16.10.2012

Peponi Beach Resort was our next destination to spend some days at the beach. Today we wanted to leave for Peponi but the battery of the Land Rover was gone. Car batteries in Africa do not last long, as the roads are terrible and the lead in the battery very soon starts to brake. So with the French guy I went to town to get a new one. Departure postponed.

17.10.2012

Finally. We left for Segera. The road was nice and the day was sunny. But everything was running too smooth and shortly after Segera the car just stopped. In Africa there countless motorbike taxis, so I stopped one and went back to the next town. Alexandra and Tara stayed at the truck. At the Hotel Segera (there was a campsite as well) the owner organised some guys to tow us back to the campsite.

With a Matatu, these little Toyota buses for local transport, we reached the Land Rover. The had a towing bar, but nothing to fix to the Matatu. So they took some ropes and fixed it somehow to the Land Rover. As it just went downhill it was not such a big issue and finally we arrived at the Hotel Segera and we towed the car to the campsite.

Although it got dark already the mechanics arrived and thought it would be the ignition coil, which sounded not likely as the one fixed was not really old. So they exchanged but this was not the reason for the brake down. As it was late they left and wanted to come next morning.

I had a look again, to find the reason for the break down and discovered that the points were broken. But we were too tired to fix it and too tired to head to Peponi Beach Resort as driving in the dark is anyway not a good idea so we ordered dinner at the hotel and went to bed.

18.10.2012

So the mechanics appeared early and as I had spare points they fixed it and we drove on to Pangani. The landscape was great and the road terrible. The points were exchanged but the truck did not run properly, so I was afraid that we might break down again. So I knew if we had to stop the engine it would not start again, so I tried to eep it running. And at the gate in front of the Peponi Lodge and campsite we had to stop because the gate was closed and so the Land Rover stalled.

Alex went in to book a campsite and we were lucky as the owner was a real Land Rover enthusiast and towed us with his old Land Rover Series 86 model 1951 to our spot. Very nice campsite!

20.10.2012

Dennis the owner of Peponi Beach Resort told us to help with his mechanics to fix our Land Rover. So we took a taxi to Tanga which was about 30 km away from Peponi on heavy dirt road to get some spare parts. We did not get all the stuff, so we returned back. Dennis told us that the next day we should go together.

21.10.2012

A day for a rest. The driving to Tanga was postponed for a day, so we had time to investigate the beach, which was just marvellous. Unbelievable such beaches really exist and the images you can see in magazines are not just faked images by a talented graphics. So we enjoyed the beach, the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

The Tanzanian coast along the Indian Ocean is renowned for its stunning beaches, clear blue waters, and diverse marine life. This coastline stretches for approximately 1,424 kilometers (885 miles) and offers a variety of beach destinations and attractions. Here are some notable areas along the Tanzanian coast by region:

1. Dar es Salaam: Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s largest city and serves as a major gateway to the country. The city has several beaches, including Coco Beach and Kigamboni Beach. While these beaches may not be as pristine as those in more remote areas, they offer a convenient beach experience for city visitors.
2. Zanzibar: Zanzibar is an archipelago off the coast of Tanzania and is famous for its picturesque beaches. Some of the most well-known beaches on the main island of Unguja include Nungwi Beach, Kendwa Beach, and Bwejuu-Paje Beach. Zanzibar also has smaller islands, like Mnemba Island, known for its exclusivity and snorkeling opportunities.
3. Pemba Island: Located to the north of Zanzibar, Pemba Island is known for its lush, green landscape and unspoiled beaches. The island offers a quieter and more remote beach experience compared to Zanzibar.
4. Mafia Island: Mafia Island is another gem along Tanzania’s coast, known for its marine biodiversity and stunning beaches. Chole Bay and Ras Mbisi are two popular beach areas on the island.
5. Bagamoyo: Located to the north of Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo is known for its historical significance as a former slave trade port. It also has beautiful beaches like Coco Beach, making it a popular day-trip destination from Dar es Salaam.
6. Kilwa: Kilwa is known for its historical ruins and serene beaches along the southern Tanzanian coast. Kilwa Kisiwani and Kilwa Masoko are notable areas to visit.
7. Tanga: Tanga is a coastal city in northern Tanzania with picturesque beaches, including Tongoni Beach and Peponi Beach, which is known for its coral reefs and marine life.

