Ruaha National Park: Kigelia Camp

View of our tent

There are several lodges in the park each with their own unique vibe and services. We love Kigelia Camp for both the rustic tented camp feel as well as the amazing service. Located far from other camps, Kigelia is set on a small sand river close to the Mwagusi River. Tents are well constructed with all the amenities one would want.

If one wants a bush camp experience but not the pain of sleeping on the ground and bathing from a bucket, Kigelia is the camp for you. Delicious food was literal icing on the cake and we loved taking our meals at a big table set out in the open by a campfire at night.

Very nice inside of tent. 

Breakfast area. 

Kisolanza Farm House

Beautiful afternoon walk. 

The airport in Iringa is being repaired resulting in an unfortunate relocation of flights to the nearest airstrip. This airstrip is about one hour drive south of Iringa located on a private farm in the middle of nowhere. We had a journalist at camp and he needed a ride out to the airport so we decided to look and see if there was anything nearby. We discovered there was a nearby farmhouse B&B type place and although it wasn't a "wild" area, we were quick to remember that one of our favorite spots in the north was a farmstead. We decided to check it out for a weekend coming in with low expectations, at the very least we'd have a change of scenery and some decent meals.

The farm is located not five minutes from the main highway but it felt isolated enough. The grounds were very tastefully manicured with several large trees, flowering shrubs, and plenty of space. We arrived for breakfast, which was delicious, and after having a brief chat with the owner we went to our room. We were staying in a small cottage with a huge veranda that had all the amenities for a long term stay. We had heard the farm was a popular destination for overlanders and we could see why. We were also happy to see a fireplace inside as the farm is located quite high so the nights are chilly.

The farm has a variety of walking trails around with a mix of cultivated and secondary vegetation. There is a pair of very cool reservoirs with some nice birdlife and lush surroundings. The food at Kisolanza was pricey but excellent, some of the best food I've had in Tanzania. We found the setting to be extremely relaxing and look forward to going again soon!

Sunrise walk 

Checking out the lake in the morning. 

Looking at some birds in the field. 

Local Tribe: The Barabaig dancing events

Jumping!

One of my favorite events to attend are traditional Barabaig dancing events. Because the Barabaig live in very low densities and spend the majority of their time herding livestock, social events are rare and an opportunity for the young people to get to know each other and find a partner. The most common dancing event occurs when young warriors have had a successful hunt and meet to celebrate their success. Our organization hosts traditional dances whereby any young man and woman can participate regardless of their success in hunting. This event has been wildly successful for not only giving the young people a chance to socialize but also for them to get an introduction to our project.

A mother with her child passes. She is above the dancing age!

A view from behind the women

Even the young ones have at it!

Traditional clothes from cow skin. 

Local Tribe: The Barabaig

Distribution of tribes in Tanzania from 1971

Our work area is particularly challenging due to the fact that we have several different tribes living in the landscape. The tribe I mainly work with is the Barabaig tribe. They are traditionally nomadic tribe numbering around 50,000 people and they have slowly migrated southwards. There is a fasincating anthropology book called The Barabaig: East African Cattle Herders that is a bit outdated but provides fascinating observations from their past. While they've traditionally been a highly secretive society our organization has worked closely with them to reduce the traditional activity of hunting wildlife. Whether it is for prestige or in retaliation for livestock being killed, hunting wildlife, especially carnivores, has been central to the Barabaig culture for many years. 

Although they aren't as "flashy" as the Maasai in regards to traditional dress and jewelry, the Barabaig still practice many of their traditions, including ceremonial "dancing" events and other gatherings celebrating birth, marriage, and death. As the population of Tanzania has grown the nomadic lifestyle has become harder to maintain. Many of the Barabaig realize these modern challenges and have found working with our organization to be an opportunity. I was initially skeptical to be working with the group, especially in regards to "changing their culture" but I truly believe that our project came at a perfect time where many Barabaig were looking for opportunities to integrate into society. As the society has become more open and their relationship with our organization has grown, I've continued to learn more and more about their culture and lifestyle.

A young Barabaig boy. 

Facial markings are becoming less common. 

Traditional necklace worn by most women. 

Traditional clothes from cow skin. 

A young Barabaig woman. 

A respected Barabaig elder. 

Camp friend: Common Genet

It can't balance!

We always try to have a stash of bananas at our tent. We typically hang them from a rope on our porch and they typically sit nicely there without a worry. But in the last few weeks we noticed that some of our bananas were nibbled and sometimes they had been thrown off the line entirely and completely destroyed on the ground. We suspected a genet but wanted to confirm so we even entertained the idea of putting camera traps on our porch.

We didn't have to use such technology as one night we were on our porch silently reading. Suddenly, and very quietly, a Common Genet popped up on our veranda. We watched it as it becaming increasingly frustrated trying to stand and reach the bananas and then trying to walk on the rope. It couldn't gain access to the bananas and carried on for about 15 minutes. It even glanced at us and acknowledged our presence though we didn't move. It appeared completely unbothered by our presence.

Eventually it gave up but not before providing us with some great entertainment. We've since moved our bananas into a box since as much as we love genet entertainment; we love our bananas more!

Trying to scope a good spot to grab. 

Iringa City

Although our primary residence is a few hours outside of Iringa city, we do also keep a place in Iringa town and I've found it quite a lovely city. It's located at nearly 1600m (5,280 ft) and hosts about 200,000 people which makes it busy enough to have nearly all the things you need but it doesn't feel overcrowded, in fact I was pretty shocked when I looked up the population as it is far more than I would have guessed. The downtown area is very compact with neighborhoods sprawling out on the plateau. There are small hills on each side of Iringa town which means urban sprawl is relatively constrained due to geography.

 

The elevation of the "southern highlands" is clearly demonstrated here

Iringa is located near the "TANZAM" (Tanzania/Zambia) highway which stretches from Zambia to Dar es Salaam. However, with the location of the town on a plateau the traffic does not actually pass through the city rather vehicles must make a short climb up the escarpment to reach the city proper. This helps to reduce congestion though vehicles passing onto Dodoma must pass through the city.

Iringa is a very safe city and apparently (I have heard) a great place to take Swahili classes. There are many expats with various professional backgrounds in the area from farmers and missionaries that have been living there for decades to young people learning Swahili before moving to a work or study post in another area of Tanzania. Compared to Moshi (where we lived for a few years) the expat population is far more professional and in my opinion, interesting. We have made more friends in Iringa in one year than we had in four years in Moshi!

There isn't much to do in Iringa but there is a popular hike and rock formation on one of the hills called Gangilonga. It's a nice hike and a fantastic view that faces west so you can catch the sunset. There's a nearby bar, Sunset, which also has excellent views.

There are a variety of nice western restaurants in Iringa. My personal highlights are the Greek Club, Sai Villa, and a hidden Indian restaurant. Neema Crafts is an amazing organization and the unofficial meeting point for foreigners and networking locals alike. They have a really affordable (though often booked) guesthouse, cute cafe, and well crafted handicrafts on their compound. It is the best place to go and get a coffee and run into all the Iringa-ites.