I am chuckling at the title of this post. If you knew where in Tanzania Mugumu and Arusha were–and what lies between these two towns–you’d understand why: the title of this post is a huge understatement for the experience I’m going to share with you today. I’ve done this deliberately; I want to tell you about this road trip the way I experienced it–from beginning to end.

My journey began on a cold morning in Mugumu, at Giraffe Garden Hotel, where I’d spent the night, having arrived the day before from Mwanza, via Bunda and Butiama. After a quick breakfast, my travel mates and I jumped into our cars for the short 40 km ride to…the Ikoma gate of…the Serengeti National Park! Our destination was Arusha, where most of my travel companions lived, but the road to Arusha would take us through both the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. As it would be my first time visiting the world-famous Serengeti, I was EXCITED!

To put things in perspective, as one of my travel companions reminded me, we weren’t going for a game drive through the Serengeti; rather, we would simply be driving through, staying on the main road. Nonetheless, just getting a chance to see the Serengeti seemed to me like reason enough for excitement!

Within an hour–having made a quick detour to the Serengeti Cultural Centre–we finally entered the Serengeti National Park. Having glimpsed at the park the previous day as we approached Bunda (the Serengeti National Park’s Ndabaka Gate is a few minutes outside Bunda and a 2-hour drive from Mwanza), I was not surprised to see woodland savanna as we entered the park.

After driving for a short while, we came upon giraffes munching on treetops. While crossing a small bridge, a few minutes later, we saw a herd of hippos mucking about in thick muddy water. Since I was in the mind frame that we weren’t on a game drive, I felt lucky that I’d already seen two large animals within 15 minutes of entering the park.

We continued our journey through the Serengeti and yet again came upon more animals—this time one of the Big Five: a herd of elephants. Game drive or not, we slowed down to take a closer look.

In all honesty, I am not an animal lover by any stretch. Although I have visited a number of East Africa’s national parks, it has almost always been due to someone else. Still, there’s nothing quite like watching animals in the wild. As our vehicle slowed down, the excitement in our car grew. We quieted down not to startle the elephants, grabbed our cameras and peered keenly through our windows. Anyone who has ever gone game watching knows what the feeling is like: your heart begins to race a little and the silence is enveloping, as you gaze in fascination at the magic of nature. We watched the elephants for a while until they walked away behind some bushes. The spell broken, we too continued on our way.

Again, we drove for some time until we came to a place where we saw cars lined up in the distance, obviously watching something. Since we were in the Serengeti, we knew it had to be an animal. We debated for a while about whether or not to join them, but in the end our curiosity won over. As soon as we got there, we realized what they were looking at: a leopard walking in the grass. To understand how rare it is too see leopards in the wild, one of my travel companions, a wildlife biologist with over 20 years experience working in the African wild, said that this was the first time she was getting to see one. We couldn’t believe our luck!

Forgetting temporarily that we were just passing through, we threw all restraint to the wind and became full-fledged travelers on Safari. We raised the roof of the car, stood on our car seats, got out our binoculars and cameras, and watched in captivation. At first the leopard was far away and we hoped it would come nearer, but as it got nearer, we hoped it wouldn’t do something terrifying like jump on our car or, even worse, try to get inside. Luckily, it didn’t. Rather, it casually walked in front of the cars and crossed the road to the other side, where it abruptly stopped. Not knowing much about the animal kingdom, I thought it had stopped simply because it felt like it. The experts in the car, however, suspected it had stopped because it had spotted something. It had. Hidden under a nearby bush was a rasp of guinea fowls.

The leopard stood at attention for a while, as though debating whether or not to attack the guinea fowls. Obviously, it must have decided against it because as suddenly as the leopard had stopped, it turned around, crossed the road, and returned from whence it came. The spectacle over, we resumed our journey.

The woodlands faded away as we entered the Seronera Valley, the Serengeti National Park’s central valley. With fewer trees, the Serengeti’s “endless plains” became more apparent. In Seronera, we saw all manner of antelopes–hartebeest, Thomson’s gazelles, Grant’s gazelles, and bachelor herds of impala. And then, we came upon zebras—zebras in single file in an unending line both to our left and to our right. Simultaneously, the driver and one of my travel companions cried out: “The migration!”