These are just a few of the many stunning beach destinations along the Tanzanian coast. Each offers its own unique charm and opportunities for relaxation, water sports, and cultural exploration.

22.10.2012

Dennis told us, that also he knew a welder in Tanga who could make us a new exhaust manifold. So the man took measure of the old part and promised to build a new one from scratch. We also got the other missing parts and drove back.

24.10.2012

We picked up the exhaust manifold from Tanga and Dennis and the mechanic fixed it, it fitted quite well.

25.10.2012

Shopping in Tanga and extending the visa. We were going with Matatu to Tanga. So we walked out of the campsite to the dirt road to get a Matatu. So about every now and then they appeared, the road to Tanga is not very busy, so it takes about 20 minutes until a Matatu appears.

At the immigartion the extended our visa only by 11 days, although we explained that our car broke down and that we were waiting for spares to arrive.

When we took the Matatu back to Peponi Beach Resort it was super crowded, normale fit in about 7-9 passenger, but when crowded they put in 20 and more. So it was already full when we left Tanga and on a stop outside the town we saw another one, where two guys took an elder lady and took er and laid her on top of other passengers. Such transport I had never seen before. But ours was nothing better. We did not get a seat of course so we had to stand in the Toyota. But it was so full and shaking, that I could not stabilize myself properly and was shaken with my leg in between the legs of a young lady sitting: I slipped more and deeper between her legs and finally the was no way deeper between her legs. I was sorry as I did not want to sexually harrass her but she just smiled and I said sorry. That s Africa as well.

Peponi Beach Resort and campsite is a real meeting point for overland travel enthusiasts and so we met Dave and Jill from UK and South Africa who were traveling along the East Coast of Africa. The couple was in their mid 50ies and were traveling with a roof tent. We also met a couple with a Land Rover Discovery from UK, but they lived in France, were quite young and already retired as they were fighting in a war I think it was Afghanistan. We also met a couple from Switzerland who were traveling from Switzerland down the West Coast of Africa which is mentally much more difficult, as there is more corruption and travellers are not treated too well by the authorities.

The couple was mentally at its end, they just wanted to go back home and asked if we could drive the car back to Europe. They would have paid any asked price. So it was clear for us that we had to comfort them a little bit and stabilize them. So we we were talking evenings and as we had come down via Sudan and Ethiopia we could ensure them, that this was not too difficult to manage and so they got confidence to continue their trip home at least until Kenya Mombasa to maybe get their a container to ship the truck to Europe.

31.10.2012

Ride to Tanga again to prepare our departure to Kenya. We were running out of visa days, so we did stock up our supplies and went back to Peponi. This time as the Matatus were full full, as the Africans say, we hired two TUK Tuks, knowing the the ride might be pumpy. And as expected it was felt even more pumpy in a Tuk Tuk than in a Matatu, but we had a lot of fun with the drivers and shaken heavily we arrived at the campsite.

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We took the Matatu to Dar Es Salaam to buy spare parts for the Land Rover and an external Harddisc. At around noon we returned back to Paradise Guest House. There we spent a quiet night until around midnight. We woke up to hear loud screams and noises like someone had been beaten. The goats were making a loud noise as well. The Guest House owner was screaming loudly, but soon it was quiet again. We went out but could not see anything. In the kitchen the owner couple told us everything was fine. So we wet to bed again.

In the morning I went out and saw Salomon the owner in his garden. I asked him was going on in the night. He told us a guy, who we had known with a girl friend from Austria, had sex with a goat. Salomon caught him and had beaten him with a belt.

In the afternoon a Rasterman named Matunda came to the Lodge. He picked up the trousers of his friend the one who was beaten last night. Obviously he was ashamed for the guy and the guy himself was ashamed as well. He was never seen at the beach again, at least for the time we stayed there.

The gust house was nice but as there stayed a lot of young people a lot was going on. Matunda used one of the rooms as love nest. He was having sex with an American girl. She was screaming and moaning all day loudly, so it was difficult to concentrate to the work.

A French girl had each evening another guy in her room, no it was not a brothel.

20.09.2012 Dar To Bagamoyo

Finally we wanted to get on and headed to Bagamoyo Beach Resort. From Dar to Bagamoyo it was not too far and the route was scenic.

