So Long, Farewell!
July 5, 2026
One final JAMBO from Tanzania and Zanzibar. It is hard to believe that we have reached the end of our time together. Our final few days have been nothing short of magical-exploring the landscape and wildlife of the Serengeti, laughing together around the campfire in the evenings, and reminiscing about our favorite moments over the past few weeks. Gratitude is the word that keeps coming to mind. Thank you so much for trusting us with your girls. This experience has been truly once in a lifetime, and I know they will carry it with them forever.
We had an early wake-up in Stone Town for our morning of travel! We flew from Zanzibar to the Serengeti, Lilly spotting elephants from the sky as we landed, and stepped out into one of the most incredible landscapes in the world. The girls were immediately in awe-the moment they had been waiting for the entire trip had arrived! We met our wonderful guides Mashine and Godi at the airport and piled into our Safari vehicles. Our guides took us to a picnic area to have some tea, coffee, and cookies, and then we drove to our campsite, which we would call home for the next few days, to get settled and have some lunch. Our camp managers and chefs greeted us with the Tanzanian hospitality and warmth we have come so accustomed to, handing us cool towels for our faces as we arrived and helping us carry our bags to our tents. Then we were off the races, the girls so excited that we were already headed out on safari! Our first sightings included Nile crocodiles, stork birds, Thompson gazelles, impalas, ostriches, warthogs (PUMBA!) and hippos! The most exciting moment of this first drive was when we spotted our first family of elephants, including a baby only a few months old. Then it was giraffes, giraffes, giraffes! We encountered a large “tower” of giraffes walking together, then a herd of buffalo with their great big horns. Our game drive only got more exciting throughout the day as we came across our first pride of lions (SIMBA!) relaxing on a fallen tree. Then we completely lucked out as one of our guides spotted a leopard on a tree in the distance. Leopards or “chuis” are expert hiders and they can be very difficult to spot. Somehow, miraculously, we had managed to witness four of the “big five” on our first afternoon on safari-elephants, buffalos, lions, and a leopard! Truly incredible. The Serengeti feels endless, the plains stretch as far as you can see in every direction. We all agreed that it would be amazing to just drive around the Serengeti listening to music, even if there were no animals. Back at camp that evening, we had a delicious dinner-we were all consistently blown away by the talent of our chefs at camp. After dinner we settled in around the campfire for Moonup and admired the sea of Southern hemisphere stars above our heads.
The next morning we basked in our first Serengeti sunrise, the sky lighting up yellow and orange as hot air balloons floated through the sky. It was truly something special. After a breakfast of eggs, fruit, and our favorite “chapatis,” we were back in the safari car for a full day of exploring the southeast Serengeti. We watched as the landscape transformed from yellow plains to green trees and rolling hills. Our first animal of the day was a lion–it was the first time we had seen a grown male with a full mane! Another large tower of giraffes was beautiful in the morning light and we had so much fun watching two teenage giraffes practice their fighting techniques, playfully hitting one another with their strong necks. The next moment would become a universal highlight of the trip-all of us commenting on how magical it was for the days to come. We encountered a family of dozens of elephants of all ages, drinking and playing by a river, a backdrop of bright green palm trees behind them. The elephants came right up next to our safari car, a one month old baby clumsily running right by. The moment felt almost unreal, all of us looking at one another with faces communicating, is this really happening right now? Then it was meerkats, hippos, two more great big male lions, and zebras, all before our morning coffee break! After some tea, coffee, and our new favorite chocolate shortbread cookies, we had another big moment-a cheetah! Cheetahs can be difficult to find as they hide and lurk in the tall grass, but we spotted one across the plain relaxing in the shade of a tree. We stopped for a lunch picnic at a scenic lake dotted with pink flamingos, an awesome spot for photos. The rest of our afternoon was spent soaking up the other-worldly presence of giraffes and elephants, observing a large herd of buffalos, and our first encounter with baboons! These playful, quirky animals quickly became Ellie’s favorite, her face lighting up whenever we saw them the rest of the trip. Tired from a long day of exploring, we had a chill night back at camp. After we showered off the Serengeti dirt, some of the girls jumped in to help our chefs cook dinner, Mae stirring the garlic rice and Hannah chopping vegetables and making the salad. That evening, we enjoyed another special Moonup by the fire. Mae was one of the LODs for this Moonup and she encouraged the group to reflect about an experience where it felt like everything was falling apart, but everything was actually falling into place. The question inspired some real vulnerability and we all reflected that we were feeling closer than ever as the trip neared its end.
