Even saw this little baby baboon.

We went to the lookout to watch the hippos.

This is when those long lenses and binoculars come in handy.

We also saw a lot more giraffes, zebras,  elephants and warthogs.

This is a national park so you can not go off road – but this group of pink flamingoes was spectacular even from a distance – although one needed the binoculars to figure out what that pink mass was on the horizon.  While we saw a lot of other jeeps at the entrance to the park and at our spot for lunch, there are so many different parks to the park that we rarely saw other jeeps while driving around.

At about 12:30pm we stopped for lunch at a spot with picnic tables and had the lunch packed for us by Exploreans. I must say that the bathrooms here and at the entrance to the park were quite nice and very clean with lots of toilet paper and soap. Do not hesitate to make a pit stop here. We were back at the lodge about 4pm after stopping to get gas along the way.

We arrived at Exploreans about 12:30pm – perfect timing for lunch, which we got to enjoy out on the terrace.

The rest of the day was ours to relax, which actually worked out quite well since some were not feeling well and really just wanted to sleep/rest.

This is a very nice lodge in a lush tropical setting with very manicured and well cared for gardens.

Very different from the surroundings at Manyara.   Every time we arrived whether our first time or after game drives we were always welcomed with a wet washcloth and juice.  It appears as though all the rooms are the same size and they are huge!!  Everyone is in an individual thatched hut.

Stephen and I shared one and Holly and the kids shared one.  They have a nice size sitting room, a large bedroom and a nice size bathroom.

The bathroom had two sinks, tons of counter space, and even a full length mirror! Water pressure in the shower was great!

The outdoor deck was huge and had a fairly comfy daybed to relax on. The deck got a nice afternoon sun which could warm you up.

The main lodge was L-shaped with one part being where breakfast and dinner was served and the other side having comfy club chairs and tables for drinks, reading or visiting.  There was also a pool and deck area to lounge at outside.

The service was quite good, though I have to say that the food was not up to par with Manyara Ranch.  The soups and pastas were nice, but other things were hit and miss.  Whether you ordered a steak medium rare or rare it was always medium well.  They did always have a local specialty on the menu – which tended to be a stew type dish that Stephen seemed to enjoy.

There were two negatives about this place.  Number one – while there were tons of outlets in the rooms (including one strip that included adaptors), there were no plugs in the bathroom.  Number two – the room and the main lodge were both very cold.  There was a fire place in the bedroom, which you could call to have them light, but it did not do as much as one would like.  In general, it was actually warmer outside then inside.  At night it wasn’t a big problem – lots of comfy blankets, and while we were at dinner they provided a turn down service which included a hot water bottle in the bed – I loved that!!

However, during the day/afternoon it was cold and if inside your room, one wanted to snuggle under the covers of the bed.  Also, the dining room was cold at night and we wore our coats to dinner inside the lodge.

Our first morning we had a 7:30am wakeup call which included coffee, hot chocolate and biscuit on the deck.

Then breakfast at 8am which is a full made to order breakfast of eggs, omelettes, bacon, sausage and oatmeal.  For our longer trips to Manyara National Parka and Ngorongoro Crater the lodge made us lunch boxes.  Cute and convenient but the meals were only so-so, the pasta was better than the sandwich.

The lodge also had a small but nice gift shop.  I purchased a nativity and a beaded necklace.  I collect nativities so was so pleased to find this one!!  The store did not ship for you, luckily the nativity was extremely light and not a problem to carry with us for the remainder of the trip.

Here is where our first “unexpected” incident of the trip happened.  We were here for three  nights.  On our third night, while we were eating dinner in the main lodge, the thatched roof caught on fire from a flue of one of the wood stoves – it was not properly insulated.  All the employees came running out of the kitchen, etc. and kept pointing up to the fire but no one seemed to know what to do.  Soon someone brought over a very large fire extinguisher but it either did not work, was empty or they did not know how to use it.  The guests were starting to call for water and finally some one brought over some tubs (similar to what you would use to carry dirty dishes) and began to throw the water up to the ceiling.  The fire was put out and no one was ever in danger, but it does make one wonder about the construction and lack of insulation on the wood stove flues.  I am also a bit curious as to how they are going to go about repairing that roof.

Up next, our visit to Manyara National Park.

