Kenya and Tanzania, Asante sana, squash banana!

Now I can cross "African safari" off my bucket list! I always thought I would go to South Africa for a safari experience. I ended up doing it in Tanzania. Click the link below for more safari tips and to know why I chose Tanzania.
4 days 3 nights African Safari in Tanzania - Tarangeri, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater

Why write a blog?

This is about my whole trip in general - information about visa requirements, volunteer travel, cost of transpo and my itinerary for the whole trip.

This trip actually inspired me to write. I love traveling but I'm a very bad writer. I'm starting this blog because I was so inspired with Africa. I want to share my experience and hopefully inspire people to travel to Africa, specifically Tanzania.

Volunteer Traveling in Africa

Everybody has different reasons for traveling. Some people travel to relax, some people travel to take pictures, some people travel to experience something new. Because I'm a teacher, I travel to learn and to teach. I love to learn about the world and the different cultures at the same time I also love to share my culture (Filipino culture) to the world. Hopefully someday I will have the chance to volunteer as a teacher in Africa. Africa inspired me and taught me how to volunteer while traveling. Traveling is more meaningful when you are making a positive contribution to the places you go to. We all contribute financially when we travel, but I believe in using your passion and skills to make each place you travel to a better place. I believe in sharing the happiness and love.

These are the people who inspired me to volunteer while traveling...

In Kenya, I stayed with a lovely couple I found on airbnb. They use the money they earn from airbnb to sponsor education for Kenyan girls. If you have enough time and want to volunteer in Kenya, they can bring you to a small village outside the city and you can actually volunteer at a school for girls. Unfortunately, I was only in Kenya for 1 full day and the couple said it wasn't enough time to volunteer. If I knew about them while I was planning my trip, I could've made time to volunteer. Below is a link of their airbnb page and you can contact them through airbnb.

Serrainne & Erick's home

In Tanzania, I met a lot of people at the hostel who are volunteering in Arusha. They had jobs in different areas of expertise and different ways of volunteering. Some did it with their government back home, while some did it with an organization. I think it's important to note that getting a volunteer/work visa is more expensive than a tourist visa. I'm not sure how much exactly it costs but you can contact the Tanzanian embassy for more details.

I met a girl who volunteers at a school in Arusha every year. She started with an organization, then

the following year, she just contacted people from the school and went there on her own. She got a tourist visa when she did it the second time, but the authorities all of a sudden went to the school to ask for proper documentation for foreign teachers, so they had to quickly bring her somewhere to get her a proper visa. 

I also met a guy on the bus who brings extra clothes to give to the poor when he goes to Africa. He is a pilot so he gets to travel a lot.

I hope people who read this blog will start thinking about volunteering while traveling, or just doing something positive to the community. Let's make a difference in the world one trip at a time.

Is it safe to backpack in Tanzania alone as a woman?

Before this trip, some of my friends discouraged me to travel to Africa alone because people have this mentality that the whole African continent is dangerous. A South African even advised me not to take public transport because she wouldn't even do that as a local. But South Africa is different from Tanzania. I took public transport most of the time and the whole time I felt as safe as I was traveling in Asia. Tanzanians are super friendly and happy. I met a lot of people who really made a good impression and helped me get around. You just have to be smart and aware of your surroundings all the time, no matter where you travel to. I have to be honest though, I'm probably the clumsiest person ever! Maybe I just got lucky, or maybe growing up in the Philippines made me street smart and have good instincts about safety. Danger? I laugh at the face of danger!

10 Tips on safety: (this applies to wherever you travel)

1. Keep important things really close and make sure you always have eyes on them. I have a fanny pack where I keep my passport and my wallet. Put it in your bra if you think it’s the safest place.

2. Be polite to everybody but don’t let them fool you into paying so much more than what you should pay. Before my trip, I always research about the places I want to go to and I try to figure out how much I should pay for everything - including transportation (taxis/buses). If you can’t find it online, ask front desk before you leave your hotel/hostel. Taxis, especially in poor countries, tend to cheat you.

