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Tent Camping In The Serengeti ©2010 by Bonnie and Bill Neely |
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We fulfilled a long-held dream this year by going to East Africa for a Wildlife Photo Safari, and it was, perhaps, THE most amazingly memorable trip in all of our thirty-plus years as travel writers! We chose Abrojaley Africa Ajabu Company as our travel and safari planners, and Abdul Meena, founder and owner of the company, took complete charge of the planning for this exciting experience. Abdul grew up in Monduli, Tanzania, and is a well-educated and prosperous descendent of the Chagga tribe, which originated on the slopes of Kilimanjaro. He knows all of his country thoroughly from many trips throughout. He has traveled extensively around the world, speaks several languages fluently, and is an experienced travel arranger, as well a having a thorough knowledge and experience of being in the wild bush of Africa, sleeping under the stars and hiking mountains, rivers, plains, and valleys on foot. This extensive knowledge gives him the ability to plan African trips and safaris of all kinds for others in the most expert way.
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A Spicy Venture to Zanzibar ©2010 by Bonnie and Bill Neely At the end of our photo safari to five national parks in the northeastern area of Tanzania we flew to Zanzibar, a popular place for tourists to relax after a safari, mountain climbing, or mission trip in Eastern Africa. It is an Island off the coast of Tanzania in the beautiful blue-green Indian Ocean with white sandy beaches. After we arrived we had car service to Nungwi Village, the resort area at the North end of the island, about an hour and a half from the airport. |
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Arusha National Park, Tanzania ©2010 Bonnie & Bill Neely As we circled to land at Kilimanjaro Airport, seeing the famous 19,341-foot (5,895 metres) high snowy peaks above the clouds was thrilling. The city of Arusha, about a half-hour away, has about 400,000 residents and a second airport for small planes. We were surprised by the choices of modern hotels, restaurants and shopping facilities, obviously serving many western ex-patriots and tourists. The city also has charming buildings and parks from the time of British colonial leaders, as well as many little shops and a huge market for the Tanzinian locals, many of whom come from surrounding tribal villages. The colorful mish-mash in the busy city streets made us wide-eyed with fascination. The women wore lots of beads with their two colorful, printed cotton kangas, the typical African dress of a shawl and skirt. As they walked along, erect as soldiers, chatting happily with their friends or holding a baby, many were balancing huge loads on their heads. Some men wore jeans and T shirts, but the most interesting ones were wrapped in bright blankets of different colored plaids, which indicated their tribes. Our main impression was the huge white smiles on the happy, black faces. Tanzanians seem to be perpetually happy! And very welcoming to the thousands of visitors who flow through this interesting city each year to get supplies for safaris of all kinds. Of course, as in any city, one must be careful for pick-pockets. |
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Wonders of Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania ©2010 by Bonnie & Bill Neely We left Haven Nature Campground in early morning to spend the day at Lake Manyara National Park. Our excellent guide/driver Manase, and our unsurpassable cook Fulgence, both from AbrojaleyAfricaAjabu Tours, were our leaders throughout our Tanzanian safari, and they are the BEST! This National Park is interesting because of its three different topographies: a tropical rainforest, the rift where the remaining very salty lake was once a sea, and the escarpment (600 meters high cliff mountains which rise straight up in a sheer rift that goes from Jordan to Mozanbique). The animals we saw here are in unique environments and some adapt to the very alkaline lake, which could be compared to the Great Salt Lake of Utah in the USA. Although the birds and animals must have fresh water to live, they come to the salty lake for minerals, so it is not unusual to see them nearby. |
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