My biggest, most life-changing trip to date, was my amazing trip to Africa! You’d think a 30-hour trek to get there would be a deterrent, but my excitement for the adventure made it worth every minute once we finally arrived. I definitely recommend going for at least 2 weeks if not more to make the long distance worth it. It also helped to be flying business class- I’ve since become unnaturally obsessed with the American Airlines chocolate chip cookies!
Our itinerary was filled with safari trips in several amazing lodges and camps in Kenya and Tanzania, with a final stop on the Island of Zanzibar for some sightseeing and relaxing on the stunning beaches.
Months before going on our trip, we donated money to a Masai Village in Tanzania to help them build a well for easy access to fresh water. When we arrived in Tanzania we visited the village and as a thank you, they threw us a traditional Masai celebration! They dressed us up in their traditional clothing and jewelry, taught us their ceremonial dances and high jumping competition, ate, and learned about the lives and culture of their people. How the women of the village are tasked with the building of all the huts/dwellings, made of mud, cow and elephant dung. The man’s job is to tend the cattle, keeping them safe from myriad predators. One of the most unforgettable experiences is when they killed a cow ((their most prized possessions and expression of wealth) for the celebration and gave us a ceremonial drink concoction of milk and cows blood. Umm… GAG! Not the tastiest of drinks, but hey, when in Rome, right?! Or rather, when in the middle of the African bush! It was all part of the experience! But maybe the biggest cultural difference? The fact that the village Elder asked my mom to accept 40 cows as dowry for my hand in marriage. When she kindly but flatly refused, he asked how many cows it would take! It was all harmless and in fun, but clearly, we need to do more work on some #nochildbrides awareness in that country.
All in all, the entire experience was amazing! Stay tuned for more posts about the individual Safari lodges and the unbelievably exciting trek for the big 5!
Africa, Ooh Arica! There is still so much more I’m dying to explore!
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