The Serengeti and the Ngorongoro National Parks

From Mwanza we headed to Bunda, Tanzania, in a bus. from there we intended to enter the Serengeti National Park. for the approx. 6 hours drive to Bunda we paid 6.000 tsh per person (4€) and took around 3 hours. Fair price!

Before reaching Bunda we stopped at the main gate of the Serengeti National Park, in Ndabaka, to inquire about the fees. This is how they look like:
-Entrance fee for foreigners in each of the parks 50US$
-Entrance for East Africans 1.500 tsh (1U$)
-Car and driver for 24hrs 300US$ (one must have a car to enter).
-Night in a tent (cheapest kind of accommodation) 40US$
-Food for one 30US$

We decided to go to Bunda and try to find cheaper possibilities to get a car. It wasn't an easy task, but we got it, 100US$ cheaper. The next morning we entered the Serengeti at 9am and drove through the park for around 4hrs. I was amazed with so many animals roaming around in the park.
The left us in the middle of the park, where we got another car with destination Arusha, and paid 40.000 tsh (20€) additionaly. With this one, we crossed the second national Park, the Ngorongoro. At entrance gate you one must pay another 50US$. We reached Arusha around 9pm.

To cross both parks was an amazing experience. Neve saw so many animals in free before, giraffes, gnus, buffaloes, gazelles, hippos, baboons, ostriches, warthogs, even an elephant. The landscape is of such a beauty and variety. Incredible! See some pics of the I took.

Personally, I enjoyed the Ngorongoro National Park more. It's a bit smaller than the Serengeti and has a much higher density of wild life. The Maasai tribes are concentrated there. You have flat land, mountains and the Ngorongoro crater in this park. So, I'd definitely recommend one to start the trip Arusha and do the mainly the Ngorongoro park. One will see the same as in the Serengeti, in higher number and in a shorter time. Besides, from Arusha is easier to find some tour cars and maybe for a better price, since they are so many there.

Hints:
-There are many lodges inside the park, from tents to very good accomodation.
-There is even an small airport for those which want land directly in the park.
-Once in Arusha look for Zara Tours (zaratour.com) and ask for Darimo. This guy was amazing!
-If coming from Bunda, stay in the Hotel Harieth View. It's a really good one with good rates and nice personnel.

Dear peeps safari njema!

Mwanza, Tanzania

We had an stop in Mwanza on our way to Bunda and then Serengeti National Park. Mwanza is the second biggest city in Tanzania and its situated at the Lake Victoria.

At the first sight the town didn't seem to be that interesting, specially during the Christmas Holidays. Even though, we had some time to kill and went for a walk through the center.

More pics coming later!

My travel companion Job Matimbai

It's about time that I introduce the one who has been traveling with me in East Africa.

My friend and coworker Job Matimbai, from Chwele, Kenya. Pastor at the local Deliverance Church, from the Luhya tribe and Bokuso subtribe.

Job is a member of the Open Hearts (openhearts.jimdo.com) association in Kenya. We are working together in the construction of a medical center in the community of Chwele.

As I told him about my plans to go around the Lake Victoria, he kindly offered himself to come with me. He has been a great friend, shown me a lot of the East African places and taught me some Kiswahili. Besides we have been exchanging a lot about our cultures and traditions, which are immensely different.

Just awesome!
Karibu sana ndugu!

Christmas in a ferry on the Lake Victoria

Still in Chwele, before we started traveling my friend Job Matimbai told me we could take a ferry boat from Bukoba to Mwanza, on the Tanzanian part of Lake Victoria. I immediately said: Yes! We will do it! And it happened on Christmas day.

At the port in Bukoba we purchased the tickets (each 35,500 tsh, around 10€) for a cabin with beds (see pictures). Allegedly first class. Besides the passengers the ferry was transporting loads of bananas, some chickens, and other goods.

We left the harbor at 9pm. After two hours we made an stop at the harbor in Kemondo to load more bananas and reached Mwanza on the next morning at 7am.

It's was a very exciting experience specially for being Christmas.
Awesome!

Great shots in the Beach in Bukoba, Tanzania

While waiting for the ferry to leave Bukoba we, my friend Job Matimbai and I, sat at one of the beaches at the Lake Victoria for some food.
I took the opportunity and got these nice shots in the area.

Sharing!
Cheers everyone!!

Helped by the Patels

What to do when you are in a country for the first time, have no local currency and its Christmas?

Do what I did! Meet the Patels!
Samira, the mum, Nazma, Anwar and Nagim where in the same bus we took to Bukoba, Tanzania.

This amazing people took us to a place where we could change money, to the harbor to buy the tickets for the ferry and afterwards to a beach not far away from the harbor, where we could have some food before we leave.They were so willing to help.
Amazing people!

Thank you very much to the Patels!
Lake Victoria here we go! Yay!

Tanzania: first impressions

While in the bus to Bukoba I took a few shots of how life along the road looks like in Tanzania.

Check!

Crossing the border to Tanzania

That was much relaxed than expected. I didn't have to bribe anyone like I did to enter Uganda. The ladies even asked me if knew Thomas Müller from Bayern Munich after I told them a live in Bavaria.

At the border between Uganda and Tanzania.

Since I took the visa from Germany, I just had to present it, get my finger prints read and cross it.

Note: they don't sell visa at the border for Europeans like Kenya and Uganda do. One must bring it from the country of origin. East Africans don't have to do it.

The pass control area.

Excited!!

On the Lake Victoria at the source of the Nile

Yes! I've been there!
The first stop in Uganda was in the town called Jinja. There is where the Lake Victoria flows into the Nile.

My friend Job and I at tthe source of the Nile.

It's a very touristic place and every pikipiki (motorcycle taxi) can bring one there. The entrance for non Africans costs 10,000 ush (approx. 3€) and my travel companion from Kenya paid only 2,000 ush. What really annoyed me!

The Victoria Lake.

One of the islands in the Victoria Lake.

Anyways, there are souvenir shops in the area, guides offering their services and boats which can take one to a ride in the river as well as in the lake. A half an hour long boat ride, for two people, costed 80,000 ush (approx. 23€). Its not a long ride but its worthy. One can see the monkeys, birds and the huge monitor lizards living around and from the lake.

We decided to take an guide with us, Simon, who told us about the history of how British explorers found the "source of the Nile" as well as some curiosities about it. At the end of the excursion I gave him a "contribution" of 10,000 ush and he was happy with that.

By the way, did you that the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were thrown in that very source?

I recommend! If coming to East Africa is a "must see."
Pictures coming later ;)