To read about the other parts of our trip clicker here:

Safari Planning

Safari Packing Tips

Two nights in Arusha and orphanage visit

Our stay at Manyara Ranch

We woke up to another nice breakfast and were packed and ready to meet Modi at 9am. Now Modi is a soft spoken, quiet man who was always very kind.  When driving in the city he often let people cross the street or pull in front of him.  He graduated from the University and was married with two kids.  He was not a big talker, but when he smiled his face lit up, and he was like an encyclopedia of knowledge about all the animals and plants.  We loved Modi!!

It was so fascinating to be watching the animals and have him talk about how they mate, eat or protect themselves as we were watching them do it!! We even learned about how the plants and trees communicate with each other and how they defend themselves. Modi always took great care of us and washed the jeep everyday – we definitely had the best looking jeep out there!! When driving with Modi we always had an enclosed jeep where the top popped up for game viewing!  These are generally used when driving from place to place as the open jeeps may not be driven on the highway/main roads.

Our first stop was to meet Israel, our Naipenda Safari contact while in Tanzania.  We stopped at the Naipenda offices in Arusha and had a nice chat with Israel, in his shiny grey suit and shoes.  As I mentioned earlier, it was nice to know there was someone available 24/7 that we could call in case of, well…. anything.

Israel did mention that while our original itinerary was supposed to be three nights at Manyara Ranch, two nights at Exploreans Lodge and three nights at Singita Sabora there had been a computer crash at Manyara Ranch and they lost a bunch of information so now we would be staying only two nights at Manyara and three nights at Exploreans.  At the time I was completely fine with it as it was just changing nights at places I had already chosen (not moving us to a lodge or camp I had not chosen).  I was a bit suspect whether it was really Manyara or Naipenda’s fault but when we were at Manyara Ranch they did confirm that their computer’s had crashed and messed up their reservation system.  When we returned home we received a refund check as a night at Exploreans was cheaper than a night at Manyara.

Our next step was to buy some beans for those “bean bags” we had bought to use with our cameras.  Modi seemed familiar with this whole idea and said we would stop at the supermarket rather than the open air market because it was safer.  We thought that seemed like a good idea.  Unfortunately, when we arrived at the supermarket it was closed for “rebranding” which Modi explained meant restocking.  So, we had to walk across the street to the open air market – but not before Modi had a conversation with the man in the parking lot with the khalishnikov machine gun – who “offered” to watch our jeep while we were in the market.  Considering all our belongings were in there it seemed a good idea to oblige. Now we have been to a lot of open air markets in SE Asia and Northern Africa, and have definitely felt safe with or without a guide, and encountered little harrassment, even in some less touristed areas.  However, here, even with Modi we had someone following us and asking us questions.  “Where were we from?”, “Where were we going?”  He finally left while we were buying our coveted beans, but it was a bit uncomfortable.

Back to our jeep after paying off our guard and one last stop at the Cultural Heritage Center before heading out to the bush!!  The Cultural Heritage Center has lots of shopping, a restaurant and an art gallery, but most importantly decent toilets which was our main purpose for stopping here.  Then on the road we went! A lot of interesting things along the way – many Masai herding their cows and goats, and markets with a sea of red Masai.  It was about an hour and a half drive to Manyara Ranch Conservancy.  The luxury tented camp is located within the wildlife corridor between Tarangire and Manyara National Park.  We arrived and were shown to our tents.

Wow!  Now this was glamping!!  They were large tents with a bed, campaign desk, armoire, foot locker (with lock to store valuables), sink with counter, toilet and shower all with running hot water!

One note about the hot water.  Each tent has its own boiler to heat the water, and must be lit by hand.  Generally the water was heated after the morning and evening game drives, but you could ask them to heat it if you wanted to shower at a different time.  There was electricity in the tent – lights, etc. but no plugs.  They did have a power strip in the main tent that everyone used to plug in their phones, ipads etc to charge.  The wifi was good in the main tent, but we could not get wifi in our tents. Outside of each tent was a nice chest where you could set things, chairs and a recliner.

Oh, and an amazing view!

The main tent was nice with chairs to sit in and relax and the table where meals were served family style.

We arrived just in time for lunch.  Des, who made it a priority to remember everyone’s name and preferences, and his crew did an amazing job with food and serving everyone.  Lunches were vegetarian and today was quiche, beet salad, cole slaw, avocado and tomato salad, homemade bread and a fruit cup for dessert.  Everything was delicious!!

