Hi r/MoneyDiariesACTIVE - I'm such a huge fan of this sub / living vicariously through your travel MDs and wanted to share my recent trip to Tanzania where I crossed off a few bucket list items!

👩🏻 A little bit about me

• I am an avid solo traveler (travelling is my form of self-care!) and 2023 marks a decade (!) of solo travelling. Being single, I love traveling to far-flung destinations any time I see a good flight deal and have visited 35 countries since I turned 20. I always travel solo (I dislike group tours) and avoid travelling with friends/family as we have different styles of travelling!

**************************

🌻 Section One: Bio

• Age: 31

• Occupation: Director at a tech company (non-tech role)

• Hometown: Toronto

• Number of PTO days and how you accrue them: Unlimited PTO policy, but I try to take at minimum 21d/year (we have additional paid sick days and personal days that adds another 6 days)

📊 Section Two: Assets + Debt

• Retirement Balance: $100K

• Equity if you're a homeowner: $200K (this is a little outdated, I haven't updated since 2021)

• Savings account balance: $15K (Emergency fund)

• Checking account balance: $0 (I move enough to cover monthly expenses)

• Credit card debt: N/A (I pay down the balance every month)

• Student loan debt: N/A

📈 Section Three: Income

• Main Job Monthly Take Home: ~$7K after tax (this fluctuates a little particularly later in the year due to taxes/contributions)

**************************

💵 Note on currency in Tanzania: Most (if not all) tourist-related activities are priced in USD$ and credit / debit cards are not widely used even in touristy areas. You can expect to add 3.5% processing fee on anything you have to pay with card (online or in-person).

ATMs are not widely available and where there are ATMs, they will dispense only Tanzanian shillings (TSh) so it may be prudent to bring USD cash with you (1USD = 2500 shillings and TSh banknotes start at 500 shillings) or prepay as much of the costs as possible or you'll end up with wads of cash you have to carry with you.

In both Moshi (base for Kilimanjaro climb) and Arusha (base for most safari departures), as well as the snack shops we stopped at during the safari, accept both USD$ and Tsh though you'll definitely be paying quite a lot when paying in USD$. Some prices I remember are: cider/beer/soda for USD$5, popsicles/ice cream bars/small bags of chips/muffins for USD$4.

All numbers referenced below are in CAD$ but the USD$ figures are included for completion.

🛍️ Plastic bag ban in Tanzania: Tanzania has banned single-use plastic bags since 2018 so you aren't allowed to bring any plastic bags (ziploc bags are excepted) into the country - I don't think this is always enforced but they scan your suitcase as you exit the airport and could be be relevant if you're someone who likes to pack their dirty clothes/shoes in these like I do.

**************************

💸 Section Four: Travel Expenses

✈️ Transportation

1. Flights: $2290 - RT business class on KLM from Toronto (YYZ) to Kilimanjaro (JRO)

2. 1x Transfer: $40 (USD$30) from Moshi (starting/ending point for Kilimanjaro) to Arusha (starting/ending point for Safari)

3. All other transportation are included in the price of the climbing and safari package.

🥾 Activity/Accommodation/In-Country Transportation

I am lumping the activity, accommodation, and in-country transportation sections together as the Kilimanjaro climb package as well as the safari bundles the costs together so it's impossible to break out the portion for each. This is the standard for the all outfitters/safari operators.

On the Kilimanjaro climb, although I signed up for an open group tour, I ended up being the only (female) guest on that itinerary and on those dates. My operator was kind enough to still run the climb without charging a single supplement, and charged me the open group rate (figure mentioned below) whilst a private climb would have costed an additional $1100 (USD$700) more!

1. Kilimanjaro Climbing Package ($3,371, USD$2,504): an 8-day itinerary (Northern Circuit Route) - all-inclusive of meals, pre- and post-climb hotel stays at a 3* hotel, sleeping and toilet tents, and related park fees. I only have to show up with my stuff!

   1. I was very keen to climb with a KPAP-certified (KPAP stands for Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project) operator and encourage you to do find a KPAP operator if you can! This non-profit promotes the welfare and ethical treatment of porters (who do back-breaking work - and I mean that literally! - to get clients to the summit and down safely!) during the climb. There are 150~ (as of writing) operators including some well-recognized names!

