Northern Tanzania

We arrived at 10h00 at the border of the town Laset (Ilasit is Swahili) to get into Tanzania. People were really friendly at the border but everything took so long.  We had to drive to the NMB bank in Tarakea to pay the $25 road fee. Normally you pay that at the border but it seems that they do not have payment facilities. When we arrived at the bank the network was off and had to wait as usual. Back at the border to give proof of payment and again network was off. Everything took so much time and we had to wait again at border office since they had to write everything out. We left the border 12h00 (Town of Tarakea). The road from the border went around Kilimanjaro and was very beautiful. Green vegetation with many banana trees. Twisted road with many villages along the way. We could not get a view of the mountain due to thick clouds. Some locals said that you get a better view later in the year – from September onwards.

About 20km from the road we got our second speeding ticket from Tanzania of 30000tsh. Same story as in Western Tanzania – there is signs when to slow down but no signs when to increase speed again. On the move again we saw that the road was very busy with tourists and game driving vehicles. This was due to the fact that major tourist attractions was around this road such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater, Lake Manyara National Park, Arusha National Park (Mt Meru) and Mt Kilimanjaro. We were also heading for Serengeti but aim for the northern gate (Kleins gate).

We went through Moshi (the coffee town) and stopped in Arusha to get a vodacom data bundle. The shop was very busy with tourists and took me about an hour to get helped. Just a few kilometers out of Arusha we stopped (18h00) at Snake Park Meserani Camp (34500 tsh) for one night. A busy overlander stop on the way to/from the Serengeti. Other expenses: dubble tonic + gin = 17500 (2 people) x 3. Amarula + whiskey (3 people) = 34500. Meal (hamburger with egg) = 8000tsh pp. “Ma” (from Durban) and her husband are also South Africans. They arrived there in the 80’s with not much on that empty piece of land next to the military camp and built everything to where it is today. Deon (from Newcastle) the other guy run the snake park and help out in the bar. It was so nice speaking with them and sharing our stories. They feel like family now. We also met De Wet, the tour guide for G-Adventures overland company. He was waiting to get his next group of tourists. He also introduced us to mixing amarulu and whiskey. Not too bad…I did not get a chance to evaluate the bathrooms. But my father told me that it is not worth using it after the overland tourists went through it. So, I used our luxury bathroom facilities in the Toyo.

The next morning we did a tour through the snake park and saw some scary snakes (the python was amazing) and crocs. We left 10h15 Snake Park Meserani after breakfast (4000tsh pp) and coffee (1000tsh pp).

Drove on the A104 (tar), right to B144 (tar), right in the town of Mto wa Mbu (filled with diesel and bought 2x 500ml pepsi, 2x safari lager and 2x kilimanjaro lager = 19000tsh) on gravel road (natron road). The road was not in a good state and we had to navigate to other roads parallel to original road that cut out some of the bad sections. At about S 2.74517 and E 35.97977, stopped at a Maasai gate and had to pay $80 to enter the Maasai district. I think this is a way in supporting the living of Maasai people. They need to get money in some way.

We arrived 15h30 at World View Camp close to Lake Natron ($10/48000tzs for 2 people camping per night). Washed our clothes ($20/35000tzs) – they wanted $40 for washing but negotiated it down to $20, wood (5000tzs). Camping not to bad with a beautiful view over the landscape and vulcanic mountain. The camp is run by Maasai people and they try everything to earn extra money. For instance, washing our clothes and lighting up our fire. If we allowed it, they would have braaied our meat for us. Next to us were a family of French people with there tents. It was now a rule for us that we let the vehicle to idle for awhile.  This was to charge the batteries when there is no power. After a few minutes of idling we switched off again. The French family was not too happy about this habit since they clapped their hands when we turned off the ignition. We were not very impressed with there attitude. But we left it there. Some people won’t understand the struggles that goes along with camping. The other side of the roof rack also cracked and we had to strengthen it again with extra steel reinforcement. The camp also has a  shower that was cold. No need for warm water anyways as the temperature was in the extreme high that day.

The next morning we left 10h20 to get as close to the northern gate of the Serengeti as possible. Arrived just after 14h00 at Oloip Guesthouse in the town of Wasso (20000tzs pp/n for camping + 10000tzs for electricity per night). We forgot to gave our bedding for the maasai the previous day to be washed. They friendly lady at Oloip washed our bedding and clothes for 10000tsh. There was also a misunderstanding since we made sure everything, including the electricity, was included in the price. Afterwards, the owner (guy) approached us to tell us that we need to pay extra (10000tsh) for the electricity. He called it a “communication misunderstanding”. I would not call it that since the lady fully understood our requirements when we arrived. I told him that this is frustrating since we agreed on the price when we arrived. It now started to get clear that every camping place in Tanzania had some kind of issue with us (or we with them). Bathroom was squat toilet and not so clean.

The next morning we left at 07h50 Oloip camp. It was 150km to next camp in the Serengeti. We arrived about 10h00 at northern Serengeti gate (Kleins gate).