We also got to meet Greg, a young South African who was working as the Ranch Asst. Manager. After we relaxed for a bit we then met back up with Modi at 3:30pm for our first game drive.   Because Manyara is a private reserve we were able to drive off road and get close to the animals.  As we found out later when visiting two National Parks this really makes a difference – I encourage everyone when planning a safari to try to stay on at least one private reserve! While on our game drives here we saw impala, giraffe, gazelles, zebra, elephants, wildebeest, ostrich, jackals, warthogs, dic-dics, and a black mambo!

Here, we were also able to go on a night drive as well as a walking safari.  For the night safari and to get to the start of our walking safari we drove in our first open jeep.  These were amazing experiences that we were unable to have in the other places we stayed.  At Manyara we always had a Masai tracker with us in the jeep.  In addition, the Masai are at the camp at night to walk you to and from your tent.  There is a flashlight in your tent and all you had to do was flash it and within 15 seconds a Masai was there to lead you. Our first night there we were the only group at the camp and we had great conversation with Greg and Alan who is from Zimbabwe and is the camp manager.  We discussed African politics, corruption, religion, where else to go on safari – everything! The next morning we were woken up at 6am for our walking safari by a “knock” on our tent and hot coffe, tea, hot chocolate and biscuits delivered right to our tent.

We met up with Alan at 6:30 to be driven in an open air jeep to the start of our walking safari.

Sadly, we did not get to see any animals – as Alan said, “we got skunked” – but it was still an amazing way to start the day, and so good to get some exercise!  Back to camp and we had a delicious breakfast that included yogurt, cereals, bananas, pineapple, watermelon and made to order eggs that came with beans, potatoes, tomatoes and sausage. At 10am Modi picked us up to take us to the Masai village for a visit.  This is the same village where the trackers and guards were from.  I know some people do not like to do these kinds of visits, but I find them interesting and we enjoyed our time there.  Some villages are really set up to have the tourists visits and they sort of put on a show, but here we just visited a bit and they showed us inside one of their tents.

An animal skin that was drying.

Even the Masai Chief had a cell phone.

There is also a lot of controversy about whether or not to bring gifts.  Generally there are too many people there to bring something for everyone.  I agree with those who say it is better to just buy something from them as they lay out all the beaded jewelry that they make for you to purchase.

Once again, the kids loved to see themselves in the camera!!

After our afternoon game drive we came back in time for a sundowner before dinner – enjoying the sunset in front of the fire with some wine and amazing appetizers of bruschetta and vegetable tempura!

At dinner tonight more guests had arrived.  A great Spanish couple who were on their honeymoon – he was an absolutely hoot!  With broken, but decent English, unstoppable energy and a penchant for American politics and economics – he loved Sarah Palin, and wanted to talk about Alan Greenspan and Janet Yellen!!  Our other guests were two couples from Texas and George, their “driver”.  The night before Greg and Alan had mentioned that George, one of the owner’s of the ranch would be arriving with some guests the next day and had also mentioned he grew up in Tanzania but was a Cypriot (from Cyprus). Now, we have a friend at home who grew up in Tanzania but is Greek – a long shot but I was curious to find out if, by chance, they knew each other.  When we came to dinner and met each other George introduced himself as the Texan’s “driver”, but I was a bit suspect that he was also the ranch owner – which of course was the case – oh, humble George!  Next, I had to find out if he knew our friend Platon.  When he found out we were from Oregon he asked if we knew of a particular restaurant in Eugene – apparently his aunt owned it.  We didn’t but then had to ask, if by chance he knew Platon – well…..not only did he know Platon, but Platon’s brother was one of his best friends and they had all grown up in Tanzania together like cousins – my, it really is a small world!! Had to take this picture of Michael and George to post on social media for those back home!

Michael also learned the fine art of opening a champagne bottle from Greg.

Next up, our stay at Exploreans Lodge.

If you want to read more from our safari – click on the links below:

Safari Planning

Safari Packing tips

Two nights in Arusha and orphanage visit

Our Stay at Exploreans Lodge

Just outside of Arusha, but away from the chaos and mayhem of the city we created a sanctuary of tranquility. We believe Machweo to be the hidden gem you have been looking for: a refuge for those who enjoy the finer things in life. Recharge your batteries after your flight or enjoy some serious pampering before or after your safari adventure or climbing expedition.

