The Rock restaurant in Zanzibar, Tanzania, provides a unique dining experience like no other. Situated on top of a rocky outcropping adjacent to Pingwe beach, during high tide the restaurant appears to float in the water. During our recent visit to Zanzibar we knew we had to experience a meal at this restaurant.
While the experience itself was hit-or-miss due to small portions for the price and average service, we’re still really glad to have visited this unique restaurant in Zanzibar!
When we booked our safari in Tanzania, we had the opportunity to take a hot air balloon ride in the Serengeti. We are no strangers to hot air balloon trips (having taken a hot air balloon in Cappadocia many years ago) and knew we would have to take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see animals from above.
But then we got to the price tag- $599 per person during our visit in 2022.
Not only was this price tag a shock, but it was also more than double just about any other hot air balloon ride we’ve ever taken or considered booking anywhere in the world.
We booked it anyway.
Ultimately, we enjoyed our hot air balloon ride and had a pretty incredible experience- so much so that we would book a trip again without hesitation. But looking back on it the question of whether it is worth that price remains, and it is all based on one big caveat that comes down to a bit of luck- actually seeing animals.
Second only to Antarctica, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro ate up a big chunk of my overall trip budget. At around $2,000+ USD for a seven-day climb, another $300 for gratuities and a further $100 for the Tanzanian visa, it’s not a cheap trip by any means.
When you compare your $300+ daily spending with what you actually get in return – squat potties, tents, and endless (and I do mean endless) walking – it’s hard to justify throwing away such a large chunk of money without having a good reason to back it up.
Did I have that good reason? No. I climbed a mountain simply to say I had climbed a mountain. I’m that person. But I did persevere and make it back to tell you all the need to know about this climb, so there is some sort of minor accomplishment in that at least.