We had a look at some other campsites before but Bagamoyo Beach Resort seemed the best choice at the moment. The campsite was situated behind the rooms, and there was a clean and good shower and a proper toilet. The campsite had a lot of palm trees on sandy ground so it was qute a nice campsite. We put up our huge tent and the small one. The Land Rover could park in the shade of the palm trees. Quite idyllic.

We walked to the fish market which was directly at the beach with all the dhows, very scenic. Under a huge shelter there were hundreds of small charcoal fires where the ladies fried fish in the pan. For about 1.50 USD you could eat there fried fish with rice – delicious.

In another shelter there were deep freezers and fresh fish to buy. We often got white snapper and a green fish of which we never found out the name. Of course bargaining was obligatory in Africa, everywhere.

Back at the campsite we did some computer work. In the evening we walked to the centre to have some chipsi mayai ( French Fries with eggs) or kuku na chipsi (Chicken with French Fries). Sometimes we ate at the dolphin bar, an open air bar just outside the camp.

18.09.2012 Dolhin Bar in Bagamoyo

In the evening at Dolphin bar we met a French guy who was married to a Tanzanian women from Dar. They had 2 children and were living next to the campsite in a house with garden. He invited us for breakfast in his house.

19.09.2012

We went for breakfast to the couple and had nice talks about everything and learned some deeper insights into Tanzanian life.

19.09.2012

In the afternoon a German guy arrived at the campsite with his motorbike, completely exhausted. When he wanted to put up his tent, he realized that he obviously had lost his tent. Must have been appened on his way to Bagamoyo. So we lent him our small tent and advised him to go to Dar to buy one for his further journey.

When he came back from Dar to Bagamoyo he put up his newly bought tent, but was really disappointed because he had bought a tent for children, so it was much too short for him.

His plan was to go to Zanzibar on a dhow with the fisher men. So the French guy helped him to arrange the trip, and so he was supposed to be at the fish market at midnight to get on a dhow.

20.09.2012

In the morning Thomas completely exhausted appeared at the campsite and told us they were waiting whole night but the fisher man did not show up. So in the morning he gave up.

In the evening he asked us if we could go with him to a restaurant to have some food. He did not want to go alone, as when he went out alone, the girls approached him quite heavily, so he thought that we could protect him.

We agreed and went to Dolphin bar, where we had been before and had known the waitresses already. But it was unbelievable. As soon as they realized he was a single guy they approached him so heavily, showed him their breasts and openly invited him to have sex with the girls. They were not disturbed by us at all. So I told the girls that they should leave him alone and that we just want to eat.

24.09.2012

Extension of our TIP was on the agenda. Not really complicated. First we asked at the customs at the fish market but they told us we need to go to immigration not far from the market. Unusual that immigration had to do it. We entered the lady sent us to the bank to ask the exchange rate. We came back showed her the paper from the bank with the rate. She calculated the fee, we paid, she stamped, done. Matter of minutes.

In the morning we always made a walk to our chapati women for breakfast. The technique was sophisticated and not so easy to cook. But they were delicious and we came here every day.

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After breakfast in Sechele Lodge we continued to Mtwara. But we could not find a proper campsite, although there were nice guest houses but withour surveillance. We headed on to Lindi and stayed in Oceanic Beach View Resort. The resort looked abandoned there were no guests at all except us and it was a bit strange. There was only a security guy at the entrance, hardly any water and the generator for power only worked for a short time. The security bought us some beer and we were just tired of the long ride.

30.07.2012

Next day in Lindi we searched for an ATM and bought filet meat at a butcher. Lindi had seen better time but it is still a typical African town with butcher, small shops and pharmacy. As Lindi was not a delight we headed on to Kilwa and in Kilwa Masoko we checked in at Kilwa Beach view resort. The campsite had good shade and the bathroom was quite ok. The Manager was a British guy and was really nice. He was married to a Tanzanian woman.

31.07.2012

We had to get internet again so we went to the center of Kilwa Masoko. The SIM cards expire after 3 month if you do not use it, so everytime we entered a country again we had to get a new sim card for internet. Things had changed a lot in this 3 years, in the beginning of our trip in 2009 this was not possible as internet was only in the beginning. Now it is really good and fast and even in the remotest areas available but not really cheap as in Europe. So we had always around 100 Euro internet costs per month.

