Tanzania will always hold a piece of our heart. Wonderfully raw and wild, there are few places on earth that will move you on such a deep, human level. From the epic floor of the Ngorongoro Crater to the pristine beaches of Zanzibar, the East African country has enchanted travelers for centuries. As far as safari-seekers are concerned, nothing beats the Serengeti. The great plains boast some of the best wildlife-watching experiences in the world. Here, the centuries-old quest for water and fresh grassland drives an epic wildebeest migration each year, and the Big Five roam wild, each playing their role in the cycle for survival.
For a destination so intensely defined by its wildlife, the people of Tanzania are wonderfully friendly and laid-back. Everywhere you go, you’re greeted with “Jambo!”—the Swahili word for hello, and the phrase “Hakuna Matata!” is thrown around just as often as the English equivalent, “No worries!”. There are many amazing travel opportunities in Africa, but we’d argue, none as rewarding as the Tanzanian experience. So, follow along as we take you on a photo journey across the wild plains of the Serengeti.
A giraffe sauntering across the plains.A wise, but shy elephant hiding bind the trees. Surprisingly (to us at least) elephants were the most wary and sometimes even aggressive animals (only when they felt threatened). As you’ll see later, they’re always aware of where you are and are incredibly protective of their young.These zebras were the first animals to greet us on the dirt road from the airstrip to our hotel in the Grumeti reserve.Electric tangerine sunsets on the Seregeti, accented by acacia tree silhouettes.Thousands of wildebeests fly past us at dusk, as part of their annual migration up to Kenya.A cheetah leaps from a tree.The cheetah found a comfy spot in the shade below.As far as luxury lodges go, nothing beats Singita. Over the entire 340,000+ acres of the Grumeti Reserve, the only accommodations that exist are 4 different Singita properties. Basically, you have the wildlife all to yourself.Watch zebras stroll across the grasslands and elephants drink from the water from your bedroom window at the Singita Faru Faru lodge.Everyone wore the same outfit to the party!The small dirt airstrip, where you arrive and depart the Grumeti Reserve.The amazing guest suites at Singita Faru Faru.A rare leopard sighting – sleeping the bushes.A lion rests in the grass, waiting for dusk to turn to dark. Time to eat.After the lion’s curiosity dwindles, he strolls away.Hyenas have such a mesmerizingly menacing look about them.Just at sunset, we witnessed a hyena take down a baby wildebeest that got separated from the heard. Dark came quickly, as did other predator – and we had to get out of there. We couldn’t get our night-time camera settings aligned fast enough, so a fellow Singita guest with us on the safari kindly sent us his photos. Photo by John Donelson.Photo by John Donelson.An elephant takes a majestic stroll in front of us.These guys were so funny. When spooked, they’d jump spastically in the air and run away.
