Hello Again!
July 7, 2025
Here comes the sun girls!! Day 11 here we go!! We packed up early and got on the road. Today we leave Serengeti national park and enter the Ngorongoro conservation area. As we drove out of the Serengeti, we watched one of the most breathtaking sunrises yet. The pink sky rippled with ombré hues of purple, red, and orange. The type of view you know could never be given justice on camera. After a scenic drive we arrived at the Ngorongoro crater, the world largest inactive and intact volcanic crater that has created an animal oasis. We descended into the crater and the safari began. We saw amazing wildlife such as troops of baboons, ostriches, zebras, thompson gazelles, and even the infamous black rhino. And just like that our quest for the big five was complete!! We stopped for a bush lunch by a hippo pool and then got back on the road. On the way out, rising through the jungle walls of the crater we came across a family of elephants. We watched them as they grazed and then we spotted a teeny little grey speck rusting around in the bushes. Low and behold the smallest baby elephant any of had ever seen peeked out from behind its mamas leg. Queue the “awwwweesss”! A perfect last sighting before we left the crater to re-enter civilization. Ahhhh the joys of a paved road. Settled into the lodge it took about 30 minutes for the spicy uno to kick into full speed. Kate S., Lexi, and Morgan got into a firefly match while Baylie read away at her book. Dinner was amazing and a special surprise for Claire….we sang happy birthday to her again with a cake!! The Tanzania hospitality never fails to warm our hearts. After dinner Ava and Rachael decided to test the girls knowledge with a little Safari Trivia. The 10 question trivial pursuit ended with the Wicked Wildebeests, Claire, Libby, and Kate V. on top. Cozy and quizzed out, the girls headed off to bed after an amazing day.
Top of the morning Tanzania!! DAY 12!! Our day started on a sweet and potentially sugar high note, with Nutella at breakfast!! You’d be surprised at the magic a hazelnut spread has over 12 teen girls. Millie, our new outfitter joined us today as well!! ELLO MILLIE (she is from the UK and all of the girls just adore her accent). We packed up and headed out to today’s activity… a cooking class!! A chef is no chef without the proper attire, so as soon as we walked in we were suited up in traditional Swahili head wraps and skirts. Dancing and singing, the class was lively and we got to cooking several traditional Swahili dishes for lunch. All to the girls were pros. Libby single handedly fried all of the plantains while Morgan and Kate S. were tirelessly chopping away at cabbage. Kate V, Kate F., and Ava were working hard peeling the green bananas, Carolyn shredded carrot with vigor, and Sierra cut the lady fingers (orca). Meanwhile Baylie working hard, or hardly working, keeping a close watch on the spicy chili sauce from her lawn chair. It took all the girls help to crank out our incredible meal!! Food comas incoming, we headed to our new lodge where we will be completing our service portion of the trip. In the evening, after a little relaxing, we were treated with a traditional dance from the local Maasai tribe. All the girls were invited to join and were taught the dance by the local girls. Our first moments hanging out with the kids, and our girls were as friendly as can be. A kind smile is universal in all languages. We ate dinner, had a great Moonup, and headed to bed. We will need our rest for our service day tomorrow!! Sweet dreams girls!
Wakey wakey sleeping beauties!! Day 13 here we go!! We woke up and jumped straight into our service project, making a bathroom for a Maasai boma (small community). We would be completing the bathroom that two other Moondance group had worked on! Rachael, Baylie, Morgan, Kate V., and Carolyn got started on their portion of the project, the door. They started by measuring the door for precise dimensions and sawed the excess off. Baylie was such a natural with the saw that she impressed the local carpenter. They later gathered sticks and nailed them into the door to created a beautiful wicker effect. Good stuff ladies. There was never a prettier door. While those girls were mastering their woodworking, Lexi, Kate S. Libby, Kate F., Claire, Greyson, Sierra, Syd and Ava began on finishing up the walls. Do we use plaster to cover the walls? A plaster of sorts….The Maasai have a secret recipe for their traditional wall plaster and it’s easy peasy! Dirt, water, and cow poop. We began the morning by collecting those three materials and then came time to mix up the plaster. The dung and dirt is put into a mound and we made an indention at the top to pour in water to get the mixing going! It resembled the technique to make home made pasta! These girls are hard workers! Mixing and spreading the mixture on walls, I’ve quite literally never seen a group of girls so invested in a project. We could start a small construction business with this group! With help from the locals we finished the walls, inside and out, with perfection. Satisfied and proud of our hard work we headed up for lunch. Later that evening we enjoyed a sunset medicine walk where we learned about the Maasai natural ways of healing. We ended up at a beautiful view point just in time for sunset. The perfect photo opp. Sunset heart hands!! Today was incredibly rewarding and after a delicious meal and a great Moonup the girls got straight to snoozing after a long days work.