We were looking for Vodacome outlet which we finally found and could buy the sim card and a data bundle. We did some shopping at the market which we love as the markets are great here but a bit far away from the campsite.

01.08.2012

Again to Kilwa Masoko as I had to send a parcel with EMS. Quite an action to get efverything filled out quite well.

02.08.2012

For us it was a working day, so we sat on our computers in the shade and worked. We could imagine worst offices so we were quite happy to work with great view and mild climate.

03.8.2012

We sent for an mechanic again to repair the exhaust manifold again. The problem was that it shaked loose all the time but they did not produce this part anymore, so we had to repair it all the time. This Land Rover model was a South Africa manufatured model with a 6 cyclinder straight Rover engine because of the embargo they had to use what the produced themselves, so they had manufactured a Rover limousine where this engine was used as well but this car production was stopped. For the British V-6 cyclinder models the exhaust manifolds were still available.

10.08.2012

In Kilwa Masoko there was no ATM where we could withdraw money, so we had to drive back to Lindi to the ATM which luckily worked, that was not always the case. So the 80 km one way were not for nothing and we had some chipsi mayai, French fries with eggs like an omlette. So we refueled and went back to Kilwa. Our most expensive withdrawal at an ATM.

11.08.2012

So the internet reception here was rather low so we decided to head on. We even got a reduction for the campsite although we left earlier than planned.It was a pity because the place was quiet and nice and you could have nice walks at the beach with Tara and as almost always we were the only guests at the campsite. We decided to go Sout Beach near Dar Es Salaam. The trip was interrupted frequently by police control but I could always make fun with them, so they never charged us a fine.

First we tried at Sunset campsite and Lodge but they were just too expensive. We tried another one, which was not at the beach and they wanted 10 USD per person, so we drove on to Paradise guesthouse. It was a really simple guesthouse and we got a room with basic shower and toilet for 10 USD. We checked in and stayed at the guest house and made a break from camping.

We met Kushan and Grace a quite strange couple, Kushan tried to manage to get a plot to build some touristic infrastructure at the beach and Grace was beautiful so she stood model for Alex to make some stock image.

Tara got diarrhea . She was sleeping in the Land Rover as she refused the room. When in the morning we let her out to walk her she had already made her business in the Land Rover. Cleaning for some hours. During the day she stayed with us in the room because she loved the roof ventilator but not in the night.

For working the room was good and we got on well with the things we wanted to do.

02.09.2012

Kushan wanted to buy a piece of land, near Bagamojo so we drove them there. The road was terrible but we managed to get there and visited the field. It was not situated directly at the river so Kushan did not like it much. After a stop at a Restaurant in Dar we headed back to Paradise guest house with a broken spring and damage to the furniture.

04.09.2012

So the damage had to be repaired and a mechanic called Felix came to the guest house to inspect the damage. Points and condensor were exchanged, again exhaust manifold fixed I was rather pissed off already. Our battery had to be charged ( In Africa due to the roads you need a battery almost every year) and a guy brought a jerry can full of petrol.

07.09.2012

Drove to Dar Es Salaam to buy leaf springs. There was a quite good Land Rover dealer which also had parts for the series 3, so I got 2 springs and u-bolts for a good price and drove to Felix in his location where he exchanged the springs. Only late in the evening I returned to the guest house.

I was tired and hungry so we went out to get some chicken and chipsi because we could not cook as I had of course the kitchen with me in Dar.

09.09.2012

Again I drove to Dar Es Salaam to pick up Aluminium boxes for the roof, as the wooden box at the roof was already rotten. Felix fixed it on to the roof rack and so we had 2 new boxes.

Before we had tried to find a local guy who should build such boxes for us. We explained what we wanted, made him a drawing with the measures and waited for a week. When we were ready to pick it up I almost got an heart attack because the box was 20 cm by 30 cm, instead of 120 cm by 60 cm. Obviously the guy could not read and write and just made a box how he thought it could be. That#s why we decided to buy them in Dar as these boxes from this were not suited for our needs.

