Amani Forest Reserve: Trip III

After a brief rain the moisture was hanging in the air.

We had visited Amani Forest Reserve in 2014 and 2016 and really love the place. We wanted to spend some more time in the forest but we unfortunately had our trip cut short (Trip I, Trip II) due to COVID-19. We planned to stay a few nights but due to uncertainty on how the nation would handle the first few cases we decided to head back home. We still got a chance to get out one day and do some hiking and birdwatching.

The drive up from Muheza was quite muddy this time of year and took around 1:40 to reach the village of Amani. The resthouse that we had previously stayed at was under construction (about a half hour down the hill from Amani proper) which means it will probably have some decent facilities in the near future. When we reached Muheza we found the Amani HQ had a previous booking and was full! We couldn't believe it but they directed us to another guesthouse, apparently the old malaria research station. There we found a comfy room in an old farmhouse type building set up on the top of a hill next to a river; extremely picturesque!

We immediately went to Kwamkoro Trail, one of the trails set in the interior of Amani. It's kind of weird because you must pass through a tea plantation to reach the trail head but there is an old logging road that is relatively flat. It's a beautiful walk through nicely preserved forest, the only drawback being that it's not a loop. We enjoyed an afternoon walk with some light showers, which I always feel like highlight the montane forest in a mystical way.

Unfortunately we got word of the first confirmed COVID-19 case that evening so we decided it was safer to head back home. It was still great to have even the briefest visit in the amazing forests.

Taking a picture of a forest is always a crapshoot.

Peponi: Tanga trip V

I love the common area right next to the beach

We unfortunately had our trip to Spain cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns so we decided to make the best of a bad situation and at least get out of Iringa town. We decided to visit one of our favorite spots in Tanzania on the Tanga Coast (Trip I, Trip II, Trip III, Trip IV). We had not been able to visit for nearly three years (!!!) due to the long driving distance. However, we decided to wake up early and drive the 10 hours to Peponi, one of our favorite places.

One of the reasons we decided to go to the coast was the fact that we're in the middle of the rainy season. We had plenty of places that we wanted to do wildlife viewing or hiking, but if there is a rainy day then we would find ourselves stuck. With the beach, we at least know there are covered public space that we can chill at and read, after all we don't spend our days at the beach laying in the sun anyway.

We love that Peponi has campsites that are quite cheap and right next to the ocean. Our tent can get a nice sea breeze and the sound of the ocean at night is therapeutic. It can get a little warm in our tent but we found that if we put a mosquito net (always travel with one!) draped over our tent with the sides open, the breeze can come through.

The beach is nearly always deserted and we were able to do some fantastic bird watching as well. It's such a chill location and the services and staff are still amazing. I was pleased to recognize, and be recognized, by many of the staff even years later. We hope that another three years doesn't pass before we go again!

Walking along the beach.

The seafood platter for two. At 50,000tsh (roughly $21.00) it is one of my favorite meals in the entire world.