2. Kilimanjaro tips for the climbing crew: tips for the climbing crew are customary and makes up almost the crew's entire salary. There is a guide that outlines the range for each crew member as a group and you can tip on the low or high-end of the range. Tips starts at USD$3/d for general porters all the way to USD$20/d for the lead guide/chef. You can research and decide where on the range you feel comfortable tipping.

   1. Tipping for porters is usually done on a group basis (meaning if there are more guests, you split the tips across more people) but as I was the only guest, I borne the entire tips. This wasn't an issue for me as 100% of the tips went directly to the crew (operator doesn't take any cut) and this covers all 8 days' worth of climbing; I budgeted for this though this definitely skewed the cost upwards.

   2. As far as I recall, tips are only accepted in CASH and try to bring small bills ($5/$10/$20) to make the split among the porters easier!

3. Safari 4-day Package - Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater ($1,027, USD$760): the reason this is so cheap is because I went with the "budget" open group offering which meant we slept in public camp sites (will not be repeating this experience as the public toilets are horrendous and did not look like it's been cleaned in a while).

   1. You can "upgrade" your package to "Comfort" or "Luxury" (think those insta-worthy honeymoon lodges) but as I was travelling alone, it didn't make sense to go the more expensive route without anyone to split the cost with.

4. Safari Tips for the driver and chef ($54, USD$40): we had a group of 7 people in our group so the tips/person ended up being really low

🛫 Pre-Vacation Spending

1. Travel Insurance ($114) - your operator will require that you have travel insurance prior to your trek that covers high-altitude activities.

   1. My premium credit card (Amex) travel insurance DID NOT cover this since you have to pay for high-altitude trekking (>5000m) "activity add-on". My insurance covers the safari portion as well.

2. Equipment ($900) - Although climbing Kilimanjaro isn't technical, I normally hike in very casual athleisure (think yoga pants and tank top) clothes. This was not sufficient for Kilimanjaro, and I did have to buy some technical pieces including an 800 down-fill jacket and gloves, proper hiking boots, hiking pack/day bag and some medication (Cipro, imodium, etc).

   1. I booked my trip almost 10 months in advance so was able to take advantage of sales throughout the year and buy second-hand where it made sense (hiking pack/day bag)

🛬 In-Country Spending (Pre-Climb/Pre-Safari)

1. Entry Visa ($65, USD$50): single-entry visa upon arrival

2. Equipment rental ($105, USD$85): I opted to rent a few non-worn items that I wasn't going to use more than once and that wouldn't make sense to fit in my luggage - this includes trekking poles, sleeping bags/liner, rain jacket and pants and gaiters.

3. Airalo eSIM ($6.50, USD$5) I almost went successfully without any sort of wifi / data plan for the entire trip until the last 3 days where I got notification about my return flight being delayed due to a "political situation" in Dar es Salaam.

   1. There is no wifi in the national parks (nor on the mountain!) even though they say there is (technically there is but connectivity is so bad, you're basically not actually connected) so cue me downloading Airalo trying to figure out what was happening with my flight and trying to book alternative accommodations.

**************************

🏔️ Part 1 - Climbing Kilimanjaro

• Day 0 - Toronto > Amsterdam > Kilimanjaro: It was dreary when I left Toronto and I was excited to finally be going on this bucket list trip. The trip has been booked for over 10 months, and I trained hard for 7 of those months. I visited the KLM/Air France lounge in Toronto and found it a little underwhelming. I much preferred the Plaza Premium as it was quieter with what I think is better food options. But alcohol beverage at this lounge is free!

  • I love flying KLM and transiting through Schipol airport - it's one of my favourite airports and I enjoy visiting the Crown52 lounge (which was renovated pre-covid) The lounge is a zoo after 9am but its facilities are impressive and well maintained (shower, lockers, various food/snack stations, coffee stations, alcohol beverage options).

  • Most flights into Kilimanjaro transit through the Netherlands and as I was boarding my Kilimanjaro flight, it was obvious almost 80% of the passengers are climbing the mountain if all the Patagonia, Arc'teryx, the North Face, clothes/backpack/equipment is anything to go by.

