Upon exiting Amboseli National Park in Kenya, our driver suggested that during the drive to the Tanzanian border, we would be treated to an ‘African massage.’ We pretty quickly realized that was secret code for a jolting ride acutely felt from head to toe with the possibility of vertebral realignment as well. Turns out it was just a preview of many similar ‘massages’ in the days ahead.

Our journey from Amboseli to Ngorongoro Conservation Area took two days with an overnight stay in Arusha, with several special stops along the way.

Our first stop was short but unexpected, when we encountered a large caravan of camels crossing the road in front of our vehicle. Camels, of course, aren’t native to this part of Africa but are gaining favor within the Maasai culture as a more sustainable alternative to cattle. Well adapted to arid climates, camels provide a reliable source of milk, transportation and income.

Our second stop was at the border crossing, where we all successfully received the necessary stamps in our passports to leave Kenya and enter Tanzania. We were greeted by new drivers and settled into new vehicles to continue our adventure.

The third stop was a highlight of our entire trip – a visit to Matim Primary School, located just outside of Arusha.

We were welcomed with handshakes, high fives, fist bumps and even hugs by hundreds of friendly and vivacious children. After learning about the school from one of its leaders (government school, 1,400 students in eight grades with only 26 teachers/staff members), we were invited to spend time with a class of 8 & 9 year olds.

The children were eager to see photos on my phone, including a picture of themselves. They proudly shared notebooks with neatly written assignments from their English class. And we were entertained with songs performed just as enthusiastically as their initial greeting.

Although school attendance is mandatory in Tanzania (and neighboring Kenya), public education is severely underfunded. Schools rely heavily on non-governmental organizations to assist with capital needs, essential supplies and even teachers’ salaries. Road Scholar is one of several key sponsors of Matim Primary School, providing support as an organization as well as encouraging tour participants to donate notebooks, pencils, erasers and other items, which we did.

As a frequent visitor and familiar face, Kip (our tour guide) is a rock star to these kids! When our tour vehicles arrived, they were drawn like magnets to say Jambo! (hello) and get close to him. It was evident the affection was mutual.

There are no school buses, so most of the children walk to school, many as far as 3-4 miles EACH WAY. A major donor provides lunch every day for all students and staff, which is a huge draw for families to send their children to this particular school. And despite all of the challenges, the students score well on national exams, which helps them continue their education in a good secondary school when the time comes.

It was a brief, but special, experience that we will treasure always.

After spending a night at the Planet Lodge in Arusha, we set out for another day of exploring on our way to Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Our initial stop was at Trek Afrika, a gallery featuring interesting works by African artists. Founder and owner Robert Aswani welcomed us with an orientation to the gallery, then we looked around and promptly found a watercolor that needed to come home with us.

The artist, Ng’ang’a Ndeveni, is a member of the Akamba tribe from Kenya, and this piece will be a fun visual reminder of our trip for years to come.

The second stop was at the entrance to Lake Manyara National Park – another small wildlife park (~125 square miles), about half land and half shallow lake.

The hilly terrain and lush vegetation was much different than flat and dry Amboseli . . .

. . . which meant that it was more difficult to spot the animals and more challenging to photograph the ones we saw.

Other interesting sights at Lake Manyara:

After Lake Manyara, it was finally time for lunch – another unforgettable experience. Deep inside a banana plantation in an area called Mto wa Mbu, a feast prepared by a group of amazing women awaited our arrival.

Following lunch – a little entertainment. And yes, there really was food in those pots!

(We also gave it a go – watch the amusing videos at the end of this post)

Here’s a rough English translation from Swahili:

Hello. Hello, sir.
How are you? Very fine!
Visitors, you are welcome
To our Tanzania.
Everything is fine!

Next up on this busy travel day was a stop to learn about tanzanite.

Beautiful jewelry was available for purchase, but we passed, as I already have a collection of beautiful jewelry I don’t wear.

Our final stop before arriving at our destination was at the entrance of Ngorongoro Conservation Area. In our next article, we’ll have a lot to say and share about this incredible place. But for now, just a few pics from the last leg (steep uphill drive!) of the 2-day journey from Amboseli NP to Ngorongoro.

Stay tuned for more!

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