…our first game drive!

Game drive, what does that mean? In simple words: you go on a discovery tour through a national park in a jeep together with your guide, who is at the same time your driver. A grandiose experience! There were only the two of us on safari and together with our guide we were three in the car. Therefore, we had enough space for our belongings and a clear view outside. Regardless of the type of activity, i.e. both trekking in Kilimanjaro National Park and safaris, you must register in the national park before entering it. You don’t have to take any special documents with you, your driver has all the necessary information and registers you. Hence, a few minutes after arrival at the entrance of Lake Manyara National Park we could drive into the park with our jeep.

Right at the beginning a multitude of baboons lined the road. The partly pert animals are widespread in Tanzania and an integral part of every national park. There are almost no roads in the national parks, but rather trails. However, these are usually in good condition and can easily be driven on by four-wheel drive cars. After a short time, the forest, at first quite dense, begins to clear. On the increasingly open areas we could watch different animals such as impalas, helmet-guinea fowls, different antelope species and giraffes. A little later the trees disappear almost completely and open the view to the lake, Lake Manyara. For bird lovers, this view frequently presents a true spectacle. Thousands of flamingos, ibises and pelicans are regularly found on the shores of the lake. We were lucky and could, thanks to Michael’s binoculars, also observe a hippopotamus grazing from a distance. In any case we would recommend taking binoculars for a safari.

Later we reached the picnic area on a hill. From there we had a great view into the country and over the whole national park. Although Lake Manyara National Park is one of the smaller parks, it is home to an enormous variety of animal and plant species. Meanwhile it had become later afternoon. Like all national parks, Lake Manyara National Park closes at 6 pm for visitors. So we slowly made our way back to the park entrance, especially as we still had more than 10 km to go. Depending on the quality of the trails, the ride may take a little longer, especially during the rainy season. We also allowed for a bit more time in case some animals would cross our path. And that was a good thing to do.

Elephants!

About 15 minutes before reaching the park exit, we saw a small herd of elephants crossing a bridge in the mostly dry riverbed. Whoa! This was the first time we saw these pachyderms in the wild at close range. The joy on our part was correspondingly great. The elephants, however, seemed little impressed and followed their usual rhythm. We thus had the chance to observe these impressive animals calmly from the jeep. Only about five minutes later we stopped again. Elephants again! This time there were two that were measuring their powers. The experience and amazement of being able to see this from just a few meters away was simply great. Altogether wild animals can be observed quite well, if one gets to see them. However, it is important not to leave the vehicle, as most of them will shy away otherwise.

We felt the first day of our safari was a complete success and were thus returning to our campsite in the early evening already looking forward to the next days!

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Once arrived at the entrance to the Conservation Area, our driver registered us. The procedure is similar to any national park. A short time later we continued the journey. Dense fog hung between the trees of the highlands, so that the visibility was sometimes reduced to only a few meters. The temperature was about 15 degrees, which we found to be a pleasant change. After about half an hour the sky cleared up. We left the highlands and reached the foothills of the Serengeti.

Serengeti, here we come!

Serengeti means endless expanses and nature and wildlife as far as the eye can see. After less than an hour we reached the entrance of the Serengeti National Park. Now, at the latest, we became aware of the dimensions of the national park, which covers only part of the entire Serengeti area. Since the beginning of the 1980s it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and covers an area of more than 14,000 square kilometers. This is about 17 times the size of the federal state of Berlin. Since the entrance to the Serengeti National Park was no more than a chic archway, after a quick photo we continued our drive through the meanwhile blazing midday sun. Along the way we saw different animal species, especially gazelles, giraffes as well as zebras and wildebeests. Only a few minutes later we finally reached the place where the usual registration took place. A good time for a lunch break.

Shortly after we started our game drive through the Serengeti National Park. The safari cars all have the very pleasant feature that you can open roof and look outside standing in the car. That’s what we did, driving slow-paced with the warm Serengeti wind blowing around our ears. During that drive we got to see predators for the first time. Hyenas are widespread in Tanzania, although quite shy. Nevertheless, we saw them every now and then during our journey. We also discovered a lion pride that had decided to rest on a big rock. We felt reminded of Disney’s Lion King and shared the joy with other safari cars that had also stopped.

An impressive ride despite the rainy season

Since we were on safari during the rainy season, there were only few tourists and we often had the chance for undisturbed wildlife watching. That was great! During the high season of July, August and December the number of tourists usually rises considerably. This can sometimes disturb the idea of adventure and the experience of watching wild animals. Although it is more likely to rain during low season, we would recommend you consider traveling during the months of April, May and November. Beside a few refreshing raindrops we had impressive views on thunderstorms that crossed the country in the distance. Moreover, the Serengeti, like the other national parks, is greener than during the dry season, which gives the country more charm and variety.

We continued our game drive through the national park for a few hours. We saw countless animals, once more elephants and even one of the rather shy cheetahs. Early in the evening we arrived at our accommodation for the night, the Serengeti Thorn Tree Camp, which is a tented lodge. It is located in the middle of the central Serengeti, on a small hill. Accordingly, we had great views of the Serengeti. Tented lodges are a combination of a campsite and a lodge. The tents you sleep in are more like a bungalow than classic tents. They are equipped with their own bathroom and beds, as can be found in lodges. Only their outward appearance points to a tent.

