Damn You Toto!!!

For your catchy little inspirational jingle, Africa, that wormed its way into our trip, daily.  More accurately – multiple times a day and often on repeat which quickly turned the song from catchy to eye twitching, in a hurry!!! 

We took 3 flights through 3 countries to make it to Tanzania from South Africa.  It was a long, hot gruelling day BUT what was waiting for us on the other end has been absolutely worth it!!!

When we landed in the pitch dark, feeling as good as we smelled, it was hard to tell what kind of beauty awaited us.  We met our tour guide, Hamza, at the airport, and our first impression was that he’s kind, knowledgeable and wants to protect us – until he starts driving and it was immediately clear that he must have a death wish himself because this couldn’t be the natural way to drive here? Right?

We booked our Safari through a company called, Twiga, thanks to a friend’s recommendation. When I first started to research Safari’s, it became very clear that there is a lot of choice and it’s very overwhelming. The price ranges are vast, the level of comfort is wide and you can get endlessly lost in reviews and comments. Decision paralysis is real and I was thankful for the real life recommendation;). Twiga (which is Giraffe in Swahili) was fantastic in making sure that we planned a week that would work for us and our kids – the places we stayed were ‘extra’ kid friendly and I can say with full confidence that we had the MOST AMAZING week!!

So guess what guys, Hamza, turned out to be such a great driver – We quickly realized that everyone in Tanzania is crazy on the roads but it’s because you have to be. The combination of aggression – no regards to signs or rules of the roads – with NO street lights, leads a person to drive defensively and strategically. It can also leave you questioning your life choices simultaneously reminding you to double check your seat belt, if you have one;).

Should you go on a Safari?? Is it worth it? Will it change you? The answer to alllllll of these questions is YES!!! One hundred times Yes!! I knew it was going to be great but I just couldn’t grasp exactly how much of our hearts we would leave in the Serengeti!!

Our kids are not unique in their love of animals. I think most kids are fascinated but I can tell you that the animal facts that live in Jake and Lily’s heads most often impresses me but I’m sure it comes at a cost – like all those facts are taking space away from remembering how to tie their shoes;);)

Hamza was also impressed by their random and vast animal facts, but what he was mostly impressed by was their ability to make a full on fort in the back of the Land Cruiser and played imagination games for hours. Lily said to Jake, We can make our own fun anywhere we go, can’t we Jake. These are the moments that make us realize that maybe we are aren’t completely sucking at this parenting thing;)

Here was our Itinerary for our week long adventure:

Day 1 – Welcome and pickup from Kilimanjaro airport. Transfer to Arusha (1h drive) for rest and overnight at Four Points Arusha (B&B).
Day 2 – Pickup from hotel at 8am and transfer to Tarangire (2h) for game drive with lunch in the park’s Picnic area. Dinner and overnight in Burunge Tented Lodge.
Day 3 – Morning drive to Serengeti (5h) with spectacular views on the way. Picnic lunch and afternoon game drive in the Central Serengeti. Dinner and overnight in Southern Serengeti Woodlands.
Day 4 – Full day game drive in South Serengeti with Picnic lunch in the plains (or at the camp/lodge). Dinner and overnight in Southern Serengeti Woodlands.
Day 5 – Full day game drive in South Serengeti with Picnic lunch in the plains (or at the camp/lodge). Dinner and overnight in Southern Serengeti Woodlands.
Day 6 – Morning game drive in the Serengeti before traveling to Ngorongoro region (3h) for dinner and overnight in Embalakai sNgorongoro.
Day 7 – Morning descend to crater with picnic lunch. Afternoon return to Arusha and transfer to Kilimanjaro for overnight stay at Airport Planet Lodge (B&B).

Our first safari night was spent at the Burunge Tented Lodge and let me tell you it was impressive. The accommodation was beautiful, the food was excellent, and we took advantage of the pool and went for a dip after supper. After a great sleep, we started the morning off by eating breakfast while watching the sun rise, and then made take away lunches for the day!!

On our way to the truck, we stopped for a bathroom break and left our lunches on a bench, just outside. We were quick, like world record quick and the sinks were on the outside and as soon as we came out we saw a cheeky little monkey stealing Lily’s sandwich. It proceeded to the roof and made strong eye contact with us while it unwrapped and ate her yummy turkey bun;). You win this time monkey, you win!!!

First Day in the Serengeti!!!

We stayed at the Southern Serengeti Woodlands Camp for 3 nights and it was our favourite!! The tents were great, the food was awesome but the people are the heart and soul of this place!!! They went the extra mile for us and especially the kiddos. We had giraffes roaming around while the kids played soccer. It’s a humbling experience staying in a tent when you can hear the lions roaring at night along with all the other animal activity. Not to worry, we felt totally safe because they had Masai Warriors standing guard!! The rules are the same in all the camps, when dusk hits, you cannot walk around on your own – you must be escorted to and from your tent!!

Another Day in the beautiful Serengeti!!!

Soccer, Homework and a look at our tent at the Southern Serengeti Woodlands

Can you believe it – More Serengeti!!!

On our travels, we came across the UNESCO site Cradle of Humankind. This is where they have found the oldest fossils of humans!!

Our last night on our Safari was spent at a camp called Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp. It is a Masai Camp that had the most amazing views!!! The food was excellent and the service was great!! It was a hot day, and Lil clearly had too much sun so her and I headed back to the tent early. Nick and Jake were able to stick around for some traditional Masai Dancing and treats!!

Crater Day!!!!. The Ngorongoro Crater CANNOT be missed!! It was such a highlight for us although I can assure you that all the other places we visited were well worth the effort. We got up extra early to catch up with the animals!!! The elephants absolutely STOLE the show. We came upon a heard that had a couple elephant calf’s that were under a year and watched them on the edge of our seats for an hour!!!! So entertaining and oh so wonderful. It’s something we will never forget!!

After the intense excitement of the crater, we hit the road and started the trek back to Mount Kilimanjaro so that we could catch our flight to Cairo the next day. On our way, we got a flat tire and Nicked hopped out and helped Hamza change it in no time. Who knows, maybe it’s off to F-1 for them next;). We spent our last night in an actual hotel and soaked up the last of the sun. We relaxed and enjoyed before getting ready for another long travel day.

We Love Tanzania and we were sad to leave. What really makes this country great are the people – they are the absolute best and they are the main reason that we know we will be back. Until next time Tanzania!!! With Love, The Willard’s