As a photographer, I have always been drawn to exploring new cultures and capturing the beauty of the world through my lens. So, when the opportunity, during July of 2022, presented itself to travel to Tanzania, I jumped at the chance.

My journey began in the beautiful island of Zanzibar, where I stayed in a small guesthouse owned by a family of Ukrainians who had moved there. The guesthouse was operated by locals and I had the opportunity to live like a local, experiencing the delicious local food and Nungwi beach. One of the highlights of my stay in Zanzibar was meeting Sharif, a local YouTuber who gave me a tour of the village and even took me to a local football match. We traveled to the match by Dala Dala, a type of local transportation used by locals in Tanzania. It was an experience I will never forget. You can read the full story I made for VICEGR here

Next, I visited Stone Town, the old part of Zanzibar City, where I was struck by the rich history and culture of the area. From the narrow streets to the historic buildings, it was a photographer's dream.

I was also lucky enough to attend the Full Moon Party, an event that takes place on the beach during a full moon. The party was full of acrobats performing fire tricks, and the energy was electric. I danced alongside people from all over the world, united by the rhythm of the music and the light of the full moon. It was an unforgettable night, and I promised myself that I would come back one day to dance under the moonlight again.

After all the experiences and adventures, I boarded a small Dash 8-Q400 airplane of Air Tanzania for a thrilling flight. After a long flight with Air Tanzania, we finally arrived in Arusha and checked into our lodge, Kutoka Lodge. The lodge was staffed by members of the Maasai tribe, and we had the opportunity to talk to them around the fire at night. They shared stories about their lives and their dreams of going to college. They were incredibly friendly and welcoming, and we were excited to learn more about their culture.

The next day, we set off on a safari to Tarangire National Park. Our driver picked us up in an old Land Rover jeep, and we set off for a 1-hour drive to the park. We were amazed by the sheer number of animals we saw, from thousands of grazing elephants to a lioness with three cubs. It was a truly unforgettable experience.

After the safari, we headed to visit two tribes, the Hadzabe and the Datoga. With the Hadzabe, we went hunting and learned about their skills and routines. It was a unique opportunity to see a way of life that was completely different from anything we had ever experienced before. We were also struck by the beauty of the landscape and the friendliness of the tribe.

We then traveled to Moshi, where we stayed in a beautiful hotel run by women who were studying there. The hotel was called More Than a Drop, and it was a wonderful experience to stay in a place that was so focused on empowering women. In Moshi, we visited a tribe that had traditional coffee plantations in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. We were struck by the beauty of the nature and the hard work of the tribe members. This was our final destination in Tanzania, and we left with a sense of awe and appreciation for the diversity of cultures and way of life that we had encountered.

As we boarded our plane back to Greece via Ethiopia, we couldn't help but reflect on the journey that we had just taken. We had witnessed the beauty of the wildlife, the resilience of the tribes, and the kindness of the people we had met. We realized that Africa had truly cast its spell on us, and we couldn't wait to come back and explore more of it. As the famous Kenyan author, Ngugi wa Thiong'o once said, "The world is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved."