something most people do hence why it is a feat of a kind. But to me there are crazier and/or harder things (it is all relative, isn’t it??). So I wanted to share a little of my perspective on how hard it is to climb Kili.

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The first time I saw Kili outside of the Honey Badger Lodge – such an amazing mountain!

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A photo shared in my earlier post showing what I took with me (for the climb and subsequent safari)

A bucket list item that never was: Kilimanjaro

I never planned or thought of climbing Kilimanjaro. It had never occurred to me even as a fleeting thought. Nowhere in the radar. I had barely heard or read of people who had done it. Nor was I a big hiker to begin with (I had never slept in a tent until my first night on Kili!). My first multi-day hike ever had been the year before I climbed Kili when I hiked four days in the Transylvanian Alps in Romania with Trekking for Kids (TFK). This all changed one night at a fundraiser for TFK a few months later.

At this event, folks started egging me on to join them in a few months later on the climb Kilimanjaro with TFK. I considered the whole idea preposterous. I felt tremendously ill-suited for something so physically demanding. “Climbing Kilimanjaro is too hard,” I thought. While I exercise regularly and consider myself to be generally fit, I was not running half marathons (had done it once a dozen years before) nor doing bootcamps a few days a week nor anything of the like.

Climbing Kilimanjaro was for the super athletes of the world. I was far from being that though I knew I was in slightly better shape than the average person. But, a lot of cajoling, elbowing, and a couple (or 4) glasses of wine later, I succumbed to friendly group pressure and banter. I said yes. In a way, I was feeling excited that I would attempt something so ‘crazy’ and out of my comfort zone (always a good thing to do every now and then).

The next morning I woke up and incredulously remembered the prior night’s events. I was asking myself why I had agreed to undertake this ludicrous effort instead of politely saying I’d think about it. Well, I am not one to disappoint so I decided I was going to give it a shot after all. I decided that not because I thought that I had what it took. In fact, I thought it would take a LOT of training time I did not have. Training at altitude I also did not have easy access to. And requiring plenty more hiking experience at altitude or not that I did not possess…

Ready to start the climb – clean, well-prepared, and eager!

Getting ready for climbing Kilimanjaro

A million questions started swirling in my head once I accepted I was indeed going to stick to this. SO many question! How do I best prepare? What do I need to bring with me? What do I need to wear to deal with the cold? Can I do anything to improve my chances at the doing well under exertion? Can I do anything to help me be ready for the high altitude? What did I need to know in terms of my personal safety? How much was it going to cost me when it was all said and done? And on and on.

I was fortunate to have been doing the expedition to Kili with an outfit like TFK. They provided a good bit of info to help us prepare ourselves, and gladly answered all my questions as I researched things and acquired the things I needed. I even remember being at REI looking at stuff. I called TFK’s Director of Operations, an all-around hiking guru. And started asking many questions to understand the options, look at items, see if the items’ features were really needed, and all that sort of good stuff. It was not easy but having access to expert knowledge helped make these key decisions, Especially when spending is required and one has to be careful what one spends the hard-earned money on!!

I won’t repeat here all the things I decided to do in terms of preparation or to pack in terms of the best clothing options and non-clothing items to bring; I will provide links to those posts below. But now I will address here the “how hard” question…

So how hard is it to climb Kilimanjaro then?

Hiking to the summit of a 19,340 foot mountain is not something to be undertaken lightly. OK, perhaps if you are a superstar athlete or have the right genes you can… but most of us do not fit that category. Actually, I take that back: even being a superstar athlete does not guarantee you will make it to the top of the mountain or even to the rim of the volcano (Stella Point for our route up).

Physical conditioning is only part of what is needed to make it to Uhuru Peak, the summit. It will most CERTAINLY help you tons. I experienced difficulties after the intimidating Barranco Wall and, of course, summit night for not being in the best possible shape. However, the other key factor affecting your chances of success is, well, simply how your body deals with the high altitude and lower oxygen levels.

The good news: you can do a couple of things that help a tad. Nevertheless, you have to have an OK fitness level. You WILL be exerting your body through a few hours a day of walking and gradual climbs, mixed with some steeper climbs at certain points!

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Leaving the Lava Tower looks harder than it was (Day 3)

Training at altitude would help but, from what I understand, the body’s adjustment to altitude dissipates within a few days/a week so that may not be logistically possible for most (if money and time were no object, of course, one would train at high altitude in another continent for a week or two and head straight to climb Kili without wasting days in between – not a likely approach for most). I did not do any high altitude / long climbs as part of my training due to many constraints but certainly they can only help so if you are able to do some of that in the weeks before, then your fitness level will be better.

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Heading to Barafu Camp from where we would launch to the summit (Day 5)

Part of my training as I share elsewhere was walking on a treadmill on a high incline with a backpack loaded with twice the weight I would carry on the mountain. It was an odd sight at the gym for sure but it helped physically if not just mentally… That and the fact that I am in general good shape through routine exercise were in my favor but I still struggled summit night (who doesn’t?) and after the Barranco Wall.

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Climbing along (not up) the Barranco Wall had its challenging spots (me in orange!) (Day 4)

A little while after the Barranco Wall (OK, an hour or so), we got hit by a little rain

Kilimanjaro was far from easy (each day I would end completely drained and able to move but barely). But I feel it is a reasonable, attainable goal for people with a fair degree of training/fitness. And with the drive to push themselves beyond what they think they can do. Yet, with all that, it will still all depend on how the high altitude hits each particular individual. And that reaction cannot be predicted.

I have to say that MOST CERTAINLY going with a great organization (in my case, a non-profit like Trekking for Kids) and having a one-of-a-kind extremely seasoned lead guide as we had (Luis Benitez – read about him here) were key success factors in helping ME complete the journey from planning to trekking to summitting. And making it down in one piece!

What was the hardest part about climbing Kilimanjaro?

