Road trip from Dar Es Salaam to Mikumi National Park
There is something incredibly exciting about road trips. Alright, flying is fun. You can fathom the oceans and mountains and trenches and everything. But unless you really see the countryside, the trip is not complete.
Our Tanzania trip had 2 parts. The first week was a beach vacation which we spent in the island of Zanzibar.
The second part was in the African mainland, where we were up for the wildlife Safari. The very reason we chose Mikumi National park over Arusha or Ngorongoro or the Serengiti, was Mikum's proximity to Dar Es Salaam. For all the other three, we had to again take a flight from Dar. While we could take the road to Mikumi. Moreover, it is the fourth largest park in th country, after the above mentioned three, and was considered generously bestowed with wildlife.
Mikumi National park is located in the southern part of Morogoro district. It's around 300 kms from Dar, and a road trip through the Express A7 Freeway, it was a journey of 4 to 6 hours.
We started at half past five in the morning so that we could reach Mikumi on time. We booked an all inclusive package so that we didn't have to bother about anything.
The country side is stunning with the mountain ranges of Uluguru flanking the highway. And there were endless fields of sunflower and agave all along. I had never seen so many agave before. I had known that they were harvested for sweetness. However in Tanzania, they are harvested for fibre. In fact, Tanzania is the largest producer of agave for fibre!
The best part of the road trip were the giraffes peeking from the side of the highway near the national park. All the perks of traveling by road!
I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
18 comments
Mandira If I talk about wildlife I love most watching the birds than the animals, but that's not the reason behind why I refrain from going to safari trips. The key reason is the feeling what if the animals attack us and this feeling grew in me after studying few accidental cases of tourists in Safari rounds. But i wish atleast once I take my son for a safari trip under full protection and this Tanzania national park will be a good choice for me.
ReplyDeleteI love safaris, and you were on a road trip! Must have been an eventful trip, indeed. I have to take my grandsons to Masai Mara some day soon.
ReplyDeleteBoth road trips and safaris are my kind of thing. I would love to see birds and animals in their own habitat at Mikumi. I didn't know about this national park, so good to know one can do this as well in Tanzania. The agave fibre was new to me as well.
ReplyDeleteI am very curious for safari. But I am really scared special tiger and lion what if they attack on us. I get to know about African National Park - seeing Giraffe is thrilling experience.
ReplyDeleteLike you said, the giraffes do stand out stunningly. All the photos are beautiful, though. Africa is not at all in my bucket list (at least not in this birth ;)) and so your blog give me a lovely virtual tour that is sufficient for my needs. Thank you
ReplyDeleteYes road trips has its own charm
ReplyDeleteOh how I miss travelling. Looking at your photos of the road may now be appealing to others but seeing those for me is such a delight! I miss travelling with my lil family. The adventures we go to...ahh...thanks for sharing yours! - MommyWithAGoal
ReplyDeleteI like taking road trips better than flying whenever I can. Always enjoy reading about your trips. The photos are beautiful as always.
ReplyDeleteLoved the post especially the pictures are beautiful. I really want to visit these places and this guide would surely help me.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh... the giraffes doing peek-a-boo in the wild. It must have been so exciting Mandira. Would have loved to see a video. I like road travel too cuz that was what we used to do for all of our youth lives.
ReplyDeleteI admire how u plan your travels so that u don't lose out on anything. Did you buy any of those baskets btw? 😉
'giraffes peeking from the side of the highway'? Wow! Sure sounds like a dream. I'm not a fan of road trips as such but I do enjoy the countryside experience of nature galore when travelling by car.
ReplyDeleteSo many amazing pics and so many memories to cherish. Glad you had a great holiday.
ReplyDeleteYour road trip from Dar Es Salaam to Mikumi National Park sounds like an incredible adventure! The vivid descriptions of the journey, from the picturesque countryside to the wildlife sightings, make me want to pack my bags and explore Tanzania immediately.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful place. Looks like you had a great time. As always, lovely pics.
ReplyDeleteWith such amazing view and beautiful countryside the road trip was the best choice. Loved those cute cane baskets and bags.
ReplyDeleteDitto on road trips over flights wherever possible. So much more to absorb. The safari sounds like a lot of fun. That giraffe pic is perfect!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved reading about your road trip from Dar es Salaam to Mikumi! Not just this, but other blogposts of your other adventures too. Thanks for sharing your experience! Can't wait to hit the road and explore these beautiful places myself someday.
ReplyDeleteNow this is something id love to experience too! I have never been on a safari yet.
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