How I Started Planning My African Festival Trip
Last January I stared at my laptop feeling totally stuck. Always dreamed about African music festivals but had zero clue where to begin. Saw folks posting epic festival pics online and thought “Why not me?”. Pulled out a crumpled receipt from my wallet and scribbled three words on the back: JUST START SOMEWHERE.
Picking My Dream Festival
First I hit Google like a maniac searching “best African music festivals”. Whoa… turns out there’s dozens! Panicked when I saw festival dates clashing. Ended up making messy lists:
- Cape Verde festivals happening during my vacation time
- Ghana’s Chale Wote street art fest with drum circles
- Essaouira Gnaoua Festival in Morocco
Finally chose Tanzania’s Sauti za Busara because their YouTube videos showed insane live performances I couldn’t stop replaying.
Saving Cash Like a Squirrel
Checked my bank account and almost cried. Set up three brutal money rules:
- Brewed disgusting home coffee instead of $6 lattes
- Sold old vinyl records collecting dust
- Walked everywhere sweating through summer to save gas
Felt ridiculous eating ramen noodles while staring at safari photos. But after six months? Finally hit my savings target. Fist-pumped so hard I spilled noodles everywhere.
Booking Chaos and Triumphs
Flight prices gave me heart palpitations. Used price tracking apps checking daily at 3am for two weeks straight. Finally snagged Kenya Airways tickets when prices dipped unexpectedly. Did happy dance naked in my living room.
Then got hit with visa stress. Turns out Kenya needed yellow fever shots AND bank statements proving I wouldn’t beg in streets. Messed up application forms twice before getting it right.
Zanzibar Arrival: Pure Madness
Stepped off the plane into 95°F heat smelling like spices and diesel exhaust. Almost got scammed by a taxi driver outside airport before remembering my research. Yelled “Ndiyo! Tuk-tuk only!” in broken Swahili. Driver laughed but took me seriously.
Hotel shower had brown water first night. Panicked until receptionist explained it’s just island minerals. Fell asleep listening to distant drumming that sounded like thunder.
The Festival Experience
Day one at Stone Town’s Old Fort felt like walking into a living painting. Overwhelmed by:
- Taarab musicians making hypnotic sounds with zithers
- Drum circles vibrating in my chest
- Street food stalls with smells that made me drool
Got dragged into a dancing crowd by local grandma who laughed at my stiff hips. Ended up learning crazy East African dance moves till sunrise. Next morning woke up with aching calves and sticky shoes from spilled sugarcane juice. Zero regrets.
Hard Lessons I Learned
Mess-ups happened constantly:
- My “waterproof” phone pouch leaked during boat trip killing my charger
- Got completely lost chasing drum sounds through narrow alleys
- Learned “hapana asante” too late – got stuck with 7 wooden giraffes
But in the end? Standing there with drums pounding through my bones and total strangers hugging me? Felt the most alive I’ve ever been. Already saving for next year’s festival.