It is a hard question to answer. We are all so different. My answer may not be yours. Things I can think of include:

the cold, especially at summit night,
the longing for a nice glass o’ wine or a beer (OK, I threw that in for comic relief),
the badly needing to get up to pee in the middle of the night (if taking Diamox – or not),
the constant packing and unpacking, inflating and deflating,
the not showering,
the bathroom situation at camp and on the trail,
the rocks to climb requiring longer legs than I have,
the having a sick tent-mate and wondering for days if you will catch it and not be able to summit,
etc.

(NOTE: Observe that food is not on this list of possible “hard” things. I ate great stuff thanks to our great porters and crew!)

But, frankly, all these things are overcomeable. For instance, while I used wipies every day to sort of clean up after a day of hiking, I had no such thing for the hair. Yet not even ONCE on the mountain did I think that it had been days since I had washed my hair last. Those who know me will know how incredible THAT sounds.

Kilimanjaro: Hard climb but special

That’s what makes going up Kili something special.

YES, it is hard in many ways. Indeed, physically, no matter how well trained you are (with those rare exceptions). But the hardest part is the mental part. When you wonder if you really can make it all the way. And when you wonder whether you want to – on one of those rare moments when you are too tired to think straight.

The hardest part is keeping going, putting one foot in front of the other when you think you can step no more. But you can. And you will. Pole, pole. Slowly, slowly – our internal Swahili chant. And you will be so amazed when it is all done that you actually did it. That you had it in you. I never knew I did. But I did. And I found out through this amazing experience… I am eternally grateful for those folks at that fundraiser who egged me on. Because the sense of achievement and the self-discovery was truly a gift received – or earned, actually 🙂

And this is the face of happiness at 19,340 ft above sea level at the summit, with my family close to me.

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At Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro!! (with the short-lived too-reflective sign; it’s gone now)

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Some key links to other posts I have written here based on my experience of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro:

Gear for Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Clothing

Preparing to Hike Kili: More than Training and Gear

Top 14 Items to Bring on a Climb of Kilimanjaro

And if you want to read a day-by-day walkthrough of what it is to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, start with Day 1.

And if you just like hiking in general, check out some of my posts about hiking in different places around the world!

Hiking in the state of Georgia: Blood Mountain

Hiking in the Transylvanian Alps in Romania

Trekking the W Circuit in Patagonia

Doing the Camino de Santiago in Spain

A Hike around Fitz Roy in Argentina

Would love to hear from you about places you hope to hike or favorites past hikes – always good to get ideas from others for future hikes!!

Filed Under: Africa, Hiking, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Tagged With: adventure, Africa, climb, climbing, hiking, how hard Kilimanjaro, Kili, Kilimanjaro, mountain, Seven Summits, Tanzania, trekking, Uhuru

How to Do a Safari in the Serengeti

13 January 2018 by Raul 9 Comments

I have been fortunate many times in life. With the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, I have been fortunate twice. I have done a safari in the Serengeti twice! Both visits were different. For example, how I got to be in Tanzania to begin with. Or, which side of the park I entered through. And the like, I figured I could share some insights into how to do a safari in the Serengeti and enjoy this unique ecosystem where nature does roam free. Some of the best Africa, this unfamiliar place to most of us, has to offer.

Safari in the Serengeti National Park twice!

Back in 2007, I went to Tanzania for the first time visiting projects my employer supported in Stone Town (Zanzibar) and the Mwanza region while also visiting our main office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city (but not its capital which is inland Dodoma).

During my stay in Mwanza, I had a day off. I thought to myself: if I never get to return to Tanzania, what would I do with that day? Well, the answer was easy: visit the nearby Serengeti, approaching it from its western side, to do a mini safari. Though a day is not enough, when that’s all you have, you take advantage of the opportunity. Experience a safari in the Serengeti: sample a place so unique and present in our imagination from movies and the like!

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The tiny Mwanza airport

A chance to do another safari in the Serengeti comes up

Fast forward to late 2012 and I was convinced, sold, pressured, <fill in the word here> to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Never on my list of things to do, I was surprised I agreed to do it. Wine had something to do with it but also the great people with whom I would go on this adventure.

Once on board, the opportunity arose to do a four day safari through the Lake Manyara National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti after the climb. I knew I had barely scratched the surface on my brief visit in 2007. In addition, I had not gotten to Ngorongoro in 2007 because it takes a day of its own and it was outside the Serengeti on the OPPOSITE side from where I was coming and going back to (Mwanza).

My visits were very different in duration, in how they were guided, and in how I got to and departed from the park. These visits provided me a view of the options for someone contemplating doing safari in the Serengeti with potentially different itineraries.

Flying to Tanzania

First, one has to get to Africa to do a safari in Africa and, for the Serengeti, more specifically Tanzania (though you could come from Kenya). For a North American departure, a good way to go is via Amsterdam which has a direct flight from Schiphol, Amsterdam’s world class and efficient airport, to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) which is the closest major airport to the mountain (though certainly not right by it!). Or, you can fly into Dar es Salaam and then take a domestic flight to get you close to either side of the Serengeti: its western entrance by Lake Victoria, or its eastern entrance towards Mount Kilimanjaro. Flying in and out of Kilimanjaro certainly gives the most efficient routing so you more time time doing the safari, not getting to it.

Doing the Serengeti from Mwanza, or the western entrance

Getting to the Serengeti from Mwanza

One option on getting to the Serengeti is to enter it from its western side. You would do this if you were coming, say, from Rwanda or were to get to Mwanza (Tanzania) on the shores of Lake Victoria. On my first trip to Tanzania in 2007, this is how I visited the Serengeti, as I mentioned. From Mwanza, it would take 3 hours or so to get to the Serengeti’s western entrance, the Ndabaka Gate. Fair warning: the road in was rather rough from this entrance.

Staying near the Serengeti on the Mwanza side

Since you really want to be at the park as early in the morning as possible, I stayed as close to the park’s entrance as possible. They reserved a lake-shore bungalow at the Speke Bay Lodge (15 km from the park and 125 km from Mwanza) on Speke Bay (part of Lake Victoria) so I could get going really early – optimal time for seeing the wildlife at the park.