The next morning we enjoyed our favorite chapatis with syrup as more hot air balloons drifted through the sky. We were headed out for a full day in the Western corridor of the Serengeti to follow The Great Migration. As we began our journey, we spotted impalas, hippos, and ostriches. While we were driving, one of our guides spotted a female lion in the distance. We stopped to watch her for a while and observed her stalking her prey-a Thompson gazelle. Our guides knew that the rest of her pride must be close by and found them laying in the shade under a tree. We were able to drive within feet of seven lions snuggled up together in the grass. It was surreal! As we traveled farther west, we began to see more and more zebras and wildebeests, the main animals that move in The Great Migration. The herd stretched for miles. JR, Finley, and Lilly had fun comparing the zebras’ behavior to what they know about horses from riding at home. It was hard to believe that the groups we saw were only a small fraction of the larger herd moving through the Serengeti. As we drove home that evening, Lucy and Finley thrived standing up and looking out the top of the car, watching the sunset and listening to music. They were so content to be peaceful with their thoughts, looking out at the view. Another highlight was driving right up next to a large giraffe that was perfectly framed by the setting sun. JR had fun trying to get the perfect shot on her camera. Back at camp with some time before dinner, we made hot chocolate and snacked on popcorn while Catherine told us ghost stories. Our campsite had really begun to feel like home! After another great meal, Lilly and Lucy led a fantastic final student-led Moonup, asking the group to share about a place in the world that has their heart. While we all shared about places that have meant a lot to us growing up, I think we can all confidently say that the Serengeti and Tanzania have a piece of our hearts now too!
The next morning we could hardly believe it was our final full day together. We woke up thrilled for a day of celebrations, the 4th of July AND, more importantly, Evie’s early birthday celebration! We got decked out in red, white, and blue temporary tattoos and necklaces, and of course a birthday crown for Evie. Our first wildlife encounter of the day was so so special, a group of young lion cubs (only about a month old) with their mom! It only got more special when we got to witness four lions climbing a tree only a few feet in front of us. This was one of the coolest moments from our entire safari experience, you will have to check out the photos! After our beloved tea, coffee, and cookie break, we came across the largest family of elephants we had seen so far. Dozens of elephants were spread out around the plains, right near a large male lion and his mate. It was so amazing to be able to witness two of the most incredible animals in the Serengeti, elephants and lions, at the same time. Finley was so pumped to get photos of elephants on camera that had LIONS in the foreground. So sick. We stayed in one spot next to the lions for well over an hour, letting the elephants move around us and observing the lions reactions. It was such an amazing way to close our safari experience. We headed back to camp for a late lunch and had a fun early evening all piled into one tent chatting and giggling. In a few short weeks, we had become our own little family. At dinner it was time to celebrate Evie! One of our chefs was thoughtful enough to bake a birthday cake for her, writing “Happy Birthday Evie!” in icing on the top. What was even more kind was that he also took the time to make a second cake with “Happy 4th of July, America 250” on top. The lodge staff, our safari guides, and Riley came out of the kitchen banging on pots and pans and singing “Jambo Bwana” to Evie. She immediately started crying happy tears. She has such a big heart and is so easy to celebrate! Our dear leader Evie!! After dinner we assigned everyone superlatives, one from the heart and one from the funny bone. Piled into one of the tents, we had a final Moonup, cracking up at the funniest moments from the trip and reflecting on all the ways we’ve grown.
