Meet a tourist who plans to drive to all 30 regions of Tanzania by 2030

 

Meet the tourist who plans to visit all 30 regions of Tanzania by 2030

By Anganile MwakyanjalaDaniel Mlabwa has traveled to most corners of Tanzania working for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). His work obliges him to do so. But on the other hand, Daniel has been a road trip enthusiast since 2018. Stories about his travel experiences are documented on his blog and on the X account, "formerly Twitter". He drove to the most exciting views of the beauty of Tanzania. However, his motoring days began as an accident and a personal challenge. "During my travels, I've noticed a lot of beautiful places across our country, and these places haven't been talked about or documented much," he said.

 So his quest to travel and write about the country's natural beauty began with the aim of bridging the information gap. Daniel's most notable possession is a converted old-fashioned Mercedes Benz. His love of classic cars led him to purchase a vehicle that had gone decades without turning a wheel, its engine and other parts of the car weren't working when he bought it, but he was determined to get it back on the road. don't start right away. Fixing the car was a mammoth task, expensive and not for the faint of heart. 

The daunting task would cost him millions of Tanzanian shillings before he could start the engine, and even then he would bleed millions more out of his pockets. the way he discovered other broken parts that he had to repair or buy. “I stopped counting when I spent over twelve million fixing the car,” he laughed, but the challenge was worth it. Daniel's expeditions began in Kigoma, where he went to Mahale and Gombe national parks, which are known as chimpanzee sanctuaries. Kigoma, although famous for its distant cousins, also has hiking trails for those who love a bit of physical adventure and Daniel. he took advantage of it. He also visited Lake Tanganyika. 

“The lake probably has the cleanest beaches because they are protected,” he mentioned. So far, he has driven his classic Mercedes Benz to more than 20 regions across the country, defying all critics who doubted the old car. he could do it on the road too. Daniel learned about an old lady living in Kinondoni who sells a scrapped Benz. The lady had previously sold it to someone who could not restore it. The going price was just one million Tanzanian shillings, anyone else would be alarmed by the low price, but Daniel was tempted and took the risk. “I just bought it and if everything worked it would be a win for me, if it didn't it would be my loss,” he recalls. His first long-distance trip was from Dar es Salaam to the capital Dodoma. 

The trip would normally take ten hours, but on the way to Dodoma, Daniel hit a speed bump and the car's water pump was damaged. Otherwise, the journey went quite smoothly. He later went to the Udzungwa Mountains National Park in the Morogoro region and witnessed many species of birds, saw the rare Iringa red colobus and Sanje crested mangabey. Went on a hike and it was a therapeutic experience walking through the rain. the forest as the birds chirped, The landscape was breathtaking to the highest peak and to see the amazing beauty of Sanje falls in real life is beyond words. 

He also went to the Mtwara, Mikindani and Lindi area before making considerably shorter trips to Bagamoya, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site and once an important trading port and capital for German East Africa, as well as caravan stops with slaves and ivory. The old town still attracts many tourists from all over the country. of the world who visit old buildings and beaches, uniquely Germans travel to Bagamoyo to trace the history of their country as well as the old churches that were implanted there more than a century ago. His longest journey was from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma. He deliberately set out on the longest possible journey. 

He later went to the Songwe region where he visited the Mbozi meteorite. “It is a veritable heavenly heavyweight weighing 12 tonnes and measuring 1.2m in height, 1.6m in width and 3.3m in length. It is one of the 10 hardest in the world and the 2nd hardest in Africa,” he documented Tanzanian roads are mostly paved, although this is a big development from decades ago. This results in fatal accidents, mostly due to overspending drivers, traffic accidents are more frequent and Daniel has been involved in several accidents, one of which was when he was traveling to Mtwara when he hit a lorry that was illegally parked on the road without reflectors. warning signs warning of oncoming vehicles.

 To avoid fatal traffic accidents, Daniel preferred not to drive at night and also avoid the busiest roads "The busiest road is from Dar es Salaam to Zambia," he warned. and whenever he drives, he makes sure he's with a friend who helps him stay alert and alert on the road, especially from the big buses that keep speeding by. "I have to remind myself that I'm not in a hurry," he says, adding, "Never be competitive on the road."

 Daniel likes to travel slowly and carefully to enjoy nature, which is another reason he doesn't travel at night. Now he likes articles and pictures of the places the old Mercedes Benz has taken him. Looking back, every family member and friend vehemently urged him not to buy the car. Daniel owned a Mini Cooper, a great nice car, but as soon as he laid eyes on the old Mercedes Benz, it was love at first sight and he immediately sold the mini cooper to raise enough money to bring the Benz back to life. 

Daniel's biggest dream is to travel to all the attractions in Tanzania, from national parks, waterfalls, mountains and lakes. His goal is to achieve this by 2030. His escapades are well documented on his website daniwander.com. As a young Tanzanian, he is planning a small but vital part to reveal the hidden beauty this country has been blessed with and hopes more young Tanzanians will. do the same. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.