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Month 116 was an incredible month of travel – one of my best in a while – and I enjoyed every minute of it.
I started the month with one more night and day in Paje, Zanzibar, and I did a half day trip to see the red colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest with a new friend.
From Paje, Toby and I moved on to our last stop on Unguja Island, Stone Town, where we spent three days. We did a Safari Blue day trip, a walking tour of Stone Town, and a Spice Farm tour during our time there as well as exploring the labyrinthine alleys of magical Stone Town.
Next up was Pemba Island, the other island that makes up Zanzibar. We spent five nights on Pemba Island at a rustic dive resort and absolutely loved our time on this special island that only gets a small fraction of the tourism that Unguja sees.
After a short flight back to Unguja, we flew north to Arusha where we had one night at the lovely Banana Farm Eco Hostel on the outskirts of the city before beginning a one-week safari visiting Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and Materuni village and waterfall.
We booked a budget tour where we were meant to be staying in tents but ended up mostly staying in lodges, which was really nice. We loved our group and saw an incredible amount of wildlife including so many babies!
After finishing the safari, we were dropped in Moshi where we met up with my bestie, Kurt, who has flown in from New Zealand to hike Kilimanjaro with us. We did the 7-day Lemosho route and were blessed with near perfect weather and stunning scenery. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be either, although the summit night was tough, with freezing winds, but we made it to the summit!
We had one day to recover and hang out by the pool at our hotel before our journey continued, with a three-day stopover in Madrid. Although I picked up a cough and didn’t feel 100%, I still thoroughly enjoyed our time in Madrid and we squeezed a lot in.
From Madrid, we had a 12-hour flight to Mexico City and two nights there to reacquaint ourselves with two of my favorite neighborhoods, La Condesa and Roma Norte, before flying to Puerto Vallarta and taking a bus to Sayulita on the last day of the month for my cousin Lauren’s wedding.
The last night of the month, we met up for a family dinner and did karaoke, my American family’s love language.
Now onto the stats!
Countries Visited: Tanzania, Spain, Mexico
Places Visited:
- Tanzania: Zanzibar – Paje, Jozani, Stone Town, Fumba; Pemba Island; Arusha; Mto Wa Mbu; Moshi; Materuni Village.
- Spain: Madrid.
- Mexico: Mexico City, Sayulita.
National and State Parks, Monuments, and UNESCO Sites: Jozani Forest National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro National Park.
Islands Visited: Unguja (Zanzibar), Pemba, Njao Island, Kwale Island, Kwale Sandbank, Pemba Sandbank.
Best Meals: Seafood BBQ on Safari Blue tour in Zanzibar; Chips Mayai from a local restaurant in Arusha; Local buffet lunch at Materuni village; Smoked salmon and goat cheese canapes from Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid.
Best Craft Beer: No craft beer this month.
Hikes/Walks:
- Jozani Forest hike in Jozani Forest National Park, Zanzibar 2 miles
- Coastline walk (out and back) from Gecko Nature Lodge to Aiyana Resort on Pemba Island, Zanzibar 5 miles
- Lemosho Route Day 1 from Lemosho Glades to Mti Mkubwa Camp in Mount Kilimanjaro National Park 4 miles
- Lemosho Route Day 2 from Mti Mkubwa Camp to Shira 2 Camp in Mount Kilimanjaro National Park 10.5 miles
- Lemosho Route Day 3 from Shira 2 Camp to Barranco Camp in Mount Kilimanjaro National Park 6.5 miles
- Lemosho Route Day 4 from Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp in Mount Kilimanjaro National Park 4 miles
- Lemosho Route Day 5 from Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp in Mount Kilimanjaro National Park 2.5 miles
- Lemosho Route Day 6 from Barafu Camp to Summit in Mount Kilimanjaro National Park 6.25 miles
- Lemosho Route Day 6 from Barafu Camp to Mweka Camp in Mount Kilimanjaro National Park 3.75 miles
- Lemosho Route Day 7 from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate in Mount Kilimanjaro National Park 6.2 miles
Watching: Conclave, Juror #2, A Real Pain.
Reading: There, There by Tommy Orange, In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune, Finders Keepers by Stephen King, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty.
New Posts: No new posts this month.
Highlights
Safari Blue Day Trip in Zanzibar
We loved the Safari Blue Day Trip we did in Zanzibar! We chose to go with the original operator who created this day trip, not the cheaper alternatives, and it was definitely worth the money.
We set out in a traditional wooden dhow boat, visited a sandbank island, snorkeled (I didn’t love this part because it was choppy and we didn’t see much), swam in a sheltered mangrove lagoon, and had the most incredible seafood buffet for lunch followed by shots of Amarula on Kwale Island, where we also had time to swim and relax.
The staff were fantastic and it was a great day on the ocean.