Our final day with the girls was a roadtrip day! After saying goodbye to our lodge staff, we started our journey out of the Serengeti. We lucked out big time and saw two cheetahs and a leopard on our drive out of the park. The first stop on our roadtrip was to an overlook of the famous Ngorongoro crater, the largest crater in the world-so beautiful! On our long car ride, we listened to our favorite songs, made pitstops for snacks and souvenirs, and ate lunch at a picnic site. Though we had left the animal kingdom of the Serengeti, we spotted many baboons throughout our drive, to Ellie’s great excitement! After a final dinner together of some comfort food at a restaurant in Arusha, it was time to head to the airport. Our goodbye was bittersweet. We were sad to say goodbye, but so grateful to have come into one another’s lives. Your girls are headed back home to you now with a wealth of experience and knowledge from this incredible part of the globe.
Thank you for making this all possible, we love your girls so much and are missing them already! Asante sana.
<3 Riley + Evie
Exploring Under the Sea!
June 30, 2026
JAMBO from Zanzibar! We have had a wonderful time exploring the underwater world and culture of Zanzibar, the archipelago of Tanzania. Fun fact! Tanzania used to be called Tanganyika-the current name Tanzania is a combination of Tanganyika and Zanzibar from when they combined in the 1960s.
After a morning of travel from Arusha to Zanzibar, we stepped off our plane into the hot, humid air of the island, a shift from the cooler mountain air we were used to. We were all excited to be in a more tropical environment for the middle section of our trip. Our guides picked us up at the airport, and the girls had fun watching the world go by out the window, noting differences between Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. The major religion in Zanzibar is Islam rather than Christianity, so we noticed differences in dress and spotted many colorful mosques. We caught glimpses of the bright blue ocean on our drive, queuing “oohs and aahs”! We arrived at our hostel and settled into the bunks where we would stay for the next few nights. Our hostel’s pathways are lined with green trees and plants, grounding us in Zanzibar’s tropical world. After a quick lunch, we were right off to the dive shop! Our dive shop is right on the beach, and its awesome outdoor space became our second home during our stay. The girls working toward their Open Water Diver certification got right to work learning how to assemble their dive kit, practicing the skill until they were more comfortable with their gear. Catherine and Mae, already Open Water certified, had the opportunity to refresh their skills in the pool. They impressed their dive instructors with what they remembered even after not diving for a few months or years! After our dive orientation, the girls were excited to soak up some sun on the beach. We laid out our towels and had some solid quality time together chatting or reading books side by side. Some time in the sun called for ice cream. We headed to a spot right on the beach where the girls enjoyed chocolate and cinnamon flavors. Back at our hostel that evening, we ate dinner, had a cozy Moonup in one of our tents, and turned in early after our big day of traveling.
The next morning it was time for our Open Water Divers’ pool day! The first experience breathing underwater is something truly special, and it was exciting for the girls to gear-up and practice the skills they studied in their PADI eLearning. After getting comfortable with the regulator in their mouth and tanks on their backs, they practiced safety skills like mask clearing, regulator retrieval, and air-sharing with a buddy. It can take some time to get the hang of things and get comfortable-I was so proud of their resilience and courage! We had another afternoon of fun on the beach, this time bringing spikeball and snacks. Scuba diving can be super tiring, particularly your first day, so the girls were glad to have some chill time. We went for a second round of ice cream on our way home, had another great dinner, and got some much-needed rest before the first day of open water diving!