The Serengeti is host to the largest mammal migration in the world. Every year, year after year, more than 1.5 million mammals—wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle—cycle through the Serengeti ecosystem; including the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the Maasai Mara National Reserve (in Kenya); in search of water and greener pastures. Being one of the top 10 natural travel wonders in the world, I had heard of the Serengeti migration before but had no hopes of seeing it on this trip, given that we were just driving through and it was October, the driest month in the Serengeti, when most migratory animals were expected to be in the Maasai Mara.

To be honest, the migration I saw only involved a hundred or so zebra and wildebeest–these were the procrastinator animals (commonly referred to as the tail-end of the migration). Still, it was a wonder to behold. How did these animals know to start moving? Who led the migration? How did they know what direction to travel in? What kept them in line? I made a mental note: I was going to see the Serengeti migration, in its full glory, as soon as possible.

We continued through Seronera Valley almost uneventfully, stopping only once to look at a cheetah, perched on top of a water tank, preventing a water truck from drawing water. We watched the standoff for a few minutes, but seeing no impending resolution, we left and made our way to Naabi Hill, where we stopped for a bathroom break, visited the Visitor’s Information Centre, and took care of the formalities necessary to exit the Serengeti and enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). Formalities taken care of, we left the Serengeti National Park and moved on to the NCA.

As we entered the NCA, I noticed it looked much like the Serengeti except it was a bit hillier. The most notable difference was that people lived in the NCA, whereas we hadn’t seen any living in the Serengeti. Here, we saw Maasai tending to their livestock—sheep, goats, and camels—and generally going about their everyday existence, while we also continued to see wild animals like ostriches and baboons.

We drove through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for about two hours before we finally reached the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. We had not planned to visit the floor of the crater, but still we stopped at the rim to take a look, wonder at the grandeur of nature, and of course, take pictures. The Ngorongoro Crater (or more accurately, caldera) looked as majestic as I remembered it when I last visited three years earlier. After the short stop, we got back into our cars, drove directly to the main gates of the NCA, and exited the Ngorongoro-Serengeti ecosystem.

Needless to say, the three hour journey to Arusha, via Mto wa Mbu was anticlimactic, considering all we had seen earlier in the day. Luckily for me, I had something to look forward to: I would be visiting Arusha, a town I love, for the  first time in three years. I could harldly wait!

We finally arrived in Arusha, much to my delight, eight hours after our departure from Mugumu. And thus ends the story of my road trip from Mugumu to Arusha. What I thought of Arusha when I finally got there is a story for another day!

Hopefully, now you understand why I was chuckling at the beginning of this post: this road trip was not so much about driving from Mugumu to Arusha, but rather about driving through the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Although I completed this trip in a day, if I were to do it all over again, I’d spread it out over several days spending at least one night in the Serengeti and dedicating a full day to discovering all that the NCA has to offer. For more information about these magnificent nature reserves, please visit their official websites: Serengeti National Park & Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

And that’s if from me. If you’ve gone on a similar road trip before and would like to share your experiences, I’d love to hear all about it in the comment section below.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you.

Until the next time,
Biche

P.S. Subscribe to ChickAboutTown to know whenever I publish a new post. You can subscribe by email or in an RSS reader of your choice. You can also follow me on Twitter or on Facebook for daily musings on living &lifestyle in East Africa. Signing up is free and easy!

If you are anything like I used to be, you might think that Mwanza is a small, sleepy, upcountry town–in the guise of a city–with few interesting things to do in and around it. After spending a few days in Tanzania’s second largest city, I’ve changed my mind: I now know that Mwanza is a scenic, burgeoning, lakeside city (somewhat deserving of that name), with a selection of things to do in its vicinity. Don’t believe me? Here’s a list of seven things I enjoyed during my most recent trip to Mwanza that you can enjoy too the next time you visit!

1. Take a tour of the city Take a tour of Mwanza to learn more about this 121-year-old city. Visit downtown Mwanza and/or take a tour of Capri Point Peninsula to get a feel of the city and catch a glimpse of its rich history, with its many foreign influences (German, British, and Indian). To schedule a tour, hire a local tour guide (e.g., Dullah +255 (0)769 046631) or contact any local tour operator (e.g., Serengeti Expedition).
2. Visit the Sukuma Museum at the Bujora Cultural Center Mwanza’s indigenous inhabitants are the Sukuma, Tanzania’s largest ethnic group. Learn about the Sukuma by visiting the Sukuma Museum at the Bujora Cultural Centre. There, you will see 500-year-old royal drums and learn about traditional Sukuma iron smelting. When you are done at the museum, be sure to watch the resident dance troupe perform. The Sukuma are renown for their dancing and have been holding annual dance competitions for years. Sukuma snake dancing is something I am sure you won’t forget for a long time! The Bujora Cultural Centre is located 16 km East of Mwanza (off the Musoma Road) and can easily be accessed by public transport or by taxi.

