Steve and Emma's Travel Tales

Game On! A Safari Around The Northern Circuit in Tanzania

TANZANIA | Saturday, 2 August 2008 | Views [846]

This time Bobby Tours managed to remember where we were staying and picked us up on time! The vehicle we were allocated for the 6-day safari tour was excellent. Just as well as we would be using it to travel between the parks and it was our safari jeep too. There was loads of room to store our bags and the entire roof over the back of the jeep pushed up to give us great views. Obviously I had to stand on the seats to be able to see out better! Since it was just us and the driver in the vehicle this posed no problem as we could hop into the back too. Yet again when we were researching Bobby Tours came up trumps on price even though we were booking a private tour. The itineraries were almost identical and we’d been sent a list of the likely lodges they would use and they all looked fine. We suspected we would probably end up being allocated the box room under the stairs but since we’d just spent a week in a tent we didn’t mind.

Our main aim was to try and see as many of Africa’s magnificent beasts as possible. The Northern Circuit is one of the most popular and the 4 main parks visited are Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire. We knew from reading about each one that they all had something different to offer either in terms of landscape or wildlife. Everyone talks about seeing Africa’s Big 5 i.e. elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard and to be fair we wanted to see all of these. However having lived in Asia for so long it’s very difficult to get excited about the prospect of seeing a buffalo and of course we have been lucky enough to see elephants and leopards in the wild in the past. We decided our Big 5 would be giraffe, hippo, lion, rhino and cheetah although I have to confess that we really couldn’t leave elephant and leopard off the list. So we settled for 7 and then started talking about zebra, crocodiles ……………….!!! There’s a full list of all the birds and animals we saw throughout the week at the end.

Lake Manyara:

Lake Manyara National Park is absolutely lovely and the terrain changes quite dramatically. One minute you are in the dusty open plains dotted with acacia trees, then you’re in dense wooded areas, there’s a huge lake and the river section is very picturesque. From reading about the park we thought it would be difficult to spot the animals and that you may only get a fleeting glance in the thick vegetation. This proved to be anything but true and we got some great close up views of many of the animals, in particular the elephants, impala, baboons, giraffes and hippos. So as you can see we faired well in our Big 7 wish list right from day 1. Never found the tree-climbing lions though.

There were literally thousands and thousands of flamingos on the lake but unfortunately the water was low so we couldn’t get very near to them. None the less it was amazing watching a huge wave of pink moving across the water. Following this wildlife spectacle it was time to relax and have our packed lunch. I have to say the park authorities have found some great picnic spots for people to use. You can’t beat tucking into your butties looking down over a lovely park with the lake in the background with a small herd of elephants wandering past.

As amazing as it was to see our first African elephants the experience was overshadowed on spotting giraffes. What fantastic creatures they are. So beautiful and majestic in the way they hold themselves and wander across the savannah. As if that wasn’t entertainment enough for one day, the highlight was just around the corner at the very aptly named hippo pool where we were allowed to get down out of the jeep and wander a little closer to the water. Along with the hippos grunting and generally wallowing, as you’d expect there were hundreds of birds around. No idea what they all where but certainly marabou storks, painted storks, pelicans, fish eagles and kingfishers featured.

In total there were quite a few vehicles in this one spot but throughout the day we’d seen very few as there are so many different routes to take. The tracks tend to twist and turn their way through the park so even when there was something significant to look at there were rarely more than 3 vehicles at once. Plus Lake Manyara is one of the less frequently visited parks but it is an excellent one to start your first African safari in. That evening we were housed in Lake Manyara Lodge and the view over-looking the park was super. We could still see the pink mass of flamingos from our hotel balcony that was up on a headland and some distance away. Good to know we weren’t being allocated the shabby rooms anyway!

We were up early the next morning for the long journey over to the Serengeti. Initially the road was excellent but once we hit Ngorongoro park gate it became a red sand track. Considering how much it costs just to drive through the edge of the park you’d think they’d improve the road. By this point we were up in the clouds so visibility was poor and there was no chance of a sneak peek into the crater on the way past for our $100! As we dropped down off the crater rim the cloud thinned, as did the vegetation. Gone were the green trees and now we were in vast, wide, open dusty plains. The road went from bad to shocking and we shook and rattled our way along. Luckily we spotted a few animals along the way to keep us entertained, namely gazelles, ostrich and giraffes.