3. Don’t stare at beggars or just don’t stare at anyone!

4. Don’t take pics of locals - they usually ask you to pay them for the pic, even if you weren’t even taking a picture of them! I was taking a picture of a building while a guy was standing in front of the building. They guy approached me afterwards to ask for money since he thought I took a picture of him!

5. Once you get off the bus or leave the airport, make sure you know where you want to go, how to get there and how much you are willing to pay to get there. There will be people bothering you once you step out of the airport. Don’t mind those people.

6. Don’t walk alone at night, not unless it's a very touristy place where foreigners are out at the streets partying or eating street food. I felt safe walking alone around Kendwa Beach at night while I don't think it's safe to walk alone at Arusha at night. You will get that vibe once you get to the place. I stay at hostels so I meet other tourists to go out with at night.

7. Always have the address and contact number of your hotel/hostel in case you get lost.

8. If you do get lost and want to ask for directions, be careful of who you ask. I try to ask a security guard or find a proper establishment (e.g. convenient store) and ask people from inside the establishment. Make sure you ask a few people because the first one you ask might be giving you the wrong information. The best place to ask is the people from your hotel/hostel.

9. Be respectful of their culture. Don't wear clothing that might be insulting or too revealing - especially if you're taking the public transpo. I believe it's better to be safe than to look good on your IG post. Maybe you can bring something to cover yourself if you do see people starring at you.

10. Be wary when you hitchhike. I've met people who just hitchhike when they travel. As a solo female traveler, this is something I'm still a bit scared to do.  I've actually tried hitchhiking a few times when I was being irresponsible and spontaneous. In fact, I hitchhiked from the airport in Arusha to my hostel. I've been very lucky and I truly believe that most people in the world are kind and very much willing to help, but there are also very creepy and sick people who take advantage of travelers and of women. Just trust your instincts! 

Tara na, byahe tayo! 

I encourage my fellow Pinoys and Pinays to travel to Tanzania. I see more and more people posting about their travels on Facebook. As I traveled around Tanzania and interacted with the locals, I realized that not a lot of Filipinos travel on that side of the world. My safari guide even told me that I was "his first Pinoy". He asked me why Filipinos don't travel to Tanzania. To be honest, it was the most expensive trip I've taken, but it was also my first trip outside of Asia and I know a lot of Filipinos can afford a trip to Europe or other equally expensive countries. Some probably even spend the same amount with their Asian trips as what I spent on this trip. I usually stay in cheap shared rooms and I prefer to take public transpo or rent a cheap bike (and maybe even get lost) rather than pay extra to a travel agency. For this trip, I splurged a little just because I felt I deserved it. If you continue reading, I will soon show you my itinerary and cheaper options.

visas, visas, visas ....oh the pain! - NOT!

For Filipinos, Tanzania and Kenya are actually countries which don't need visas before getting there. Now I have to stress that Filipinos still need a visa to enter these countries but we can easily get a visa on arrival. I paid USD50 for a single entry visa to Tanzania and USD20 for a transit visa to Kenya. I wasn't thoroughly interviewed or asked for my ITR or bank statement (which is usually the case for Filipinos when applying for visas). I just had to show them my return tickets. I also prepared all my bookings for that trip, just in case. Before my trip, I booked a shuttle bus headed to Tanzania on the same day I landed, which allowed me to get a transit visa in Kenya. I didn't have to queue for a long time and it was super convenient. Maybe it was off season. I went at the end of January and entered Kenya again mid-February.

For more info about visas, you can click on the link below.

Tanzania:
http://www.tanzaniaconsul.com/visa.html


Kenya (you can actually apply for an online visa before flying, I read that they won't accept visa on arrival anymore, but when I called the embassy I was told that VOA is still aceepted):

for the evisa: http://evisa.go.ke/evisa-types.html

From my knowledge, multiply entry visas can't be issued on arrival. Also, American passport holders have to pay more for the visa fee, but they get to stay longer (1 year I think),  and they automatically get a multiple entry visa (no they don't get to choose the cheaper single entry visa), while those who pay USD50 only get to stay for 3 months with a single entry visa. With every country, visa requirements are different for each nationality.