3. Enjoy a sunset cruise on Lake Victoria The feel of Mwanza is in large part determined by its geographic attributes: its proximity to Lake Victoria, its rolling hills, and its huge, unusual rock formations, which earn it its nickname–Rock City. To fully appreciate the beauty and serenity of Mwanza, take a sunset–or sunrise–boat ride on Lake Victoria. To schedule a boat ride (for any time of the day), contact Hotel Tilapia‘s business center (price: $100 per hour for the boat–includes up to 20 people) or contact Jan, of Tunza Lodge (+255 (0)755 541078–price: for a 1-hour boat ride: 50,000 TSh. for the first 2 people and an additional 10,000 TSh. for every person thereafter).
4. Discover Rubondo Island National Park Rubondo Island National Park, the only national park on the world’s largest tropical lake, is a quick 40-minute flight from Mwanza (it can also be accessed by road and water, but that takes much longer). Walk through Rubondo Island’s dense forest to see both indigenous and introduced species such as sitatunga, a rare marsh-dwelling antelope, and chimpanzees (needs to be arranged in advance). Rubondo Island is also a great place for sport fishing. Here, tilapia and Nile perch have been known to grow to over 100 kilograms! For bird watchers, over 200 species of birds can be observed breeding or simply passing through nearby Bird Island. Auric Air flies regularly between Mwanza and Rubondo Island. To get to Rubondo Island National Park by road, drive 4-5 hours in the direction of Geita to Nkome, where you’ll be picked up by boat for a 2-hour ride to the island OR drive 8-9 hours from Mwanza, on the highyway that leads to Biharamulo, to Muganza/Kasenda, where you can be picked up by boat for a short 30-minute ride to the island (click here for a basic map). For more information, visit the Rubondo Island National Park website.
5. Head to Butiama to visit Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s home, mausoleum, and Memorial Museum Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere was not only Tanzania’s first president but, to some, also a world hero for social justice (so named by the president of the 63rd UN General Assembly in 2009). Butiama, a 3-hr drive from Mwanza, is President Nyerere’s hometown. There, you can visit the Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere Memorial Museum, which documents the life of this great statesman from his earliest days at Tabora Boys Secondary School, through to his contribution in the fight for Tanganyika‘s independence, covering his 23-year presidency, and finally until his death on October 14, 1999. His family home at Butiama, and his mausoleum, are now also open to the public. Click here for more information on how to get to Butiama.
6. See the spectacular view from atop Balili Mountain I tell you about this activity with particular delight: it was one of the most enjoyable, though unexpected, things that I experienced during my trip! In full disclosure, I did not climb Balili Mountain from its base; rather, I drove most of the way up the mountain to Balili Camp, then hiked the last 15-20 minutes to the viewpoint at its summit. The 360° view that I saw there was breathtaking! In one direction was the Serengeti, extending as far out as the eye could see (no wonder the Maasai call it “endless plains”); in another direction was Lake Victoria, which also seemed to stretch out to infinity; and not far from both of these was Bunda town, seemingly unaware of the majesty surrounding it. Balili Mountain, located right outside Bunda town, is a 2-hour drive from Mwanza, in the direction of Butiama and Musoma–only a few kilometers away from the Ndabaka gate of the Serengeti National Park. For more information, visit the Balili Camp website, or contact Tembea Mara Visitor’s Information Centre (+255 (0)714 445566), located at the foot of Balili Mountain.

7. Explore the Serengeti The Serengeti, ranked 1st among the top 10 natural travel wonders of the world, needs little introduction, but did you know that the Serengeti is only a 2-hour drive from Mwanza? Visit the Serengeti as a day trip from Mwanza, if you are pressed for time, or spend a few more days to take full advantage of all the national park has to offer. For more information, visit the Serengeti National Park’s official website, or contact any Mwanza tour operator (such as Serengeti Expedition).

This is by far not an exhaustive list of all there is to do in and around Mwanza; rather, it’s simply a list of some of the things that I enjoyed doing during my last visit there. If you know of something else that you would like to recommend to visitors of Mwanza, then I’d love to hear all about it in the comment section below. As always, I look forward to hearing from you.

