Nathalie van Aachen took a study trip through tanzania’s northern parks for Untamed Travelling. A brief account of her experiences.
At the end of March/beginning of April 2014 I made a trip to the northern parks of Tanzania, in the middle of the rainy season. Have I experienced this as a negative? No, no, no, no, no, no The temperature was nice, around 30°C. Only twice did we have to deal with a thunderstorm that left as fast as it had come.
The scenery was beautifully green. We had no trouble spotting the ‘Big Five’, despite the tall grass. With only a few vehicles we stood around the leopards and lions and we got all the time to take pictures and observe the wildlife quietly. Whereas in the busier months (from July – August) there is a courtesy form of up to 30 minutes per vehicle after which you have to drive on.
As for most travelers, the highlights for me were the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro crater. In the Serengeti N.P. I made a balloon flight over the wide plains, a unique experience! This was concluded in style with a champagne breakfast under a beautiful Acacia tree, with the sounds and splendour of nature in the background.
In the Ngorongoro Crater Area, I stayed at the Serena Lodge, on the edge of the crater. In the morning at breakfast the curtains were opened and the only thing our group could release in unison was “WOW”… This was without a doubt the most larcular sunrise I have ever seen. The crater lake was buried under the clouds with here and there a ray of sunshine that quietly emerged, a beautiful reflection on the water, simply phenomenal. The memories of this wonderful journey will be etched in my memory for a long time to come.
