The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater offer an abundance of safari options with a beautiful kaleidoscope of landscapes, wildlife and wilderness.
The Serengeti is one of the greatest wilderness arenas of the world. The Tanzanian plains are home to a magnificent number of animals from the big five to hippos, giraffes and hyenas.
During my safari at the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, I was lucky enough to see all of the above including the rarely spotted black rhino.
It was an unforgettable experience full of intimate sightings of Africa’s biggest cats lazing in the long grass, wandering in the rain and tucking into their kill.
When it comes to African safaris, there are two clear contenders. This includes Kenya’s Maasai Mara and the world-renowned Serengeti which I visited in July 2019 <3
The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater is without doubt the best safari I have done to date.
It’s got to be my favourite safari to date and is among my top travel experiences!
Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater Trip Highlights
- Sleeping lions
- Picnic with hippos
- Cheetahs in the rain
- A leopard with her cub
- Bush camping with hyenas
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For a more in depth idea of what to expect on your Serengeti safari, I’ve put together a diary-like entry of my time at the national park.
Ngorongoro Crater Day 1
Our first game drive at the Ngorongoro Crater began at 6am.
The foggy weather meant we did not get a clear view during our descent into the volcanic crater but it made for a very mystical backdrop to our safari once inside, like a cloudy lid on top of the mountains.
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First up, we saw a pair of serval cats before driving through the herds of wildebeest, zebra and antelope into the middle of the crater.
Stopping for an early lunch by the lakeside, we were greeted by hungry hippos and coloured cranes before passing through thousands of flamingos on our next game drive.
We saw plenty of cats, including lions mating and another on the hunt. Finally we marvelled at the much anticipated black rhino through binoculars.
TRAVEL TIP: Every safari is different and sightings are not guaranteed so do not set yourself up for disappointment. Consider every sighting as a bonus.
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In the afternoon, we had a two-hour drive to the Serengeti for our final game drive of the day. Non-stop adventure at its best!
Serengeti Day 1
When we entered the Serengeti, the landscape turned to golden long grass met with an angry grey sky.
Twenty minutes into our game drive, we hit the jackpot. Our driver received a radio call from a fellow guide telling him of a cheetah sighting so we rushed over.
Flying across pot holes in the muddy roads, we soon found a lone cheetah with its fur standing on end in the rain.
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It wandered through the bush and onto the path just metres from our jeep. Then came more sightings of lions, hyenas and game.
Vis-a-vis accommodation, I opted for adventure of course and chose to pitch my own tent in a bush camping site recommended by Oasis Overland.
The campsite offered cooking facilities and a toilet and shower block – the very coldest of showers.
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Beware bush camping at the Serengeti is not for the faint hearted. Campsites are not fenced off from wild animals. If you bump into a hyena, let’s say, you are simply told to shine your head torch in its eyes.
But the perks are clear. Huddled in our sleeping bags, we heard the screeching of baboons and the yelping of hyenas in the distance.
Serengeti Day 2
Another early rise for a sunrise game drive. The air was crisp and our eyes were half open as we strolled into the canteen for breakfast.
Hyenas greeted us upon exiting the campsite. Driving through a dazzle of zebra, we saw hot air balloons rising above the Acacia trees.
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Highlights included a leopard and her cub climbing between rocks and a pride of lions laying next to our jeep.
Towards the end of our game drive, we went deeper into the African plains with no other jeeps in sight.
My veins filled with adrenaline as we sped into the long grass in an off-road pursuit of a pair of cheetahs.
The ever changing scenery was beautifully consistent in how it seemed to reflect the sunlight, like a platinum sheet blanketing the horizon.
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So friends, hopefully I’ve left you raring and ready to start planning your Serengeti safari. If you have any questions, get in touch!
Hasta la próxima,
Laura x
