Welcome to the first edition of a “Tale of Two Cities!”  Take a look into Tanzania through the eyes of Elise Hughes.  See what she says, look at what she’s done, and join her on the adventure of a lifetime.

Name: Elise Hughes

Age: 29

Profession: Teacher? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  👍

Where are you from: Portland, Oregon

How did you meet me:

Ryan and I met during a teaching abroad program and he willingly agreed to let me go to Tanzania with him.

What things you look for while traveling:

I am a pretty novice traveler, but I have learned that I like a balance of relaxing by a beach or some body of water, exploring the town and nature, and eating as much as possible. A little shopping doesn’t hurt either 🙂

What is a must while traveling:  Finding the best coffee and breakfast spots!

Where did you stay:

Our tour company Top Climbers Expedition set everything up for us. During our safari, we had a sweet tent accommodation at “Mosquito Haven,” in English.  Post-safari we were set up in the nicest hotel in town, Kilimanjaro Wonder Hotel. For the last night, we arranged our own place at a fun hostel in the city center. I would highly recommend all 3!

How long were you there for:  12 days total, 3-day safari, a 7-day trek and 2 days to recover!

What did you do:

We walked through all the markets and streets of Moshi town, went on a three-day Safari, and climbed Kilimanjaro via the Rongai route (for more information about the different routes click here).

What did you eat:

For our safari, we had a great “stomach engineer” who prepared all of our meals over a charcoal grill including loaves of fresh bread. Needless to say, Ryan and I were impressed and left questioning our own cooking skills.

Overall, Tanzania has a large mix of tourist restaurants and local spots to chose from that offer unique mixes. Our most exotic meal was at Indo Italian? Which had two completely different menus, we had samosas (a delicious Indian cuisine) for an appetizer followed by Shrimp scampi for dinner.

A must do or story:

Moshi town: Remember I said I was a novice… well that was evident the first day when I left the hotel in my airplane outfit, which if your anything like me consists of cozy leggings and a T-shirt. Strike one, not following simple cultural norms. I got all the stares if my white skin and blonde hair didn’t make me stand out, my inappropriate outfit did the trick. Strike two, Sylvester.  We met Sylvester a few meters outside of our hotel. He was a nice enough guy but the man was on a mission, he was determined to get us to his shop. He led us through all markets and seemingly the entire town. I felt like we were getting a free tour, as I waved at kids, got my hair braided, and learned the language. Ryan knew better and silently followed. Sylvester’s shop was beautiful but an obvious tourist trap as I watched others who looked just like me being brought in. In the end, I bought two overpriced postcards that I am hoping to one day frame. When we finally escaped I realized that I had already struck out… Ryan was ready for food and beers hours ago and our little “Elise tour” was preventing that very thing. Luckily we avoided a hangry meltdown and found a restaurant on our way home. There we enjoyed our first of many Kilimanjaro beers!

Rating 1-10: 10+

Tanzania is a must see! If you’re anything like me when I thought about a safari and going to Africa I naively thought everything would be brown and desert. Fortunately, I was so very wrong, Tanzania is one of the most vibrant and colorful places I have ever seen. The people, clothes, cars, shops and the vast landscape are all filled with life and colors. Safari is a must see! There are so many amazing people and companies to chose from when planning a safari or if you’re as ambitious as us a trek to the rooftop of Africa! If you ask me Top Climbers Expedition is the best! I can’t wait to find my way back!