For us the evening and the night at Thorn Tree Camp were in any case a special experience. Close to the main tent, where you have dinner, there is a small fireplace, which invites you to linger at sunset. Since the whole area is not fenced, one has good chances to see animals day and night. Thus we frequently heard lions and hyenas also during the night. However, there is no reason to worry – the tents are stable and after sunset you only move outside the tents with a companion from the camp.

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Already at half past five and after a short breakfast a driver picked us up. We had decided to do the tour with Serengeti Balloon Safaris. Together with two ladies, who had already been picked up from their accommodation, we set off for the nightly trip to the starting point of the balloon flight. During the drive we saw numerous animals and even a group of hippos crossing the road. Half an hour later, at the same time as the first rays of sunrise, we finally reached the landing site of the hot-air balloon. From there our flight over the Serengeti should start in less than an hour. Our pilot and the team were already busy setting up the balloon. We used the time to capture the impressive moments and the approaching sunrise over the Serengeti with our cameras.

It was now shortly after half past six when our pilot gave us last instructions for the flight. And then it happened:

Balloon flight over the Serengeti!

Which, in fact, started in horizontal position as the hot air balloon is only raised directly to the start. Shortly afterwards, the amazement began, and lasted pretty much for the entire flight. We flew for some time only about one meter above the ground. This low altitude flight allowed us to see the countless impalas at close range. From the following changing altitude we could marvel not only at the sun rising higher and higher, but also at giraffes, elephants and countless other animals. We shared this incomparable experience with only a few other passengers. During the high season, up to 16 participants can be accommodated in the gondola of a large balloon, while smaller gondolas can accommodate up to 12 people.

After a good hour flight over the Serengeti, which can last shorter or longer depending on the weather, we finally landed. After landing, our pilot told us about the tradition of a glass of champagne after each balloon flight and we enjoyed a bit of the sparkling liquid. Finally, we set off for a breakfast together. In the midst of the Serengeti, a richly laid table awaited us, which put a great end to this extremely impressive event.

Around ten o’clock in the morning we were finally back at Thorn Tree Camp, where we had spent the previous night. Together with our guide Michael we went on a last short game drive through the Serengeti before we left the national park. On our way back to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Ngorongoro Crater we saw again enormous herds of wildebeest and zebras. After about two hours we reached the entrance of the Ngorongoro National Park. The entrance is located at the crater rim, from where you have a fabulous view into the crater.

Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest inactive volcanic crater in the world with an intact ecosystem. The Ngorongoro Crater was created by the collapse of a former volcanic mountain. The crater has a massive bottom of about 264 square kilometers with a depth of over 600 meters. It’s about three times the size of Paris. The descent into the crater was quite fast, so we had enough time to explore the crater. We had already seen some animals in the two previous national parks Lake Manyara and Serengeti. The large number of animals in the crater (up to 25,000 larger mammals) was nevertheless impressive. We also saw from a distance one of the rare rhinoceroses. The enormous and partly cloudy rock walls surrounding the crater give this national park a very special character.

Towards the end of the afternoon game drive we drove towards the crater wall to leave the national park. Once more, we could admire the impressive elephants of the park. Shortly before 6 pm we finally reached the exit of the Ngorongoro Crater National Park. The night we spent at Karatu Simba Lodge. The lodge is located in Karatu, near the small village of Mto Wa Mbu, in the middle of plantations and offers a beautiful view over the landscape.

Last but not least – Tarangire National Park

For the last day of our safari we had planned a game drive through Tarangire National Park. Like the days before we started quite early. After about an hour drive, we reached the park. The Tarangire National Park is one of Tanzania’s most famous national parks and is known for its diverse flora and fauna. It is also home to one of the largest elephant populations in the country. Accordingly, we also had the chance to see the pachyderms up close. In addition, we could watch lions and numerous other wild animals one last time. We were impressed by the numerous termite buildings, some of them meters high. These line the entire park, as well as the Baobab trees, some of which are centuries old. Baobab trees, also called monkey bread trees, are widespread in Africa and impress by their often meter-thick trunks as well as partly bizarre shape. Especially during the dry season their bark serves elephants as a source of water, which is why lower parts of tree trunks often have huge scratches.

In the afternoon we finally left Tarangire National Park and thus ended our safari through the national parks Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire. These are four great national parks that differ considerably, despite having a similar flora and fauna. Lake Manyara National Park, for example, impresses with its large lake and countless bird species. The Seregenti, on the other hand, is much drier and less densely overgrown. The Ngorongoro Crater captivates by its cloudy crater wall as well as an enormous number of animals on only a few square kilometers. The Tarangire National Park is home to one of the largest populations of animals and, thanks to its size, offers extensive and varied excursions.

Since the animal species are similar in all national parks, we strongly recommend enjoying the game drives and not stressing if you have not seen a particular animal in a park. The following day will again give the chance to do so. Like that, we had a great time on safari!

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