• Day 1 - Arrival and Pick up from Kilimanjaro Airport: My flight landed at 9:40PM, and before getting into the airport, we had to do a covid vaccine health check. Upon being cleared, I made a beeline for the visa on arrival line to be processed for my visa on arrival ($60, USD$50) which was around another hour wait. Of course, there's no air con and despite it being close to 10pm, the airport was feeling stuffy with close to 300+ passengers being processed with only 8 open counters (4 for each line)

  • I noticed that those who purchased an e-visa prior to arrival still had a long wait ahead of them (different line) so it doesn't seem to save any time. In front of me was an older lady who had gotten her e-visa but her travel agent mispelled her name by 1 letter, requiring her to line up and pay again for a visa on arrival. I felt terrible for her as she looked physically exhausted and her husband seemed to be running thin on patience with the wait.

  • Pick up from the airport was smooth (driver was already at the airport) in an air conditioned van to Salinero Hotel. They gave me a water bottle as well and we got to the hotel at around 11pm. The hotel is a 3* hotel, looks gorgeous on the outside, but the rooms (at least the two I stayed in before and after the climb) are dated and tired-looking. Not bad for a 1 night stay but wifi was not functional.

• Day 2 - Londorossi Gate > Mti Mkubwa "Big Tree" Camp ($2,990, USD$2,213): The climb guide and driver came to the hotel to pick me up; before we left, we completed the equipment check, and we were off to the new office where I paid my remaining balance (I paid ~15% as a deposit to secure my spot) which was USD$2,054. I also paid for the rental (USD$85 after the 30% discount) plus credit card processing fee, left my suitcase/valuables, and met the porters.

  • Before we left for the National Park gate, we stopped by at their rental office to pick up the gears I had paid for. I was able to try them on to ensure fit and comfort (can't take the risk on the mountain!) Even if you are not a client, you can rent from the company as well!

  • There were a lot of running around for paperwork once we got to the gate. I had a hot lunch while the paperwork was being done (I noticed the other groups had boxed cold lunches). Although it was the easier day trekking-wise, I struggled due to the lack of sleep from the night before

  • Today's trek was short and easy but I was too exhausted from the jet lag - I recommend arriving a full day before if you can to allow for your body to rest/recover and if there are delays or lost luggage you have to account for.

  • Mti Mkubwa translates to "big tree" in Swahili and I made it a goal to learn a few Swahili words during my trip. I think I managed to learn 10 words including hello/thank you/you're welcome.

  • Today's Trek: 6km in distance and +820m of elevation

• Day 3 - Mti Mkubwa "Big Tree" Camp > Shira I Camp: the second day's trek was scenic but got rough at the end with the boulders/massive rocks; I felt like I overpacked my day pack as well as it felt too heavy. The combination made my hips hurt but laying down and napping helped a lot. Despite the dust, I opted to not use my buff (in fact, I didn't use the buff during the entire trip at all). My camp was set up away from the other tents so my naps and sleep at night were peaceful.

  • Today's Trek: 8km in distance and +800m of elevation

• Day 4 - Shira I Camp > Moir Hut Camp: Loved today as it was mostly flat and we finished the hike in 3h (estimated trekking time is 5-6h); I was shocked by how cold Moir Hut was especially at night so I was in my fleece and down jacket immediately after I got to camp.

  • Today's Trek: 8km in distance and +700m of elevation

  • This was the first time I slept at 4000m and one of the 3 nights on my itinerary at over or near 4000m. It was also the first time I felt the effects of altitude (shortness of breath) which registered during the health check (pulse/heart rate over 100).

  • My daily health checks are coming good every day so far, feeling 10/10 as my body seemed to acclimatized well on the mountain. The only visible signs of being on the mountain is shortness of breath (the body is adjusting to the lower number of oxygen molecules in the air)

  • At Moir Hut, there was only a handful of tents and there are far less foot traffic and climbers than the previous day. It was also very exposed and bare - there is no wooden sign for pictures nor registration office (I was informed there wouldn't be one on our itinerary until Rongai Third Cave).

  • The exposed camp makes for great astrophotography if you're into that (I tried for 10 minutes but it was far TOO cold to stay out any longer)

• Day 5 - Moir Hut Camp > Buffalo Ridge > Pofu Camp: today was hard and long - we were trekking mostly in the cloud, I didn't eat enough that morning and one of my trekking poles broke. It was a scenic trek but I was struggling due to the lack of food and limited visibility. We were also moving from moorlands to a more alpine zone, so it was very very exposed and cold. When we got to Pofu Camp, I was one of the 2 groups there.