My bungalow at the Skepe Bay Lodge – outside

My bungalow at the Skepe Bay Lodge – inside

The shores of Speke Bay

Exploring the Serengeti from the western entrance

I hired a driver from my organization to drive me in and out of the park. He was thrilled at the opportunity as he would make extra money. For the cost of his hourly wages multiplied by the hours spent taking me there/back plus a rather generous tip, I got to sample the Serengeti. He was savvy enough to not get lost, handle the very rough roads, and show me a good bit. However, he was not a regular safari driver who has more of knowledge and instinct for finding the action. This was not ideal but beggars can’t be choosers, can they? No complaints here. I felt very fortunate to just get to experience something of this marvel of Creation.

Once in the park, he took me to the impressive Seronera Lodge so I could have lunch. After concluding the “safari”, I went all the way back to Mwanza which made for a long day. Needless to say, I recommend more than one day in the park. Of course, I’d recommend staying in the park though it can be expensive. This would allow for taking advantage of the early hours of light. An early start would almost guarantee one sees all that one hopes to see when doing a safari in the Serengeti.

Here a few images from that trip (film, not digital camera!).

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Some of the wildlife…

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Anyone need a ride?

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Love this zebra picture!

Doing the Serengeti from Arusha / Kilimanjaro

Getting to the Serengeti from Arusha

The most common way to visit the Serengeti is to approach it from Arusha. Arusha is proximate to the Kilimanjaro airport, as mentioned earlier. More or less, it takes about four hours to get from Arusha to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area by car or bus. The visit to the Ngorongoro can take a whole day so I would not recommend going back and forth from Arusha.

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On the road in the Ngorongoro Crater

Staying near the Serengeti on the eastern side

We stayed at hotel outside the Ngorongoro called Highview Hotel in Karatu (the vistas from the hotel reminded me of the hills of Tuscany!) which made it perfect because, the day after visiting the Ngorongoro, we launched from there into the Serengeti. We then spent two full days in the Serengeti staying in the park at a nice tented camp (we had a bathroom in the large tent as well as two separate beds!) that allowed us to get a very early start the second day.

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My tented camp “tent” – nice!

Exploring the Serengeti from its eastern entrance

On this safari, we did go on a guided safari which definitely helped make the most of this great experience. We were a group of twelve or so; we split into two vehicles. One vehicle would be leaving at the crack of dawn and the other sometime after dawn. I stuck with the group that slept a little more 🙂

We were taking a gamble… Would we miss the best wildlife action, a lion kill, by sleeping “late” until 6 AM? Actually a lion kill really meant a lioness or two hunting down some wildebeest. Well, thankfully, we did not sacrifice the opportunity to see how the hunt takes place. The hunt was more interesting to me than the actual kill.

The vehicles we rode in sat a small group and the top would open, as most of the vehicles you see during safari. This way one could stand to look out without the glass of the windows obstructing a clear view out. Also, who wants to sit for hours on end on uneven dirt roads?? One can be in the open surrounded by who knows what lurking animals. Aside from it being a little dusty at times, it is the perfect way to be as out there. Tip: For the dust, bring a bandanna to serve as a mask in case you need it.

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Second visit, an.other zebra shot..

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Hippos enjoying the water

We named ourselves the type B group (vs. the other group, which we lovingly labeled the type A group). We had been given lunch boxes prepared by our camp to be our lunch on the go, but the type B group (my group) drove past the Seronera Lodge (yes, the one I had had lunch at six years before!) and we asked the driver to stop there. Once inside, we decided lunch boxes were for the type As and we proceeded to go to the restaurant for the lunch buffet… yes, no shame here – we enjoyed the ‘luxury.’

Anyway, that may not be how everyone wants to do on a safari in the Serengeti. But it felt SO good to sit down, eat a real meal, sip on a glass of wine or a beer and look out the window at nature. In the end, it is YOUR safari, YOUR journey so do it however it pleases you. However you feel you got to unwind, however it helps you to not over-exert yourself. No shame! Do it!

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Pool at the Seronera Lodge – with a great view of the plains

In this visit, we witnesses an almost lion kill in the Ngorongoro (we saw the lion patiently monitoring things with three lionesses not far probably doing the hard work). And then we got the full experience when we got to observe a lioness hunt and kill of some wildebeest in the Serengeti National Park itself. An incredible sight – it was amazing to witness the patience and finesse of the lioness, and also the cleverness of the wildebeests too (OK, all but one’s…).

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Patiently waiting for the menu to walk by…

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This is not going to end up well for someone…

Africa never ceases to amaze me. The vistas, the wildlife and the people, so amazing. The stuff we see on TV and that is so foreign to our daily experience (at least for those of us urbanites). Though I wish coverage of Africa were better rounded than it is. It seems me only hear about it when it is bad news, or something.

It is a beautiful place. A far destination for some of us that is well worth the effort and the leap. I leave you with these two images of the sunsets I experienced during the last safari in the Serengeti. Perhaps these images will help convey a little of the beauty of the continent. Have a good safari!

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Amazing sunset on its way while we safari

Amazing sunset from the restaurant at our tented camp

Pin these images to your travel board!

P.S. – I received no free anything, or discount, or special treatment by any of the providers mentioned in this post. I mention them because they were part of my experience and, if I had not been pleased with them, I would not mention them at all…

Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania, Travel Journal Tagged With: africa safari, best safari Africa, how to do safari, how to visit serengeti, Lake Manyara, ngorongoro, serengeti national park, Tanzania

My Arrivals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

3 February 2016 by Raul 2 Comments

I have arrived into Dar es Salaam three times in my life over two separate trips. On my first visit, I flew in from Atlanta (via London and Dubai). On that same trip, I went to Zanzibar by ferry – and returned from Stone Town by ferry into Dar es Salaam’s port. Years later, I hiked Kilimanjaro and on the way out of Tanzania, our flight from the Kilimanjaro airport made a short stop in Dar es Salaam on our return flight to Amsterdam. Of course, this last arrival is inconsequential and I will not talk about it in this post. But the other two bits with a little on the hotel I stayed at in Dar will be the subject of this post.

