Final Update from Kilimanjaro!
July 23, 2025
Our students are off and away! They are heading back home armed with unforgettable memories and a new appreciation for Tanzania, opportunity, and friendship.
After wrapping up our safari section we headed back to our home base in Arusha for our last bit of time together. Our LODS Andrei and Charlotte J helped organize all of our gear and baggage upon our arrival. We bid farewell to our incredible safari guides, and Jack had to get a picture with Prayer- the man who helped him to finally see the Big Five!
We got ourselves cleaned up and ready to go to our final banquet dinner at a rooftop restaurant with beautiful views of Arusha. Lead by Reese and EA, the girls all wore their matching bright orange “we climbed Kilimanjaro, did you??” shirts. They enjoyed meals of fried rice and pizza while the boys chowed down on burgers, steaks, and milkshakes. Mac said his pasta was one of the best he’s ever had.
After some group photos, complete in our matching T shirts, we headed back to our hotel for one final Moonup.
After an intense game of mafia- complete with Jack almost winning round one, and Elizabeth coming close round two, we went straight into the reading of the Bon Vivant Manifesto, a true Moondance classic. Andrei and Charlotte J opened the nug jug of our trip. Nugs went flying in every direction, from nugs to Mikail’s music taste, to Reese’s silly voices, to Charlotte M’s determination and drive. We then moved on to nugs for each of our students. Here’s just a taste of the kindness shown to each of our kids.
Nugs to
EAs selflessness
Andrei’s shrocks and positive attitude
Chase’s ability to be a good friend
Elizabeth’s chill vibe
Mikail’s loyalty to his friends and ability to talk to anyone
Alex’s never ending smile
Charlotte J’s silliness
Reese’s lightheartedness and friendship making ability
Charlotte M’s planks and self-drive
Mac’s tolerance for adversity and determination to make it to the top
Jack’s open mindedness and humor
Grover’s kindness, politeness, and ability to listen to endless amounts of country music.
With one final moment of reflecting on our trip and what we learned during our time together, we closed our final Moonup with a group hug (and a few tears!)
The next morning we woke up and had a tasty brunch to fill us up before our big travel day!
As we sit here waiting for the student’s flights to depart, we are filled with so much joy and admiration for who they are, and how they conquered the mountain. We feel lucky to know and love them. Please know we are always cheering for them, and hope to stay in touch!
With grateful hearts, for one last time, asante sana ❤️
Zoe and Duke
Our First Couple of Days on Safari!
July 23, 2025
After taking hard earned showers and getting some well deserved rest, we headed to our final section of our adventure: safari! Once we had filled up our safari cars with dozens of bags of snacks (hot and spicy Pringles were Elizabeth and Grover’s favorite), we spent the long drive to Ngorogoro chatting about what we were excited to see and singing at the top of our lungs. After a few hours, we stopped at Safari Land, and Reese loved finding deals on beautiful art. Around sunset, we arrived at Ngorongoro and had a great Moonup led by Elizabeth and Mikail; we were all brimming with excitement for our safari!
The next day we awoke and split into our safari cars for the day. We dropped into the crater and immediately saw a herd of Cape buffalo, which crossed out one of the “Big Five” animals that we wanted to see. Mere minutes later, both groups spotted a hyena carrying it’s next meal, which fascinated Jack and Grover. Around the same time, we passed the lake that was teeming with flamingos and also saw a pack of zebras, which Charlotte J loved. Soon after, we had an incredible stroke of luck and saw one of the 22 rhinos that live in Ngorogoro, and Alex got some incredible pictures! We also spotted a few lions and elephants, which gave us 4 out of 5 Big Five animals already! Still this day, Zoe’s eagle eye spotted yet another rhino! This day was amazing and concluded with a pensive Moonup led by Charlotte M and Alex.
Day one in the Serengeti got off to a slow start but quickly picked up in the late morning with a leopard sighting! Duke and Andrei were overjoyed, and we spent a good amount of time watching it perched in an Acacia tree. Today was also the first day we saw giraffes, which EA loved. When we returned to our campsite for lunch, we were greeted with an incredible surprise: elephants walking and minding their own business in our camp! Chase was thrilled to see them so close, and we took some great pictures with the gentle giants. After a few hours of playing poker (Charlotte M and Mikail were our champions), we left camp for a sunset safari, which was beautiful. Chase and EA took some amazing pictures with the illuminated sky in the background and hippos in the foreground. That night, we had a hilarious Moonup led by Mac and Reese: everyone loved Duke’s dance moves!
