Every year during February we always plan to scratch off a destination thats super high on our bucket list during my annual birthday + our anniversary adventure. Feb is a fave month since its my birthday and also just after our wedding anniversary! This year we went on an incredible adventure to Tanzania and it was one of the best trips ever. Ill be sharing travel guides and other posts from our trip later, so stay tuned for that.

For our trip to Tanzania, we planned our entire trip with a boutique travel tour company called Sababu Safaris which is a locally-run boutique Tanzania safari operator that is committed to create unique and authentic Tanzania safari experiences! They cater to the mid range to luxury safari traveler and all safari itineraries are crafted and tailored to the specific month of travel and to your individual travel style, preferences and interests. Thanks to Sababu Safaris we were able to create a dream itinerary for our time here that allowed us to experience its diverse culture, nature, wildlife, and so much more ! I will be sharing more about our entire trip with them in my Tanzania Travel Guide (part 1) later on this month.

First up in our Tanzania adventure was Kilimanjaro. Since we werent hiking Mt Kilimanjaro, I really wanted to atleast stay in a place that was close to it and what better place than the beautiful Original Maasai Lodge! Built and run by the Maasai, the Original Maasai Lodge offers nature, culture and relaxation with a view of Mount Kilimanjaro. To get to this lodge, you will have to fly into Arusha or Kilimanjaro airport and the lodge will be able to pick you up and drive you to the lodge ( roughly a 2 hour drive ).

Original Maasai Lodge is a unique authentic property that is run by the Maasai, where you get to live like them and experience their rich culture first hand, all in this unreal location! The lodge is located in a remote unbeatable location between Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru! Staying here at the lodge being up close in the midst of the Maasai no doubt was an incredible experience but what I loved most about this place was that all the profits go back towards helping the local Maasai community. Experiences with meaningful impact like this make it so much more worthwhile don’t you think?!

It truly is one of the most unique places we have stayed at ! All the earth houses in this lodge are built in traditional Swahili style ( with modern amenities) and the houses all stand in different places in a replicated Maasai village. Our beautiful Maasai hut had a separate bathroom, toilet, spacious bedroom with a view of Mt Kilimanjaro to wake up to! It also had a serene outdoor deck to enjoy the same view.

Inside our beautiful Maasai hut

You can also try out their “Maasai for a day” activity like we did, where you can dress up in traditional Maasai wear, try activities such as spear throwing, hike in the bush with a Maasai guide and so much more.

Check out this page for other activities and cultural experiences that you can do at the lodge. Here were some of my fave things we loved to do here in the Maasai village :

1 ) Waking up to sunrise over Kilimanjaro right on our balcony ! This was truly so magical beyond words!

 

2 ) Conversations with the Maasai and learning about their lives.

Our Maasai guide Antony

 

3 ) Learning to throw a spear like the Maasai warrior.

 

4 ) Witnessing some incredible traditional song and dance with the Maasai and join in with them too ! I especially loved their sundowners at sunset ; the energy from their performance is soulful and a powerful experience!

These cultural sundowners were my favorite!

 

5 ) Nature hike in the bush where we met some zebras and gazelles on the way !

So surreal to see zebras on our nature walk!

 

6 ) Tasting some authentic Maasai dishes ( and we had requested for vegetarian – every single dish was so delicious! ) This below is their dining room at the main restaurant.

 

7 ) Relaxing at their swimming pool ; how epic is this view of the vast African bush!

Pool area

 

8 ) Meditations at their picturesque Mirror Cave. This stunning cove had mirrors all around that reflected the scene of the bush in front.

Mirror cave area

 

9) Shopping for local handicrafts made by the Maasai.

Overall this was such a exclusive and authentic travel experience and helped us immerse and engage ourselves in the rich Maasai culture. We left with our hearts and souls refreshed with renewed energy , something we will always cherish for the years to come !

Thanks for stopping by! xo

Jyo

 

This stay was sponsored by Sababu Safaris x Original Maasai Lodge, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.