Ahhh the Bucket List Item – the safari. The dream of seeing animals in the wild, sunrises over land barely interrupted by humans, cultures so foreign from your own it is hard to wrap your head around.
We saved our pennies and our time off to make this “trip of a lifetime” possible. It was worth it.
WHY and WHERE
Besides just being cool as heck, a safari is a great way to teach your kids about the environment, animal conservation, cultures and the circle of life. WiFi is hard to come by, even if they say it is available, so your kiddos - and you - will have little choice but to put down those devices and experience the real world. . . a world far different than your own.
The first step on our journey was deciding where to go in the giant continent of Africa. Man, it’s big. Part is in the southern hemisphere, so seasons are opposite of U.S. We decided to go over our Christmas break to increase our options of location. We chose Tanzania because it has a stable government, it has not been in the news for terrorist attacks or tourist deaths (yes, I check that), it’s committed to animal conservation and its close to the Equator – so the weather is stable year round.
WHAT to KNOW
Once there, we learned there were other positives as well. English is prevalent in tourist areas – and is actually taught as a second language in middle
schools. Swahili is the first language – and we already knew how to say Hakuna Matata! It is a real thing they say – in our case when they were trying to reassure us disaster was not looming. Also, the people are very very friendly. They go out of their way to make kids feel welcome. The camp staff were engaging and tried to accommodate special needs and requests. Third, they take - and prefer – American dollars. So a little math goes a long way. The food was not weird and there was plenty of it.
There were a few “buts.” The Visas are expensive and extremely inconvenient to obtain. Visas are available at the Tanzanian consulate before you go . . . paid in cash. . . for a premium . . . if you don’t want to leave your passport with a foreign government for a few days. They are also available at the airport upon arrival. It was a mad house, with no clear direction or pens. Not a good scene for a mob of tired, hungry, hot travelers. The next surprise was the availability to get cash. Travel sites say that credit cards are widely accepted (not true) and that ATM’s are available (not reliably). But, they are not at all available in the camps where tips and drinks are expected to be paid in cash. And, the few ATMs we did find, of course dispense shillings – not what the locals want. I suggest you pay for what you can on the front end, and take enough American dollars to last your trip. Last, there are some stops along the road with the “government” checking for proper documentation. We traveled with a local tour guide, who did all of the negotiating. Buckle up, sit quietly in the back and let a local do the talking.
ON TO SAFARI
There are many parks in Tanzania dedicated to photograph safari. Game hunting is not allowed in most parks. You could spend weeks going park to park. We found 8 days, 5 parks was plenty of animal watching. After 7 days, we had seen the big 5 multiple times, were tired of being in the bush, in a jeep and seated most of the time. For the game drives, you must stay in the vehicle to be safe. So there is a lot of riding involved. In the camps, you can walk around the designated camping strip in the day time, but must stay in the tents after dark. Oddly enough, we were starved for exercise after 7 days. But, because of the limited physical activity – it is possible for people with limited abilities (young and old) to participate as long as you can sit for long periods of time – it is a bumpy ride.
We visited five parks. Each was very distinct.
Arusha National Park – Closest to the Kilimanjaro airport was wooded and mountainous. This park focuses on monkeys, giraffe, zebra and breathtaking views. Our favorite part was a canoe ride in the lake where hippo reside. It was a nice bit of activity after a long trip.
Sinya Conservancy – This park and camp (Kambi ya Tembo) were on the Kenyan border. It provides beautiful views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and is far off the beaten path – so you feel alone and one with nature. In hindsight, there were not very many animals and it took a full two days travel to get there and back. It may be a good stop if you are otherwise visiting Mount Kilimanjaro, but for a shorter trip, this may be one you could skip.
Tarangire National Park – Elephants, elephants, elephants. This park boasts the most baby elephants around. And it is truly spectacular to see all of the elephant families. Finally, all those nature shows make sense. It is a large park with a nice variety of landscape and animals. In addition to elephants, lions and leopards were spotted (see what I did there), baby wart hogs made an appearance, flocks of ostrich roamed freely. It was mind blowing. We stayed in the park at the Tarangire Ndovu Camp. At night, safely zipped inside our tents, we heard and saw the wildlife on our front porch. The star watching was unparalleled. The boa outside our camp was not.
