Sue Picken

Tanzania is more than just a safari destination; it's a place that invites you to immerse yourself fully in its diverse cultures, landscapes, and incredible wildlife. My recent trip to this East African gem encompassed all of these aspects on a recent Agent “FAM” (familiarization) trip. It had been a minute since I had been in Tanzania, and this “refresher” reminded me how different East Africa Safari differs from Southern Africa!

We started off in Arusha where one needs to fly into – after a long journey its not a bad start to refresh and help with jetlag. We stayed at “Arusha Coffee Lodge” but also visited Legendary for more upscale visitors.

Then it was off to the Chem Chem Concession (in the Lake Manyara region) where we welcomed giraffes in our back yard and had a spectacular sunset walk guided by traditional Maasai. Wow! Not only wildlife up close, but an immersive experience learning about the Maasai traditions!

After a couple of nights in Chem Chem with wonderful game drives, we headed off to Gibbs’ Farm located on the forested outside slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater in Northern Tanzania, overlooking the centuries old Great Rift Valley. Gibbs is a sanctuary for safari goers and used to be an historic coffee plantation. I signed up for a morning yoga setting in an incredible setting at sunrise! Gibb’s Farm served as our base to head into the Ngorongoro Crater for safari.

The crater is a natural wonder teaming with wildlife, but one needs to remember this is a public park and in high season there are a plethora of vehicles competing to see the wildlife. This is still worth a visit, as even driving down into the crater feels like entering a whole new world—a place where time seems to stand still.

After enjoying the abundant wildlife in the Crater, we headed to the Northern Serengeti, staying in the Lamai area at “Nyasi Migrational Camp”. This camp felt to me like a typical “Out of Africa” experience. We were all mind-blown at how amazing the food was and how gorgeous the tents were considering it was a mobile camp - spectacular! On our game drives we drove through the wide-open plains typical of East Africa and saw large herds of elephant, giraffe, wildebeest, and buffalo, but of course the highlight was our first lion sighting!

After Northern Serengeti we headed south to the Central Serengeti … still those typical East Africa wide open plains but now dotted with rocky mounds (leopard’s favorite). Before reaching our lodge, we saw a lion with her cubs in a tree – what a wonderful welcome!! Still before reaching our accommodations for the night, we saw (up close) two big male lion brothers and we delighted in the stories about this pair! Our accommodation in the Central Serengeti was “One Nature Nyaruswiga”. Strategically located amidst the game-rich areas of the Serengeti National Park, One Nature Nyaruswiga ensures that guests have easy access to prime game-viewing opportunities. This proximity allows for unforgettable wildlife encounters that define the essence of the Serengeti. This lodge is luxury on a different level! Our baths were drawn for us, and our fireplaces lit for a warm and peaceful night. The extra touches were amazing along with the incredible safari that included leopard sightings. That’s what I call ending on a high note!