The expression on my face when I learned that wild tigers don’t exist in Africa. 🤯After resting my feet from the Kilimanjaro hike, it was time to head to Arusha to begin my 8-day safari. My transfer from Moshi to Arusha included a stop at a beautiful hot spring (Chemka Hot Springs) where I went for a swim and had a free fish spa.
Day 1: Upon arrival in Moshi, I received a briefing from the tour operator and was informed that my first day would be spent in Arusha National Park. At first, I was disappointed because I had never heard of it — but I was pleasantly surprised especially to learn that it would be a walking safari!
Me at the entrance of Arusha National Park and my first time riding in a Safari Jeep Giraffes greeted us as we drove into the park. Did you know that giraffes and cows are closely related? 🤯Saw some zebras, baboons and warthogs in the distance.
Fun fact: Swahili is the common language that unites the tribes in Tanzania. Did you know that the names of the animals in Lion King are Swahili words (eg Simba is lion, Mufasa means king, Pumbaa means slow-witted, Rafiki means friend).
It was a walking safari, so we had an armed park ranger as our guide. The gun is not for shooting animals — it is to scare them off in case they decide to approach us. The gun was not used on my safari. I love how close I was able to get.
For the complete tour of Arusha National Park, check out my Instagram story.
Day 2: Tarangire National Park. On day 2, I was joined by two couples and we set off for several days of driving safaris.
We saw lots of baboons, giraffes and elephants. I feel like these elephants are always smiling. Was amazing how close you can get even in the Jeep. Yes, I bought the cheesy Kilimanjaro safari hat, but I felt I had earned it. This was one of our guides who spoke English and French.
We stopped at the viewpoint for Ngorongoro Crater. Little did I know at the time, that Ngorongoro would be my favorite spot. We were fortunate to see many zebras and wildebeests migrating across the Serenghetti. 😍This was my first time meeting the Masai people outside the entrance to Serenghetti.
Fun Fact: The Masai people live right alongside the wild animals. It is said that often if a lion is feeding on a carcass, they will walk up to the feeding lion and cut off a leg or piece of meat and the lion doesn’t bother them.
My first of many lion spottings. This one looked particularly regal with his mane. We watched from the safety of our Jeep as 3 lions took turns crunching bones and tearing at the flesh of a carcass. It was crazy to hear the sounds. We watched the sun set over the Serenghetti and then headed to our camp. Was quite an exhilarating experience to sleep in a tent surrounded by wild animals. At night we encountered buffalo, hyenas, warthogs, etc. A jackal approached our camp looking for leftover scraps from dinner.
We left early to see what we could find. We found hippos bathing in the ponds Lots of elephants We left Serenghetti and headed to our camp outside Ngorongoro CraterExcited to see Ngorongoro Crater in the morning!
Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater – This crater is unique because it has all of the Big 5 animals trapped inside it but it was not man-made.
This is where we saw the buffalo up close. We saw hundreds of zebras being stalked by lions. 🤩The highlight for me was getting to see my spirit animal – the rhino.
Ngorongoro Crater was my favorite park to visit. Click here to see the highlight reel.
Day 6: Lake Manyara National Park – This park is home to the largest population of baboons and is also home to lions that sleep in trees.
I encountered giraffes, elephants, baboons and other animals, but I really wanted to see a lion sleeping in a tree. Just as we were about to leave, we spotted these legs dangling from the tree. Can you spot him?
I know this blog entry is quite long, but hopefully you found it interesting. Post a comment or a question if you have one and remember that there are no wild tigers in Africa! 😅
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