We had decided to spend two nights at Machweo to do just that – recharge our batteries.  It was about a 40 minute drive from the airport.  By the time we arrived it was almost 9:30pm and we were starving – but I was not sure if they would still be serving dinner, I was hoping they may be able to provide a snack.  As they were showing us to our rooms I asked how late they served dinner and her response was “We serve dinner until you are finished.”  I was thinking, that’s a good answer!!

We dropped off our bags, washed our faces and headed up to the open air dining area where all our meals were served.

We were served 3 small plates and a soup and then given a verbal menu to choose a starter and a main course.  Lastly, we were served dessert.  Everything was quite good, particularly the soup which would be a common theme throughout our stay in Tanzania.

Our rooms were a very nice size with a large 4 poster bed with mosquito netting, two nightstands, a small desk and a little side room with a twin bed which came in handy for placing our luggage.

The bathroom was a good size with lots of counter space and  towels.

We had a nice deck area outside of our room and there were some nice views from the property.

After dinner we crashed on our beds, tummies full, happy to have made it here safely

The next morning we went to the breakfast buffet which incl yogurt, cereals, meats, breads, croissants, cheeses and juice.  In addition to this there was also a menu where you could order eggs, omelettes, french toast, sausage and bacon.

Before we left on the trip we had decided that we wanted to visit an orphanage.  I asked Naipenda for any recommendations and they sent me links to four places.  We looked them over and chose the Faraja Orphanage in Arusha, just a 10 minute drive from Machweo.  Modi came to pick us up in the morning and we headed over there.

When we first arrived the kids were in classes learning basic letters, reading and writing.  The head of the orphanage brought us into the bunk room where he gave us a quick talk about the orphanage and then gave us a tour.  By this time the kids came out of class to play.  They loved being with us, calling us all “teacher” and reveling in the prospect of having their picture taken with our phone.  “Teacher, photo, teacher, photo” was what we heard over and over!!  They absolutely loved to see themselves or their friends on the iphone screen!  Here you can see a group of boys huddled around Michael’s phone.

After reading quite a bit we had decided not to bring gifts to the kids as many orphanages do not like the children always expecting a handout and often people do not bring enough items for all the kids.  It is best to make a donation upon your return home or before you arrive.  I have to say the kids did not care that we had not brought them gifts.  They would just grab our hands or the little ones would ask us to pick them up.  They really just wanted to play and interact.  Holly and Michael did want to get a soccer ball so we could play with the kids.  One of the orphanage directors took them in his car along with one little girl, who could not have been more proud that she got to join them, and then drove to the nearest shop that sold them.  When they came back we followed the kids, literally “over the river and through the woods” to a clearing where we could all play.

We also met to Danish girls, one 16 and one 19, who were both volunteering there.  A great time was had by all, and Michael gave his favorite hat to one of the boys who could not believe Michael would let him keep it!!

One of the things that I loved about the kids was that whether in class, playing futbol of just hanging around if they had a backpack they kept it on all the time – so cute!!

After our orphanage visit we came back and had a nice lunch and rested.  Since this is the Machweo Spa and Wellness Retreat, I had decided to book us all massage treatments in the afternoon.   Now overall the massages were fine, but there were things that were a bit odd or quirky.  After the massage they sent us to use the steam and then the sauna.  However, they are both located outside of the spa building so you had to walk by the pool and they just give you a towel to wrap around yourself, which was enough to do the job but still felt uncomfortable.  Luckily for us no one was hanging around the pool.

Then, when you are all done you just pick up your clothes and go back to the room (in your towel) as there are no showers in the spa area.  I do not remember if there were any robes in our rooms or not but if there were they should have asked us to come in those to the spa or provide them at the spa.  Anyway, something we all laughed about it dinner.

Overall, a wonderful and memorable day.

