ഇനി എത്ര ദൂരം

 

Tanzania and Me

Tanzania is a country in East Africa, famous for its wildlife, spectacular landscapes, Indian Ocean coastline and diverse cultures. It was formed in 1964 through the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The official capital is Dodoma, while Dar es Salaam is the largest city and the country's main commercial centre. Swahili (Kiswahili) and English are widely used languages, and the currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS).

Tanzania it is just a word. But for the last eight years, it was much more than a word to me. It was a place I heard about again and again—a distant country where my husband was working. For eight years, Tanzania existed in my mind as a picture I had created without ever seeing it. In my imagination, Tanzania was a place full of flowers, snow and beautiful large buildings. But when I finally saw it with my own eyes, reality was completely different. It was a land of strong winds, wild animals, endless blue sea, dry landscapes and developing towns.

For the past eight years, I had been planning to visit Tanzania. Finally, my dream came true in May 2026, when I travelled there with my children. It was also my first international flight. Our journey began from Kozhikode to Muscat and then from Muscat to Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. Travelling with my children made the journey even more special. For them, Tanzania was not simply a foreign country. It was an adventure.

After a long journey, I finally arrived in a country of more than sixty million people, and the only familiar face I could see was my husband. He welcomed us with a big smile. That smile immediately gave me a feeling of safety and belonging.

Everything around me looked different. The faces, skin tones, hair and hairstyles were unfamiliar to me. For a few moments, I felt like a stranger who had suddenly entered another world. I forgot my usual identity—my language, my state, my familiar surroundings and even the little things that made me feel at home. At that moment, the only identity that seemed to remain with me was “Indian.” First time I am was recognised as Indian rather than my own name itself.

Interestingly, I noticed that Indian culture has a special place in the hearts of many Tanzanians. The historical connections between India and East Africa are visible in many aspects of life, particularly in food, trade, clothing and family traditions. Meeting people who showed warmth and respect towards Indians gave me a comforting feeling in an unfamiliar land.

The different thing I saw there is BODA BODA noting but bike taxi an interesting thing is that the bike is having a long umbrella attached with the bike. Their main fruits are banana, pine apple sugarcane, mango etc. For someone coming from Kerala, where the sea, coconut trees and monsoon rains are part of everyday life, the coastline of Tanzania felt strangely familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

My first impression of Tanzania was completely different from the picture I had created in my imagination. There were no snow-covered landscapes or European-style cities as I had imagined. Instead, I found a country blessed with nature—bright sunlight, strong winds, beautiful blue skies, vast stretches of dry land and the magnificent Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean added a special beauty to the city. Standing near the sea and watching the endless blue horizon was one of the moments I will always remember.

One of my biggest challenges was communication. I was surrounded by a language I did not understand. “Jambo” and “Karibu” were among the first Swahili words I began to recognize. Jambo means hello, while Karibu means welcome. Slowly, these words became familiar.

Mikumi National Park is the One of the most unforgettable experiences of my Tanzania journey Until then, I had seen wild animals mostly in photographs, television programmes and videos. But Mikumi was completely different. Here, the animals were not behind cages or fences. This was their home. We were the visitors. I saw group of zebras, giraffe, long ear elephant, lion etc

As we entered the national park, I felt a mixture of excitement and fear. The vast open land, tall grasses, trees and silence created a completely different atmosphere. There were no buildings around us, no busy roads and no familiar sounds of city life. It felt like entering another world—a world that belonged to the animals.

Zanzibar – A Different Side of Tanzania

After experiencing the wilderness of Mikumi, our journey took us to a completely different world—Zanzibar.  If Mikumi showed me the wild heart of Tanzania, Zanzibar showed me its peaceful and beautiful side. Zanzibar is an island destination in the Indian Ocean, famous for its beautiful beaches, turquoise waters, white sands and rich cultural history. The moment I saw the sea; I felt that I had entered another world. The beach experience in Zanzibar was completely different from the beaches I had known before. The Zanzibar Archipelago is located about thirty miles off the coast of the Tanzania mainland. Zanzibar is a perfect place for your vacation.

I spent time simply looking at the sea.

There was no hurry.

No classroom.

No timetable.

No responsibilities for a few moments.

Just the sea, the sky, the wind and my family.

Finally, I love Tanzania. It is a country of wildlife and beaches, dry lands and blue seas, cities and villages, tradition and modernity.

Dr. P. Kalpana

Asst.Professor of Management Studies

Al Shifa College of Arts and Science, Keezhattur, Perinthalmanna.