  • Today's Trek: 15km in distance and -180m of elevation

  • We lost a bit of elevation today and it is intentional - "Climb high and sleep low" is a technique mountaineers use to better acclimatize so it is recommended to have 2-3 days of this in your itinerary if you can. This camp is the first night.

  • Sunset and sunrise at Pofu were gorgeous, and seeing the "back" of the mountain was a unique experience. This is another excellent astrophotography and photo spot - some of my favourite pictures from the mountain was taken at this camp.

• Day 6 - Pofu Camp > Third Rongai Cave: per my itinerary, we were supposed to do part of yesterday's trek today (Buffalo Ridge > Pofu Camp), as a result, today's trek was very short. It was a rocky, slippery trek on loose gravel/rocks over some questionable sections. We are now fully in the alpine zone so I'm in 2 layers of fleece and a down jacket. I'm extremely glad to have packed more long-sleeve fleece than was recommended.

  • Today's Trek: 8km in distance and -220m of elevation

  • I was so glad to reach camp (we were the first despite a latter start at 8am that morning!) and the summit looked so close from where we were. We were also joined by 2 additional groups coming up from other routes (Rongai and Marangu, I believe).

  • I was also informed this is the last camp with water so I had a very quick hair wash day as a treat. This camp is also where we had the resupply day (food, and equipment as needed)

• Day 7 - Third Rongai Cave > Kibo Hut Base Camp: during the health check the day before, my guide suggested we make our way to Kibo Hut (instead of School Hut) as there is a medical facility and helicopter evacuation point on site should there be any emergencies. Neither looked functional / operational so I wasn't 100% sure it made sense to come here instead of School Hut.

  • Today's Trek: 15km in distance and +900m of elevation

  • In any case, there was a lot of activities around with more climbers joining us from other routes waiting to summit. It was daunting to see the last stretch ahead of the summit during the daytime. The last few days have felt like I was walking on the moon and Kibo Hut really emphasized how eerie and lunar-like it was.

  • My guide was very ambiguous when I asked for him to describe the path we would take (I think he didn't want me to freak out) and gave only a very rough outline of the planned summit ascent (zigzagging, more loose gravel/scree and boulders as we get to the summit). After an early lunch and dinner, and sorting out my summit clothes (where I stripped my pack to the very bare essentials), I surprisingly was able to nap for 4h.

🫁 Acclimatization: My body acclimatized really well on the mountain over the past week - I was so grateful for this as this is one of the factors you cannot control nor prepare for. You are encouraged to drink 3-5L/day and your guide will monitor your progress during the daily health checks.

• My health checks were also very positive during the week - I felt 9-10/10 every day, and had no noticeable issues with the higher altitude except for the shortness of breath. Poor acclimatization usually results in altitude sickness (symptoms are similar to being hungover) but can progress to HAPE or HACE if not treated immediately. Guides will have oxygen with them but if you need them at any point, you'll likely have to descend

🗻 Day 8 - Summit Night & Descent:

• Today's Trek: 8km in distance and +1195m of elevation

• I woke up at 10:30pm (ahead of our planned 11pm wakeup call) on Day 7 to get dressed, and do one last toilet run. After a hot tea, the guide, summit porter and I gathered to pray before setting off. I didn't recall the exact time but I'm fairly confident we left at or roughly close to 11:30pm as we were likely the fourth group I saw doing the ascent. I was glad for the cloudless, windless, clear, moonless night

• Our ascent was slow - the guide mentioned he would deliberately do this to avoid rest stops (we'd get too cold). I did fine for the first 2h, but started struggling (shortness of breath, headaches, unable to walk straight) before we got the Hans Meyer Camp (halfway point); I switched to drinking tea instead of my water in an effort to keep warm.

  • At this point, the summit porter took over my daypack, after I've finished 2L of my own water (only have my rain pants, first aid kit and another 1.5L of water left). I started seeing some climbers stopping longer, one or two that had to be brought back down the mountain so I stopped paying attention to other climbers and tried to go to my happy place.