Serengeti National Park:

Once we reached the park gates it was time for lunch while our driver processed all the paperwork and of course had a rest. The main car park was very busy but it was at this stage in our safari tour that we did expect to come across more traffic. Who wouldn’t have the Serengeti on their list? Er, actually we almost gave it a miss as we realised we’d timed it all wrong for the big migration. However on further reading we realised the park had so much more to offer and it’s almost impossible to do a tour that doesn’t include this huge expanse of protected land. We wandered up to a viewpoint away from the crowds for lunch and found we had to share the rocks with bright pink and purple agama lizards. There were also some incredibly beautiful and colourful birds taking advantage of dropped crumbs that we later found out are very aptly named superb starlings.

It was soon time to get into the park proper and obviously the road hadn’t improved any but we didn’t care, as we knew that anything could leap out and declare itself at any time. We bounced along at quite a lick for some time without spotting a thing. Well, other than the odd gazelle here and there. So much for the Serengeti having abundance of wildlife, and in fact one of the densest concentrations of animals in the world. We carried on rattling down the road and eventually took a smaller lane. Our driver/guide had just told us that they sometimes see lions in that area when we spotted a collection of jeeps. Sure enough there were 4 lionesses basking in the sun with the added bonus of another one on the other side of the road. The lions did very little other than to turn onto their backs to warm their tummies. They looked so much like domestic cats it was uncanny – still we weren’t fooled into thinking they were just pussy cats – we’d seen the size of their claws!

Then there was great excitement only 10m in front of us as someone had spotted 5/6 cubs huddled up together in the grass right by the edge of the road. Why the lionesses had chosen to put them so far away we don’t know but they were very well camouflaged. They were only about 3 months old and of course very cute. Apparently lions don’t move around any more than necessary, as it’s too hot. They must have very thick coats for the cold nights, as we still were yet to find hot Africa! As we drove deeper into the park we did start to see some more animals with the best of the bunch being more elephants and hippos. The latter of which, we got to view at even closer quarters and a couple of them were out of the water feeding. On turning a corner I spotted another lioness under a bush and when we stopped to watch her she decided it was time for a bit of a wander. Luckily she didn’t go far and we got to see her in her prime and we were the only jeep there so got ringside seats for photos.

Although we were clearly headed towards the lodge radio excitement led to a detour. Unfortunately you can’t always be lucky in this animal spotting game and we arrived to find we’d just missed a leopard. This went into the bag with just missing 2 hyenas earlier in the day and not being able to see the cheetah some groups claim they could see. To be fair they did have super duper binoculars. Then nearer the lodge this lack of state of the art equipment meant we couldn’t see another leopard. We think we might have been able to see the right spotty lump in the tree but it was anything but conclusive. Once we were virtually at the lodge we started seeing many more animals including zebra, hartebeast, topi, and waterbuck. I have to confess I had to get my wildlife guide out later to find out about these creatures.

Senenora Lodge is set on a rocky outcrop affording magnificent views over the plains and savannah. Just as well there’s a good place to sit out there as we don’t have a balcony. Even if we did we wouldn’t be able to use it, as the vervet monkeys are very cheeky. On the rocks there are loads of rock and bush hyraxes pottering about. I have to admit that I had these high on my list of things I hoped to see after reading about them being most closely related to elephants even though they clear look like they belong in the rodent group.

An early bath to be up at 5.30am for our dawn safari and in true African fashion it was very cold. We didn’t see anything for ages and were beginning to wonder why we’d got up so early as clearly the animals were still tucked up in bed! To be fair the sunrise was lovely and before too long the good old impalas and gazelles stared showing themselves. They are particular favourites of leopards and cheetah so we were still hopeful of spotting some more big cats. We were driving around for ages to see only a handful of animals and were beginning to think our initial instinct of not including this park in our itinerary was well founded. However on saying that we did see: buffalo, topi, hartebeast, waterbuck, ostrich, jackal, warthog, baboons, elephant and lion so we weren’t complaining. Plus we did get to watch a herd of 13 elephants including a young baby grazing for quite some time and very close to the jeep.