Arriving in Dar es Salaam – the first time

The airport in Dar es Salaam is, as you may imagine, not too big so not much to say about arriving there after my 5-hr plus flight from Dubai. I flew Emirates which meant service was good even though I was traveling in economy class. Of course, before leaving the airport, I had to clear the typical points of immigration, baggage claim, and customs.

I had pre-obtained my visa at the Tanzanian embassy in Washington, D.C. via a via service my employer used. That meant that I, at least, saved the messy line to get the visa at arrivals (where it was also very hot!). The visa desk sat in the baggage claim area which was chaotic and very hot as well. So, once I had my bag, I was ready to go through customs and out of the airport, on my way to my hotel.

Once outside, I found the driver our local office had sent for me – he was ready to take me to my hotel so that part of my arrival was smooth. The airport was on the small side but the arrivals area was in the shade and convenient to parking so even if I had had to wait, it would have been comfortable and safe.

As we drove into the city from the airport, the areas we drove through looked industrial at first. Eventually, we passed some residential areas that looked poor but didn’t seem to be shantytowns. In fact, it was better than I had expected though I am not really sure I had a clear mental image of what to expect.

My Lodging

My hotel was outside of the city center near Oyster Bay and next to St. Peter’s Catholic Church – right by Ali Hassan Mwinyi Rd, a main drag. There did not seem to be much around it except a church. It seemed rather puzzling. The hotel grounds were surrounded by a high wall and had a gate and guardhouse at the entrance. It was kind of like a Residence Inn (it was part of the South African Protea chain, now affiliated with Marriott but not back then).

St. Peter Catholic Church, Dar es Salaam, Oyster Bay church, where to go for Mass Dar es Salaam, travel

(Photo courtesy of St. Peter’s CC)

As I learned later, the hotel which was near Oyster Bay, was at the edge of a neighborhood of large houses where ex-pats and government officials live but, again, there was no commercial establishment in the immediate vicinity. I also eventually learned we were not far from the new U.S Embassy built after the former embassy was destroyed by terrorist bombs in the 1990s (as was the Nairobi one). This embassy was of significant size and very well secured. A little further from the Embassy lay a restaurant and shopping area (Masaki) clearly targeted at ex-pats and people of money. It was no different in a way to places we see in the U.S. and that surprised me especially the restaurant area near the Sea Cliff Hotel, where one can find a supermarket with Western products (if one needs stuff!).

The best though was a local shopping strip between my hotel and the embassy (Shoppers Plaza on Mwai Kibaki Rd.) which, though probably also geared to ex-pats, also seemed to have a local bent. There was a great little bakery, a supermarket, and a homestyle eatery that was actually pretty good (though on my first visit there I was a little hesitant…). It is where I had my first biriani – mmm!!

I did eat my breakfasts and many dinners in the hotel’s restaurant (I went into the office on a normal business schedule so did not explore much during the weekdays except the places mentioned beforehand). The food at the hotel was very good and the staff attentive but also, I could tell, fairly green (not that they were messing up, just that they seem new at the hospitality business). One big downside (especially after so many days staying at the hotel and eating at the restaurant): the same playlist kept playing over and over with maybe 5-7 songs in it… It was beginning to drive me nuts!

Returning to Dar from Zanzibar by ferry yields a mild scare…

My funnest experience was the day I arrived by ferry from Zanzibar and I accidentally skipped the path to customs (it’s all the same country but they make you go through customs on the way back from Zanzibar) and I missed my driver picking me up… I waited for like 45 mins as it was getting dark and the crowd from the ferry left. I was left alone with some local young guys and a taxi or two. I didn’t have enough currency for a taxi ride to my hotel but I figured the hotel would have to help me out on the fare… when all of a sudden, my driver comes out from the customs area! He had been waiting for me down there and had been calling folks from the local office to figure out what had happened to me. A little bit of a moment for all of us (especially when the taxi driver I was about to use wanted one of his “friends” to ride with us – which I refused to very forcefully).

Anyone have any other insights for tourists or others who may be moving there? What are some recommendations on places to live, dine, etc.?

Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania Tagged With: airport, arriving in Dar es Salaam, Catholic Church, Dar es Salaam, hotel, Oyster Bay, Protea, Tanzania, travel, where to go to Mass in Dar, Zanzibar

#TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou

6 July 2015 by Raul 3 Comments

Recently, the hashtag #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou has been trending on Twitter and for good reason. The world’s view of Africa is often a negative one, focused on violence, disease, and poverty. The hashtag was formed to show the world that this is not what Africa is all about, in fact there is so much beauty that is overlooked by the media.

Several bloggers and I decided to join the movement and share what it is that we love about the continent. There are common misconceptions about the way Africa is portrayed in the media, and we’d like to be part of the solution. Our hope is that the world will see that we need to change our view of Africa.

Raul of I Live to Travel (yours truly!)

The news outlets, unfortunately, tend to focus on the sensational, on the negative. Sub-Saharan Africa is mostly portrayed in an unflattering light unless there is a story about safaris perhaps. Wars, AIDS, etc. always get top billing. But there is much more to Africa than the media would have you see. And most of it is actually quite positive. During my work at CARE, I got to visit its work in Tanzania. One of my most enlightening and heart-warming experiences was outside of the town of Mwanza. There I was taken to visit a woman who had been shown how to earn a better livelihood by selling fried fish along a road many went on (mostly on foot or bikes) to get to a market miles away. She and her family lived in a mud brick house with a thatch roof; anytime massive rains came, they risked the house flooding – or worse, washing away as many do. With her increased earnings, she was able to start building a home raised from the ground made with real bricks – providing a safe home for her family. THAT is the Africa I met the first time I went to Tanzania. Go beyond the sellers of “news” and meet the real people of Africa, living their lives with hope and hard work!