Uncle Sam called!! Happy 4th July!! Day 14 whoop whoop! Rachael woke the girls up in the most patriotic way she could think of, with Toby Keith’s, Courtesy of the Red White and Blue. It’s gonna be a great day after a start like that. Up early we headed to the Maasai boma for a visit. They showed us around and told us about their daily lives. Back for breakfast we fueled up for today’s painting class!! At the painting class the girls walked around the property filled with beautiful painting looking for inspiration. Inspired and ready to tap into their creative side the girls got to work. Elephants, giraffes, fish, and even a pensive monkey were being created on the canvases today. We didn’t know there was so many little artist in the group. Dare I say a few Picassos. Back at the lodge we had a great lunch and enjoyed each others company before our evening hike. Decked out with some temporary tattoos and beads, we sang some USA classics through our hike. At one point of the hike we were met by a herd of goats who did not believe we had any right to be on their road. It seemed as if they wanted to take Sierra with them the way they crowded around her. Surviving a near goat run off, we made our way to the Baobao tree, also known as the wishing tree. Each girl made a wish and we headed down. Through the banana jungle we made our way back to the bus. For our last dinner at the lodge we were treated with Swahili night!! A buffet style dinner with all of the local fixing. Per Rachael’s request Baylie finally tried the Swahili beans! Ataway to try new things, girl! We had a great Moonup and headed off to bed for our second to last night. Where did the time go!?
Morning sunshines! Day 15!! We started our morning starting a new bathroom at a new boma. A great full circle moment seeing the end and begging of the project. We laid the foundation by digging holes for the frame. Taking turns we all got to analyzing each other’s shovel and pickax form. Sierra and Ava tend to go for the “quarter back stance”, while Carolyn and Libby hit the “runner take your mark”. With the pickax, Kate S. dabbles in a full over the head swing while Claire goes for a more controlled hit. There is no evidence just yet to support which is more productive. Next came the cement. No mixer no problem! Lexi was a natural at the cement mound mixing and adding water with precision. Meanwhile, Baylie and Kate F. were diligently collecting rocks averaging 2 buckets of rocks a minute. Greyson got comfortable up on the pile of rocks having a self imposed acting challenge: *British accent* “Hear ye hear ye bring the rocks to the mound”. Millie is rubbing off on her after all. That wrapped up our service portion of the trip and we could not be more proud of the girls for their hard work and incredible attitudes! After lunch we headed into Arusha, and got a little ice cream x smoothie treat. The perfect reward after their hard work. Settled into the new hotel, Rachael and Ava had a couple little surprise up their sleeves. We sat at dinner and each girl was given a beaded box. With the pieces of paper on the table, all the girls wrote notes for one another that they will be able to keep for a lifetime. Such sweet momentum and a time to reflect of on all of the memories we have made together. After dinner, we played fish bowl, a game of charades with memories of the trip, and had candy salad! Our last night ended with an incredible Moonup and bittersweet tears. We said goodnight for the final time and caught some zzzs.
Good-morning, Girls!! Rise and shine for day 16. We packed up early and headed to the Maasai Market for some final shopping. The bargaining was off the charts! Syd will not pay $1 for that!! Carolyn had the deal of the day of 5 bracelets for 1,000 shillings! Extremely impressive skills, girls. After a healthy dose of shopping, and getting the bargaining sweats, we headed to banquet. Banquet is a time for us to enjoy each other’s company and look back at all of the amazing and hilarious memories we have made. No banquet is complete without the paper plate awards!! Before we headed out, Rachael and Ava gave the girls their Tanzania Ties, bracelets for us to remember the trip and keep us tied to each other. More tears and sweet stories and then the time finally came to go to the airport.
What an incredible trip it has been. Life long friends made during the trip of a life time. Each girl was essential to the trip and Rachael and I could not be more proud of all of them for embracing challenges with open arms, navigating traveling in a brand new place, and being the sweetest group of girls to each other and everyone we met. Rafikis (friends) for life!! Till next time, kwaheri (bye)!!
