Day 271 : 27 Feb 2005 - Horo Horo (Tanzania border) to Pangani 146 km
Day 272 : 28 Feb 2005 - Pangani -
Day 273 : 1 Mar 2005 - Pangani to Dar Es Salaam 370 km
Day 274 : 2 Mar 2005 - Dar Es Salaam -
Day 275 : 3 Mar 2005 - Dar Es Salaam -
Day 276 : 4 Mar 2005 - Dar Es Salaam to Selous Game Reserve by air
Day 277 : 5 Mar 2005 - Selous Game Reserve -
Day 278 : 6 Mar 2005 - Selous Game Reserve to Dar Es Salaam by air
Day 279 : 7 Mar 2005 - Dar Es Salaam to Mikumi Park 256 km
Day 280 : 8 Mar 2005 - Mikumi Park to Kisolanza 290 km
Day 281 : 9 Mar 2005 - Kisolanza to Mbeya 273 km
Day 282 : 10 Mar 2005 - Mbeya to Kasumulu (Malawi border) 109 km

Total nights – 11
Total kilometers – 1 401 km

Currency : Tanzania Shilling (TSh)
Exchange rate : 1 US$ = 1 100 TSh
Fuel cost per litre : 920 KSh
Total cost for country : 444.82 US$
Country cost per day : 40.44 US$
Overall average cost per day : 51.01 US$
Highlight : Visit to Selous Game Reserve
Low point : Not being able to drive through southern Tanzania to cross the Ruvuma River into Mozambique.

During our return trip through Tanzania we followed the coast until Dar Es Salaam. It is not possible to drive all the way on the road along the coast; even motorcycles find it very difficult due to some damaged bridges. We enjoyed our stay at Peponi close to Pangani, and then returned to Tanga to continue along the main road to Dar Es Salaam.

Dar Es Salaam is probably the African city that has changed the most during the last 10-15 years. The streets are all in a good condition, and we did not come across any of the notoriously huge potholes that Dar Es Salaam used to be famous for in the past. Shops and markets were well stocked with a variety of goods/foods at reasonable prices. The security situation also appears to be a lot better than before, and we walked the streets without any feeling of being threatened.

We crossed by ferry to the beaches south of Dar Es Salaam and found a nice camping site called Kipepeo (Swahili for butterfly). It was a strange site at daybreak to witness a herd of cattle walking down the beach in front of the camp site and entering the breaking waves every now and then.

We arranged for a fly-in visit to the Selous Game Reserve since the roads in southern Tanzania were becoming impassable due to the start of the rainy season. It was an unforgettable experience. The Selous is Africa’s biggest single game reserve; it is 3 times bigger than the Serengeti, more than twice the size of Kruger Park in South Africa and 50% larger than Belgium. It forms the core of a 155 000 km² wilderness area that stretches until the Niassa Park in northern Mozambique – it contains more than 150 000 buffaloes, 100 000 wildebeest, 65 000 elephants, 40 000 hippopotamus, 35 000 zebras, 25 000 impalas, 4 000 lions, 4 000 leopards, 1 000 African wild dogs, as well as 430 of the 1 115 bird species present in Tanzania (only DRC has more). Boat trips on the wide Rufiji river enable one to observe numerous birds as well as animals in the water and on the river banks – sunset from a boat on the Rufiji is one of the most dramatic in Africa.

We followed the Tanzam road from Dar Es Salaam en route to Malawi. We stayed near Iringa at Kisolanza camp site which probably has the cleanest facilities north of the Limpopo River; and the ablution consists of pit latrines whilst the shower water is being heated by burning timber in a “donkey” system !

Fresh produce were readily available everywhere at fair prices. Facilities were priced reasonably as well as meals and drinks, with the exception of the National Parks where everything from entry, camping, accommodation, etc. are extremely expensive. We met numerous travelers that totally by-passed the parks due to budget constraints – a real pity, since the wilderness experience in the Tanzanian Parks are probably the best in Africa if not the world. Tanzania also loses out on the “free advertising” that normally results from satisfied visitors.

The main roads are generally in a reasonable condition with visible signs of ongoing maintenance. Once an all weather road has been constructed to the many interesting areas south of Dar Es Salaam, as well as a reliable crossing across the Ruvuma River into Mozambique, southern Tanzania will most probably attract a much larger sector of the tourism industry, and also provide an alternative to the Malawi route to the overland fraternity. Numerous beautiful but lesser known conservation areas are present to the south of the Tanzam road; all struggling to be economically viable due to access difficulties.

We found the people of Tanzania very friendly and helpful, although the incidence of begging increased compared to Kenya. We never felt threatened or unsafe; even in Dar Es Salaam we never experienced any serious security problems.

Tanzania is probably the best wilderness destination in Africa, but the extremely expensive fees charged for foreigners at all the national parks and game reserves prohibit many tourists from visiting these places. Independent travelers rarely visit any parks or reserves due to the very high daily fees to be paid for foreign registered vehicles.