Last spring we decided to visit Africa. We were looking for a destination, where we could go on a safari, see Mount Kilimanjaro, and relax on a perfect tropical beach. Tanzania it was! 😉
This amazing East African country is known for its rich culture, friendly people, unique tastes and sounds, the Maasai, and endless breathtaking sights – beautiful lakes, majestic mountains, tropical forests, gorgeous beaches, and vast national parks, home to countless animal species. In our opinion, Tanzania is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and an amazing travel destination. <3
Our seven-day Tanzania honeymoon itinerary (things to see and things to do)
DAY 1
We arrived in Dar es Salaam at around 3 AM. The stores were closed, the streets were empty, but we managed to find an ATM and a cab. The taxi driver took us to the main bus station and at 6 AM we took a bus to Moshi. It took us approximately 10 hours to reach our destination. When we finally did, we went straight to our hotel. We checked in, unpacked, took our camera, and went exploring. We were able to see Mount Kilimanjaro from the hotel terrace, so we almost didn’t want to leave. 🙂
We walked to the city center and we immediately fell in love with the city’s lively spirit. The streets were full of interesting sights, sounds, and people in colorful outfits. We made a quick stop at the market and then we found a nice local restaurant, where we had a delicious lunch.
After lunch, we returned to the hotel. We were exhausted from the travel, so we went straight to bed.
DAY 2
We woke up quite early in the morning, had breakfast at the hotel, took a taxi to the main bus station and there we took a dala dala (a minibus shared taxi) to Chagga village, the starting point for a hike to Materuni waterfalls. At the village, a young man approached us and offered to be our tour guide. At first, we were determined to do the hike by ourselves, but he told us that the trail is not marked and that it would be very hard to find the waterfalls without a tour guide. He was very friendly, so we decided to accept his offer and invited him to join us. We stocked up on water and off we went.
The beautiful, lush nature took our breath away and we learned a lot about the flora, fauna, and the locals’ lifestyle. After an hour of amazing sights and relaxing sounds, we reached the majestic Materuni waterfalls. We took a dip in the cold water under the waterfall and we loved it. <3
After an hour or so, we decided to return to the village, but our awesome tour guide Mathias had a better idea. He asked if we wanted to visit a coffee plantation. Yes, please! <3
Forty minutes later we reached the plantation. There, we learned about coffee processing techniques and even got to participate in making Materuni coffee. We sang, danced, laughed, drank delicious coffee, in short, we had a great time! 🙂
Afterwards, we returned to the Chagga village, thanked our amazing tour guide, paid him a little extra for his kindness and took the last minibus back to Moshi.
If you ever decide to visit Materuni waterfalls, make sure to hire the best tour guide – Mathias Frank. 😉
In the evening, we had dinner at the hotel, where we took the time to enjoy the beautiful view of Mount Kilimanjaro. <3
DAY 3
We had to get from Moshi to Arusha, but since we wanted to make a short stop at the Kikuletwa hot springs along the way, taking the bus wasn’t an option – we had to take a taxi. Taking a cab was obviously a lot more expensive than the bus, and the 90-minute ride was very bumpy, but it was worth it. The beautiful pools with refreshing crystal clear water are surrounded by trees full of monkeys and various exotic bird species. Such a peaceful piece of paradise. <3
Sometime in the afternoon, we arrived in Arusha. We checked into the hotel, had lunch and then we had a drink with the hotel manager. We told him, that we didn’t come to Africa just to have fun. We wanted to add some extra value to the trip, so we decided to take the time to support a local social project. The manager immediately thought of SOS children’s village in Arusha and offered to take us there.
At the children’s village, we had the great pleasure to meet the underprivileged children. We gave them the clothes and toys we brought from home and we asked their guardians to write a list of the things they need. It turned out they needed some basic groceries, flour, rice, water, washing detergents, etc. We went to the store, purchased as much of the items from the list as possible and the next morning we delivered them to the SOS facility. It was the first time we combined travel with charity work and we will certainly do it again. 🙂 Read more about our decision at travel and more.
DAY 4
Safari – day 1. After breakfast, our safari tour guide picked us up at the hotel. At Arusha city center we picked up two fellow travelers from Abu Dhabi and soon we were on our way to the first national park – the Tarangire National Park.
Once we arrived, we were fascinated by the picturesque green plain full of trees, bushes, watercourses, and swamps. After just a few miles, we saw the first animals – vervet monkeys! 🙂 🙂 🙂 We are big animal lovers, therefore we were out of our minds excited to see them in their natural habitat instead of cruelly locked up in a cage. Our cool tour guide stopped the car, told us about the monkeys and the park itself, which gave us the opportunity to take some photos. After a while, we continued our ride.
