8 Days until Tanzania!

 

Thank you G Adventures for this great app that coordinates and counts down my trip for me! I have been planning it for a year now and I can't believe that it is only 10 days away! 

At first I was overwhelmed with all of the options for an African Safari. I am a solo, female traveller and I wanted something safe (within a small group), all inclusive and comfortable while still feeling like I was on Safari. I also wanted something I could afford, while still making it my bucket list - trip of a lifetime! I researched many different tour companies and most were very accommodating to my needs. Because I wanted to travel within a small group and also have the trip exactly as I wanted it helped narrow it down. I found the following tour to be the perfect fit of everything I was looking for. As a NatGeo Certified Educator, I was quick to jump at the chance to go on a National Geographic Journey and this one is even part of the Jane Goodall Collection, and she is one of my idols! I have made some travel/wildlife choices in my past that I would not make anymore - such as animals in captivity only for tourist photo opps and close encounters.

I hope to give updates on here throughout my trip. I'm mostly writing it as a memory for myself, but sharing it with anyone else who is interested. I've heard mixed reviews on the access to wifi and data, so we'll see how often I update - I also really want to EXPERIENCE this trip, and if I have to write about it - awesome! But if I am just caught up the adventure surrounding me I'm going to just soak it in. 

I've never been to Africa before and through my research I decided that Tanzania was the prefect fit for me. Although I would have loved the opportunity to see gorillas and chimpanzees, I decided that the traditional, driving safari was more my level of comfort. I also looked at doing a longer safari, including Kenya, however adding days in another country increased the cost, plus an additional visitor visa and additional vaccinations/health concerns.

I decided to arrive a couple of days early in case of any glitches in my travel, however I was able to get a flight from Calgary, AB to Tanzania with only one stop in Amsterdam. Yay for KLM! Of course that means two 8-10 hour flights, but I'll manage. I also decided to end my trip with a few relaxing days on the beach in Zanzibar. Although I am excited to sleep in accommodations with canvas sides, where I can hear the wildlife all around me, I'm also looking forward to some air conditioned, solid walled rooms on a beach, without the risk of accidentally encountering wildlife without a guide.