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Published: December 29th 2023
We were picked up at 7:30 am to make the 3-hour drive to Tarangire National Park, our first safari of the trip! Abdul was our guide and driver, who had 20 years of experience (his favorite safari is the Serengeti, fyi). It was just the three of us, with a full safari land cruiser and surprisingly comfortable seats. There were some drinks in a cooler in the back, and the hotel had made each of us a small packed lunch, which was nice to snack on since we had a quick basic breakfast. This lunch turned out to be the second best of the three, and I absolutely loved the gingham bags they were put in.
We made our way from one side of Arusha to the other, which took about an hour as it appeared we were there right during rush hour. It was interesting to see the fairly large city, the largest in the area. The main road was in generally good condition, but very congested, so Abdul took us along some side roads to avoid the worst of the traffic. We continued driving through the countryside, with clear views of Mt Meru. After a while, we started
to encounter more and more of the Masai. They generally live in humble homes for about 5 years before moving on and we saw many of them herding cattle and goats.
Tarangire National Park We arrived right around 10am at the park entrance where we had a short bathroom break as Abdul got our entrance tickets. There were about 10 other safari cars at the entrance, and even what seemed like a few personal vehicles. We put up the top of our truck so we could stand and look out while driving. The first ten minutes or so were very routine as we drove through much of what seemed like a small village area and soon we started to encounter impala and quite a few warthogs in the distance. We saw a huge barren tree where giant vultures were hanging out. Soon, we finally saw a giraffe (then three total), one of the main targets of our adventure as that was A's mother's favorite animal so it was a great start!
We continued on and came upon a bunch of baboons in the trees, including a couple of babies. Pretty cool, but I'm not a huge fan
of baboons or monkeys in general. So, we kept going and just the landscape was absolutely incredible - you really cannot capture it in photos or even videos. It was so vast, green and peaceful. Of course, due to the rain, the roads were a bit muddy so we turned around a couple of times, but Abdul was on top of it.
Soon, we joined a few other trucks and quickly saw what had captured their interest: a lioness! She was sitting off to the side of the road just looking off in the distance. But wait- there were a couple of more behind a huge shrub on the other side of the road! The first lioness made her way to rest under a huge tree and shortly after, the remaining lionesses crossed the road to eventually join her. It appeared to us as though they were starting a hunt, but were not in a huge hurry either. In all, there were about 7 or 8 of these huge, beautiful animals! All females and just so graceful and powerful. Amazing.
A little further on, we encountered about 5-6 elephants in the distance, including a baby and youngster, who
were cooling off in the mud. They were a bit far, but it was so nice to see them! In the same area, were impala, including a couple males who were fighting, so that was interesting. We also had noted some ostriches and a waterbuck, as well as red-billed hornbill (Zazu from the Lion King).
We then took a short lunch break at a picnic area, where Abdul warned us about the monkeys who liked to steal things (see my aversion to monkeys). He kept trying to scare them off while we ate and soon we were done, but saw one of the little buggers grab something from a tourist and scramble up a tree. The picnic area had great views across the small river that cuts through the park, so that was pretty nice.
Pretty much immediately after, we joined another car that had left early like us, and came upon a bigger herd of elephants, this time about 10 to 12, who were making their way across the road directly in front of us! We got so close to them, with Abdul just shutting off the engine to let them do as they needed. With just
the two of the cars, it was so much more peaceful and incredible. After they crossed, he let us drift downhill a bit without restarting, and we saw them join even more elephants! There were dozens on the plain just below the road and I was just awestruck. I had never, ever seen so many elephants in one place. Abdul was right when he told us this park was known as the Elephants' Paradise, having over 5,000 elephants. Truly an amazing experience.
We continued driving, going across the river and we could see the same elephants from the distance, some remaining in place, some crossing the river. Just so fun. We soon turned around and went back the way we came. Where we had seen the first group of elephants before lunch, we now saw, on the other side of the road, the same pride of lionesses. This time they were a few hundred meters in front of another group of about 8-10 elephants. It was so cool to see the juxtaposition between these two iconic animals. We stayed for about 10 minutes to soak it all in. Then we were on our way back to end the first
day of our amazing luxury safari!
Escarpment Luxury Lodge After our amazing safari, we made our way to our hotel for the night. It was about a 90 minute drive and we were a bit tired, but it was nice to see a couple of elephants on the side of the road along the way. The hotel was amazing. Honestly. I see some reviews that are a bit negative, but maybe some expectations are too high - I loved it! We checked in and got a delicious glass of cold hibiscus ginger tea before being taken to our little chalet, which was about a 5 minute walk. We were told not to walk on our own after dark due to the potentially harmful wildlife. Yikes and yay! Our room was fantastic! Two king sized beds, one for each of us, with mosquito nets and they were quite comfortable. There was a huge bathtub and bathroom, also indoor and outdoor showers. But the big draw was the balcony view over Lake Manyara and the escarpment. Awesome. I also loved that each chalet was just completely private, though it seemed like only a few people were there anyway.
We
decided to take a quick shower then went for a swim. Having changed out my suitcases in a bit of a rush that morning, I forgot my swimsuit. But I made do. Because the pool was AMAZING! And we had it to ourselves. It was located on the escarpment and just clear, unimpeded views over the Lake and escarpment. We swam around and hung out for a bit before going back to our room to change.
Then we went to the lodge for a sunset bottle of wine to share - so beautiful. I thought the Masai were going to do something but I guess with just us and one couple sitting next to us, there was no real need. I felt a little bad, but I have experienced it before. We had a bit of popcorn with our wine and soon it was time for dinner. It was a set menu with choices for the main course and dessert. First was a bowl of pumpkin soup and bread with toppings. We were unsure what the 'salad bar' was as we did not have a choice. It turns out it was all 7 types of salad on one plate,
slightly separated from left to right. It was divine. By then, however, I was getting full. When my mushroom pasta came out I did not think I could continue. I wound up only eating half. The chef came out during our meal to see if we were happy - we were soooo happy, but I was sooooo full! A absolutely loved her vegan green curry, her favorite meal of the trip. We did not even bother to see what was for dessert before getting an escort back to our chalet. Then it was time to call it a night and get rested for the next day's adventure!
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Glamping is the best
There is nothing better than safari. The animals are magnificent. Coming back to the luxury of a lodge like this is always a treat.