When the opportunity to sip cocktails on a boat while watching the sunset on the mountains of Tanzania availed itself, I hastily packed my bags and headed to the Swahili-speaking country, albeit only for two days.
The invitation came at the right time of the year when the mind and body were beginning to tire.
As we flew over the capital Dar es Salaam, we were welcomed by the sight of blue corrugated iron roofs of the houses. I was fortunate to have a window seat and enjoyed the view from the new SA Airways Airbus 320 as we descended onto Julius Nyerere Airport.
I was warned about the extreme heat in the tropical country, but nothing could have prepared me for the heatwave that welcomed us. So much so that we were offered wet towels and ice-cold water in the bus to our hotel.
Our bus navigated through the traffic on Julius Nyerere Highway as we enjoyed the scenery and took in the atmosphere. I saw a woman casually holding onto her seat behind the driver on a motorbike. I'm always fascinated by the different taxi systems in African countries, and Tanzania is no exception. One can hop on a motorbike, a very colourful coaster bus known as a dala dala or the Indian bajaji, a small motor tricycle known as a tuk tuk that you find on the streets of Melville in Johannesburg.
Adam Fuller, the general manager of Southern Sun Dar es Salaam, and his team welcomed us with the juice of a coconut freshly cut from the tree.
After checking in, I grabbed my camera and headed for the beach, a two-minute walk from the hotel. I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful light as the sun was setting.
Dinner provided the opportunity to get to know the rest of the journalists I was travelling with and unwind after the three-hour flight from Johannesburg. We were joined by the SA high commissioner to Tanzania Thami Mseleku who welcomed us to the country and also guided us on what to do should we lose our passports for example.
After a restful sleep, I woke up to the sound of birds outside my window and anticipated a beautiful day.
We headed to The Slipway in Masaki, a shopping and leisure complex right on the shore of the Indian Ocean, to catch a boat for a cruise to Bongoyo Island.
The Slipway, which has an outside market with lots of fine souvenirs, gives you a beautiful view of the sea and fishermen cleaning their boats.
As we headed for the island we witnessed fishermen in small boats fishing, but most fascinating of all was watching dolphins swimming right next to our boat. On Bongoyo Island we were welcomed by breathtaking white sands.
The island is uninhabited except for two fellows who collect parking fees for the boats. We immediately headed to the south side of the island and walked 50metres into the sea in knee-high water with a clear view of the white sand below our feet.
Unfortunately, there was no sighting of fish, only a starfish. We enjoyed a braai on the boat on our way back and marvelled at the horizon as the sun parted with the sky.
To experience Dar es Salaam at night, we made our way to Mamboz Corner BBQ restaurant and I had the local popular dish - naan bread and curry chicken, a dish adopted from the Indians but flavoured with local spices.
The night was still young, so we shook the beach sand off our soles and went to sway our hips left and right to the sound of Latin music at the Samaki Samaki restaurant and nightclub.
Tanzania - land of beautiful white beaches
When the opportunity to sip cocktails on a boat while watching the sunset on the mountains of Tanzania availed itself, I hastily packed my bags and headed to the Swahili-speaking country, albeit only for two days.
The invitation came at the right time of the year when the mind and body were beginning to tire.
As we flew over the capital Dar es Salaam, we were welcomed by the sight of blue corrugated iron roofs of the houses. I was fortunate to have a window seat and enjoyed the view from the new SA Airways Airbus 320 as we descended onto Julius Nyerere Airport.
I was warned about the extreme heat in the tropical country, but nothing could have prepared me for the heatwave that welcomed us. So much so that we were offered wet towels and ice-cold water in the bus to our hotel.
Our bus navigated through the traffic on Julius Nyerere Highway as we enjoyed the scenery and took in the atmosphere. I saw a woman casually holding onto her seat behind the driver on a motorbike. I'm always fascinated by the different taxi systems in African countries, and Tanzania is no exception. One can hop on a motorbike, a very colourful coaster bus known as a dala dala or the Indian bajaji, a small motor tricycle known as a tuk tuk that you find on the streets of Melville in Johannesburg.
Adam Fuller, the general manager of Southern Sun Dar es Salaam, and his team welcomed us with the juice of a coconut freshly cut from the tree.
After checking in, I grabbed my camera and headed for the beach, a two-minute walk from the hotel. I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful light as the sun was setting.
Dinner provided the opportunity to get to know the rest of the journalists I was travelling with and unwind after the three-hour flight from Johannesburg. We were joined by the SA high commissioner to Tanzania Thami Mseleku who welcomed us to the country and also guided us on what to do should we lose our passports for example.
After a restful sleep, I woke up to the sound of birds outside my window and anticipated a beautiful day.
We headed to The Slipway in Masaki, a shopping and leisure complex right on the shore of the Indian Ocean, to catch a boat for a cruise to Bongoyo Island.
The Slipway, which has an outside market with lots of fine souvenirs, gives you a beautiful view of the sea and fishermen cleaning their boats.
As we headed for the island we witnessed fishermen in small boats fishing, but most fascinating of all was watching dolphins swimming right next to our boat. On Bongoyo Island we were welcomed by breathtaking white sands.
The island is uninhabited except for two fellows who collect parking fees for the boats. We immediately headed to the south side of the island and walked 50metres into the sea in knee-high water with a clear view of the white sand below our feet.
Unfortunately, there was no sighting of fish, only a starfish. We enjoyed a braai on the boat on our way back and marvelled at the horizon as the sun parted with the sky.
To experience Dar es Salaam at night, we made our way to Mamboz Corner BBQ restaurant and I had the local popular dish - naan bread and curry chicken, a dish adopted from the Indians but flavoured with local spices.
The night was still young, so we shook the beach sand off our soles and went to sway our hips left and right to the sound of Latin music at the Samaki Samaki restaurant and nightclub.
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