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We were on a 42 Day Overland expedition from Nairobi to Cape Town with Africa Travel Co. (ATC). Arusha in Tanzania was our first stop on the itinerary and the base for which to embark on a trip to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area spans 809,440 ha of vast expanses of highland plains, savannah grasslands, woodlands and forests and incorporates the plains of the Serengeti National Park in the north-west to the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley.
The area was established in 1959 as a multiple land use area, with wildlife coexisting with semi-nomadic Masai pastoralists practising traditional livestock grazing.
The 3 day 2 night safari to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti was not included in the price of our trip (why, I don’t know!) but is an optional extra and cost US$500 each and was organised by our overland company. Bee Eater and Honey Guide Safaris was the company they used and they were excellent. The cost included everything from, jeep, driver/guide food, camping and park entrance fee. Naturally everyone in our tour group opted to go and why wouldn’t you given it’s one of Africa’s premier game reserves. It was also wildebeest migration season so a very good time to visit.
Day 1 – Arusha to Ngorongoro Crater
Our group of 25, including our ATC guide Susan, was split across three Jeeps, our driver Jovan was also our guide. The first day is pretty much spent preparing for the three day trip with packing and a trip into town to visit the ATM and stock up on personal supplies like water, snacks and toilet roll! In the afternoon we drove the 3 hours to our first camp site on the edge of the crater.
The three hour drive was very pleasant. Passing through the outskirts of Arusha we enjoyed the suburban scenery of shops and Masai in their colourful attire at the local markets.
Once we left behind the bustling city we were rewarded with the beauty of the Tanzanian scenery. We stopped at a vista point to view Lake Manyara. Water buffalo and flamingos could be seen in the distance, our first taste of the wildlife wonders that were to come 🙂
Our camp ground with its springy lush grass and cute African bar was lovely and what was even better was we had it to ourselves. It was certainly an upgrade from the oversubscribed Snake Park camp ground we left behind in Arusha. Snake Park was not a good introduction to our overland experience, the small camp ground played host to every overland truck passing through Arusha and with only two bathrooms; queues for the grubby cool showers were a daily occurrence.
For our three day trip we were given a reprieve from daily chores. We didn’t have to erect or pack up our tents or help with cooking and washing up so we had more time to spend at the bar 🙂 It was $500 well spent!
Day 2 – Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti games drives
We awoke at 5am to darkness and cool damp air. Our morning game drive was in the Crater with the afternoon spent in the Serengeti. By the time we drove to the park entrance the sun was just starting to rise. A small museum at the entrance gave you some insightful information on the geology of the crater and the animals we would see, there was every chance of ticking off the big 5!
A long windy road took you to the crater and if it’s not foggy at the crater lookout then you are rewarded with excellent views. It wasn’t totally clear but we did catch some glimpses as well as the expanse of plains and a salt lake which formed part of the greater expanse of the national park.
As we wound down the steep descent into the crater we caught the first glimpses of wildlife – A colourful bird which I don’t know the name of , Zebra and Thompson’s Gazelle as well as Wildebeest. Jovan our guide had lifted the roof so we could stand up and get those National Geographic shots (wishful thinking!)
The crater itself is not that large, only 20 kilometres across making it easier to spot the abundance of wildlife. In one morning we spotted – Thompson Gazelle, Wildebeest, Zebra, Lion, Hippo, Secretary birds, Ostrich, Superb African starling, Hyena, Warthog, Hawk, Cape Buffalo and White rhino.
The charging white rhino was a real highlight, something had spooked it and it was heading for us before it veered off into the distance.
Our guides had picked a safe spot for us to have our picnic lunch right next to a hippo pool!. We spotted a couple of hippos pop their heads up and it’s safe as long as you don’t venture into their territory. Our only wildlife guests were the superb African starling with its beautiful fluorescent blue feathers and caramel coloured chest.
After lunch we headed out of the crater spotting more animals along the way like Cape buffalo, a stalking Brown Hyena eyeing up some tasty Gazelle and male Lion asleep with an Elephant close by which is something our guide said you don’t see too often.
