While en route from the Seychelles to our family reunion in Kenya, we made a pit stop at Kilimanjaro, Tanzania for a few days. We barely scratched the surface during our 3 day stay, but still managed to get an amazing introduction to this beautiful country through the warm hospitality of the Tanzanian people. Here is a summary of our brief yet enriching Tanzanian experiences – from gazing at the mighty Mt Kilimanjaro, and spotting exotic wildlife on safari in Arusha, to spending time at a girls orphanage in Moshi, and visiting a traditional Maasai Boma.

Marveled at the peak of majestic Mt Kilimanjaro

Mt Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa – and standing at 5,985m above sea level it is rightly known as the “roof of Africa”. Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano and a popular hiking destination, with many climbers taking the grueling multi day trek up to its Uhuru summit.

While on most days the peak is shrouded in cloud cover, we were afforded some stunning views of Kili’s snow cap and receding summit glaciers from our flights in and out of Kilimanjaro airport.

Indulged in a stay at Pink Flamingo boutique hotel

Our base for the Tanzania portion of our trip was at the luxurious Pink Flamingo Boutique Hotel in Moshi, at the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro. The kiddos loved having our very own private villa which was surrounded by trees and greenery, while Shelly and I took turns relaxing and indulging at the spa. Our family was one of the very few guests at the hotel, and were pampered by the super friendly and attentive staff who treated us like family.

Pink Flamingo has amazing views of Moshi and on a clear day even the peak of Mt Kilimanjaro. Unfortunately the skies remained cloudy for most of our stay, so views of the shy mountain peak eluded us.

 

Encountered the wild on a safari to Arusha National Park

During one of the days we went on a safari in mountainous Arusha National park with the female-owned Lady Tusk safaris. We embarked on our safari with our guide Yoha, and saw many zebras, giraffes, water buffalos, warthogs, and monkeys. Unfortunately Arusha National park doesn’t have many carnivores or big cats – but the kiddos were still so excited to spot the different animals with their binoculars.

Had an emotionally moving visit to St Mary’s children’s home in Arusha

We visited a girls orphanage that is run by Indian missionary nuns just outside of Arusha. The girls welcomed us with traditional songs and dances, and shared about their backgrounds and about their excitement to go to the nearby school. It was such a moving experience to see the joy and welcoming smiles on the kids faces.

The experience helped put into perspective for us what is truly important, and we left with a renewed desire to contribute to the education of the underprivileged during our travels. Especially for our kiddos – we plan to weave in such community involvement and volunteering experiences into all our travels.

Got a peek into traditional Maasai Boma lifestyle

Another highlight was when we stopped at a Maasai ‘Boma’ or village for a quick peek into the lifestyle of the Maasai people. The Maasai are the indigenous people of East Africa, who once inhabited large areas spanning across regions in Tanzania and Kenya. They live a herder lifestyle, centered on caring for their livestock.

At the Boma the welcoming Maasai dressed us up in their colorful shuka outfits, invited us to join them in a traditional dance, and even showed the kiddos how to make fire with sticks. Shelly was even made a Maasai Queen and got her very own crown!

 

Perused through local handicrafts at Blue Zebra Art studio

On our last day we did a short tour of Moshi town, and stopped at the Blue Zebra Art studio to hunt for local souvenir bargains. This functioning studio features art and handicrafts created by local Moshi artists and craftsmen. It even had a corner dedicated to Tanzanite – one of the rarest blue gemstones in the world, that is only found in a handful of mines close to Kilimanjaro.