The fastest safari on earth
On our third day on safari, we were moving away from Tarangire National Park and on our way to a well known World Heritage Site, Serengeti National Park. It has been the main attraction in many wildlife documentaries and for good reason - it’s the location of the largest animal migration in the world. To get there was a bit of a commute (5.5 hours-ish). We said goodbye to Tarangire National Park and were back on proper paved roads - a welcome change!
Along our drive, we noticed there were quite a number of goat herds being grazed alongside the highway. While this in itself is not that interesting, what made it noteworthy was that the people tending these herds were children. They all looked between the ages of 5-8 years old, and often had a toddler waddling after them apparently also in their care. There were no adults to be seen as these little guys wandered along the side of the highway, keeping their goats together and wielding small sticks as I’m sure they’d seen their parents do. The level of trust those parents had in their tiny humans was anxiety inducing, but also the seriousness with which those littles took their responsibilities was truly impressive.
We made a brief stop at one of those shops where tourists are collectively funnelled through before they realize what’s going on. We perused the aisles looking for souvenirs to bring home to family and friends, the criteria being “not tacky” and “fits in backpack.” Instead, I ended up splurging on a present for my myself - a gorgeous tanzanite ring. These gems can range in colour from blue to a violet-ish purple. Fun fact - tanzanite is a mineral with a very limited geographic origin; all mines are located in an area of approximately eight square miles near the base of Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania). So yes, I bought myself a tanzanite ring but in my defence it did fall within the requirements I set forth - it was not tacky and it definitely fit in my backpack. I would 10/10 recommend purchasing jewelry as souvenirs (for yourself AND as gifts!) from your travels. Not only does it bring back memories each time you wear it, but you also get to talk about where you found it whenever someone compliments the piece.
I had the ring properly fitted which required a bit of waiting (I told you this was a theme), and Asaria came in a few times trying to hurry us along. We were on a tight schedule. Fresh purchases in hand we continued our own migration, chatting with Asaria about a plethora of topics. Whether it was asking about things we were seeing along the way, or asking about Asaria’s career as a guide, we were chatty. Eventually we left the smooth ride of the paved roads and found ourselves flying down a dirt “road” at astonishing speeds. We no longer saw shops or people running errands or communities with children playing. It was just rocks and dust. So much dust. On more than one occasion I found myself glancing behind us to make sure a wheel or something of equal/greater importance hadn’t detached itself from the vehicle.
The road was so rough that the rattling of our trusty rover made it impossible to speak to one another. Lindsay and I were still trying to keep our eyes open for wildlife, although the landscape didn’t exactly look like it would be supporting much. Mostly what we saw was dust, a few bomas, a couple of donkeys, and people sitting along the side of the road. We kept exchanging looks, trying not to laugh but also slightly irritated - did Asaria truly think we could do proper scouting under these abysmal conditions? I tried to send him a “subtle” hint by commenting that this was surely the fastest safari on earth. He didn’t pick up the hint, or perhaps he didn’t hear me over the sound of the vehicle threatening to fall apart. Can’t be sure. Either way, we did not slow down, and we did not enjoy that safari.
Eventually we left the dusty dunes of whatever that place was with not a single wild animal sighting. Lindsay and I agreed that we would not be recommending that park to anyone. When Asaria pulled over shortly after, popped the top up and said “alright girls, time for safari” we were simultaneously confused and excited. It was then that we learned an important lesson: if Asaria popped the top up on the rover, that meant it was game(drive) time. If it was down, it meant we were simply commuting to our next destination. Anyways, turns out that the fastest safari on earth was not actually a safari at all. We hadn’t even been in a park, we were merely in transit.
Entering Serengeti National Park was very different from my (one) other safari experience. While Tarangire boasted dramatic red dirt and towering baobabs, the Serengeti was immediately giving African savannah as per The Lion King circa 1994/BBC’s Planet Earth/all of my safari dreams. The plains and the sky went on for eternity, and the storm rolling in provided the appropriate dramatic lighting for our first day in this iconic park.