At the dive shop the following morning, we piled into the “dala dala” truck to head to the beach we would be diving from. Dive bags in tow, we climbed in a wooden boat to take us out to our larger wooden dive boat. We cruised out to the Matemwe atoll where the water looks so blue that it could be blue powerade. The girls held a mix of nerves and excitement headed into their first dive in the ocean. One of our dive instructors, Peter, kept the energy light with his dancing and music requests. After their first dive, nerves were washed away and the girls were thrilled to share everything they had seen. They spotted rainbow parrotfish, trumpetfish, pufferfish, triggerfish, lionfish, and eels!! They were especially excited to spot our friends from Finding Nemo: Clownfish (Nemo), Blue Tang (Dory), and Moorish Idols (Gill). During our break between dives, our crew brought out an awesome spread of snacks-pineapple, watermelon, bananas, donuts, and our favorite-chapatis! JR, our expert photographer, was excited to snap photos of the other boats passing by on the beautiful blue water. The girls took their “giant strides” back into the water for Open Water Dive #2 and came back up even more excited, and clearly more comfortable in the water and in their gear. On our boat ride back to the beach, we listened to some of our favorite summer tunes, with Peter of course singing and dancing along. That evening the girls were in for an awesome surprise! Midafternoon we headed into the village near our hostel to have a cooking class with the local women and their families. They embraced us like family, welcoming us into their backyard, helping us clean our hands, and laying out woven mats for us to sit on. Lucy and Ellie got to work on dessert, Hannah and Catherine helped make the dough for our bread, and JR, Finley, Mae, and Lilly were our expert vegetable choppers. We lived into one of our favorite Swahili terms “pole pole” or “slowly, slowly,” taking our time making the meal, putting real time and care into what we were creating. Lilly had so much fun dancing with one of the women, Adina. They traded teaching eachother dances for almost an hour and their moves had the entire group cracking up. Ellie and JR both really bonded with the children of the families, playing with them and including them in the cooking process. When our meal was ready, we enjoyed rice, vegetable curry, chicken, bread, and sugar dough balls. The group reflected on how good it felt to have worked together to make dinner. That night we had a Moonup under the stars, looking forward to our final day of diving in Zanzibar.
We had another wonderful day on the dive boat. The girls were really in their groove setting up their gear, doing buddy checks, and striding into the water. Now was the time to finish their final exercises, and then just simply enjoy the underwater world. They continued to explore the coral reefs around the atoll, spotting their favorite fish. Finley and Riley had so much fun snorkeling above a coral reef together. They spotted Riley’s favorite, a spotted pufferfish, and Finley pointed out that an octopus had inked from beneath a coral head. After saying our goodbyes and thank yous to our wonderful dive instructors, we had a celebratory lunch at a nearby beach restaurant. The girls were excited to have some comfort food of burgers, pizza, and club sandwiches. That afternoon by the pool we enjoyed swimming, reading, chatting, and even taking a short snooze in the pool chairs. Back at our hostel, we all piled into Riley and Evie’s tent for a movie night with popcorn. We decided to watch Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants-the perfect girlhood movie for our all girls trip.
We awoke to our final full day in Zanzibar! We said goodbye to our hostel to make our journey to Stone Town where we’d be spending our final night. On the way, we stopped at a Spice Farm for a tour. It was INCREDIBLE. We got to learn about so many spices and fruits, our guide letting us smell and taste so many things as we wandered through the farm. Tumeric, vanilla, nutmeg, peppercorn, cinnamon, lemongrass, chilli peppers, coconut, starfruit, indian almonds, banana, just to name a few! A huge hit was getting to watch a coconut tree climber climb over 40 feet in the air up a coconut tree, singing our favorite song, “Jambo Bwana” as he went. When he came down, we got to sip coconut juice and taste the coconut fruit. It was so delicious because it was so fresh! At our lunch spot, our guides gave us all crowns woven from lemongrass and flowers. After purchasing some spices and coffee beans for friends and family, we were back on the road to Stone Town. It’s such a cool port city of winding cobblestone streets and artisanal shops everywhere. The girls had so much fun shopping for souvenirs-beaded bracelets were a favorite purchase. Then it was time for another surprise-a sunset cruise! We walked down to the beach where we hopped on a wooden sailboat and sailed around the harbor as the sun went down, sipping on sodas and listening to music. It was such a special evening. Back at our hostel with clean laundry, the girls are absolutely thrilled to be headed to the Serengeti tomorrow. There is truly nowhere in the world like it, and I am so excited for our group to experience the magic of “the endless plain.”
