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Close to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro — above the clouds, nearly 6,000 meters high.
Tanzania | Pole Pole
Climbing Kilimanjaro, chasing sunsets in Zanzibar, and crossing the Serengeti — one slow step at a time.
Some places unfold slowly.
Not in distance, but in depth, in the way the air changes with altitude, or in the silence of early mornings before the animals stir.
This journey across Tanzania began at the base of Kilimanjaro, climbed through cloud forests and alpine desert, wandered into the turquoise waters of Zanzibar, and ended beneath the wide skies of the Serengeti.
Alone, but never lonely, each place carried its own kind of presence. And somewhere between the summit winds and the stillness of safari mornings, something old and quiet reminded me: you don’t rush what’s real.
Mount Kilimanjaro
Day 1:
Machame Gate (1,640m / 5,380 ft) → Machame Camp (2,850m / 9,350 ft)
Forest trail into the lush greenery of Kilimanjaro. First glimpse of the long journey ahead.
Starting the trail at Machame Gate — light-packed and ready.
First glimpse of the peak through the forest canopy.
Day 2:
Machame Camp → Shira Camp (3,810m / 12,500 ft)
Scenic ridgeline, elevation gain, and open views. Moorland zone.
Climbing above the tree line into the moorland.
Expansive views along the ridgeline approaching Shira.
Day 3:
Shira Camp → Lava Tower (4,630m / 15,190 ft) → Baranco Camp (3,976m / 13,044 ft)
High-altitude push for acclimatization. Lava Tower feels like Mars.
Marked altitude at 4,200m — brief pause to breathe.
Lava Tower — 4,630m.
Day 4:
Baranco Camp → Baranco Wall (4,270m / 14,000 ft) → Karanga Camp → Barafu Camp (4,600m / 15,091 ft)
Rock scrambling and ridge traversing. Dramatic shifts in light and sky.
Morning climb up Baranco Wall — slow and steep.
View of Mount Meru in the distance, light breaking through.
Day 5 (Summit Day):
2:00 AM full moon start → Stella Point (5,745m / 18,848 ft) → Uhuru Peak (5,895m / 19,341 ft)
Final push to the roof of Africa. Full moon. Sunrise. Pure stillness.
Trail lit by full moon — the final climb begins — 2 am.
Sunrise at Stella Point — just steps from the summit.
Zanzibar
After the climb, the coast — a shift from altitude to ocean. From the quiet of stone alleys in Spice Town to drifting past giant tortoises near Prison Island, and riding a Vespa into the sunset toward Kendwa Rocks. Zanzibar carried a rhythm all its own.
Up close with a giant tortoise on Prison Island — calm, ancient, unhurried.
A burst of color — peacock mid-dance on the island sanctuary.
Riding a Vespa into golden light — somewhere between Spice Town and Kendwa Rocks.
Evening at Kendwa Beach — low tide, soft skies, nothing urgent.
Early morning along the shore — fresh catch and footprints in the sand.
Anchored in still turquoise — a short swim into coral gardens.
Beneath the surface — schools of fish and the hush of warm currents.
A remote patch of sand — no footprints, just sea and sky.
Safari
From the white sands of Zanzibar to the golden grasslands of Tarangire, the endless plains of the Serengeti, and the surreal floor of Ngorongoro Crater — each day moved to a quieter rhythm. Mornings began in soft light and ended with the sound of distant hooves. You don’t just see animals here. You witness a world still moving to its own time.
Pundamilia — zebra, grazing through tall grass near the riverbanks.
Nyumbu — wildebeest mid-stride in the open Serengeti plains.
Fisi — hyena scanning the crater floor for movement.
Duma — cheetah resting in the shade, alert and still.
Tembo — lone elephant emerging through morning mist.
Twiga — giraffe calling.
Simba jike — lioness locked in gaze, just before dusk.
Paired lionesses — resting in the shade before the next hunt.
Simba — male lion resting, mane rippling with the wind.
Mbuni — ostrich striding through golden crater grass.
From the roof of Africa to the quiet edge of the Indian Ocean — this journey was a reminder that meaning doesn’t arrive all at once. It unfolds.
Just one story, among many, that helped shape Bang to Being.
Thanks for reading.