Erin of The World Wanderer

No matter what stories I heard in the news, Africa was always a place I knew I would visit. The cultures, diversity, food, people, and wildlife have interested me for years, and when I finally saw the opportunity to travel to the continent in 2012, I took it. As soon as I arrived, I realized how wrong the media was. Every continent and country has their fair share of bad news, but as I have found by traveling, there is always more good than bad; Africa is no different.

When I think of Africa, I think of it as a place full of warm, welcoming smiles and unspoiled, natural beauty. For three weeks, I traveled throughout Southern Africa, not enough time to truly know it or understand the way it works, but it was enough time for me to fall in love. Botswana, in particular, took an immediate hold on my heart; I felt connected to the vast landscapes and kind people. During a few days in the Okavango Delta, we spent time with the locals who we bonded with, especially over the campfire. We shared songs and dances, one of the girls and I made everyone s’mores, and we laughed and joked until the early hours. It was one of those moments, I will never forget. My time in Africa was full of small moments like this, moments that I wish people knew about because if they did, they’d truly understand what the continent is all about.

Francesca of The Working Mom’s Travels

I traveled to Africa by myself at age 31 to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and go on a Serengeti safari. I was nervous for a few reasons, mainly because I was traveling alone and it was AFRICA. It’s so far and so mysterious and only bad things happen there. At least that’s what I was led to believe by those in my life who thought my traveling there was a bad idea. Little did they know, it was just the motivation I needed to go through with the trip, to prove that Africa is not as awful as mainstream media portray it.

I arrived in a village outside of Moshi, Tanzania, on Christmas Eve, and was to spend the holiday with a local family, along with a group of my American friends (we all traveled there separately). I arrived to a festive scene and happy, laughing kids everywhere. Everyone, including the children, was dressed in their Sunday best: men and boys in suits and dress shoes; women and girls in fancy dresses and extravagant hats. After they returned from Christmas Eve mass, the father and head of the family began cooking up an enormous feast. For a family that seemingly did not have much, they wanted to make sure they shared everything with us. We ate, we danced, and we sang, and it stands as one of the happiest Christmas celebrations I’ve ever been a part of. This family was grateful for what they had and was able to share, and they were joyous. That’s an aspect of Africa we don’t see much of in the media.

Craig of Stay Adventurous

I don’t know one person who traveled to Africa and didn’t come back different. For most it becomes the trip of a lifetime. Today, they don’t speak of Africa in only hardships and poverty, but describe its raw beauty and tell of its energy and what amazed them. Their stories seem endless.

For me, much of my one five-week adventure to Africa is documented on my travel blog. Yes, I showcase sunsets, sand dunes and safari (all expected), but I show more and things I didn’t expect. Things I certainly don’t hear people who haven’t traveled to Africa and or the media discussing today.

Many of such memories happened in Namibia. One morning a few of us set out to explore Walvis Bay, along Namibia’s Atlantic coastline. Watching seals, dolphins, and taking a look at a shipwreck were part of the itinerary, but so was tasting the local oysters. Delicious. Fresh. Oysters.

I never thought I’d be on a boat in a bay in Africa eating oysters one day. Well, is that something you see in today’s coverage of Africa?

Gerard and Kieu of GQ Trippin

Kenya has made its way into the media more recently for terrorist attacks which, unfortunately, has negatively impacted its tourism, but we didn’t let this deter us from coming here on our honeymoon. During our time in the small town of Nakuru, we visited the East African Mission Orphanage and was immediately rushed by excited kids eager to meet us. Apparently, they don’t get visitors often, maybe once a month at times longer during the slow seasons. Here, the children learn to grow their own vegetables and spend a good amount of their day in class getting a proper education. It brought a smile to our faces to learn most aspire to attend a university and finish school to pursue careers like becoming a teacher or an engineer. Here at EAMO, we weren’t pushed to give a donation, a surprisingly different experience than we’d thought. Instead, we truly felt it was our presence that was most welcomed and wanted… and our gadgets — the kids couldn’t get enough playing with our cameras & phones, they asked to see pictures of our home or of really anything that was beyond the gated community they call home. It both warmed and broke our hearts, not going to lie. There are good things happening here, we wish more people knew about it.

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If you’ve been to Africa, we ask that you join us in spreading the good. Create your own post, share photos on Twitter and Instagram, and shed some positive light on this beautiful place. Let’s show the world what Africa is really all about, let’s show them #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou

If you want to read more about my visits to Africa (sub-Saharan or not), just click above on the menu item “Africa”! Hope you enjoy my stories about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, visiting an incredible coastal town in Morocco, seeing post-apartheid Johannesburg, and other stories!

Filed Under: Africa, Travel Journal Tagged With: adventure, Africa, people, real Africa, support Africa, Tanzania, travel, travel bloggers

Visiting Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park in Zanzibar

26 March 2014 by Raul 5 Comments

Most people likely think of Zanzibar (Tanzania) for its beaches and resorts. Or perhaps also for its very unique history and architecture. Or maybe as the birthplace of Freddie Mercury. However, get off-the-beaten-path and you will discover Zanzibar has other interesting places to explore. One such place for those who like things to do outdoors is the Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park which sits between the towns of Jozani and Chwaka Bay and, therefore, easily accessible for those staying in Stone Town or resorts in the eastern side of the island. I went to the island not for vacation but, actually, for work as part of a larger visit to Tanzania that took me to Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, out west on the shores of Lake Victoria.

Zanzibar, Jozani, Chwaka Bay, National Park, photo, travel, Tanzania

Welcome!

On the way to the park

Entrance to the park

The park is a great example of conservation efforts that involve the adjacent communities that otherwise would tap the park for its natural resources, over time depleting them. The efforts to conserve the park (in which my employer at the time, CARE, was involved) were part of my visit there and it was great to see how the neighboring communities, once brought on board, understood the long-term considerations and began adapting their own approaches.

