S.A.F.A.R.I. (trip in swahili)

4 DAY CAMPING SAFARI: The number 1 essential experience of Tanzania offering Lake Manyara, the Serengeti an Ngorongoro Crater.

With our group of 10 intrepid volunteers split into 2 safari jeeps (complete with convertible open roofs), Anika, Hlin (Iceland), Elina (Finland), Peter (Poland) set off for Day 1 at Lake Manyara.

Unsure of what to expect, the jungle backdrop hid a menagerie of animals. The moment we drove in the park gates we were greeted by a playful collection of blue monkeys flashes of brown – antelopes. Richard our tour guide and animal/botany encyclopaedia sniffed and murmured “elephant poo.” Thinking we’d have to scout out the herd through the dense trees, I was delighted when we drove right amongst a family of elephants. So used to scores of jeeps, they were completely unperturbed and ambled within reaching distance of the cars. We adventured past the hippo pond to observe 2 males rearing at each other and saw kilometres of monkeys and giraffes grazing amongst the shrubs.

When we reached our campsite in the evening, our 5 man tents were already erected and we relished the first hot showers most of us had had since arriving here. Only slightly more exciting was the delicious dinner laid out for us; food has been creeping higher and higher on my priorities list since carb-less meals and dessert have become a distant memory. Our cooks who accompanied our group served up leak soup, beef stew and garlic veges; very worthy of a mention. We enjoyed a pre-bed-time song and dance show and not being a regular camper, I found huge novelty in roughing it.

Driving on to the Serengeti, we paused on the corner of the Ngorongoro Crater to feast our eyes the most beautiful view. The crater forms a 20km wide natural enclosure for most of Africa’s most famous animals, and was ethereal at a glance. Many jumping photos ensued. Conveniently, our jeep got a flat tire directly outside a Massai village, and (once given the 20 000tish equivalent of $12USD) the villagers were smiling and dancing on cue. It was clear this village and most in the area welcome mzungus into their homes frequently as we were quickly ushered to fences laden with jewelry, beads and clubs for tourists. Living on a diet consisting of goat, blood (the goats the is) and milk, I assume the money goes towards beads for jewelry.

Our visit was extremely short lived and didn’t share any of the warmth of Zaki’s village. We were rushed through a straw hut, a schoolhouse filled with children singing a jumble of English songs and only saw 4 minutes of dancing. Most memorable was the toilet experience. Despite the multitude of squat toilets I’ve used here, this wooden hut complete with goats, wasps and a single, deep dirt hole certainly takes the cake.

Upon reaching the Serengeti, visions of the Lion King immediately sprung to mind – the endless plains, yellow hues and isolated trees were identical to my childhood memories. For a good deal of the trip our jeep drove to the Circle of Life. December through February marks the annual wildebeest migration, and the flat terrain was littered with gazelles, zebras and wildebeest in the thousands. What I was not expecting was to see the animals grazing together harmoniously at the roadside, oblivious to the constant flow of jeeps. It was difficult to take a photo of animals doing anything BUT eating. I tried my hardest to live the experience with my own eyes rather than the camera viewfinder, but nevertheless my handy canon was glued to my hand just in case.

The jeep’s radio frequently buzzed to life to notify Richard of animal sightings.

Some fun facts:

·      Elephants are pregnant for 22months

·      A male lion’s paw can weigh up to 45kg

·      Whilst lions, buffalo and wildebeest live around 20years, the zebra lives on average for 30.

When Richard announced “Lion,” we were squealing with excitement. Atop a grassy collection of hills, we spotted a pride of 13 lions lazing in the sunlight. So well hidden, I’m so impressed how anyone could spot their golden fur through the tall grass. Soon enough, about 8 jeeps had surrounded the hills and only the snaps of cameras could be heard. The real excitement sets in whenever the animals are active, and to our delight one of the males strolled right in front of our car.

I was quite apprehensive when I saw our campsite for the night, nothing more than a few shrubs separated us from the plains of the Serengeti and it’s host of scary inhabitants. Frightened to walk even to the bathroom, many of the group went beside the tent. Again dinner was delicious cucumber soup and spaghetti. I slept like a baby despite Anika freaking out about the LeSnak stored in my bag – do lions like LeSnaks? It was only in the morning that the guides told us of the hyenas and jackles that roamed the campsite while we slept.

Rising early today, we drove to see the sunrise over the Serengeti. It was so cold I lost all feeling in my feet, but the sight of the glowing orange orb complete with a solitary impala standing tall and a hyenas trotting down the road was more than adequate compensation.

Driving on, we felt the familiar rush of excitement when we saw the collection of parked jeeps in the distance. Upon arrival, we saw a lone leopard draped over a tree branch only 15 m from the road. Solitary animals are always the hardest to spot, often camouflaged in trees in the distance so we savoured the moment. We watched for a good 45 minutes whilst the leopard jumped about the ‘sausage tree,’ pawing at seeds, stalking birds and nimbly alighting about the branches. She received an audible gasp when she lept from the tree and walked calmly right by the cars to the neighbouring tree where she then collected a friend. Every now and then a tail or head would poke through the long grass as the cats pounced on each other. Never in 9 years has Richard seen leopards playing together, such a treat.

In the warmth of the sun we watched baboons, families of elephants and zebras dash across the road followed by wildebeest who are apparently so stupid they follow the lead of the much brighter zebras.

Buffalo, meet my tent.

Arriving at our campsite, my first impression was the breathtaking beauty of the fairy tale tents dwarfed by the mountain backdrop. As night dawned and the freezing cold set in, we ate our dinner wrapped in sleeping bags next to a bonfire. When heading back to our tents, we stumbled upon a buffalo snacking on the grass only metres away. The guards were standing back at a distance warning campers “wild animals, dangerous, stay away.” Wise advice which I would have gladly abided by if an entire herd of 50 buffalo had not chosen our camping ground to graze. Trips to bathroom became a frightening task. Throughout the night I could hear grass being nibbled right next to my head through the flimsy tent and the jeers of hyenas which also graced us with their presence.

I awoke just in time for sunrise over the mountains, which was the perfect start to our last day in the Ngorongoro Crater. I expected the crater to be much more lush, but instead the crater is an expansive plain framed by blue-green mountains. Richard informed us that “Ngorongoro” refers to the sounds of cowbells used by the Massai when herding their cattle down the steep crater slopes, and sure enough I could hear the distant tinkling. Within the first hour we saw a couple of “honeymooning” lions, who we were told mate every 15 minutes for an entire week. Another tick off our list of things to see.  

The Crater is one of the few places the rare black rhino is found due to heavy poaching, with only 17 left in the Crater. Somehow, Richard managed to spot a tiny spec in the distance which we confirmed through binoculars as a precious rhino thus ticking off the last of the Big 5 J Along the way we saw warthog, ostrich, hippos and a haze of pink in the far distance – flamingos! My favourite part of the day was when we came across a young male lion lazing on the road, so very photogenic.

Experiencing animals without being separated by glass was so exhilarating, plus I learned more about conservation of the National Parks – definitely an experience I will cherish.