12.09.2012

We organised locks for the boxes but locks with only 1 key for more locks were not existing, so we got locks with 2 keys, not really practical. For shopping we walked up to the market and had some chapati for breakfast. When we had to buy other things then the daily stuff, we had to go to Dar. As we stayed at South Beach, we had to drive to the ferry and with the ferry we crossed the river and drove on in Dar. But as there were no parkings we often took the Matatu to the ferry, crossed on the ferry as passengers and on the other side we continued with the Tuk Tuk.

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On a good tar road, we move on to our last stage in Tanzania. We will be staying for the last time overnight in Bongo Camp, a loving community run camp site, simple, but with charm. Shower facilities are basic but the people there are so helpful and even as electricity did not work, they provided us with hot water for a bucket shower. Best is their homemade food which you can order and they prepare freshly for you. The surrounding is rural and charming, even an ATM is available and there are money changers along the road to get you Malawian Kwacha.

The next morning, we will quickly push to the border, we want to reach Lake Malawi tomorrow, but you never know exactly how long the border crossings last.

We’ll leave Tanzania and thus geographically East – Africa, what we learned to love so much, because it is an Africa that so closely corresponds to the image in our head of Africa. We are sad, but also curious as to what will happen next. Countries with interesting names, Malawi, Zambia and Namibia and finally South Africa, we have heard much and are still nowhere near the end of our journey, so much is yet to come.

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We spend a few days and decide quickly to travel further to Malawi, with a stopover in Ruaha National Park – should be very nice and not so expensive.

No sooner said than done, we sit in the car and move southward. The main route to the south leads through the Mikumi National Park, but without an admission you may not stop or leave the car. We need to stop because a giraffe is crossing the road.

The route goes from Mikumi passing Iringa and Makumbako to Mbeya and goes from there to Malawi. Overall, still about 500 kilometers to the border. The landscape changes quickly in hilly terrain on which traffic is only partially dense only if you catch up the long-distance trucks, which early in the morning left Dar es Salaam. They like to drive in convoy, presumably for security reasons, although we have never heard of robberies.

In Iringa we turn on a dirt road that leads to the Ruaha National Park.

Outside we find a nice campsite. The owner is nice and helps with the tire repair.

The next morning we succeed once again and smuggle Tara into the national park, and soon we see a herd of elephants.

The park is relatively young, founded in 2007 and is located at the Ruaha River, which the park derived its name from. We observe the animals for a while and continue to the river, which currently has no water, because it is the dry season.

Here we can stop and and leave the car. A bridge crosses the river.

In recent years, the Ruaha become increasingly drier, only a few watering holes are left where crocodiles and hippos gather.

However, once the rainy season begins, this results in a rapid stream, which has its peak level in April.

The drier it is, that is during the months of July to October, the more wildlife you see in the remaining remnants of the Ruaha. From mid-November the first rain starts, but you can tour the park until early February without any problems. Thereafter, during the rainy season it’s only four-wheel.

Among the most impressive sites are hippo and crocodile pools and Nyamakuyu rapids, between the bridge and Ruaha River Lodge. The wildlife here is abundant. There are waterbuck and giraffe found in the park. Of course there are zebras.

We go a step further and run into a herd of buffalo in search of a dense thicket shelter from the heat.

Difficult to detect are Lesser and Greater Kudu, sable and roan antelope and wild dogs.

Ruaha National Park is the largest park in Tanzania. It became an insider tip for safaris, yet it has far fewer visitors than the northern parks, which is probably due to the distance to Dar es Salaam. The management has in recent years tried to fix the road network.

Again and again we see animals in the dry riverbed. We take our time in the park time stop, watch, drive on a bit and watch again.

Our day is coming to an end, we want to come again at some point, maybe in the rainy season in order to know the other vegetation. At the bridge we just stop again.
We see hippos dozing on a sand bank. And the sign that warns of the hippos and crocodiles. Over the bridge we leave this great National Park.

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In Dar es Salaam we still organize our visas to travel to Malawi and settle at Sunrise Beach Campsite.

It is a nice place to stay and anyway it will take some days to get all our paperwork for Malawi, like visas and temporary import permit for the car.

The campsite as most of the campsites in Africa is situated directly at the beach. Most of the time there is a backpackers guesthouse with the campsite. Here the tourists share the beach with the fishermen whose boat rest at the sandy beach.

The water of the Indian Ocean is warm, around 28 degrees and invites to bath in the waves. But if it is windy it is not a good idea to swim as the currents are stronger than usual and you might drift out to the ocean.

