Laura and I took a few days at the end of our assignments to cash in our Ethiopian Airlines frequent flyer miles (called Sheba Miles). We were eligible for a number of rewards, but the one that we wanted to take advantage of most was a round trip to a destination close by Addis. This included Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.
In Tanzania we would be taking a very short 3 day safari with Base Camp Tanzania safari company. We stayed in Arusha, a city approximately 40km from the airport, that night. Achmend, the British owner, met us at the lodge the evening that we arrived and gave us a briefing of the itinerary over the next 3 days. It was rather packed - 3 parks in 3 days. Whoa.
The next morning, our driver-guide, Alfred met us in the Ilboru Lodge lobby before we departed for our first destination - Tarangire National Park. At the park entrance, we saw lots of green vervet monkeys. These guys were not strangers to us as we have seen them in a number of places that we visited in Ethiopia.
Inside the huge park, we spent most of the day safari-ing around and taking in the sights there. We saw a number of animals there, including probably upwards of a thousand elephants scattered throughout the grounds. At one point, we encountered a number of herds in one place that totaled around 500. We saw many other animals as well. Baboons, warthogs, ostriches, gazelles, impalas, giraffes, water buck, nile monitor lizards, a leopard tortoise, dikdiks, lions and the ever-elusive cheetahs were among those seen.
Overnight, we stayed in the Park at the Tarangire Safari Lodge. The restaurant terrace overlooked the river and had an absolutely gorgeous view. Our room was a glorified tent with running water, a toilet and a shower. Keep in mind that there were not fences or barriers that would deter or prevent animals from ripping down one of these tents and eating whatever may be inside. There was a small boy who was killed by a leopard some time ago at this place. This would explain why we had to sign a waiver as we checked in. Throughout the night, we heard a number of noises, one being at least one elephant that was not too far from the tents. The next morning, we awoke to dikdiks, monkeys and impalas between tents.
We left Tarangire the next morning destined for Lake Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara is only approximately 1/4 the size of Tarangire.
Lake Manyara is a lake situated in the Tanzania portion of the Great Rift Valley. However, the portion in this country contains only an eastern rim and not a western. The rim is saturated with underground springs that feed into Lake Manyara and that allow for this Park to remain rich and lush throughout the entire year, not subjecting the wildlife there to migration in search of water or food sources.
Within the Park we encountered some new animals among which were blue monkeys, zebra, wildebeest, hippopotamus, terrapin, and a rock hyrax.
Only a couple weeks earlier, there were extremely strong and torrential downpours there that caused many rocks and debris to wash from the highlands into the lower land National Park. Crews were still cleaning the roads within and outside of Lake Manyara National Park.
The third and final day was the day that we would visit the Ngorongoro Crater. It is actually a misnomer; it is not a crater at all but a caldera. An inactive volcano essentially caved in on itself and left this imprint on the earth's crust. There is a higher, peaked rim that surrounds the lower middle lands where the animals reside. There is also a restriction on time spent inside the "crater." We were allowed inside for only 6 hours. Thankfully, the animals were out and about during the time we spent there.
We were able to see three male lions, a couple lion cubs with their mom, a black rhino and its young one (there are only 25 in the entire crater and remain elusive most of the time), hartebeest, jackals, hyenas, water buffalo, a number of bird species, and a lot of familiar faces from Tarangire and Lake Manyara.
It was really staggering to see these animals. There were no fences or barriers between us and them. It was evident, however, that the animals are very habituated to the vehicles and people passing them so closely. At times I felt as though the animals were in a zoo until I realized that they fight for survival on a daily basis. We missed the hunt for breakfast for the carnivores, but we saw their post-meal lounging. When the lion in Ngorongoro was only 2 feet from the car, our guide did not even flinch. Driver-guides know animal behavior very well and only study it from a car, but they study it often since they guide safaris almost weekly. Humans do not interfere with the lives of these animals but simply observe them.
We saw four of "The Big 5", which is really amazing for a short, three day safari. The four that we encountered were elephant, rhinoceros, water buffalo, and lion even without entering the Serengeti (that would take another day or two). The only one of the five and of all the major animals we did not see was the leopard, but I feel that seeing a cheetah was a fair replacement. Elephants and rhinoceroses seem like dinosaurs in their unique appearance and their quietly powerful demeanor, although they can both become aggressive when instigated.
God's handiwork in the small part of His menagerie is absolutely beautiful. I would suggest anyone who ever remotely considered taking a safari to do it without hesitation. I would also encourage the destination to be Tanzania as the people there are very pleasant and welcoming. The environment is safe and the weather will not give you much discomfort either. Everyone will help to teach you Swahili, the native language, so to make you feel more at home. I wish I had more time there, but I had to return to Addis Ababa for my final week of my assignment. Time is flying.