Our first sighting was a lone hyena laying in the grass alongside the road. Strange as it may sound, hyenas became one of my favourite sightings during this adventure. They are weirdly adorable. There are some interesting stories surrounding hyena, although they differ wildly depending on where you are. For example, West African folklore generally has hyenas symbolizing negative traits like immorality or dirty habits. In East African mythology, the hyena is portrayed as the first animal to bring the sun to warm the earth. In Tanzania, there is a belief among some that witches use spotted hyenas as mounts (definitely my favourite story). There is something so adorably mischievous about their little mohawk’s and it seems only natural that a witch might take one for a ride.
After awhile our hyena must have tired of us staring at him because he got up and left us. Watching him leave felt surprisingly exciting, like the air was full of energy similar to what you felt as a child on Christmas morning. I mean, maybe there was actually energy in the air and we were about to be struck by lighting from that aforementioned approaching storm, but it felt bigger than that. There is something about being in the Serengeti that makes you feel like magic might happen at any moment. It’s a feeling I have tried to replicate often, but it may be a high that I continue to chase for the rest of my life. When we settled back into our seats and continued our drive, we were totally consumed by a feeling that the universe had some special moments in store for us, and that we may possibly be the luckiest girls (women) in the world.
During game drives it’s important to note that Asaria is not only navigating the “roads,” but also constantly surveying the plains for signs of life. Contrary to what I may have lead you to believe so far, animals aren’t always just strolling along the roadside within arms reach. Shortly after leaving our hyena friend, Asaria spotted a cheetah perched on top of a termite mound far in the distance. When I say far in the distance, I mean so far that you could barely see the outline of the cheetah without binoculars. We stopped and watched for awhile, until she suddenly stepped down and disappeared into the long grass. There was a moment of disappointment that we had lost sight of her, until Asaria exclaimed that she was moving directly at us. So we waited. The combination of the lighting, the grassland and her coat made her extremely difficult to see - her camouflage was brilliant! And then suddenly there she was, stepping out of the grass right in front of us like a ballerina taking the stage. She was the most graceful creature I had ever seen. Seeing her so close brought me to tears (quiet ones, thankfully). While we watched her, she seemed on edge about the chorus of lions we could hear in the distance. Asaria told us that lions have been known to prey on cheetahs, so she was on high alert for good reason.
She walked past our vehicle and headed down to a waterhole on the opposite side of the road. Crouching down for a drink (from a pond that absolutely did not look sanitary) her eyes were alert and constantly scanning her surroundings in case of any approaching lions. I couldn’t decide if that was an interaction I would want to see because it would be an unusual sighting, or if I absolutely did not want to see that because it would scar me emotionally for the rest of time. I was leaning towards the latter, but thankfully the opportunity did not present itself.
We carried on towards our first lodge in Serengeti National Park - Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge. The plan was to stay here for one night before heading further north for two nights near the Mara River for the crossing, and then return to Kubu Kubu for one last night in the Serengeti. Kubu Kubu is centrally located which makes it a fantastic spot for a longer stay (giving you access to many different sites/activities) or a shorter stay (somewhere to rest en route to a more distant location).
A couple of Maasai met us upon arrival to welcome us and help with our luggage. The Maasai are an ethnic group that live throughout Kenya and northern Tanzania. While they are pastoralists and have historically had a reputation as fearsome warriors, today they can often be found working in the hospitality industry. They typically can be seen wearing a red and black checkered traditional dress and in the case of our welcome party, sandals made from rubber tires.