We spent approximately four hours in Tarangire National Park and we were lucky enough to see many of its famous inhabitants, such as warthogs, impalas, waterbucks, baboons, elephants, giraffes, a lioness, and many different bird species. O, happy day! 🙂
At around 5 PM, we dropped the two super friendly traveling companions from Abu Dhabi off at a lodge by Lake Manyara. This way we got to see the famous lake at sunset – we loved it! 🙂
Afterwards, we drove off to a budget campsite somewhere between Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We slept in a big tent for two with a double bed and a private bathroom, so it was pretty comfortable. At dinner, we enjoyed an acrobatic show and we met our four fellow travelers for the next three days – a couple from the US and a couple from Ukraine. 🙂
DAY 5
Safari – day 2. After a delicious campsite breakfast, we packed our bags and continued our journey. We drove through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, saw the well-known Ngorongoro Crater from above and went on toward Serengeti National Park – one of the most popular national parks in Africa, the land that inspired Disney’s The Lion King.
Throughout the day we saw several Maasai villages, amazing volcanic highlands, woodlands, treeless plains, and an abundance of wildlife – zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, impalas, gazelles, elephants, hippos, baboons, and another lioness.
In the evening, we reached our campsite in the middle of the Serengeti National Park. We thought the camping area would at least be fenced, but NO! 😀 There were toilet facilities, a common dining area, and our tents – that’s it. Well, actually, there was something else – a whole lot of animal footprints in the sand, among them even the lion’s. The tour guide assured us, that animals avoid people at all cost and that even if they came, it would be purely out of curiosity and not hunger or aggression. Hmm… As reassuring as it sounds, I was still a tad nervous, to say the least. 😀
We had dinner, brushed our teeth and went to sleep. Except we didn’t sleep at all. 😀 The tent was too small for Matic – he was pressing his head and feet against the walls of the tent and he felt animals of different sizes climbing up and down the tent. 😀 Besides, there were many roaring and other scary sounds coming from the savanna. So yes, it was a very peaceful night. 😀
DAY 6
Safari – day 3. The alarm clock went off at 5 AM and yay, we were alive! 😀 We got dressed, took our backpacks and went cruising through the Serengeti National Park. The first few minutes were a torture – we were tired, hungry and cold. But as soon as the sun began to rise – wow! It was spectacular. The colors, silhouettes, and shapes of the savanna… See for yourself! 😉
At 7 AM we had breakfast under a tree in the middle of the vast grassland plain, which was pretty awesome, and then we went searching for the ‘big five’, which include the African buffalo, the rhinoceros, the elephant, the leopard, and the lion. We were lucky enough to see a leopard, a big male lion and later on a group of lionesses with cubs. <3 It was amazing!
After lunch, we left the Serengeti and drove to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Our van broke down a couple of times, so we reached our campsite a bit later than planned. When we finally arrived, we took a look around. The campsite was similar to the one in Serengeti – a common dining area, toilet facilities, no fences, and a herd of buffaloes feeding among our tents. How crazy is that?! 😀 We had dinner, took a quick shower and went to our tent. Our tour guide came to our tent and told us to stay inside. He said that ‘something is going on’ near the camp – just what a girl wants to hear before going to bed. 😀
DAY 7
Safari – day 4. The next morning we found out that there were lions near our camping area. Apparently, they were considering eating ‘our’ buffaloes. 😀 Luckily, nothing of the sort happened. 😉
We had breakfast, packed up our bags and went exploring the beautiful Ngorongoro Conservation Area. It was amazing how many animals we saw – countless buffaloes, hyenas, zebras, wildebeests, impalas, gazelles, elephants, ostriches, hippos, a huge pack of lions, a rhinoceros, and many more. <3
At around 1 PM our safari adventure was over. It was sleepless, exciting, and magical. It was an unforgettable experience. <3
Our tour guide drove us to Kilimanjaro International Airport, and there we took a flight to Dar es Salaam. We arrived in Dar sometime in the evening and on the next morning, we took a ferry to Zanzibar. 🙂
♥ Top romantic experience
There are many romantic places in Tanzania. The ones that may stand out the most are Kikuletwa hot springs and the paradise beaches of Zanzibar. <3
♥ Top adventure
Our top adventure in Tanzania and the most thrilling experience ever was definitely our awesome safari tour – a must do for every true adventurer! 😉
Are you wondering about the daily budget, the best time to go, visa and immunization requirements, local customs, currency, electricity standards, safety tips and where to stay? Here you can find out all you need to know before visiting Tanzania (coming soon).
Have you already been to Tanzania? We invite you to share your top romantic experience and top adventure in the comment section below. 😉
Next stop: tropical Zanzibar! 😉