Sometime overlander tours cross our way with huge trucks and some tourists. These are organized camping trips and last for a week or two and travel through the country with tourists. They stay for one night at the campsite, they cook for themselves and stay in tents or in the truck.

From South Beach it is easy to get to Dar by public transport. From outside the campsite we take a Matatu to the ferry. There we cross the river to Dar and on the other side of the bay we take a tuk tuk to do all the organization of paperwork, shopping and refilling gas for our gas stove.

Dar es Salaam is a rather safe city. Tanzania is Muslimic and rather old fashioned. People are strong believers and so the country overall s very safe.

Queueing up at the ferry is quite disciplined. But when the ferry approaches everybody starts to move, and cars are loaded, goods, people and animals are brought onto the ferry.

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On a wonderful road we go to the largest city in Tanzania. Dar es Salaam is not the capital, as is often assumed, the capital of Tanzania is Dodoma, located in the south.

Soon we reach bustling Dar es Salaam. Dar, as it is called short, is a very modern city with three million inhabitants. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. Although it is not the capital, it is the political and economic center of the country, everything is controlled from here, all diplomatic missions have their headquarters here. We do not stay in Dar but go directly to the ferry, which connects the city with the southern beaches.

We will spend a night on the coast, because we want next day into Selous National Park.

First, it is quite good, we are able to race around the 78 km/h, but sometimes worse and deep sandy, and always leads through small villages. I almost run into a little child running around the track,good luck nothing happened. The last few meters before the Hippo Camp we hear elephants, but we do not see them.

We spend a wonderful evening at the river with a perfect sunset and typical jungle noises during the night. The next morning we discover from the campsite, a group hippos bathing in the river.

We learn that the entrance fee proposed into Selous National Park is 180 U.S. dollars per day, which is too much and we return to the coast.

On our route back to Dar we stop along the road to organize a new stove for cooking. It is made from metal and clay and works similar to a barbecue grill with charcoal.

In Dar es Salaam we still organize our visas to travel to Malawi and settle at Sunrise Beach Campsite.

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Passing sisal plantations, we go to the next beach paradise. Pangani Resort. close to Tanga Tanzania. Not too bad here. There are definitely worse places.

We are watching the fishermen with their traditional boats. From a tree trunk, the inside is hollowed out, and thinner trunks are tied on the boat as the boom, which in rough seas, prevents capsizing.

Again, we spend a few days. We had met Karl Friedrich a German, who invited us to Tanga, to show us the city. We gladly accept and make our way to Tanga. Although the city does not look like, it is with 180,000 inhabitants is the third largest city in Tanzania. It is a former German colonial town, what you see today in various buildings.

We stay on the only camp of the city, actually a small hotel with a lawn and a single palm tree that gives us a little shade. We get a room key to be able to use bathroom and toilet. Even the electricity we draw from the room. Curious we examine the rooms. They are simply furnished, two beds and nothing else, but they are clean.

I am fascinated by the flush box of the toilet, apparently a haven for frogs, because there are some of the pretty fellows playing in the rinse water.

Overnight our tire loses air, so it must be repaired. Karl Friedrich organized a mechanic who takes off the wheel, we will take it later in the city to repair it.

We got an unexpected visitor, Karl Friedrich brings the Austrian Theo and his wife Veronica. Theo had worked here in Tanzania and left Austria, and has lived for some years with his wife in Tanga. Veronica brings homemade chapati, which pleases us very much. We sit comfortably under the palm, it’s nice to meet again a compatriot. We chat and exchange experiences, a nice morning.

For lunch we set off with Karl Friedrich in the city, and arrange to meet with Theo and Veronika for the evening. He shows us typical houses from the colonial period, which are typical for their porch on the first floor. Up there it’s pretty cool because the wind from the sea cools there.

The Bay of Tanga is appealing, here’s a larger harbor with ferry to Pemba and Zanzibar.

Karl Friedrich shows us the old German cemetery. It is frightening how many German soldiers died at a young age from malaria.

We want to see the old colonial train station. From here the track goes to Ruvu, a small town in the hinterland. On Fridays there is a passenger train, otherwise only cargo trains operate, mainly due to the port of Tanga.