  • Kibo Hut also felt like the quieter base camp - I was expecting lines of hikers, but saw small groups of 2-10 people that were quite spread out. We were a group of 3 and one of the smaller groups

  • After another 2.5h of climbing, we were approaching the first summit of the 3 official summit points. There are 3 of them on Kilimanjaro, and if you reach any of these points, you will receive a certificate from the government indicating that you have successfully summitted the "Roof of Africa". Everyone wants to make it to Uhuru Point though, where the iconic "sign" is located!

  • I cannot adequately describe how challenging summit night was - everything is working against you, you are fighting your instincts and summit night pushed my physical and mental limits - I can say summit night was one of the most challenging things I've ever done in my life.

• Gilman's Point: I successfully reached the first summit point, Gilman's Point at around 4:52AM after 5h22m of climbing in the dark! I think I did a mini celebratory dance but it may have been just me jumping around awkwardly to stay warm.

  • The trek from Gilman's Point to Stella Point is relatively flat / very gentle incline so unsurprisingly, it only took me 30-ish minutes. It was an insane trek though with nothing but pure darkness on either side of you - from pictures and our itinerary, I know we are walking along the crater rim which means one side is the crater and the other side is the side of the mountain.

  • I was really struggling with the all the previous symptoms with now lethargy, and not being able to multitask at Stella Point.

• Stella Point: I reached Stella Point at 5:35AM, around 6h5m after I started climbing. Seeing so many climbers at Stella Point and the start starting to rise should have felt encouraging but even my reserve energy was running out. Stella Point is the more popular summit point as more routes summit here. Between Stella Point to Uhuru Peak, I was stopping every 2-3 minutes to breathe, and I was slumping over my trekking poles in an effort to stay upright.

  • From where I was, I could see people returning from Uhuru Peak and eventually, I saw the sign/crowd of people but I simply couldn't muster the energy/excitement at being so close to the finish line. I just wanted to curl up and sleep.

• Uhuru Peak: My guide and summit porter kept saying "kazi nzuri dada" (Good job sister) to keep me motivated for the final stretch but it was the hardest walk I've ever done. I finally reached Uhuru Peak at 6:30am! I can't describe how I felt at that moment - I recalled being so exhausted but the knowledge that I was finally there melted that exhaustion away. I was moving in a sluggish way trying to stay upright for the photos even though my body had been operating its "reserve" in the last few hours and it just felt like there's no gas in the reserve at this point. 7 days of climbing and 7 hours of summit climb to get to the peak of the "Roof of Africa"

  • After all that money and physical effort, I was only allowed to stay on the summit for 30 mins 🥴 I took a few pictures of the glaciers (one of the ones still intact due to global warming), sunrise, Mount Meru and the Mawenzi peak

  • I couldn't appreciate my time at the summit which in hindsight was sad about that, but thankfully, my guide stopped me a few times on the way down for pictures. I was told to descend I got my photos.

• Descending: After we got to Stella Point, my summit porter held my hand in a Roman handshake grip, and we started running skiing down the scree. It was madness with no technique nor finesse and made me glad that I am doing a 2-day descent to avoid permanent damage to my knees, ankles and lower back. Other groups started doing the same thing we did, a few had the guide and summit porter on either side.

  • We took two breaks (one at Kosovo and another at Barafu Camp for snacks), and my guide gave me his snacks as I was clearly out of energy. I didn't feel fully back to myself until I got to Millennium Camp (around 11:15AM) at which point, I devoured my lunch and was still in complete and utter shock of the last 12-13 hours.

• 🎂 My crew surprised me with a cake, non-alcoholic sparkling drink after lunch to celebrate; I split both the cake and drink with the crew as I couldn't possibly finish it on my own!