My itinerary: 13 days in Tanzania and 2 days in Kenya

Day 1 - arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport - shuttle to Arusha, Tanzania
Day 2 - 5 Safari from Tarangeri, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater Click this link to read about the safari

Day 6 Materuni falls and Coffee farm (Moshi)

Day 7 Flight to paradise, Zanzibar island
Day 8 Tour around Zanzibar island (Stone Town based)
Day 9 Tour around Zanzibar island (to the south)
Day 10 Tour around Zanzibar island (to the north)
Day 11  Back to Arusha
Day 12  Lake Diluti
Day 13  Bus from Arusha, Tanzania - Nairobi, Kenya
Day 14  Exploring Nairobi
Day 15  Giraffe and Rhino orphanage and fly back to China

Below is detailed information of my itinerary - cost and means of transpo, travel time, my review/opinion of each place, a few tips and other options

Day 1 - arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport - shuttle to Arusha, Tanzania
             Before flying, I booked a bus from the airport to Arusha, Tanzania. I paid USD25 for the bus. I booked it online with http://www.eastafricashuttles.com/ but when I got there the person who I was in contact with wasn't at the airport and it turns out that he forgot. Luckily, the people at the restaurant right outside the airport were very helpful. I was waiting at that restaurant while using the wifi and when I told them about my problem, they said they know the person in charge of that shuttle bus and they gave him a call. The shuttle bus is called Riverside. The person I was in contact with was just an agent.
            The person in charge of the bus is Peter. This is his contact information:
email: kariukimuchoki@gmail.com
phone number: +254 722826368

            I stayed at Villa Poa! hostel on my first night and they arranged someone to pick me up from the bus station. I paid TZS 10,000, which is the regular rate for the distance from the bus to the hostel (I even asked a local on the bus if I got ripped off and she told me that she pays the same amount even as a local). The local girl I met on the bus was very friendly. She said her mom loves Filipino telenobela (soap opera). I was amazed to hear that Filipino telenobela reached that side of the world and it's actually quite famous. Her family also owns an inn and I would've stayed at her family's inn if I haven't booked anything yet.

My review for Villa Poa!

Day 2 - 5 Safari from Tarangeri, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
Click this link to read about the safari

I was so happy I actually got to see the Big 5! See the pics below for reference and ask your safari guide why these animals are the Big 5. I actually saw a lot of animals and a lot of action. It was worth every dollar spent! Read the safari blog for more info.

elephant

lion

Cape (African) buffalo

I went back to Arusha Town after lunch on the 5th day.

rhinoceros

leopard

Day 6 Materuni falls and Coffee plantation (Moshi)

        Went on an adventure with a guy I met at the hostel. I didn't want to pay for an organized tour so I just googled the falls. I asked the staff about how to get there and coincidentally, one of the staff's sister was working at Mt. Kilimanjaro View Lodge, which is close to the falls and the coffee farm. She arranged for us to join a group of doctors who were staying at the Lodge and were also planning to go to the falls. We only ended up paying TZS 20,000 to "crash" a tour group. That included lunch, guide to the falls, and to the coffee farm, then private car service back to Moshi town bus station.

room at Mt Kilimanjaro View Lodge

     

    Getting there was a big adventure! We hopped on a mini bus (called dala dala) from Arusha to Moshi. We only paid TZS 3000 and TZS 2500 going back to Arusha town (the bus going back looked older and cheaper). From Moshi town bus station, we took a cab and paid TZS 20,000 to get to Mt Kilimanjaro View Lodge. But it wasn't a smooth road to get to the Lodge. It was raining and the taxi couldn't get all the way to the top, so we had to hike all the way to the top, drenched in rain! Once we finally reached the Lodge, we had to wait a few minutes for the people who actually paid the full amount for the tour. We ate lunch and enjoyed the view from the top. The weather is a lot like the Philippines, it rains for awhile then it goes back to being sunny as if it never rained at all. Then, we were led to the falls.

view from Mt Kilimanjaro View Lodge

hike to the falls

The hike to the falls was exactly what I needed. After spending days in a safari jeep, just sitting and looking at animals, which is actually very fun and interesting, it was also nice to move my legs and go hiking. I saw a chameleon for the first time! It looked like Pascal (from Tangled - lol!). We also went swimming at the falls. The water was freezing but very refreshing after the hike.