– Rachel + Ava
Some Safari Fun
July 4, 2025
Happy Friday! Good morning and goodbye Zanzibar! Day 7 takes off on the beautiful island and touches down in the middle of Serengeti National Park! During the flight we were able to catch a view of Kilimanjaro peaking above the clouds. It set the tone for the adventure we were starting on the mainland. As the plane descended for landing, Greyson gasped so loud you would have thought there was an emergency. Fear not, there was no emergency, she simply caught her first glimpse of a giraffe. Walking off of the plane onto the gravel tarmac, we were officially in the bush!! The one building airport stood in front of an endless landscape that met a clear blue sky. Our guides, Zeb and Eresto, picked us up in the Moondance official jeeps and we hit the ground running for our first game drive. The mission for the Big Five begins: elephants, leopards, buffalos, lions, and rhinos. Our guides were quick to spot a herd of zooming jeeps to what we quickly realized was a lion and zebra stand off. Nothing like seeing a lioness take down a zebra as an intro to Safari. As we watched the pride and followed behind them, we were amazed to see more than 10 cubs greeting the lionesses. I know they are adorable Kate S., but no, you can not take one home. Continuing the drive, as we pull into a picnic spot we stop… ELEPHANT CROSSING! Our first elephant spotted and it walks right in front of our jeeps. Definitely a WOW moment. Two out of the big five down. We headed to camp for our first night in the bush. We winded down with some Safari TV, the beautiful sunset and campfire, and enjoyed a delicious meal from Chef Alex. An amazing first day had us beat and we need to catch some zzzs for our first full day of safari tomorrow!!
Today is great!! It’s day 8!! We woke up with the sunrise and got ready for the day. How did you sleep girls? I hope the pack of hyenas hanging around our camp site didn’t keep you up, haha! As we stared off on the game drive was saw the hot air balloons floating over us against the sunrise. Today we were looking for the big cats, lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Driving around some of the rock formations, we spotted a leopard looking over the land. We stopped to watch the beautiful animal and then it crawled down and started walking straight towards our jeep and then right past it, in arms reach (all arms and legs were Safely inside the jeep). If that sighting wasn’t unexpected enough we came across the Moondance Kilimanjaro trip!! We said our hellos and goodbyes from our jeeps but what a coincidence that in all of the Serengeti we run into a Moondance group!! Debatably more rare to see than a leopard. We get the drive looking and stopped for a coffee/ tea break. Once we packed up and headed out in less than two minutes we saw a pride of lions emerging from the grass to seek refuge in the shade the trees we were just sitting under. We saw one lioness then two then one cub then two, three, four… eight?! It was an incredible sight to see the lionesses nursing the baby cubs. Lion sightings was the theme of the day with us seeing over twenty lions in one day! We also saw serval cats, ostriches, and hyenas. It was quite the day on the safari. We headed back to camp to wind down from the day. Camp was oddly quiet when we realized that LODs, Sierra and Kate F., were nowhere to be found. Low and behold they had been recruited by chef Alex to be sous chefs 1 and 2. We enjoyed dinner and Moonup and headed to bed.
Day 9 rise and shine girls!!! Today we are off to try and find the great migration. We were on the road early ready for a big day heading to the northwest side of the park. We drove off into the horizon and got our first glimpse of the massive herd of Wildebeests and Zebras. For as far as the eye could see wildebeest and zebras covered the ground. There were so many they looked like ants. On our long days out on the safari you can find the girls making themselves quite comfortable in the jeeps. Kate S. Teaching Morgan how to make friendship bracelets. hair being braided, sing along which has not proven to scare off any animals yet (shout out to Lexi for quite literally knowing every word to every song played), and of course the sharing and making of new memories. After a very healthy and generous sighting of wildebeests we headed back to camp. Two days in and our camp in the bush is like a second home. Bailey and Claire get straight to a game of Banana Grams while Carolyn, Kate F. and Kate S. Write away in their journals. You can also find Sid being pensive by the camp fire watching the sunset fall over the Serengeti. Another delicious meal and our LODs, Lexi and Sid, lead a great Moonup. We said goodnight to day 9 as the tent giggles slowly turned into snoozes and rested up for our last full day on the Serengeti.