Ngorogoro crater - the next stop was the bottom of a crater. First was the drive up the mountain then the beautiful decent into the base teeming with wildlife. The crater was formed when the volcano that was once larger than Mt Kili erupted, hurling boulders as far as the Cental Serengeti. Herds of wildebeest block the roads, a few elephant families dotted the horizon, rhinos can be seen in the distance and baboon mothers preen their offspring next the road. The pick nick area is adjacent to the hippo pond. Hippos pop their heads out of the water like a game of gofer bop. Our most memorable experience in Ngoragora Crater, however, was being at the right spot at the right time for a lioness and two lions to come strolling over to the jeep. They wrestled, they snuggled, they romped – they drank from the ditch on the side of our road right next to our vehicle. It was Nala and Simba before our very eyes. Having checked off the big 4 of the 5, we could have stopped there. But, there was more to come.
BUT FIRST – The Plantation Lodge is a lovely oasis in the middle of an otherwise dusty “glamping trip.” With real bars, restaurant and swimming pools, it gives travelers a chance to catch their breath and clean their laundry. We only stayed on short night. We wish we had stayed two. Also, there are two options to get from Ngorogoro to Central Serengeti. Drive, which we had done a lot of, or fly. We chose to fly. The airport and plane are tiny, but extremely friendly. There is a Tanzenite store next to the airport which is reliable and reasonably priced. If time allows, they have tours showing how the tanzanite is mined. The short flight to the Serengeti allows for a great overview of the changing landscape – and is one of the most exhilarating take offs you will ever have. If you don’t mind a spoiler alert, see our YouTube video.
Central Serengei – aptly named, these endless plains go on and on and on. From the airport to our camp was about a two hour jeep ride. Bumpy and dusty, the theme of the trip was “are we there yet?” The camp was the nicest of all we had visited. Warm showers and wooden floors truly gave the tents a real glamping feel. But, we learned that even though the tents may keep the big wild animals out, the little ones come right on in if you have a snack hidden in your bag.
At first glance the landscape seemed vast and well, boring. We drove for miles without seeing anything except one lioness. But, for the second day, our guide knew just where to go to see the big cats. We were amazed that Pride Rock of the Lion King was a thing. A real thing. About 14 lionesses and cubs were hanging out enjoying the day on giant boulders. A King and his brother lounged under shrub and sniffed at the breeze. A cheetah taught her four cubs how to hunt. A leopard strolled through the tall grass, climbed a tree, then seemed to disappear into thin air. Even though there can be miles or hours between encounters, when they do happen, they are magical.
We splurged on the sunrise balloon rise. It was worth every penny. Book early – there is limited space. To make the launch, we left the camp about 4:00 a.m. The ride doubled as a night game drive (the only way to see the night animals in Serengeti). Hippos out of water, porcupine, bush babies were just a few of the animals spotted by our headlights. At the balloon launch site, the balloons are inflated as guests arrive. As the sun peeps over the horizon, the balloons softly float up and along the terrain. It truly is the best way to see the vastness of the park and the action between the roads. After landing, the guests are treated to a champagne toast and a proper English breakfast in The Bush. It was delightful until the local moneys found the secret spot ( probably why it moves each day).
Three days in the Serengeti was more than adequate for a trip with children. Other than the game drives, which involve sitting in the Jeep, there is not a lot of other things to actual activity. By day 3, we all knew the roads and landscape, had seen the big five, and had plenty of time to wait for quality encounters instead of chasing herds. Never did I think I would say “elephant in the wild – no, we’ve seen that. What else is there to do?” Keep it short. Leave wanting more.
We capped off our safari with a jaunt to Zanzibar. It was a great to relax, have some free time and really get to know local culture. I will save the details of that stay for another day.