Before coming to Tanzania, I’d never really been immersed in any country where Swahili is the dominant language. People *do* speak English here, but more often than not, you’re going to hear Tanzanians chatting with one another in Swahili over English. That said, it *also* never occured to me that several popular movies actually *used* […]
If you need to travel from Arusha to Dar Es Salaam, there are two main options. You can either fly or you can take a long-haul bus. Flights run, on average, $150 USD for a one way flight. You’ll also need cab fare to the airport, which, depending on your negotiation skills, can run you […]
Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE traveling, and I adore traveling solo because I can do what I want, when I want it, and it’s challenging and rewarding and wonderful. Sometimes, though, being a single, female traveler and having to deal with everything that comes along with that really, REALLY grinds my gears. I […]
Chemka Natural Springs…what is there to say except that it is absolute paradise? While it’s much easier to get to Chemka from Moshi, going from Arusha after a safari is totally doable! You can either charter a taxi/guide privately (or with a small group of course) or take the bus. I ended up chartering the […]
Even though I arrived in Arusha, the literal FIRST order of business was to immediately go on Safari to Serengeti & Ngorogoro. I had pre-arranged everything through one of my friends from the Girls Who Travel Facebook group, so I was all set and ready to go! That said, the Serengeti/Ngorogoro Safari was nothing if […]
Aka… when your friend lets you take over her office for an entire month, refuses to let you pay for anything, and basically reworks her entire life to hang out with you while you’re visiting her and her family in the random African country that they happen to be stationed in. I can’t even begin […]
If I haven’t said this before, allow me to clearly state it, on record, at this time. The expatriot community in Kinshasa is freakin’ awesome. Not only are they sweet as sugar and willing to hang out at the drop of a hat with a random visitor to Kin, but they plan a WICKED party. […]
This is going to be a bit of a photo blog, since I feel like the city tour was a conglomeration of rushing around Kinshasa in our little minibus (with aircon!) to see a bunch of different sites all over the place. This tour was actually the first thing I did without any of the […]
One of my favorite adventures in Kinshasa has been going to “The Beach” and shopping for fabric. While you’re still inevitably subject to the cries of “Madame! Over here!” and “Look, look, Madame!” that you would be in the street markets and craft stalls, there’s just something magical about fabric shopping. Maybe it’s the creative […]
When I first decided to tell people at home that I was planning an around-the-world trip by myself, whether they were nervous for my safety or excited for my adventure, it was inevitable that one of the questions they would ask if I was going to be lonely. I’ve been dreaming of this trip since […]