Until the next time,
Biche

P.S. Subscribe to ChickAboutTown to know whenever I publish a new post. You can subscribe by email or in an RSS reader of your choice. You can also follow me on Twitter or on Facebook for daily musings on living &lifestyle in East Africa. Signing up is free and easy!

Photo Credit: Rubondo Island Photo by Frank Beier

P.S. Subscribe to ChickAboutTown to know whenever a new post is published. You can subscribe by email or in an RSS reader of your choice. You can also follow me on Twitter or on Facebook for daily musings on living &lifestyle in East Africa. Signing up is free and easy!

As those of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter might know, I spent the end of last week visiting Northern Tanzania–Mwanza, Mara (including Butiama), the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Arusha. Because of the busy itinerary planned, I didn’t attempt to blog about the trip while on it but, rather, shared what I could on Twitter, saving the blogging for when I got back to Dar es Salaam.

For those of you who don’t follow me on Twitter (or for those of you who do but somehow missed my tweets), this first post is a consolidation of the main tweets I wrote while traveling, with links to websites where you can see pictures or find more information. I hope you find this interesting and useful.

If you’d like to ask me a question or make a comment on something I shared in one of my tweets, please feel free to do so in the comment section below. As always, I look forward to hearing from you.

Until the next time,
Biche

Day 1: Dar es Salaam-to-Mwanza / Mwanza Hotels /Bujora Museum

• And so the journey begins…heading to JNIA now. First stop: Mwanza. I hope Precision is not delayed this time.
• Just flew Precision Air Business Class (Dar-Mwz) for the first time. Spacious. And breakfast was delicious!
• I have already driven down beautiful Nakasero Drive and seen Bismarck Rock, so truly, I am in Mwanza.

• Someone just planted a dream in my mind: apparently there are hot balloon safaris over the Serengeti $490/person/hour. Imagine that!
• Just had lunch at Malaika Beach Resort, Mwanza. Food was so-so. The rooms? Very, very nice!
• Very nice rooms at Malaika Beach Resort, Mwanza/$150 double room B&B/Free Wi-Fi/Comp. shuttle to airport.
• Did you know Mwanza had only 1 set of traffic lights and Arusha had 2? Hehehe…now you know.
• Apparently, Sukuma kings would cut their hair only once a year, and it’d be such an event that royal drums would be sounded. Interesting!
• If ever you get to visit Bujora Museum, please be sure to watch the dances, especially the snake dance. THRILLING!
• Had dinner @ Gold Crest Hotel, downtown Mwanza. Nice decor, professional service, good food & coffee bar. Can’t wait 2 sleep there tomorrow.

Day 2: Rubondo Island National Park / Wag Hill /Sailing on Lake Victoria

• And the touring continues. First stop: Rubondo Island National Park, the only park on Lake Victoria.
• Rubondo Island National Park was a li’l slow. Little wildlife, but the thick forest was nice & lake shore interesting in its different-ness.

• The best thing on the Island for me was Rubondo Island Camp. Would be perfect for a getaway with that special someone.
• @whthome Apparently, they’re only at the Northern- and Southern-most tip of the island. We didn’t see them. (Talking about chimps at Rubondo Island National Park.)
• In Kenya, I developed a taste for rustic lodges. Wag Hill, Mwanza is right down that alley. Pricey, yes, but so so nice!
• Wow! If u came 2 Mwanza just 4 the sunset boat ride from Tilapia Hotel, it’d b worth it. $100 for 1 hour on the boat total up to 20 people!
• @Andre_Muhozya Didn’t go 2 Saa Nane Island but sailed around it. Was great 2 sit/stand on-deck, feel the wind & waves, & experience sunset.

Day 3: Mwanza-to-Mugumu / Bunda, Mara / President Nyerere’s Home & Museum at Butiama

• The rooms at Gold Crest Hill were as good as I expected. Great executive hotel in downtown Mwanza. Incredibly low introductory rates!
• Oops…I meant Gold Crest Hotel not Gold Crest Hill.
• “Serenity on the Lake”, a lodge 20 mins from Serengeti’s Ndabaka gate, opening early 2012, featuring lake views from your bed. Imagine that! (Owned by the same group that owns Hotel Tilapia & Mbalageti Serengeti)
• For bird lovers, Speke Bay Lodge (10 mins from Serengeti’s Ndabaka gate) features nature walks where u can c 60 species of birds in 2 hrs.

