Day 141: The Serengeti – Day 1
We were super excited for today’s game drive – our first day in the Serengeti National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the largest animal migration in the world, the Great Migration of 1.7million wildebeest. Since we entered the park from the south, we would not be on the lookout for the wildebeest until tomorrow, when we planned to reach the Mara River on the northern border of the park. Today, we just drove around and admired the amazing animal diversity and density, as well as the breathtaking landscapes of the immense grassland “ocean”.
Multi-jam toast and a strong cup of coffee to start the day
Stopping for fuel on our way into the Serengeti, Igor is surprised to see an old-fashioned analog gas pump! It takes a while for the pump to fill up both gas tanks, but once we are full we are set for the next four days of game drives
On our way to the Serengeti, we pass through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area – while we won’t be going down into the crater for another three days, Joseph still had to pay the entry fee for us to pass through. The crater is known for an incredible density of wildlife, but even driving along the rim we spotted a huge Cape Buffalo
View into the Ngorongoro Crater – one of the most perfect volcanic calderas in the world. Because the crater is almost 6,000ft above sea level it is surprisingly chilly at the rim, with huge fog clouds pouring over the sides of the wall. We had to pull on our winter coats in order to take pictures!
After about an hour drive through Maasai farmland, where we spotted a pair of giraffes passing through in the distance, we made it to the Serengeti entrance just in time for lunch. (We started requesting vegetarian in an attempt to reduce the size of our lunch boxes by cutting out the chicken drumsticks – the reduction was barely noticeable) Afterwards, Joseph sent us off to go play – I mean, climb the hill behind the main park office, while he dealt with the ridiculously confusing park fees. (THANK YOU, Joseph!)
View from the Naabi Hill – an “island” in the grassland “ocean” that makes up the Serengeti
The vast plains of the Serengeti – home to many Thompson’s Gazelle
More antelope of the Serengeti: a Hartebeest, a herd of Topi, and a Grant’s Gazelle
Large birds of the Serengeti – a Secretary Bird, hunting for snakes & lizards, and a Kori Bustard, the largest flying bird in Africa
The picnic area was teeming with opportunistic Suberb Starlings, trying to scavenge crumbs and scraps from our lunches. Once again, fellow tourists ignored the “don’t feed the animals” sign, and Joseph told them off!
A huge pink & purple Agama Lizard, chillin’ on the rocks
Hungry lions, searching for prey in the Serengeti
Elephants crossing the vast grassland on their way to the waterhole
Where there’s water, there are hippos!
Mama hippo jumps into the water and baby follows with a big SPLASH
Naptime for baby hippo and a protective mama
At long last, we finally spot the final animal of our African Big 5 – the elusive leopard! This guy is so well camouflaged on the tree branch, a giraffe walked right past him without noticing the large predator! Once he started munching on the leaves, he noticed the danger and quickly moved on. Luckily for him, the leopard didn’t seem interested in taking down a full-grown male giraffe.
Our beautiful (if somewhat lazy) Tanzanian Leopard!
Late in the afternoon in the Serengeti, we head north towards camp – stunning landscape the whole drive
Final animal encounters of the day – a (wild!) Spotted Hyena crossing the road, and a family of Egyptian Geese
Our game drive lasted all day. We reached our tented campsite just after sunset, where we were blown away by the hospitality we received in the middle of the wilderness! While Kadizora, the luxury camp in the Okavango Delta, was insanely impressive, it was a permanent camp with its own solar panel farm. The Serengeti Wilderness Camp, on the other hand, is a seasonal lodge that is broken down every 3-6 months in order to allow the environment time to recuperate. Not only was it incredibly low-impact and eco-friendly, the food, wine and service was top-notch!
After dinner, we were escorted to our tent by a bow & arrow wielding camp guard, as wild animals could be lurking in the tall grasses. Our escort assured us that once we were in the closed tent, however, the animals would no longer consider us prey and we would be completely safe. Igor made sure to leave the door and window panels of our tent completely open so that the only thing separating us from the lions & hyenas was a zipped-up screen. As we went to bed, Lindsay could hear hyenas calling in the distance, so she popped in some earplugs to calm her nerves.
We make it to camp just after sunset, with only 15min before dinnertime! Since we were covered in dust, we raced to our tent to take a quick shower (no really, it had to be quick because it was a *bucket* shower and there was only enough hot water for 2½min each!)
Raising a glass to a wonderful day and lovely evening in the Serengeti
Lindsay and Igor what an incredible experience being in the Serengeti and to see the migration of the wildebeests, gazelles, zebras. The pictures of the lions, elephants crossing the vast grassland on their way to the waterhole and that leopard in the tree—absolutely amazing. Cheers to another wonderful day!!! Looking forward your next blog.