- Safari in Tanzania guide, information and useful advice
- Safari in Tanzania what to see and places to visit
- Tanzania what to eat and where to eat
- Photo gallery Tanzania
Safari in Tanzania guide, information and useful advice
We arrive at the Kilimanjaro international airport and we move to the Ethiopian Hotel (a very nice and clean hotel adorned with pretty naive paintings) in the city of Arusha.
The hotel, very clean, boasts among other things a very good cuisine both continental and Ethiopian (excellent lo Zighinì).
The next morning we get up early and after an excellent breakfast we meet our guide (James) with whom we share the travel program.
Loaded the luggage on the jeep (around 10) we finally leave.
Safari in Tanzania what to see and places to visit
After about an hour we arrive at the village of Mbo River and here we take place in our camp. While Deo prepares lunch, we set up the tents and relax over a cool African beer.
After lunch we visit the village, which boasts among other things a very picturesque market full of handicrafts in wood but without losing sight of the clock.
America Coast to CoastAt 15,30 in fact we leave for the first fantastic game drive in Manyara National Park, whose entrance is only 5 minutes from the village.
The name of the park and the lake derive from the Masai word “Manyara”, which is the name of a plant: the Euphorbia Tirucalli used by the Masai to build fences and fences.
The first part of the park consists of a lush humid forest, very similar to a tropical forest.
Here, however, the abundant water comes from the underground strata of the Rift Valley rather than from the rains.
La vegetation includes tall trees and particular species (baobabs, sausage trees, bread trees).
Here we meet baboons, different species of birds, but also elephants, antelopes, giraffes, buffaloes, dik dik, vervets.
Everything is a discovery and our first instinct is to take repetitive photos for fear of not finding ourselves in such favorable conditions again.
The area adjacent to the shore is more open.
Here we sight hippos, bufali, zebras, giraffe and also three leoni.
We shoot in the park until 18,30 pm when the park closes and being punctual is important to avoid discussions and fines from the rangers.
The next morning we get up around 7,30, have breakfast and leave for the second game drive in Manyara.
Il game drive it is a replica of the first and we see more or less the same things as the previous day.
However, we live a shock experience due to an elephant that comes up to 50 centimeters from our jeep.
And if he puts his trunk in and scrambles someone by slamming him here and there.
The guide advises us to be silent and, a little frightened, we follow his instructions to the letter.
After 30 seconds (the longest of my life) the satisfied elephant moves away and returns to the group from which it was detached.
James says he did this because there were little ones in the group.
At about 11,30 we return to the camp, take down the tent and move towards the second goal, the Karatu village, where we arrive after about an hour.
Here, too, we immediately set up the tents in the Resort we are guests of and, after a nice hot shower and another nice African beer consumed at the bar, we can take a stroll through the streets of this characteristic Tanzanian village.
The houses are all low, the village is full of life and children.
The surrounding landscape is very beautiful, rough and full of crops.
The next morning we wake up early and leave for the integral conservation area of ​​the Ngorongoro.
We arrive at the lodge where we leave our luggage at the reception before moving to the main crater.
The actual crater entrance is about half an hour from the lodge.
The view from the edge of the crater is spatial.
It looks like a model but it is reality.
Below us we see elephants and herds of buffaloes in the distance.
We are over 2000 meters and the animals are 600 meters below us.
Arrived at the bottom we begin to turn and enjoy the numerous fauna that surrounds us.
It's like being in a zoo in reverse, we prisoners in machines and the earthly paradise all around us: gnu, bufali, gazelles, zebras, elephants, leoni, antelope, jackals, hippos, hyenas, flamingos, rhinos, snakes e eagles.
We stay in the crater all day and only return to the Lodge in the late afternoon.
We don't get up very early the next morning.
The guide explains that it is best to arrive at the gate around 13:00 to optimize our stay in Serengeti.
We then stop to visit one of the first masai villages that we find along the road and then the gorges of Olduvai, one of the most significant sites for human paleontology.
I masai they are friendly but to get us into their village we have to pay 50 $ per car.
After we have paid they dance for us and are available to be photographed in all sorts of ways (perhaps this village is a bit fake).
A Olduvai instead there is a small museum where human evolution is illustrated.
We also admire the gorge below us as a gentleman explains the history of the gorges and the significant discoveries that have been made in this place in over 30 years of paleontological research. It's very hot.
We continue to the park gate where we arrive as expected around 13,00.
We consume our packed lunch and in the early afternoon we proceed to the Seronera (the heart of the park).
Along the track that leads to the central area of ​​the park we find the piana dei Kopjes and we often go off the main track to visit them.
I cups are used by cheetahs or by lions to spot prey.
So we do several and in fact we see several times both lions and cheetahs lurking to spot prey or sunbathe.
Between one Kopjes and the other interminable expanses of grass where we often find large groups of thompson's gazelles, of grant, zebras, damalischi and of course wildebeest.
We arrive in the early afternoon to the wonderful Seronera Lodge, in the very heart of the Serengeti where we immediately take accommodation in our room.
In the morning we leave early and arrive at Lobo Lodge for lunch time.
Along the way other lions, a family of 3 cheetahs: mother and 2 cubs and obviously many herbivores.
Although we see fewer animals at Lobo, the area is even more beautiful than that of Seronera.
Furthermore, the Lodge is wonderful and welcoming, camouflaged in a large Kopie.
The swimming pool on the terrace is an ideal place to enjoy the wonderful nature that surrounds us and admire the animals that go to drink at the pool located just below the terrace.
After two days we set off again heading towards the area of Lake natron.
We arrive in four hours and leave the north gate and drive towards the spectacular wilderness of the district of Ngorongoro.
Il lago Natron is famous because at dawn it turns pink, because it is populated by thousands of pink flamingos and because it is located at the foot of theOldoniyo Lengai (the sacred volcano where the Masai God lives)
After taking our place at the campsite we move around 15,00 pm to go up the small river and reach, after a short walk, a waterfall that plunges into a natural pool where we take a nice warm bath. The area around it is volcanic but it is logical.
We are in Rift Valley.
After a few photos and a pleasant walk, we take off the tents and get back in the car towards Mbo River.
This time we pass the dusty slopes of the Rift Valley and see beautiful volcanic landscapes that abound in the great rift.
After about 5 hours of travel we arrive at Mto wa Mbo where we stop for purchases.
The Mto wa Mbo market is well stocked with wooden items.
I buy four shades and an ebony tray.
The next morning, after breakfast, we move to the Tarangire where we arrive after about an hour on the road.
Initially we enter an area of ​​vast plains where the large baobabs that characterize the northernmost area of ​​the park stand out.
Gradually the acacia savannah is imposed, the most central area is beautiful and in the middle of the valley flows a river where elephants and giraffes drink.
Finished our tour in an hour we are at Arusha.
Tanzania what to eat and where to eat
I recommend the Truppa (a kind of rattatuja with vegetables and chicken) accompanied by ugali (white polenta).
Really tasty.
The next day, rested, we await our guide who will accompany us in the last chapter of our journey: the visit of Arusha park.
We turn around and in front of us the Kilimanjaro with its snows.
Let's go back to the car going down another route and pass through another waterfall.
The game drive ends around 17pm. We head towards the exit and from there we transfer to the airport.
We were 10 days on Safari and, honestly, I would have done another 20.
Have fun everyone in this earthly paradise.
Photo gallery Tanzania