The next day, we woke up bright and early for a sunrise safari. Elizabeth snapped many photos of the sun with hot air balloons surrounding it, which was so cool. Today turned out to be a great day for seeing big cats! Throughout the day, we saw 5 cheetahs, which EA, Mac, and Andrei loved. Also, we got incredibly lucky yet again and saw another leopard; this time, the leopard came all the way up to our car! HOW COOL! Prayer, one of our fantastic drivers, remarked that he had never seen a leopard so close! We were all in awe of this very rare sighting, especially Charlotte M, Chase, and Zoe. Soon after, we saw a lioness whose head was poking out of the grass, and Alex was elated. After we ate a delicious lunch, we headed back on the road for our drive back to Arusha. The girls’ car had a blast singing along to Wicked, and Reese impressed us all with her amazing voice. The boys listened to country music, which Grover enjoyed (and Mikail might be warming up to!). At our hotel in Karatu, we were greeted with warm towels, juice, and bread, which Charlotte J and Andrei really appreciated. For dinner, we ate lots of delicious pizza (a favorite of Mac and Mikail). We also saw a jaw dropping acrobatic performance, which was a great surprise! We loved how our kids were ready to jump in and dance! We concluded the day with our second to last Moonup led by EA and Jack. This group has grown so close, and we are excited to spend a few more days together before returning home!
Thank yous:
Mikail: Thanks baba for paying for the trip see you soon I had a lot of fun.
Grover: Thanks mom and dad for letting me go on this trip. It was awesome and I will remember it for awhile
Mac: thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip I have had so much fun
Alex: Thanks mom and dad for giving me the opportunity to experience such an incredible trip. I have had a great time.
Jack: Thank you so much for everything mom and dad. Love you both and can’t wait to see you soon and tell you all about the trip!
Charlotte M: Thanks so much for letting me go on this incredible adventure; I had an amazing time and can’t wait to tell you about it!
Chase: Thank you so much mom and dad for providing me with this opportunity. I’ve had the best time and made amazing memories that I can’t wait to tell you all about! 🩷
EA: Thank you Stew and Ann for this amazing opportunity that you have let me experience. Can’t wait to see yall soon, love EA ❤️
Elizabeth: Thank you so much family for providing me the opportunity to let me go this amazing experience. So excited to see you guys and tell you all about it.
Andrei: Thank you so much this trip has been amazing I’ve loved every moment of it. I can’t wait to tell you guys about the trip.
Reese: Thank yall so much for giving me this awesome opportunity. I could not have asked for a better experience and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. See yall soon:)
Charlotte Johnston: Thank you guys so so so much for giving me the opportunity to come on this awesome trip!! It’s been truly transformative and I’ve made amazing memories!
Update from Kilimanjaro!
July 18, 2025
Back from the Summit!
We are back in Arusha after an extremely eventful week conquering Mount Kilimanjaro!
On our first day, filled with so much excitement (and a few butterflies) we jumped in the van ready for our next adventure to begin. Mikail particularly loved getting the group ramped up with his music choices.
Upon our arrival to Machame gate, we were greeted with our incredible team of porters and guides with hot lunch as we made our final preparations for the trek! Before we knew it, we were off, hiking to Machame camp through the jungle! It was a big day for mileage, and we absolutely loved how Mikail and Elizabeth served as our LODs as they always brought the energy and helpfulness we hope for! Upon arrival to camp, Mac and Andrei jumped right in with some more of the Last Card game, quickly becoming friends with our kitchen team. We ended the day with Moonup and a great dinner before heading to catch some zzz’s before our next big day began.
Day 2
Grover and EA took over our LOD duties for the hike to Shira camp. While it was a shorter day, with us ending before lunch, the hike to Shira was beautiful! It was the first time we broke out above the clouds and Alex kept remarking how he felt like we were in an airplane. Shira camp brought more card games and a celebration of tipping over 3000 M!
Day 3
Day 3 proved to be the most challenging yet as we quickly gained elevation to reach the Lava Tower for lunch! Everyone was in high spirits and Charlotte Johnston and Jack (our LODs) led us in some great trail talk by asking thoughtful questions. After a quick lunch at Lava Tower, we headed downhill to Barranco Camp. Arrival at Barranco brought with it some delicious ginger tea and popcorn (a personal favorite of Charlotte Mikos). Dinner moved quickly as we all needed our rest and to prepare for the next day.
