We drove north along the Udzungwa Mountains, then joined the main road east through Mikumi National Park. The road was paved and relatively busy, but surrounded with an amazing number of animals. We drove past zebras, impala, giraffe, wildebeest, buffalo, baboons, and monkeys on the way to Mbuyuni Farm. Entering the farm, we crossed a small bridge just wider than the truck, but got stuck trying to drive under the crossbar on the far side. Our guide asked someone nearby to go to the farm for help. We watched goats cross the road behind us while they disassembled the bar so we could get across. A few minutes later, we arrived at our beautifully decorated cottage at Mbuyuni Farm. We went swimming, relaxed by the pool, and walked on a bush trail with lots of butterflies. The staff brought an amazing dinner to our table on the patio: mushroom soup, pork schnitzel, green salad, rice, potatoes, beets, mixed vegetables (green beans, snow peas, carrots, corn), followed by hibiscus cake with ice cream.

We had an early breakfast on our patio, then packed up for a long drive south to Nyerere National Park. Our guide drove winding dirt roads through the mountains, passing several villages with red brick houses surrounded by banana trees. We stopped to eat our packed lunch in the village near the national park, where our guide grew up.