What makes a Great Migration Safari in Tanzania so remarkable?

This is why my Great Migration Safari in Tanzania was so unforgettable. Come along and I'll tell you all about it.

When the boss asks if you have a video camera and want to do a 10-day Safari in Tanzania; you say yes! Definitely, yes. Wouldn't you jump at the chance to witness some of Tanzania’s most sought-after destinations (places dreams are made of) and highlights? Including the spectacular Great Migration of Africa. I did!

So with one month to prepare I embarked on another exciting African safari adventure. This time a Great Migration Safari in Tanzania!

Getting There - South Africa to Kenya to Tanzania

My flight route was anything but direct. I flew via Cape Town, onto Johannesburg to connect in Nairobi, and then on to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania. Not wanting to waste any opportunities, I caught up with the office in Cape Town en route, where I spent the day before heading back to the airport for my flight to Johannesburg. After another short wait, I was finally on my way to East Africa. I arrived in Nairobi at 7 am the next morning. Here I took the opportunity to meet with one of our most trusted Kenya safari partners. And what a warm and wonderful morning we spent exploring Nairobi city. I have not visited Kenya but having spent only 4 hours with our colleagues, I am extremely intrigued and cannot wait to add the Masai Mara and other Kenyan safari highlights to the list of places I have visited in Africa.

Nairobi, Kenya on safari

First, I was invited to a site inspection at the not-too-shabby Best Western Meridian Hotel. Here I found a rooftop bar and pool overlooking the city. A very comfortable hotel and location for our clients' pre-and-post safari accommodation. After a drive around the city centre, we headed back to the airport and I boarded the final leg of my journey to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania.

Nairobi to Kilimanjaro & Arusha, Tanzania

It’s not a long flight, not more than an hour and I commend Kenya Air for being prompt and efficient in their flying to top it off, Kilimanjaro peaked cooly through the tops of the clouds alongside the plane followed by Mount Meru both showing off. Of course, Kili with her snowcapped peaks stole the show.

Flying over Kili & Mt Meru

I so love landing in African Airports surrounded by bush and shrub, the thought that a giraffe might saunter down along and cross the runway. The Kilimanjaro Airport is quaint and very easy to navigate and our safari guide was waiting, as expected, outside the arrivals hall holding our names on a signboard. I was pleased to discover it was a familiar face as he picked me up in 2011 before my Kilimanjaro Trek! It was like greeting an old friend again.

Travelling on safari in Tanzania

My safari in Tanzania had begun in earnest. It was with excitement and anticipation that I met up with my fellow travellers, 4 ladies from various travel agencies in Germany and South Africa. Our driver dropped us off at the Meru View Lodge, our lodge for the evening, to check in and have a much-needed shower. We had a schedule to follow and needed to inspect the African View Lodge shortly after check-in. I also wanted to purchase a local SIM card to experience the ease of connecting from a neighbouring country and so that I could stay in touch with my husband and our toddler. Our driver took me to a local shop in Usa Village, close to our lodge, and we spoke to a chap about my needs. Before I knew it and for only $12, I was connected with data to last the month! All you need to bring along is your passport. 

I was dropped off at the African View Lodge to meet up with the rest of my team and enjoyed a site inspection around the property. Very comfortable lodging for a pre and post-safari night in Arusha along with a quirky honeymoon tented room raised up on a platform with an exceptional view. A room that needs to be requested. Well noted for future Tanzania safaris ;-)

We returned to our Meru View Lodge for a meeting with the Tanzanian safari company that would be looking after us for the duration of our stay. We discussed the next few days ahead and enjoyed a Serengeti Lager in preparation for our big Tanzania safari adventure. This was followed by our first of many 3 course dinners and we all marvelled at the delightful avo starter, a taster for very good things to come!  

Delightful starters at Meru View Lodge

Arusha to Usa Village & Tarangire National Park

With a bit of a slow start to the morning, an easy mistake… two of the girls forgot to switch their phones forward in time and overslept…. We enjoyed an incredibly scrumptious breakfast followed by a safari briefing and introduction to our tour guide. With one site inspection en route, we gathered our gear and hit the road. 

The Mount Meru Game Lodge & Sanctuary was an overwhelming surprise of the best kind. Tucked deep into the leafy suburb of Arusha’s Usa Village, lies an old animal sanctuary come retired game lodge lying on the banks of the Usa River. You arrive to cheeky vervet monkeys eyeing you from above the treetops and the sound of a gushing river in a place from an era gone by. It was an immediate feeling of comfort, a safe welcoming place that has experienced many happy memories in its time and continues to this day, sharing the history with its guests. 

