tanzania
May 2024
Great nature in overpriced parks.
The tsetse fly explodes with blood as I squash it on my foot. I would have been worried, but I've been bitten enough times by now that I'll either suffer from African Sleeping Sickness, or I'll be fine. It's out of my control - no one can avoid every tsetse fly in Tanzania.
Minutes later, as I plod through jungle mud with my 40-lb pack, something flashes next to my foot. I freeze.
It slithers through the fallen leaves, black as a shadow.
A forest cobra. Small, assuming, unremarkable, and completely deadly. It's the third one we've seen today.
We're trekking for three days in the Udzungwa Mountains, aiming to climb the mysterious Mwanihana Peak, and seeing tons of wildlife en route. In the span of an hour, we count five different monkey species in the canopy. Hundred of brightly-colored spiders string webs across the trail. Odd bird calls echo in the canopy, from avifauna that we'll never be able to see due to the thick leaves. Fire ants litter the ground, and we take few breaks.
But wildlife in Tanzania has a price - after two days of negotiating, we still had to pay $350 USD for my wife and I to do this three-day jungle trek. Required by law to accompany us are a guide and a soldier. Each earns about $10 USD total in three days. I'm not sure where the remaining $320 USD ends up, but I would confidently say it goes to corruption.
*****
Tanzania is one of the better and more popular countries to visit in Africa. The diversity of ecosystems, the safaris and the beaches, the highest peak in Africa and the relative stability of the country make it a favorite for most travelers, including myself.
But it's not for the budget friendly. In two weeks, we spent around $1,000 USD between the two of us, at times with hard negotiations and saying no to what looked like some great stuff.
It's my understanding that the vast majority of tourists here book a package tour in their home country that almost always includes the Seregeti, Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar. Visiting any of these places can easily come out to several hundred dollars a day, with guides and tourism staff earning $5-10/day. The rest is siphoned off into corruption, or somethings to private operators based in Europe or the US.
Case in point: We tried to visit the majestic Kitulo National Park, but on arrival, the posted entrance fees meant we would have spent over $600 USD to car-camp there for a single night! Unsurprisingly, the ranger told us the park sees few visitors.
If you're filthy rich and don't mind keeping locals poor and paying absurd prices to make rich bureaucrats even richer, come here and shell out money like there's no tomorrow. But if you want to see some cool stuff on a budget and are willing to plan for it, Tanzania offers some decent independent travel opportunities.
We were here as the final country in our Coast2Coast2Coast Africa Overland Expedition. Having come from similar poor and corrupt Malawi, we were excited for the legendary national parks here. We entered at Kasaumulu, meandered up and around Mbeya, and then sauntered east, ending in Dar es Salaam. This was all with our own 4x4 vehicle. I can't imagine putting up with public transport in these places, and would recommend independent travel by rental vehicle.
Highlights of our trip included seeing Turacos in the cloud forest mist at Lake Ngosi, lifting weights in a sweaty skyscraper gym in Dar, standing on top of a rainforest summit in Udzungwa, seeing a chameleon wander through our campside in Mikumi town, scoring a free glamping tent surrounded by curious baboons in Sanje, and meeting bewildered local children in vilalge in the mountains outside of Morogoro.
Notably, we avoided Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, and Zanibar. From the other travelers we met, we heard these three places are all overcrowded and overprices. Zanzibar as well is legendary for the amount of hassling there.
I'd strongly recommend Tanzania for any traveler. Just don't set your expectations too high, and do the locals a favor by avoiding paying absurd fees to tour operators and national parks.