When we arrived there, the system was down and we had to wait what felt like an hour. Was interesting to see a herd of kettle in the backyard with a fresh farm smell that came through the back doorway. At the end we had to pay $259.60/578908tzs to enter the Serengeti (includes the camping). The road to Seronera (the district in the middle of the Serengeti where we planned to camp) was the worst corrugated road I have experienced so far in my life. You don’t know if you have to drive fast or slow on the road. The experience get’s even worse when you see how bad the game driving vehicles drive. They did not want to give way. Also, almost lost my surfboard from all the shaking.

It was a long and frustrating road to the middle of the Serengeti where our campsite was. Luckily we saw a few animals along the way.

Luckily we made it at 14h00 at Ngini campsite (Serenera public campsite closed). The gate fee already included the camping fee which makes it better when looking at the price and dealing with paperwork. When we arrived, two overland trucks were already busy preparing food for their guests that has left for a game drive. We knew that we had to run for the bathroom before being overused by the tourists that will be back shortly. All in all a nice bush camp with a beautiful sunset. The camp guard could not understand english but we got our wood from him for 10000tsh. We were not allowed to collect the wood ourselves because then the guard can’t make money. That night it felt good having a big fire in the middle of the Serengeti.

The next morning we realized our battery was flat due to some extreme overheat from the previous day. Luckily one of the overland trucks did a jumpstart for us before leaving our camp. We knew that the engine must be running the whole day otherwise we would be stuck in the middle of nowhere.  We left Ngini camp at 07h00 (28/07) and the scenery along the way was spectacular especially early in the morning.

We arrived about 09h00 at Naabi Hill exit gate from the Serengeti (entering Ngorongoro conservation area). Payed $682.69 for 24h (28/07-29/07) to go down the crater.

It was a very steep decent on bad gravel road. Still many tourists making use of the game driving vehicles. The view over the crater was magnificent and very cold outside. Camping would therefore be a challenge for us. The crater is supposed to be a guaranteed way of seeing the “Big Five”. However, at that stage we were more worried about the condition of the battery.

We drove behind the game driving vehicles as this is the best way of seeing something. It was about 12h00 already and we only saw a few antelope, buffalo and zebra. It was anyway a bad time of the day. When we stopped to have lunch and saw how the battery was literally cooking, we made the call of leaving the crater to get help in Karatu (the first town outside of the park).

Left Ngorongoro park 15h17 (28/07) and only spent two ours down the crater (what was supposed to be a day). In Karatu we had to ask around to get directions to shop that shells batteries. At the end a guy at fuel station escorted us to Bam Motors. It was quite a mission to fit the new battery since the positive/negative was at different sides compared to the RSA battery and wires of the vehicle did not reach the battery. New battery and fitment at Bam Motors in Karatu – 320000tzs.

From Karatu we headed back for Serenera Camp where we feel so welcome between South Africans. Arrived at Serenera snake park at 18h30. It was also conveniently on route to our next camp in the direction of Dar es Salaam and ultimately Zanzibar.

Left the next morning 10h00 Serenera after we had our usual breakfast and coffee. We drove to the town of Moshi and from there up the mountain to Uru North at the base of Kilimanjaro.

Arrived 13h30 at Kiliman cultural tours campsite in Uru north.

I emailed them the previous night to arrange a coffee tour as well as camping (total of 135000tsh). Price outlay: Coffee tour + lunch = 45000pp, dinner = 7500pp, camping = 10000pp/n, breakfast = 5000pp. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. Lunch and dinner is traditional swahili food. Whoo, those ladies can cook!! Everything was done so professionally. We first had a banana soup followed by a traditional swahili lunch before we started with the coffee tour.

The coffee tour takes the whole afternoon and the tour guide takes you through the entire village and explaining about the coffee process. We were also involved in the making from beginning to end. A bit of history was also given and finally the tasting of your own locally produced ☕️.

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Along the way back we had hour first sight of Kilimanjaro but only for a minute.

Back at the camp we prepared our tent and went for lunch. I could not stop eating.

The next morning after breakfast we left Kiliman campsite at 09h30.

Travelled 250km in direction of Dar Es Salaam on T2. We realized that it will get too late if we want to drive all the way to Dar es Salaam. So we decided to go up the mountain at a farm that has a campsite (15000pp/n). All the food is locally produced with a shop that sells their own cheese, jam, soap. Arrived 15h50 at Erente farm campsite. The place is high and far into the mountains with breathtaking views along the way. The campsite is in the back from the shop on grassy area and we parked close to the ablutions. Everything was neat and in good order. Since it was cold so high up in the mountain, we made a fire. It rained throughout the night and did not stop the next morning.

After breakfast the next morning, we left Erente at 09h20 in the rain. Very difficult to pack everything up in the rain.

We thought it would be sunshine down the mountain but was cloudy the whole way almost into Dar es Salaam. At Msoga (120km before Dar es Salaam) we bought 4 samoosas (4000tzs) and 2 plastic bags full of tjips (4000tzs). We arrived at 17h00 in Dar es Salaam on Morogoro rd. The road to our camping place also included a ferry. The security did not want us through because of the Gas bottles on the roof of the Toyo. We wanted to know why the gas bottles was an ussue on the ferry but the language was a problem. They agreed to let us on the ferry if we cover the gas bottles with a bag. We did not see the reasoning behind that and drove off. Luckily there was close by a recently built toll road with bridge over the river.

We arrived at Mikadi Beach Camp at about 18h30.