• Speke Bay Lodge also features cool tents for the budget traveller.
• 1 of the best views I’ve EVER seen: the 360° view from the viewpoint @ Balili Camp, Bunda, Mara, overlooking Serengeti & Lake Vic. Grand!
• Just left Butiama where I visited President Nyerere‘s home, grave, and museum. Makes one think about how much one man did for his country!

Day 4: Mugumu to Arusha via The Serengeti National Park and The Ngorongoro Conservation Area

• Live in Dar es Salaam long enough & one forgets that it gets cold elsewhere. This morning, I woke up in Mugumu, Mara & it’s COLD! *Brrrrr*
• In Dar, we get watered-down traditional dances. I just saw Kuria dancing at the Serengeti Cultural Centre in Mugumu. Now we’re talking!
• Entering the Serengeti for the first time, through the Ikoma gate. Did you know it costs only 1,500 TSh for East African residents?
• …and only 10,000 TSh for East African registered vehicles? #Serengeti
• So far, I’ve seen giraffes…and hippos just chilling in the mud. #Serengeti
• …and now I’ve seen a HUGE herd of elephants! #Serengeti
• …I’ve seen Hartebeest (sp?)…and guinea fowl. #Serengeti
• …and a Leopard so unafraid of people that it walked up to a convoy of 6 cars and crossed the road in front of us. #Serengeti

• And the scenery, plains with a backdrop of hills, is amazing! #Serengeti
• I saw the wildebeest/zebra migration in person–woohoo! Animals in single file and grazing around, in other places. #Serengeti
• I’ve seen Thomson’s & Grant’s gazelles, bachelor herds of Impala, ostriches & a cheetah on a water tank preventing a truck from drawing H2O.
• Now entered Ngorongoro Conservation Area through the gate at Naabi Hill (I didn’t know the Serengeti and Ngorongoro shared borders).
• In Ngorongoro, so far, I’ve seen sheep (because Maasai are allowed to live and graze here) and camels. (Camels???!!!) #Ngorongoro
• @MulkiAhmed reminded me to share that we saw a baboon too. In fact, we saw it break into a tourist’s car & steal food. Hehehe…#Ngorongoro
• Businesses that act suspicious of their customers irk me. #AfricafeArusha #Shoprite

Day 5: Arusha & Back to Dar

• Of the last 4 #Precision Air flights I’ve taken, 1/2 have required that I wait 4 hrs for the next flight (no fault of my own). Not cool!
• Wow, that was one long road trip from Mugumu, Mara to Arusha–8 hours–but driving through the Serengeti & Ngorongoro was well worth it!
• It was great to be in Arusha again after so long. It’s still as fresh and clean as I remember it–just bigger and better!

• The Njiro Shopping Complex is quite impressive and more than I expected to find in Arusha!
• …and no trip 2 Arusha is complete 4 me without a visit 2 The Arusha Hotel (@arushahotel) which is even more beautiful than @ my last visit
• Need 2 get from Arusha 2 KIA/JRO cheaply? Try the Precision Air shuttle. Leaves 2.5 hrs b4 all local flights, from town office. 10,000TSh
• #Precision Air is a MESS!

P.S. Subscribe to ChickAboutTown to know whenever a new post is published. You can subscribe by email or in an RSS reader of your choice. You can also follow me on Twitter or on Facebook for daily musings on living &lifestyle in East Africa. Signing up is free and easy!

Photo Credits: Benny Geypens; limpinglemur; Biche; Ferdi’s – World; Maradentro; Tanzan

After spending the first day of the tour visiting African Barrick Gold’s open-pit Buzwagi mine, and a few community development projects in the nearby area, the second day of the tour was devoted strictly to visiting community projects around Buzwagi and Bulyanhulu–and making the short trip between the two mines. Once more, as promised, here are some pictures to share a little bit of what I saw. Enjoy! (Please be patient as the slideshow loads.)

Biche

The first stop of the day was the new Mwendakulima ward offices that ABG helped construct.

There we met the chairman of the ward, who had very good things to say about the positive relationship between ABG's Buzwagi mine and the surrounding villages.

Then, we went to see ABG's resettlement project which relocated villagers living in rudimentary mud housing like this...

...to more permanent structures like this one, on a new plot of land.

We then flew out on the company plane, "The Dash"...

...and made the short 15-minute trip to Bulyanhulu.

...where immediately, we could feel ABG's corporate presence again.

