Insider Tanzania June 2021
The Great Wildebeest Migration Season is Here - Come Experience One of the 7 Wonders of the World in Kenya and Tanzania
The Great Migration is About to Begin. The great wildebeest migration is one of the most phenomenal natural spectacles in the world. It is an annual movement by millions of wildebeest, accompanied by large numbers of zebra, grant's gazelle, Thompson's gazelle, elands, and impalas across the greater Masai Mara-Serengeti ecosystem.
Made In Zanzibar: Handicraft & Music Tour
- Meet the talented artists behind Zanzibar's thriving handicraft community
- Learn about the life and work of these artists
- Have a go at henna painting and wood carving under the expert eye of a local artisan
- Discover the fascinating story behind the beautifully elaborate carved wooden doors
- Visit the region's only music school, chat with musicians about their music heritage
- Have a go at playing a local instrument
- Stroll through historic Stone Town with an expert local guide
Say 'jambo' to the most accomplished craftsmen and women, artists and musicians that Zanzibar has to offer on this handicraft/musical-themed adventure. A stunning melting pot of cultures for centuries, this region boasts an impressive artisan craft culture. We will introduce you to painters, carpenters, henna artists, and musicians as we unlock the cultural, historical, and musical secrets of Stone Town and beyond. So have a go at creating your own piece of art and jam with local musicians on this unique and engaging tour.
Itinerary
Your journey begins outside the Old Fort, Stone Town's most famous landmark. Your guide will spend some time helping you to get orientated and will talk to you about the flourishing craft culture in Zanzibar before we set off towards our first stop.
Henna is a traditional dye made from the Laconia plant, which is used to decorate the body with elaborate patterns and is extremely popular with local women in Zanzibar. You will have an opportunity to paint your own design onto canvas under the expert guidance of a local henna painter amongst the beautiful surroundings of the historic Fort. After you've had a practice, you are welcome to try it on your skin, too (optional).
Next up, we'll stop at a vibrant local studio to chat with a group of local painters, find out more about their work, and admire their creations.
Carpentry is next on our agenda, still a vital and flourishing vocation in Zanzibar. If you've been in town for a few days, you may already have noticed the abundance of decorative, heavy wooden doors, something that the region is famous for, and you won't find anything like this anywhere else in the world. On this tour, you'll get to meet the talented artisans behind these works of art. With the guidance of a local carpenter, you will also get a chance to carve your own little piece. You must be patient, though, as this old handcraft is not as easy as it looks! You will be given a small souvenir gift by the carpenter so that you'll never forget your time with us in Stone Town!
Finally, we'll dive into the world of Zanzibar and Swahili music at the local Dhow Countries Music Academy, the only music school in Zanzibar. The center actively promotes and protects local music heritage and offers students a wide range of instruments to learn and master. During our visit, you will hear about the history of the institution and the different local music styles that they proudly preserve, such as taarab, kidumbak and ngoma. After your lesson in Tanzanian music history, you will be invited to choose an instrument and to throw yourself into the rhythms as we practice a piece together with the friendly local students that study at the academy!
Your guide will lead you back to the Old Fort in the center of Stone Town, just in time for lunch, and will be more than happy to share their local food recommendations with you.
What to Eat in Tanzania: A Delicious Tanzanian Food Guide
writen by Joanna
https://www.theworldinmypocket.co.uk/about-me/
If you are wondering what food is like in Tanzania, you have landed in the right place. I have traveled three weeks around Tanzania, eating only local Tanzanian food, so that I can create this guide for you. As a foodie, it was my delight to try as many different Tanzanian dishes as possible and find out which country's specific flavors.
Tanzanian cuisine
The Tanzanian cuisine has been influenced not only by its neighbouring countries, but also by the Indian cuisine, due to the Indian nationals who have started migrating for trade to Tanzania in the 19th century. There are many dishes that Tanzania is sharing with its neighbor Kenya, both in name and taste.
Coconut, aromatic spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorn and cloves, bananas, and beans are some of Tanzania's most used ingredients in its national cuisine. As Tanzania has one of the largest livestock populations in Africa, meat is also used widely in the local cuisine. Beef, goat, and chicken are the most common types of meats with which people cook traditional Tanzanian meals.
For dessert, Tanzanians usually eat a lot of fruits, from bananas to mangoes, from watermelon to papaya. For special occasions, Tanzanians eat cakes, and there are a few pastry shops in every city where you can order a sweet treat. Cakes, however, are quite pricey.