🏞️ Day 9 - Descent from Millennium Camp > Return to Salinero Hotel in Moshi ($95, USD$70)

• Today's Trek: 10km in distance and -2270m of elevation

• Sunrise at Millennium Camp was gorgeous. I would spend some time for pictures here as you can see the Usambara Mountain Range and it looks gorgeous with the tips floating above the clouds

• Before we broke camp, we did the tipping ceremony where I told each crew member what they will be receiving for the 8d trek. The money / tip would be distributed upon arriving at the office

• The descent was going smoothly but I started getting blisters on my toes at Mweka Camp (about 3h away from Mweka Gate) - this made the last stretch of the descent painful particularly since we're back on loose rocks; I was limping by the time I got to the gate

  • There is a small bar where you can buy beer/drinks to celebrate your success; there is also a handwashing station and people offering to clean your boots for you (USD$3-5 I believe). I waited at one of the outside seating spots while my guide took care of the certificate and sign-out from the National Park

• We drove back to Moshi but stopped by a souvenir shop on the way - I appreciate the inclusion of this (I had a very jam-packed itinerary and was starting the safari the next day) but all the souvenirs were priced in USD and looked the same to what I saw in my travels to South Africa. Nevertheless, I bought a leather art and 3 postcards for ($65, USD$50).

• I had my final hot lunch here and was so happy to see fried chicken with peanut sauce, fried potatoes, and salad on the menu. I devoured everything.

• On my way back to the hotel, I asked to stop by at an ATM where I took out USD$20 (the cash that came out is in TSh - Tanzanian shillings) so I could buy stamps for my postcards, buy some Fanta and Windhoek/Serengeti beers as souvenirs, and food for the dinner

• I got to my hotel and took the longest hot shower (washing my hair no less than 3 times) and slept like a baby on a bed for the first time in 8 days.

**************************

🐘 Part 2: 4d Safari in Tanzania - Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Site

Day 10 - Safari Day 1 - Tarangire National Park ($676, USD$500)

• 6AM: I was grateful for the exhaustion from the day before as it was an early morning pick up time at 6am today. It is a 1.5h drive from Moshi to Arusha, the start time for the safari was supposed to be 7:40am but punctuality can be optional on trips like these; also my iPhone cable decided to bust out at this point after being taken to the summit. I arrived at the safari office and paid the balance of my safari bill in cash (USD$500)

• 8AM: My driver drove us to a supermarket in Arusha, the first Western-looking supermarket where I gleefully browsed the aisles for chocolates, and snacks while waiting for the other safari guests to join me. I contemplated getting a USB cable here only to be told that it was going to cost me USD$15. I declined and tried my best to keep the existing one going (by sheer will).

• 8:15AM: I was joined by 1 guest and we were informed there are 2 others we will be picking up at the airport, after which we will begin the drive to the first national park, Tarangire National Park.

• 11:30AM: Tarangire National Park is home to many baobabs and acacia trees - there are tons of elephants and various species of birds. I didn't think it was the most impressive of national parks and probably would have skipped it if I didn't want to maximize the amount of time I was spending at various national parks.

  • Joining an open-group safari is always super risky and surpringly the 4 of us travellers got along really well and just... clicked. It turned out we were in a similar age range (early 30s) and these open-group trips tend to bring a similar kind of personality so that was a pleasant surprise!

  • Things turned around once we spotted a lioness and got close (we stayed in the car, and we were right in front of her!) to the lioness, who appeared to just want to nap.

  • I was really surprised by how dusty it was compared to the safari I did at Kruger a while ago. I know the dust can't be avoided and it's amazing how much dust gets on you even though the windows are usually closed. At Kruger we only did morning and evening game drives but here (so less dusty), we have 7+ hours of driving at the parks! I'm LOVING the amount of time we spend for each game drive

• 5PM: we left the Tarangire National Park at around 4pm and as we were driving to our lodging for the night, we passed by a photography spot with a stunning view of Lake Manyara (you might now this lake from those pictures with flamingoes). We got some incredible pictures of ourselves with the lake in the background as the sun was setting

• 6PM: We were actually promised a lodging with private bathroom for our first night but alas, there was a last-minute switch. The shower and toilets are well-maintained despite the expected critters abound; there is also hot showers and security (I saw a guide patrolling the tents around midnight).

  • Food took a while to come out and comes out in bits at a time - which I think is a little more common than is a reflection of the lodge. There is a pyro and acrobatic show in the evening where you are encouraged to donate or purchase CDs.

Day 11 - Safari Day 2 - Masai Village Visit and Serengeti National Park ($10, USD$7)

• 9AM: We had a late start to today and left the lodge at around 8:30am after breakfast. This may be my least favourite day of the safari, mostly because of the long drive we had to do. In order to make most of the day, we stopped by at a Masai Village; we were also joined by 3 more guests today, and our car reached capacity. We got along well despite the car being filled to capacity and barely fitted all of our daypacks.