Upon check-in we were handed a cool cloth to wipe the dust from our faces and a fresh fruit juice while they gave us the safety rundown/rules/room key. With the safety brief done, we went out to the deck to finish our juice and take in the view. Let me tell you, the views were breathtaking. Below the deck was an infinity pool, which at that moment overlooked a handful of zebras grazing nearby. After enjoying our fruit juice and taking in the views of the savannah, we were escorted to our “tent.” The lodge and its 25 guest rooms are perched on a hillside with sweeping views over the plains. The tents are on wood platforms, with a private balcony and outdoor shower overlooking the morning activity on the plains below. Alternatively, if you prefer a nighttime shower, you can do so under the thousands of stars visible at night. The beds were large and comfortable, and should you want to skip the outdoor shower, there was a large tub at the window. I didn’t get a chance to use it, but I did take a picture.
After Lindsay watched me do a quick room tour video (she loved when I did these), we refreshed ourselves and headed back to the main lodge for dinner. There was a wide selection of food, and I felt very supported on my new soup journey because they had multiple soup options available. After dinner, Asaria joined us at our table briefly to run us through our schedule for the next morning. Most mornings are early mornings when you’re on safari (especially with Lindsay and I). Because of my inexperience, I didn’t realize that most people go out for a morning game drive and then return to their lodge for an afternoon nap/swim in the pool before going out again later in the day for another drive. Some enjoy a leisurely safari, while others want to live it every minute. Lindsay and I are definitely the latter.
After saying goodnight to Asaria, we met our Maasai guardian and were escorted back to our tent. As we were walking, there was a glow of beady eyes in the darkness; our escort told us that it was a hyena not 30 feet off the pathway. As they say, this is Africa! That night the sounds of the plains was the glorious soundscape I could never seem to find on the Calm app. I left my phone recording outside on the deck while we got ready for bed in an attempt to create my own soundscape for bedtime after returning home.
The next morning we packed up our backpacks and left them piled neatly for pickup before leaving our tent. We hadn’t done a full scan of the area prior to exiting, and had closed and locked our door before looking over to see three buffalo watching us from a couple of tents down. At first glance, buffalo may seem to be just big cows, but they are a whole lot scarier than that. While they are one of the named “Big 5,” (buffalo, lion, leopard, elephant, and rhinoceros) they are also known as “the Black Death” and “the Widowmaker.” Honestly, seeing them on safari from the safety of our vehicle was a little anticlimactic. However, standing on equal ground felt very different and we were relieved when they glanced lazily at us over their shoulder as they turned and continued away from us down the path.
We arrived alive at the lodge for breakfast to find it was much busier than we had anticipated. There was a buzz in the air reminiscent of a school field trip; the room was filled with excited murmurs as everyone wondered what the day had in store for them as they eagerly received there packed lunches on the way out the door. What the day had in store for us was a full day game drive and a picnic lunch in the park before arriving for dinner in the north near the Mara River.
When we were booking our safari, we were asked if we had any preferences that the company should be aware of when matching us with a guide. Our one note on this section was “we don’t have any interest in birds.” We felt this was important to share because Tanzania is home to nearly 1200 birds which makes it a popular destination for bird people.
Lindsay and I were not those people, and it would be truly awful if we showed up and our guide was a bird enthusiast. In a turn of events neither of us saw coming, we found ourselves asking Asaria to stop for birds on more than one occasion. If you were to look through my camera today, you would be surprised to see the number of bird shots I have on there. I am a little embarrassed, but in my defence the birds in Tanzania are fascinating (and terrifyingly large).
We left Kubu Kubu and explored the savannah for the day, eager to see as much as we could. Our sightings included but were not limited to:
a family of cheetahs taking refuge from the sun under a tree
a male lion sheltering in a thornbush
a leopard in a tree (our first leopard sighting!)
As you can see, the theme was “stay out of the sun” - it was HOT. Finally seeing a leopard felt like a huge accomplishment. He was quite a distance away which at first felt a little disappointing, but I tried to remind myself that we had been very lucky with how intimate our sightings up until that point had been. We had now collected 4/5 of the Big 5; all that remained was the rhino! As always, Asaria took wonderful care of us and before we knew it we were approaching the Mara River Camp.