The park is west known for its red colobus monkeys. Quite comfortable with humans (which may be a concern), they are amusing to watch for sure.

Zanzibar, Jozani, Chwaka Bay, National Park, colobus, monkey, photo, travel, Tanzania

Red colobus monkey

Red colobus monkey monkeying around

Besides the monkeys, it is neat walk around and look at the flora native to the area. A bit humid but otherwise a great walk!

Vegetation at the Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park

So if you ever head to Zanzibar, enjoy the beaches, Stone Town, and the local contribution to world music but do not miss the Jozani-Chwaka Bay Park, a peaceful oasis within any visitor’s reach.

Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania Tagged With: Chwaka Bay, Jozani, National Park, nature, outdoor activities in Zanzibar, photo, Tanzania, travel, visit park in Zanzibar, Zanzibar

Top 16 Memorable Moments from 2013 in Photos

3 January 2014 by Raul 16 Comments

As I think of 2013, I recall the many neat experiences at home and away. Looking through my photos is a great way to bring back the memories. I’d thought I’d share with you some of my most memorable moments from 2013 via photos – some of which have been shared before in other posts and some have not – in no particular order. Hope you like them!

#1 When I first saw Mt. Kilimanjaro

Not necessarily a great photo from a technique standpoint but pretty “momentous”. I landed at Kilimanjaro International Airport around midnight. When I woke up the next day at my hotel, someone told me that if I went outside to the local road, I could see Kilimanjaro, which I was about to climb. Neat to see it but even neater to run into two little locals on their way to school! A moment I will always treasure.

#2 At Uhuru Peak in Mt. Kilimanjaro

I have shared a lot of pictures I love through my prior posts about hiking Kilimanjaro (start with the Day 1 summary if you want to see them all!). So to keep this post manageable, to go along with my first sighting of the mountain in #1, I’d thought I’d then include me by the new sign at Uhuru Peak (the highest point in Mt. Kilimanjaro). This photo is special as I brought my family along for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure!

#3 Ancient ruins

I shared this photo in an earlier post about my visit to Jerash, Jordan but it remains one of my favorite pictures for the year so it deserves inclusion here. Seeing Jerash – a complete unknown to me until that point – was a great discovery in 2013.

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Beautiful columns in the Temple of Artemis

#4 Monumental Petra

Everyone has seen the same picture of the Treasury in Petra and that is because there is not much space to back away from it. But there are plenty of other angles to photograph this incredible “carving”. This is one of my favorites. I had been to Petra before but seeing how well this photo turned out back at home made me happy!

#5 Twins?

While touring Jordan, after a long day at Petra, the group went out for dinner. Yes, we were all a little tired. One of our fellow travelers pointed out how our guide and I were not only dressed alike but were in the same pose – and snap! the picture was taken. We were laughing when we realized this was all true and the photo captured that moment so well!

#6 Kid in Mt. Nebo

Exploring Jordan was incredible: lots of history, incredible nature, etc. But the people is what really made the difference: warm and friendly and the smile on this kid’s face captures well how we were made to feel welcome by everyone.

#7 Food, food, food

I summarized my year in food and drinks in an earlier post but this plate deserves inclusion here. It is from a lunch I had in Mardaba, Jordan but I’ve enjoyed great food this year from Manila to Miami, from Jordan to Minneapolis, from Washington, D.C. to Mt. Kilimanjaro! Oh, and don’t forget Tampa and Atlanta!

#8 DragonCon’s parade in Atlanta

DragonCon is an interesting event held in Atlanta every year. I went with friends to see the parade and enjoyed seeing all the characters that walked along. This is one of my favorite pictures from that parade (others here).

#9, 10 and 11 Africa and the great outdoors!

In addition to hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro, my Tanzania experience included doing a safari the right way (4 days, not just a one drive in-and-out as I had done a few years before due to limited time while on a business trip). These images capture well my favorite moments from that experience!

#12 An amazing construction scene

Driving around the neighborhood next to mine in Atlanta, I ran into this scene! What an incredible sight. The house was being lifted so it can sit higher on the ground due to being in a flood plain.

#13 Stormy sky in Atlanta

My hometown provided another of the most memorable photos I took on 2013: stormy skies over Buckhead.

#14 and 15 Pictures of this traveler

During my trip to Jordan, a few pictures of me were taken by fellow travelers. I like these two (which clearly were taken on the same day…) in particular because they show how happy I was at the time. The second one has me with my faithful companion: no, not the donkey but my camera!

#16 Sunset over the Dead Sea with a couple of love birds

To close this post, I will re-share one of my favorite photos ever from 2013 taken by me as the sun set over the Dead Sea from our hotel in Jordan (the Movenpick resort – awesome). I was lucky these two birds were waiting for me on that palm tree to capture the moment!

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Is this a sunset scene or what??!!

I hope 2014 brings you many memorable moments, whether you capture them on a photo or not!

Filed Under: Special Photos, Travel Journal Tagged With: Africa, Atlanta, bird, columns, Dead Sea, elephant, Jerash, Jordan, kids, Kilimanjaro, memorable, photos, serengeti, sunset, Tanzania, travel

Photo Essay – Hungry Hippos

20 November 2013 by Raul 2 Comments

While visiting the Serengeti in Tanzania on safari, we ran into a few pools of hippos. They are one of the many incredible sights in the Serengeti along with things like a lioness kill or a beautiful sunset. Hippos look cute but these animals can be quite dangerous. Our drivers and guides clearly knew where to take us to be able to look at them yet be safe. I have to say they were quite a sight even if the baby one went to town eating stuff that came out of another hippo… Also, it was cool to see how birds co-exist with the hippos.

I thought I’d share some of my favorite pictures of these incredible beasts!

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This is what a pool of hippos looks like!

Enjoying leaning on another hippo

Do they tan?

Close-up

What’s on that hippos head??

