Spotting stripes

GREAT MIGRATION Zebra and wildebeest on the move in the Serengeti

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before we witness the spectacle again. Job done, the lion stalks off a few paces, flops down and rolls on to his back, paws in the air. Satisfied.

It was just one of many extraordinary encounters during my five-day trip in the Tanzanian Serengeti but another, in particular, had me tearing up. The Great Migration sees tens of thousands of zebra and wildebeest moving together across the plains, and with the sound of the hulking gnus ~ a guttural, tuneless chorus of honks - it’s a cacophony that surely piques the interest of every apex predator for miles.

It's one of nature's most remarkable pairings, Chambo says. The wildebeest rely on the zebras’ sharp eyesight, while the zebras depend on the wildebeests’ sense of smell to navigate.

The clever zebras also know there is safety in numbers when surrounded by their dopy companions.

Another memorable moment was coming across a hyena lurching down the track ahead of us, forcing our vehicle to slow to a crawl. It had clearly just gorged itself as its belly was so distended it could hardly walk, stumbling along in a meat-stuffed stupor.

After such breath-halting dramas, we returned to the comfort of the newly opened Serengeti Explorer by Elewana nestled among the Nyaboro Hills in the western corridor of the national park.

Sympathetically designed to blend into the landscape, you would barely notice it was there. And if you think going on safari means roughing it in tents and compost toilets, think again.

Inside, it is another world = contemporary architecture with towering walls in black pebble-dash and cool polished concrete, soft natural furnishings, excellent wi-fi, all mod cons.

Guests are welcomed back from dusty game drives with cool, fragrant flannels at the entrance to the grand open-air lobby.