Next up – our stay at Manyara Ranch tented camp

If you want to read more about our safari click the links below:

Safari planning

Safari packing tips

Two nights in Manyara Ranch 

Our stay at Exploreans Lodge

What to wear, what to pack – probably two of the most often asked questions when planning to go on safari.  This can also have added difficulty if you are doing internal flights and are given a maximum luggage weight of 15 kg (33lbs) per person for everything, luggage AND carryon combined.  Now, we always travel with carryon only so are used to traveling light – but 33 lbs for EVERYTHING especially when carrying so much camera equipment, binoculars, etc. is daunting!!  We worked really hard to have everyone down to the 33 lbs.  In all honesty when we left home we were all about 34-36 lbs. each.  But, we discovered that while it is important to watch the weight and be mindful of it, they do not actually have scales anywhere on these airstrips and as long as you are not carrying too much oversized luggage you are probably fine.  That being said, I would still stay below 40 lbs and not push it.  In the end we were happy we had packed light – there was not anything we had left at home that we wished we had brought and having fewer items made it really easy to pack every time we moved.  Most camps will provide laundry service so no need to overpack.

I scoured Fodors, TripAdvisor and blogs to learn what to wear and pack.  I got all kinds of advice, for the most part all good.  The majority would say things like – “wear whatever you want, don’t buy clothes just for the safari, BUT do not wear white, black, bright colors, particularly bright blue.”  Considering that most of my wardrobe is black/white and bright colors I did not see how I was going to get away without buying new clothes.  I do own some khaki shorts and an army green jacket and I did bring those and they came in handy, but I did need to buy a few things as well.  Let’s start by discussing some of the things that are said, and discuss why they are recommended.

No black or white – basically this is because they can get dirty/dusty, particularly if you are driving in an open air vehicle.  If you will be in an enclosed vehicle for your game drives this is less of an issue

No bright colors – I have read that many animals can not see bright colors – only black and white so this is not so much for the animals.  Plus everyone always points out that the Masai wear bright colors so if you want to you can.  I just relate this to dressing to “fit in”, ie you would not wear a suit/tie or dress to go to the gym and you would not wear work out clothes to a wedding.  Not everyone you will see,  but the majority of people will be in neutral/khaki/nature colors as are all the drivers/guides.  I think one just feels most comfortable wearing this while out on safari so you do not stand out so much.  OTOH, we did push the envelope on this just a tad with peach tee and purple top…

No blue (particularly bright blue) – This one is important!!  Apparently, it is true that tsetse flies are attracted to bright blue – evidenced by the many blue tarps hanging on trees that are put there to attract the tsetse fly.  If you see Masai wearing bright blue (which they do), then you know you are not in tsetse territory!

Tennis shoes/trainers are fine – We found this to be correct.  Most of your time is spent in the jeep so any sport shoe is fine.  Even if you are doing a walking safari it should be adequate unless you are doing some real hiking.

Layers – Yes!Yes!Yes!  This is probably the most important thing.  Layer up in the morning when it is cold and then peel them off as it begins to warm up.

One thing that was never really made clear to me, but Carol, my friend/agent told me was that you can wear whatever you want in the camp – i.e. a bright shirt is okay at dinner or around camp to take you out of the color doldrums now and then.

Here is a list of  what I packed.  I wore everything on the trip EXCEPT an extra top I threw in at the last minute and an extra pair of sandals I brought.

Three camis in neutral colors.  Ordered online from J Jill.  Great layering piece and perfect for when it got hot.

Three long sleeve button up shirts that I could roll up the sleeves – colors – khaki, army green, eggplant.  Purchased from REI and one was found at Macy’s.

Three long pairs of hiking pants (one was zip off) and an extra pair of khaki shorts – Bought the pants at REI, Eddie Bauer and Prana, already owned the shorts.  Went with khaki colors and a dark gray.  We were there in June so not as hot – if going in warmer season would want more shorts.

A patagonia lighter weight fleece with hood and army green jacket – My fleece was the favorite thing I brought, it was the perfect weight for early morning or evening game drives to add as a layer.  Did not really need the jacket too much but was glad I had it for the few times that I did.

Three nicer tops and sweaters to change into for dinner – dressing up for dinner is really not necessary, but I do think it feels good to take a shower and get out of your safari clothes and put on something a little nicer for dinner.  I also brought a scarf which many had recommended and I was glad I did.  These were all clothes that I already had.  At the last minute I threw in another top but ended up never wearing it.

This is what I wore on the plane – skinny jeans, nicer t-shirt and long sleeve sweater.  I used the skinny jeans to wear to dinner each night with the nicer tops I brought.