The "airport" at Bulyanhulu was a hive of activity, with many ABG employees leaving for or arriving from their regular time off .

Unlike Buzwagi, which is ABG's newest mine, Bulyanhulu is older, caters not only to ABG staff but also to their families, and has much more of a community feel. The foliage was outstanding...

I couldn't help but take a picture of this beautiful tree.

The Bulyanhulu canteen serves a mean meal...

...and the warmth of the service staff gave it a very homely feel.

After a quick lunch, we went to visit community development projects around Bulyanhulu. The first stop was a VCT Centre located off the mine site, which catered both to ABG staff and the surrounding community.

We spoke with the medical staff, who explained the importance of fighting HIV in the surrounding community in order to fight HIV effectively among ABG staff.

Then we visited Bugarama Secondary School, constructed by ABG...

...which had three science labs--one each for the study of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics--that reminded me a lot of the science labs at the high school I attended.

We found this Form 4 Physics class in progress, and from the look of things, it's not surprising to hear that Bugarama Secondary School students do very well in Science subjects on National Examinations.

We didn't visit the other classrooms at Bugarama Secondary School...

...but we did visit the headmaster's office, where we saw this poster...

...and this one, giving me great hopes for the long-term benefits this school will bring to the surrounding community.

(Sadly for these students, who we caught being disciplined, discipline at this school is not just a lofty sounding idea--ouch!)

As we left the school, I noticed that here, too, there were many bicycles...(again, any correlation with relative prosperity?).

We passed thorough housing projects on the way to our next stop and saw houses like this one...

...and this one, built for ABG staff through a housing loan scheme.

Our last stop for the day was IBUKA, a cooperative formed by 8 villages around ABG's Bulyanhulu mine, which inspired me by the proactive way in which the community had organized itself to interact with the mine.

Tired and exhausted after a long day, it was a pleasure to get to my room and find this welcoming sight as I opened the door (I thought the towel was a nice touch! :-)).

Lemon Spa
Haile Selassie Rd.
(Adjacent to George & Dragon)
Masaki, Dar es Salaam
Tel:       +255-(754)-814 531
             +255-(752)-220 120
Email:   lemonzpa@yahoo.com
(Click here for Lemon Spa menu.)

In the third post of my “Be My Guide to Your East African City” series, I asked about your favorite local spa. I also mentioned that it dawned on me that I had never been to a spa before, having always received my beauty and body treatments in beauty salons or fitness facilities. Shortly after publishing that post, I was graciously invited by Ramona Kashmiri, the owner of Lemon Spa in Masaki, Dar es Salaam, to visit her spa for the first time and sample some of the treatments offered there.

I had often seen Lemon Spa before because it’s located next to George & Dragon, an English-style pub that I like a lot. At the appointed time and date, I easily made my way to Lemon Spa, where upon arrival I was warmly greeted by a friendly and professional receptionist. I was scheduled for a Vanilla-Almond Pedicure and a Singo Scrub, a traditional Zanzibari treatment. After confirming the details of my appointment, the receptionist recommended that I begin with my pedicure.

She led me to the nail treatment area, separated from the rest of the day spa by wrought-iron-and-cloth screens. There, she offered me a seat, introduced me to my esthetician for the day, gave me some reading material, and offered me a drink. Within no time, my feet were soaking in a wooden bucket of warm water, and my pedicure was underway.

A pedicure is a pedicure is a pedicure (or is it?), but unlike many pedicures I have received at other beauty establishments in Dar es Salaam, where beauticians think nothing of yelling across the room conversing with fellow beauticians and customers, the ambiance at Lemon Spa was one of quiet calm, serenity and pampering. Phones were to be switched off or put on silent, and it was clear that the focus of the spa was its customers having a relaxing and rejuvenating experience.

With my pedicure complete, it was time for my scrub. Although I had given myself body scrubs at home before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from a professional one. Soon to find out, the esthetician led me to a pink-hued (much to my feminine delight!) room with a pink-kanga covered massage table at its center. She handed me another pink kanga, with the instruction to undress, as she left the room to give me privacy. Knowing the drill, I stepped out of my clothes, lay on the massage table, and covered myself with the kanga as I waited for the body scrub to begin.

