Everything I Learned on my First African Safari
I am your average, typical girly girl. Going on an African Safari never even crossed my mind. I started at Craft Travel in October 2022 and when asked if I wanted to go on my first familiarization trip, without hesitation, I said yes! Little did I know, I would be going on my first African Safari and it would change my perspective on the outdoors from here on out.
We began our trip in Arusha, at the Arumeru River Lodge. Centrally located between Killamanjaro airport and Arusha, it is a fantastic place to start or end your safari. Greeted by the typical wet towel cloth and cool tea drink, I was ready to relax for the evening and get myself ready for the next day's full agenda of activities. The rooms were very spacious with double beds and room to sleep two more if needed. With 20 spacious rooms as well as 6 junior suites, all rooms come complete with mosquito nets around the beds and en-suite bathroom with shower. We woke up the next morning and went on a rainforest walk where we were able to encounter the black and white colobus monkey. These monkeys rarely come down from their trees and live in groups of around 8-15. After our walk, it was time to go back to the lodge for lunch and start our drive to our first encounter with the bush. As we drove out of Arusha, and towards the Tarangire National Park we were able to pass the villages and shops that offer a variety of foods and goods.
We arrived at Tarangire eager to see the animals and we were greeted with just that! Elephants, giraffes, wildebeest, warthogs, zebras, and antelope just to name a few! We drove around for a few hours before arriving at Maweninga Camp, located in Tarangire National Park. As we pulled up to the lodge, we were greeted by a fire on their gorgeous wooden deck and a fantastic sunset view overlooking Lake Manyara. The giant flatrock that connected to the main lodge and small seating area was easy to walk on and a nice place to rest after a long day in the sun. The accommodations consisted of 16 tents built on individual platforms, each having a large wooden deck overlooking the landscape. Each room has en-suite bathrooms. After placing our items in the rooms, we met as a group for dinner and drinks.
The next morning, we had breakfast at the neighboring tent camp Ormatai Rock. Built on the kopjes, each of the 9 tents on the property offers gorgeous views of the surrounding area and a more private, exclusive feel. Each tent is equipped with an expansive room, wooden floors and an ensuite bathroom and shower. After our visit at Ormatai, we continued our safari through the Tarangire. At the end of our game drive, we stopped for lunch at Tarangire Safari Lodge where we were met with elephants walking the grounds. After lunch, we made our way through Karatu to Bashay Lodge.
Bashay Lodge is nestled at the top of the hills and only a few miles away from the Ngorongoro Crater. There are plenty of activities to keep you busy while staying at the lodge. Visiting the coffee plantations & fruit / vegetable gardens on the lodge's farm grounds, mountain biking, visiting the different tribes in the area and don’t forget to make a stop at the Bashay Primary School. The lodge consists of 32 different styles of rooms, so no one is the same. Walking into my room, I was greeted with a breathtaking view, a large king bed and a gorgeous ensuite bathroom that boasted a double shower and a jacuzzi tub with breathtaking views of the outdoors. It was a relaxing evening with before dinner drinks and snacks (the typical peanuts, popcorn and delicious plantain chips) at the main lodge. The main lodge offers spectacular views of the valley below and seating for up to 60 people in their main dinner area.
The next day was an early morning wake up call to the Bashay Primary School. All of the school's running water comes directly from the lodge, and most of the donations to the school comes directly from Bashay Lodge guests. Each guest is encouraged to donate to the school. The school will then plant a tree in their name on the property. We were able to see the kids in their class room and meet some of the students. After touring the school grounds, we drove a few miles away to the crater. Here it took about 30 minutes to make our way into the crater. Once there, we saw dozens of animals, including a rhino. We had a wonderful picnic lunch surrounded by zebras, birds, and other animals. After lunch, we made our way out of the crater to head to Olduvai. The trek to Olduvai was one of the best rides I have ever had. It had just rained so a gorgeous rainbow was seen peeking through the sky as giraffes roamed below it. The sprawling hills and views of the Maasai people and their villages were breathtaking.
We made our way to Olduvai Camp where we would spend the night. Since it rained that day, we did not get to walk to the sundowner but we went across the hills to the sister camp Olduvai Ndogo where we were able to have drinks and watch the sun go down behind the hills. After drinks we made our way back over to Olduvai camp for dinner. Once dinner came to an end, it was time to sleep in the spacious tent and wake up for an early morning drive. There are 17 private canvas tents located on the property all with ensuite bathrooms.
The next morning, we drove to Serengeti National Park. While in the park we were able to see various animals that we had not yet encountered, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, and hippos. We were also able to do several site inspections this day on a few other properties including the Four Seasons Serengeti, Pioneer Camp, and Ronjo Camp before making our way to the Grumeti Hills.
Once at Grumeti Hills, we were able to take our first night safari ride. The safari car was electric so it was very quiet and it also was completely open. The openness of the car led to the exciting experience we had! We were first able to spot out 2 female lions and their cubs. They were hungry and looking for food. We knew the male would be close by, but didn’t realize how close he actually was! We turned the car around and there he was. He was so close we could almost touch him from the side of the car. After a few yawns and stretches, he got up and walked away from us, but only after looking each of us in the eye and scaring the whole car! The night safari came to an end and we were off to bed in the tented camp. This camp boasts 20 stand alone tented camps with gorgeous terrance views of the hills and an en suite shower and bathroom.
The next day consisted of my first ever 12 person aircraft flight back to Arusha. It was small and a bit bumpy, but we made it! The craziest part of the ride was as we were trying to land, we had to divert back up into the air until the zebra was off the runway! Once we made it back to Arusha, it was off to our scheduled international flights to depart back to the States.
The safari taught me to slow down and disconnect with the hectic, everyday life as much as possible. Listening to the outdoors and all of the animals surrounding your tented camps is something I would have never willingly volunteered myself to do, but it has instilled a confidence in me I did not know I had. It took me out of my comfort zone, which I am learning is good for you every once in a while. It was nice to turn off my “on the go” button for a few days and really find what I am passionate about. I cannot wait to explore more of Africa in future trips to come.
