By I’m a Lucky Guy
When I first started this humble travel blog back in October 2010, it was actually just a means to share a closer relationship with my girlfriend at the time. She’d started a healthy living blog and I thought it would give us a common interest if I blogged as well.
Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to make some money through my writing and to do some pretty spectacular things because of my site, but nothing compares to the adventure I’ve got in store for this November.
Thanks to Shadows of Africa Tours, I’ll be going on a four day safari in Tanzania that includes the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, and the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater – all at a time of the year where the annual Great Migration of wildebeests should be in full swing.
I’ll not only get the opportunity to see the Big Five in the wild, though. I’ll get the opportunity to spend a night under the stars and to interact with the local Maasai people as well, and I’m very excited about both.
The Safari in Tanzania
Myself and a few fellow bloggers have been invited to take part in the Four Day Tanzania Express Safari offered by the company. While I’m receiving a complimentary tour, I’ll be sure to give ya’ll the straight dope on my experiences and inevitable pratfalls there.
I’ll not only be providing plenty of photos and stories from my days touring the various national parks, but I’ll also comment on my experiences in cities like Arusha and Nairobi, coming to grips with the unique local culture, the food, the accommodation, and everything in between.
Visiting Stone Town & Zanzibar
I recently published a Travel Daydream about my planned trip to Zanzibar as well. With time and money both tight, I’ll only have three full days to commit to both – so I’m planning a day to explore the historic sites and quirkier elements of Stone Town, and then two days of doing very little on Zanzibar’s white, sandy beaches.
I’m praying there’ll be a new Song of Fire & Ice novel ready for the trip, as I’ll be getting a lot of reading done in between trips to the pool to cool off.
Bucket List Focus
The trip does give me the opportunity to check off a couple of bucket list items. After the dismal failure that was my British trip (of the possible 13 bucket list items mentioned in Operation United Kingdom, I managed just two), I’m hoping I can check off all of my potential Tanzanian bucket list items.
- Go on safari
- Witness the Great Migration
- See a tiger, giant panda, bear, elephant, lion, hyena, bison, blue whale, platypus, rhino, hippo, and gorilla in the wild.
Obviously, there’s no chance of me seeing a tiger, giant panda, bison, platypus, blue whale, or gorilla while on safari – but I’m hoping I’ll be able to check off the giraffe, lion, elephant, hyena, rhino, and maybe even the hippo while I’m on safari in Tanzania.
And I’ve already encountered a bear in the wild, when one scared Nomadic American and I shitless in Yosemite National Park.
‘Go on safari’ is a lock, and I’m quietly hopeful that the timing of the tour (late November) will coincide with the beginning of the Great Migration. Fingers crossed!
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It’s a very exciting time for Aussie on the Road, and I can’t wait to share some stories and photos from my time in Tanzania with all of you. All of my flights and accommodation are now locked in, so it’s just a matter of getting visas for Tanzania and Kenya (where I fly in and out) sorted and I’m set!
Your Say
Have you ever been on safari?
