We've made it to Arusha, Tanzania.

So, here we are at Rivertrees, Arusha. Our final port of call so aside from a trip to the National Park to view Kilimanjaro we are almost done.

Our arrival in Tanzania was quite spectacular. The area was very lush and green with almost tropical vegetation. Quite a contrast to Malawi, and the road from the border ran along a high ridge with deep valleys dropping to both sides with distant mountain views on each side. Our first impression was that Tanzania seemed more developed than Zambia and Malawi but not as overcrowded.

We made a couple of stops at camp sites to break the long journey from the border to the Ruaha National Park, our first real destination. The second of these camp sites was a bit of a gem catering for the overlander market and run by a formidable Ex-pat English woman called Nicola. It was spotlessly clean and very efficient, quite a change really. There we met two Dutch overlanders with whom we shared a fireside chat and cuppa. They told us of the bandit dressed in army uniform who had stopped tourists on the road into Ruaha  and that a shot had been fired. Nicola told us that it was becoming a problem and had happened twice in three weeks. So it was with some trepidation we set of along the rough and lonely road to Ruaha the following morning. Sue held binoculars so we could check out any likely looking types standing by the road. As it happened the worst thing about the journey was the heavily corrugated road that shook us to pieces. As one guy said, its like a reverse assembly line, your vehicle ends up in pieces.

Ruaha wasn't the most wildlife intensive park but interesting nonetheless and we did find a pride of lions on our way to the camp. In fact they were just 200 meters from the lodge along the river bank so no surprise when we heard them roaring in the night. The park did have a lot of giraffes which were nice to see again as they are not present in Malawi at all.

This guy knows how to pose for a photo.

We left Ruaha on the same route with a similar degree of caution and made it to Iringa where we camped for the night. Then followed 2 days of long driving, over 200 miles a day with a stop in Dodoma, the capital, on the way. The second day was really interesting as we were in the Masai Steppe and from here there have been Maasai in their colourful clothing herding their stock all along the route. The road from Dodoma was a real treat, no attempt to improve it so it was very rough but through countless villages with glimpses of everyday life and wonderful mountain views.

Maasai cattle herder.

Then we reached Tarangire which is rich in wildlife and the animals are easier to spot as the landscape is more open savannah. We had been booked into a special campsite for 2 nights there which basically means that you spend the night in an open space with no facilities miles from anyone apart from the animals. Once it is dark (at 7pm) you sit by the fire for about an hour and then go into the tent, not daring to leave until daylight due to the number of predators. I did sleep but lightly and intermittently mainly fearing a herd of elephants foraging around us although to be fair they had seemed calmer here than in previous countries. I also remembered those wildlife programmes where lions jump on the car bonnet. Luckily it was only jackals and general scuffling from some nocturnal beasts that we heard, well apart from some load roaring in the middle distance. Being on Frazer Island in Australia with the dingoes was a piece of cake compared to this. I was not too sorry when it started to rain the following afternoon and as it was our last night of camping and we didn't want to pack a wet tent etc. we booked into a lodge, getting a great last minute rate.

Our wilderness camp site inside Tarangire 

A reminder we did not have the place to ourselves.

Then onto to Ngorongoro crater which is absolutely brilliant. An enchanting place and again the wildlife is brilliant and so easy to spot, not only due to the openness of the landscape but the animals are so unafraid of cars they act as though you are not there. Very few people drive independently into the crater so when you do it is a curiosity to the other tourists as well as the game vehicle driver/guide. When a woman drives the curiosity increases and with some malevolence from some of the driver/guides too.

The hotel we stayed in there was a time capsule. Built in 1969 the interior design was all perfect 1960's harmony and it had at the time been built with no expense spared. It is a gem and every bedroom overlooks the crater. We couldn't understand how it wasn't full as opposed to nearly empty as it not only has the best views of any hotel being the first to be built on the rim of the crater, it is also the cheapest.

Arrival at Ngorongoro Crater

Ready for the descent road into the crater,

We felt sad to be leaving the crater as we both loved it and it felt like the end of our trip. We journeyed to Arusha where we have spent today in their national park enjoying the flamingoes and seeing different monkeys, the blue and the colobus. Unfortunately Kilimanjaro was invisible due to the low clouds as the rainy season is now under way. Overlanders or self-drivers seem to be a bit of a novelty here so we have been upgraded at our final lodge to a fabulous suite of rooms that Prince Charles used when he visited Arusha. 

We have been very lucky with the weather overall though and with everything really, the only problems we have had apart from angry elephants have been minor ones with the car. Well I say minor ones, it did break down in the crater again as the relay is all but shot. Fortunately Colin could repair it enough for the long ascent and the next part of the journey. 

One of the things I will really miss about Africa, and there are several, are the vast array of colourful birds but the car journeys covered in dust I won't miss. Overall though it has been a brilliant trip, thoroughly enjoyed by both of us and we feel very lucky to have had such a great experience.

