Serengeti & Ngorogoro

The morning we left Kilimanjaro, 'The Lady lifted her skirt' for us and we could actually see the top op Kilimanjaro! Accommodation was our next concern. The Sundown Carnival Hotel, only 10 km outside Arusha, looked like a perfect place to stay. We had lovely rooms, breakfast, as well as a magnificent view of Mt Meru. On the 21st September we were picked up by Leopard Safaris in a Landcruiser Safari Vehicle (a spacious 8 seater). These vehicles are designed with a roof that can be raised to enable 360 degree game viewing and photography. Basil would be our driver and guide for the next 5 days. The distance to the Serengeti was about 300 km. We entered The Ngorogoro Conservation Area first and got a breathtaking view of the Ngorogoro Crator! One has to drive through the Ngorogoro Conservancy to get to the Serengeti. The Maasai has the right to live and farm with their cattle and sheep in this area, and while we were driving we saw Zebra and Giraffe 'mixed' with cattle, goat, sheep and even camels! We entered a second 'gate' to the Serengeti. While we took photographs and do what tourists do, Basil was standing in line to get the necessary permits and approvals. The road into the Serengeti was taxing, to say the least.  This is the only North-South road for hundreds of kilometers. It us used by, not only visitors to the Serengeti, but also supply vehicles such as petrol tankers, trucks and buses which transport locals to villages to the north of the Serengeti. The condition of the road explained why our Safari vehicle carried a main leaf spring! We had been warned beforehand of the condition of the roads, and were very happy that we had decided not to drive into the Serengeti with our own vehicles!    As it were late in the afternoon, we had decided to go directly to our Lodge. This proved difficult as we came upon a number of lions, including a magnificent male. By the time we reached the Lodge we had a tally of 7 lions! We arrived at the Lodge at 18h45, with just enough time to book in and wash up, before we had to go to dinner. It was a long day, but we were on a high! The Serengeti Sopa Lodge is built on a hill, and all 73 rooms face the Serengeti Plains. The Lodge is furnished in African style and colours. After dinner at night we enjoyed African singing and dancing.  

Serengeti Sopa Lodge

View of Serengeti from Lodge

  Basil urged us to get going as early as possible the second morning, and he covered about 150 km of the Serengeti plains. The Serengeti surprised us time and again: 3 leopards (eating, sleeping on ground, and up in a tree) 20+ lions, and the hi-light of the day: a kill by a cheetah. We first spotted her and her 4 cubs under a tree. After a while she left her cubs (they were so obedient - just sitting upright watching their mommy moving cautiously towards 4 Thompsons Gazelles). It was incredible to watch her skill. With a sudden burst of speed and accuracy she hit her prey in a cloud of dust. The Cubs just waited until their mom was sure it was safe. When she called them, they ran towards her. While they ate, she kept looking out for possible danger. It is amazing that a cheetah could keep 4 cubs alive with so many predators around! Apart from the predators, we also saw hundreds of buffalo, zebra, Thomsons - and Grants Gazelle, elephant, hippo, giraffe and Impala. On our way back to the lodge we stopped numerous times to watch hyenas coming out of their dens. It was getting late and we only got back to the lodge at 19h00.  We had been in the road for 11 hours!

2 Beautiful Males

The next day was a repeat of the first (except for the kill). We were lucky to have such a skilled driver and guide. Basil did his utmost to get us to a sighting. The Serengeti Plains are vast, and the guides are in contact with each other. Many tourist would come back from their drives and complain that they saw only Impala and Zebra. Over 3 days we saw more than 40 lions, numerous leopards and  cheetahs, as well as hyenas. (Isn't it funny that tourists only count predators........) of course we saw everything else except for rhino and wild dogs. Elephants are still our favourite animal, and we had plenty encounters with them. The fourth day we moved to the Wilderness Lodge on the rim of the Ngorogoro Crator. We had good sightings on our drive in the Crator. When you stand on the rim of the Crator and look down, it is almost impossible to imagine that there are animals and water down there. Our trip to the Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crator came to an end as we left the area on the 5th day. On our way back to the Sundown Carnival Hotel where we left our vehicles and trailers, we stopped at Mtowambo Market to buy fresh produce. Markets in Tanzania are colourful, filled with fresh, red tomatoes, yellow bananas, green watermelons, cucumbers, garlic, ginger, pineapples, oranges, red and green peppers, and many other interesting fruits and vegetables that we did not know. We saw red bananas for the first time (apparently they are less sweet - a good alternative for diabetics!) Women are dressed in bright clothing with beautiful friendly smiles. It was a real treat to buy our produce from this market.  

Mtowambo Market