The Tanzanian Safari Experience
Let me be honest. I didn’t get the hype. Safari? ”Going on safari” in Africa just seemed like something I could go with or without on my trip to Tanzania & Kenya. When people would tell me how they went all the way to Africa from North America and skipped doing stuff like climbing Mt Kilimanjaro and instead just went on safari my mind just couldn’t recreate the experience in my head.
It seemed mundane and dull to me; driving around in a car all day looking for animals. I don’t know why I created this story in my head. I adore animals, I actually become a vegetarian a few years ago simply because I felt it was unnecessary to eat them and I have been obsessed with zoos, dogs in the park, and geese flying over a river since I was a toddler.
But there I was…feeling like Chuck D and Flavor Flav as they laid down the lyrics in their 80’s hip hop classic “Don’t believe the hype.”
Trust me Chuck and Flav I wasn’t buying the hype of going on safari, but I should have.
We chose to trek Mt Kilimanjaro and after this we had a few days lounging and hanging in the fun town of Moshi, Tanzania before going on safari. The lounging happened because one of our friends in the group got serious altitude sickness, blood clots, and was laid up in the Moshi ICU. It was pretty touch & go to be honest and I’m grateful for the Moshi community and our friend Matt who helped get him back on his feet.
Once his Dad made the flight over from the states, they got him checked out of a hospital and into a hotel, and we departed our hostel at the Adventures Nest to head out on safari with our buds from Safari Heroes!
Our safari was short and sweet because of the Moshi ICU extravaganza but it allowed us time to feel hyper local, support our friend in getting healthy, and it led us to go straight to the world famous Ngorongoro Crater on the edge of the Serengeti on day one of our safari.
That’s when we encountered three male lions who basically spent thirty minutes walking around, peeing, and sleeping in the shade next to our jeep. I could have petted them if I wanted to and if I was an idiot.
I believe that was about the time I dialed up Chuck D and told him to best believe the hype!
The Ostrich poking around acting like it’s the world’s largest bird and can’t fly because, well, both are true.
The tour through the crater was unlike anything i expected. What makes the crater so famous and world renown is the fact that it is a…drumroll…crater! And most of the animals are inside of it and while they have a huge area of wilderness to roam getting out of the crater would be a tall fight.
The point is the wildlife is all over the place and you are pretty much guaranteed in seeing a massive amount of animals in a short period of time because there is nowhere for them to go but the huge crater (not man made before you ask!) We saw four of the Africa “Big Five” in just one day (no leopard sighting) by touring the crater.
If you had one day for safari in Tanzania and location could be anywhere this would be your logical choice if you were interested in seeing as many animals naturally as possible.
Nicknamed the River Monsters because they are the most dangerous land mammal to humans we saw a huge group of hippos in the water and then in the picture below one actually running around on foot through a herd of elephants.
Our guide Fadhil said they rarely are out of the water during the day, Jill G who was on the safari with us thought it was a pig running across the grass.
She wasn’t the only one who was wrong about the hippo though. Fadhil asked my friend Matt and I the question of “Why so many people avoid crossing rivers that time of year in Tanzania?” To which Matt and I blurted out hippos excitedly because we thought it was the river monster.
Turns out it was because of flooding. Turns out Matt, Jill, and I need to level up on our hippo knowledge.
We moved on to Tarangire National Park in Tanzania on the second full day. Our experience their with several different herds of elephants was likely my favorite animal experience of my entire life.
These peaceful, playful, and docile animals were so beautiful to watch and witness in a natural setting it really blew my mind. The fact that people hurt them and hunt them had always confused me and made me upset but honestly I could have cried thinking about it when I got to be so up close with them for a full day and lay witness to their full beauty.
The elephant was definitely my favorite of the Big Five that we saw, even above the lions that peed on Fadhil’s Jeep!
Fadhil shared his knowledge that male lions are lazy and pretty harmless. If we would have gotten out of the jeep he said those male lions would have probably just sat there.
The female lion he said IS. VERY. DIFFERENT.
We were far away from a lioness hanging in a tree but I could feel her eye balling us as she boiled my soul alive with her stares. Or at least I felt that way :)!
Nothing says harmless and we are on safari like a giraffe chomping on grass all day looking at you like will you just leave me alone bud?!
The three days of safari in the Crater and National Park were long enough for me. I would have loved to see a cheetah but where we went the odds were not good.
I would love to come back though for the “Great Migration” when the Zebras, Wildebeests, and Gazelles move in sprinted migration across the Serengeti Plains. I’ve heard from those who have gone and read in countless stories that it’s simply a marvelous experience to witness in person.
If I get another day of safari in my life I think that’s how I would like to spend it if I can!
The safari wasn’t just about seeing the Big Five. They had Uganda’s National Bird the grey-crowed crane, flamingos, hyenas, and more.
Throw in great weather, a “convertible” jeep, a masterful storyteller, the beautiful African wilderness, good friends, and some Serengeti beers and you had the recipe for a masterful trip.
I was a little surprised that I had as much fun as I did on this trip but that’s the beauty of travel. You’ll never choose to experience the things you don’t believe the hype about. You’ll have a million excuses as to why you won’t do that.
Go Wander. Keep Wandering Forever. And do things that you might not believe the hype on anyways.
Getting here:
Ngorongoro National Park is about five hours Kilimanjaro International Airport. Which is a one hour flight from Nairobi, Kenya. There is also great safari options in Kenya but I have my blog on that portion of the trip coming in a few weeks!
What to do:
Depends on the time of the year but we did a 8 day hiking trek and a 3 day safari. Some people just safari. Either way two weeks can get you a full array of fun activities.
Insider Tip:
Spend a day in Moshi at some of the local watering holes and restaurants instead of the more city driven Arusha where the gringoes stay in American Hotels.
Don’t Forget:
A camera with a zoom lens. Game changer. See the pic of the elusive Black Rhino below. Not possible without my zoom lens.
Even when starting the safari I didn’t believe the hype. We were an hour in but we hadn’t actually entered the crater yet. All we had seen was the group of baboons. I was the baboon though because i didn’t know what was coming for me when we entered the crater…
When you go on a safari experience in Tanzania maybe you can be a bit more excited to say hi to friends like this elephant below!
I wanted to bring this cutie home soooooooo bad :). Thanks for reading and being here, comment below with your safari stories or questions!
Because adventure feeds the soul,
Mike R