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Published: March 22nd 2017
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So, I finished off my previous post about our Kenyan overland safari with saying we crossed the border into Tanzania and set up camp in a snake park- Meserani snake park to be precise. It actually wasn't half as dramatic and scary as it sounded- the owners of this campsite rescue injured snakes and nurse them back to health, or save snakes, crocodiles and other amphibians from being killed, from zoos/hotels etc, and give them a home. Visions of trying to pitch a tent in among a load of snakes melted away, so all was good. The plan was to spend a night here, then go on to spend a couple of nights in the Serengeti, taking in the Ngorongoro crater and great rift valley along the way. We spent the evening visiting a local Masai village and chatting to locals, and having a few nightcaps in 'Ma's bar'. Fabulous!
Early starts, as anyone who has been on a safari holiday will know, are key to overland safaris in Africa. 4am starts are not unusual and as I have previously mentioned, a lot of time is spent on the road. So, bearing this in mind, another early start was had,
and we were bundled off to our first stop- the great rift valley, which harbors the cradle of humankind- the earliest human remains were found here and it is thought to be where we all originated from. Views from here were absolutely spectacular. After almost a day of driving through the most beautiful countryside, passing local markets and villages, we arrived at our next campsite. Now something I want to warn everyone about is although it is Africa and you are practically on the equator and although the days are scorching hot, around the Serengeti and Ngoronogoro crater, nights and early mornings are absolutely freezing beyond belief. We were warned about this and told specifically to bring warm clothing bur I didn't believe this at all, and found myself wearing everything I owned in a desperate attempt to warm up. A maxi dress with a t-shirt over the top and 2 pairs of leggings and socks on my hands wasn't exactly the attractive safari chic I had envisaged! Anyway, after spending a night absolutely freezing, an early start yet again took us up the side of the Ngorongoro crater.
The Ngorongroro crater has earned it's name from a Masai
term meaning 'The Gift of Life', and this world heritage site was formed about 3 million years ago following a volcanic explosion, which lead to the collapse of the sides of a volcano, leaving this colossal crater. This is now home to about 25,000 animals, and 'the big 5', among a large selection of other plant, animal, bird and reptile species can all be seen in there. The sides of the crater were steep and on the way up, we could the sounds of elephants rumbling through the thick dense foliage. Reaching the top, we found ourselves buried in freezing cold dark cloud only to descend into something which looked as if it has been plucked straight out of a wildlife documentary- so many animals spread out for miles and miles ahead! The Ngorongoro crater is, without a doubt, one of the most incredible things I have ever seen- the big 5 were conquered within about 2 hours, there were literally animals everywhere- we got to see a pride of lions chilling out in the morning sun, another pride of lions came out onto the road and made themselves comfortable against the wheels of the safari trucks, rhinos taking a
drink by one of the many lakes then taking charge against another rhino, herds of zebras, buffalo and wildebeest, baboons eating seeds from elephant poo, herds of and solo elephants trailing across the crater, flamingos, cheetah, leopards, blue bottomed monkeys, hyenas- I have never and have never since encountered such a concentration of animals in such a small space. Absolutely incredible!
A day spent driving around the crater enjoying the animals brought us out and to explore some of the mighty Serengeti, which is arguably one of the most exquisite game viewing sites on the plant! It's name is derived from a Masai phrase meaning 'Endless Plains', and this is perfectly apt for this incredible place. This stunning national park is home to hundreds of thousands of animals, and even the views of never ending savannah and grassy plains were simply breathtaking. We took a late afternoon sun set game drive through the Serengeti. We were treated to views of the stunning Serengeti landscape which was scattered with acacia trees decorated with weaver bird nests and more herds of zebra and wildebeest, as well giraffes feeding in the evening sun. Watching the sun set over the Serengeti was truly
one of the most magical things I have ever seen!
So, sleeping in the Serengeti- woing to it's remote location meant normal camping facilities werent available, so the lack of electricity afforded us a candlelit dinner and a very early night spent sitting in the tent with the door open looking out at the amazing star-scape in the night sky. There is no night sky in the world like that of the Serengeti, it is so incredible, words fail to do it justice. On closing up tent and preparing to sleep, our guide announced that there were hyenas in the campsite and we were not to leave the tents under any circumstance, so our night was spent hearing some poor creature being killed and devoured behind us, with a sheath of canvas separating us from whatever beasts were out hunting in the night. This has to go down as one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had! The following morning was another early and chilly start for a dawn game drive. Here we witnessed a pride of lions devour a Zebra only a few feet away from us, herds of elephants again strolling across the plains, more
impala, wildebeest and zebras than you could believe, multicoloured lizards, the tails of cheetals poking up through the long grass, and leopards lazing from the trees- utterly incredible- I felt like Mike Teevee in Willy wonka being transported into a television set- we were quite literally living in a wildlife documentary. And that was it, my soul was sold to Africa! A trip to a Masai village just outside the Serengeti where we watching jumping tribes men and visited a Masai school, completed a perfect day.
That evening we headed back to the snake park, more than satisfied at what we have experienced, and again, retired to Ma's bar for a few nightcaps that escalated into a drinking session of colossal proportions- not the greatest of ideas as we faced 2 very long days on the road travelling to Dar es Salam prior to our departure to Zanzibar. I will say one thing about overland Safaris- getting trashed is not the greatest of ideas as closing down camp with a hangover is not fun, nor is spending 14 hours on a truck on a bumpy road! After a long long ride, we set up camp in the dark and
crashed so early, ahead of another insane 14 hour drive to Dar. Finally in mid afternoon, we arrived into the motoring insanity that was Dar es Salam- the traffic there I understand is legendary, and I can see why! After 3 or 4 hours of sitting in traffic with locals banging on the window asking for food, money and drinks, we reached out beachfront destination. Stunning! The white-golden sands, turquoise sea, palm trees and setting sun said one thing.... pina colada! It was fun setting up camp that night!
And that drew and end to our Safari adventure in Tanzania- the following morning we made our way to the docks to board the ferry over to Zanzibar.....I can safely say that doing a safari is one of the best things I have done, and have since visited Kruger and Chobe national parks, and December will bring the Masai Mara and Bwindi/Virunga! Counting down the seconds!!!
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