• 1PM: I can't recall where we stopped by for lunch but we made it to the Masai Village to enjoy the Masai show (USD$7). I wasn't the biggest fan of this part of the safari as it felt very much like a tourist-trap. I didn’t think the show was worth that much and it was obvious how choreographed the show was.

• 3PM: We spotted a number of wildlife including a few lions en route to the Serengeti entrance - it was as relaxing as a safari can be until we got to the hippo pool. It smelled foul and I was so glad we were moving on from it quickly. I wished we could have watched sunset at the park, but we had to start leaving at only 5pm to make our way to the camp.

• 5PM: When we arrived at camp, I was shocked by the conditions - not only was the toilet awful-smelling and clearly doesn't get cleaned on a regular basis. I forced myself to shower as the long day of driving all day meant I was covered in dust and got out of there as fast as I can

• 7PM: We opted to socialize for a bit, drinking and admiring the stars. There was no light pollution that you can see not only the stars, but planets as well - we saw Venus, Mars, and Jupiter which we mapped out along with the constellations via an app that one of the guests had

• 9PM: When we made our way back to camp, we noticed some hyenas on the other side of the kitchen / dining area. Hyenas are bad news - they are carcass scavenger, meat and bone eaters. They don't always distinguish between humans and prey. Most of us had the same of idea of forgoing water and drinking to avoid having to go to the toilet and I think it was the right call.

Day 12 - Safari Day 3 - Serengeti National Park > Ngorongoro Crater ($7, USD$5)

• 5:30AM: We had an early wakeup call for our morning game drive, for which I was exceedingly grateful. No more bug-infested dining, and I took some time to take some snaps of the morning sunrise which was quite glorious. I was eager to enjoy all that Serengeti had to offer - afterall, it is one of the most famous national parks in the world for its Great Migration.

• 7AM: Similar to Tarangire, the roads are atrocious but I loved it - the off-road, bumpy, uneven, rocky road felt like an authentic African safari, and seeing the expert way our driver/guide navigated the roads was fascinating. I was surprised that despite seeing a number of broken cars along the way, we never had to deal with those issues.

• 9AM: The animals we saw at Serengeti were plentiful but it also meant a lot of driving. Serengeti wasn't too scenic once the sun had risen, and I made every effort to stop taking pictures and simply enjoy the safari experience for what it was.

• 3PM: At close to 3pm, we eventually made our way towards the exit and spotted a lioness enjoying her kill in a little metal tube. We were shocked to see this because not only was she out in the open, but she must have gotten quite lucky as it seemed that she looked to be enjoying her meal for herself - she didn't have to share.

• 4PM: similar to yesterday evening, as we were checking out of the park, we had one last stop at a snack shop where we stocked up on cold drinks and alcohol for the evening. The shop accepts for USD and TSh although most items are priced in USD.

• 6PM: I was excited to finally get to camp that evening as this was the last night of camping for this trip, and I was very excited about Ngorongoro Crater the next day. Similar to the day before, we arrived at camp to set up for the evening but this time didn't have enough time for a game drive. That was fine - I knew Ngorongoro is very small so I was confident we will see a lot of animals tomorrow.

  • There was a little bit of connectivity / wifi at the camp and I was able to see a few emails come through which included a surprise note from KLM about a flight delay on my return flight

• 10PM: The Ngorongoro camp is also MUCH colder than the previous camps, and I wore two layers of fleece to sleep that night. This time we set up tents closer to the kitchen and dining area so the toilet was a long walk from our tent - basically on the opposite side of our camps. Similar to the night before, a group of us 3 people made our way to the toilet before bed in an effort to avoid going to the toilet.

  • Our guide informed us he counted 11 buffalos, and several wildbucks as well hanging out near and around our tent. Navigating the path to the toilet and back (or even around the tent area) was a nightmare - not only was the ground wet, but there are so much animal droppings that you had to be vigilant to not step on them.

