re: Anyone been to Tanzania..

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I did my first fourteener last weekend and didn't think I would make it. Need to start doing more cardio apparently

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What makes Kili more difficult isn't the cardio aspect, it's just that it is almost 20K feet a.s.l. That means the air is just above half the air pressure that it is at sea level, and this can result in serious altitude sickness. About half the people in my group felt nauseated the entire time we were above 14-15K, practically everyone had a massive headache, and one guy had cerebral edema, which can kill unless you get the victim back down pronto.

You do need the cardio, I was winded just standing still at the summit. But even with good cardio you can still not make it, or at the very least have a rotten trip depending on how well you acclimatize. For example, altitude sickness makes you not feel like you need to eat or drink, which you absolutely need to do if you're going to get to the top. But if you take an extra day or two at, say, Lava Tower or Arrow Glacier to get used to it then it's much easier.

Been to South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Angola.


In my personal experience, Nambia is far and away the most interesting of those places.

My trip was full on camping in two person tents we had to pitch every day in 5 different countries over a month. We experienced the heat, cold, bugs, darkness, etc.

The worst shower I took was in the dark in icy cold water, with cold air at night, and when I shined my flashlight somewhere to grab my shampoo there was a lizard right there! I was like

I think the most obvious think to do is a photo safari.

Zanzibar should now be visited with caution. If you check State Dept (and British counterpart) you'll see the warnings. I'd still go but certainly be cautious about crowds, demonstrations, and be aware of Muslim extremists activities.