Let’s go to Tanzania together!
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This is a trip that’s been in the back of my mind for many years. In 2012, my friend and I spent some time in Tanzania volunteering in a small village then we went on safari and to Zanzibar. It was one of the most memorable, special travel experiences of my life and I’ve wanted to do it again since. But this time I want to make it even more incredible by sharing it with friends and family.
Tanzania is a stunning country and I’ve always thought of it as “quintessential Africa” which is so often portrayed in movies like the Lion King. It’s wild and beautiful.
It is also very real. Sometimes you get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere so you find yourself hoping a lion doesn’t kill you while you pee in the African bush. Or the only bathroom is a hole in the dirt you have to squat over. This is all part of the adventure.
But in general, we’ll be in 3 star, comfortable hotels/lodges.
One of the things that makes this so special is Gilbert, our safari guide from 2012. Gilbert was our same age and it was just the three of us adventuring across the Serengeti. Now, years later, Gilbert owns his own safari company, Gilmag Safaris. I’ve been chatting with him the last year or so about how we can organize an epic adventure. Since he’s the boss man now, he’ll be able to be our guide in November 2026.
Below you’ll find a link to an outline of our 7 day itinerary. There will also be an optional 4 day add-on to Zanzibar. Zanzibar is one of the most incredible places I’ve been with turquoise water and white sand beaches and an incredible cultural experience. It’s also where Freddy Mercury is from.
The dates are set for November 8-14, 2026 for a 7 day safari followed by 4 optional days in Zanzibar from November 14-18. If you don’t want to do the add-on to Zanzibar, that’s totally fine! Flights will easily take a day to get there and back so factor that into trip length. Flights to Africa can be expensive. We will fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport.
We’ll hopefully see all the exciting animals: lions, elephants, zebras, cheetahs, giraffes, wildebeests, and more. Did you know warthogs eat on their knees?
Air miles are a great way to offset the cost of flights – it’s literally the only way we pay for flights anymore. Chris and I alternate opening credit cards with large mileage bonuses, put all our expenses on the new card and spend the minimum to earn the miles (usually around $5000 in 3 months), always paying it off before there’s interest charges. These cards often have other perks too like travel insurance, rental car insurance, lounge access, hotel credits, free Global Entry, etc. You could easily have enough miles to pay for your flight to Africa in over a year. Some of my favorite cards are Chase Sapphire, Capital One Venture, and Alaska Airlines. Annual fees vary but I have always found it to be worth it and the money saved on flights far outweighs the annual fee. If this is something you’re unfamiliar with or need help with, please ask! I’m happy to assist.
The 7 day itinerary is linked below (subject to change):
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