Asante Sana Tanzania

The ponderous wildebeest 

So my wife and I travelled to Africa last week for the second time. We've been to Egypt before, but that for us felt like more of an extension of the Arabic world we live in now. Both of us felt this was a trip into the unknown, into the 'real Africa'. The Africa of all those documentaries and nature programmes you watch growing up.

Not only were we travelling to Africa on any old jolly, but we were also heading on our first safari trip. Before our time here in Saudi, neither of us would have ever imagined we'd be able to go on a safari trip to Africa. In my mind, safaris were always the reserve of the super-wealthy and the privileged few. However, thanks to Base Camp Tanzania our dream trip was about to become a reality. 

Cheeky locals loving photos.

Jeddah airport did its best to keep us in Saudi by delaying our connecting flight to Addis Ababa by about four hours. Which meant by the time we got flew into the quaint Kilimanjaro International Airport, we had missed most of our first day.

Upon arrival, we were picked up by our affable and good-natured driver for the trip, Thomas. Thomas introduced himself and told us a bit of his history en route to our accommodation on the outskirts of Arusha. Thomas' expertise throughout the trip was what made our safari so special. No question was too daft for Thomas to answer. He heartily laughed off any suggestion that we might be eaten on this trip (something subconsciously which plays on the mind on such trips as this). 

Face-off in Mosquito Village.

East Africa is a truly vibrant and magical place. We saw women with full loads of fruit/vegetables/clothes/timber/you name it balanced on their heads, we saw Masaai kids herding flocks of animals, we saw men pulling wooden carts full of scrap metal/timber/tires/you name it, we saw people lounging outside makeshift bars, we saw a bride and groom sitting in the back of a speeding convertible car on a motorway, we saw...

I have never seen so many people doing so many jobs and activities within inches of each other. Everyone seemed to be engaged in some sort of a group of people or undertaking some sort of work. We reached our first lodge of the trip towards evening time. After checking in, we also met one of the first characters of our trip, Achmed, the owner of Base Camp Tanzania.

One beer turned into a few within a few hours in the company of Achmed. He had a joke and a story for every occasion. A man with a fantastic and fascinating background story. He also answered every question we had and explained our trip in great detail. Dinner that night was a bit of a blur as we went to bed with light heads. The next day we would be on safari proper, and we couldn't wait. 

The fantastic Mr. Thomas.

We left our accommodation early the next morning for our first port of call on our trip; Lake Manyara National Park. Upon reaching the park, Thomas told us he had to sign some forms with the office on site (a task he would have to repeat throughout the trip). We spent the next few days game driving.  

Grumpy Elephant.

The binoculars we had borrowed for the trip, were rendered useless upon entering any reserve or national park. Thomas could spot any form of beast from miles away. Our jeep often suddenly changed direction, as Thomas would spot some ant-like dot on the vast horizon which would invariably be some sort of animal on closer inspection.

The man got us within inches of sleeping lions, hyenas, cheetahs and underneath tree lounging leopards. Not to mention almost eye to eye encounters with zebras, wildebeest, elephants, gazelles etc. The man was truly gifted, he always seemed to get us to a lone animal, or group of animals, before the other jeeps would converge on our location like the metaphorical flies to a hot s... Thomas also didn't use a radio to communicate with other drivers, which made his feats even more impressive. 

Excited much?

According to Google, the Serengeti is 14,750 km² which makes it bigger than say Lebanon, Jamaica, Qatar, Montenegro amongst others. It's big, so much so that your sense of time and space is suspended...well mine was anyway. The place is vast with endless horizons and blue skies. In parts, the earth seems to be touching the sky without any obstructions.

The most surprising thing for me was the quietness of the place. It's so peaceful you could hear a pin drop. I loved when the engine of the jeep was switched off, and you are instantly transported into the grandeur and stillness of nature. The animals amble, run, jog, walk, sleep, fight, eat each other in peace without the interference of man. They are indifferent to the jeeps full of gawking, squawking humans in their territory, they don't even bat an eyelid. Base Camp's website wasn't lying when it said, "You too shall never forget the splendour of the rolling savannah and open plains". 

Some lounging lions.

We were on safari during the 'dry season', which meant the majority of the hoofed herbivores had migrated to Maasai Mara in neighbouring Kenya. The savannahs were 'out of season' quiet and dusty. We spent most of our game drives enclosed in a fog of dust and dirt. It was always easy to spot another vehicle from miles away due to the cloud of dust that was kicked up into the sky as various jeeps trundled across the plains. I spent the majority of the trip standing up with my upper body up in the canopy of the extended roof with my eyes feasting on the natural beauty in front of me of which my mind is now only slowly beginning to process.

A young Maasai herding his flock.

The dust didn't stop us seeing the "Big 5" (the lion, buffalo, elephant, leopard and rhino) plus heaps of other creatures. I had to continually pinch myself upon seeing these animals up close in their natural habitat (relatively) free from man and his constraints. We were also quite lucky to see an elusive rhino (even if he was he/she was miles away and slumbering). Due to various factors including overhunting, poaching, encroachment of its natural habitat etc. The rhino is very much an endangered species. 

Th tourist rip-off village...sorry Masaai village.

Tanzania is an amazing country, and I’m only speaking for the tiny part we saw. We saw the sprawling Oldupai Gorge aka the "Cradle of Mankind", the Great Rift Valley, we drove inside the world's largest perfect caldera (collapsed volcano) in Ngorongoro conservation area, we sampled banana beer as part of our cultural tour of Mto wa Mbu (mosquito village), we bushwalked in the famous Serengeti, we slept in a tent in the Serengeti as wild animals roamed and roared outside, we visited (a tourist version) of a Maasai village. 

Aside from the multitude of highlights, we also stayed in some amazing lodges, we heard some fantastic stories, we met some really interesting people, we also felt 'alive' for the first time in a long time (have I told you what it's like to live in a bubble?).

Both of us feel we left a small part of our hearts in Africa. Asante Sana Tanzania, you are a truly wonderful place. 

Sunset in the Serengeti.