On safari in Tanzania

Northern Tanzania is a wilderness on a huge scale. It offers big skies, big plains,big mountains, the big 5 and big excitement!

I chose to celebrate my 20^th anniversary milestone as a Travel Counsellor in Tanzania. I adore wildlife and scenery and was aware that I would not be left disappointed with my choice of destination. Holidays I had arranged there for my clients received fabulous reviews. 

My previous safari holidays in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia were wonderful experiences. Tanzania is home to some iconic National Parks which I had longed to explore.

There are a few circuits to choose from and the one you take is based on the time of year you travel. I visited in September and embarked on the Northern Circuit.

We flew into Kilimanjaro airport to our first stop Arusha which sits at the foot of Mount Meru, one of the highest mountains in Africa. We made a stop at the Cultural Village and viewed some beautiful artwork and had the opportunity to buy some lovely souvenirs.  

Famous for coffee production, Arusha is home to numerous plantations. On our first night we stayed at the lovely Arusha Coffee Lodge which is set in the grounds of a plantation. Our first taste of wildlife were the monkeys that came to visit!

As we were time poor and only had a week to cover the vast area I had decided to fly between the National Parks. It was also far more comfortable than enduring long & very bumpy road journeys. Flying low over the savannah we got to see the incredible landscape, Masai boma’s and the national parks. And it meant we could spend more time on safari.

Tarangire National Park neighbours Lake Manyara. We stayed in the most incredible tree-house nestled in a baobab at Tarangire Treetops and where we enjoyed dinners outside around the fire and boma.

Animals came down to the water hole and on one afternoon 3 troops of baboons gathered there! What a sight.

On the first night we were escorted back to our tree-house to retire to bed with a Masai man complete with his spear. We climbed the spiral staircase to the front door and then to our surprise saw the hatch below us pulled down! This was to prevent any animals coming up and also to prevent us from going down on our own!

On our game drives we saw several herds of elephants which Tarangire NP is famous for.  Also a large stampede of buffalo, a leopard hiding in a tree and my highlight there was watching a baby elephant feed on her mummy 3 metres from our jeep! The safari vehicle had open sides so the experience was even more exhilarating.

Elewana supports a local Masai tribe and we felt privileged to visit their boma, dance with them and buy some of their home-made souvenirs. I bought some pretty beaded coasters. And they were kind enough to allow me to take some photos.  

We finished the day with a Bush walk and climb to a view point. Watched the sunset with a sundowner gin & tonic! A wonderful end to a spectacular day!

Our flight from Kuro airstrip to the Serengeti gave us a birds eye view of Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater. It’s huge, about 120 miles long and it took about half an hour to fly pass. It’s the world’s largest volcanic caldera and we would be exploring along the crater floor in a few days’ time!

Our luxury tent in the Serengeti National Park was waiting for us, glamping in the most comfortable way. Located next to the famous Grumeti River. Getting ready for dinner I glanced out of the window to see a parade of baboons & monkeys filing past in single file!

Serengeti National Park is a vast expanse and dotted with baobab trees, forests and plains. It is teeming with wildlife and in two days we had such great sightings.  A pool full of hippos, a leopard walking in a dry river bed, we followed a cheetah in the high grasses, witnessed elephant herds, lions, lions & more lions! Most prides were found sleeping during the days having feasted well! As it was the end of the great migration of wildebeest there was plenty of food for them.

We watched five adorable lion cubs playing, I could have sat there all day! We caught sight of two cheetahs feeding on a kill. A highlight was watching a pack of hyenas and then running towards them a mother carrying a tiny baby in her clenched teeth! A true David Attenborough moment!

On our second day there we started our game drive at sunrise and I captured two giraffes elegant silhouettes on my camera.

Where there are zebra there are wildebeest. At one point we were sitting surrounded by hundreds of them, a 360 degree view. It felt like we were on a movie set. We had caught the end of the Great Migration of the Wildebeest leaving the Serengeti and on their way to the Masai Mara. Wildebeest as far as the eye could see! Incredible!

We left the magical Serengeti on a short flight back over the Crater to spend a few nights at the luxurious The Manor at Ngorongoro Crater, our final stop. The following morning it was another early start. This time we left in an enclosed safari jeep with a pop-up roof as they are the only types of vehicles allowed in the UNESCO World Heritage site.

From the View Point we had a great look at the Crater floor. The descent is windy, dusty and very bumpy and worth all the discomfort for what we were about to see. Our first sightings of rhino’s way in the distance. Unable to drive off road we viewed them through our binoculars. Critically endangered meant this was a rare privilege. The Big 5 ticked off!

We also saw hundreds & hundreds of wildebeest and then a stampede crossing right  in front of our vehicle. A male lion with the most beautiful mane decided to walk alongside us! The high-light was witnessing an impala nurse her newborn. Extraordinary!

The 360 degree view sitting on the Crater floor within the steep walls of the caldera was spectacular. Time to reflect that I was in a part of Africa with one of the highest concentrations of wildlife! We enjoyed a picnic by the lake watching hippos! And then headed back to the Hotel. A fitting end to an unforgettable safari holiday.