Responsible travel

 

Aguaplano only suggests trips and tours with local agency. It is a way to achieve a beautyful yet true experience helping people who are working hard, in difficult condition in their own country or miles and miles away from home.

Tanzania – Mto Wa Mbu

Cultural Tourism programme

culturalIn Mto Wa Mbu, near Lake Manyara National Park, there is a local organization called The Cultural Tourism Programme, who’s been active for several years. Expert guides from local villages can guide the willing travelers through a walking tour into the villages to learn about the local culture of the many ethnic group who inhabit the surrounding area. This is a nice way to know directly the people who lives and work here. You can visit schools, handicraft laboratories, private homes, rice fields and bananas plantations, and at the same time give a little contribution to the local economy. It is a unique and great experience for whoever wants to learn Africa’s nature and culture, too.

http://mtoculturalprogramme.tripod.com/

Tanzania – Arusha

Il Maasai Expeditions ldt.

Loth MaasaiTheir motto is: “We are Proud of our Nature”. Loth e Praygod are pure Maasai , living in Arusha, wich is the ideal base for all the tours in the astonishing Tanzanian parks and for trekking the Kilimanjaro. They have founde d this little but extremely efficient travel agency using only local workers putting their deep knowledge of the culture and territory at your service. To travel with them it’s an experience that goes beyond the perfect service and constant attention you wil get, because nobody like them, born and raised in Arusha can show to you all the subtle details of what this marvellous and fascinating country is. You will find extraordinarily nice people, and more than a mere “driver” or “guide” you will have ” friends proud of letting you know how beautiful Tanzania is.

Trip Description. From the stunninglly beautiful Tanzanian Parks to the knowledge of the local culture, Travelling in Tanzania offers a way to get closer to these lands that really are the cradle of all mankind. Form the endless horizons of the savana to the deep green intricate forests, from the stunning basin of the NgoroNgoro crater to all the people who are struggling to achieve a better future for their children , a trip with IlMaasai Expedition tries to tell you about their beautiful Africa.

www.ilmaasai.com

Nicaragua – Granada

Centro Social Tio Antonio

Tio Antonio

The Social Centre Tio Antonio NICARAGUA is a Non-governmental-organization (NGO) devoted to make health, education and social care projects to people in need. Founded in 2007, work specially with children, women, and very poor families.

The social centre is in the city of Granada, old colonial city located off the coast of Lake Nicaragua. It´s one of the most tourist places of the country, though it has a very high percentage of people living in poverty. The association manages a nice hostal and a little shop in Granada, Nicaragua

www.hostaldorado.com

www.tioantonio.org

www.tioantonio.blog.com

El Salvador – Suchitoto

La Casona

La CasonaIn the beautiful and charming town of Suchitoto, El Salvador, you can choose to overnight at La Casona, Hostal. There’s bar and a social centre which is run by local guys with passion and ability. La Casona’s mission is to sustain and show the history and the local culture and to use alternative tourism as a means to change the wrong perception of El Salvador and Suchitoto’s recent bloody facts. La Casona’s project is born thanks to the efforts of a group of people who are deeply concerned with Suchitoto’s history and its tranformation, in harmony with the human and natural development.

www.lacasonasuchitoto.org

 

kenya-tanzania_I_26

This is a post to suggest Tanzania to all our traveller friends  as a possible trip destinations in the near or far away future. That’s because January and February are amongst the best months to visit this country together with June to October

Why Tanzania? For a lot of reasons. Extraordinary people, many different cultures and ethnic group to understand more about this immense continent – Africa, some of the most stunning parks and natural reserve of the world (Serengeti, Ngoro Ngoro), the chance of going easily off the beaten track to some remote destinations (Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganica), and, if you’re physically fit, the opportunity of climbing Kilimanjaro, being at 5,895 metres (19,341 feet) the tallest mountain of the whole African continent.

And then there’s Zanzibar Island, wich is gorgeous, but don’t fly straight there. this would be an offence to the magical African Skies, to the bright red dusty tracks, to the Bantu, Maasai, Sukuma, Nyamwezi, Chagga, Gogo, Kutu, Mwera…

If you want to travel helping the local economy avoiding the ugly western tour operators take a look at our page Suggestions – Responsible Travel. You will find detailed description of the local agency (our friends in Arusha) – www.ilmaasai.com – they could help you. Don’t forget to read info on the Mto Wa Mbu local association. It’s a beautiful project that we have personally experienced.

kenya-tanzania_X_17

This is a post to make you dream, in these rainy February days (at least in our town – Turin).