The Tanzanian Breakfast
I like it a lot the Tanzanian Breakfast. It comes either sweet or savory. Or sometimes, both! I can't remember when was the last time I ate so many crepes on consecutive days as I did during my three weeks holiday in Tanzania.
The two most often things that you will find on the Tanzanian breakfast plate are eggs and crepes. They are accompanied by several different fruits and also freshly squeezed juice, tea, and coffee. Most of the time, Tanzanian coffee is instant, which I don't understand, in a country that produces such good quality beans.
Now, let's see what kind of food people eat in Tanzania:
Ugali
Ugali is, without a doubt, a staple of Tanzanian cuisine. The most traditional Tanzanian food, ugali, is never missing from a plate of food. But what is ugali, you may ask? At first glance, it looks like a big chunk of sticky rice, but it's nothing like it. Ugali is made out of only two ingredients: white maize flour and water. They are stirred together until they reach a stiff consistency that pulls apart easily from the sides of the pot.
Ugali is served as a side for everything: meat or vegetable stews, beans, greens, and pretty much everything that has a sauce. Ugali is eaten with the hand, not with the fork. Simply pull a little bit apart, roll it in your hand to create a ball and then press it with your finger in the middle to create a small indent with which you can then scoop some stew.
How does ugali taste like? In my opinion, it doesn't really have a taste. It's role it is more to fill you up rather than taste like anything.
Pilau
Pilau is another traditional Tanzanian food, with roots spread all over the world. The basics of making pilau are the same as making paella, risotto, or even biryani, so you have probably tasted a similar dish in one form or another.
The Tanzanian pilau is cooked using five main spices: black peppercorn, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and cumin seeds, crushed together in a mortar.
The Tanzanian pilau is usually made without any meat and served as a side dish. It is a very aromatic dish, as the onions and the spices are boiled for quite some time to release flavor into the water in which the rice is added later. The best place to eat the traditional Tanzanian pilau would be at a local's house and, if you choose to do a homestay in Tanzania, you can make sure that you will get the chance to taste it. Of course, restaurants serve it as well, but there's something about a home-cooked pilau that makes it more delicious. Maybe it's the love the locals cook it with.
Chapatti
The chapatti has its origins in India, and you have probably eaten it if you have visited the Central Asian country. Tanzania has adopted the chapatti and made it it is own by modifying the recipe a bit. The Tanzanian chapatti is thicker than its Indian relative, and it is more filling.
Tanzanians eat chapatti with Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Chipsi mayai
If I were to choose a Tanzanian dish that I could repeatedly eat without getting bored, that would be the chipsi mayai. Popular as a street food but easily found in most of the local restaurants chipsi mayai would translate as a French fries omelet.
After the potatoes are fried, eggs are beaten and poured on top, binding them together. It is usually eaten with loads of ketchup on top and a side tomatoes and onions salad. It is incredibly cheap as well, even in restaurants. I first tried the chipsi mayai at We Travel Hostel, and since then, I couldn't stop myself ordering repeatedly.
Mishkaki
Another street food that you will find pretty much at every corner, especially as soon as the evening comes, is the mishkaki. The marinated pieces of beef are skewered together with vegetables and grilled over hot coal barbecues.
The taste of the mishkaki is so good, as the meat is tender and juicy, with a smoky flavor from the grill.
Nyama Choma
Nyama Choma is Swahili for "roast meat." You can find it anywhere, as a street food or in more established restaurants. On the street, you will usually see a big chunk of meat hung next to the grill, from which the cook keeps cutting different pieces and places them above the hot coals.
You never know what part of the beef you will get. Personally, I think nyama choma is excellent when you get the tender parts. However, you can be unlucky and get some really tough pieces of meat that are inedible, impossible the chew. However, there is always a cat around that is grateful for them. I was introduced to this Tanzanian dish by Jospehine, with whom I took a local tour of Moshi.
Ndizi Nyama
This unique dish is very popular in Tanzania, and it translates as bananas with meat, usually beef. It doesn't look very appetizing, but you'll have to trust me that it tastes really good.
The only cooked bananas that I had during my travels around the world were in South America, and I remember that their texture was very soft. Tanzania grows more than 20 different types of bananas, and some are edible, some are not. Among these, green bananas are used exclusively in cooking.
The green bananas maintain their shape and texture when they are cooked, which make this Tanzanian dish look kind of odd. They taste more like potatoes in the stew than bananas, so imagine Ndizi Nyama tasting more of a potato with meat kind of stew rather than sweet bananas.
I highly recommend trying it when traveling through Tanzania.
Nyama Mchuzi
This is a beef stew made with coconut milk. Usually, the beef is slowly cooked so that it is very tender and almost melts in your mouth. I had it several times, home-cooked, and I couldn't get enough of it.