Yet again it wasn’t until we were almost back at the lodge that we saw a variety and abundance of wildlife. We arrived just in time for the end of the breakfast buffet so once again tucked in. I then noticed that they had bubbly up for grabs – seemed rude not to! So we took a brew and glass of fizz out onto the rocky terrace outside. Very decadent of course but don’t forget we were on our honeymoon. The brightly coloured lizards and hyraxes were keeping us nicely entertained but Steve decided to climb the nearest rock with the binoculars to see if there was anything passing by down below. Sure enough he soon shouted ‘Game!’ and 6 giraffes came browsing along.

Sitting on top of the rocks in the sun all morning turned out to be our best Serengeti safari so far. Not only did we have the entire place to ourselves we kept seeing more animals wandering past. As well as more giraffes we saw virtually all of the animal species we’d seen on the morning safari, including elephants, and a huge family group of 30+ banded mongoose. We could also see a collection of jeeps obviously watching something and we could see a couple of feline shapes moving about under a tree. Considering how little they moved it was probably lions. The highlight was a dwarf mongoose almost running over our toes and then having the decency to pose for a photo. The next safari was going to have to be mighty good to beat our stationary rock top experience.

The Serengeti didn’t let us down and we now have crocodile (albeit a small one), best hippo pool yet and dik diks to add to the ever-growing list along with 3 big highlights of the day. We hadn’t been going long when we spotted a collection of jeeps and a big herd of elephants. Silly us thought everyone was admiring the tusked ones and then we realised that their binoculars were trained elsewhere. Luckily for us there was a leopard to try and spot and based on our previous experience were looking way off into the far trees. We were delighted to finally find it in a tree not all that far away and even better she was in the process of trying to haul her dinner of gazelle into the bottom v of the tree. She soon had in wedged in and was having a well-earned feed. Amazingly she had another one stored higher in the tree – they really are incredibly strong. We watched her for ages until she leapt down and disappeared into the grass. Apparently there was a young leopard under the tree too but we’re not totally convinced we saw it. I was happy to hang around to see if it climbed up for it’s own share of the meat but John, our driver, said there was another leopard for us to see.

Sure enough there was another beautiful leopard stretched out along a think branch with a gazelle. Judging from the size of his stomach and lack of movement he’d obviously had his fill for the time being. He did indulge us with a fine view of his splendid profile and showed off just how huge his paws are but that was it. Two fantastic moments and we know just how lucky we are to have witnessed such things in the wild. Leopards are reasonably numerous but they are the most difficult animal among the Big 5 to see and most visitors go away without adding them to their list. It seemed daft to stop watching such an amazing animal but since he obviously wasn’t inclined to go very far we thought we go and see what else we could find.

Carrying on we came across the biggest herd of elephants yet. There were at least 30 of them and some of the younger ones were enjoying themselves ‘fighting’. It’s always a privilege to view something you’ve only ever previously seen on telly. At one point a massive elephant walked right past the back of the jeep but virtually no one else noticed. Why not? I scanned the grass with the binoculars and spotted 2 pairs of ears – lions. In the end we saw 4 lionesses move stealthy through the grass where they quickly and easily disappeared. They don’t have that colour coat for nothing!

For some reason John then took a track that no one else seemed to be interested in and we drove for miles. It was great to get a clearer picture of just how vast the Serengeti ecosystem is. The whole protected area starts way up in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya includes Serengeti and Ngorongoro and goes right down to Lake Manyara. I don’t know how big the area actually is but I do know we only saw a couple of tiny sections even though we drove for miles and miles. Once again we didn’t see any animals for ages, we could see the lodge in the very far distance and there were no other jeeps in sight. All became clear when John showed us a family group of spotted hyenas including some 3-week old cubs. They weren’t bothered by our presence at all and we watched the cubs at play.

Luckily it didn’t take as long to get back as we thought it would and we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset on the way. Almost back at the lodge when 4 hyenas crossed the road in front of us – typical! From champagne breakfast with giraffes to sunset beer with hyenas and all those other fantastic moments in between. And we finally understood why the Serengeti goes on the ‘not to be missed’ list!

