Dar es Salaam: Discovering Tanzania’s Haven of Peace
February 9, 2009
Dar es Salaam, the largest city and commercial capital of
Tanzania is an important stop-over for most visitors to
Tanzania. Once called Mzizima, meaning healthy town,
Dar es Salaam has a history dating back mid 19th century
when the town emerged as a small fishing town. Mzizima
was later named Dar es salaam, meaning ‘a haven for peace’
in Arabic by Sultan Seyyid Majid of Zanzibar – a name
that has stuck to date. The city is popularly referred
to as Dar in Tanzania .
Located on a massive harbour on the eastern coast of
Indian Ocean, Dar es salaam boasts an atmosphere of
tranquility with enchanting beaches and lively
neighbourhoods. The city’s bustling harbour is the main
port in Tanzania, and is home to the main international
airport in Tanzania; Julius Nyerere International Airport
- located about 13km from the city centre.
Although the city is no longer the administrative capital
of Tanzania, government offices still have their main
base in Dar es Salaam. Diplomatic missions and
non-governmental organisations in the country also have
a presence in the bustling coastal city.
As one of the most cosmopolitan cities of Africa,
Dar es Salaam hosts many peoples, including the 100 or so
tribal groups of Tanzania. None of these groups comprise
more than 10% of the population and this perhaps
contributes to the tranquility the country has experienced
for years. The most numerous groups are the Sukuma of Lake
Victoria, Chaaga of Mount Kilimanjaro, Nyamwenzi of Tabora,
Hehe of Iringa and the Gogo of Dodoma. Arab and Persian
influence is strong in Zanzibar, and to a lesser in Dar es Salaam.
The interaction of Arabs and Bantu Africans resulted in
the Swahili language now widely spoken in Eastern and
Central Africa. Swahili is now the Lingua Franca of Tanzania
although English is widely understood in urban centers.
During German occupation in the early 20th century, Dar es
Salaam was the centre of colonial administration and the
main contact point between the agricultural mainland and the
world of trade and commerce in the Indian Ocean and the
Swahili Coast. Remnants of colonial presence, both German
and British, can still be seen in the landmarks and
architecture around the city.
Upon arriving in Dar es salaam, visitors are greeted by
numerous historical landmarks, including St. Joseph’s
Cathedral, the White Father’s Mission House, the Botanical
Gardens, the old State House and the National Museum that
proclaim their permanent residence in the city centre.
Lutheran Church -probably the oldest building standing on
the city, on the other hand, seems to recount the rich
Christian heritage of Tanzania that dates back 18th century
when the first missionaries set their feet on the country.
Strolling down the Shaaban Robert Street and Samora Street
junction, you will be allured by the incredibly beautiful
peacocks that inhabit this corner of town. And before you
know it you will be at the gate of the imposing National Museum.
The National Museum is a priceless treasure that exhibits
material of cultural, ecological and historical
significance; including a cast of 3.6 million-year-old
hominid footprint. The museum exhibits important
archaeological pieces including fossils of Zinjathropus,
the early fossils of mankind that were discovered at
Olduvai Gorge by Dr. Mary Leaky. The building itself is
remarkable; containing unique sculptures, picturesque tiles
and carvings. The historical structure is surrounded by a
peaceful garden that occasionally hosts concerts and plays.
A stone throw away from the National Museum is the amazing
Botanical Gardens, situated adjacent to the Holiday Inn. The
garden boasts lush tropical flora and is a most ideal place
to relax in the peaceful atmosphere and tropical beauty that
is Dar es Salaam.
After lazing in the garden for an hour or so, head to the
north where you’ll come to Ocean Road. The beaches here
tend to be busy on weekends and holidays; host to weddings,
picnics and romantic strolls though not much of swimming.
If you don’t have time to explore the rest of Tanzania,
don’t miss a visit to the open-air Village Museum
(also referred to Makumbusho, the Swahili word for museum)
located on New Bagamoyo Road.
These well-kept grounds feature 18 furnished traditional
houses from different ethnic groups throughout Tanzania.
