Tanzania: Serengeti

The lodging introduced in western Serengeti was called a tented camp. Impressive. I could definitely get used to the luxury provided. The rooms were each individual large canvas tents that were opened with a zipper. Each tent had privacy, its own patio, a wooden floor, a king sized canopy bed, full bathroom (shower – no tub), and excellent view of the Serengeti. PLUS laundry was provided in the package – and trust me, we needed it. We continued the mimosas received as we got off the planes (that transported us from the Ngorongoro/Lake Manyara area to the Serengeti) in the open sitting area which introduced us to the tent. Here they described the rules which included no-unescorted movements after dark. The camp was not enclosed by a fence which meant animals, friends or foe, could wander freely amongst the tents. We ensured our tents were closed well that evening!
The Serengeti provided more of the same but with a different environment. On our second safari in the area, we traveled to central Serengeti so we could view the migration. There were soooo many zebras and wildebeests roaming the ‘Endless Plains’. A bonus to the long drive was that we got to see our first leopard (thereby completing the Big Five) at a distance up in a tree. Oddly enough (since leopards and lions don’t play nice), the tree was situated between two other trees, also occupied by lions trying to escape the heat and bugs. Another goal accomplished on this run was that we were able to find the lilac-breasted roller, which is a b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l bird especially admired by our traveling companion. We left the central area to return to our camp with the impending rains. The driver’s experience in the area proved essential as the rain was so fierce, we could barely see the road in front of us. The driver was able to navigate the roads partially by memory and brought us back to our lodging safely.