Over and Above Serengeti

Today, your Tanzanian wildlife adventure begins.  Depending on your specific travel arrangements, our representative will meet you at your hotel in Tanzania’s safari capital, Arusha.  En route to the local airport, you will be briefed on the tour before boarding a light aircraft for the hour-long flight to Serengeti National Park.

As the aircraft descends, you’ll see for yourself why the park was named after the Maasai word for ‘endless plains’.  Stretching out as far as the eye can see, a vast, undulating grassland dotted with wildlife awaits.  Touching down in the late morning, you will then be transferred to your chosen lodge in time for a hearty lunch.  Now the excitement really kicks into overdrive as you see your first herds of antelope and marvel at the lumbering presence of majestic elephant bulls, dwarfed by the huge, blue sky above.  Later, having settled into your accommodation for the next three nights, you’ll depart on your first Serengeti game drive.

Serengeti National Park covers nearly 15,000 square kilometres (5791 sq. mi) of rolling grasslands interspersed with thickets and rocky outcrops.  The climate in the Serengeti is pleasant year-round, thanks to the altitude.  While it doesn’t get too hot, temperatures drop significantly overnight.

After the game drive, enjoy dinner and a good night’s rest.

Refreshed after your slumber, rise to the incomparable majesty of a Serengeti sunrise.  Fortify yourself with a sumptuous breakfast before heading out to explore the Serengeti.  You will have two full days in the park, and we will curate your wildlife viewing schedule according to your wishes, lending our experience to ensure a fulfilling, yet unhurried experience.

Some opt to spend the entire day on safari, stopping at scenic picnic spots for packed lunches.  Others choose to do an early morning game drive before returning for lunch and a siesta before heading out on an afternoon excursion.  Whichever your preference, be assured that your guide will do his utmost to ensure your experience is as exciting as it is refreshing.

The park is most famous for the annual wildebeest migration, during which a million wildebeest and millions of other herbivores follow the rains in search of fresh grazing.  Please bear in mind that the migration herd is almost continuously on the move.  As such, sightings are not guaranteed, and we encourage guests to consider the broader appeal of the national park’s various inhabitants.

Alongside the wildebeest, a plethora of herbivore species roam.  Families of giraffes browse the tender acacia leaves, dazzling zebra cavort, while fragile Thomson’s gazelles tiptoe through the grasslands.  In all, some 70 large mammal species live in the Serengeti.

Of course, with so much prey about, predator sightings are a highlight of any visit to the Serengeti.  The park boasts healthy populations of lions, leopards, cheetahs and spotted hyenas.  Equally enthralling, smaller predators like servals, caracals, jackals and mongooses are an added bonus.

Lions are the dominant predators on the Serengeti plains, although they are not without competition.  Their main rivals are spotted hyenas, who, like lions, live in large social groups.  These rivals frequently have pitched battles fighting over food.

Leopards and cheetahs, by contrast, are solitary, although male cheetahs occasionally form Leopards, on the other hand, are strictly solitary.  But you may be fortunate enough to encounter a mating pair, or a female with cubs.

Birding enthusiasts are also in for a treat, with over 500 species recorded in the area, including magnificent birds of prey like Rüppell’s vultures, martial and Verreaux’s eagles.  Bird viewing is at its best between November and April, when migratory species arrive, adding colour to the landscape with their flamboyant breeding plumage.

At the end of each day, you’ll be welcomed to the campfire with a refreshing cocktail to recount tales of the day’s sightings.  Then, dine under the stars before retiring to bed, serenaded by the sounds of the African night.

Alas, the last day of the itinerary has arrived.  Seize the day by rising early as the sun casts its warming rays over the landscape.  You’ll then head off on the final game drive.  We encourage you to take it all in.  Technically, the Serengeti is home to the Big 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino – although the latter are seen only rarely.  Perhaps today is your lucky day.

As you scan the plains, ponder the words of conservationist Bernhard Grzimek, “There is a peace and timelessness in the Serengeti that is unlike anything I have ever experienced. It is a place where you can feel the pulse of the Earth.”

Take time to appreciate the small things you see.  The solitary stem of a colourful flower reaching for the sun on top of a termite mound.  The mutual care that goes into the antelope’s grooming rituals.  The languorous yawn of lions after a long night on the hunt.  Serengeti is a place where billions of seemingly inconsequential moments merge in a symphony of life.

After the game drive, you’ll return for a wholesome brunch.  Then, say farewell to the friendly staff as we return to the airstrip for your return flight to Arusha.  As the aircraft leaps into the boundless skies, savour the scenery below.  Author Francesca Marciano once wrote, “When you leave Africa, as the plane lifts off, you feel that more than leaving a continent, you’re leaving a state of mind.”

With that in mind, we hope it won’t be too long before you decide to return.  When you do, we at Africa Flash McTours would be delighted to host your next African adventure.