What I saw on safari!

Up until now, my safari experiences have all been in Uganda. Here, safari is peaceful and you can get close to nature, often without encountering another car for several hours. Many of the visitors to the National Parks here are working in the country, and they show off the country to their visiting friends and family. In Tanzania, however, safari is a big business.
As soon as I passed through the gates of Lake Manyara, I knew this was going to be a somewhat different experience. For starters, the loos were fully flushable, complete with liquid soap and hand dryers. There was a plush gift shop, selling everything from cans of coca-cola to fluffy toy lions. I was most fascinated by some of the creatures we spotted within the park - a totally different species of tourist to those found in Uganda.
What is the purpose of the face mask and why do people feel it necessary to wear matching khaki? I am not kidding when I tell you that I actually saw somebody wearing a 'Dr Livingstone, I presume' style pith helmet!

Multi-functional belt

What are you afraid of?

Full safari suit plus paparazzi lens

Matching hats

Is this a traffic jam on the M25? Oh no - there's a lion in the distance

Be careful - those animals may steal your bag

Can anyone explain the gloves?

9 out of 10 Ugandans would have something to say about the size of this arse!

 In short, I enjoyed the safari and spotting the Big Five, but came away with a new found appreciation for the tranquility of a safari in Uganda.

Safari stories

The Ngoronogoro Crater

Getting close to the tents!

Look who visited our campsite for a drink of water!

If you squint, you may see a rhino here

Sunrise over the crater

Happy campers!

Morning in the crater

I love the baby zebra!

Wildebeest remind me of grumpy old men

Wildebeest fight

The pink dots are flamingos

Not content with just one adventure, three of us decided to take advantage of being in Tanzania and to go on safari. I wasn't sure quite what our budget safari would entail, but Sunny Safaris did us proud. Camping, afterall, is much more enjoyable when you have somebody else to put up the tent and to cook all your meals!

After all that exercise and hard work, we decided to let our hair down a little. My Grandad used to say that it was OK to have a drink as long as 'the sun is over the yard arm'. I never really understood what a yard arm was, but I think it has something to do with boats and the navy and suggests that you probably shouldn't be boozing before mid-day. I have to say that 'Kili Time' - that is the time we cracked open our first Kilimanjaro beer got earlier every-day and the sun may not have been quite over the yard arm!

Our first game drive took us to Lake Tarangire, where we saw herds, not packs, of elephants. My friend also claimed to spot a fox on the campsite, but I think she was still suffering from altitude related delirium, or perhaps she had had one too many Kilimajaros!
Lake Manyara was another prime spot for seeing wildlife. Here we saw a tree climbing lion. I was surprised to see this, as I had been led to believe that the Ishasha National Park in Uganda was the only place to have tree climbing lions. Perhaps this one was taking a holiday!

The next day, we set off to the Ngorongoro Crater. This has to be one of the most spectacular settings for seeing wildlife in the world. Formed by volcanic activity a gazillion years ago, the area contains thousands of zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, lions, cheetahs, rhino and flamingos on the lake. The animals are contained inside the crater area, so it;s like entering a gigantic natural zoo. We saw a couple of cheetahs and rhinos in the far distance, but didn't get close enough to take a shot of them. I was cursing myself because I only had my point and shoot camera, so will have to hope that the images are engraved on my memory.