In addition, you can watch traditional dance performances
on most afternoons, view a variety of agricultural
techniques, observe artisans at work and refresh yourself in the cafe.
As you move further towards the ocean, you will find
numerous traditional dhows, fishing boats and high-speed
ferries to the neighbouring Zanzibar Island. Equally
fascinating are swaying palm trees on the white sands of
the nearby Kigamboni – a beautiful southern beach that is
only a short ride from Dar es Salaam by ferry. There are a
good number of good Dar es Salaam beach hotels ranging
from budget to luxury which offer many options for swimming and relaxing.
http://www.africapoint.com/hotels/dar_zanzibar.htm?ezsite=56
Next to the ferry terminal on the City Centre side is the
the recently renovated Kivukoni fish market. Boats deliver
their catches directly to the market every morning and here
you can experience the art of bargaining as both sellers and
buyers seek a better price. The fish market is the best spot
to catch a glimpse of life and commerce in Tanzania. Make sure
to experience the traditional food at the coast and Zanzibar.
This is quite good and is based on seafood and rice dishes.
After exploring the suburbs of Dar es Salaam, you may want to
proceed to the nearby attractions that include Bagamoyo,
Bongoyo and Mbudya islands. Located only about an hour north
of Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo attracts visitors for its pristine
white sand beaches as well as its historical significance.
Bagamoyo, Kiswahili for “lay down the burden of your heart”
or “be quiet my heart” was recently designated as Tanzania’s
seventh World Heritage Site and is the oldest town in Tanzania.
The town was towards the end of the 18th century the capital
for German East Africa. Bagamoyo has one of the most
wonderful white sand beaches of Tanzania.
In the past, the town of Bagamoyo was one of the most
important trading ports on the entire East African coast.
Its port was the penultimate stop of slave and ivory caravans
that traveled on foot all the way from Lake Tanganyika. Once
the caravans reached Bagamoyo, the slaves and ivory were
shipped by dhow to Zanzibar, where they were then dispatched
all over the world.
Today, Bagamoyo is a centre of dhow building in the region
and along the Tanzanian coast. Northwest of Bagamoyo are
several small streets lined with carved doors similar to
those found on Zanzibar and elsewhere along the Swahili coast.
The Kaole Ruins located about five kilometers south of
Bagamoyo are also worth a visit. The ruins consisting of
the remains of the first settlement of the Arabs are the
major attraction that Bagamoyo has to offer. Kaole Ruins
date to the thirteenth century and comprise remnants of two
mosques and several tombs, showing the importance of Islam
in early Bagamoyo.
Miles away from Bagamoyo, about 7 km north of Dar es Salaam,
is Bongoyo Island Marine Reserve. The reserve offers good
snorkeling and diving sites for those who want to explore
the water. Bongoyo reserve boasts beautiful beaches,
secluded islands, and many varieties of marine species. In
contrast to other beaches, Bongoyo is not tide dependent and
so swimming can be done at any time of the day. About 4 km
from the island is Mbudya; an island that have almost the
same characteristics as Bongoyo. The island lies close to
the beach resort and fishing community of Kunduchi and is
accessible by motorboats crossing from the mainland.
A majority of visitors to Dar es Salaam find it worthwhile
to take a southern Tanzania safari tour to Mikumi,
http://www.africapoint.com/tours1/vacation.asp?vacationid=304&ezsite=56
Udzungwa, Ruaha and Selous game reserves. These destinations
comprise the southern safari circuit of Tanzania. Mikumi National
Park is just 4 hours away by car, and Zanzibar is a quick
2-hour ferry ride (or an even quicker flight) away. For
relaxing day trips to nearby islands, transportation can
be arranged at most hotels and travel agents.
Occupying 3,230 sq km, Mikumi carries a variety of
wildlife including elephants, lion,giraffe, impala,
warthog, zebra, buffalo, wildebeest, hartebeest and eland.
Wild dogs- considered an endangered carnivore species -are
found here in good numbers. Other resident animals are
crocodiles, hippos, and monitor lizards.
