I have seen so many beautiful places but, my recent trip to Serengeti National Park left me speechless. My husband and I took a short flight from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza, a beautiful port city located on the shore of Lake Victoria to do a three day/two night safari. We arrived in Mwanza early morning and here we met our driver Joseph, who was supposed to take us on our tour in the Serengeti National Park. We got into his Safari jeep and started our journey towards the National Park. The Ndabaga Gate of Serengeti National Park is approximately a two hours’ drive from Mwanza.
After our registration process at the Ndabaga Gate, we started our safari adventure from the western corridor of the Serengeti National Park. I was awestruck to see the radiant beauty of the park. With green mountains, lush green vast plains, thick green trees, cloudy blue sky, it was surprisingly beautiful. A few hours of rain transformed brown grass into green fields. The aroma of wet sand was spread far across the vast Serengeti plains. Without wasting any time, we began our game drive in search of animals. Suddenly, we were among the animals. We came across herds of impalas, wildebeests and zebras grazing on the freshly grown grass. It was awe-inspiring to see so many wild animals candid in their natural habitat. What a sight! Here I felt I am a nature person by heart. My husband and I got a chance to capture the stunning images of the animals. As they say, “pictures can never beat seeing nature in person,” I can strongly endorse it now.
There were plenty of wildebeests, African buffaloes, zebras, impalas and giraffes in western Serengeti that we encountered them though out the game drive. My husband and I had to keep our cameras ready as we did not want to miss a chance as these animals are extremely fast runners, and they disappear behind the green trees the moment they see safari jeeps on halt. We were lucky enough to capture some brilliant shots there.
Driving up the Grumeti River, Joseph our driver suddenly stopped the car, pointing his finger towards the river and whispered “Mam, can you see that,” my eyes searched and scanned. I thought he was trying to show me the huge bird sitting beside the river. I whispered back, “Yes, it’s a marabou stork.” He said “No, madam, look there in water.” I saw so many hippos poking their eyes and nostrils out of the emerald colored water. Here, we got a chance to get out of our safari jeep. Joseph made sure that it was safe to get out of our vehicle. Although they don’t allow it most of the times, but we were lucky enough to experience this. My husband was eagerly waiting to take magnificent shots of hippos to use them as wallpapers, so he took amazing photos of the giants as they relaxed in the blue-green waters of the Grumeti. On the other side of the river, I also saw large crocodiles resting in the shades of trees. They looked massive and dangerous.
After a quick lunch at a designated area in the park, Joseph took us to the Central Serengeti also known as Seronera. I noticed a sudden change of landscape in the Central Serengeti. I saw vast never ending plains that looked magnificent from every angle. No words can describe this enchanting land, it was phenomenal.
After crossing a vast savanna, my eyes caught something lying in the tall grass. I poked my head out of the jeep to scan, and I saw two lions lazing in the grass. Had not I poked my head out of the jeep, I would not be able to see them. They were so well camouflaged in the tall golden grass. My husband, an avid photographer did not miss a chance, and took so many shots till they stood up and slowly walked away. We headed down the road and in the next few miles, spotted more lions sitting on the top of a small hill.
Then, we moved further for our encounter with the lions, as we headed deep into the park in search of cheetahs. Joseph informed us “cheetah can be a bit tricky to spot so we need to keep a sharp eye on the trees.” After a few hours of the drive, we spotted one lying on a tree branch. As we were watching the cheetah, we spotted at a distance a wildebeest and a foal grazing on fresh grass. As soon the Cheetah noticed the animals, she jumped off the tree, sprang into action grabbed the foal by the neck and disappeared into the tall golden grass. It was the most breathtaking experience.
We also got a change to see the mighty elephants. They were huge and elegant. We were lucky to spot the Big 4; lions, leopards, African buffaloes and the mighty elephants. We could not see the 5th one, the ferocious rhinos as they are normally found and live in the Ngorongoro Crater game reserve, that’s what Joseph told us.
The sun was about to set, golden hues streaked the sky, and this is when we started our journey back to our resort located on a small hill in the middle of the jungle. What a trip it was! We had a fabulous time. It was once in a lifetime experience, one that I will have and cherish forever.
Nadia Ehtsham has a great passion for travelling, and loves reading and cooking as well. She has a degree in Computer & Internet Management from Bay State College, USA, and writes for Kluchit.com
