Five years ago, I fulfilled a dream—to go on safari through the Serengeti, the mystical African plains of Tanzania! Putting on my blue safari hat, denim capri pants, and sleeveless turquoise hiking shirt, five of my friends and I jumped into our Land Cruiser. After so much movement during the last week—climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and running the Kilimanjaro Marathon—sitting in a vehicle for hours was almost painful.
On our way to the Serengeti, we traveled down the corrugated gravel road, known as Tanzania Route B144, to the massive green slopes of Ngorongoro Crater, a ten-mile-wide caldera formed by the collapse of an extinct volcano in the Great Rift Valley. A great wonder of Africa, it hosts 25,000 types of mammals. The crater was shrouded in haze, giving it a celestial aura. Of course, I had dressed for the scorching grasslands, not the damp, frigid air that cast dew on the windows. My feet froze in my sandals, and my teeth chattered. I regretted not bringing a jacket.
Despite the frigid morning air, I was captivated with the mystique of the crater. We drove down into the void, where the fog lifted, and we were welcomed with a host of wildlife—tree-climbing lions, large elephant herds, buffalo, zebras, monkeys, giraffes, antelopes, and dik-diks. I was especially thrilled to see the Maasai giraffe, which is the tallest animal on Earth! I also spotted a lion lazing in one of the trees. I was tempted to get out and pat its tummy like I would a house cat. Then I thought better. I didn’t want to end on the wrong side of the circle of life.
I thought of all the movies I loved that were set in Africa—The Gods Must Be Crazy, Gorillas in the Mist, Out of Africa, etc.—which gave me the false impression I would get out of the vehicle more often. Perhaps The Lion King, which was set in the Serengeti, was a more accurate depiction. I could hear the words of Mufasa telling us not to go to the badlands—or we could get mauled by big cats and hyenas! Our guide let us out of the cruiser only in relatively safe areas. We were able to exit the vehicle at the hippo pond, where we admired the aquatic mammals wallowing, playing, and fighting in the mud.
The remaining route to the Serengeti is a stark contrast to the lush Ngorongoro highlands. With no visible water source, Maasai herdsmen in their bright red shukas let their cattle and goats graze on whatever brown stubble they can find in the hot savannah. The Maasai are a semi-nomadic people, who still practice many of their age-old customs, rather than embracing modernity. It was fascinating to see them in person.
As we drove on, the Maasai vanished, and the nearly barren tracts transitioned to straw-colored grasslands. Instead of livestock, we saw sleek, black-striped Thomson gazelles, peering up to see who or what was kicking dust on their breakfast. Where gazelles are, other creatures may be lurking in the tall grass. We popped open the top of the vehicle and stood up to scan the horizon. The infinite grass plain was broken only by occasional kophes and acacia trees.
“What’s over there?” I pointed.
A couple of us grabbed our cameras and homed in on a lone mound a couple of hundred yards away, where a Thomson gazelle was frozen in place. I grabbed my binoculars and spied two lionesses flanking the poor gazelle, ready to pounce.
“There are two lions trying to catch that gazelle!” I said.
“Let me see!” yelled the others.
We waited to see who would make the first move—the lionesses or the gazelle. The hunters in our group cheered for the lions. I, on the other hand, rooted for the sweet gazelle. I didn’t want it to get devoured. After a few minutes, the gazelle made a run for it—and escaped! I was so relieved!
After a long day of driving and choking on dust, we arrived at the remote Lobo Wildlife Lodge, hidden inside an enormous rocky outcrop. Composed of wood and glass around clusters of large boulders, it merged harmoniously with its surroundings. The lodge offered impeccable views of the wildebeest migration and stunning panoramas of the Serengeti!
At dusk, my friends and I relaxed on the deck and clinked cold glasses of wine, toasting our newfound friendships. As the setting sun cast the earth in oranges, coppers and golds, I sat back and thought how lucky I was to be reveling in the endless plains of the Serengeti.