Birds are most plentiful in the wet season when up to 300
species gather here. Many of these are Eurasian migrants,
exercising to the full, the freedom that comes with wings.
The Mikumi flood plain is the dominant feature of the park,
which is bordered on one side by the Uluguru Mountains and
on another by the Lumango range. Mikumi forms the northern
border of the Selous Game Reserve and is part of a vast
wilderness ecosystem covering 75,000 sq km. Open grasslands
stretch on the plains, while miombo woodlands cover higher ground.
The park is accessible year round- unlike some of the
sanctuaries in the southern circuit. To get to Mikuni from
Dar, you spend 4 hours on road or 1 hour by air. Budget
travelers take a bus ride to park gate, from where game
drives are organised. There is limited accommodation at a
few luxury lodges and tented camps and at 3 campsites. If
you find yourself in Dar on a weekend, this is where you
head to see wildlife.
The 1,990 sq km Udzungwa Mountains National Park is 348 km
west of Dar and 65 km southwest of Mikumi. The mountains
are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains that fall southeast
of Kilimanjaro. The park is unique in Tanzania, having
been created primarily to conserve plant life. The pristine
mountain forest habitat hosts numerous rare plants. There
are six primate species, out of which two species are
endemic – the Iringa red colobus monkey and the Sanje Crested Mangabey.
At the plateau area, you find elephants, lions, hunting
dogs and buffalos, though not in as large numbers as in
some of the other Tanzania parks. Birds also do well here,
and indeed the park ranks as one of Africa’s most important
bird conservation areas. Scientists have in recent times
come across at least four previously unknown bird species.
The best time to visit is over the dry season between June
and October. The hiking trails over the wet season are
slippery, which can be quite a nuisance.
The Ruaha National Park is rightly named after its
lifeblood- the Great Ruaha River. Occupying 12,950 sq km,
it is Tanzania’s second largest national park and its
biggest elephant sanctuary. Home to numerous crocodiles
and hippo, the Great Ruaha draws many thirsty waterbuck,
leopard, buffalo, reedbuck, wild dogs, lion and hyena to
its banks.
Plain animals such as zebra, greater and lesser kudu, sable
and roan antelope, impala and giraffe are found on the
plains stretching from the rivers edge. The topography is
agreeable to hiking and walking safaris are allowed. In
the wet season months of March to April and October to
November the bird population peaks and the park has over
370 bird species, including some Eurasian migrants.
The flora is very diverse and over 1650 plant species
flourish here. The Ruaha has the unique distinction of
having plant and animal life found in both eastern and
southern Africa. The climate here is hot and dry and
temperatures can reach 40°C in October. The Ruaha is
located 128 km west of the central Tanzania town of Iringa.
It was previously inaccessible, but there is now year
round road access.
From Dar, road travel is a backbreaking 10 hours while a
charter flight takes 1 ½ hours. The best time for a safari
is over the dry season- May to December. Then, the Ruaha
River is magnetic to the animals and right at the banks,
the drama of their daily life is on display- feeding,
fighting, courting and mating. The accommodation is
currently limited, but there is a luxury lodge, and a
few self-catering chalets and campsites.
Selous Game Reserve is the star of the southern safari
circuit. The reserve is named after the intrepid Fredrick
Courtney Selous, a celebrated Victoria era explorer and
naturalist. He met his end here in a sideshow of the First
World War. The Great War had spilled over from Europe as
the Germans then ruled parts of today’s Tanzania. Located
500 km to the southwest of Dar, the reserve occupies a
staggering 55,000 sq km – larger than Switzerland- and
is the largest of its kind in Africa.
The Selous was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
in 1982 due to the significance of both its flora and
fauna. This immense wilderness has a diversity of habitats
including savanna woodlands, swamps, open grasslands and forests.
Over 2,100 species of tress and plants have been recorded.
The mighty Rufiji River is the lifeblood of the reserve
and its numerous tributaries and oxbow lakes are ideal for
boat safaris. The wildlife to see here includes buffalo,
hippo, black rhino, lion and wild dog. Elephants in
particular are numerous and are estimated to number over 60,000.