As we climbed out the crater we were rewarded with spectacular views of the crater itself with its salt pan and what looked like migrating wildebeest herding in a line towards a water hole.
The Serengeti was very different; it was a large flat expanse of golden grass plains. The first hour of driving was a bumpy one with no animals to see. The park entrance was busy with tourists and African starlings!
Here we stopped for at least an hour so browsed the local wares at the shop, and climb up to the lookout behind the car park where we had endless views of the Serengeti plains. While enjoying the lookout we spotted a Agama Mwanzae male lizard.
With our afternoon drive through the park we added some new animal sightings to our list – Grant’s Gazelle, a family of Elephants, Hartebeest, Vultures, Lions and their cubs and Scarlet Billed Storks.
Just on dusk there was a call on Jovan’s radio to say a leopard had been spotted so we headed over to the spot as quickly as possible. We found the leopard although getting a good photo in such poor light without a tripod was a challenge. On the way to camp we were lucky to have a close encounter with a Spotted Hyena.
In one day we ticked off the BIG 5: Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Cape Buffalo and Leopard. As well as witnessing countless other amazing wildlife in their natural habitat.
Our “bush camp” for the night was just on the edge of the park, but it was far from being a bush camp with its flush toilets, cold showers and large enclosed food shelters! My idea of bush camping has no facilities whatsoever. We were sharing the camp with other safari groups, one group of which were quite obnoxious to the point that our campfire was hijacked! All I can say is that the camping experience is definitely more enjoyable when it’s just your group! On the plus side our safari hosts excelled once again with their cooking skills.
Day 2 – Serengeti game drive
We are up at the crack of dawn for our final day’s game drive through the Serengeti. The morning sunrise was beautiful, it was a typical African scene and I was pleased to be able to capture the moment on camera.
This morning’s animal sightings including some we hadn’t seen until now – a Rock Hyrax (it’s closest relative is the elephant) which looks like a large rabbit, a female Impala, a family of Baboons, Warthog, African Guinea Fowl, Dik Dik, a tiny little antelope and a Cheetah perched up on a rock.
We were also very lucky early in the morning to come across a lion kill right next to the road. One lioness was guarding the meat while the other females including cubs were hiding amongst the tall grass. An African Fox was stalking close by as were vultures hoping for a share of the leftovers!
As we continued with our drive we spotted more animals on our first time list – Giraffe, Marabou Storks, African Duck and a Hippo pool with a Nile Crocodile
A little further on, we came across two lionesses and their cubs, with another lioness walking towards them. An interesting scene of nature unfolded before us. A group of impala had seen the lions and scattered leaving one on guard to watch the lions while the others continued to graze. It’s moments like these you really appreciate the vulnerability of theses gentle mammals as they live every moment in fear.
We also passed a Hippo pool and for the first time we witnessed a hippo with a baby!
Towards the end of the drive we had another radio call to say there was a pride of female Lions and cubs on a rock outcrop. By the time we reached the lionesses we were sharing them with a hoard of other Jeeps. Jovan our driver decided to do a sneaky and drove around the other side of the group so we could get closer to take better photos. This obviously annoyed someone in the Jeep pack as a voice came over the radio telling him off! By then we had taken plenty of photos so mission was accomplished.
By the time we had reached our lunch spot the camera batteries were flat! So to my relief I was able to charge them ready for the afternoon activities of visiting the Masai which I will cover in a separate post. On our way out the park the crater lookout was clear so we were able to capture some good photos.
A final reflection…
No amount of words can describe the amazing experience of spending three days in one of East Africa’s most prestigious parks and one I could repeat over and over again. It was truly magnificent and the abundance of wildlife is staggering, seeing animals in their natural habitat, wild and free and not locked in some cage in a zoo is a truly rewarding as is sharing the experience with like-minded people. If you love nature then a trip to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater should be without a doubt on your lifetime bucket list.
Visited: July 2014
If you have enjoyed the photos and would like to see more! then the complete gallery can be viewed in the Trip Photos
