You only have one lifetime to experience this world, and often times it’s easy to forget that the world is a truly a vast and astonishing place. If you are anything like my husband and I, then your passion for travelling is oftentimes limited by the beloved time and finances that are available. These resources must be spread widely and spent wisely. Since the clock never does stop ticking, we’ve taken on a Bucket List mentality to living out our one wild and precious life. But with so much of this big, round globe to see, how on Earth do you decide what tops your list and where to run
away with your lover next?


Well let me tell you, we threw ourselves into a trip that wasn’t even on our bucket list at all, let alone at the top of it. But lucky for us, it was the pivotal journey topping our very best friends list. So in true Fly Duo style, we embarked on a couples expedition to Tanzania, Africa to spend five life-changing days on Safari exploring the massive expanse that is the Serengeti.


Tanzania is filled with breathtaking landscapes, exotic wildlife, vibrant cultures and beautiful friendships. To think that we could have missed out on some of our most memorable days, has me shouting from the rooftops the top five reasons why you need to rocket this destination straight to the top of your bucket list! My reasons are all to do with the feels that you’ll get in exchange for leaving a little piece of your heart on the golden plains of Africa:
1. Adventure –A safari grants you direct access to the magic of the bush in a rich variety of ways. From sunrise to sunset, we spent full days captivated by our exclusive guides, as they escorted us across the landscape, through muddy streams and over rocky outcrops, on game drives racing to scenes that only locals know. With the heat of the sun on our skin, wind in our hair and a cold brew in hand, we watched as the circle of life played out in front of our eyes from the comfort of our open-air land rover. Just imagine going on a date with your love to see the world renowned Wildebeest river crossings on the deadly Mara River or staking out a gorgeous, velvety leopard post-afternoon nap, there was adrenalin radiating at every dusty turn.



2. Romance - It permeated the atmosphere and ambiance of our gorgeous camp. Our simple, yet luxurious canvas tent was a space to relax and feel at home, in a setting that was the furthest thing from our home. The camp we stayed at was called ‘Serian’ which aptly comes from the Masai language, meaning “serene, calm, or tranquil”. There was an element of this as I nestled up to my husband while darkness filled the night sky and the wild life slept in the national park, just beyond the comfort of our deliciously warm bed. 


3. Culture – At the start of every day, Seidja, our quiet but experienced guide, set out to show us another fragment of his routine as a tribe hunter. Breakfast and lunch unfolded according to the ingredients at hand – simple tasty food and relief from the bustle of contemporary life. Jeremiah, our fun-loving driver prepared for us a daily picnic so that not a moment was spared from immersing ourselves in the savannah. After each day out in the immensity of the bush, the ancestral ritual of coming together to enjoy a fire and more amazing food flooded us with a sense of community. Each evening we indulged in a gourmet dinner gathered round the family table and mused over the colorful details of the day.



4. Wonder – There was so much more to the safari than driving around ticking big animals off the list, and though we did see the big 5…it was all about being open to falling under the spell of this mesmerizing land. Much of it has to do with distance from the rest of the world – not just a physical distance, but the deliberate distance in the way the people live. If you immerse yourself in the local way of living, osmosis takes effect, and the quietude and the beauty quietly infuse your being. The people are attuned to its essence and can translate it by showing you to see through their eyes.



5. Wildness – In its literal sense, is the state of being untamed. We came to Africa to feel it, up close and personal, with minimal separation between ourselves and the wilderness. We immersed ourselves in the pure air amongst the undomesticated beasts that are well and truly wild. A mother black rhino grazing with her baby calf, two of the remaining six of their kind in all of the Serengeti or a pride of lions from the cute, cuddly cubs all the way up to the dominant alpha male protecting his brood under the shade of wiry, dry bush.  There is an indescribable passion to being immersed in a wholly natural setting.



So, Fly Duos, if you are crazy like us two love birds, somewhat unaware that this life altering experience is out there waiting for you, take it from me and just GO! I promise it will be worth your every penny. Don’t wait forever; adventure, romance, culture, wonder and wildness await you!

Each evening after we reached camp, we did an acclimatization hike to spend time at higher altitude so that we could stretch out the lungs and get used to breathing thinner air with less oxygen content. I didn’t mind the extra mileage one bit because these quick ascents made me feel slightly more confident that my little ol’ lungs wouldn’t mysteriously forget to do their job during the night...I know, I know, but I used google to prepare for the trip remember, there is all sorts of craziness that pops up on there!

That's our tiny little camp waaaaaayyyy down below!

The sea-level dwelling Aussie blokes tested out their oxygen tanks that they had rented in advance, but seeing as we had true blue Canadian Rocky Mountain blood pumping through our veins we opted out.



xo Tegs

By Day 3 the heavy fog had cleared and we awoke to a beautiful sunrise shining light across a breathtaking view of the Kibo summit! We did a little happy dance to celebrate the fact that after walking for two days straight, we could finally set our sights on the end goal!


 

Day 3 was just a quick 4 km jaunt over to the Mawenzi Camp, with a 624 m elevation gain (from 3679 m to 4303 m). After the long days on the mountain we started to get intimately acquainted with it. Our guides told us that Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcanic mountain in Tanzania, near the Kenya boarder, comprised of three volcanic cones, Mawenzi, Shira and the highest peak Kibo. The guides took turns leading the group at a snails pace up the mountain. Every so often they would say polé, polé, which means slowly, slowly in Swahili…which suited Davey and I to a T. I mean, our natural pace is a leisurely stroll at best anyways (hello, always late), so we didn’t really mind it one bit. Actually, looking back at it, the hike was like a bit of a metaphor for our relationship. We just have this thing where we really try not to rush through life to quickly… you know 7 years of dating, followed by a 3 year engagement…no hurry, no worry. Only in this case it was more of a no hurry, no worry that you will run out of oxygen and get early onset symptoms of acute altitude sickness kind of deal, so we went with that.

That's Mawenzi summit peaking through the clouds.

xo Tegs

Day 2 on the road to Kilimanjaro - we awoke to a saint's delivery of freshly brewed, hot coffee right to the front zipper of the tent (read: the instant variety - but that didn't matter much to me), it was like a nice, warm hug. At this point the air temperature was still warm, especially compared to what was to come. We filled our packs with the essentials - rain gear, lots of water, meds and some energy boosting snacks, all piled into our little dining tent for brekky, and then hit the dusty trail.

 

 

Off we went. Day 1. Rongai Route.

We unloaded our gear and met with our guides and porters...ALL 30 of the beautifully kind souls that it would take to get 11 of us trailblazers to the summit. We're talking food, water, bedding, clothing, cooking supplies, tents, a toilet...there was a lot of stuff.




xo Tegs