The lodge we were in for the 2 nights in the Serengeti wasn’t as good as the first one and everything seemed to be organised in a very haphazard fashion. The first night we couldn’t persuade the shower to be hot for love nor money and the second night resulted in no water at all. Back to Kilimanjaro standard of showers but at least we weren’t sleeping on the floor! To be fair the views and wildlife pottering around the grounds more than made up for the lodge’s rough edges.

Since we weren’t up at the crack of dawn we assumed the morning’s safari would involve heading back in the general direction of Ngorongoro. So we were surprised when we set off in the opposite direction and onto a track we’d not been on previously. The first of the day’s wildlife moments was quickly upon us as we stumbled upon around 3 different types of vultures, marabou storks and jackals fighting for their share of a carcass. It was probably a gazelle killed by a cheetah who then been scared off it’s own meal. No sign of the cheetah unfortunately as it was one of those animals on our ‘would most like to see’ list.

We hadn’t been going long when we spotted a huge herd of zebra and it was great to finally see animals in the kind of masses we’d expected / hoped to see. Obviously zebras crossing caused a few chuckles and Steve couldn’t resist the odd zebra crossing photo or 10! A little further on was another smaller herd of stripy horses but more significantly there was a massive herd of wildebeast behind. There were around 1000 wildebeast all diligently following the animal in front of it. We found it very difficult to capture on camera what such a huge congregation of animal looks like. Apparently they were on their way back from the Maasai Mara area and would be continuing south in search of water. We went down to a section of the river where the wildebeast traditionally cross but they were all already over. We were allowed to go right down to the water’s edge and we couldn’t have got much closer to the hippos if we’d tried. We also got to see our first reasonable sized Nile crocodiles but still not the huge specimens we expected.

For the next part of the safari we basically followed the river so the vegetation was much more lush and green with the odd flower to brighten up the landscape too. I would have thought this area would have been busy with animals but we drove for ages without seeing a thing. On turning a corner we came across about 20 giraffes and they were very close to the road for great photos. There were even a couple taking a drink and it was interesting watching them struggling to get those long necks low enough.

By the time we reached the visitors centre for lunch we realised that we would have to count our blessings with the 2 types of big cats we had seen. It seemed the cheetah was going to remain illusive. Still we had plenty of small animals to keep us entertained while we dined – more hyrax, mice, dwarf mongoose and loads of birds. As we were getting back into the jeep John announced that we had to be back at the park gate by 1.30pm as our permit would expire then. We didn’t really fancy forking out anymore so it was time to go for it and prepare to bounce and rattle again for a few hours. Time was so much of an essence that we even whizzed past elephants and giraffes – can you believe I’d allow anyone to do that?! Where there were a number of jeeps stopped of course we had to check it out as we were still hoping for that cheetah. We stopped near a hippo pool and there were topi in the foreground with a herd of elephants straddled across the road and a lion chilling out under a bush. We didn’t know where to look first but all of this got a cursory glance and we bumped and bounced our way along once more.

Steve jokingly said if we see a cheetah, never mind the park permit, we have to stop to take a quick photo. You’ve guessed what’s coming next! Yes at quite literally the 11^th hour the Serengeti came up trumps. We could see some jeeps down a small track and John said it was most likely to be cheetah as that was one of their favourite areas. There they were – 2 males sitting on top of a mound checking out the surrounding plains. It got better. They stood, stretched and descended the mound, had a good roll around and stalked through the grass towards us. We couldn’t have asked for a better show and at such close range. The pair then crossed the road in front of the jeep and carried on their way through the grass to a rock. Again they surveyed the savannah, had a poo, marked their territory and continued on their way through the tall grass. Wow!

A little further on and there were some more jeeps off the road and we were informed again that this was another favourite cheetah spot so we took the gamble on the time and went to join the throng. Just as well we did as this time there was a mother cheetah and her cub perched on top of a rock. They didn’t put on a show but it was wonderful watching these very beautiful yet powerful creatures. Yet again we had to leave before we’d had our fill but we knew we’d been incredibly lucky. To see any cheetah was amazing but 4 in such a short time and at such close quarters was unbelievable. Plus of course we’d seen lions and leopards and a whole host of other splendid animals. If we were ending our safaris there and then we would have been very happy, satisfied people but we knew we still had 2 more parks to visit. Would we get to see a male lion and a rhino to complete our ultimate wish list? I know we were starting to get greedy.