Spice Tour at Tangawizi Spice Farm
Another day trip, well half day trip, that I really enjoyed was to Tangawizi Spice Farm. Toby wasn’t feeling well so I went alone with the driver from our hotel, and it was so interesting.
I was first given a tour around the farm and shown different spice plants, then a guy scrambled up a palm tree to get me a coconut and I drank it while wearing the flax hat and bracelet that they made me (a bit much, but OK), next I sampled some delicious tropical fruits and some teas made with spices from the farm, and lastly I was shown toiletries made from spices and plants from the farm and I bought some soap, aloe moisturizer, and jasmine perfume.
Overall, it was slightly cheesy at times but I really enjoyed the experience.
Staying at Gecko Nature Lodge
There are only a handful of accommodation options on Pemba Island and nearly all of them are well out of our price range, except for Swahili Divers and Gecko Nature Lodge. The resort is reasonably rustic but I loved it. After a hot and sweaty night in a fan-only room, we were upgraded to an air-conditioned room, and everything was incredible from then on.
We were the only ones staying at the resort for four out of our five nights there and the staff were so friendly and made us feel right at home. The food was delicious, and we loved chatting to the manager, Jennipher, watching the sunset on the deck, and hanging out with the cute kitties that live at the resort.
I will always remember this special place and highly, highly recommend staying there if you want to visit Pemba but don’t have a high budget.
A Day Exploring Northern Pemba Island
One of my favorite days in Tanzania was the first full day we spent on Pemba Island, where we hired bikes and biked sandy roads through local villages to the Kigomasha Lighthouse at the northern end of the Kigomasha Peninsula. We didn’t see any other travelers on our day’s biking adventure and nearly every villager we saw waved and shouted greetings at us.
On the way back to the Gecko Lodge we stopped for a few hours at the luxurious five star Aiyana Resort where we had lunch in the restaurant, swam and walked along the perfect beach, and even swam in the beautiful infinity pool (all it cost was Toby buying a beer from the poolside bar).
What a thoroughly enjoyable day it was – a perfect mix of adventure and luxury.
The Perfect Sandbank All To Ourselves in Pemba
I love islands, so therefore, I also love sandbanks so we visited a couple of different ones during our time in Zanzibar. The Kwale sandbank off southern Unguja was the first sandbank we visited and it was beautiful, but small and so crowded. And then we visited a sandbank off the northern coast of Pemba Island and it was such a different experience.
We had this giant sandbank to ourselves and it was one of the most paradisiacal experiences I have ever had. The sandbank was easily one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen with powdery white sand and pale turquoise water, but the fact that there were no other tourists there when we visited made the experience even more special.
The amazing team from Swahili Divers set up a shade structure in the middle of the sandbank and served us a delicious lunch of pumpkin soup followed by fish kebabs with salads, and I walked the sandbank and relaxed in the shallow waters. It was just the best day and I couldn’t stop smiling.
Visiting Ngorongoro Crater
Wow, Ngorongoro Crater is stunningly beautiful – I have never seen anything like it and I absolutely loved seeing the crater from above, camping on the rim, and driving down into it for a fun half day safari where we saw lions, rhino, hyenas, giraffes, elephants, zebras, baboons, flamingos, impala and ostriches.
It should be one of the natural wonders of the world and I hope to visit again in the future.
All of the Incredible Animals We Saw on Safari
Doing a week-long safari may seem excessive, but I really loved getting to visit four very different national parks and we saw a huge amount of animals so it was definitely worth it.
Highlights were seeing the wildebeest migration, a 10,000+ herd of zebras, a pregnant female lion really close, a family of lions including cubs eating a zebra, elephants and giraffes up close, two leopards in trees, a cheetah, a serval cat, tons of hippos piled on top of each other in a river, a giant crocodile rolling in the water with its prey, lots of baboons with tiny babies, rhinos, dik diks, and hyenas.
It was ridiculous at times how many animals we saw and I loved seeing all the babies too – I think the baby zebras were my favorite although the baby baboons are a close second.
Materuni Waterfall and Coffee Tour
The last day of our safari was actually not a safari day at all, it was a hike to Materuni Waterfall, a coffee demonstration, and lunch in Materuni Village. The village and waterfall sit on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and the area is exceptionally lush and beautiful.
The hike was an easy one – only 45 minutes each way to the waterfall – but it was so scenic that I stopped often to take photos and we bought local tropical fruit from local stalls to eat along the way.
I didn’t swim at the waterfall because of how cold the water was and the strong, cold wind coming off it, but I enjoyed sitting and marveling in its beauty. After getting back from the waterfall, we got to see a demonstration of how they process coffee beans into coffee in the village, including a different song for each process, then we got to try the coffee, which was delicious.
