Back "HOME" to Tanzania - an adventurous crossing of the Rovuma River

After a good night sleep at Chez Natalie, thank you Natalie, we had a quick stop in Palma, last town before the border, a fishermen city now booming a bit due to the oil and gas exploration. A good stop where to stretch your limbs before doing a rather bumpy ride up to the border, and the Rovuma River. 

As many other activities on this journey, our border crossing is also depending on the tide. For between 5 and 7 days a month high tide is to low... To low for the ferry to operate. As we knew and had planned for this we had a new vehicle woth now Davis as our driver/guide waiting on the other side.

So while we embarked on a rather exiting rivercrossing, Mohammed drive the first vehicle inland to the Unity Bridge and a rather long drive back to Dar es Salaam. 

We - The dream team on the other hand watched with amazement the boat/raft made to ferry a new pick up across beeing prepared, and made our way to the wooden boat to take us across the first åart of the river.

Thereafter while walking across the sandbanks in the middle of the river heading to the last boat to get to our car, feeling and probably looking as a bunch of refugees sneaking over a border, we saw behind us our friends ferrying the pick up over... Only in Africa!

Safely arrived and greeted by Davis, we did a detour to Msimbati to see the maybe most beautiful beaches of Tanzania, just making it before sunset.

Then our first short drive in the dark to Mikindani and overnight at The Old Boma, a great places with tons of charm and character. 

Today we do Mikindani, Lindi and on to Kilwa Masoko for 2 nights. 

Leaving the intriguing Mozambique - Karibuni Tanzania!

Sunrise over Mocimboa da Praia - large natural harbour not far from Chai - the little village where Frelimo, the liberation movement  which rules the country today was founded.

Our last night in Mozambique was spent in Chez Natalie - a idyllic lodge with bungalows spread on a large property - all with a view over the bay.

From here we pass Palma, the Houston in the natural gas adventure rising in Mozambique, continues to Rovuma where we cross by small boats, maybe dugout canoes. We will try to inspect the fantastic beaches of Msimbati just over the border before settling on Mikindani, a charming old harbour city with a Boma fron the German era which now is converted into a nice, rustic hotel.

That will be the start of the Tanzanian part of our adventure...

The right Tanzania’s guidebook in your pocket

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Choose carefully your faithful travel companion… we’re talking about the guidebook, that is going to be with you from the planning phase of your journey up to the day you will be on the road!

Many publishers offer guidebooks for Tanzania and Zanzibar and often it is not easy to understand which it’s going to be the right one… so, let’s have a look to the most popular.

Rough Guide for Tanzania & Zanzibar

Written by Jens Finke, the Rough Guide for Tanzania & Zanzibar is a reliable source of information, providing an introduction about the country as well as many useful tips about how to organize a journey. Next to travel suggestions, you will find an introductory section with many general information about Tanzania (cultural customs, food, health service, etc). The guide focuses on giving practical information, reviews about hotels and restaurant for every budget and clear maps - but also a wide frame about wildlife that you can observe during a safari.

Bradt Guide for Tanzania

Bradt guidebooks are widely recognized to be the best for travellers in Africa. The deep knowledge of the different countries and the extensive experience “on the road” of their authors are the warranty of the quality of these books. Bradt is a pioneer publisher, tracking unusual destinations with focus on sustainable tourism. A nice and refined layout of the pages and the use of color are also elements that make this guidebooks not just useful but also nice to read.

Lonely Planet for Tanzania & Zanzibar

Lonely Planet is nowdays the world’s leading travel guide publisher. Their guides are rich of information but also easy to read, suitable even for non-expert travelers. The one about Tanzania offers samples of itinerary, an interesting section about general information (language, local customs, food, health service, etc.), maps and reviews about hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. It is suitable for backpackers as well as all-inclusive tourists.

Vårt Tanzania!

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The 1st edition of our guide of the best hotels and destinations in Tanzania is out. Karibuni!

Special ways to discover Tanzania!

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Time to plan your trip to Tanzania, and your dream is to include something "different" in your itinerary...  something unique that will amaze your friends and family, wheter they're traveling with you or just enjoy stories and pictures later.

Paka Adventures' safari specialists have selected for you something interesting! Let's have a look together...

Balloon Safari

 
The hot-air balloon safari is probably the most unforgettable and exciting experience that you can try during a safari in Tanzania: just after sunset, your driver will come to pick you up at the lodge or tented camp where you have spent the night and will drive you to the balloon site. Here you will meet the pilot and get ready to start the flight. After the take-off, the wind will drive you to discover breathtaking landscapes and to watch the fauna in their natural habitat from a unique perspective. After landing you will celebrate the flight with the traditional champagne toast and enjoy a full English breakfast under the acacia trees. The most popular balloon safari in Tanzania is the flight over Serengeti and it is recommended especially during the period of the Great Migration.

Biking Safari

Bikers cannot loose the opportunity to join the amazing itineraries lasting one or more days, discovering the amazing rural area of Northern Tanzania by bike. Cycling is an uncommon way of travelling for tourist in this country, but offers the chance not just to visit some of the most authentic and less touristic areas but also to experience directly the local culture and lifestyle.

Railway Adventure

Not everybody know, but it is as well possible to cross Tanzania by train! Of course, this is something for the most adventurous travelers... but if have this kind of attitude, why not? Tazara is the railway line that connects Dar es Salaam to Zambia and offers weekly travels that stop in many Tanzanian small towns. Travelling by train in Tanzania is a unique experience, but a big quantity of patience and ability to adapt is required, as unforeseen events might happen everyday. For people looking for a luxury experience, but still fascinated by trains, we recommend instead to check Rovos Rail, that offers extraordinary itineraries around Africa including stopovers in Tanzania.

Unique Accommodations

If the plan is to stick to a classic classic itinerary and just add a special touch to your holiday, we suggest to try one of the "non standard" accommodations available around the country. A special mention goes to the "underwater room" of Manta Resort in Pemba, a real undersea room in the Indian Ocean that offers a magnificent view on the marine life. Instead, if you prefer a "outdoor" option, we recommend the new tree-top room in the Rubondo Island Camp (www.asiliaafrica.com) or - if you prefer to visit the most classic Northern Circuit - the Tarangire Treetops Camp (www.elewanacollection.com).

Have a good trip!