Round the world!
In and around World
Round the world trip as follows:
Fly to Nairobi and then onto Tanzania for three months of volunteering. Then onto India for two months volunteering. To New Zealand via Kuala Lumpur, then Fiji, LA, Miami, Jamaica, Miami and overland to Toronto (and then home, rather annoyingly, via Amsterdam!).
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler LizCB
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1
Twelve hours in Nairobi
Arrived on the flight from Amsterdam at around 8:00pm local time (GMT+3) and was collectede without problems and taken to my hotel. Had a qui... Continue reading »
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2
Into Tanzania: Arrival in Arusha
The bus journey from Nairobi took around five hours in total, including the time at the border organising visas etc.
Not the most comfortable... Continue reading »
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3
Introduction to Arusha
Spent the morning being shown the main sights of Arusha by my Assistant Country Manager. It's a really interesting place - vibrant, bustling,... Continue reading »
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4
Arusha National Park
Wow!!!
Went on a one day safari today to the nearby National Park not far from town. It's small and doesn't have big cats, elephants et... Continue reading »
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5
The African bus experience!
Visiting another volunteer placement in Pangani for the weekend. Got to the bus station at 7:30 to get a seat on the 8:00 bus. Ran the gauntl... Continue reading »
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6
Indian Ocean, bicycles and bruises!
Friday
The reason we were in Pangani was for my country manager to be guest of honour at the local primary school's first ever graduation.&nb... Continue reading »
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7
Pare Mountains
The Pare Mountains are rather lovely, if a little remote (but I knew that when I chose to come here!) Everything is green and lush and there are lo... Continue reading »
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8
Chocolate and computers!
Have escaped the mountains in search of chocolate as I have failed to find any in Usangi! Also need to look at resources on the internet to h... Continue reading »
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9
The big mountain emerges!!
The early bird...!
Made sure I was up bright and early and got my reward! I went to the hotel balcony and got my glimpse of Kilimajaro!! Beau... Continue reading »
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10
House'guests' etc...
The first part of the week involved me feeling a bit down due to a cold, and school being invigilation only. The adult class at the pottery is real... Continue reading »
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11
Putting things into perspective
The scorpion incident paled into insignificance a few hours later..... Complete melodrama and I felt thoroughly ashamed of myself for thinking I ha... Continue reading »
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12
Another weekend in Moshi
Moshi again. The excuse this time: I needed to find an English-Swahili dictionary at the bookshop (sadly failed on that front as the bookshop... Continue reading »
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13
Rain, visitors and sunrises....
I have now spent my longest period of time yet in Usangi - a whole ten days without escaping in search of something I can't get there!
School... Continue reading »
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14
Big bad city......
After the most prolonged rainfall yet in Usangi (not the heaviest, but I don't think it stopped all night) I was ready at 6:30 to trek down the hil... Continue reading »
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15
Tarangire National Park
First day of safari. Picked up at 8 to load up the land rover. Five of us, plus driver/guide and cook. Quite a squash, but we were all very... Continue reading »
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16
Into the Serengeti......
Got up on Wednesday morning for the drive to the Serengeti. Drove through the Ngorongoro Conservation area, our destination for Friday and sa... Continue reading »
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17
Ngorongoro Crater
A cold but excellent nights sleep, and up before dawn to get packed. Had breakfast as the sky above the crater turned pink and headed off fro... Continue reading »
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18
Lake Manyara National Park
Last day of safari.... Another good nights sleep and here I encountered the biggest beetle I have ever seen! - I saw it in the night and had to do... Continue reading »
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19
Hiking on Kindoroko
Up early on a Sunday morning to get down to the village to meet our guide. Haruni, out knowledgable, friendly, local guide met us at the pott... Continue reading »
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20
Getting to Zanzibar
Travelling as light as possible, I loaded the rusksack onto my back and plodded down the hill to catch the bus. I tentatively made my way up... Continue reading »
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21
Christmas on the beach
24 December Having got to Paje and found my comfy little bungalow, I had a good night's sleep and woke up to a familiar sound: Rai... Continue reading »
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22
Spices & Stone Town
27 December
Transferred from Paje to Zanzibar Town/Stone Town mid morning and spent a pleasant afternoon soaking up the atmosphere of Stone T... Continue reading »
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23
Kili lite
Having decided that I was not going to climb Kili due to money, time and knee compassion I felt the need to hike ON the mountain, if not UP it.
... Continue reading » -
24
Mount Meru
A bit about Mout Meru:
Meru is Tanzania's second highest mountain after Kilimanjaro, 1300m lower at 4500m high. It is situat... Continue reading »
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25
Reflections on Tanzania (random photos etc!)
Some general points about Tanzania (and some more photos, predictably many of Kili, plus some more Usangi views, plus Moshi as well this time).
... Continue reading » -
26
48 hours in Mumbai
Arrived in Mumbai a bit before 5am local time, which meant sometime after 2am East African time, having flown from Nairobi. Managed to find m... Continue reading »
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27
Weekend in Kolkata
After very little sleep, two hours at Mumbai Domestic Air terminal and two hours flying I arrived in Kolkata on Saturday morning.
After a hai... Continue reading »
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28
Springtime in Kalimpong
Actually, it was far from Springtime when I first arrived. After a day-long train journey from Kolkata to New Jalpaiguri Station, near Siliguri, I... Continue reading »
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29
Stunning Tiger Hill
Spending the night in a depressingly cold Darjeeling guesthouse made it all the easier to get up and leave before 4:30am.
