Jambo from Africa!
July 14, 2026
JAMBO from Tanzania and Zanzibar!! WOW our trip has been off to an amazing start. Beginning our trip in Maasailand, we had such an impactful experience spending time with the Maasai people in their homeplace, learning about their culture and traditions. The girls have all reflected on how much they appreciate starting their trip with this section, becoming rooted in a sense of place in Africa, before jumping into scuba and safari.
We met an enthusiastic, excited group of girls at the airport and they have kept up their awesome energy every single day since. Our bus ride from the airport to the hotel was full of animated conversation-the girls were fast friends! At our hotel, we were met with the comfort of lavender towels to clean our faces and hands, and classic Moondance first night pizza. After a Moonup underneath centuries old trees and new Southern hemisphere stars, the girls were off to bed in their cozy rooms decorated with African art.
The next morning we had a delicious breakfast of crepes, omelets, and fruit and enjoyed getting to know one another as we walked along the riverwalk of our hotel, monkeys swinging in the trees above our heads. Then we were off to the races headed to the first section of our trip! We arrived midmorning at our lodge in the shade of the Sacred Mukuru Mountain where we would be spending the next few nights. The warmth and spirit of the Maasai community greeted us from the moment we arrived, beginning with a traditional welcome dance. The performance featured chants and the striking of shields against the ground-a tradition rooted in the Maasai’s history of meeting neighboring tribes and determining whether visitors came in peace. As we sipped refreshing papaya-mango juice, we were guided to the caves that would be our home for the next few nights. Each cave felt like stepping into another world. Hand-beaded dreamcatchers, colorful hanging stars, and authentic Maasai decor filled the space, while the bright red and blue bedding reflected the bold colors of Maasai culture. Our first meal was served in the circular lodge. Once a place of prayer for the local Maasai community, the space carried a sense of peace that we found ourselves appreciating throughout our stay. After lunch, we had time to settle into our caves before spending the afternoon learning more about the Maasai people, their traditions, and the way of life they have preserved for generations.
We began our afternoon of activities with a hike up to the whispering cave, a sacred place the Maasai people go to to pray. We were blessed with a Maasai chant, and given a leaf to carry with us as a memory of what we prayed for at the cave. Liza was our light and positivity on the hike, bringing happy energy and starting up fun conversations. Then it was time for a rungu competition! The rungu is a handcrafted wooden club traditionally used to protect cattle by scaring away predators such as hyenas. After watching the Maasai warriors hit a woven target hanging from a tree, all the girls gave it a try. It was harder than it looked, but most everyone managed to hit the target once! From there, we walked to an open cavern where two trees rose in the center. Our guide, Peter, explained that these trees are sacred to the Maasai people-a peaceful place for prayer, reflection, and meditation. Throughout the afternoon, we were continually impressed by Peter’s depth of knowledge and his ability to switch between English, Swahili, and the Maasai language as he shared stories of his culture. We all agreed that Peter was one of the kindest, gentlest people we had ever met. The experience continued with a lively traditional dance performed by members of the lodge’s Maasai community. Before long, we all joined in on the dancing! We also learned about the Maasai’s warrior traditions through a demonstration of their fighting techniques. One of the most interesting demonstrations came next, as our guides showed us how to start a fire using sticks, dried donkey droppings, and grass. The fire was lit inside the Forgiveness Cave, a gathering place where conflicts are resolved. As the afternoon came to a close, we gathered around the campfire while our guide, Praygod, shared stories about the Maasai people’s origin and history. Ryan asked such thoughtful, engaged questions that demonstrated how intently she had been listening to all that the Maasai had taught us throughout the afternoon. That evening, we returned to the lodge for dinner, bundled in warm wool blankets. We enjoyed our Moonup in the sauna room, ending the evening cozy and warm!
The next day was dedicated to exploring the local community and gaining a better understanding of daily life for the Maasai people. We began at a community health clinic nestled beneath Mt. Meru, Tanzania’s second-highest mountain, after Kilimanjaro. Surrounded by gardens and greenery, the clinic felt peaceful and inviting-somewhere you want to come to heal! We learned how the clinic blends modern medicine with traditional healing practices, with patients leaving not only with prescribed medications but also herbal remedies and teas. After the clinic, we visited a nearby orphanage. A teenage boy proudly led us around their colorful classrooms, playground, and backyard, eager to share his home with us. Tricia and Alexa were especially excited to get to say hi to a few of the younger children at the orphanage. Next came one of the highlights of the day, a visit to the Secondary School in Sustainable Tourism. Students close in age to the girls welcomed us and proudly introduced us to their campus. The school teaches young people the practical skills for careers across Tanzania’s tourism industry, whether their dream is to become a safari guide, a chef, a hotel manager, or another hospitality professional. It was so cool to see students learning to cook in the professional kitchen and practicing reception skills in the model hotel lobby room. Sustainability is woven into every part of the campus. Solar panels provide much of the school’s power, students help maintain an on-campus garden, and recycled plastic collected from the community is transformed into colorful works of art. Maddie especially bonded with one of the younger students at the school, asking him thoughtful questions and helping him practice his English. Lunch was served outdoors beneath the branches of a tree, with beautiful views stretching out around us. Our final stop after lunch was a shop where women were hard at work creating colorful clothes, bags, and headbands. When we got back to the lodge, we hung out by the pool and played card games, starting to really bond together as a group. After a lovely dinner, we ended the evening with another cozy Moonup session in the sauna.
