© 2017 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
The Seregeti.
Covering almost 30,000 square kilometers with its location in northern Tanzania and Kenya, the Serengeti’s wildlife and scenery is beyond anything imaginable. As far as the eye can see, the Serengeti spreads out…offering nature’s magnificence….the endless plains.
Disembarking from our aircraft, we stepped into the bright sunshine and were greeted by our safari guide, Fahad. This was the person that we would come to rely on for the next week as our driver, our guide, our teacher and more importantly, our friend. As he accompanied us to the front of the small terminal, our baggage was loaded and we were introduced to our safari vehicle, Mathilda.
Into Mathilda we climbed, the five of us taking one of the six seats in the back. The roof was raised and we were on our way, scanning the horizon and observing the Thompson’s gazelles that grazed just across the road. This was it! Our first sighting on the Serengeti! So, they weren’t one of the Big Five…but it was just the beginning!
Turning left onto one of the many roads that criss-crossed the park, we bumped along, spotting other vehicles in the distance. As we slowed, we noticed movement near a patch of acacia trees…a herd of elephants! Slowly they ambled along, two youngsters with four older females. We watched them slowly until continuing further down the road. Here, we encountered another herd, and this one came extremely close to Mathilda!
What a start!
During the next few hours, we encountered warthogs, giraffes, lions, cape buffalo, monkeys, and hippos! We even spotted a cheetah holding court on a termite hill and a leopard resting on a large branch as well as countless birds flitting about and resting in the brush.
By the time we had reached the Serengeti Sopa Lodge, we had already spotted FOUR of the Big Five!
After checking into our accommodations, we enjoyed a delicious lunch and a small amount of time to unpack and freshen up. Four o’clock rolled around and it was time for our evening game drive. Not having to venture extremely far from our lodge, we saw many more of the same animals as earlier, however, the highlight of the late afternoon was finally seeing a large dazzle of zebra!
The next two days were filled with game drives beginning early in the day. We spotted hyena, dik dik, baboons, ostriches, hartebeests, secretary birds, guinea fowl, impala and many other elephants, giraffes, cape buffalo, cheetahs, zebras, and lions. In fact, the Serengeti should be named the land of the lion…they are quite plentiful and we were excited to spot them on many occasions.
The Serengeti is not all about wildlife viewing, though, that is what most people come for. There are some other places of interest in the park which help to break up the day and give everyone some time to stretch their legs and enjoy a respite from the bumpy roads.
The Serengeti Visitor’s Center, located in the heart of the Serengeti, is set in alluring natural rock formations (Kopjes). A guided or self-guided walk offers a wide range of up-to-date information on the Serengeti ecosystem. The beautiful trail is lined with exhibits on the Serengeti’s history, ecology, people and conservation and hundreds of rock hyrax resting on the walls.
The Michael Grzimek Memorial Rhino Post is a ranger post in the Moru Kopjes. It’s conservation project has a goal to protect and monitor the remaining Serengeti black rhinos, provide sound biological management to its population and to secure the Moru area for the introduction of additional rhinos. While the Serengeti was once home to approximately 1000 black rhinos, poaching reduced the population dramatically. The Rhino Post, named after Michael Grzimek, who fought to protect the rhino, offers a small hut detailing information on its conservation efforts.
Another interesting stop is at the sound rocks of the Moru Kopjes. Here you can hike to the top of a rock mass where several ancient boulders produce mellow notes when tapped with smaller stones. Whether once used as instruments or a method of communication, it is now a interesting stop for visitors…and the views aren’t so bad either!
Some of the most memorable moments of our time in the Serengeti were watching a coalition of cheetah relaxing under a tree, a large male lion lounging near the roadway and who later joined his black maned brother in a search for their next meal, being charged by an enormous, tusked elephant, lunch in the middle of the Serengeti under a sausage tree and beautiful African sunsets.
Trying to explain to our family what we were seeing every day was extremely difficult. So surreal were our experiences, we were giddy with excitement even when exhausted from the long days. Absorbing all of the information that Fahad gave us was sometimes overwhelming, but always impressive…that man knew something about everything! Driving along, he never failed to miss things even far out in the distance!
The most memorable times, however, were when Fahad received a call on his radio and began to drive extremely fast. We knew that something good was in store!
Nicknaming him “Fishtail Freddy”, we joked that Fahad was on a mission…sometimes a “mission impossible”. After downloading the Mission Impossible theme song, we would play it for him to inspire him and assist his driving skills! On our last day, shortly after the charging elephant, Fahad picked up the radio, listened and began to drive quickly. Turning on our theme song, it was just finishing as we pulled up to five other safari vehicles lining the side of the road. Here, we found out what the fast driving and fishtailing had brought us to.