Day 4
We woke up early the next day to brave the Barranco Wall! This intimidating rock face brought with it many challenges and some big wins. We are SO proud of how our students, even when faced with adversity, chose to stick it out and work extra hard to make it to the top. Grover particularly showed us his grit and determination by not complaining and moving with intention on the trail. Reese and EA really stepped it up as LODs, with one taking the front and one the back to keep the energy and morale of the group high! After our scramble to the top of the wall, we headed towards Karanga Camp to recover and rest for the big day ahead!
Day 5:
We woke up fresh and ready to hit the trail to finally arrive at Barafu Base Camp! After an early dinner and a few rounds of Egyptian Rat Slap led by Elizabeth and Jack, we headed to bed to prepare for our 11 pm wake up call for the summit! Mac and cheese fueled us and 11 pm came even sooner than expected!
Day 6:
Our big summit bid day started with a quick breakfast and pep talk, followed by bundling up and heading towards the mountain at 12 am! EA and Andrei set the tone for a positive day and the group couldn’t have been more excited. The highlights of our summit attempt included singing The Circle of Life song as the sun crested over the mountain, eating as many Sour Patch kids as humanly possible to keep our energy high, and the final moment when we reached Stella Point and knew we were almost there! We have to give special shoutouts to Reese and Chase for being such kind and intentional friends to those in need of a little extra support!
There is nothing that beats the feeling of finally getting to touch the Kilimanjaro summit sign and knowing that you’ve accomplished your goal. EA, Chase, Charlotte Johnston, Zoe, and Reese all cried happy tears, and Alex got to show off his Canadian spirit by proudly showing off the flag at the summit. Mac and Mikail got to show their Puerto Rican pride as well!
Our summit bid would not have been possible without the outstanding team we had backing us up! For our head guide, Samea, this was his 431st summit, and we absolutely adored our guide Samwell who constantly kept the energy high! Our students have been so thoughtful in their gratefulness to the team of guides and porters.
After some photos on the summit we turned to head down what took us 10 hours to hike up, but only 1 to go down by sliding through scree. Elizabeth absolutely had a need for speed! Everyone was so proud to arrive back at camp where we had a quick lunch and then back to the trail to hike to Mweka camp! This hike, while very long, saved us a lot of time on the morning of our final day! Zoe’s crew of evening arrivals had a blast pointing out creatures and shapes in trees and rocks while constantly giggling with relief. Charlotte Mikos even helped DJ the music through this final challenge while Mac and Grover led the charge! At camp, we finished a fast dinner and went straight to bed!
Day 7:
Our final morning included saying goodbye to all of our amazing porters and packing up camp. Chase and Grover, as LODs, kept us timely as we headed down the hill to our final hike! We finally arrived at the base and signed our official certificates for the completion of our summit!! We then headed to a souvenir shop to pick out some new swag and then off to Arusha. After some well-earned showers and laundry, we visited one of our favorite restaurants for a celebratory meal. Jack was thrilled to be able to get some Mexican food! With a final trek-related Moonup, reflecting on the challenges of the mountain and the excitement for safari, we ended the day on a really high note.
We couldn’t be more proud of these kids and the work and willpower they had to put in to make it to the top! Their tolerance for adversity is unparalleled, and we couldn’t be more grateful!
Now we are off to kick off our Safari section. Fingers crossed Reese gets to see a zebra!
Until next time,
Zoe and Duke
New Friends + Great Times!
July 11, 2025
Jambo from Tanzania!!!
We can’t believe how fast this trip is already flying by! From our first Moonup together to soccer games with new friends at the local school, it’s been a week full of laughs, learning, and some very impressive bargaining skills.
Our adventure officially kicked off as Mikail, Mac, EA, Andrei, Alex, and Charlotte Mikos touched down on Day 1. The next day, as they headed off to service, Chase, Jack, Grover, and Elizabeth joined, and finally, on day 3, we rounded out our group with the arrivals of Charlotte Johnston and Reece. From that first full group hug, it’s felt like one big family.
On our first day together, our most tenured Moondancers, EA and Jack, took up the role as LOD (Leader of the Day) to set the standard and show the group what Moondance is all about. Mac was all smiles while hanging out with the local children at the school, always making sure that, while he is a basketball pro, the students always had the chance to score. We dove right in with an intense game of basketball after a morning cutting away brush to expand the Mungere School’s garden.
