Day 1
We woke up and gathered our things while enjoying the breakfast that Mulky provided us with. Sam, our driver and guide from Sunny Safaris, called as he was trying to find us. I had no idea where we were so I took the phone to the security guard, who was able to provide directions. We woke Mulky up as Sam was arriving so we could say our goodbyes and thank her yet again.
Sam looking at the trip agenda
We needed to pick up our cook, Marcel, who was downtown getting the last of our supplies for the trip. The Landcruiser was already full, but we managed to find space for the boxes of food he’d just gotten. Our last stop out of town was to buy a box of wine as it was the best option without refrigeration or carrying several bottles.
Once we left Arusha, we drove through several Maasai villages or manyattas. As we got closer to our destination for the night, we passed a community that was having their weekly market. We asked Sam to stop and got out to explore. It was like other open-air markets we’d seen with all types of goods being sold, including food, clothes and shoes, but had a section we hadn’t witnessed before.
The colorful Maasai market
We worked our way to the back of the market past the stalls that had pieces of goat meat on sticks around a fire. They were serving fresh meat as they were butchering the animals while we passed and under a bench was a large pile of intestines and other unwanted items. As we continued on, we reached the open field where they were selling their livestock.
Fresh goat meat for sale!
There were hundreds of goats and sheep that were hanging around their owners. Some had markings on them, but it was hard to tell who many of them belonged to. A few had spray paint on them and we were told that those were the ones who had been sold. As we walked further in, we saw the cows for sale. We were offered different animals, but declined them all. Different people came to buy the animals and we watched as they felt them up to determine if it was a good purchase or not.
Tico looking at the livestock section
Man selling his goats
Once we’d spent enough time wandering around, we headed back to the truck to make it to camp for lunch. As Sam tried to get us moving, the vehicle wouldn’t go into gear. He had a bottle of liquid near him that he poured somewhere under the hood and then we were off. We reached the Tarosero Campsite and washed a few clothes before sitting down for lunch.
Our tent for the next few days
The afternoon activity was a game drive through Lake Manyara National Park, which was just a few kilometers away. As we drove through the town that borders the park, the road became spotted with white poop. We looked up at the trees to find them covered with storks. They were also circling high above us as well. We turned into the park entrance and paid our fees. The road first led us to a small freshwater lake, where we saw baboons, waterbuck and warthogs. We carried on under a canopy of trees and past fresh springs.
All the leaves were covered in bird poop
Driving through Lake Manyara forest
The highlight of the park is the hippo pool and when we reached it we understood why. There were hundreds of birds everywhere that had migrated from the Eurasia region. Not only was it the storks that we saw from the road, but there were yellow-billed storks, pelicans, Egyptian geese, jicanas and more that we couldn’t identify. They would fly in and out and moved around the freshwater lake was ease. Some had their beak open in the water in hopes of finding a fish while others were just floating around. There were also hippos and water buffalo cooling off in the water.
Arriving to the first section of the lake
The millions of birds around the lake
A careless buffalo crossing the lake
Hippos sharing the water with the birds
Birds flying to a different area of the lake
We spent a good amount of time watching the birds, but then continued on to see what else the park had to offer. We could see the massive salt water lake in the distance that is the park’s namesake and quickly started seeing more animals. There were elephants, zebra, wildebeest, a herd of buffalo, as well as vervet and blue monkeys. We also got a closeup of a buffalo as it worked it’s way through the swampy grass alongside the road. It was so close that we could have stuck our arm out and touched it.
The buffalo and his small friend, the cattle egret
How close we were to the buffalo
Moving through the forest
The other side of the lake was also full of birds
As we worked our way through the park, there were multiple times that the Landcruiser didn’t want to start. Sam continued to add more liquid, which we found out was clutch fluid, and even had to open a new bottle. We asked about the plan as we didn’t want to be in the middle of a park and not be able to move. He assured us that his mechanic was coming that night and it wouldn’t be a problem. We headed back to camp for dinner and then crawled into our tent under the stars.