Other inhabitants of Selous are bush back, waterbuck,
reedbuck, impala, eland, giraffe, baboon, zebra, and greater
kudu. Birders will also find a trip to Selous worthwhile –
over 420 species are on record. In the very large game
sanctuaries of the south – Ruaha and Selous in particular,
game is scattered and a slow pace is advised, with at least
3-4 days in each. Photographic safaris can be very rewarding
here. Most visitors take the time to visit to Stiegler’s
Gorge, which also happens to be a spot favoured by leopards.
From Dar, you arrive after a 1-½ hour charter flight or by
traveling for 7 hours by road. Travel by road is not advised,
except for the most adventurous souls. Selous is near the
coast and is just a few hundred feet above sea level. The
climate is hot and humid, particularly between October and
March. Part of the reserve is closed in the wet season
between March and May. The best time to visit is over the
dry season period of June to October. Then on safari you
can walk, boat and ride a 4WD vehicle. Accommodation is
limited to just a few luxury tented and no-frills camps.
Sadani game reserve, located in the north coast about
50km from Bagamoyo, is also worth visiting. Sadani gives
one an experience of the bush at the beach, and the wild
life seen at the reserve including elephants, leopard,
giraffes, lions, buffaloes and zebra. The reserve is,
however, accessible only with special transport arrangements.
Getting to Dar es Salaam, and Tanzania in general, requires
visitors from yellow fever infected areas to obtain yellow
fever international certificate of vaccination. Exemptions
are made for visitors arriving from non-endemic areas such
as Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. The
northwestern forest region of Tanzania is considered a
high-risk area for yellow fever.
Visitors are strongly advised to take anti malaria medication
commencing two weeks before travel as malaria is common in
Tanzania. Vaccinations against hepatitis A, polio and
typhoid are also recommended. In addition, all visitors
are required to have a visa except citizens of some African
and commonwealth countries. It is advisable to obtain visa’s
in advance from Tanzania Embassies and High Commissions as
some airlines may require it before allowing you to board.
For citizens of a few selected countries, visas can also be
issued on arrival at Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro
international airports and at the Namanga Gate on the
Kenya /Tanzania border.
Dar es Salaam can be reached through regional hubs at
Nairobi and Johannesburg and to a lesser extent Addis
Ababa. The airport is also accessed from other Tanzania
airports that serve domestic as well as international
flights. These include Kilimanjaro International Airport
and Dodoma airport among many others. There is a ferry
service between Mombasa in Kenya and Dar es Salaam.
Visitors to Dar es Salaam are advised that taxis moving
passengers around the city have no meters and charge a
standard fee per journey inside the city centre. As for
ferries to Zanzibar, there is a choice of 4 boats- a
hydrofoil, a catamaran and 2 ordinary ferry boats. Yellow
fever vaccination certification is a must before boarding
for Zanzibar. A port charge of US$ 5 is added to the boat fare.
And like the rest of Tanzania, Dar es salaam never really
gets cold and light clothing is recommended. Average daily
temperatures hover in the 30°C range with October to March
being the hottest period. Warmer clothing such as sweaters
is however necessary to get you through the evenings and
early mornings if you are heading for the highlands. Short
sleeve shirts, shorts and trouser for men are sufficient
and so are short sleeve blouses, slacks and skirts for the
ladies. Nudity is totally unacceptable in the whole country.
================================
Destination Facts: Tanzania
================================
Fact Sheet with info on: land area, population, capital city
and other major towns, peoples, language, religion,
government, time zones, currency, electricity and weights & measures.
http://www.africapoint.com/destinations/tanzania.asp?ezsite=56
==============================
Travel Basics: Tanzania
==============================
Useful country travel info and tips on: health, visas,
peoples & culture, communications, accommodation, money,
climate, international & local travel, travel insurance,
and what to wear.
http://www.africapoint.com/travel/tanzania.asp?ezsite=56
===========================
Travel Guides: Tanzania
===========================
Tanzania Tourist Board- Official site of the Tanzania
Tourist Board providing the most comprehensive online
source of information on travel to and around South Africa.
