On 25 th January 2021 I come to Moshi city (Tanzania) from Kenya . First I cross the Namanga Border (It is a Land border between Kenya and Tanzania ). It is situated in the southern part of the kenya in a arid area . Only some Masai tribe live in this Forest . Beside this border post there is some locality but just after crossing the border you will find no footprint of humans . From this border nearest city is Arusha(Tanzania) which is 110 km from here.
After crossing the border there will be dala dala(this is a local transport syatem) who will taken you to the Arusha town . From there you can get transport for any part of the country . Arusha just situated in the Middle of the Serengeti National Park and the Mount Kilimanjaro . This two are the major tourist attraction in this country . So you will found there lots of tourist come from the foreign land. Mount meru is very near of the Arusha town . It peak is also the 2nd highest peak in the Tanzania . From Arusha town to Moshi city it is almost 2 hour journey . From here you can get Dala – Dala and bus to reach there .
After crossing the border first I take a SIM and withdrawl some money . I take a Vodafone SIM . They don’t take any document from me . This SIM is valid for 15 days . It has some data and local phone call . You can also purchase other company SIM like TTCL , ZENTEL , MIC , Vodafone , Airtel , Viettel.
after purchasing the SIM I seated in the Dala Dala . My fellow passenger says that this car only leaves after it is totally filled up . So I and others also waited when this car will run . I previously said that this place is house of the most of the Masai Tribe . Here some Masai people come to sell their handicapped items . The items are mainly jewellery , some wristband and some souvenir items . I brought one wrist Band of Tanzania and a some souvenir items from here . They forced me to buy more but I don’t buy more from here .
Might be after 30 mins dala dala left for the Moshi City . Here in the most of the road there have been no houses beside the road . This place is dry arid . Here only the worrier Masai people live . They are one of the toughest people in earth .this people have large no of livestock which is the major source of their income . When you go by this road sometimes you will see that the total road has been blocked by the animals . In this whole road near to the Namanga border only have a check post . In this check post they may ask you to show your passport . The road is very straight and in good condition . Here car also run very fast . It might be 100 – 120 km /h they are driving . Near the arusha city you will find locality . In the foot hill of the Mount meru there has lots of cultivation going on . Here mostly coffee , Banana tea and other fruits and vegetables are cultivated . The soil of this place is very fertile because of the volcanic soil . Mount meru is an stratovolcano which was last erupted in 1910 . This volcanic lava and the volcanic ash makes the soils such fertile. Might be around 5 I reach to the arush city . Today was raining heavily .
Now I inquire there which bus will reach to the Moshi city . They are showing buses in the bus stand on which half seats are not filled . From the previous experience I know that this bus will late . So I try to catch a running bus . Outside the bus stand . one bus just started for the Moshi at the moment . I get up in the running bus. The bus was almost full , I just got seat in the 2nd last row . The bus was dirty but you have to go otherwise you have to wait . The bus was running at good speed .
Here what I find that there is greenary in this place . Here in the slope of mountain lots of vegetables are cultivated . Here Maize is one of the Major crop . You can get it with very cheap price . One thing I must say that , people here are very friendly . I have a big bag with me . In the back there was some boys , they just kept my big bag in the backside of the bus . Now I got a good seat and seated behind a lady . This lady also very fine .
After sometime the bus stops for a while . Here one thing was very amuzing . Local boys made an arrengement to see the fried Maize . They stick the maize above the Selfie stick and sell through the window of the bus . From one Window they put 2-3 Maize . The lady buy one . She give me a half of the Maize . I talk a lot about their culture , How was the moshi city , How to travel near by places and many more . She gives me good guidence of the place .
Aroung 7 the bus reaches to the Moshi city . It was a very old fashioned city with frequent power cut and the bus station was too much crowdy. When I reach in the city might be there was power cut . Ohh another thing , lighting of the city is very bad . Only in the main road there is light but in the smaller road there was no light . That means if there is shop opened then only you got some light outherwise not .
After reaching there I saw in google map that the place is within 1 km but actually it is not . They have shown wrong place to get the tourist . After that I take a Bajaji(This is a Bajaj company auto , locally they say Bajaji ) and call the owner . He then give direction to the bajaji driver . Now starts the real hurdle . He says to go somewhere and the Bajaji goes somewhere else . Sometimes I thought If that guy was trying to rob me like he is going through this lonely road . The road was dark and there was no person . Finally might be after 1 hour it reaches to the destination. It was a privete house . The house was like a bunglow with some big iron gate in front of the property . Now I pay the money to the driver and goes inside the property .
I say to the owner why you make wrong location in the google maps . He says he will try to correct it . In this place there is no hotels nearby and also in the property . So I just take some water bottle from them and pay the rent . The Man was good . He lives here with her girlfriend . He is a lawyear and now try to come in the tourishm business. He says that if you want Mt kilimanjaro trip he may arrenge that . He says that in the next day he show me Mt kilimanjaro from the local viewpoint . After a small chat I go for a shower and then eat some foods that I have in my bag and then go for sleep . In this place there is too much mosquito . There was no fan and mosquito net inside the room . So I cover myself with the bedsheed and then sleep . I don’t know the weather here sometimes it feels hot sometimes cold . so After sometime I opened the window but now the Mosquito comes . All togeather it was not a good experience .
Next day on 26 th January 2021 I wake up very early in the morning . Then eat some cakes and now I prepare for the trip . Going outside I see that the door was locked . So I called the owner . He was ready to accompany me . So I invited him to join me to take me to the view point . It was like 1 km distance from this place . The road was very beautiful . Beside the road there was big trees with some red flower and some Banana trees . Fruits are hanging from the tree . Color of the soil here is Black . He Taken me to some view point .