We began the next day well before sunrise with one of the biggest adventures of our trip-a hike to the summit of Mt. Mukuru!!! Just before 5:00 a.m., we strapped on our headlamps on our heads and followed our guides, Praygod and Solomon, into the darkness as we began the hike. The trail was quiet, with just our footsteps and conversations as we made our way steadily uphill. The group did awesome, keeping positive energy and humor the whole way through. Kate would occasionally start running up the trail, making the whole group crack up laughing. Our guides Praygod and Solomon led us in singing “Jambo Bwana,” and Charlotte and Riley encouraged our group the whole way, keeping the vibes up. After about two hours, we reached the peak and were literally inside of a cloud-it felt surreal. Autumn, our expert photographer, snapped some awesome photos on her camera. We enjoyed some coffee and tea at the top, laughing about our journey up the mountain. We were amazed by how much elevation we had gained in such a short time. The descent brought just as many memories as the climb. Phoebe led the group in song, and our best performance was undoubtedly All Too Well, the 10 minute version. About halfway down, we paused for a picnic breakfast and more tea and coffee, enjoying the chance to relive the highlights of our early morning adventure. The rest of the morning was spent relaxing after our early morning-reading, resting, and soaking up the peaceful atmosphere by the pool. That afternoon, our group visited a Maasai “boma” or village, learning about the ways that the Maasai live together in community. As we walked through the boma, we discovered that everything has a purpose-from the entrance gate and livestock enclosures to the placement of each family’s home. We were especially moved by the way families share the responsibility of raising children. The Maasai’s strong culture of community was inspiring to witness. Our final activity before dinner was practicing Maasai archery, shooting arrows at a target with a handmade wooden bow. It was, once again, harder than we expected, and we laughed through our dropped arrows and missed shots. That night we had a magical final evening at our lodge, gazing at the stars wrapped up in our wool blankets.
For our final morning in Maasailand, we gathered beneath the shade of a tree for a Maasai beading workshop led by two elderly women, affectionately introduced by our guide Peter as the “Mamas.” Sitting together on cushions, we crafted colorful bracelets while the women sang as they worked. For our all-girls group, sharing this time with these women felt especially meaningful. Finley loved the opportunity to be creative! After one final lunch together, it was time to say goodbye to our guides who had started to feel like family. Praygod had become especially important to our experience, and we were so sad to leave him! As we pulled away from the lodge on the bus, our Maasai friends gathered to sing us a farewell song.
Back in Arusha, we settled into our accommodation and had a delicious dinner. The girls went to sleep with excitement to head to Zanzibar the next morning. Our time together has already been filled with unforgettable moments, and there is still so much to look forward to. Thank you for making this incredible experience possible. Asante sana!
<3 Riley + Evie
Shoutouts from your girls!!
Finley- Hi mom, dad, and thomas (+micaela)! I miss you guys so much but I’m having a blast, can’t wait to tell you all about it. The culture here is so cool and so is the food. All the sights I’ve seen are so amazing. I’ll see y’all so soon!! Love Finny
Tricia- Hey mom and dad! Having sooo much fun!! We are scuba diving tomorrow! It’s awesome here, I can’t wait for the next few days!! Tell Keely I say happy birthday and I love and miss her!! Love Tricia
Alexa- hey mom and dad! It’s been so fun out here loving it so far. It would be great if one of you could run my car to the car wash it needs it bad. Gracie Maggie Nicole Amina Katherine I miss y’all a lot plz pick me up💕love Alexa
Riley-Hi Mom Dad and Will!! I am having soo much fun and Africa is the coolest! Love y’all and miss y’all- also tell Zoe and the pets I love and miss them
Phoebe – hey y’all!! I am having an amazing time in Africa!! We just made it to Zanzibar and it is soooo pretty. I miss y’all so much and please text Lava that I miss her and I’m so excited to see everyone. Love y’all see you soon💕💕💕
Liza – hi! Africa has been so fun! We just got to Zanzibar and we started our scuba dive training today and it was so much fun! I’m so excited the beach is so pretty! I miss you mom Good luck this week! Tell Maisie I miss her and I hope she has fun with her friends at the beach! I love y’all!!
Ryan- Hey everyone! Africa is amazing!! I live and miss y’all so much. We got to hangout with the Maasai tribe and we did a super hard sunrise hike but I’m so proud of myself for finishing it. Today we did our first dive in Zanzibar! Tell my friends I love and miss them too. Talk to y’all soon. Love Ryan ❤️❤️
Charlotte- Hi Fam! I’m having so much fun. We just got to Zanzibar and did our first day of scuba diving, it’s so pretty here and tomorrow we get to scuba dive in the ocean! Isie, Caro and MW: I miss y’all so much and can’t wait to come back and see you guys!
Maddie- Hey! I miss you guys! I am having a great time, besides the fact I can’t scuba drive, really sucks, but other than that it’s amazing. I did the 7 mile hike and ngl did it pretty good. It’s more fun when I’m not being forced to do it in Utah. Anyways tell Weners and Isaac I miss them! And leave my room alone so when I come home it’s cozy and how I want it not all neat. Miss and Love you!
Autumn- Helloo, I’m in Zanzibar right now scuba diving🤿!! We went on a 7 mile hike and visited schools and villages. We are going to the Serengeti in a few nights. Im so excited to show y’all all the pictures.. I love y’all so much and PLEASE make chicken pot pie for when I’m back!!! Stock up on my honey chicken too!💕💕
Kate-Helloooo!!!! I’m having the best time ever, we’re in Zanzibar now and I’m so excited to scuba dive. Tanzania was so awesome and learned a lot about the Masi people. When y’all come get me from the airport please bring me wifesavor: 4 strip with mac and green beans, lemonade, and a thing of honey mustard! I love and miss y’all soooooo much!
Safe Arrival!
July 8, 2026
Hello TNZ Families!
We heard from our leaders this afternoon 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
