“Want do you mean, he’s not there?” “The Aga Khan hospital says it only has two bodies, a Chinese and a Swahili.” So, I’d been entrusted to organise the end of life arrangements for my friend William and by the second day I’d already lost him. My initial horror at having been forced by the… Read More »
There are so many beach bars in Dar and I don’t really use them but this day I was not in a rush, I was hot and sweaty and it was too early to go home and hide in air-con. I stopped at my local bar and ordered a beer and sat next to an… Read More »
Kipepeo beach resort is a popular getaway from Dar. The good thing about Kigamboni is that it takes some effort and time to get there so it is not overrun and there’s usually no shortage of loungers in the shade. Three of us headed to the ferry on Saturday morning. We took our beach bags… Read More »
I was so close to Botswana in Livingstone that I thought I would blow $157 and take a trip there. It was a river safari in the morning and a game drive in the afternoon. Kalahari Tours is quite good. The river safari took in an island in the Chobe river where there were some… Read More »
It took nine hours to get to Livingstone and en route the coached stopped several times including at a foot and mouth road block where we all had to get out and walk through a foot bath. And every time we stopped moving there was a crowd of people holding produce up to the window.… Read More »
When the sun came up Zambia was displayed outside my carriage in all its glory. The first thing I noticed was that houses were often round mud houses with straw roofs. They were sometimes on their own and at other times in small groups, maybe an extended family. Glimpses of the villages and homesteads came… Read More »
I had read about the Tazara and really wanted to try it. I don’t like long distance train journeys because they are usually boring and uncomfortable. I don’t get much if any sleep and feel constantly dirty. However I like to arrive to arrive slowly and I enjoy the journey as much as the destination… Read More »
I came across the headmaster of Msasani Primary School quite by accident in January and went to the flag-raising ceremony shortly afterwards. I had promised the head that I would do some free teacher training and he seemed keen for it. It was over a month later when he saw me walking on the road… Read More »
Markets are interesting in a new country. You can tell what crops grow locally and I have started going to my local market to buy fruit and vegetables. Msasani market is really dirty, dark and full of flies. Usually going to a local market is fun, full of noise and activity. Sadly Msasani market is… Read More »
So you’ve landed at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam and now you need to get to your hotel. Do you reach for your Uber or Bolt app or are you going to throw yourself into Tanzanian life and try local transport? Here’s a guide to help you decide how, why and when… Read More »