The experience finished with one of the best meals I had in Tanzania, a buffet of vegetables, meat dishes, and fresh fruit prepared by a local family. If you are visiting Moshi, I highly recommend doing a Materuni day trip!
Hiking in Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
We spent seven days hiking the Lemosho Route to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and although the goal was to reach the summit, I actually enjoyed the journey to get there more.
The Lemosho route is known as one of the most beautiful routes on Kilimanjaro, and every day’s hike was gorgeous with beautiful weather and awe-inspiring scenery. I loved our scenic camping spots, hanging out in the mess tent over steaming cups of milo, joking around with our guides, and the feeling of pleasurable exhaustion after another day of hiking.
It was a fantastic week and it further cemented my love of multi-day hikes. Now I have to plan my next one!
Making it to the Summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
The summit day was hard, with freezing winds battering us, slipping over in the ice, and light-headedness from the lack of sleep and high altitude, but that feeling when we finally made it to the top as the sun was rising – priceless. It is not something that I feel I need to do again, but I am so happy we summited Kilimanjaro!
Incredible Weather For Our Tanzania Trip
After terrible luck with the weather on our Costa Rica and Panama trip, we had incredible luck this month with the weather. We had sun every day for our time in Zanzibar, our safari, and for Kilimanjaro – with only about five minutes of light rain and some clouds on day two.
Madrid was also sunny and unseasonably warm while we were there and we had sun every day for our week in Mexico too. I hope the weather gods continue to smile down on me during my time in New Zealand and Samoa.
Getting to Know Madrid on a Fun Three-Day Stopover
To break up a 30+ hour travel day between Tanzania and Mexico, we stopped over in Madrid for three nights. It was my first time in the city and Toby’s first time in Spain and after a relaxed first day exploring the Malasaña neighborhood and napping to help overcome the crushing jetlag, we amped up the exploration on days two and three, visiting the excellent Prado Museum, doing a walking tour, eating tapas, strolling El Retiro park, and exploring the sites around the city center.
I really enjoyed my time in Madrid despite being sick with a cold and it was great to be back in Spain after 12 years.
Return To Mexico City
Mexico City is one of my favorite cities in the world and I was so happy to return there this month, even if it was only for two nights.
We stayed in one of my favorite areas, La Condesa, and I spent my short but sweet time there revisiting some of my favorite places to eat, and walking everywhere around La Condesa and neighboring Roma Norte. I even caught some early flowering jacarandas – one of my favorite spring flowers.
Family Dinner and Karaoke in Sayulita
After our incredible six weeks of travel, it was fun to reunite with family in Sayulita for our cousin Lauren’s wedding, and we kicked off the wedding celebrations with a family dinner followed by karaoke – always a popular and fun option with my American family!
Lowlights
Wind and Extreme Heat in Zanzibar
It was really hot and humid during our two weeks on the islands of Zanzibar and we had some crazy wind too. Paje got pretty windy while we were there and Vumawimbi Beach on Pemba, which is meant to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, was covered in rotting seaweed that the wind had blown onto the beach.
Little Pains
Lots of little annoyances this month, including getting a sore sunburned lip, bad blisters from walking along the coastline with wet shoes on Pemba, feeling carsick a few times, and getting seasick from snorkeling (yes, I know this is weird, but it has happened to me a few times). Nothing terrible.
Very Little Internet in Tanzania
The wifi situation in Tanzania wasn’t great, and it made it hard to get work done during the month we spent in the country. Zanzibar actually wasn’t bad but there was no wifi where we stayed on Pemba Island and then with a back-to-back safari and a week camping and hiking Kilimanjaro, I got behind on work which caused some stress.
Camping in the Serengeti
I generally enjoy camping, but the night we spent in a camping ground in the Serengeti was not enjoyable at all. The tent we were in had used sleeping bags and it stank of mildew, so bad that it kept me awake most of the night. The toilets were disgusting too, and the water kept being shut off so we couldn’t flush them. It was the only real lowlight of an otherwise excellent safari.
Challenges on Kilimanjaro Summit Day
The actual hiking on our summit day was tiring but it didn’t push me to my limit – but the cold did. I probably would have been OK, but about 90 minutes into the hike after setting off at 1am, the wind picked up and absolutely hammered us for the rest of our 5ish hours to the top.
At times it felt like the wind was going to blow us off the mountain and it was so icy that I was worried I might get frostbite because my hands and feet were numb for hours. I was also so tired because we had to start getting ready to hike at midnight and I was only able to get a couple of hours sleep.
Once we got to Stella Point, we were told we had to keep moving, hiking through snow and ice to the summit for another hour. It was so slippery that I fell a few times along the way. Once the sun rose and we started the hike down, I finally felt warm again.
After nine hours of hiking, very little sleep and only a few hours rest over lunchtime, we then had to hike another 6km to get to a lower camp and it was just such a long and exhausting day of hiking. But we did it!
