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