Wrapped up in sever... Continue reading »
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30
Darjeeling.....
Darjeeling: 'Queen of Hill Stations'. A relaxing place to spend the weekend when compared to Kalimpong as the traffic is excluded from much o... Continue reading »
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31
Living the simple life
It wasn't all swanning around Darjeeling and Kalimpong, rafting and seeing mountains! I spent the majority of my time (weekends excluded) in a tiny... Continue reading »
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32
The Village Discovery Tour
Having spent many weeks in No.12 Dhura, and walked between there and Kashyem at least once per week, I decided to join the Village Discover Tour fo... Continue reading »
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33
Into Sikkim
Having finished my volunteering stint in India it was time to explore a little further than Kalimpong and Darjeeling. Permits were got in Ran... Continue reading »
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34
Mountains again!
The town of Pelling consists mostly of hotels and not much else, but that is not why people go there! I spent two days or so there and from t... Continue reading »
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35
Culture shock in Bangkok
Definition of culture shock: Arriving in Bangkok having spent five months in Tanzania and India. Staying in the downtown area at the moment and... Continue reading » -
36
Songkran and sightseeing in Bangkok
Friday 13 April
I arrived in Bangkok just as Songkran (Thai New Year) was beginning. The main passtime during th... Continue reading »
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37
Limestone and leeches!
Arrived late morning from my overnight bus and spent my first day relaxing and wandering a short way into the rainforest (sorry, apparently it's 't... Continue reading »
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38
Cooking in Krabi
Arrived in Krabi from Khao Sok on Sunday late morning and spent the rest of that day generally mooching around the pleasant, sleepy town that is Kr... Continue reading »
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39
Mangroves, macaques and monitors...
Sea kayaking. Another activity that can be done by the coast without getting one's infected ear wet. Choosing DEET over factor 50 sun lotion... Continue reading »
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40
Lazing on Lanta
It took half a day to get to Ko Lanta, a large island to the south-east of Krabi, as they had stopped the ferry and I had to go by minivan instead.... Continue reading »
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41
Afternoon in Ao Nang
Having returned from Ko Lanta in time for lunch I had the afternoon at my disposal. I was accompanied by a young Frenchman so had another opport... Continue reading » -
42
George Town, Penang
Arrived in George Town, Penang after a long day in two minivans, from Krabi to Hat Yai (southern Thailand) and then over the border into Malaysia a... Continue reading »
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43
Cameron Highlands
Arrived in the Cameron Highlands, specifically the town of Tanah Rata in the early afternoon on Monday after a six hour bus journey from George T... Continue reading »
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44
Kuala Lumpur
Not much to report from KL as it was really only a stop-off en route to New Zealand. Having travelling every other day for ten days I just sp... Continue reading »
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45
Autumn days in Auckland
Having made it through the enormous immigration queues and then the customs department (who cleaned my walking boots for me and confiscated m... Continue reading »
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46
Caves and countryside
The first stop on my bus tour was Waitomo, where, not being in a huge hurry, I decided to get off and spend a night.
We arrived around midday... Continue reading »
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47
Letting off steam
Wednesday 9 May
Arrived in Rotorua in the late afternoon with enought time to put my bags down before heading out to Tamaki M... Continue reading » -
48
Crossing Tongariro
The Tongariro Crossing - a World Heritage walk accross the volcanic landscape of the central North Island.
The day started early with a 6.15... Continue reading »
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49
Afternoon in Wellington
The drive from Taupo had taken us along the Desert Road with stunning views of Tongariro National Park on the way. We continued south and arrive... Continue reading » -
50
Crossing the Cook Strait to the South
The ferry crossing from Wellington to Picton was significantly more interesting than any ferry I have taken from Dover/Portsmouth/Dar Es Salaam.Continue reading »
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51
Coastal paddling and wandering
As I couldn't decide whether to go sea kayaking or walking in Abel Tasman National park, I decided to do both.
I was collected from my lovely... Continue reading »
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52
Down the west coast
A long bus ride from Nelson to Greymouth might have been rather tedious had our journey not been broken for us with frequent stops at interesting s... Continue reading »
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53
Heli hiking on Franz Josef
After a good drive from Greymouth up into the Southern Alps, we arrived in the small settlement of Franz Josef at around midday. I had time f... Continue reading »
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54
More glacier fun!
After the previous day's glacier 'taster' session I decided that a full day of ice was called for so I hopped on the bus nice and early for the sho... Continue reading »
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55
Deer Park Heights
After Arrowtown, we headed back through Queenstown to the Kelvin Heights area, across Lake Wakitipu from the main town. We drove up to Deer P... Continue reading »
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56
Autumn colours in Arrowtown
After a late night out in Queenstown, Sarah and I finally got ourselves moving and got into our hire car for our first little foray into the New Zeala... Continue reading » -
57
Kinloch and around
After another lazy morning in Queenstown, it was time to leave and head off on the first leg of our driving adventure.
We drove out of town a... Continue reading »
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58
Demons and Angels on Ben Lomond
The day started well. A gloriously sunny morning, after a wet and dreary previous day at Milford Sound.
I drove from Te Anau and made i... Continue reading »
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59
Monterey Bay area
After a rather nice lie-in, I dragged myself out of the hostel at about 10:00am and found a bus to take me to Old Monterey, where I had the morning... Continue reading »
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