Iberia Surf Diary [en]

With a short stopover in France, I’ve been traveling through Spain and Portugal from mid-September to late October. Main objective was to get to know surf-spots along the Atlantic coast and surf as much as possible. Here I’ve collected my surfing experiences. Mostly to learn from it for future endeavors. E.g. what spots and what …

Tanzania Safari [en]

Ok, I’ve posted way too much about Climbing Kilimanjaro recently. My next tourist activity was a Safari, but let’s make this one shorter and focus on the photos. Fun facts: Safari originally means voyage in Kiswahili. Simba means lion. Hakuna matata roughly means no worries. Being driven around in a vehicle all day and staring …

Climbing Kilimanjaro — Pole Pole [en]

You’ll hear “pole pole” a lot on a Kilimanjaro climb — and frankly anywhere in Tanzania. It means “slowly, slowly” in Kiswahili, but could be more loosely translated as “take it easy”, “relax”, or “don’t rush”. The latter is key to a successful Kilimanjaro climb. Especially, if you’re not super athletic and/or accustomed to high …

Small Money in Tanzania [en]

One thing that stands out here in Tanzania (yupp, I’m still here, greetings from Zanzibar!) is the huge wealth gap. Tourists can easily pay European prices at restaurants and hotels. Wealthy locals drive big SUVs and own generous houses (and other real estate). But many Tanzanians live in tremendously poor conditions, especially in rural areas. …

Usambara Mountains [en]

After two weeks, I’ve left Kigamboni behind (for now) and started to travel north-west. First stop: Usambara mountains. A friend recommended a good guide, Subira from Kigamboni-Eco-Cultural Tours. She is native to the Usambara region, and you can reach her via phone/WhatsApp at +255627944103 or via email at kigamboniecoculturaltours@gmail.com. Here’s some of our impressions… Bus …