We are having a truly wonderful time. Thank you so much for sharing your daughters with us this summer!
Asante sana,
Riley + Evie
<3
Student Shoutouts:
Ellie: Hi mom and dad! Thank you so much for this trip! Zanzibar was so amazing and I’m not ready for this to end! I’m so so excited for the last portion of our trip in the Serengeti and can’t wait to share all of the memories I’m making w you guys. See u guys soon love u! -Ellie
JR: Hi family! Thank you so so much for this trip to Africa! I am having so much fun! Scuba diving was one of the coolest things I have experienced and I loved it! I miss you guys tons and can’t wait to see you guys! I love you all! -JR
Finley: Hi mom and dad! Thank you so much for this amazing trip! I am loving it so much and am sad it’s coming to an end. Zanzibar was so pretty, the water was so clear. I’m super excited for the Serengeti and can’t wait to see y’all soon! Love and miss you both! -Finley
Mae: Hey Mom and dad! I’m having the best time! We’re leaving Zanzibar now and scuba diving was so amazing! Thank you so much for this trip! Love you so much! Mae
Lucy: Hi!! I have had so much fun on this trip and I am so grateful for this experience! Scuba diving was so fun and I loved staying with the Maasai tribe! We are about to go to the Serengeti and I can’t wait! I miss you all so much and can’t wait to tell you all about it! Love Lucy
Lilly: Hi!!!!! I’m having so much fun on this crazy experience! I’m learning so much and am so grateful for this trip. We are on the way to the Serengeti now and I’m so excited to see the animals! I loved Zanzibar so much and scuba diving was so much fun and so peaceful. I miss you so much and I can’t wait to tell you everything! Love Lilly
Catherine: Hiiii! I’m having so much fun on trip. I loved scuba diving and seeing all the beautiful fish and coral. Zanzibar is such a cool place. I can’t wait to tell you all about it and the awesome places we went to. I miss you so much!Love, Catherine
Hannah: Hii! Thank you so so much for sending me on this trip. I am having a blast and learning so much. I miss y’all so much and I can’t wait to see you soon! I love you!! Love Hannah
Warm Welcomes in Tanzania!
June 26, 2026
JAMBO from Tanzania! Our trip has been off to an incredible start, soaking in the culture and history of the Maasai people, and making so many new friends along the way. We met your girls at the airport after their long day of travel-they were sleepy but excited for all that lay ahead! We hopped into our bus to head to our hotel. When we arrived, we were met with the incredible hospitality of the Tanzanian people. Our bags were taken from our hands and replaced with lavender towels, the girls commenting on how soothing it was after so many hours on an airplane. We strolled under centuries-old trees to our late-night pizza dinner. It’s always good to have some comfort food when you arrive in a new place! We chatted about what we were most excited for about the trip from elephants to scuba diving. After a quick first Moonup, it was off to bed!
The girls woke up in the daylight of their cozy rooms decorated with African art. They were jet-lagged, but the excitement for our first full day got them up and rolling. We enjoyed a delicious first breakfast of eggs, crepes, and fruits, spotting monkeys jumping from tree to tree above our heads. The group learned their first Swahili word “Asante sana” or thank you so much. After breakfast, we explored the garden and river walk on our accommodation’s large campus. Wandering past lush green trees, rushing water, and swinging monkeys, we were officially in the outdoor world of Africa! Then we were on the road headed to Maasailand where we would spend the first section of our trip living with and learning from the kind, gentle, giving Maasai people. Following a journey down highways and dirt roads, we arrived at Mukuru Sacred Site. We felt the energy of the Maasai people right away as they performed a welcome dance for us. With a welcome drink of passionfruit juice in hand, we were shown to the caves that would be our home for the next few nights. There is no word to describe the caves other than simply magical. Hand-beaded, colorful dreamcatchers and stars hang from the ceiling, the walls are covered with Maasai traditional items, and the bedding is the vibrant bright red and blue colors of the Maasai. For lunch, we had our first meal in the beautiful round lodge building in the center of the property. The space used to be a site of prayer for the Maasai people in the area, and we reflected many times on how calm and space the room felt. After lunch we got settled in our caves before heading out for an afternoon learning about the Maasai people and their way of life.
