Africa

Zanzibar – History, Beaches, and Monkeys

January 22, 2025 by Kameri Leave a Comment

As I hang out in another beach town in a very different part of the world, I realize it’s now or never to get a post out on Zanzibar. We visited Stone Town, Jambiani Beach, Jozani Forest, and Nungwi Beach during our week in Zanzibar. We visited this gorgeous Tanzanian island in October of 2024. Stone Town Stone Town is the oldest part of Zanzibar City and the former capital of the Zanzibar Sultanate. When Zanzibar and Tanganyika joined together to make present day Tanzania, Zanzibar …

Swimming with Whale Sharks in Mafia Island

November 24, 2024 by Kameri 1 Comment

Why did we Visit Mafia Island? We visited Mafia Island in hopes of seeing whale sharks, and we were not disappointed. Seeing these majestic creatures was spectacular! Whale sharks are not whales nor are they sharks. They are actually the world’s largest fish and can grow to an astounding 60 feet long. They eat plankton, krill, and other tiny fish. Although they are extremely large, they are gentle and generally safe to snorkel around. When researching travel in …

Our Incredible 8 Day Tanzania Safari

November 9, 2024 by Kameri 3 Comments

We spent an incredible 8 days on safari in northern Tanzania in October of 2024. This truly was an epic adventure! I have gone on safari in South Africa, Botswana, and Kenya in the past and they were all great. Tanzania was something extra special though. I never expected to have so many incredible wildlife sightings, one after another, during this trip. The Serengeti was especially magical and is my new favorite safari destination. Our safari included Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara …

Travel Ethiopia Part 2: Hiking in the Simien Mountains, Climbing up to a Cave Church in Tigray, and Exploring Lalibela’s Rock-Hewn Churches.

January 8, 2023 by Kameri 1 Comment

Part 2 of my travels around the northern circuit of Ethiopia in 2020 included hiking in beautiful mountains, rock-climbing up to a church in the sky, checking out the extremes of the Danakil Depression, peering into an active volcano, and exploring the UNESCO rock-hewn churches in the little town of Lalibela. The Danikil Depression and Erte Ale volcano have their own blog post: The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia. The rest is described here. To read about the first half of the norther circuit, …

Travel Ethiopia Part 1: The Capital of Addis Ababa, Monasteries and the Blue Nile Waterfall in Bahir Dar, and Castles in Gondar.

December 13, 2022 by Kameri Leave a Comment

We are jumping back to January/February 2020, before so many borders closed due to COVID and before Ethiopia's civil war in the Tigray region began. During my first week traveling in Ethiopia I saw the busy city of Addis Ababa, the monasteries and Blue Nile Waterfall in Bahir Dar, and the castles of Gondar. Addis Ababa Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia and where most people fly into the country. I spent just 2 1/2 days here and mostly was regrouping and resting up for the rest of …

The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia

October 20, 2022 by Kameri Leave a Comment

The Danikil Depression... what an experience. Salt flats, unworldly colorful landscapes, and hiking to the rim of a volcano is quite the adventure. We are jumping back to February 2020, before so many borders closed due to COVID and before Ethiopia's civil war in the Tigray region began. This is in the remote Afar region that many countries advise their residents not to travel to due to safety. So I debated visiting, but my curiosity won out. Leaving from the town of …