         After a couple of minutes, swimming and taking pictures at the waterfall, we went hiking to the coffee plantation. We got to separate the coffee beans, grind them, roast them, grind them again, then boil and drink! I NEVER drink coffee but I guess I just haven't tried freshly roasted Kilimanjaro coffee. It was very smooth and not even bitter. I loved it and ended up buying some for my friends and family back home. It also got good reviews from friends and family. They said it is very strong compared to what they used to drink. I paid 15,000TZS for a pack.

Day 7 Flight to paradise, Zanzibar island
           I didn't book a ticket to Zanzibar because I was debating on whether to take a bus to Dar es Salaam then ferry to Zanzibar, or to fly directly from Arusha to Zanzibar. I chose to fly because I wanted more time on the island and I heard of a cheap flight to Zanzibar. If you have more than 2 weeks in Tanzania and have friends to share the experience with, I'm sure taking the bus will become a fun adventure!

Check out the price range and duration.

plane: small plane - 1hr30
180 USD Arusha - Zanzibar (cheap flights were sold out - I bought the ticket at the airport on the same day, I even had to bargain for this price, the original price was 200+ USD!)
70 USD Zanzibar - Arusha (I booked a ticket right after I landed on the island)

bus: at least 10 hrs (Arusha - Dar es Salaam, vice versa)
50 USD luxury bus (first bus at 5am, last bus at 11pm - runs every 30 mins)
15 USD for non-aircon bus

ferry:
20 - 50 USD (depending on what kind of ferry and the kind of ticket you take)
duration:
90mins
2hrs
3hrs (overnight)
3hrs 30 (overnight)

Day 8 Tour around Zanzibar island (Stone Town based)

Stone Town

I got to walk around Stone town the day before. It is a very small yet beautiful town, so you can actually walk around the whole town in half a day. I asked around and bargained for tour packages and I even got my phone fixed! Remember that in Tanzania, you always have to bargain. I always do the pretend-to-walk-away-trick and wait for them to call me back with a lower price. If they don't then that is their final offer and you can check other places/boatmen for their final offer.



Prison island - paid 20,000 TZS each (only 2 of us - I found a partner)
    - negotiate with boatman
    -  giant tortoise and snorkeling

Spice tour - paid 13 USD to join a tour group (I found out later that some of us paid more - so make sure you negotiate hard!)
   - tour around a huge land with different herbs, spices and fruits, you get to taste from the actual             plant/tree
   - for a Filipino like me, it wasn't as interesting because we have the same plants/trees in the             Philippines (I was able to identify most of the plants before the tour guide got to it)
   - most of the tourists from my tour group enjoyed it
   - we ate lunch in a hut that also sold herbs and spices (I even bought some lemongrass and masala)
   - includes: transpo from and to center of Stone Town, lunch, tour guide


Day 9 Tour around Zanzibar island (to the south)

Stone Town - Kizimkaze 

I took a daladala from the Stone Town South bus terminal (there's a different one for North bus terminal) to Kizimkaze. I wanted to see the dolphins. Someone from the hostel in Arusha was telling me how she was just snorkeling in Kizimkaze and a dolphin suddenly appeared and swam past her. I was traveling with someone I met the day before so we got to split the cost of the boat. I'm sorry I forgot how much I paid for the boat but it must've been 5000-10,000TZS/person. It was a small boat that took us to the reef for snorkeling.

We actually saw a few dolphins on our way to the reef. The boatman told us we could jump in the water and swim with the dolphins but I learned in the Philippines that you don't just jump in the water when you see wild dolphins, even if they are supposed to be harmless. I wanted to keep safe and didn't want to scare the dolphins. They were actually doing somersaults for us!

Note that there is a dolphin tour you can book from Stone Town. I read a lot of bad reviews about that and how the boatmen were actually scaring the dolphins and the tourists were being irresponsible, so I decided to do it myself and I didn't jump in the water, instead I just enjoyed watching them doing flips and swimming next to the boat.

If you stay in Kizimkaze for a night and wake up extra early in the morning to go to the sea, there's a big possibility of seeing more dolphins.