Day 2
The next morning our vehicle wasn’t at the camp and neither was Sam. We sat down to have breakfast and Marcel assured us that we’d be ready to go as planned. As we finished eating, Sam showed up and informed us that they’d sent the wrong spare part from Arusha. We would go with another driver to Serengeti National Park while he waited for our vehicle to be fixed and then meet us that evening in the park.
Normally, we probably would have just said okay and went on our way. But as we had anticipated this part of the trip for months, we didn’t want anything to spoil it. Tico called the company and explained our situation so that they were fully aware of what was happening. It turns out it was a good thing that he called as they then called Sam and told him to switch cars and leave the damaged one with the new driver that would have taken us. Everyone was happy, except the driver that was stuck with a broken car, and we started our drive for the day.
They rearranged the final things and we were ready to go. Only to realize that the keys were with the replacement driver who had just left for the mechanic shop. They came back and we went to pick up a few final things from our original car. Then, we worked our way up the mountain and into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
The gate was filled with other 4×4 safari trucks and we could see the effects of high season. We drove through the rainforest and admired the trees that were covered in Spanish moss. As we worked our way up, the road led us into a cloud. Fog surrounded us and it added to the mystical feeling that we already had with the trees. We reached the top of the rim and could see the bottom of the crater and its dried-up lake.
The line of cars waiting to enter the conservation area
The first view of the crater
The road led us down out of the rainforest and into dry, dusty plains. There were Maasai herders with their cows and sheep and not far away were zebras and giraffes. It was incredible to see how they cohabitated the same area. Many of the Maasai used their donkeys to carry jugs to be filled by trucks the government sends with drinking water and one man used his camels instead.
The dry and dusty road to Serengeti
The dryness was evident all around
We passed a safari vehicle that was stopped on the side of the road so we checked in to see if they needed help. Tico and I took advantage of the landscape to play in the loose dirt and take pictures while they looked at the car. Once they’d done everything they could, we loaded up again. As we tried to pull out, one of our back wheels wouldn’t turn. Another vehicle stopped to help us and solved the problem by using 4-wheel drive. The rear axel had become detached from the wheel well so we couldn’t go anywhere using only the power of the back tires.
One broken car being helped by many friendly cars
Tico playing with the dust
Serengeti National Park
Before long we reached the gate for Serengeti National Park, which was actually just an archway over the dirt road. We continued on to reach the gate headquarters and found even more safari trucks. The place was bustling with tourists eating their lunch while the guides took care of the park fees. Once we finished our lunch, we climbed a nearby hill to get a view of the vast yellow plains. The name Serengeti comes from the Maa (Maasai) word “serengit,” which means “endless plains.”
The first gate to Serengeti National Park
The parking full of cars
The plains of Serengeti viewed from the gate
Lizards around the gate
Almost immediately, we started seeing new animals. In other parks, impala was the common animal, but here we were seeing Thomson’s gazelles everywhere. There were also different types of hartebeests, including the Topi and Coke’s, as well as the Bohor reedbuck and Grant’s gazelles. On our way to camp, we could see several trucks gathered around. There were 3 cheetahs lying under a tree resting and not caring that so many people were around. We watched for a bit and then continued on. We reached another group of trucks and stopped to see what was happening. There were 2 lions that were mating or as our guide put it, on their honeymoon. As we moved on, buffalos seemed to be everywhere we looked.
Male impalas fighting to welcome us to the park
The endless plains and dry roads in Serengeti
Cheetahs resting in the afternoon
The lions resting after the mating action
Topis running away from the car
We made it to the Seronera campsite a couple hours after entering the park. Tents were already lined up so we unloaded the car and set up our tent. I wasn’t feeling well as something I ate didn’t agree with my stomach so we chose a spot close to the toilets. Dinner was prepared while we showered. A hyena was picking through the trash near the bathrooms, but didn’t seem to care we were nearby. We could hear him (and his friends) throughout the night, but thankfully didn’t spot them on any of our middle of the night visits to the toilet.
The tents in Seronera camp
The collection of buffalo skulls at the camp
Our first couple nights of the tour had been eventful and we were looking forward to what the rest of the day would hold. We’d already seen new animals and were amazed by the difference dry season made for viewing. Our anticipation was building for the wildebeest migration and we crossed our fingers that we’d be lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time.