Hiking in Tanzania?

Yesterday was supposed to be a day of rest. And for the morning, it was. We sat around and did some computer research.

But we needed to pick up a few things and go to an ATM, so in the afternoon we went for a walk. Our day of rest turned into an 8.5 km (5.3 mile) walk. Oh well... we needed the exercise.

The research we were doing involved onward travels. It usually does! This time, we were looking at Tanzania.

Tanzania is one of the few countries in the world that are "open" for tourists. Like Turkey, Tanzania still welcomes travelers from any other country without any Covid related restrictions.

But since Turkey's Istanbul airport has a full testing center and laboratory on site, there are actually quite a few options open to us. Many countries allow tourists provided you can supply them with a negative Covid test done within 48 hours of entry. So, we are not locked in to Tanzania, it's just one of the options we are exploring.

Why Tanzania?

Well the short answer is... Mount Kilimanjaro.

Ruth has always wanted to hike the highest mountain in Africa. Me, not so much... although I would like to do it, I would prefer to climb the second highest mountain because it's the one that nobody goes to. Kilimanjaro is a popular climb because it doesn't require any technical climbing skills or mountaineering... it's just a hike. A very long, arduous hike... but it's mostly just hiking, not mountain climbing, so to speak.

On the positive side, January and February are the best time of the year to do the climb. And, due to Covid there would be very few people doing it compared to "normal" times. Prices might even be slightly lower than normal.

But there are a few negatives.

Price is the first one. Kilimanjaro is an expensive proposition, and Tanzania is not the cheapest country in the world to begin with. It costs an average of $2,500 USD per person for the one week excursion, and that doesn't include getting to Tanzania from Turkey. There are cheaper and more expensive options available, but certainly $2,000 USD per person is about the minimum you want to spend and still be able enjoy yourself. On top of that, you need special insurance, and some traveler vaccinations. 

If we do it, we would have to consider this to be a "bucket list" thing, and just put aside all the thoughts about how much money that is. 

The next negative is the weather. While January and February are the best time to be climbing Kilimanjaro, it's also the hottest time of year in the rest of the country. So if we want to see some of the other national parks, and some wildlife, it will be about 35C (95F) while we're doing it. Even the locals will tell you that's pretty warm.

So, we are on the fence. I will keep my eyes on the airfare prices (which are currently pretty high) but if we see the airfare come up at a good deal, we might just bite the bullet.

The umbrella street.

One of the reasons we did such a long walk yesterday was because Ruth wanted to see "the umbrella street" here in Fethiye. As you can see from the photo, there are not many people around.

On another note, my favorite item of Tilley Clothing is finally done!

Me, in my favorite Tilley shirt.

It's unfortunate that they no longer make that shirt because I would buy another one in a flash. I got that shirt originally in October 2014, and there were times I wore it for days in a row. When I washed it in the evening, it was always dry by morning.

The collar started wearing out last year, and I had it repaired in Peru. But the rest of the material was finally starting to break down, and I had to toss it out yesterday. 

Sunset from our balcony in Fethiye.

Big hike ahead of us today... have to get going. Looking forward to showing you some photos tomorrow!

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