Good morning Tanzania!! Day 10 lets do it!! Up with the sunrise and on the road we got straight to the game drives. The cool morning started off with an up close viewing of a hot air balloon landing. What looked like a rough landing to us was actually “very smooth sailing” according to Zeb, our guide. We stayed off the day by seeing two kilspringers of the dwarf antelope family. Binoculars on, we kept an eye out and came across two male lions with incredible manes relaxing under a tree. We are getting our 6th safari sense at this point. We headed back to camp for a delicious lunch and game time. Kate V, Carolyn, Sid, Morgan, Lexi, Sierra, and Libby jumped right into a game of uno. No one, and I mean no one is spared in a game of spicy uno. Back on the road for an afternoon drive we caught an amazing view of a family of elephants making their way across the road in a line. We also came across a school of warthogs trotting along and a group of female ostriches putting on displays for the male. Ooo la la. We finished out days in the Serengeti with calm drives, amazing views, and even better company. Tomorrow we will make our way out of the Serengeti National Park and to the Ngorongoro conservation area. With our camera memories full and our hearts filled up, we got some rest and said our final good nights to the bush.
Thank You’s
Sydney Rubio: Thank you mom and dad for sending me in this trip having lots of fun can’t wait to see you
Kate Venema: Hi mom and dad!! I’m so grateful that you sent me on this trip. I’m having such a good time and can’t wait to see you guys in a little while! Miss and love you!!!
Kate Shearer: Hi Mom and Dad! Thank you again for sending me on this trip, I’m still having so much fun! We just finished the safari and it was the coolest, most fun experience ever!! I have so many stories to tell everyone. Can’t wait to see y’all in a few days, love you!
Carolyn Stacy: Hi Mom and Dad! Thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip – I’m still having such a good time!! I can’t wait to see y’all soon and tell you all about it. Love you!!
Lexi Inlow: Hey mom and dad!!! Thank you so so much for giving me this incredible opportunity to experience this trip. I’m having the best time and I can’t wait to tell you all about it when I get home! Love you so much!!
Morgan Shultz: Hey Mom and Dad!! I’m having so much fun here and I’m so glad you sent me on this trip!! Miss you guys, see you in a few days!!
Greyson Holloway: Hi Mom and Dad! Thank you guys so much for allowing me to have such a great experience! Also happy birthday Grandma!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸 See y’all soon!
Libby Carey: Hey mom! Hey dad! Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip and have the experience! Love you so much! Celebrate for me 🇺🇸🇺🇸!
Kate fast: Hi mom and dad! Thank you so much for allowing me to go on this trip! It has been such an amazing experience and I can’t wait to tell y’all all about it in a few days!!!
Baylie McKenna: Hey mum and dad! Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip! I have had the best time and had so many great experiences! I miss you guys and me and kk so much! See you guys in a few days!
Sierra Hruska: Hi mom and dad! Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip, it has been really fun. I hope your Maine trip has been so much fun and have the best Fourth of July! I love and miss you guys so much and can’t wait to see you soon.
Claire Kapilla: Hi mom and dad! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip. It has been the best experience and I am having soo much fun. I hope you have the best 4th of July and tell my friends to eat a hot dog for me! Love and miss you guys so much and see you soon!!
Update from TNZ!
June 29, 2025
Day 1 the girls said bonvoyage and headed out for the adventure of a lifetime. A long and bonding travel day later, day 2 started with the girls touching down in Zanzibar where their leaders, Rachael and Ava, were waiting eagerly to meet them! We packed into the dola dola, our private bus, and we were off. When we arrived to our hotel we were welcomed with fresh juice and a view that looks straight out of a post card, a white sand beach meeting a smooth turquoise ocean. Feeling a tad jet lagged, the girls self prescribed beach side relaxation as a remedy. A strong dose of vitamin sea one could say. We freshened up and headed to our first welcome dinner as a happy Moondance family. Ready for some well needed rest we winded down for the night to get ready for our first day of scuba!!