Yea, that green stuff is what you suspect it is… There was a little explosion from a neighbor..

Baby snugging

Baby eating…!!

Filed Under: Tanzania, Travel Journal Tagged With: Africa, hippos, nature, safari, serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife

Photo Essay – Anatomy of Lioness Kill in the Serengeti

12 September 2013 by Raul 5 Comments

During my trip Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, I made time to do a safari. We first visited Lake Manyara, then the Serengeti and at the end the Ngorongoro Crater. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was going to see a lion kill. But that’s exactly what we got to see. We saw two of them in progress, one with a solo lioness in the Serengeti and another with a trio of lionesses working together in the Ngorongoro Crater.

Lion kills are a slow thing with the beast slowly and deliberately moving to not alert the prey to their presence. The trio of lionesses was way too slow and after like 45 minutes of watching them without them getting an inch closer to the target group, we moved on. But the solo lioness was a different story. Though it was taking a long time too, at least she was moving towards the target group (wildebeests, or “gnus“) so we hung in there. And we were rewarded with quite a sight. And the weird thing was, there were vehicles like ours all around (all of us silent, of course) and the presence of the vehicles did not seem to distract her from her focus on the target group and her cautious approach. That probably was the most amazing thing for me!

So here is a series of photo from the moment we saw her until her moment of rest when it was all said and done…

Lioness, lion kill, wildebeest, Serenget, safari, Tanzania, photo essay

A cute lioness just soaking up the sun in the Serengeti?

Nah! She is looking at the source of her next lunch: the wildebeest resting under an acacia!

The lioness lies very low, hidden in the tall grass. I lost sight of her a few times!

She is a beauty for sure! A tough beauty!

She is monitoring the wind so her scent does not carry to the wildebeest scouts who are away from the group to protect it

She pauses every now and then. Sometimes she sat there for 5 mins or more

She finally moves again. I am leaning on the roof of the vehicle without movement while we wait! My arm falls asleep… We are ready to snap pictures the moment she makes the final run!

Lioness, lion kill, wildebeest, Serenget, safari, Tanzania, photo essay, gnu, Africa, outdoors, nature

She goes low again and we lost her for a moment This is the final stretch!

She is too fast and the chaos that ensues makes me lose her but here she is… she got a young one so she does not have to give chase.

The group of wildebeests (or gnus) flies off. I had followed the group thinking she went after them but she was already enjoying her prey under the tree. Newbie me.

The lioness enjoy a moment in the shade enjoying her success. She is probably about to post a selfie in Instagram as she chews on her lunch.

Filed Under: Africa, Special Photos, Tanzania Tagged With: Africa, gnu, lion kill, Lioness, nature, outdoors, photo essay, safari, Serenget, Tanzania, wildebeest

Boarding Pass Stories: Dar es Salaam

4 September 2013 by Raul Leave a Comment

This installment of the Boarding Pass Stories goes to Dar es Salaam – via London and Dubai!

The destination, the when(s), and the reason(s)

While working for an international non-profit, I traveled to visit field projects and to do an internal audit. It was a toss-up between Bangladesh and Tanzania and the latter was just a bit more interesting to me so that’s the one I went for. The trip was in 2007 and to get the cheapest price possible, I did a 2-stop itinerary via London and Dubai. I could have done a one-hop via Amsterdam or London but I was being thrifty with our limited funds. A 6-hour layover in London and a 9-hour one in Dubai were enough the wear me down. But it was neat to fly Emirates Airlines and to see the incredible Dubai airport (Atlanta to London was on my local airline, Delta).

The airline

Emirates was phenomenal. Though I flew coach, I felt I was being treated like a business class customer. The plane was the first I had ever flown with nose and underbelly cameras. I loved the camera viewing especially at takeoff and landing.

What fascinated me about this experience

Well, it was my first trip south of Egypt in the African continent so that, by itself, was fascinating. Dar was interesting. A mainly expat district helps expats stay as if in their country. But I greatly enjoyed my time at work, where I got to collaborate and eat lunch with Tanzanians who worked for the same organization. Their friendliness and soft-spokenness warmed me up immediately to them and, to them, I say asante sana!

Driving along a main road in Dar es Salaam

Filed Under: Africa, Boarding Pass Series, Tanzania Tagged With: airline, airport, boarding pass, Dar es Salaam, Dubai, Emirates, Tanzania

A Wild Time in the Serengeti – Safari!

23 August 2013 by Raul 15 Comments

The Serengeti is the epitome of the national park offering what we call a safari experience (“safari” actually means “journey” in Swahili). Its vast expanse and, of course, the natural beauty and wildlife offer a very unique experience to us who don’t love in remote areas of Africa. I had done a one day in-and-out visit to this incredible site a few years ago. Work activities only permitted that one day. I KNEW I had to go back someday….

That opportunity came on the trip I made to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. After 7 days of working the mountain and a few days of working with a local orphanage with Trekking for Kids, 13 of us from the climbing group devoted 4 days to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, and the Serengeti. Oh, and a visit to a Masai village!

These parks are very different from each other, even if some of the wildlife is the same. If you do this circuit, start with Lake Manyara. Leave Ngorongoro and the Serengeti for after it. We used Zara Tours who had also been the operator Trekking fro Kids had chosen for the Kili hike.

Here is an overview of our visit and some pictures. Clearly I have too many pictures and many are very good so to not overload you here, I will continue posting those over time in different posts be it photos of the week or photo essays. Keep checking in!

Where we stayed

Due to the route we were taking, we stated at two different places: the Highview Hotel Karatu on our first and fourth night, and the Ikoma Tented Camp the middle two nights. Two very different experiences and worthwhile in their own way. The best part: both offered good views of neighboring areas – and both sold wine and beer, something we were ready to partake in since we were eager to celebrate our climb of Kili.