In the distance, there was not one…but two black rhino! The last of our Big Five!
We often joked that our wonderful Fahad, many times over, gave us Serengeti ice cream, Serengeti sauce, Serengeti nuts and, often, Serengeti whipped cream…now he had given us the Serengeti cherry!
What a way to end our time in the Endless Plains!
For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.
Serengeti
Safari Express
Ranger Safaris
- http://www.rangersafaris.com/
Soon, we were boarding one of Shine Aviation’s Cessnas and rocketing down the runway. Arusha’s dense landscape spread out before us giving way to mountains and gorges. Although we were told that on some days, Kilimanjaro is visible, unfortunately, we did not have the pleasure. We settled in for the hour flight and before long, the landscape became more barren. I was mesmerized by the Maasai villages that were discernible here and there along our flight path.
As we descended, small animals dotted the landscape and the landing field appeared before us. Lower and lower, our aircraft dropped until we were bumping along the Seronera airstrip. Finally, I had made it.
One of the largest art galleries on the continent and a modern, architectural marvel, the gallery has many levels that will amaze you with it’s beautiful pieces available to both ponder and help you part with your shillings. Masks, furniture, artwork and artifacts from all parts of Africa decorate each level and are guaranteed to amaze! Be sure to give yourself ample time to explore it in its entirety.
Beginning with a brief introduction on where Tanzanite is found in one small area in the Mererani Hills in Northern Tanzania, at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, Akiyo then went on to explain how Tanzanite could once be collected on the surface. Eventually, this scavenger mining gave way to pits and tunnels extending far beneath the earth’s surface.
Our flight from New York to Istanbul was uneventful, if not a long one. Movies and a nap helped pass the time and I was quite comfortable in economy class with the help of my new neck pillow and foot sling. Before long, we were landing in Turkey, gazing longingly at the skyline, wishing I had time to visit the Bazaar (how I miss Istanbul’s shopping!) After a three hour sit, we boarded our plane and were landing in Kenya six hours later, making our way through customs and immigration quickly.
Making our way out of Terminal 1D, we began looking for a cafe that we could have a bite to eat and hang out. Paul Caffe was near the main part of the airport, and after entering, we discovered that many other people were spending time and even taking naps (which the workers did not seem to mind). Ordering a couple of sodas, we found a table with outlets nearby to charge our devices. After having breakfast a little later, we found very clean bathrooms just around the corner and were able spread out our things, change clothes and take a quick sponge bath.
There are a few companies that offer shuttle transportation between Nairobi and Arusha. We chose Riverside from a recommendation from a friend and because the price was higher than two of the others that I had investigated. Believing the higher price made the product more desirable, we were a little disappointed to find the bus’ interior to be only adequate. A few seats were available near the back of the bus and we found the ride to be a bit uncomfortable due to the lumpy seats and the many speed bumps along the highway. Despite the cramped quarters, however, we were able to take a quick nap before arriving at a rest stop about three hours later. Given ten minutes to use the facilities and get a drink, we even had time to peruse the many crafts available at the site.
Departing the rest stop, we soon found ourselves at the Namanga border crossing, about 120km from Arusha. Ushered into the building and lined up against a wall, the process was a bit confusing. A uniformed officer checked to ensure that each person had a yellow fever immunization card before allowing us to proceed to the window. Since we had arrived into Kenya, the night before, we were quickly re-fingerprinted and stamped out. Heading to the exit, we found our bus waiting for us and hastily dodged the numerous Masai women selling bracelets, necklaces and other items. Driving around to the Tanzanian side of the border, we were required to claim our baggage from the bus and proceed into the building to clear immigration and customs. Once again, our yellow fever immunizations cards were checked and we were ushered into one of the lines snaking through the new building. At the window, our immigration forms (given to us by our driver) were handed to the agent and $100 (per person) was paid while our visa was pasted into our passports. Though we were required to bring our baggage into the building, we were not required to pass it through the x-ray machines nor was it inspected.
One of the oldest hotels in East Africa, the Arusha Hotel was established in 1894 in the then new and undeveloped town. Over the years, the hotel was a haven for those traveling from Cairo to the Cape and beyond. Enduring many changes and improvements over the years, the hotel has retained its status as one of Arusha’s grandest hotels, offering its foremost hospitality to many guests over the years, including the Prince of Wales, Baron Von Blixen and John Wayne, while filming Hatari.
An Airtel office, a block away, was also a convenient find. Knowing that we would be restricted to WiFi in the lobbies of our lodges during our safari, adding a local sim card to my extra phone ensured that I could be reached in the event of an emergency. It also allowed me to have access to the internet while we were out and about or in our room.