The dash to the gate was as bumpy as could be but we got there just in the nick of time. The pace took the toll on the vehicle and we had an unscheduled break from bouncing around as a flat tyre was seen to. To be honest it was a miracle this was the first problem with the jeep considering the state of the roads and the amount of ground we’d covered on safari. We reached Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge in pretty good time but we were back in the cloud. The lodge is plonked right on the crater rim and we could just about see down into the crater. It’s enormous – how on earth are we going to find one of only 17 remaining rhino in there?

Ngorongoro Conservation Area:

Not an auspicious start to safari day 5 – we looked out of the window to find that it was so cloudy we couldn’t even see the edge of the crater rim. Things didn’t improve on emerging out of the hotel lobby and into the thick cloud. John was looking somewhat worried and said there would be a delay to the start of the day. Another jeep’s brakes had failed and it merrily took itself off down the bank outside the hotel. It mainly crashed into a wall but unfortunately collided with the back of John’s jeep too. Obviously he needed time to sort it out and do some running repairs on the vehicle so we retreated back indoors where we grabbed another brew, a spot by the open log fire and indulged in a bit more bubbly! We weren’t going to let a little prang enjoy our safari trip.

Soon enough we were ready for the off and luckily as we dropped the 600m almost straight down into the crater we drove below the cloud level. As soon as we got into the crater we started to see animals – a large herd of zebra and wildebeast heading for the nearest lake. We were very surprised to see the Maasai people in there herding their cattle. Apparently even though it’s a protected area the Maasai are allowed in through the day for the cattle to graze and drink. I assume it’s the best way to get the balance of what people and nature need but it did seem a bit strange. Risky past time too when you consider Ngorongoro has a very high density of lions within it. By the time we reached the lake the zebra’s had already had their morning drink and were heading back to the savannah. The wildebeast were on their way to the lake and it was interesting watching them. They’re not the brightest creatures we’ve ever come across so it’s hardly surprising the lions like to tuck in! They were even wary of the domesticated cows and in fact wouldn’t go to drink while they were still there. The leader of the line stopped in his tracks and the rest of the herd simply halted behind him causing an enormous wildebeast bottleneck waiting for a drink.

Ngorongoro didn’t let us down and to be honest it was almost like a mini Serengeti. All the same animals and in huge numbers but, with the area being smaller, throughout the game drive you constantly have something to admire. The herds of wildebeast are so big and stretch out in such long chains that you can clearly see them as you’re still crawling down into the crater. Initially we headed towards the main lake in the crater where there were flamingos a plenty although not in the huge flocks that we’d seen in Lake Manyara. However as we were admiring the pink, long legged ones a hyena and a golden jackal wandered past and there were gazelle and other animals we’ve already mentioned pottering about too. In the distance we could see a collection of jeeps so of course we had to go and investigate. The main aim for everyone is to try to see a black rhino but since they are so very rare it really was going to be the proverbial needle in a haystack. We were also hoping to see a male lion.

The latter wish was quickly granted as on approaching the jeep throng we could see a shaggy maned one crouching down in the grass. On closer inspection with the binoculars we discovered there were 3 lionesses with him too. Many of the jeeps had been there for some time so it was only fair that they moved on and gave us later arrivals a better view. It was then we realised there was another male lion much closer to the road and easy to observe without the need of the binoculars. Wait! It gets better. The first male we’d seen got up showed off his mane and flank and started towards us. What truly regal animals they are and I have to say probably rightly given the title king of the beasts. Mind you we still feel that you can’t beat a tiger. Anyway this chap wandered over to join his pal so we got a very clear view of him and he was close enough for pretty good photos too. As soon as he found a spot he was happy with he slumped down in the grass and disappeared from sight to take part in the ultimate game of sleeping lions.