A body scrub is a treatment in which a lightly abrasive substance is rubbed on the body to exfoliate and hydrate the skin, leaving it soft and smooth. In the case of the Singo Scrub, the abrasive substance is a blend of Jasmine, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Mpatchori (a sweet-smelling herb that grows in Zanzibar–not patchouli), Geranium, Sweet Basil, Sandalwood, and Rose water—hardly what comes to mind when you think of the word ‘abrasive’. For about half an hour, the esthetician rubbed this delicious mixture onto every inch of my body (well…almost ). Although a scrub is not meant to be a massage, it definitely felt a lot like one!

When she was done–and I was feeling completely pampered–she directed me to the shower area where I had a long hot shower to wash the scrub off. My skin was soft and super-hydrated, and I smelled d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s (much to the delight of the first person I hugged hello after leaving the spa)! Done with my treatments for the day, I tipped the esthetician, as is the norm after receiving beauty treatments, and went on my merry way—relaxed, rejuvenated, with baby-smooth skin and very cute toe nails.

I’ve been back to Lemon Spa several times since that first day and have tried other treatments they offer: I’ve had my eyebrows threaded (and loved the results!), had a massage and a facial (the Calming Green Tea Facial is H-E-A-V-E-N-L-Y!), and had body hair removed through waxing. The one thing that has been consistent across all my visits to Lemon Spa (other than the pleasure and pampering I’ve received from their treatments) has been the friendly and professional manner in which these treatments were carried out.

If you are in Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar and need beauty or body treatments done (or are simply in the mood for some much-needed pampering and relaxation), then I wholeheartedly recommend that you pay Lemon Spa a visit. Lemon Spa caters both to men and women, and has branches both in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Click here to see a full list of the treatments they offer. In case you are not interested in visiting Lemon Spa for yourself but would love to give someone else the gift of pampering and relaxation, then you’ll be pleased to know that Lemon Spa offers gift vouchers too.

To schedule an appointment, or for more information, call +255-754-814531 (for Lemon Spa in Dar es Salaam) or +255-772-877365/+255-242-23211​5 (for Lemon Spa in Zanzibar). Once you’ve experienced the pleasure of Lemon Spa for yourself, come back and leave me a comment telling me all about it.

As always, I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Until the next time,
Biche

P.S. This post was sponsored by Lemon Spa. If you’d like to let others know about your East African product, service, establishment, or event through ChickAboutTown, send me an email (Biche@Chickabouttown.com) to find out more.

P.P.S. Have you subscribed to ChickAboutTown yet? If not, subscribe by email or by RSS to know as soon as a new post is published. You can also join the conversation on Twitter or on Facebook for daily musings on living &lifestyle in East Africa. Signing up is free and easy!

Let’s take a break from the questions. This week finds me on a tour of African Barrick Gold–Tanzania’s largest gold producer’s–mines and operations in Northern Tanzania. The past three days have been interesting, to say the least, and as I promised my followers on Twitter, here are some pictures from the first day of the tour, when we visited ABG’s mines at Buzwagi. Enjoy! If you are anything like I was before this tour, I trust these pictures will satisfy some your curiosity about Tanzania’s goldmines and the life around them. (Please be patient while the slideshow loads.)

Biche

Our first stop on the way to Buzwagi was Mwanza.

Wondering where Mwanza is? Check out it's relative distance and direction from some of East Africa's towns and cities.

From Mwanza, we took a chartered plane...

...Auric Air, which I'd previously used several times on my way "home" to Bukoba.

We might as well have been sitting in the cockpit! :-)

Mwanza is Tanzania's second largest city. This finally clicked for me as I looked out over Mwanza from the plane.

Finally, we arrived at Buzwagi airstrip.

..in African Barrick Gold territory.

After a short drive, we reached the wall of ABG's residential enclave (apparently, the wall was named after a security officer who manned the gate-- how cute! :-))

The residential enclave included quaint litte houses, complete with pseudo-picket fences...

...and gardens/greenery.

After settling in, we visited the mining operations, where we were greeted by this huge mound of unprocessed gold.

This is the processing plant where that mound of gold will be processed into something more gold-looking. :-)

This is gold ore as it looks when it first comes out of the ground.

The mine at Buzwagi is an open-pit (above ground) mine, which essentially looks like a ginormous hole dug out of the ground.

I was mesmerized by the sheer magnitude of it all.

Finally, we reached the bottom of one section of the mine.

There we found a large 150-ton-capacity dump truck being loaded with gold ore.

In another section of the mine, we saw this powerful extractor digging ore from the ground.