Reese’s arrival showed true Moondance spirit by providing embroidery floss to make friendship bracelets for all the kids, and even teaching everyone in our group how to make them too! The girls at the school loved joining in on making bracelets and even braiding our girls’ hair. Charlotte Johnston found her groove forming friendships with kids at the school.
At the art and trade market, Jack definitely showed off his bargaining skills (rumor has it his poker face helped him out here, too!). Speaking of trade, Duke pulled off what might be the swap of the trip: trading his carabiner and KLM headphones for a piece of art he now proudly calls his own.
Our afternoons were freer, so we loved filling them with endless games of Suie and card games. Andrei, a resident card shark, has found a new love for a Tanzanian card game called Last Card. Taught to him by the kids at the school, he passed the knowledge on to the rest of the group, and we’ve been playing every chance we get. Grover has kept the energy up with group games that always end in laughter. Chase jumped right in as well, playing games with the local kids and making friendship bracelets alongside Reece. Mikail has been our resident conversationalist, always up for a chat with the local Tanzanian people, soaking up every bit of culture he can. Every afternoon, we have tea time and popcorn, a treat Zoe loves from her days in the UK.
On day 2, we were back at the school to deepen our friendships with the students and get back to work on the garden. Alex wowed us all playing soccer and leading his team to victory. Charlotte M. has been mastering Swahili, sharing words she’s picked up and making connections with the kids and locals along the way. She even impressed the Maasai people by asking them questions when we visited their homes.
On our final day, we had our celebration hike to the waterfall! Elizabeth’s highlight was sharing the view with the kids. We also got to share a traditional marriage song and dance with the Maasai after visiting their village and seeing their way of life.
From card games (poker is definitely our group’s pastime now) to market adventures, each day brings a new highlight. And we can’t wait to see what’s next as we continue exploring, learning, and growing together here in Tanzania!
We are off to the mountain! We can’t wait to give you our post-summit update and share how proud we are of these kids!
Baadaye!
Zoe and Duke
Shoutouts:
Charlotte M- hi Henry, parents, and wrigley! I’m having an incredible time, am feeling great, and I’m hyped for Kili! Love and miss you guys!
EA: Hi Stew and Ann! Love and miss y’all. My group is amazing and I love my leaders. Can’t wait to hike Kili! Talk to you when I’m off the mountain. Tell Liz and Sarah that I love them
Elizabeth- Hi family! Having the best time here in Tanzania. Getting ready to summit Kili, can’t wait to tell you about it! Love you all.
Mikail- Hi baba, I’m having a lot of fun in Tanzania I have met a lot of interesting great people and befriended quite a few Tanzanian locals that I will remember forever. I miss you and Sasha a lot. Love you!
Chase: Hi mom and dad! I’m having the best time here with everyone and am so excited to climb Kili tomorrow! Can’t wait to see you soon ❤️
Alex: Hi guys! Im having so much fun with my new friends and can’t wait to see you soon!❤️
Grover: hi mom and dad miss yall. The climb snuck up on me but I’m excited. Love yall.
Mac: Hi mom and dad I love you and Ian having a great time!❤️❤️ Georgia I love you so much I can’t wait to see you when I get home 😘
Reese: Hi guys!! I miss yall so much. I’m having so much fun and I can’t wait to start the Kili trek tmr! love yall!
Charlotte Johnston: Hey guys! I’m having an awesome time!! Kili ain’t ready for us
Andrei: Hi guys I’m so excited to climb Kili tomorrow this is an amazing trip love you
Jack: Hey mom and dad. Miss you guys so much and I’m excited to tell you all about the trip when I’m back. Pls take care of Rosie. Love you.
Together At Last!
July 5, 2025
Hello Kilimanjaro Families,
We are ecstatic to report that our last two students have landed safely in Tanzania. The group is overjoyed to begin the trip as a united front. More updates to come — stay tuned!
-Moondance HQ
More Safe Arrivals!
July 4, 2025
Hello Kilimanjaro families!
We’ve heard from Zoe that the 4 students who were travelling today have landed safely in Tanzania. They are excited to pick up 2 more students tomorrow and begin their trip as a whole! We will be sure to keep you updated as we hear more.
-Moondance HQ
Safe Arrival in Tanzania!
July 3, 2025
Hello Kilimanjaro families!
We’ve heard from our leaders that half of the group has arrived safely in Arusha and will begin their service project tomorrow. They are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the other half of the group and are excited to be all together soon to officially kick off the trip!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
