20 June 2024
Marjolijn was on a study trip to northern Tanzania this week. Read all her travel stories here
Arrival in Arusha
A week in Tanzania on a work visit, always nice to be back home. Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, I was warmly welcomed by Robert who took me to Olerai Lodge. Very nice was that I also met our clients at the airport. Great to hear how excited they are for everything to come; a great safari!
Lake Manyara National Park
Monkeys frolicking by the pool, monkeys jumping on the porch roof, birds singing in the bushes in full bloom … what a wonderful start to my first day in Arusha at Olerai Lodge. I enjoy a fresh home-made breakfast and a cup of strong, fresh Tanzanian coffee. The lodge is very comfortable and Suzan gives me a comprehensive tour so that we are up to date again on the new rooms and other changes.
Together with my colleagues from the safari company we work with, we drive to Lake Manyara National Park. On the way we have time to catch up and enjoy all the beauty; the weather is lovely and the surroundings green after a lot of rainfall lately. With so much sun, everything dries up very quickly as well.
The exciting part of the next few days is the opening of the renovated Green Camp Lake Manyara. The camp has been elevated and is now placed about 100 meters away from the river. It is a beautiful location, in the middle of the greenery, overlooking the riverbed. With tremendous force, the water is pouring off the waterfall after all the rain of late.
Everyone is busy getting the last things in order before the first guests arrive in two days. Vincent is setting up his kitchen. Together with colleagues, all the pantries are filled. The finishing touches are put on the interior of the tents. The bar is prepared, power points checked. The walkie talkies tested. Some pieces of furniture are oiled and junk from construction is cleaned up. Over the last few months, a group of about 40 people have worked very hard to build this camp, with all the challenges that came with it.
The next day we experience what the days in the camp will be like when you stay here during your safari.
The day starts with a fresh breakfast at a long table, lovely outside in the middle of nature. Lake Manyara is a beautiful park for safaris. It is green, wooded and home to many animals. Your experience will be even better when you go for a walk in this park. With your guide and park ranger you walk across the largely dry riverbed. You see all kinds of things on the ‘beach’, such as tracks and footprints and you try to unravel who might own them. Nature is overwhelming. The water, the beautiful plants and trees along the shore and the gigantic Rift Valley wall. If you’re lucky you’ll also see some animals on foot!
With so much rain lately, the water level in the lake is high. This offers the unique opportunity to make a canoe safari. It is great to do this at the end of the day when the water is completely smooth. You paddle and are gently taken to the end point. Along the way you enjoy the birds and the orange glow of the sun at this time of the day. Once on the shore, you can enjoy a bush dinner and end the day with an exciting night safari before returning to camp.
If you want to spend the day even more actively, a long walk in the Rift Valley is a fantastic experience. It is about a 6-hour walk through the forests via narrow paths to a viewpoint of the Rift Valley. The reward of this amazing view is more than worth this tough day!
And then the camp: Green Camp Lake Manyara. A location with such lovely people who want to please you. Nature lovers and connoisseurs work here with pleasure and passion. Breakfast and lunch at the riverbed under a tree. Dinner at the campfire next to the camp with a well-stocked bar. You will lack nothing while you stay in one of the most beautiful locations in Tanzania with respect for nature.
Isoitok Camp, Lake Manyara
We have been working with guide George for 22 years… Over the years, he has guided many of our travelers. How lucky that he is free these days and that I can go out with him. For three days we talk nonstop. There’s so much to catch up on.
We visit a number of accommodations in the area of Lake Manyara, including Kirurumu Tented Lodge where I spent some time I haven’t been there anymore. The lodge is still just as nice as last time and the people who work there are still as cheerful and hospitable.
There is plenty of activity in the village of Mto wa Mbu with the many things you can buy along the road, shops, market, tuk tuks, bars and eateries. After we leave the village for 20 minutes we turn off into the bush. I see grasslands, acacia trees and two Maasai children high in a tree on the lookout. I see even more children keeping an eye on the cows with large bells around their necks. We drive further and further from the main road, through beautiful countryside to my accommodation; Isoitok Tented Camp. I am warmly welcomed by Joseph. It immediately feels like a very relaxed place with nice people in a great environment. Sandy paths leading to the tent houses, bowls of water where various birds are bathing. I walk with Joseph to a beautiful restaurant, bar and lounge with games. There is a sign: “Wi-Fi free Zone. We always find the connection is better!” A little further on there is a Wi-Fi house for those who would like to tell the world how beautiful it is here. I walk up the hill behind the lodge with Maasai guide Mbayani. A walk of about 45 minutes with a medicine lesson along the way. Every tree has a medical function; toothbrush, painkiller for stomach ache, some kind of drug that makes them very happy for a few minutes; useful when painful things happen. Along the way we chat about the Maasai customs and I learn more about this community.
We reach the top of the hill; and what a view! The sun slowly sets over Lake Manyara and the Rift Valley. I can sit on the cushions on the rock to enjoy the view. There is hummus, cucumber, carrots and a gin & tonic. What a fantastic location to end this beautiful day.
At sunrise a cup of coffee is placed on my terrace. Outside I wake up quietly; I hear some dogs barking, cows mooing and birds chirping. I sit quietly on the terrace listening to all the sounds. With Mbayani I then set off to the adjacent Maasai boma. We walk for about fifteen minutes. Once arrived, the boma also slowly wakes up. The fence of sticks and shrubs with incentives are put aside. In this way, the cows and goats are protected from prey all night long. Last night I heard the laughing hyenas patrolling the grasslands. The children come to greet us and bow their heads. It is customary to place your hand on their head and greet them back.
Many healthy cows, noisy goats and a conversation in the boma with one of the women of the Maasai chief give me an even better insight into the life of the Maasai.
On the way back to camp we walk past large water tanks; the Maasai from the area can tap clean water here for free. Mbayani shows me the classroom where children are taught. Filter systems are ready to be distributed so that the Maasai can purify water. Large concrete pits with lids placed in various locations as a clean toilet facility. The camp is an example of how tourism contributes to a positive impact on the environment.
I have a nice meal with George and we chat some more. He talks about a great initiative from his culture where money is donated every month to help someone in difficult situations; for example, if a family has no money to pay for a funeral. The group is there for each other, George speaks the wise words: “You can’t break a group of sticks. You can break one stick.” It’s wonderful that solidarity and being there for each other.
The last days in Arusha I stay at Katambuga House. It feels like coming home and waiter Sanjo takes good care of me. I fill these days with visits to accommodations, colleagues, and the major Karibu-Kili Fair. A fair where tourism providers from all corners of the country present themselves. The ideal opportunity to speak to many people, gain news, tips and inspiration. Fortunately, I still have some time to see some of these new tips with my own eyes, such as visiting an accommodation.
I look back on a great week in Tanzania with satisfaction. It is great to see how our colleagues are preparing for a great season with many travelers. I’m already looking forward to the travel stories and beautiful experiences that will last a lifetime!
Overview Previous