We started with a rungu competition! The rungu is a traditional wooden club that the Maasai use to scare predators, mainly hyenas, away from their cattle. We practiced throwing the rungu at a wooden target hanging from a tree. The Maasai warriors made it look easy, but when we stepped up to the line, we realized just how hard it was! We then walked to a beautiful open cavern with two trees growing at the center. Our guide Peter told us that these trees are considered sacred to the Maasai people, a place where you come to pray or meditate. We were constantly in awe of Peter’s knowledge and wisdom, that he was able to translate between English, Swahili, and the Maasai native language. Next, the Maasai people of the lodge shared a traditional dance with us. The best moment was when the women put beaded necklaces around JR and Ellie’s necks and pulled them into the dance. Before long we had all joined in, joyfully following along to their beats and chants. After the dance, we were shown a demonstration of how the Maasai fight. Next, our guides showed us how the Maasai make fire using sticks, donkey poop, and grass-so cool! We got the fire going in the forgiveness cave, a place to visit following a conflict, and learned a chant used to resolve problems. We ended our afternoon of learning around the campfire, as our guide Baracka told us stories of the origin and long history of the Maasai people. Then it was back to the lodge for a cozy dinner, wrapped in wool blankets and drinking tea. As much as we loved the chilly mountain air, we decided to do our first Moonup in the sauna room with a wood fireplace.
The next morning we were excited to head out into the community and learn more about the ways that the Maasai people live and learn! Our first stop was a local clinic, built in the beautiful shadow of Mt. Meru, the second tallest mountain in Tanzania. The clinic was incredible. It was an open, welcoming space with lush greenery, flowers, and a garden. The clinic itself offered a mix of traditional and modern medicine, sending patients home with pharmaceuticals but also herbs and teas. Next we visited a local orphanage. The children were so excited to show us the playground, colorful rooms, and backyard. The girls lit up playing with the kids, we could have spent all day there. Our next stop was a visit to the Secondary School in Sustainable Tourism-this was a real highlight! Students the same age as the girls toured them around their school. This vocational school prepares students for careers in the tourism sector and connects them with internships during their breaks. Whether you want to be a chef, a hotel manager, or a Safari guide the school’s goal is to prepare you. Our tour guides had spent their last school break shadowing at the Four Seasons in Serengeti National Park! There is also a strong focus on sustainability-the school is powered by solar, has its own garden, and creates art out of plastic collected from the local community. Lucy asked lots of thoughtful questions and reflected that it felt like the school really sets the students up for success. Our final stop of the morning was a visit to a tailoring shop. The women worked away at their sewing machines along the sides of the room and the space was full of clothes and bags of vibrant colors. It was then time for an outdoor lunch in the shade of a hundreds of years old tree. The view was so scenic and we had so much fun playing one of our favorite games, wavelength, as we ate. Back at the lodge, we had a big afternoon of card games. JR, Finley, and Hannah got super into it, teaching each other different games and pulling the rest of the group in to learn. Evie taught us how to play rummy and it has definitely become our group favorite. We watched the sun go down from our favorite spot up on the hill and had another lovely dinner and “sauna Moonup.”