We spent a few hours snorkeling. The reef was beautiful and so full of life. Unfortunately, we didn't see dolphins while snorkeling and we didn't see dolphins on our way back, but it was still a good day.

Kizimkaze - Jambiani

In the afternoon we took a daladala to Jambiani. We just asked the fishermen how to get there. Jambiani turns out to be at the other side of the island, so we had to take 2 daladalas and we also had to wait for awhile before we found a daladala going to Jambiani. We got to Jambiani late afternoon.

Jambiani is a place for kite surfing. I wasn't actually planning on going there but the person I was traveling with already booked a place in Jambiani for a night. It was nice to watch people kite surfing. It would've been more fun if I learned how to do it, but that was my last week of vacation and I just wanted to relax by the beach. The following day, I traveled north to the white sands of Kendwa, while the girl I met stayed in Jambiani to check out a forest and other interesting things in the area.

Day 10 Tour around Zanzibar island (to the north)

Jambiani - Stone Town - Kendwa

I took the daladala to Stone Town then to Kendwa. Make sure you go to the right daladala stop to wait for the daladala to Stone Town. It took me awhile to realize that I was at the wrong corner. The daladala from Jambiani to Stone Town will drop you off at the South bus terminal so you have to walk or ask someone to take you to the North bus terminal. It's not that far so it shouldn't cost much if you decide to ask someone to take you. 

Daladala from Stone Town to Kendwa costs 4000-5000TZS. The driver asked me to pay extra for my big backpack but I refused to pay extra and politely mentioned that I've been taking the daladala all over Zanzibar and no one else has asked me to pay extra for my backpack, so the driver kept quiet and I didn't have to pay extra. After getting off the daladala, I walked to my hotel. That was a bad idea! I read that it's only 15-20 mins walk but with my heavy backpack and the heat of the sun, I arrived at my hotel exhausted! It only costs 10,000TZS for a motorcycle from the daladala drop off to the hotel. I arrived at my hotel around 2pm.

Kendwa beach is so beautiful! I'm a Filipino and I have very high standards when it comes to beaches but I was impressed with Kendwa beach. The sand is so fine and white and the beach is very long. I treated myself and stayed at a hotel for the first time during this trip. I stayed at Sunset Kendwa  Beach Hotel. It is a hotel right in front of the beach (and of course a beautiful sunset view). If you want a more local experience then don't do this. Kendwa beach is actually very touristy but I felt like that was what I needed at that time. I didn't have to walk far to look for food and drinks and I drank a lot that night! They had a full moon party at that beach a week after I left.

Day 11  Back to Arusha
I checked out at noon and had early lunch by the beach. I took a daladala back to Stone Town then to the airport.

When I got back to Arusha, I wanted to take a daladala from the airport back to Villa Poa! Some foreigners staying at Villa Poa! mentioned that its very convenient to take the daladala to the airport, unfortunately it wasn't as convenient as I thought it would be. I had to walk far from the airport to the daladala station. I didn't even get there yet and 3 cars already stopped to offer me a ride because apparently the daladala station is quite far and also people are just helpful here. I don't really trust hitchhiking but I noticed that it was getting dark and if 3 cars stopped to offer help then the daladala station must be very far from where I was. I hopped on the third car that offered help. It was an expat family who have been living in Arusha for more than 20 years.

This family really went above and beyond just to help me. I was used to taking the daladala in Arusha so I knew which daladala to take and what to say to the driver to get to Villa Poa! But the family who took me in didn't know that specific location. Apparently it wasn't very specific because there were a lot of similar places.  I told them to just drop me off at the clock tower (center of town) because I know which daladala to take once I'm there, but they insisted to drop me off at the hostel. They said it's not safe to be walking on my own at night and they would feel bad with just dropping me off at the clock tower. They called their friends to ask for help and luckily I found the hotel's number so they were able to ask for directions. They talked about how directions can be difficult in Arusha because people don't know the street names so they just use landmarks that can be found everywhere in town. I'm very grateful for that family. Things like these inspire me to help lost tourists and write about how people across the globe, no matter what nationality or skin color, are generally kind and helpful.

