And we’re off.
Jaap, Leonie and Renske have arrived in Tanzania, together with Jaap’s parents — Renske’s pake and beppe. Johnson picked them up at Kilimanjaro Airport and, after fitting everyone and all the luggage into the car, they headed to Arusha for the first few days of the trip.
Renee and Dora are following everything from the Netherlands, so for now Karatugether is happening in two countries at once.
A familiar welcome
Their first base is Kundayo Serviced Apartments in Arusha.
Mazo, the owner, was there to welcome them. He had already met Renee, Johnson, Dora and Renee’s parents on an earlier trip, so it felt a little like returning to a familiar place — only this time with Jaap, Leonie, Renske and pake and beppe joining the story.
Renske quickly found her own highlights.
There are rabbits in the garden, which are currently far more interesting than any business plan. Monkeys have already appeared on the roof too.
And when it’s time for her afternoon nap? She sleeps outside in a little travel tent in the garden.
Not a bad way to settle into Tanzania.
Turning ideas into next steps
The first real appointment of the trip was with TISEZA, the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority.
Until now, a lot of our work has been about ideas: what kind of lodge we would like to create, where we might want to live and what a future in Karatu could look like.
This meeting was much more about the practical side.
The main message was clear: before getting too far ahead of ourselves, we need to build the right foundations. That means preparing the company registration, finding legally suitable land and involving the local authorities in Karatu early in the process.
Finding a beautiful plot is only one part of it. We also need to know who legally owns the land, whether there are existing claims or restrictions and whether all surveying and registration details are in order. Those checks will be an important part of the next phase.
TISEZA also explained how they can help coordinate with different government authorities, while our legal advisers will help us with the actual legal work and documentation.
There are still plenty of questions open — and that’s exactly why we are here.
Testing the plan in real life
Another important part of this trip is checking whether the numbers and assumptions in our business plan make sense in practice.
How much does it really cost to build here? How many people do you need to run a lodge? What does staffing look like? Which things are easy on paper but much harder in real life?
Over the next few weeks we’ll be talking to people who are already building and running businesses in Tanzania, so we can compare our plans with their experience.
We don’t expect to come home with every answer.
But hopefully with much better questions.
And then: Lake Duluti
After the first official meeting, it was time for a slower day.
Lake Duluti, some sunshine, a swing by the water and time together.
Later that afternoon they headed to Forest Hill Hotel in Arusha for a swim.
Because this trip isn’t only about company structures, land checks and business plans.
It’s also about finding out what everyday life here feels like.
Watching monkeys on the roof.
Stopping for rabbits.
Napping in a little tent in the garden.
Sitting by a lake.
And occasionally doing absolutely nothing more productive than going for a swim.
Learning from someone who’s already doing it
The next day brought another kind of research.
Jaap and Leonie visited Dolly’s Escape in Arusha to talk to someone who has already done something close to what we are dreaming about: building a life and businesses in Tanzania.
And that made for a very different conversation.
Not so much about what is possible on paper, but about what running a lodge actually looks like once the doors are open.
One of the strongest messages was that a small lodge is not something you simply build and then hand over. Quality, maintenance, service and staff all need continuous attention — and even after many years, the owner is still closely involved in the daily operation.
His advice was also very practical: if we buy land, make sure there is room to grow later.
He also talked openly about staffing, training people, maintenance, permits and the importance of getting the legal and financial administration right from the beginning.
Another reminder that there is rarely just one simple answer — and that we need to have the legal structure, land arrangements and investment route checked properly for our own situation.
The conversation didn’t make the dream smaller.
But it did make some of the questions bigger.
How many rooms do we really need?
How hands-on do we want to be?
How much room should we leave for expansion?
And what does the business need to look like for two families to build a life from it?
Exactly the kind of questions we came here to ask.
Family, views and a different side of Arusha
The days in Arusha weren’t only filled with meetings.
At the end of the day, everyone headed to Gran Meliá for a drink on the rooftop terrace.
With Arusha spread out below and Mount Meru in the distance, it was one of those moments where there wasn’t much to do except sit, look around and take it all in.
Renske seemed pretty impressed by the view too.
And there was another important stop during these first days: a family visit.
Jaap, Leonie, Renske and pake and beppe joined Johnson at his parents’ home, where everyone ate together with his family.
For us, this trip is about exploring whether Tanzania could become part of our future.
But it is also about family — bringing two worlds a little closer together and spending time with the people who are already part of our story.
That makes these moments just as important as the meetings.
Research, with a bit of real life in between
These first days in Arusha have been a mix of serious conversations and ordinary family moments.
Jaap and Leonie are asking questions about land, staffing, business models and what it really takes to run a lodge here. Meanwhile, Renske is exploring gardens, spotting animals, swimming, visiting family and looking out over Arusha.
And maybe that’s exactly what this trip is supposed to be.
Not finding all the answers at once, but getting a better feel for both sides of the dream: the business we hope to build, and the life that would come with it.
Somewhere between meetings, family dinners and drinks overlooking the city, the idea is starting to feel a little less theoretical.