Tanzania Travel Blog

Against all odds, I manage a trip to Africa during the continued World Lockdowns of 2020. I need a negative Corvid-19 test to travel; but the Kingdom permits my passage. A three week African adventure; I am privileged to explore our beautiful planet.

Tanzania: No one asks to see my Corvid-19 test. No masks, Corona is a non-issue here. For many Tanzanian’s, life (and death) is all about the lack of travelers due to Corona. Food for their family, Food for the Burundi and Congolese refugees at the Nyarugusu camp, Survival.

After a 24 hour journey to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – It’s time to explore! Dar is absolutely wonderful. I hire a local guide (Ally) to walk the streets, hop buses, ride tuk-tuks, and board ferries. Easy and safe enough to do on your own, but my guide packs in a multi-day city exploration into one afternoon. The local buses (several versions) allow me to experience the street life; the pace of life in this Industrialized Port City. Wow, it was cool. Muslim standing next to Christian standing next to Maasai Warrior. No one seems to notice the differences. The cultures all blend. Definitely an inspiration. Everyone is well dressed, very polite, and offer a smile at every turn. I’m the only tourist; a special opportunity for me.

Slow down, relax. Pole Pole. Start thinking in Swahili. Say Jumbo, Jumbo. Or Hakuna Matata, or Asante Sana. It always takes me a few weeks before I can respond and greet people in the local language. TIA – This is Africa: its different. Relax, Accommodate, Embrace the moment.

Onto my Safari. Leaving Dar es Salaam’s traffic, riding in an old beat-up Land Rover – My Safari guide (Hassan) and I head to Seleous Game Reserve. A full day drive to my Safari camp; its located just 1Km from the Rufiji River. The Rufiji is one of Africa’s largest river – Yes!!! a Jungle Safari adventure. Seeing the local villages and street life brings Tanzania closer. Motorcycles packed with bags of charcoal, woman with food/bags on their heads, household furniture (sofas) sold outside on the roadside, umbrellas over tables of fish or fruit for-sale. The roadsides are busy with life and commerce.

Safari’s always offer tons of adventure. This one starts with a Riverboat tour on the Rufiji; getting up close to Hippos and Croc’s – feeling their power, birds everywhere, a Majestic sunset and the sounds of jungle. What a first day on Safari…

Three more days at a basic Safari camp. It fits me perfectly. Most camps here in Selous where closed due to lack of tourists. Ideal for me, bad for the locals. Electricity only available 5pm-10pm. But with an empty Safari camp, I am treated as a honored guest.

Lions, Hyenas, Giraffes, Hippos, Impala, Baboons, Croc’s. So many great photos. I love Safari’s. This is my second time around … it won’t be my last.

Back to Dar es Salaam, and onto Zanzibar for two weeks of diving. I stop for a night in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Wandering the allies, fish market and of-coarse Freddie Mercury’s home – all near my hotel. Another authentic African experience. Only tourists in Zanzibar are Russian; and then there’s me. The hotels are at 10% occupancy – if they are open at all. No tourists, no jobs, no money. Most people just hanging on by a thread. Tanzania GDP is 40%+ from tourism; and Zanzibar even higher. They all are praying for a better 2021.

I’m eating Ugali and Sukuma wiki at dinner, overlooking the Indian Ocean. My Kindle is on; reading Evolutionary Biology (Nick Lane, The Vital Question). Mostly Bio-chemistry. At that moment, I realize – “I might be the first person on the planet to eat Swahili food and read Molecular Biology while overlooking the Indian Ocean.” At least I got something right.

Zanzibar diving and luxury hotels are heavenly. I meet up with several divers from home-town Orlando. We dive out of Bwejuu Beach, on the Southeast coast of Zanzibar. Paul and Kristen, the owners of my local Orlando dive shop (Seminole Scuba) travel to Zanzibar every year. They are fluent in Swahili and lived in Zanzibar for over 10-years. So, traveling with them made me royalty at our Luxury Hotel (Breezes) and Dive Center (Rising Sun). The diving is packed with fantastic reefs and sea life. Slowly my photograph skills are improving; I even manage a few great shots of Nudibranch. The Indian Ocean has thousands of species… just take enough photo’s – eventually you get a good one.

After a week of world-class diving with Seminole Scuba, I’m back to solo travel. Traveling to North Zanzibar, I make a stop at Jozani Forest to visit the Red Colobus monkeys. These unique wild animals, only found here in Zanzibar, are accustomed to gawking tourist; they eat, play and sit in trees just few feet away.

Continuing North, I arrive at the coastal village of Matemwe. I’m here to dive Mnemba Island. And a great plan it is !! The diving and cultural experience here is fantastic.

Zanzibar has huge swings between low and high tides. The low tides expose 400-500m of a drained lagoon to a distant reef line. Locals roam the ‘drained lagoon’ for fish and octopus each day,,,like a huge extended beach, but with ankle deep sea waters. Truly, a unique ecological masterpiece.

Diving Zanzibar’s East Coast is timed with the morning tide. With a high tide, there is an easy beach/boat transfer -directly from the Hotel beach. But each return trip includes a truck transfer; the dive boats cannot return directly to the Hotel beach in low-tide. Diving from small boats, often without a ladder – all part of the ambiance. Fortunately during this end-of-year season, the seas are calm in Zanzibar - so every dive is under easy conditions …. outstanding!

A walk of the local Matemwe village streets and school is an opportunity to touch day-to-day life here in Africa. Looking in on a small Mosque, hearing their call to prayer, standing at their home door-way - meeting their family. I won’t ever forget the English lesson on the School chalk board; with the sentence; “I want to be a husband, so I need money for marriage”. Some lessons are the same in any language.

I finish with 22 dives in Zanzibar. And on mainland Tanzania; I enjoyed the perfect Safari, along with a tour of Tanzania’s largest city – Dar es Salaam.

Add in two, well-earned travel patches…..and magic ….another MyTravelPatch adventure is complete!!