Maharage ya nazi
I have to admit that this was not one of my favorite foods in Tanzania because I am not a fan of beans. However, I did try it so that I can tell you how it tastes like.
The name of this Tanzanian food translates simply as rice and beans. The beans are cooked in a curry sauce with coconut milk. It tastes like… well, beans. There is a nice coconutty flavor, and the sauce has a nice aroma.
Choroko nazi
Choroko nazi is made with chickpeas and coconut milk, and it resembles a thick soup rather than a stew. It's usually served with ugali.
It is a great choice for vegetarians, with a nicely subtitle coconut flavor. It is again one of those dishes that doesn't look very appealing but tastes good.
Kachumbari
You can see the kachumbari salad at the back of the plate
Kachumbari is the most popular salad in Tanzania, served with most of the dishes. You don't have to order it, the salad usually is usually brought with your main meal, for free. It consists of tomatoes and onions and has a very refreshing taste.
Seafood Feast in Zanzibar
Food in Zanzibar is different from the dishes you would typically find in mainland Tanzania. This is quite normal, as Zanzibar is an island, so there is plenty of fish and seafood around. Also, because many more tourists visit Zanzibar, the restaurants have adapted and introduced many western-style dishes, such as pizza, pasta, or burgers. The resort I stayed in even had a "Tanzanian tapas" night on my last day there.
Coming back to the seafood, Zanzibar is an excellent place to eat as much as you can, for relatively reasonable prices.
At first, I was shocked by how much of a price difference was between the restaurants in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. Whilst in Moshi I would expect to pay around 10,000 shillings (£3.5) for a good and filling local meal in a touristic restaurant, in Zanzibar you can't really find anything under 20,000 shillings (£7), unless it's vegetarian, and even then you will have to pay 14-15,000 shillings (£5).
A seafood platter will cost anything between 60,000 shillings (£20) to 120,000 shillings (£40), depending on which restaurant you go to and how close to the beach they are.
I stayed in Jambiani at New Teddy's on the Beach and went to the nearby Yellow Card Café for the seafood platter. I ate octopus in coconut sauce there the day before, and because it was cooked perfectly, I decided to return for the seafood platter. I don't know how familiar you are with octopus, but it is really hard to not overcook it – when it changes its texture from soft to chewy.
I was not wrong; the chef did an amazing job grilling all the seafood to perfection. He even butterflied the prawns so that they come out easily from the shell. The platter was massive and came with calamari, octopus, tuna, king prawns, lobster, and sea crayfish. On the side, there was also a bowl of chips and a salad. I did not eat alone this entire feast, and I wouldn't have been able to. Needless to say, I didn't need any dinner later that evening.
Zanzibar Pizza
The Zanzibar Pizza is not what you think it is: a pizza. In fact, it looks like it is quite popular in Stone Town's night markets, but not outside it – or maybe I was unlucky and didn't find it anywhere in Jambiani, where I was based during my trip to Zanzibar.
The Zanzibar pizza is a thin crepe dough filled with chicken or beef (or none if you are vegetarian), onions, peppers, an egg, and, wait for it… a triangle of Laughing Cow cheese. It is then fried on a flat pan and served with mayo, hot sauce, and a vegetable salad on the side.
The more gourmet Zanzibar pizzas are filled with seafood and cost more. You can even find sweet pizzas, which have a Nutella or fruit filling.
Mandazi
A breakfast plate: avocado toast and mandazi
I would say that mandazi is the Tanzanian doughnuts. There are not many desserts in Tanzania, but mandazi is one of them. They are usually eaten for breakfast, with a cup of tea. Mandazi is not very sweet and, being made with coconut milk, has a nutty flavor.
Grilled Corn
Grilled corn is a popular snack in Tanzania, which you can buy from people grilling it in markets and near bus stops. It has a smoky flavor from the charcoals and a bit of a chewy texture, but it's good. Put some salt on it for a more flavorsome taste.
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The spread of COVID-19 into the Eastern Africa region presented a slew of operational and business challenges to AMREF Flying Doctors, both locally and internationally.
Our capacity to move patients from the region into Nairobi – the region’s centre of medical excellence – and onward transfers to international destinations was initially seriously compromised.
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We at Urth Expedition enroll all of our clients through AMREF Flying Doctors at no extra cost.
Travelers will now require an RT-PCR Test with a Negative Certificate Valid within 72 Hours of Arrival in Tanzania.
Germany's largest airline, Lufthansa, commences direct flights from Frankfurt to Mombasa and on to Zanzibar.