The next morning we were in for a real adventure. We woke up before 5am to climb to the top of Mt. Mukuru, beginning our hike up the mountain in the dark. Headlamps strapped to our heads and with our fearless leader Peter in front of us, we began our walk. Our journey up was about an hour and 15 minutes (Peter complimented our speed, telling us we were very strong). Right when we were almost to the top, the sky started to light up in an orange, pink sunrise. If the laughs we were having hadn’t already made the journey worth it, we realized the view certainly would! From the top we had an incredible view of the valley, we couldn’t believe how far we had climbed up in such a short amount of time. In the other direction we had a view of Mt. Meru, the rock face peaking out from behind the clouds. Mae was cracking up as we headed back down the mountain as we all tried, and failed, to not slip. While we all watched our every step, Peter essentially ran down the mountain, sending Mae cracking up once again. Halfway down, we had a picnic breakfast with tea and coffee, laughing about our early morning adventure. We spent the rest of the morning resting and reading by the pool. In the afternoon, two women came to do a Maasai beading workshop with us. We sat on pillows underneath a tree and created colorful bracelets together as the two old women sang. It was really special for our all girls group to spend this time with these elder women. Catherine absolutely loved the opportunity to be creative and said it was one of her favorite moments from the trip so far. Hannah formed a special connection with one of the Mamas, who gifted her a colorful pair of earrings she had made. Then it was time for another competition! This time-archery! The Maasai warriors taught us how to use their traditional bow and arrows. Lucy was an all-star hitting the target from the farthest away of anyone. Later that evening, wrapped in our wool blankets, we returned to the spot where we had spent the afternoon with the “Mamas.” Underneath the tree with the stars shining bright, we had a truly special Moonup. There was plenty of laughter, as our LODs closed Moonup led by Lilly.
We spent our final morning at Mukuru visiting a Maasai “boma” or home and learning about the ways that the Maasai people live together in community. We learned that there is intentionality to every aspect of the boma, from the gate to the animal pens to the position of the houses. We loved learning about the ways that families work together to take care of their children-the phrase “it takes a village” kept coming into my mind. There is a mindset of community and collectivism that was really beautiful to witness. After a final lunch with our new friends, the girls were so sad to say goodbye. Especially to Peter! The bond is so real. As our bus drove away and our new friends sang us a goodbye song, we tried to fight the tears! We traveled back to Arusha, arrived at our accommodation, and our LODs Hannah and Finley led us in a hilarious “game show” game that we made up as we went. We had a comfort meal dinner of steak and potatoes and then watched a HILARIOUS acrobatics show from performers who were visiting our hotel. The acrobats performed summersaults, stood on one another’s heads, juggled, and a dozen more creative acts. We had our most lively Moonup yet debriefing the whirlwind show we had just watched, all of us nearly crying because we were laughing so hard. It was then off to bed with excited energy in the air for our travel day to Zanzibar the next day!!
We have been having a fabulous time with so much more good stuff to come! Thank you for making this trip possible! Asante sana!
<3 Riley + Evie
Shoutouts from your girls!!!
JR
Hi fam ! I am having so much fun, my favorite part so far has been staying with the Maasai tribe for a couple days! Love you all!
Finley
Hi Mom and Dad! I am loving this trip and having so much fun, my favorite part so far was going on a hike at 4:30am and watching the sunrise over the mountains. Love and miss you!!
Ellie
Hi mom and dad! I’m having so much fun this trip is so amazing! Staying with the Maasai tribe was incredible. Tell Ryder I miss him+ thinking about him and I’m so excited to share everything about this trip with u guys!
Mae
Hi mom and dad! I’m having the best time! We just got to Zanzibar today and got all our gear to scuba dive! I miss all of you and love you very much! Love Mae
Hannah
Hiii mom and dad!! I am having so much fun and I’m so grateful that I am able to go on this trip. We just got to Zanzibar and I’m ready to get scuba certified. I miss you and love you!! Love Hannah!
Lucy
Hi!!! I am having so so much fun thank you so much for sending me!!! I miss y’all so much and can’t wait to see you all! Love, Lucy
Catherine
Hi I am having lots of fun. I miss y’all lots. I just got to Zanzibar today and am excited for scuba diving. Can’t wait to tell you all about it.
Love Catherine
Lilly
Hey Mom and Ke!!! I am having so much fun and have become so comfortable with things outside of my comfort zone. I’m so grateful and having so much fun. I’m abt to get scuba certified!!! I love you and miss y’all!! Love, Lilly!
Safe Arrival!
June 21, 2026
Hello Tanzania + Zanzibar Families!
We heard from our leaders 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