Day 12  Lake Diluti
This was my last day in Tanzania. I wanted to explore some more but I didn't have time so I decided to just take a day trip to Lake Diluti. Ask someone from the hotel about how to get there with daladala. It turned out to be a half day trip. There isn't much to do here. I hiked around the lake for an hr and saw a few animals. The lake had a nice view of Mt Meru. It's also a nice place to go on a picnic with family and friends. There were a few people having bbq by the lake.

On my way to the lake, I found an Ethiopian restaurant, called Spices and Herbs, that I read about in Lonely Planet, so I decided to have lunch there after exploring the lake. It was so good!!!! You should have a try if you have time. I spent the rest of the day just walking around town then went back to the hostel before dark.

Day 13  Bus from Arusha, Tanzania - Nairobi, Kenya
I contacted Peter from Riverside shuttle bus and he booked a seat for me to Kenya. I paid 25USD at the bus station just before I got on the bus. It was a 6 hour bus ride. I actually met a pilot on the bus. He was sitting next to me and we had a very interesting and fun 6 hour conversation. The bus took me all the way to the city center. It stopped at the airport first then to the city center.

I was planning on getting the transit visa to Kenya for 20USD. You are supposed to be able to get this visa if you stay in Kenya for less than 72 hrs (I was only there for 48hrs) but the immigration officer wanted me to pay the full 50USD because according to him, if you aren't staying at the airport for 72hrs, then you should pay 50USD. I think I could've argued my way out of that but I was tired so I just paid the full 50USD.

I booked a place from airbnb and the host arranged someone to pick me up from the bus station (with an extra fee). The host family cooked dinner for me (for free). They are a lovely couple and they donate their earnings to a girl's school in a small village outside Kenya.

This is the link to their airbnb page:

Serrainne and Erik's home

Day 14  Exploring Nairobi
On this day I was supposed to go to the Elephant and Rhino orphanage. My airbnb host (Erik and Serrainne ) helped me book a taxi. It was the same person who picked me up from the bus station the previous day. You can get there on your own but I wasn't very familiar with the city and the orphanage is only open from 11am-12nn, so I didn't want to get lost and get there too late.

The driver was late and traffic was horrible so instead of going to the orphanage, he took me to a squatters area. This really pissed me off. It was actually Erik's idea to take me there after the orphanage - I don't mind but I could've saved a lot of money by commuting and being able to walk around the city. The only reason why I decided to hire a cab for the whole day was so I can get to the orphanage and then back to the city. What even made it worse was that they asked someone to "take me on a tour" to the squatters area and I was expected to pay her! I never even pay for tour guides in scenic areas, I didn't need nor did I want a tour guide in the squatters of Nairobi.

The squatters area can be an eye opener to a lot of people. The houses were made of mud and the living conditions are very bad. As a Filipino, I'm sad to say I'm used to it. I grew up close to a squatters area. In fact, the living conditions of the squatters in Manila is even worse. I guess it could be something interesting to see but I didn't fly half way across the world just to see what I always see in the Philippines.


Masaai market
After lunch, the driver took me to the Masaai market. The location of the market actually changes everyday so make sure you check the location before you go. It's very touristy and to me it wasn't interesting at all. Nevertheless, I bought last minute souvenirs and bargained like my life depended on it!

After the market, I paid the driver and asked him to go home. I spent the rest of the day just walking around that area and took a public transpo back to my host family.

Day 15  The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Giraffe Center
Before going to the DSWT, I went to the Giraffe Center. I got to feed the giraffe and got really close with these beauty queens. I also learned more about the different giraffe species and conservation of wildlife.

I finally got to the elephant and rhino orphanage and it was a very interesting place! You can read more about it here: https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/about_us.asp

I got to see baby elephants being fed and playing in the mud. Yes I've done the safari and I've seen sooooo many elephants but I still haven't gotten tired of watching the baby elephants play. They also walk towards you sometimes and you can touch them. When they are well trained and old enough, they slowly get introduced back to the wild until an elephant family will adopt them. I was told that elephants have good memory and even when they are already living in the wild they still remember the people who took care of them at the orphanage.

From the orphanage, I went directly to the airport to fly back to China.

I hope this blog helped you with planning your trip to Tanzania and Kenya. Enjoy your trip!