In July 2011, my husband and I traveled to Arusha, Tanzania to attend a wedding. Obviously, given the amazing location, we wanted to extend our visit so we would have time to fulfill the lifelong dream of going on a safari! July was a great time to visit Tanzania as it is the middle of winter and we found the temperatures to be perfect for exploring and hiking (about 60 degrees during the day), though a bit chilly at night. We are fortunate to have family in Arusha, so we had a wonderful place to stay and all of our meals (when we were at “home”) were prepared for us. Our family also happens to own a Safari/Adventure company, Simba Safaris (simba means lion in Swahili) so we had access to any Safari of our choice and expert guides!
The first Safari we went on was a day trip to Ngorongoro Crater, which is part of the Serengeti desert. As the name aptly implies, Ngorongoro is a large volcanic crater that is approximately 2000 ft deep and covers 100sq miles. It is home to 25,000 animals, including one of the densest concentrations of lions in Africa. The crater is a “natural enclosure” and a popular tourist attraction near Arusha. The only way to explore Ngorongoro Conservation Area is with a registered guide in a registered vehicle. Driving into the crater, it appears as though it’s a large, wide open, barren desert, but the vast scale just makes it impossible to see anything. Upon closer inspection, there is much biodiversity and herds of different species of animals at every vantage point.
We saw herds of lions, wildebeests, buffalo, flamingos, gazelles, zebra, rhinos, and many more animals including elephants, ostriches, dik diks, wild boars, hyenas, and almost every animal you think of when you hear the word safari. It was an indescribable experience to see all the animals in their natural habitats, interacting with each other. Sometimes we would see different herds side by side.
We saw lions eating the tail end of an unlucky zebra (though we didn’t see the kill). Our guide took us from location to location, often communicating via radio with other guides, trying to find the best spots to see animals. Despite the wide openness of the crater, herds were often difficult to come across in the vastness, but we saw many lions, and even pulled right up next to a pride in our safari vehicle. A lioness was literally right outside our window, sleeping in the sun. We spent a day exploring the crater.
Our next safari experience was Arusha National Park, the only national park in Tanzania where humans are allowed outside vehicles with an armed registered guard. We were excited for the walking safari experience. After explaining some basic rules, our guide started our hike and the first animals we came upon was a large herd of hundreds of wild buffalo several hundred feet from us. For safety reasons, we didn’t want to approach the wild animals, but rather view them from a distance in places inaccessible by vehicle. Along the way, our guide told us about plant life and facts about the animals. We scaled a small mountain and came across lots of interesting plant life and a waterfall. We also saw several giraffes, including a baby, up close.
On our way back, we came upon another herd of wild buffalo directly in front of us, blocking the walking trail. We were several hours into our hike and turning back was not a desirable option. While we waited our guide threw rocks at the buffalo trying to get them to scare them off the path. It was at this time, that our guide told us that if we were charged, we were not to run, but to lay flat on the ground, as due to the curvature of the buffalo’s tusks, they are unable to ram someone who is lying on the ground.
Minutes crept by and we had been waiting for 20-30 minutes by this point, not moving or speaking. Unfortunately, another herd began approaching to the side, and soon we had two herds to contend with. Our guide advised us to keep very still and it soon became a tense situation, at which point, we had no other option but to turn back and off-road it around the trail to try to connect back up with the trail leading back to our home base. After a nerve-wracking hour, we eventually bypassed the herds and made our way back to safety. My husband swore he would never go on another walking safari, though I found the whole experience interesting and would probably do it again, if given the chance. It was later translated by our brother-in-law, who speaks Swahili, that our guard was extremely nervous and had never been in such a dangerous situation before.
After our adventurous land and walking safaris, our last safari experience was a water safari by canoe on Lake Duluti, just outside the city of Arusha. We saw many birds and lizards that have habitats off the shore of the large lake and enjoyed a beautiful sunset from our private canoe.
The Details
Simba Safaris
Arusha, Tanzania
[email protected]