Hakuna matata!
In Tanzania we would be taking a very short 3 day safari with Base Camp Tanzania safari company. We stayed in Arusha, a city approximately 40km from the airport, that night. Achmend, the British owner, met us at the lodge the evening that we arrived and gave us a briefing of the itinerary over the next 3 days. It was rather packed - 3 parks in 3 days. Whoa.
The next morning, our driver-guide, Alfred met us in the Ilboru Lodge lobby before we departed for our first destination - Tarangire National Park. At the park entrance, we saw lots of green vervet monkeys. These guys were not strangers to us as we have seen them in a number of places that we visited in Ethiopia.
Inside the huge park, we spent most of the day safari-ing around and taking in the sights there. We saw a number of animals there, including probably upwards of a thousand elephants scattered throughout the grounds. At one point, we encountered a number of herds in one place that totaled around 500. We saw many other animals as well. Baboons, warthogs, ostriches, gazelles, impalas, giraffes, water buck, nile monitor lizards, a leopard tortoise, dikdiks, lions and the ever-elusive cheetahs were among those seen.
Overnight, we stayed in the Park at the Tarangire Safari Lodge. The restaurant terrace overlooked the river and had an absolutely gorgeous view. Our room was a glorified tent with running water, a toilet and a shower. Keep in mind that there were not fences or barriers that would deter or prevent animals from ripping down one of these tents and eating whatever may be inside. There was a small boy who was killed by a leopard some time ago at this place. This would explain why we had to sign a waiver as we checked in. Throughout the night, we heard a number of noises, one being at least one elephant that was not too far from the tents. The next morning, we awoke to dikdiks, monkeys and impalas between tents.
We left Tarangire the next morning destined for Lake Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara is only approximately 1/4 the size of Tarangire.
Lake Manyara is a lake situated in the Tanzania portion of the Great Rift Valley. However, the portion in this country contains only an eastern rim and not a western. The rim is saturated with underground springs that feed into Lake Manyara and that allow for this Park to remain rich and lush throughout the entire year, not subjecting the wildlife there to migration in search of water or food sources.
Within the Park we encountered some new animals among which were blue monkeys, zebra, wildebeest, hippopotamus, terrapin, and a rock hyrax.
Only a couple weeks earlier, there were extremely strong and torrential downpours there that caused many rocks and debris to wash from the highlands into the lower land National Park. Crews were still cleaning the roads within and outside of Lake Manyara National Park.
The third and final day was the day that we would visit the Ngorongoro Crater. It is actually a misnomer; it is not a crater at all but a caldera. An inactive volcano essentially caved in on itself and left this imprint on the earth's crust. There is a higher, peaked rim that surrounds the lower middle lands where the animals reside. There is also a restriction on time spent inside the "crater." We were allowed inside for only 6 hours. Thankfully, the animals were out and about during the time we spent there.
We were able to see three male lions, a couple lion cubs with their mom, a black rhino and its young one (there are only 25 in the entire crater and remain elusive most of the time), hartebeest, jackals, hyenas, water buffalo, a number of bird species, and a lot of familiar faces from Tarangire and Lake Manyara.
It was really staggering to see these animals. There were no fences or barriers between us and them. It was evident, however, that the animals are very habituated to the vehicles and people passing them so closely. At times I felt as though the animals were in a zoo until I realized that they fight for survival on a daily basis. We missed the hunt for breakfast for the carnivores, but we saw their post-meal lounging. When the lion in Ngorongoro was only 2 feet from the car, our guide did not even flinch. Driver-guides know animal behavior very well and only study it from a car, but they study it often since they guide safaris almost weekly. Humans do not interfere with the lives of these animals but simply observe them.
We saw four of "The Big 5", which is really amazing for a short, three day safari. The four that we encountered were elephant, rhinoceros, water buffalo, and lion even without entering the Serengeti (that would take another day or two). The only one of the five and of all the major animals we did not see was the leopard, but I feel that seeing a cheetah was a fair replacement. Elephants and rhinoceroses seem like dinosaurs in their unique appearance and their quietly powerful demeanor, although they can both become aggressive when instigated.
God's handiwork in the small part of His menagerie is absolutely beautiful. I would suggest anyone who ever remotely considered taking a safari to do it without hesitation. I would also encourage the destination to be Tanzania as the people there are very pleasant and welcoming. The environment is safe and the weather will not give you much discomfort either. Everyone will help to teach you Swahili, the native language, so to make you feel more at home. I wish I had more time there, but I had to return to Addis Ababa for my final week of my assignment. Time is flying.
Hakuna matata!
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