*Safari sunrise in the Northern Serengeti*

Let's start from the beginning. I always dreamed of going on safari. When I was in high school there was a kid who was lucky enough to go on safari, I don't remember where but I remember the video they created, I watched it and told myself that someday that would be me.

In June 2021, when I knew I was finally going to be able to make my dream become reality, it had to be Tanzania, and it had to be during The Great Migration. The safari was booked for October 2021, and it was going to be a combination of four parks. We would start where it all began, Tarangire National Park, we would then move to Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area-more specifically the Ngorongoro Crater-and finally, Serengeti National Park in the northern part.

I flew into Kilimanjaro International Airport, and made my way to Rivertrees Country Inn, where I would spend the night before getting picked up by my guide the next morning. I was definitely feeling some jet lag but the eagerness to set off on my adventure took over. I was met at 8 am by my guide Bahati, and we made the few hours drive to Tarangire National Park. It was so amazing to finally be back in such a beautiful place, this time with three days to spend exploring. This park is incredible for elephant viewing, as it has a very large population. In addition to elephants, you can find four of Africa’s Big 5, rhinos are the only animal you won’t see. We were lucky enough to see all four here. The ecosystem in Tarangire encompasses woodlands, bushland, and open grassland making it the perfect habitat for all of the species that call it home.

*An elephant strolls through the marshland*

*Semi-permanent suite at* *Tarangire Ndovu*

At Tarangire you have the opportunity to add on a walking safari as well as night game drive, both of which I highly recommend. I stayed at the Tarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge, this lodge is superb; from the service and food, to the views, just an absolutely amazing mid-range accommodation. I will admit to first night jitters, there are no fences and sounds from some animals can carry for miles and it can feel as if they are at your doorstep. After I settled, I had some of the most peaceful sleeps. I spent four nights in Tarangire, which was the perfect length of time.

The next leg of the adventure took us to Lake Manyara National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. We spent one full day at each park, and I stayed at the Bougainvillea Safari Lodge. This lodge is permanent, also mid-range but definitely less luxury.

The first day was spent at Lake Manyara, one day was plenty. The park is primarily jungle and thick vegetation which makes viewing difficult as you are limited to whatever happens to be close to the paths. We also had a lot of difficulty accessing parts of the park as they were flooded over and we couldn’t risk getting stuck. We spent a good portion of the day with this young lion, and I also had the pleasure of learning more about Bahati, his family, and the dreams he had of becoming a pilot. The safari industry, much like the rest of the world was hit hard during Covid, and a lot of these guides depend on tourism to make their living; a lot of companies get away with treating their guides poorly. I recommend doing some research before you book with certain companies, not only for the treatment of employees but also making sure they are sustainable and eco-friendly.

The next stop was the Ngorongoro Crater, a self-sustaining ecosystem thought to have been created when the the cone of an active volcano collapsed inward. This is a must see on your safari list, I would probably spend two days to get the full experience. It does take some time getting in and out of the crater, and there are no lodges at the base. One species you won’t find here is the giraffe, but you do have the ability to see the Big 5. My first rhino encounter was here, they were very far away but it was still a success, and another item crossed off my safari bingo board. There is such a dense population of animals here, which makes viewing incredible. Although some species might require more patience and a sharp eye to be spotted.

This is where my journey with Bahati ended, as I continued onward. We parted ways at the Lake Manyara Airstrip, where I would take a bush plane to the Kogatende Airstrip in the Northern Serengeti.

Side Note: Bahati is an incredible guide, he guides for Asilia Africa. This trip was booked through Go2Africa, I had booked a private jeep for the first half of the trip and Asilia was who the jeep was contracted through. I will get into my preferences and recommendations for booking trips in another post.

*A herd of wildebeest upwards of 10,000 cross the croc infested Mara River*

Upon arrival into Kogatende, I was greeted by my new guide Mohamed “Moodie” and we quickly ate lunch, and headed off into the bush hoping to catch my first river crossing. I arrived towards the end of the season, there were fewer crossings as most of the wildebeest had already started their journey south. I was lucky enough to see four crossing throughout the few days I spent up north. These crossings are without a doubt the most suspenseful and emotional thing I have witnessed. You find yourself on the edge of your seat as these animals make the leap into the treacherous Mara River, filled with hungry crocs and unforeseen obstacles below the surface. I cried seeing the young wildebeest and zebras struggling to make it across unscathed, but those tears turned to joy once reunited with their mothers. Others weren't so lucky. Depending on the time of year, I recommend being on whatever side of the river you will have the wildebeest coming towards you, viewing is incredible either way but it makes for better photos. I say this because, one side of the river is Tanzania and the other you reach Kenya, when the water is so high you do not have the ability to cross in your vehicle. Usually the summer months the wildebeest are heading north to the Maasai Mara in Kenya, and September-November they are making their way back down into the Serengeti in Tanzania.

With my goals of finding the Big 5 and experiencing a crossing achieved, the new goal was to see two of the more elusive Big 5 members up close. Those being black rhinos and leopards; and boy did we succeed. I have learned that patience is your friend on trips like this. While most of these animals are used to vehicles, some are more skittish and respond better when it is quiet and peaceful.

*Momma and her two cubs, also taken by Moodie-you can find his page linked in the above wildebeest photo*

This specific occasion, it was a female leopard who Moodie knew had two cubs close by. She was out by herself and decided to have a rest in the shade, we waited with her for close to four hours just watching her, knowing she would eventually move and take us to her babies. Jeeps would come and go, but we stayed, and in the lull while we were the only vehicle around she finally decided it was time to reunite with her cubs. Sure enough, she took us directly to them.

The last item on my list was the critically endangered black rhino, I knew seeing them up close was going to be a tall task. It was my last day and we set out as the sun was starting to creep onto the horizon, we were going to a lush wooded area where Moodie had seen them in the past. They like to keep to the shade, during the hot sunny days. We had been searching for the better part of the morning, my hope starting to fade. Just like that, we were coming around a bend, wooded area to my right, open plains to my left, the search was primarily focused on the wooded area as that’s where we expected them to be. I looked to my left and saw three large blobs in the plain, assuming they were probably just buffalo and not getting my hopes up I asked Moodie if he could look into the binoculars and see what it was. Sure enough it was three adult rhinos and a baby, I was elated! Once again, no other jeeps in sight, we had our peaceful moment with these incredible creatures. The early morning sun hitting beautifully. We had done it!

I could not have imagined a more incredible first safari, from the accommodations to the guides, everything was immaculate. I am also incredibly grateful for Moodie, he is such an amazing photographer and was able to capture shots for me that I did not have the ability to do with my equipment.

Support Rhino Conservation: The encounter with these rhino, while magical had an unfortunate twist. The baby pictured was missing its mother, it was with three adult males. The camp I stayed in, Kaskaz Mara Camp is part of a rhino project who alerted rangers to this orphaned calf. The rangers were able to track down the calf and the adult it is pictured with on the left and observe until they were able to make the determination it was indeed orphaned, and thus move it to a sanctuary where it would be raised and rehabilitated to return to the wild.

My Safari Dream

Nasikia Camps