Http://www.tanzaniatourismboard.com
Dar es Salaam Travel Guide– Objective information on
Dar es Salaam travel, including restaurants, accommodation and tours.
Http://www.world66.com/africa/tanzania/daressalaam
“Climbing Kilimanjaro, Kmart Style” by Doug Lansky
March 30, 2008
At this very moment, I am lying on my back with my legs propped up in the air, allowing the pus to drain from seven infected blisters on my feet. Along with a receipt for $585, these festering vesicles are the only physical evidence of my trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, tallest peak on the African continent.
Doug suits up
to climb Kilimanjaro
The major difference between me and the thousands of other tourists who attempt to climb this 19,340-foot mountain each year (aside from knowing how to spell the word”vesicle”), is that I was foolish enough to attempt it in rented hiking boots.
Most people pay between $450 and $1,000 to climb Kilimanjaro, the price depending on the route, number of days on the mountain, and comfort level of the trip. The cheapest and most popular choice is the five-day Coca-Cola Route, thus named because the beverage can be purchased at conveniently placed rest-huts throughout the ascent. But trips lasting seven days and costing $1,500 are not unheard of. These involve something like eight porters per tourist, and include such luxuries as a separate dining tent, reclining chairs, and a portable western toilet.
I opted for the Machame, or “scenic route,” the second most popular ascent. This expedition takes six days, approaches the summit from the west, and follows the south face down.I made my arrangements through a tout named Swali, who works for the Arusha-based tour agency B.M. Travel. He promised to show up the day of departure with a complete line of climbing gear: North Face Gore-Tex jacket and sleeping bag, Patagonia fleece and hat, Lowe long underwear, and every other outdoor brand-name product Swali could think of. There would also be glacier sunglasses and four pairs of hiking boots to choose from.
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Swali had managed to put together the least mountain-worthy selection of clothing. |
What he actually arrived with (several hours late) was—to the untrained eye—about $10 worth of hand-me-downs from the Salvation Army. Swali had managed to put together the least mountain-worthy selection of clothing currently available in Tanzania: mostly cotton sweatshirts and T-shirts, plus a few ripped nylon pants and hats most winos would refuse on a freezing night. He brought only one pair of boots. And the sleeping bag, meant for summer use only, had no zipper.
Swali acknowledged the sleeping-bag zipper problem and located another insulation-free replacement, but the boots, he asserted, were fine. And they would have been . . . for someone with slightly smaller feet. The rest of the stuff I would have to live with if I wanted to start up the mountain that day. If I backed out, which was extremely tempting under the circumstances, the extra day required to make arrangements with another outfitter would mean I’d miss my flight. Jason, a 26-year-old Englishman who at least had his own boots, was in a similar position.
So, with more than our fair share of reservations, we set off to conquer Kilimanjaro with gear whose only purpose would be to provide hours of amusement for fellow climbers. The”glacier glasses” were made from the lightest shade of plastic currently in manufacture. My ensemble was augmented by a rust-orange snowmobile hat, pink reversible nylon jacket, and some first-generation aquamarine Lycra pants that could only have been purchased by a Frenchman; they clung tighter than most designer jeans and the fly was sharp enough to draw blood. We picked up John and Clair, a young English couple, en route. Apparently, they would be joining Jason and me on our “private tour.” At the drop-off point, our guide, Lucas, sent us all ahead with a porter named Tumaine (pronounced “Two-man”) while he sorted out the rest of the porters. He explained that we would require two porters each; one to carry our gear, the other to haul the tents and food. This seemed ostentatious, but after 30 minutes hauling my own gear and making little progress, I realized the futility of the decision and handed over my pack.