It was time to carry on and we went to what had quickly become one of our favourite parts of all the parks – the hippo pool. This time they were all fast asleep so we didn’t add to the hundred or so photos we already had! It was refreshing to watch them so peaceful and looking like rocks sticking up out of the water. Up until then we’d witnessed them being as noisy and narky as you’d expect and their grunts are very entertaining. As childish as it sounds we have to confess that you can’t resist a giggle at their gargantuan farts! Alongside the pool were hundreds and hundreds of zebras and wildebeast. In fact these were the biggest groups we’d see so far but it’s impossible to conjure up the sheer numbers in photos. We’ve never witnessed such a concentration of animals in one place and possibly never will again.

Enough of these ten a penny beasties we wanted to try to find the illusive rhino. We got very excited at one point, as there was a dark rhino sized shape in the tall grass. Turned out to be the only awake hippo in the area and he was obviously in need of a snack. It’s unusual to see hippos out of the water during the heat of the day, as their skin is so sensitive. This hippo encounter goes some way to describing to you just how chilly it was – we still had hats, gloves and coats on and it was the middle of the day. So the hippo was in fact having his lunch and it was time for us to head to the picnic area too. Once again the park authorities have allocated a great spot and this time it was right next to another hippo pool. We are still well and truly on the safari circuit as we counted over 60 jeeps all picnicking together. We had to eat inside the vehicle as the resident black kites have learnt to swoop down for tasty morsels and we didn’t fancy learning first hand just how sharp those talons are.

John then announced we were on a time restraint again to get to the park gate before the permit expired. So this was our last chance to try to find the rhino. Sound familiar? Remember those cheetahs? Now call us die-hard cynics but is this last minute animal spotting all part of the itinerary? Anyway off we set and before long we saw the familiar cluster of jeeps. You guessed it – we’d found the rhino. It was a long way off and only through the binoculars could we identify it for sure. No photos I’m afraid so you’ll simply have to believe us. As the rhino moved into slightly shorter grass we noticed a small grey shape moving along too – her baby. We chucked our cynics hats out of the window and spent time watching and admiring one of the world’s rarest creatures. We wouldn’t allow John to move on (never mind that time on the permit!) until we’d clearly seen their profile. Those horns were unmistakable and they were clearly 2 of only 17 resident black rhinos. How lucky we felt – that was the last animal to be ticked off our big 7 list.

It was time to climb back out of the crater and head towards our final nature reserve. There was just enough time to watch an elephant sleeping standing up – never seen an elephant asleep before. Plus we also saw one with the longest tusks ever. In fact it was elephants all the way to the top of the rim. Even though it’s much colder up there the wetter climate means their food is much more tasty. Now it really was time to put our foot down so we bumped our way along the road once more and narrowly avoided some baboons bouncing in the road. It was a great pleasure to get back onto the tarmac road and in no time at all we were at Roike Tented Lodge on the edge of our fourth and final reserve.

Tarangire National Park

After all the fabulous experiences we’d had so far on the safari poor Tarangire was going to have to throw up something special. Bobby Tours didn’t let us down as we found ourselves in the most luxurious lodgings of the entire trip. Roike Tented Lodge is built in the style of a Maasai village and is absolutely superb. To say we were in a tent does not help you to understand just how plush this place was. The fixtures and fittings were all of the kind of high standard you associate with 5-star hotels. With having canvas walls we woke up the next morning able to hear all sorts of birds singing away. Who’d have believed that Bobby budget Tours could come up with this little treat? Not only had we had private safaris all the way round we now had our own private safari lodge. We’ve well and truly dropped off the standard circuit and I’m not exaggerating when I say we were the only ones staying there. The staff outnumbered us something like 10 to 1 but they were attentive without being cloying. Probably the only over-the-top aspect of the place is not being allowed to walk back to your room unaccompanied after dark. The path is well lit but they insist there are all manner of wild beasties out there ready to pounce so we had to be escorted by a Maasai warrior proudly carrying his 6-foot long spear. He wasn’t around to protect us when we went into the bathroom and found a 3m long shark – it was the bath and definitely over-the-top!

