It’s impossible to prepare for the thrill of seeing the honeyed plains and grasslands of the Serengeti for the first time. The goosebump-inducing tingle of spotting a sleek cheetah as it silently navigates the brush is unmatched. Wildlife abounds–from snoozing lions to the unexpected stampede of wildebeest, time seems to come to an abrupt stop under the molten Tanzanian sun.
On the Tanzania Trek and Safari, the experience is an authentic and all-encompassing one from bucket-style safari showers to milking cows with Maasai women to game drives in search of the elusive big cats.
For two nights, we’ll be totally starry-eyed at Dunia Camp, the only all female-run camp in the Serengeti! The accommodations on this trip are a balanced blend of traditional safari and luxury in tented suites, panoramic lodges on the crater’s rim and dome tents in the wild savannah. Everywhere, the sounds of the African night will swallow you up into a deep sleep.
Hike into the belly of the Empaki crater! When was the last time you poked around a collapsed volcano? Learn how to make cheese, harvest honey, roast coffee and make intricate beaded jewelry during our village visit to a women’s cooperative.
Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro Crater and Serengeti National Park will load up your memory cards in no time. The Tanzania Big 5 list traditionally includes the lion, leopard, elephant, Cape Buffalo and rhino. However, there are other fives like the giraffes, zebra, dik diks, flamingo and water bucks that will leave your head on a perma-swivel.
This will be the best scavenger hunt ever–Serengeti National Park has over 500 species of birds alone! (All of Canada has 426 recognized species!) From late July and August, the great migration shifts to the Kogatende and Masai Mara side which is the ideal time to be in the Northern Serengeti. The plains will be reduced to the stubble of short grasses making all the big cats more visible. Ruminant animals like antelopes will be peppered everywhere as the short grass allows them to see their predators from afar. Because the ruminants feed on the short grasslands they have to be behind the large animals on the food chain. Despite the surprises on safari, everything is quite orderly!
Grab your binoculars and Buff and get ready to fall under the hypnotic spell of Tanzania from the kick of Zanzibari-spiced curries to the flame-orange sunsets to the expansive landscapes that no longer belong to just your TV screen. They will be part of you.