Day 13 - Safari Day 4 - Ngorongoro Crater > Kilimanjaro Airport > Mount Meru Hotel

• 2AM: I had a 2am pee run and didn't get gored to death which I thought was the second biggest accomplishment of this entire trip after summiting Kilimanjaro. I made it safely back to my tent but I couldn't go back to sleep and since everyone was asleep, I was able to download Airalo and buy an eSim to get data (the app download and purchase process took 3 hours)

• 5:45AM: We had another early wakeup call that day; Ngorongoro Crater is easily the most beautiful national park I've ever been to and I was so happy to get a few sunrise pictures.

• 6:30AM: As we made our way down to the crater, we spotted some buffaloes and joked that they came from the camp we were at. The crater itself isn't very big and soon we spotted a group of 5 lion cubs making their way across the crater - such an amazing start to the morning signified positive things ahead.

  • And I wasn't wrong - we saw an impala give birth, waited as a lion and lioness were about to mate, saw a few leopards, and rhino's but most of us, I soaked up Ngorongoro for the Garden of Eden that it was.

• 2:30PM: As we departed Ngorongoro, I could tell we were running late. The driver looked a little frazzled and at this point, I also didn't quite have a plan on what to do next given my flight delay.

  • Regarding my flight delay - There was still no additional email communication and comment about KLM's staff assisting the hotel / overnight plans for stranded travellers. I thought my best bet was to head to the airport - at least I'll be there with other travellers on the same flight and figure out what to do

• 7:15PM: The ground staff at the airport was absolutely unhelpful - I was dehydrated and had some leftover coke from the day before to tide me over. The Kilimanjaro airport is very small and there is no restaurants/shops until you passed security. I arrived at the airport with the couple from my safari at around 7:15PM and I sat around waiting until 9:30pm at which point, we were taken to a shuttle bus hired by KLM to take us to the pre-arranged hotel.

  • There was minimal information / communication except for the staff asking if we were on the KLM flight at 8PM. Thankfully, the airport wifi was strong and I was able to get updated on the situation and kept myself entertained during the wait.

• 9PM: After almost 11 days of camping in nature, and staying at very tired, dated, 3* hotel, staying at a 5* hotel for our delay felt like a brand new vacation. Thank you KLM! I showered twice that night after dinner and it was the best shower I had, probably even better than after I got off the mountain and showered for the first time after 8 days. I had a King-sized bed and enough space to organize my suitcases.

  • KLM kindly left the credit tab open for each room, and we could have whatever we wanted for dinner from the restaurant menu. I could tell every guest was splurging - many went for a 3-course meal as we rightfully should considering most of us had been stranded at the airport with no water or food or communication for at least 3.5 hours including the travel time back to Arusha.

**************************

🚁 Part 3: Flight Delay in Tanzania (Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam)

Day 14/15 - Kilimanjaro Airport > Dar es Salam > Amsterdam > Toronto ($5, USD$3.75)

• 8:30AM: I woke up feeling so refreshed and ready to enjoy breakfast - I made my way to the breakfast restaurant and was thrilled to spot fresh fruits, bacon and a delightful assortment of pastries, an omelette station and coffee - this was going to be my first coffee in almost 2 weeks.

  • I requested a cappuccino and sadly, it wasn't part of the buffet breakfast so I pad Tsh8000/USD$3.75 for that cup of coffee - it wasn't overpriced compared to what I normally pay at home, and well-made.

• 9:30AM: I finished shower and repacking within the hour and had more than 30 minutes to kill before our designated pickup time at 10AM to head to the airport. I opted to finish writing my postcards, and scrolled my phone for a little bit - something I hadn't done in two weeks' time.

  • Eventually, I made my way down to the lobby to check out, handed my luggage to the bellboy and made my way to the bus.

  • Note: My postcards never made it to Toronto sadly after 3 months

  • Once we arrived in Amsterdam, the crew put us up at the Sheraton Airport Hotel which was another overnight stay with buffet breakfast before my onward flight to Toronto the following morning.

🍃 Section Five: Reflection

As soon as I booked this trip, I started socking away money towards the trip and when I look at my spreadsheet of 10 years' worth of travel costs, I cringed hard knowing this is the single most expensive trip I've ever done. Part of it is because all the tourist-related activities in Tanzania are quoted in USD$ (cries in Canadian dollars) so my costs are immediately 30-40% higher when my bills came through.

Overall, I call my Kilimanjaro certificate the "second most expensive paper I've ever paid for" and I wouldn't trade the experience.

Hope you enjoyed this little long travel diary!