Hi,
We're traveling with a 2 year old and will arrive mid next week @Kili airport. We've got 3,5 weeks and are leaving from Zanzibar. We're not there for the big 5 nor climbing Kili(doesn't seem like a good plan with a little one) nor are particularly fond of tourist stuff, nor spending "stupid money". We are in no rush to see "everything" and prefer 4 longer stops with plenty to a frantic schedule.
We do like meeting locals, maybe see a little bit of wildlife (no botanic/birding fans) and quirky destinations. We're happier sleeping in a rusty bed with a local family than staying in a fancy lodge. We assume we can do max 3,5 hrs trips per day whilst keeping the little one happy.
We are thinking of the following schedule:
- Maybe start with Ngorongoro (which is a big contradiction with doing non-tourist stuff), but it seems like an easy way to get the wildlife thingy out of the way and then we can focus on the real stuff. We haven't booked anything, so this probably takes 3 days.
- Afterwards head east again towards Pare/Usambara mountains and hopefully stay in a couple of low key places and do a couple of short hikes (max 3 hrs). 7 days?
- Descend towards Dar (don't stay there): 2 days
- Spend the last 7-10 days in Zanzibar
We're looking for specific advice on the following:
1. Is Ngorongoro worth it?
Thoughts: Entrance $200 for the car (assuming no-one will want to share with a 2 year old), $200 for the car rental, housing $400 (for 2 nights with 2 persons, don't think we can make it one night) + transport back and forth make it an expensive trip. Moreover, I presume we won't/hardly get out of the car, so it's going to be strenous for the little one to say the least. Again, we're not nature freaks, and I can die peacefully knowing that I haven't seen a wild lion or rhino. Moreover, it's like to chew of 4 days of our trip (including transport, arranging etc.)
- Pare/Usambra mountains: timing and location Which one would you recommend for hikes? And authenticity? Any specific spots you can recommend?
tx,
Gijs