The Highview Hotel, offered more standard hotel rooms which was nice from a normalcy standpoint. Of course, being in Africa, A/C is not a common amenity and this hotel was no exception but the building does sit high on a mountainside so there was a little more chance for a breeze. You could sit in the hallway which was one large, open porch and view the land around the hotel. Or you could go downhill to the hotel main building and sit there, sipping a glass of wine (likely South African) and watching the sky’s colors change. When our last day of safari ended, we loved getting back to the hotel to jump in the pool which, oddly, was very cold!

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Headed up to the rooms at Highview Hotel Karatu

The Ikoma Tented Camp was a great place to stay right outside the northern boundary of the Serengeti The advantage of staying here is the proximity to the park (less time driving). The camp’s tents are not small thing: our tent had two full-sized beds with plenty of room around us to spare. Each tent also had its own bathroom which though not luxurious were the size of a normal bathroom

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Our tent. Zippered windows and doorway to help keep critters out

The restaurant was perched on top of a small hill, offering EXCELLENT sunrise and sunset views over the plains of the Serengeti. See for yourselves!

Ikoma, tent, camp, Serengeti, safari, sunrise, vista, view, Olympus, photo, tanzania

Sunrise view over the Serengeti from the restaurant

Ikoma, tented camp, Serengeti, sunset, safari, sunrise, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, Tanzania

Sunset view

You can stay in lodges inside the Serengeti too (if you want to dish out a lot more money) and that may be convenient but I have nothing but good things to say about where we stayed!

Wildlife watching

Of course, the reason you came here was, first and foremost, animals! So let me share a little on that… First, let’s debunk that you have to be up at the crack of dawn. Yes, less people out and about and yes, the animals don’t like the heat of the early afternoon. However, we managed to see lion kills and all the animals we wanted to see without an absurd wake-up time. Now, if you want to maximize how many hours of daylight you spend out there, then yes, wake up really early. While having a lot of vehicles can be a nuisance at peak times, it also helps your driver pinpoint where there may be something interesting as there are more driver-eyes looking out for things!

We saw everything… Here are some of my favorite shots.

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, zebra, outdoors, nature, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Double the pleasure; butt shot

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, giraffe, outdoors, nature, photo,, Olympus, camera

So majestic whenever we saw them

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, wildebeest, gnu, outdoors, nature, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

A former wildebeest (aka gnu) left up in a tree by a cheetah

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, hippo, outdoors, nature, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Hungry hippos nesting on each other. More on this scene in a future post as an “event” happened…

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls,lions, acacia, outdoors, nature, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Lions resting before or after a kill. One of my favorite pix

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, giraffe, outdoors, nature, photo, Olymmpus

There is other entertaining stuff going on besides the wildlife!

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, elephant, school, outdoors, nature, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, acacia

One of my favorite scenes: a school of elephants grabbing a shady spot!

But that’s not all…

OK, the lion kill I saw will go in another post as this one has become quite long. But I will leave you with two beautiful parting shots as we left the Serengeti one day… Breathtaking.

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, giraffe, outdoors, nature, photo, Olympus, sunset

Look at that sky!

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, elephant, outdoors, nature, photo, Olympus, sunset

Now THIS is what I call an “elephant sunset”!

Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel, elephant, giraffe, gnu, nature, Olympus, outdoors, photo, safari, serengeti, Tanzania, wildebeest, wildlife, zebra

Honey Badger Anyone?

28 May 2013 by Raul 6 Comments

If you are a regular visitor of this blog, you know I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro this past February. It was a fantastic experience that I am glad I was dared to do. Before we embarked on that hike, we spent a few days in the town of Moshi visiting and working with a local orphanage, Kili Centre. A great couple of days to set us off for our hike. But those couple of days allowed me to meet the honey badger of that viral video. The reason the topic the video came up was not just because we were in Tanzania where likely there are honey badgers. It came up because we stayed at the awesome Honey Badger Lodge outside of Moshi!

We arrived around 2AM at the lodge due to a flight delay leaving Amsterdam. Obviously, everything was pretty dark and quiet when we got there and we were eager to get to our rooms and bed. We were all sharing rooms with other trekkers but my roommate was arriving the next night so I appreciated having the room to myself that first night. My room was in a standalone cabin whereas some other rooms were adjoining rooms in small buildings. My cabin was super spacious with two queen beds (with mosquito nets). No fan though… Oh, and it had separate shower area from the rest of the bathroom.

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Half of my cabin!

The hotel grounds had a lot of nice vegetation and monkeys too. There was a nice sized pool with a great area around it to sit and a few steps down from it was the dining area full of picnic-like tables and the bar. It all felt very close and convenient yet I felt there was a lot of space and openness.

Monkey Grounds of the Honey Badger Lodge in Moshi, Tanzania lodgiing accommodation

Notice the monkey?

One night, there was a show with local music and dancing that was quite enjoyable; I think this is done often for the benefit of the guests. The lodge can also arrange any number of activities for the visitor including climbs of Mt. Kilimanjaro – even if you don’t use them for that, I highly recommend staying there before and after!

But the good news about the Honey Badger Lodge don’t end there. The lodge makes a serious effort to to contribute to the local community. A portion of the profit goes to support local education and other projects and they strive to train staff and give them a good situation for employment (read more in their website). The current owners, Joseph and Jenny, do this but this started when the owner (and founder of the lodge) -the mother of the current owner- decided her business could be more than just to make a living for her and her family.

I enjoyed my stay there because of the nice layout and the knowledge that our giving them our business would have more of an impact. But, as a final word, I will say that I enjoyed my stay there because the staff was very friendly and made an effort to call us by our name. I was impressed. Clearly management knows what it’s doing and I like that in every which way!

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Neighbors of the lodge and the roof of Africa behind them

Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania, Travel Journal Tagged With: accommodation, community, education, Honey badger, lodge, lodging, moshi, Olympus, purpose-driven, service, Tanzania

Photo of the Week – Sunset over the Serengeti

12 May 2013 by Raul 2 Comments

Right after my hike of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, I went on safari to Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater. One of the best views during the safari was seeing the sunset… Magnificent!