These were the shoes I brought – flip flops, sandals, Toms, light weight trail shoes – I already had them all except for the trail shoes.  The flip flops were great for walking around camp during the day.  I brought the extra pair of sandals because I thought I might wear them for dinners but for me it was too cold at dinner time for sandals.  The Toms came in handy to wear at dinnertime when I wanted my feet covered but did not want to wear the trail shoes.  All of my sneakers at home are bright colors and I did not want to bring my heavy hiking boots (for weight purposes)  so I did go buy a pair of lightweight trail shoes.  These are Merrells and they were perfect!  I have already worn them a few times since coming home.

Tilley Hat – I already owned this Tilley hat and it was great to have.

Pajamas –  I just brought a long pair of lightweight pj pants, two short sleeve t-shirts and one long sleeve t-shirt.

Socks – Three pairs of ankle high hiking socks – helped protect my ankles from mosquitoes

Underwear – I brought 14 pair enough to make it through the entire trip.  I had read that in Africa they often will not wash your underwear.  Many suggest bringing some laundry soap and washing it in the sink, but frankly when on vacation that is not what I want to do so I brought enough to make it the whole trip with out cleaning.  However, the places we were staying all cleaned underwear so was not necessary, but I was glad I was prepared!

Camera gear – We had three of us with 35 mm cameras.  I had a little point and shoot but mostly used my iPhone to take pics and upload to social media when we had wifi.  For wildlife photography my husband had a Pentax K-3 body (35 mm) and a Pentax 55-300 lens which made it equivalent to a 450 mm lens which he said he used every bit of, particularly when in National Parks and you can not drive off road.  In addition, he did have other shorter lenses for pics of people, etc.  He also definitely recommends you bring a bean bag for throwing over the top of the jeep and setting your camera on to help stabilize it.  We brought a Safari Sack I (R420X) and a Gura Gear Anasi Weight Bag Sack.  The Safari Sack was a bit larger and provided more area to set your camera.

Binoculars – These are a must!!  We brought 3 pair for 5 of us, which seemed to work out pretty well, since some people were tied more to their cameras anyway.  We brought:  a Nikon 8×42 Monarch 5, a Nikon 8×42 ProStaff 7, and a Vortex 8×42 Diamondback.  The original plan was to purchase those, decide which we liked best and return two and get two more of our favorite.  It turned out too difficult to determine the favorite while at home and using it only on a limited basis so we just ended up keeping all three.  While on safari we determined that our favorite was the Nikon Monarch 5 – it seemed best for color rendition and its lightweight.

Other things that are helpful to bring even if you do not end up using them:  flashlight (we used a lot – if you wake up in the middle of the night it is pitch black in your tent), sunscreen, insect repellant, First Aid Kit,  day pack (helpful to have while in the jeep to carry whatever you might need), Immodium, Cipro (or other antibiotic), Malarone (anti-malarial), tylenol/ibuprofen, sunglasses, protein bars (I found these helpful on early morning drives before breakfast)

Makeup – I bring up this subject because a lot of people say not to bring makeup.  With early morning wakeups and most dinners by candlelight many people see no need.  I think this is a very personal decision.  I do not wear a lot of makeup, but to be honest I rarely go out of the house without anything!  It can take me just a minute or two to put on light makeup and I was glad I brought it and used it when I felt like it!!  I would like to note that I did not bring any body soap/shampoo/conditioner as I figured we were staying in some nice places and  this should be provided.  However, our first two places did not provide separate conditioner, it was a shampoo/conditioner combo which is never quite the same.  Not a big deal, but if important to you bring a travel size conditioner bottle.

For the record, if your wardrobe is made up of a lot of khaki and neutral colors then you probably will find that you can dress for safari from your own closet.  My 18 yo son was too busy concentrating on graduation to pay much attention to what to wear on this trip.  Luckily he had plenty of khaki pants/shorts, several light grey t-shirts (long and short sleeve),  a light grey fleece and light weight grey jacket and he was good to go!!

Next up  two nights in Arusha and an orphanage visit!

Safari Planning

Two nights at Manyara Ranch

Our stay at Exploreans Lodge

I knew I wanted to go on safari with the kids at some point, but I also knew I did not want to “rough it”.  While I wanted a tented camp, I also wanted hot showers, flushed toilets, electricity, and oh, that “Out of Africa” feel would be nice.