Rise and shine day 3! There is nothing quite like waking up to a pink beach sunrise. Up and at em we headed down the beach to the scuba center. We sent our already certified divers, Morgan and Kate S., on their first ocean dive while Greyson, Kate F., Claire, Syd, Lexi, Kate V., Sierra, Baylie, Carolyn, and Libby started working on their open water certification with a pool dive. After a morning of scuba, we ate lunch and headed to our first excursion, the spice tour. Back in the dola dola, we headed to the spice farm and got ready for an afternoon of playing “guess that spice”. Over the course of the tour we were given different natural plants and challenged to figure out what spice it was. Before we began we were treated with woven purses made from leaves. Zanzibar Gucci! Tax free!! We smelt eucalyptus, cloves, cocoa, curry, cardamom, nutmeg, and more. Ever tried a clove in its raw form? Feel free to ask Kate S. about an alarming spice level. Raw ginger? Carolyn might advise you to have water on hand. To top off the tour all the girls were adorned with a hibiscus crown. If they didn’t already look like princesses they sure did now. Our aromatic senses worked, we went back to our hotel, ate dinner, and rested up for our first ocean scuba day tomorrow!
DAY 4! Let’s go scuba diving girls!! Early morning per usual and we were off to our first dive location off the coast of Mnemba Island. Our open water certification girls got hard to work on the ocean skill dives, while Kate S., Morgan, and Ava, who are all working on getting their Advanced Diver certification, went off on their first diver, where they spotted the first octopus of the trip!! From the boat we saw Kate F. and Lexi surfacing form their dive. In just about the same time they could take out their regulator they both shouted “That was the coolest thing I’ve ever done!”. After some good diving and working hard on the skills, the girls enjoyed a well deserved snack of fresh pineapple, watermelon, Tanzanian pastries, and spiced tea. On the boat ride back to the beach, we caught some proper rays and relaxed with the salt air in our hair. Later that afternoon we headed into Stone Town, the historic area of the island, to take a tour of the former Slave Market and the town itself. Our guide, Safe, gave us a good history lesson and we ended the tour with some shopping and a sweet treat. Back to the hotel for dinner and Moonup to catch some zzzs for a very special day tomorrow.
Day 5…. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE!! Nothing is better than celebrating your 18th birthday with 11 new best friends and scuba diving in paradise. The rainy morning didn’t dampen our spirits because as proper divers we know that cloudier conditions make for active marine life. The advanced girls got to work on their first day of skill dives while the rest of the girls wrapped up their open water certifications. After great dives we headed back to the beach and although Claire didn’t ask for a wind chill and fierce rainy drizzle for her birthday, we all revived it with the warmest attitudes we had. Shout out to Kate V. and Baylie for sharing their two towels with all 14 of us!! The real MVPs of the day. Congrats to Libby, Kate V., Carolyn, Syd, Claire, Lexi, Sierra, Kate F., Greyson and Baylie for completing their Open Water Certifications! We headed back to the hotel to ride out the rainy day. Card games were flowing, hair was being braided (by Libby our resident hair stylist), mid day naps were being had, and through it all we enjoyed each other’s company with amazing rainy afternoon vibes. Dinner brought us a special birthday song for Claire that the WHOLE restaurant sang to her! After a heartfelt Moonup we said goodnight and got to resting for our last day in Zanzibar!
DAY 6! Time flies when you are having the adventure of a lifetime. We woke up to clear skies and were ready for our last day in Zanzibar! Back on the boat for the final time, we dropped in for the first dive. Our Advanced divers, Kate S., Morgan, and Ava, finished up their skill dives with fish identification and trash collection. Need someone to identify damsels, trumpet fish, flounders, or eels and analysis their behavior? These girls are your go to! As for the trash collection, a rouge fishing line is no match to Kate S. and a hidden mayonnaise jar doesn’t stand a chance to Morgan’s watchful eye. All the girls wrapped up the last dive and said goodbye to the underwater world. Congrats to Kate S., Morgan, and Ava for completing their Advanced Diver certification!! Back at the hotel we enjoyed another free afternoon. Relaxation calls some like Baylie, Ava, Claire,and Rachael playing Banana grams, but for Sierra, Syd, Morgan, Lexi, and Kate S. they were called to compete in a fierce juggling circle on the beach with the local kids. With Syd’s speed and Sierra’s coordination, I can’t imagine there was much competition against our girls. Winding down our day we played more cards, listened to music, then headed to our final dinner in Zanzibar… Swahili night!! Dinner was traditional Swahili dishes and we were treated to a traditional Maasai dance. We closed our day with Moonup and got rested up for our big travel day. We are leaving Zanzibar sun-kissed and heats full ready for our next adventure in the Serengeti! See you on the safari!!
The Journey Begins!
June 22, 2025
Hello Tanzania + Zanzibar Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure! 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