Sick With a Cold
I picked up a cold that left me coughing and feeling under the weather for the week following our Kilimanjaro hike. It wasn’t so bad that I had to stay in bed but I didn’t feel great and the two sets of long flights we did to get from Tanzania to Madrid, then Madrid to Mexico City didn’t help. It’s been two weeks and I still have a cough now.
Royal Palace Closed in Madrid
I was looking forward to touring the Royal Palace when I was in Madrid, but it was unfortunately closed due to the royal family being in residence for the two days we were there.
The Descent Into Fascism
Every day brings new horrors with this fascist government and I can’t believe that there are people that still support Trump after what he has been doing. I’m terrified for the future of this country and for all the sane Americans that hate this as much as I do.
Spending
I don’t include international flights in my recaps. Some of my costs are shared with Toby or other travel partners.
Total: USD$5761
You know, this is obviously a lot but I thought it would be worse considering I did two expensive one-week tours this month as well as day trips in Tanzania. Next month will be much lower.
Accommodation $572
My 18 nights of paid accommodation for the month consisted of one night at a hotel in Paje, three nights at a hotel in Stone Town, five nights at a lodge on Pemba Island, one night in a private room at a hostel in Arusha, two nights at a hotel in Moshi, three nights at a hotel in Madrid, two nights in a private room at a hostel in Mexico City, and one night in a one bedroom vacation rental in Sayulita.
My 13 nights of unpaid accommodation for the month consisted of two nights at a lodge in Mto Wa Mbu, one night at a lodge in Serengeti National Park, one night camping at a camping ground in Serengeti National Park, one night camping at a camping ground in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, one night at a hotel in Arusha, and six nights camping on the Lemosho Route in Mount Kilimanjaro National Park (these were all actually paid accommodations but were included in the tours I did), and one night on overnight flights between Kilimanjaro Airport and Madrid.
Food and Drink $387
This is low because all of the food and drinks were included on my one week safari and my one week Kilimanjaro tours, and I have logged the cost for these under activities.
Clothing $13.50
- Black hiking leggings $13.50
Transport $234
- Return dala dala from Paje to Jozani Forest $1.50
- Taxi from Paje to Stone Town $20
- Taxi from Stone Town to Zanzibar Airport $7.50
- Taxi from Chake Chake Airport to Pemba lodge $40
- Taxi from Pemba lodge to Chake Chake Airport $40
- Taxi from Moshi to Kilimanjaro Airport $25
- Uber from Madrid airport to city $12.50
- Uber from Madrid city center to airport $10.50
- Uber from CDMX Airport to La Condesa $7.50
- Uber from La Condesa to CDMX Airport $3.50
- Flight from CDMX to Puerto Vallarta $63
- Bus from Puerto Vallarta airport to Sayulita $3
Activities $3547
- Park entry and guide for Jozani Forest National Park in Zanzibar $15.50
- Stone Town Free Walking Tour tip $8
- Safari Blue full day trip with seafood buffet lunch and transfers $100
- Spice Farm tour and transfers $25
- One day bike hire on Pemba Island $20
- Snorkeling trip on Pemba Island including marine conservation fee $53
- Sand bank tour on Pemba Island including lunch $70
- 7 day budget safari including meals and accommodation $1300
- 7 day Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route hike $1929
- Entry to Prado Museum in Madrid $16
- Madrid Free Walking Tour tip $10.50
Other $845
- U.S. Phone plan $35
- Spotify $13
- OneDrive storage $2
- Garmin monthly subscription $14
- Netflix $3.50
- Trusted Housesitters Membership $49.50 (my half)
- Toiletries $14.50
- Donations/Tips $426
- Travel Insurance – 2.5 weeks $40
- Souvenirs $20
- Rental gear for hiking Kilimanjaro $96
- Kilimanjaro Airport Lounge day pass $35
- Laundry $5
- Haircut and tip $24.50
- Hankies set $13
- Silk sleeping mask $15
- Camelbak replacement valve $9
- USB Blender $30
- Going one year premium membership $52.50
Website Costs $30
- Monthly payment for Keysearch $12
- PIXLR yearly membership $18
Vehicle Costs $80
- RV and van insurance $80
What’s in Store For Next Month
The first few days of the month will be spent in Sayulita for the lead up and wedding of our cousin before returning to Denver for six days to sort my life out, see friends and family, spend time with Joni, repack, and to do our taxes.
Then I will be flying to New Zealand for the rest of the month.
I don’t have much planned in New Zealand other than spending time with family and friends in Auckland, Papamoa, and Hamilton, and enjoying the last couple of weeks of summer weather. I will be spending a day touring wineries and a gin distillery on Waiheke Island, which should be fun, and I definitely want to get in some beach time and lots of walks/hikes.
To read additional Monthly Recaps, you can find them here