Our Luck was not good at that time . We waited here for 40 mins but can’t see the mountain . I got lots of good advice how to travel in Tanzania in cheap . Also we have some talk about the society and the politics here . We have taken the local coffee and some local biscuit. This is a small restaurant . After staying there for sometime I come to the Property once again . I said him , this place is too much distant from the city centre so I can’t stay here . As there is no hotels nearby . No dought the place is very nice , He have a beautiful garden with lots of fruits and flower . Now he introduced his driver , He says that if you want a day trip to the Kilimanjaro he may show you . He Now give me good offer but I don’t believe people who in the first meeting make false information . So after that I take a shower and then say good bye to them .
Now go outside his property and book a hostel We Travel Hostel in the moshi city . Then I book a Bajaji and tell him to take me there . This place is inside the heart of the city and the facility was also very good . They have the facility of the Hot or cold water . Inside the Hostel beds are much wider and might be the bunks are made up of wood . So it is good stability for those beds and the rooms are also air conditioned . Just after going inside the staff gave me a some cold drinks and then taken me to the room . After that I take rest in the room for like one hour and then goes to Marangu to seel mount kilimanjaro . This place is the best place nearby to see the Mt Kilimanjaro . It is almost 40 km from the Moshi City . I first goes to the city centre of the Moshi city and from there take a dala dala for reaching to the Marangu town . It take almost take a hour to reach to the Marangu town .
This town has very little facility for the tourist . It is most famous for the waterfall , Coffee production and the the view point to see mount Kilimanjaro . From the view point you can see the whole Moshi city . After just coming to the Dala Dala stop some guide come and ask me for the day tour . I say I only pay 15000 TZS. He first taken me to the Coffee Factory . Here in this place hand made coffee was produced from the locally grown coffee . After reaching there the manager Babu shown me the coffee firm near by . Here in this volcanic soil coffee are best produced . The soil is very fertile for the production of the coffee. With coffee tree also they grown some others plants like orange , Banana for making shed to the coffee tree .
Now he shown me the process to make coffee from this raw coffee fruit. He have some old wooden hand machine which will first peal of the fleshey part of the coffee fruit . Then he put this seed of coffee in the wooden mortar and blow wind to remove the outer thin membrane . Then he fried it in a clat pot like 15 minutes . After finishing the cooking he once again blow wind . Then he once again put it in the wooden mortar and make the coffee power . Now he made the coffee with this powder . Now three of us taste the coffee . After that he insist me to take some coffee but Today Morning also I buy some coffee from the local supermarket . So I don’t take it . He also sold some of the hand made handicapped items made of wood .
After staying there for an hour now we start walking toward the view . He taken me from the Foresty area . As on road journey will be longer so we just goes through the offroad through the mountain forest to the top . In road he show me some trees with medicinal benefit . Finally we reached to the top of this mountain . From here you can also see the Moshi city and the view of the Mount Kilimanjaro . As today was cloudy so we can see the whole mountain but can’t see the snow covered mountain peak . In this place there was a church . I have been here for one hour . I waited here long time to see the peak but can’t see . After staying there for one hour I start descending from the peak .
Now we are going through the village . Here in this area also avocardo is produced . Alchol made from the banana is very famous here . In the village there is shops which sells banana alchole and people drink there . After that my guide show his school . I see lots of little children come out of the school after the final hour . On the road we got some small van goes in the downhill . Then take a motorcycle to reach the bottom of the hill. Now I first went inside a Hotel and take my lunch . Here I got rice and beans and salad . Food was good . After long day I eat rice . After finishing my meal I also pay my guides charge and goes inside the Dala Dala . On both the journey I don’t find the window seat . He says me the journey will cost you 500 TZS.
After some time Dala Dala starts for the journey toward Moshi city . This car was almost full . In the road I first time see Mt Kilimanjaro . It was in the evening when the brighter light reflects from the peak of the snow capped mountain . It was like golden topped mountain . I have come here to see a glimpse of this mountain now it is successful. After sometime I reach to the City Centre of the town .
Now I eat some banana then mango and pineapple . Here mangos are not very tasty and also those mangos I brought were not ripped . Here might be first time I see 5 TZS when I go to toilet . It was written 10 TZS or 15 TZS maybe. I have a 50 TZS coin so they give me the change . This time I see the smaller denomination of coin . Just outside of the city centre you will find very little street light . Here peanuts and Kaju are of good quality . I have taken a packet from here . In the centre there was lots of shops selling fastfood and different food items .
Now I start searching for Indian restaurant here in google . I heard that in Tanzania you can find lots of Indian Restaurant . Here two three restaurant were showing . I choose one of them and went for it . I reached to the restaurant in few minutes . Though the ambience was Indian still most of the people eat here were African . I don’t see the owner . All staff were African . I ordered butter nun with Paneer Butter Masala . Food was good , Taste was like totally Indian . After taking the food I went for my hotel.
Inside the hotel there was lock from inside and when someone from inside opens then only you can enter. There was a long wire which was attached inside and tied in the upper floor .So I call them and then they pull the rope from above . After entering the Hostel I went to the top floor and pay the rent here . It was party like situation in Night . Everybody was enoying in the night .
After that I come back to my room . Then I take a shower and then pack all my stuff . There was no person in my room . Now I go for the sleep .
In the next Day morning 27th January 2021 I first take a bath and then went to the reception to take direction , How to reach to Dar – es – salam . They said you take Kilimanjaro bus service . This are good buses and can reach destination on time . Then I left the hostel and start my journey to the bus stop . In the road I brought some water and Mango juice . In the road also I see Mt Kilimanjaro clearly. After that I went to the bus station and catch the Kilimanjaro Bus . It was good cozy and spacious . In every seat they also have a USB port . It was $12 for the ride .