Suggestions

Images – Pictures

Maps and Itineraries

Map and itinerary – Kenya/Tanzania

 

map of kenya tanzania

30 august 2007 -  from Turin to Milan by car – hotel near the airport

31 august 2007 – British Airways flight – Milan – London – Nairobi, Kenya

1 september 2007 – from Nairobi to Masai Mara National Park – around the park by car

2 september 2007 – around Masai Mara National Park – Masai village

3 september 2007 – from Masai Mara to Nairobi by car – from Nairobi, Kenya to Arusha, Tanzania by bus

4 september 2007 – from Arusha to Tarangire National Park by jeep

5 september 2007 – from Tarangire to Serengeti National Park by jeep

6 september 2007 – around Serengeti National Park by jeep

7 september 2007 – Serengeti National Park – to Ngoro Ngoro National Reserve in the evening

8 september 2007 – around Ngoro Ngoro National Reserve – to Lake Manyara in the evening

9 september 2007 – around Lake Manyara National Park

10 september 2007 – Mto Wa Mbu – village tour – back to Arusha

11 september 2007 – around Arusha (market – school – town)

12 september 2007 – around Arusha and Moshi – Marangu – Kilimanjaro’s Gate – dinner in Arusha with our guide in a local restaurant

13 september 2007 – from Arusha to Nairobi by bus – British Airways flight in the evening – Nairobi – London

14 september 2007 – flight from London to Milan – from Milan to Turin by car

Pictures Kenya-Tanzania

Kenya-Tanzania – notes from the journey

Map and itinerary – Tanzania

 

map of tanzania

26 august 2006 – Turin – London – Dar es Salaam – British Airways flight

27 august 2006 – Dar es Salaam – Arusha – Air Tanzania flight – Arusha – around the city

28 august 2006 – Arusha – around the city – preparing Kilimanjaro trekking

29 august 2006 – Kilimanjaro trekking – Day 1 – Rongai (1800 mt) – Simba Camp (2700 mt)

30 august 2006 – Day 2 – Second Cave – Kikeleva (3700 mt)

31 august 2006 – Day 3 – Kikeleva (3700 mt) – Tarn Hut – Mawenzi (4200 mt)

1 september 2006 – Day 4 – Tarn Hut (4200 mt) – Kibo Hut (4750 mt) – Gilman’s Point (5710) – Uhuru Peak (5895 mt)

2 september 2006 – Day 5 – Uhuru Peak (5895 mt) – Kibo Hut (4750 mt) – Horombo Camp (3700 mt)

3 september 2006 – Day 6 – Horombo Camp (3700 mt) – Marangu Gate (1900 mt) – Arusha

4 september 2006 – Safari – jeep and tent camp – Arusha – Tarangire National Park

5 september 2006 – Safari – jeep and tent camp – Lake Manyara National Park near Mto Wa Mbu

6 september 2006 – Mto Wa Mbu – village tour

7 september 2006 – Safari – jeep and tent camp – Ngoro Ngoro National Reserve

8 september 2006 – Safari – jeep and tent camp – Serengeti National Park

9 september 2006 – Safari – jeep and tent camp – Serengeti National Park

10 september 2006 –  Lake Victoria – Mwanza – around the city

11 september 2006 – from Mwanza to Tabora by bus

12 september 2006 – from Tabora to Kigoma by train – lake Tanganica

13 september 2006 – Kigoma – lake Tanganica – around the city

14 september 2006 – from Kigoma to Dar es Salaam by airplane – Air Tanzania

15 september 2006 – from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar by airplane – Stone Town – Jambiani (east coast)

16 – 19 september 2006 – Jambiani (east coast)

20 september 2006 - from Jambiani to Stone Town – Spices tour

21 september 2006 – around Stone Town – to Dar es Salaam by plane – to Arusha by bus

22 september 2006 – from Arusha to Dar es Salaam by bus (10 hours)

23 september 2006 – Dar es Salaam – around the city

24 september 2006 – Dar es Salaam – London – Turin – Flight British Airways

Pictures – Tanzania

Tanzania – notes from the journey

Kenya – Tanzania 2007

 

Surfin’ Safari

Kenya – Tanzania

Kenya-Tanzania

Safari Kenya - Tanzania

In 2007 we got back to Africa to show the magnificence of the National Parks to Valeria’s parents

So we organized a 15 days tour with our friends at IlMasaai Expeditions , this time including Masai Mara on the Kenya Side.

From Nairobi we were brought to Masai Mara were we stayed for 3 day before going by Bus to Arusha and meet our friends Loth, Pray and Bryceson.

Given the age of Valeria’s parents, this time the tour was far more comfortable than the year before (we did everything in tent) and we enjoyed the parks in a relaxed way, without having to think about rucksacks, food, batteries, water etc..

For once, we acted like “normal” tourists from one lodge to another, from a restaurant to another  exploring the parks sitting in a almost comfortable jeep. But this way we had the opportunity to show Valeria’s parents something they had dreamed to see all their life, and that’s a good reason to stop backpacking for a while.

See the:

Map and itinerary

Pictures of Kenya and Tanzania

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