As agreed, we visit Theo and Veronica. They live with their dogs in a small house, they are not rich, but very hospitable. Veronica is just the cook. As is common in Africa, cooked is on the ground and in the open. She prepares chapati, Alexandra helps her, the mortar is new to her.

Chapati we know, but now she cuts a little something into strips and deep fried it, we do not know what it is, but tastes delicious.

We still spend a nice evening with the two, Veronica gives us even a packed lunch for tomorrow’s trip to Dar es Salaam.

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To explore Tanzanian beaches it is time to drive to the coast. We have heard from a great place, on the Indian Ocean. Beach Crab Resort – there we want to go.

The drive through the Usambara Mountains is beautiful, it is pleasantly cool, so we drive the switchbacks relaxed, through small villages – really enjoy it. The public bus makes a stop here – traders try to sell their goods to the passengers.

From the main road a good gravel road branches to the ocean. We need to go to Pangani town, go there on a ferry. We are the first on the ferry and have to wait a bit.

Interesting is the buzz at the ferry, the pedestrian must leave first the ship, then the vehicles. Everything is done quietly and calmly. No one here knows hectic. Now it’s our turn. Only a few vehicles fit on it. No problem, because the ferry shuttles back and forth, driving time about 10 minutes. And now we are almost there. The flow is pretty remarkable. Here Pangani river flows into the sea. Slowly, the captain aproaches the concrete ramp.

And once again we are in a paradise. The palm trees provide shade, the sandy Pangani beach is doing well on the feet and the sea less than 10 meters away. We decide to spend a few days.

We can not spend the rest of our lives at Tanzanian beaches so it goes on after a few days.

At a stall we buy chapati, which are like omlettes but taste like bread and can be rolled. Delicious breakfast. As always, Tara is waiting impatiently. She loves chapati.

Chapati is not originally an African dish, but it has become a popular food in many parts of Africa due to historical and cultural influences. African chapati is usually made using a similar recipe as the Indian version but may have some variations depending on the region.

In East Africa, for example, chapati is a popular street food and is often made with a mixture of wheat and maize flour. The dough is rolled out thinly, and the chapati is cooked on a flat griddle with a little oil or butter until it is golden brown on both sides.

In West Africa, chapati is sometimes made with cassava flour instead of wheat flour, giving it a slightly different flavor and texture. Some versions of African chapati may also include spices such as cumin or coriander, which give it a distinctive taste.

Overall, African chapati is a delicious and versatile food that is enjoyed by many people in different parts of the continent.

Back on the ferry.

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Usambara Mountains are our next major destination. But before we continue from Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha. In the city itself, we take advantage of the great variety of goods to replenish our stocks.

Arusha is a bustling center with many travel agents and agencies, because Arusha is the starting point for ascents of Kilimanjaro. Many people think that Kilimanjaro is in Kenya, but in fact it is completely in Tanzania but can be seen nicely as well from Kenya.

We have been lucky and see Mount Kilimanjaro. Cloud-free, which is rarely the case. We will stay at its base, on a small mountain road up just before the entrance to the park there is a nice campground. We use the time until the evening to control the oil, air filter to clean and perform minor maintenance.

From Kilimanjaro we head south. We want to stay in the Usambara mountains, but before we camp at the Pangani river.

The camp is again simple but idyllic situated, next to the river, we enjoy the quiet atmosphere, see unusual birds and see Bush babies in the trees.

Over a small mountain road, it goes up to 2,000 meters. With pleasant cool mountain forests, they provide a contrast to the hot, dusty Maasai savannah. We go up to Irente View Point Hotel, where you can also camp.

Usambara Mountains a little bit look like Austria, but no worries, we do not feel homesick. Especially not in the evening when it got pretty cold.

We set up comfortably and meet a guide who we agree on a hike the next day.

With him, we come across a brick factory, where hand-made ​​clay tiles are made. A rather interesting thing.

Our guide shows us a plant whose fruit is used for abortions.

From a rocky outcrop at dizzying heights, we see the Irente View Point Hotel, which was itself built on a rocky outcrop.

In the depth you can see large sisal plantations that were created in the German colonial period. Although sisal is still planted yet, it has lost its imortance because of the nylon fiber.

Our guide finds a Chameleon. Africans fear the Chameleon, because there are so many strange stories around it.

We enjoyed quite a while, the beautiful sunset.

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