With our packs coming up behind us, along with lunch, we only had two canteens of water and a few chocolate bars among the four of us. We finished off the water, thinking Lucas and the porters would catch up, but they never did. Dehydrated, we pressed on, trying to reach the 10,000-foot camp before dark. No luck. After an hour of stumbling up the trail without flashlights, we reached Muchamie Camp. Six or seven other, better-organized tour groups had already set up their tents and had dinner hours before.After a quick meal, I climbed into my sleeping bag, which was perfect . . . for a seven-year-old. It came up to my stomach. And that’s only when it was half unzipped so I could squeeze my waist in. It never really got much higher than my knees because the porters—basically nice guys who clearly did not have the world’s most desirable jobs—set up our tent, a model that may have been cutting edge in the early 1960s, on a slope better suited for skateboarding. I slept in my hat, gloves, scarf, and jacket and still managed to freeze. Around 2 a.m., I cuddled up to Jason, praying he wouldn’t wake up and notice. The next morning began with our first view of the summit; it was stunning but farther away and steeper than I’d imagined. Lucas explained that the top usually clouds up during the day but clears by sunset. My eyes remained transfixed on the peak until it disappeared. We only had a few hours to walk to the next camp, Shira, at 11,500 feet, where we would stay for two nights to acclimatize; a fairly tame itinerary so far. The bigger problems (and bigger blisters), I had a feeling, were still ahead.
There I was, dangling on the face of Mount Kilimanjaro. Well, not exactly dangling; more like sitting in a poorly assembled tent. Freezing to death. Well, maybe not to death, but it was pretty cold. There I was, sucking the moisture out of frozen rocks and twigs. Well, at least I thought about it.
After this exercise in luxury, the discarded water ran down the small hill and into our comfort-proof tents, which was generally how we woke up. In Kilimanjaro terms, we were roughing it. Daytime was generally cloudy, but the clear night sky afforded ample opportunity to stargaze. The view was magnificent, although I could never manage to see all those renowned constellations: bulls, crabs, hunters with designer belts, and so forth. I had enough trouble making out the pots, pans, and other kitchen appliances. We took a short”acclimatization walk” with our guide, Lucas, who had two rather unique qualities: He almost never answered the questions you asked him, which can get a bit frustrating when you need vital information, such as where the toilet is (his answer: “The sun will set in about two hours”); and he always carried a little transistor radio. Since Lucas was usually walking with us, we didn’t experience much of the park’s natural serenity. Instead, we were serenaded by everything from Ricky Martin to Bombay’s latest Hindi pop hits through a tin speaker. Of course, we hikers were not without our own quirks. We relentlessly badgered Lucas about the altitude. “How high are we now?” we’d ask every 10 minutes. Occasionally, Lucas would even answer us, sometimes with potentially correct information—meaning a figure that was higher than the one he’d given us 10 minutes before. The Most Poorly Equipped Team Ever
We scrambled up loose rock to a steep, 15-yard-wide ice patch. Without an ice ax or crampons, it was a sketchy traverse. One slip and you end up 75 yards down the mountain with your head wrapped around a rock. I took off my gloves and tried to dig my nails into the ice for added stability. There were a few close calls, but no one took the express ride down. After two more such crossings, we reached the bouldering portion of the climb. Shimmying up the rocks wouldn’t have been a problem a few thousand feet down the mountain, but at 18,000 feet our heads were spinning. I could hardly stand, and the wind picked up, freezing the sweat in our clothes.”Only two hours more to the summit,” Lucas declared as we reached the rim of the volcano after four hours of hiking. My heart sank. “I thought you said it was four hours to the top,” I mumbled, shivering and befuddled. Lucas had clearly doctored the figures to make this route more attractive, but the only realistic way down was to first press on to the top. A few hours overdue, the summit came into sight. “Look, it’s just up there. You made it. We’re the first ones,” Lucas declared. With that, he gave me a hearty slap on the back, knocking me a few yards back down the mountain. Miraculously, we reached the summit about 10 seconds before the sun’s first rays crept over the horizon. Exhausted, overwhelmed by the cold, rugged surroundings, and mesmerized by the fiery red ball rising before us, Claire began to cry. John, Jason, and I stood in silence, completely stunned, then