Farewell to Malawi

We spent part of the last day in Tongole watching elephants coming to the river in front of our chalet, bathing and drinking. The young ones were very cute swimming in the river with only their trunks above water like periscopes. They were a good distance away for me to watch and enjoy. We also had a canoe down the crocodile river at sunset which was excellent.

 Not all roughing it, a bit of luxury


. The only guests were us and a couple from Argentina so largely had the place to ourselves. Poaching still continues in Malawi and one morning we heard shots close to the lodge and it took the rangers an hour to respond as they insisted on finishing their breakfast first. In collusion or afraid - anybody's guess.

From the wilderness area we headed to Makuzi beach for 2 nights.

It is a beautiful location in a bay with wooded hills around and little thatched umbrellas but we are really not beach people so decided, despite the 38 heat, to have a walk to some missionary graves. Many missionaries died of malaria mostly in their twenties, until the mission moved to Livingstonia. Swimming was a little tempting but belhazia is not so we avoided that too. We had a long chat to the manager, he had suffered malaria eight times in the four years he has been there, glad we have the pills.

We then headed north again and climbed to over 7000 feet and the Nyika plateau. The journey up to it was stunning but unfortunately for us the Land Rover was in 'limp home mode', which meant it had about 25% power at best, so it took ages, uphills were first gear in low box most of the time. It was a relay problem and Colin sorted it whilst there, well we thought he had.

The Nyika plateau is stunning, resembling the North Yorkshire moors around Bowes Moor on the A66 to the Lakes with the fells in the background but with pockets of thick woodland and boggy areas. It has the animals of Africa, zebra, warthog, serval, leopard, civit, eland, reedbuck, bushbuck and roan antelope but looking very incongruous in a European scenery. Apart from the animals there are over 400 bird species and 200 orchids (12 endemic to this region) which are just starting to bloom. It is superb.

We also had our own cook and chalet attendant so were completely looked after, a lovely log fire to come back to after the game drives and a 3 course dinner served to us. For some reason they thought it was my birthday and made a delicious chocolate cake.

Had a practise at fly fishing in one of the small dams and really enjoyed it. The only other visitor there was a young Norwegian who had been studying in Malawi and decided as he hadn't a car to explore the area he would walk across the hills to Livingstonia, a journey of 2 night canping on the way. He had expected only an armed guard as in Malawi you cannot walk in the wilderness without one. On the morning of his departure there were 6 people accompnying him, the armed guard with a fully automatic rifle M16 and the others acting as porters for the tents, the sleeping bags, the food, the water, the metal folding chairs and the shower !! It resembled Livingstone going off on one of his expeditions and if we hadn't been travelling 237 miles that day to the Tanzanian border we would have stayed to take photos.


The journey down from the plateau was fantastic, the scenery was breath-taking We descended almost 7000 feet and gained stunning views across Lake Malawi. The last two thousand feet is dealt with in little over two miles of hairpin bends, some strewn with broken down lorries that had failed to make the climb.


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Malawi, the warm heart of Africa

Leaving Zambia behind we headed over the border and into Malawi. We immediately noticed the number of people everywhere, all along the roadside there are children walking to and from school, women carrying babies on the back and water on their head, men on cycles loaded with charcoal or rushes, even children as young as 3 are walking beside the road, roadside sellers of fruits and lots of small markets selling vegetables, clothes and spare cycle tyres.  Zambia  was busy with people but Malawi seems to exceed it by far and everyone seems to be by the roadside.

 Typical busy market.

We travelled to the south of the country, through the old capital of Zomba and onto a tea plantation. Spent a couple of nights in the former colonial home of the tea owner which is now a hotel. It was lovely to be able to walk freely as there are no wild animals and to play croquet on the lawn and visit the factory for tea-tasting. Quite an experience.

 Tea pickers at Satwema

From there we moved to the south of lake Malawi and caught a boat to the small Mumbo Island, We thought we would be bored to death there for 2 days but it was surprisingly relaxing kayaking and snorkling in the sunshine.The lake was a little rough for the return trip but the manager assured us the skippers are very experienced and so we set off and within 5 minutes the skipper was sitting on the floor of the boat looking decidedly sea sick and our waiter was at the wheel! It didn't inspire confidence as the boat pitched around but we landed OK with the skipper taking over the helm to bring us ashore.

Our Island hiseaway.

Heading north again, around 160 miles we stayed at a pottery by the lake where every piece was chipped and the lake by this time bore all the resemblance to the grey seas of home, even with the white crested waves. Then came the first rains in a very heavy downpour and the street was suddenly full of soaking schoolchildren having been sent home as most of their lessons are on benches under trees. It seems the rainy season is almost upon us so travel plans may have to be a bit flexible if we are to avoid a Camel Trophy experience.

We are now in another wildlife wilderness and in a very luxurious lodge again but it is a comparatively new national park with only one road in and many trees so the animals are well concealed. Having seen so many animals during this trip and not wishing to see another elephant anyway that's fine with us.

Malawi has offered us the most diversity of  interest since Namibia, with its incredible lake; forest scenery; and mountains too.