Suffice it to say, I knew I was interested in a luxury safari.  So, I decided to wait until it was a momentous year for us – which 2014 was.  Our daughter graduated from college, our son graduated from high school and hubby and I both turned 50 – great things to justify a “splurge” adventure!!  Also, I suspected this might be the last family vacation for awhile with all four of us, due to college and new work schedules.

If you have read my other posts you know when we travel I usually do all the planning by myself, however I did use a travel agent (a good friend) for our Israel/Jordan trip and I decided to contact her again for this one.  I knew she had recently been on 2-3 safaris and she knows how we like to travel.  With the myriad of options for where to go, safari companies to use, camps to stay at, it seemed a little overwhelming so a phone call to Carol seemed the place to start.

I began by stating we needed to go in June and wanted to do a South African Safari with a few days in Capetown.  Her immediate response was “Capetown in June will be like San Francisco in the winter, and if you are looking for the ‘Lion King’ feel than I suggest you consider East Africa – namely Tanzania and/or Kenya.”  Spending time in a cold/wet city was not high on our list for June, and of course I wanted that ‘Lion King’ experience!!

So, I started researching East Africa and decided on the Northern Circuit of Tanzania.  I did not want the trip to be much more than 2 weeks as we were not sure what my daughter would be doing after graduation and did not want to close off too many job opportunities due to her being gone for a long time (as it was, the job she did get started a week before we arrived home, but they allowed her to start a week late – more time than that and I suspect it may have been tough).  I did play with the idea of a few nights on the end in Zanzibar but in the end decided not to extend the trip for that.

Now it was time to pick locations and camps.  I decided a mix of lodges and tented camps was the way to go.  We went with nice, luxe and ultra luxe when picking our locations.  Since our flight would not be arriving in JRO until 7:45pm in the evening, I determined that spending two nights in Arusha on our arrival would be important, particularly since we had just a 1.5 hr layover in Amsterdam.  This would give us time to decompress after the long flights as well as give us an extra day if for some reason we missed the connection in AMS.  This turned out to be an excellent idea – we did not miss the connection but really enjoyed the extra day to settle in before heading out on safari.  I will give more details on each place we stayed in future posts but we ended up with this itinerary:

Two nights in Arusha at Machweo Lodge (this is actually just outside of Arusha)

Three nights Manyara Ranch – a permanent tented camp located in a private reserve (the Manyara Ranch Conservancy) between Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Park

Two nights at Exploreans Lodge by Ngorongoro Crater

Three nights at Singita Sabora a permanent tented camp in the private Grumeti Reserve just bordering Serengeti National Park.

Everything was booked through Naipenda Safaris which specializes in Tanzanian Safaris.

The US contact is Jo Bertone who is located in Texas and she was excellent always responding quickly to our questions.  Israel Mwanga is the contact in Tanzania and while we did not have any interaction with him before leaving the US,  he made sure we met him in person before heading out on safari, which was much appreciated.  He was very professional and we were glad to know he was available 24/7 while we were in Tanzania.

We booked about a year in advance which was good since our dates were pretty set and we were staying at some smaller properties.  We also had our friend join us who is the kid’s “big sister” and who traveled with us to Vietnam in Dec. 2011 (read about that trip here).   Once these were all booked there was not too much else to research as on a normal trip where I would plan what we would see, do and where we would eat each day.  This of course, left me open to obsess over what to pack/wear while on safari!!  However, from the online travel forums I do not think I am alone in this.  Next up – packing!!  Click here to read on!

Packing tips

Our time in Arusha and orphanage visit

Two nights at Manyara Ranch

Our stay at Exploreans Lodge

It was so great to meet all the bloggers from all over the country.  For a few this was their first time to Oregon!!

The next morning started bright and early with a tour of some of the orchards with Harry & David orchard director, Matt Borman.

We learned all about the care and feeding of pears and Harry & David’s philosophy of “growing gifts”!

I just loved that phrase and was proud to realize this was all happening in my hometown!   The incredible weather and stunning  fall views of the valley really made this a fantastic morning and left our out of town bloggers excited to see more of the amazing Rogue Valley.

