Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is one of Africa’s biggest, most expensive wildlife destinations. Is it still worth visiting? You bet! Especially if you follow the smaller tracks away from the lion crowds…
The wildebeest aren’t here yet. It’s October and dry – the endless herds of wildebeest are still up north, slowly crossing the border into Tanzania from Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve.
But the plains of the Serengeti are far from empty. We see Thomson’s gazelle, soaring vultures and a kori bustard striding along. Most importantly, however, we are here. We’ve driven all the way from South Africa in just over five weeks, with stopovers in Zambia and other iconic places in Tanzania like Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro and Ngorongoro.
The thing about a trip like this is that you’re not always aware of what you’re doing while you’re doing it. You forget you’re busy with something truly epic. When my girlfriend Alice Inggs and I packed the Toyota Fortuner back in Cape Town, we had a rough route plan in mind. Right in the middle of that plan sat the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. (Read about the Ngorongoro part of the trip in last month’s issue.)
We packed the bare necessities: camping gear, emergency equipment, biltong (long gone), nuts (we can’t seem to finish them) and a sack full of Nik Naks from Makro. We had to save space in the vehicle for our friends Patrick and Grace Cairns who flew to Zanzibar and joined us for this part of the trip. The four of us are exploring the parks in northern Tanzania, then we’ll all drive to Rwanda and Patrick and Grace will fly home.
With the Cairns couple in the back, the Fortuner is full. When I brake a little too sharply for a “very important bird” (we’re all birders) a Tupperware container of nuts slides onto my lap. Too many nuts!
But we’re here. Here in the Serengeti. Can you believe it?
The road to Seronera
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2017 من go! - South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2017 من go! - South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
The wilder shore
The final leg of a 30-day trek across East Africa sees lan Tyrer and the Africa - Wild & Untamed crew explore both shores of Lake Malawi. Get ready for an overloaded ferry, a croc attack and being surrounded by elephants...
A river runs through it
Sabie is onthe Drakensberg escaromentialongMpumalanga’s famous Panorama Route. Want a weekend away surrounded by forests and waterfalls? Here's wnat you need to know.
TAKE A HIKE
Harkerville's mini Otter
Sweet & juicy!
This issue's recipes all include lush seasonal fruit like nectarines, plums and apricots. Enjoy!
Big mountain magic
On a clear day, as you approach the Cathedral Peak Hotel, it happens involuntarily: You start to grin. You'll be standing up there soon, gazing over this valley, and the scuttling of ground-level life will seem irrelevant. Join us on a five-day adventure into the heart of the high Drakensberg
Your next weekend away
A self-catering house in the Tankwa, a campsite next to the Orange River, a guest farm near the Drakensberg... Toast Coetzer travelled a lot last year: Here are six of his favourite places to stay if you're planning a road trip or weekend escape.
A life through binoculars
If the name Hugh Chittenden sounds familiar, it's probably because you see it every time you use your Roberts Bird Guide he's one of the co-authors. He lives in Mtunzini on the KZN coast and birding is as much part of his day as a cup of coffee.
Wanderlust in the park
All great cities have great parks, writes Dara Kell: spaces where you can exhale and slough off the stress and grime of urban life.
The Kalahari remembers
The Kalahari is a place of magic and heartache, where drought is an ever-present threat. Drive a loop from Upington to the Kuruman River and discover soulful landscapes, brilliant skies and resilient people who never give up.
Take a Hike
Hug a baobab in the Bushveld