grabbed our cameras and began snapping away. After five minutes of euphoria, my headache and dizziness abated. The effort was suddenly all worth it. None of the words I had read about reaching the top prepared me for the experience, and I’m certain neither my laptop nor camera can do it justice. Fifteen minutes later, the peak began crowding with hikers. It was time to head down. The lower we got, the more people we saw making early, altitude-sickness-related retreats. Seeing them turn back evoked an odd mixture of sympathy and affirmation of our accomplishment. The punishment for our success, I didn’t realize, was still ahead: a five-hour descent to our camp at 10,000 feet. This was, in some ways, more difficult than reaching the summit. As my feet and torso defrosted, my legs turned to rubber and my toes jammed into the front of my boots. By the time we reached camp, my blisters looked more like bullet wounds. After a muddy, three-hour limp to the bottom the following day, we were met by park rangers at the gate selling”Just Did It” T-shirts. It occurred to me that these were the first rangers I’d seen since I paid the $375 park entry fee six days before. Usage of the fees didn’t seem to extend more than five inches into the park. There has been zero upkeep on the trail, no shelters for the porters, and no rescue stations (although part of this money is meant for rescue operations). But the porters had the last laugh. When it came time to hand out tips, there were two porters on hand that I had never seen before. “We needed these men to run ahead and prepare the camp,” Lucas explained in dramatic fashion. This was a common ploy. Lucas and the others would later split the tips for our fictional porters—a whopping $10. |
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On safari in Tanzania
January 1, 2008
On safari in Tanzania
If I had to survive in the bush, I’d kill a buffalo,” announces my son, Michael, aged 19.
“How?”
“I’d get a huge stone and crash it on his head.”
The young Masai warrior who is with us begins to laugh, long and deep. This is clearly the funniest thing he’s heard in a while. It’s like a Masai telling us he would survive in London by asking a passer-by for £100. “The buffalo weighs two tons,” our guide chortles. He turns the idea over in his head. “Hit a buffalo on the head with a stone…” he repeats delightedly.
Some trips are holidays and some are much more than that – voyages into another way of thinking and feeling. A journey into the Tanzanian bush is a journey into another dimension. From the threadbare airport at Arusha, our small plane wafted Michael and me to Manyara airstrip; from there, we were driven to the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. The first glimpse takes your breath away. Ngorongoro is an 11-mile-wide volcanic caldera with a lake shimmering in the middle. Its 1,600ft walls turn the crater into an amphitheatre, a savage playpen for the animals that gather there to feed, drink – and be eaten.
The lodge is a hobbitlike community of thatched cottages, right on the rim. Step inside, though, and operatic silk curtains sweep down beside french windows overlooking the crater. There are immense beds, opulent in purple; the tissue box is made of porcupine quills; crystal beads hang from a chandelier. And when we returned from our first game drive, my “butler” had run an aromatic bath drenched in rose petals. I sank blissfully into the bubbles.
Down in the crater, the animals are so used to vehicles it was as though we were entirely invisible. Magical, bizarre, deeply luxurious, this is an astounding place. There are hippos, black rhinos, elephants and many thousand zebras, wildebeests and gazelles. We watched two young lions chase each other across the open plain, giving their deep, vibrant, almost comforting roar.
In the evening, after a dinner to make the gods jealous, we sat in leather chairs by an open fire, drank sherry and played poker – easy to feel like a god here. In the early morning I watched a cloud drift over the crater, while all around our cottage the buffaloes grazed.
THE NEXT leg of our safari was a searing contrast. We took a tiny plane out into the Serengeti, 120 miles from the nearest town, to a tented settlement without running water. This is Tanzania Under Canvas, and it moves every few months to chase the great migration of wildebeests and zebras.
My tent was right on the margins of the camp, and it made me uneasy, especially when I was told nobody had a gun. My whistle and torch didn’t feel like much protection from the lions. Not that staying there is a hardship. Like Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, it is run by CC Africa, and the mischievous camp manager, Bruce, welcomed us into the canvas “living room” erected just a week or two before our arrival, with its crystal glasses, leather-bound books and khaki sofas.