Our next stop was the Harry & David candy factory where we got to see all the delectable treats being created – from cookies, to Moose Munch, to truffles, cakes and more!!

A special treat for us was to meet in the Candy Research and Development lab with Connie and Charlie at the Harry & David chocolate factory (Yes! That is his real name!!)

We poured our own chocolate into molds and painted it – what fun!

After our candy making escapade we headed over to Jacksonville to have a wonderful lunch at Deja Vu Bistro (one of hubby’s and my favorite restaurants in the Rogue Valley).

After lunch we had some time to stroll the charming streets of Jacksonville and shop in one of my favorite stores – Terra Firma where there are all kinds of beautiful, eclectic and unique gifts.  Something for everyone, I guarantee it.

Our last stop was at the award winning Rogue Creamery in Central Point.

This too is a wonderful treasure that we locals get to experience on a regular basis.  Started in 1930 as a small cheese shop it has held on to its artisan roots and still makes every batch of cheese by hand.  Rogue Creamery has won World’s Best Blue Cheese at the 2003 World Cheese Awards in London and Best New Product for its Smoky Blue at the 2005 Specialty Food Trade Show in New York.  We had an opportunity to do some specialized cheese tasting and learn about their operations.  They sent us home with yummy goodie bags!!

That night dinner was at the Peerless Restaurant in Ashland – a fabulous place for a special dinner.

The next morning we started out meeting with an amazing team of marketers and designers at Harry & David.  We learned about design and product choices and even got a scoop on the now announced addition of Cheesecake Factory Cheesecakes to their product line!!

Of course there were lots of treats to try and even a truffle tasting!!

Next up was a visit to the cold storage facilities where pears upon pears are stored.

Located right there next to the cold storage was Penny and Lulu Florist run by Carol Lowenberg and Susie Penwell.  I had heard so many amazing things about this place but even as a local, had not made it here yet.

It is a wonderful florist located in a renovated packing house – so they can store a lot of amazing things to decorate with!!

These two ladies have done an amazing job with this space and outdid themselves on the beautiful table they set for our lunch.

Frescoe, which started out as a food cart, provided us with an amazing lunch, where local ingredients were the star of the show!

 Reminded me, once again, how blessed I am to live in the Rogue Valley with such an amazing bounty of food!!

Our next stop was at the Harry & David Country Village store in Medford.  While a stop at Harry & David’s is often a weekly occurrence for me, it was fun to see the out of town bloggers get excited over all the treasures that were there.

And neat to see Sandy’s Reluctant Entertainer book for sale!!

Our final stop was back at the factory to watch them sort and pack the pears and gift baskets.

Amazing to see that truly only the perfect pear gets put into a Harry & David gift basket!  (No worries the other pears don’t go to waste they are sold for other purposes, such as fruit juices and are also sold in the produce section of our local Harry and David store.)  In addition to watching these amazing workers fly through as they packaged the baskets, we also had the opportunity to make pack our own baskets with the helpful guidance of the experts.  What a treat!!

Our dinner that night was at 2Hawks Winery – another great place here in Medford to enjoy a light supper, wine and great music.

Though I am a local here it was so exciting to see our Rogue Valley through the eyes of our out of town guests who were inspired by the beauty of the Rogue Valley and awed by the bounty of locally grown foods and had a great time shopping in our charming stores in Ashland and Jacksonville.  For the other locals reading, I hope this reminds you what a wonderful place we live in and to remember what a great asset we have here in Harry & David.  For the non-locals I trust this has inspired you take a visit to our wonderful region.  When here do not forget to take a Harry & David Factory tour and visit the Harry & David Country Village Store!!!  Still have some Christmas shopping to do?  Do not forget to check out Harry & David’s website for great gifts that are perfect for everyone.

The fabulous group of bloggers I was with included:

Sandy of Reluctant Entertainer,  Helen Jane from HelenJane.com, Shelly from Cookies & Cups, Melissa from The Inspired Room, Judy of From Home to Roam, Michael from Inspired by Charm, Angie from Bakerella, Cassie from Bake Your Day, Gina from Skinnytaste, Ali from Gimme Some Oven, Julie from The Little Kitchen, Robyn from Add A Pinch, Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil, and Amanda from Kevin and Amanda.

The events were paid for by Harry and David, but the opinions are my own.