Serengeti

The plain of Serengeti has been a myth to me since childhood. I loved watching these wild and dangerous animals on TV. Now it was my turn to explore it live!

Having spent two weeks in Tanzania at this point we were well adjusted and used to being here, but nevertheless – it’s a special feeling passing the Naabi Hill gate and entering the park.

By leaving our Ngorongoro lodge on the rim in the morning and visiting the Olduvai site on the way it was already noon when we entered the park, but as we were staying for three nights there would be enough time to explore this enormous plain.

The first experience meeting us in this eastern part of the part was all the kopjes (the rock formations) scattered around with its special vegetation, as taken straight out of Disney’s The Lion King movie. While driving to the park we had animal encounters all morning, but around these kopjes we didn’t have any luck, to our and our guide’s disappointment. But soon after we had our first male lion within sight – resting on a tree branch. We were told that tree climbing lions were rare, but in fact we saw many of them. Shortly after we found a leopard resting the same way, which is more common. Five hours later and several animal encounters we arrived in Mawe Tented Camp for the night. It is a camp without much extravaganza, but still very nice. …

The buffalo were nervous. Their ears twitched as they shifted uncomfortably. Visibly reaching a collective decision, they turned and started to walk away from our vantage point. It was at that point the first lioness appeared, padding purposefully through the long grass. First one, then another, then two more lionesses joined her. The buffalo started to run. So did the lions. The buffalo stampeded. Their galloping hooves threw up clouds of dust. And the lions were right on their tail. The herd turned as one to the right… except for one. One buffalo turned left. We have watched more than our fair share of David Attenborough documentaries. We knew what that meant. A lioness sprang onto the back of this lone buffalo, sinking claws and teeth into his black hide. That checked his run long enough for a second to leap aboard. He fought, bellowing and bucking. But the game was over for him. If he dislodged one lion another would take its place, using their superior numbers to tag-team him. One ran in from behind to nip at his hamstrings. One approached from the front and sank her jaws into his muzzle. Starved of breath he quietened. His bellows softened to snorts and then to gasping moans. He fell to his knees. Then, as one, the lionesses relaxed their grip and stepped back. It was over.

Before we arrived in Africa we had asked ourselves how we would react to seeing a hunt in progress. We had both …

We visited Serengeti National Park for three days at the end of September and it did not disappoint.

Since we were based in Moshi after our Kilimanjaro climb, we first had to make a long drive to the park passing Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro crater (which we visted afterwards). 

Once in Serengeti, you will encounter countless animals (giraffes, zebras, gazelles, monkeys, elephants, the bizarre hyrax, ...). Over three days, we also spotted a dozen of lions – most of them resting under a tree in small groups but also one hunting a gazelle. Little anecdote in this respect: three meters away from a couple of resting lions, our jeep found it a good idea to stop working but another nearby jeep was radioed and was able to give us a push which helped us start again.

We were also lucky to see a number of cheetahs (be it from a distance), a lazy leopard in a ‘sausage tree’ and what looked like a miniature version of the wildebeest migration (an endless stream of wildebeests and zebras crossing the road but only in a single line). Another – be it smelly – highlight is the hippo pool.

Although most people visit Serengeti for the wildlife, the surroundings are also beautiful and worthwile to spend a couple of days, so in our opinion Serengeti is one of the top WHS!

In terms of accomodation, there are various options: lodges, moving camps (to follow the wildebeest migration), …

At 8 a.m. we leave for the day-long safari through the Serengeti. Our lodge, the Ndutu Lodge, lies outside the boundaries of the park and therefore we must first take a ride on the plains until we reach the Naabi Hill Gate. Underway, we already see plenty of animals, especially a lot of gazelles and the first hyena.

The Serengeti seems a big dry plain but there still are some small pools of water. In one of them, about twenty hippos are submerged. They look like a group of stones as they have their heads underwater. Only very occasionally they show their nostrils above the waterline.

The first real predators that we see are the Cheetahs. First four at some distance, and then another two fairly close. They were sitting under a tree but when they see the jeep they walk away slowly.

The park also has many different kinds of deer and antelope. In addition to the ubiquitous gazelles, we see impalas, hartebeests and Bohor bucks. They all stand around in small groups along the sandy road that we must follow with our jeeps. If a jeep stops, they look up and pull back a bit, but they are not really skittish.

Then the time has come for the search for lions. Search is a relative concept here because the jeep drivers have a radio on board to keep each other informed. Also, oncoming jeeps are often asked for information. A group of four lions …

Recently visited Seregheti NP too on our honeymoon in early July (see Ngorongoro Crater NP). Weather was amazing. Mid-eighties and no humidity. Being the dry season the tsetse flies and mosquitos were not a problem. Had timed our trip for the Wildebeast migration. The beginning of our Safari with Thomson tours (without the "p", which I highly recommend) started at Tarangire NP where the migrating herds had left the week prior to our arrival. However we caught up with the herds in the western corridor of the Serengeti NP. Amazing! A vast expanse of grassland inhabited by millions of animals as far as the eye can see. And best of all, not one radio-tower with flashing red lights to spoil the view in the distance. Coming into the park via the Naabi Hill gate and traversing the endless flat plain is truely a sight to behold. You realize what a small speck you are on this earth. I would recommend visiting early/mid-June to avoid possibly missing the herds in Tanzania (they migrate to Kenya). The Kirawira Luxury camp is exquisite. The people of Tanzania are extremely friendly to foreigners and the use of English is spreading rapidly, thus making travel more comfortable for us westerners. I highly recommend seeing this eden.