TRAVEL WRITING CHALLENGE
The Ultimate Safari Destination in Africa
The A to Z of my favorite travel destinations
I watched more documentaries on this national park than you could name. The magic of this place, its wildlife, and of course the great migration had fascinated me for years before I even knew I was coming to see it live.
The Serengeti.
When saying the name out loud, shivers run down my body. With goosebumps on my arm, I turn the pages of the photo album consisting of images of this unforgettable journey.
"The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning the Mara and Arusha Regions of Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately 30,000 km2 of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves. The Serengeti hosts the second largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world, which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa." — Wikipedia
It wasn’t my first safari and certainly didn’t stay my last one. But no other game-viewing trip stayed so vivid in my memory like this one. Of course, it was special as I got to see the big five in a matter of a few days. It was the first time I saw a lion in the wild. And I saw plenty.
But the Serengeti isn't just about the cats. It's also not about ticking off animals on a list. This trip was about everything. From sunrise 'til sunset and further into the night when the stars came out and I experienced the coldest night yet. There were those moments that stayed in detail in my memory.
The zebras grazing nonchalantly next to a hyena walking by.
The search across the endless grassy plains.
A search for a lone leopard.
The massive wildebeest herds crossing the plains when a young one fell and stayed behind. Not unnoticed by her mother.
Giraffes who were twice the size of the trees they were feeding on.
The fight of the lioness with the lion king. It was clear who was the boss in that relationship.
The search for shade.
Birds I had never paid attention to before.
The moment I saw the fluffy fur of a baby cheetah.
The wildebeest jumping across the puddle.
Cute baby cats looking out of the reeds during lunchtime.
The landscape. Endless plains and then small hills covered in trees.
Wildlife. Everywhere.
Learning about the relationship between zebras and wildebeest. The first one knows the migration route, the latter can smell the rain.
Knowing you’d never be alone. When spotting big cats.
The brightest and most colorful lizard I had ever seen.
A lion. Staring at me.
Learning I wasn’t the one with the biggest camera or lens.
And still noticing the small things as well.
Spotting a wild cat that wasn’t one of the big ones.
Seeing antelopes jumping high.
The elephants walking in the distance as the sun was setting.
The campground with no fences protecting us from the wildlife we just saw.
And yes, just learning so much about all the wildlife I saw.
Oh, that’s me. I was there. Indeed.
So yes. All those moments, experiences and memories are my treasure from visiting the mighty Serengeti in 2015 as part of a five-day safari trip including neighboring parks.
Despite all the crowds of tourists in safari vehicles, I’d go back in a heartbeat. There is a reason why the Serengeti is so famous for African wildlife.
Because you’ll get to see them.
All the animals.
This is a response to the prompt of the alphabet of your favorite travel destinations and acts at the same time as a monthly challenge submission to the topic on wildlife.
Read here how Michele Maize goes crazy for wildlife.
And also Aarti Tailor has some stunning wildlife stories to share. From Canada.
Darren Weir is the only other Globetrotter’s writer who wrote on the Serengeti before. Read below.
And this was my post on the best wildlife shots I had ever taken:
You can find the full series of the “A to Z of my favorite travel destinations” in the reading list here. And these are my latest ones:
O — “Sunsets of Oslo”
P — “Where the Sun Never Reaches the Horizon”
Q — “I Haven’t Been to Q…”
R — “Raw and Refreshing Romania”
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