Leaving the mine behind, we visited an innovative rainwater-harvesting project that can collect enough water to run the mine's operations for a whole year.

Once collected, the water is stored in a reservoir covered by a membrane to protect it from evaporation. (Can't possibly imagine there's a huge amount of water under this, eh?)

After the water project, we visited the mine's medical facilities where we wore boot-covers to keep the facility clean.

Then we visited ABG community projects in the surrounding area. One such project was a wall built at a Catholic girls' school for the girls' protection.

As we visited projects, I couldn't help but notice how arid the land was.

We also visited Mwendakulima Secondary School, a joint venture between ABG, the Tanzanian government, and the nearby community.

The first thing I noticed at the school were many, many bicycles parked in the school yard.

Could this be an indication of relative prosperity in the community surrounding the mine?

When we arrived, the students were on their afternoon break.

A wide-angle view of the school...

Returning to the mine, we had to pass through very strict security. If there's one thing I've learned about ABG, it's that they are obsessive about occupational safety and security...almost to a fault!

At night, we decided to venture to nearby Kahama for some nyama choma and pints. Shock on me when I saw this seemingly metropolitan city appear out of nowhere! Turns out, it was only the processing plant lit up for it's nighttime operations. :-)

This is where we settled on hanging out.

But, tell me, why does this place have two such different signs within meters of each other? That, I never figured out! :-)

From my last few posts, you might have begun to think that ChickAboutTown is now a music blog–don’t worry, it isn’t. If you don’t know the origin of my “Be my Guide to Your East African City” series, then I welcome you to read the very first post of this series (…and tell me your favorite restaurant in your East African city while you are at it! ). Hopefully, you’ll then realize that I’ve not suddenly become music obsessed; rather, blame the people at RunwayPassport–they’re the reason for all the music-related questions!

In my last two posts, you told me who you consider the best artists and the best bands in your city. Now tell me, where in your city should I go to listen to all this great music?

Question #13: In your East African town/city, where is the best place to hear music?

This question is a little hard for me to answer for Dar es Salaam (where I live), and I’ll tell you why in the first comment to this post. Hopefully, you’ll have an easier time than I did with this question and will be able to easily give me your answer in a comment below using the following format:

City/Town, Country:
Best Place to Hear Music:
Address/Location:
Website(s):
Why do you like this place?

As always, I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Until the next time,
Biche

P.S. Subscribe to ChickAboutTown to know whenever a new post is published. You can subscribe by email or in an RSS reader of your choice. You can also follow me on Twitter or on Facebook for daily musings on living &lifestyle in East Africa. Signing up is free and easy!

Photo Credit: Toucanradio

Like many other things I learned from my parents, I learned to enjoy listening to live bands from them too. As a child, my parents, my siblings, and I would head out to Hotel Ivoire Abidjan every Friday and/or Saturday night to listen to L’Orchestre Le Best (which I recently found out Lokua Kanza used to sing for! ) and have a fantastic time. Because we did this so often, in no time,  I could sing along to every song the band played, and when the music got really hot, I would run up to the area in front of the band and dance away–hoping against hope that I wouldn’t get in trouble with my parents for being too showy (a pet peeve of theirs!).

As a teenager, live music did not form a big part of my social life. Excuse me, but local live music just wasn’t cool! At that age, what my friends and I were more concerned with was keeping track of the latest hits released across the ocean, in Europe and America. Moving to East Africa as a young adult, though, live bands once again began to feature in my life.

The Rough Guide to Tanzania calls Dar es Salaam “the best place in East Africa for catching live music”. After living here for two and a half years, I can see why.  On most nights of the week, many great bands play at a variety of venues across the city. These bands range from those of legendary musicians such as King Kiki, to those of more modern recording artists such as Lady Jaydee and Banana Zorro, to Congolese-sounding dance-inducing bands like FM Academia, and everything in between. So I can now confidently answer for myself the question I have for you today, which is…

Question #12: In your East African city/town, what’s your favorite local band?

To know my answer, check out the first comment to this post. To give me yours, leave me a comment below in the following format:

City/Town, Country:
Favorite Local Band:
Website(s):
Why do you like this band?

As always, I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Until the next time,
Biche

P.S. Subscribe to this blog to be alerted whenever I publish a new post. You can subscribe by email or in an RSS reader of your choice. You can also follow me on Twitter or on Facebook for daily musings on living &lifestyle in East Africa. Signing up is free and easy!

Photo Credit: Beachwood Photography