But there really are lions in the camp at night. I would have felt safer sharing a tent with Michael, and Bruce conceded that was perfectly reasonable – because then I would be only half as likely to be attacked. “It isn’t that he’d save you – it’s that while the predators munch on one, the other can escape. It’s the principle behind large herds.”
Later, I read from Out of Africa as I tried to sleep. “The views were immensely wide,” Karen Blixen writes. “Everything you saw made for greatness and freedom. Up in this high air you breathed easily, drawing in a vital assurance and lightness of heart.” On any trip, the best literature of the place intensifies and enlarges your experience. But for all Blixen’s delicacy of language, I still couldn’t sleep.
EARLY NEXT morning we stepped out into the gentle danger of Africa. A red dawn stained the skies, and I felt the space of a whole continent – at once exhilarated and relaxed by the rising murmur of insects, the famous light. That first day we saw a cheetah, a leopard and a pride of lions with their cubs. Most impressive, though, was the thunder of the wildebeests as they stampeded over a hill, carried by dust clouds like an apocalyptic vision. Watching them, I found myself thinking like a lion: here was a banquet it would be impossible ever to finish. Later we witnessed the fear and despair of baby wildebeests parted from their mothers, as vultures went jauntily about their business nearby.
“Where there’s death there’s life,” said Ivan the ranger, matter-of-factly – yet he helped us to save one youngster by encouraging it to follow our vehicle.
But fear is part of the deal here, as I came to understand. Here you are not gods, as you are at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, and the experience offers a different kind of intensity. Spending all day watching the predators, and most of the night listening to them hunt outside your canvas wall, you soon begin to identify with the primal stimuli of the bush. You forget your wearisome human pride, and lose that sense of difference between man and other animals. I’d expected the worst thing about Tanzania Under Canvas to be the strip of tent separating me and the bush. It turned out to be the best.
From The Sunday TimesJuly 1, 2007; By Sally Emerson
Grumeti Reserves – Sasakwa Lodge
January 1, 2008
Grumeti Reserves – Sasakwa Lodge
Lodges have come a long way since the early days of safaris, says Lisa Grainger as she selects the best high life amid the wildlife.
Looking through the grainy snaps of my grandparents on safari always makes me smile – and not just because of my grandmother’s leopard-print culottes and ostrich-skin handbag. It’s the absence of comfort: the luggage roped to Land Rovers, the fold-up stools by a fire, the tin mugs, the warm beer, the sausages on sticks.
But then, safari camps in the 1950s were nothing like the African super-camps that have opened in the past year. For a start, they’re not really camps. They’re boutique hotels in the bush, often featuring spas, interior-designed suites, Michelin-star chefs to cook fresh ingredients flown in by private jet, and butlers to deliver it.
It’s not just in South Africa (progenitor of bush glamour) that this sort of safari has evolved. Three months ago in Zambia, two bush houses were opened to accommodate travellers who demand total privacy. In Tanzania, helicopter pads have been built alongside airstrips. In Namibia last year, top American astronomers were flown in to present after-dinner star-talks in the desert. Here are a few of the newest, most exclusive camps on the continent. Prices quoted are per person, per night, on a fully inclusive basis, excluding flights.
Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania
Luxury taken to the utmost. There are just three camps, sleeping a maximum of 56 guests, on this new game reserve and only these visitors have access to the 350,000 acres of grassy plains bordering the Serengeti, the helipad, the 16 polo and thoroughbred horses, the spa, tennis courts, crocquet lawn and the libraries.
Sasakwa Lodge, on the edge of an escarpment, was built in the style of a colonial home – think glossy wooden parquet floors, antiques, grand art, Persian silk carpets and silver, and a private infinity pool with every room. Sabora camp, on the plains, is glam camping taken to extremes. Tents are lined with raw silk, scattered with Persian rugs, and decorated with essentials like wind-up gramophones and silver handmirrors. Beds and baths are adorned with rose petals flown in daily with the seafood.
Reserves of luxury – reproduced from the Telegraph – 21/06/2006 by Lisa Grainger
Gallery
October 29, 2007
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