We started the day on the balcony with a brew, as the lodge very thoughtfully provides kettle etc, while listening to the dawn chorus. Steve had started to get a cold and wasn’t feeling so enthusiastic about this last safari park. To be honest we’d seen so much by this point that we really didn’t know what to hope and expect from Tarangire. I was still hoping to see a snake and I’m always on the look out for smaller animals that tend to get over-looked. The park is a twitchers paradise and although I’m not in that bracket I was hoping that the birds would get more of a mention. We’ve seen so many but I still can’t identify most and it would be nice to leave the safaris knowing that I’d gained a bit more knowledge. Luckily John seemed to realise that I was interested and by the end of the day I could put some more names to feathers.

Tarangire has one of the highest populations of elephants and we weren’t disappointed. There seemed to be tusks and big flapping ears at every turn and usually in sizable herds too. They were not at all afraid of the jeeps and unless we got too close they were happy for us to watch them. There was only one big one that got slightly agitated and showed some signs of aggression but this was mainly due to us trying to pass before the whole herd had crossed the track. We were in their territory so we simply let all the elephants cross. It was lovely to observe them at such close quarters and for some time as we’d been whizzing past them in Serengeti in our pursuit of pussycats. The most aggressive we saw the elephants were when they came in contact with a herd of buffalo. The big adults did not like the buffalo near the little ones and they let their feeling be known. Generally we noticed that the females are not as fiercely protective of the young ones as they are in Asia. We were watching a 3-month old and he was free to wander away and play with his siblings. At that age in Asia he would have been tightly protected within the mother’s legs.

It didn’t take any more than a few loud trumpets to scare off the buffalo, as they are very easily spooked. We’d been down by the river earlier in the day to watch the masses drinking and as soon as the buffalo heard the jeeps they were off. This in turn startled the wildebeast but that’s mainly because they’re daft! The noise the buffalo made when they were running through the grass was amazing and at the end of the line we spotted a wildebeast. When the herds were spooked they grouped and went in opposite directions other than this exceptionally dim creature that clearly didn’t know what it was. We witnessed another one later getting itself all tangled up with the zebras – as I’ve said not the sharpest tools in the box!

The highlight of the day was seeing a moment in nature as opposed to simply observing animals. On turning a corner we almost went into the back of a jeep –we were back to twisty roads and a treat round every bend by the way. The other jeep had stopped to watch a newborn impala calf and we mean literally new born, as it was only a matter of minutes old. It was of course very wobbly on its legs but already standing and Mum was cleaning it. Apparently they have to learn to stand almost instantly as they need to be able to walk and run in order to avoid danger as quickly as possible. Within a few minutes it had drunk a good amount of milk and was ready to scamper off behind Mum to rejoin the group. A privilege to watch.

Tarangire is another attractive park and it prides itself on its boabab trees that are amazing things that live up to 500 years old. The main feature of the park is the Tarangire River that never runs dry and of course is a vital water supply in the area during the height of the dry season. The herds that had left the Serengeti and gone up to the Masai Mara will later go down to Tarangire. The park was already teaming with wildlife so it must be standing room only when the migration reaches town!

Over the week we’d been taken to some great picnic sites but Tarangire won hands down. The site is situated on top of a high bank overlooking the river and while munching away we saw; elephants, buffalo, zebra, wildebeast, waterbuck, water monitor, giraffes and loads of birds. One final thing to note is how good the facilities were in all the national parks and they put most Malaysian restaurants to shame.

The safaris were FANTASTIC and by far and away the highlight of the trip in Tanzania. We’d read about the high probability of seeing lots of amazing and rare animals but of course you always wonder just how lucky you will be given the unpredictability of nature. All the 4 parks and the lodges were excellent and each one gave us a different experience. On hindsight it was just as well all the tour operator’s itineraries included the Serengeti as that turned out to be the best part. All together we saw a vast variety of animals including lion, leopard and cheetah at close quarters. Plus you can’t beat sitting on a terrace, sipping champagne watching game crossing the horizon and savannah. We feel very lucky and privileged to have had this wonderful experience. A perfect choice for our honeymoon.

Recommended? Most definitely and having a private jeep and driver for the whole week including safaris can’t be beaten. Again very well organised by Bobby Tours and very good value for money.