Mount Meru Lodge & Sanctuary grounds

I was reading about the history of the place while looking at the pictures on the walls of a Dr von Nagy who pioneered the establishment in the early ’50s and took in a few abandoned animals such as a chimpanzee, buffalo and some zebra and as I was reading about his grandson, Zummi, the very man walked in and introduced himself giving this establishment a real family owned and run lodge feeling. The remaining sanctuary is home to one zebra, his fellow donkeys for company, a buffalo, an ostrich and lots of birds who enjoy a quiet safe life, roaming freely on the large grounds. And then there are the elusive Colobus Monkeys who were kind enough to drop in and give us a little show. A land lost in time and home to some incredible creatures. This will be my preferred pre and post-lodging for the ambience, warmth, and love that echoes from the grounds. Plus, we had a cappuccino, which is pretty rare!

After some unexpected delays (involving a quest to fix the broken spectacles of one of our group members) we made our way to Tarangire. This put our time out for the journey to Tarangire National Park and resulted in us missing our lunch BUT on the plus side, we experienced just how dedicated our guide is to ensure a client's comfort. In the end, our group member used a bandaid to fix her specs and we entered the Tarangire around 3 pm spending three hours on safari before reaching camp around 6 pm.

First game drive on safari in Tanzania

The Tarangire is stunning, I don’t know what I was expecting but I had a more barren assumption of the place with sparse thorn trees and shrubs. In the end, the park was lush and green dotted with the iconic Acacia Tree and baobab upon glorious baobab tree creating that feeling of age and maturity with the trees reaching hundreds of years old. And then,  the elephants…. from the moment we entered to the moment we departed, herds and herds all with babies which were just too adorable for words and the best part was their keen curiosity of us.

Tarangire elephants, Tanzania

I must say I had my most memorable elephant encounter as a herd walked right up to our vehicle, the baby lifted her trunk and almost popped it through our window to have a little sniff while another decided to toy with the antenna on the front of our cruiser and one simply stood eyeing us inside the vehicle while chewing her grass, not a care in the world, before moving off again. It was the African safari moment one lives for. And only day one in Tanzania!

Tarangire elephant on Tanzania safari

Arriving at our Mobile Explorer Camp set up just for us under the evening skies, nestled next to an ancient baobab, we delighted in the simplicity yet luxury of the location we were privileged to spend the night in…. Right inside the national park, not a fence or boundary between us and the animals other than our thin canvas walls. The toilet and shower happened to be just outside our tent too…

Tarangire safari camp in Tanzania

We enjoyed a hearty 3-course meal prepared by the in-camp chef and sat around a warming fire under a very starry sky. A perfect end to my first day on safari in Tanzania.

Tarangire to Lake Manyara National Park

A fairly early start saw us heading out of Tarangire Park - passing more herds of elephants, adults, and babies to our delight. Then onwards to Lake Manyara where we enjoyed two site inspections at both the Maramboi Tented Camp quietly nestled under a thick forest of trees overlooking Lake Manyara for endless views. A family-friendly and very inviting tented safari camp. This was followed by a site inspection at the Lake Burunge Tented Camp, offering great vistas over the lake from the dining deck and very comfortable tented rooms. We also enjoyed our lunch boxes on the deck watching colourful birds flying around us and finding ourselves lost in the shimmering lake colours in front of us.

Tarangire Park on Tanzania Safari

Finally, time for game viewing again! This time on safari in the Lake Manyara National Park. I was fortunate on my first visit, back in 2011, to witness the famous tree-climbing lions lazing up in the tree canopies but sadly not this time. However, the lake was filled with thousands of pelicans and flamingoes with a single mother hippo and her baby mingling between the flocks. A peculiar site and one that will leave a lasting impression. Our safari guide took us on an extended journey through the park allowing us to experience the full length of the park. The wildlife consisted mainly of birdlife, monkeys, baboons, the hippo, and a klipspringer. This is a thick jungle-like experience of magic and wonder.

Lake Manyara, Tanzania

Lake Manyara & Claire

We arrived at our adventure camp for the evening (the most basic of tented experiences on this trip). Our crew had already set up our 2 man dome-style tents with mattresses on the ground and a sleeping bag. It was a communal campsite with a communal dining hall where we enjoyed another 3-course meal prepared by a crew that arrived there before us to set up.

I was fortunate to have brought an inflatable pillow to allow for a little extra comfort. I looked forward to the coming nights in tented camps with beds, linen, towels and en-suite toilet and shower.

The Great Rift Valley & Lake Natron

On the next day of our Tanzania safari, we headed north to Lake Natron. It was a bit of a blur as I learned that back home my little girl of only 22 months was rushed to hospital with croup. Of course in the safe hands of her father, she was well taken care of but the sense of being so far away from her while she was the sickest she had ever been was quite traumatic and I will be forever grateful for purchasing a SIM card which allowed me to stay in constant contact with them while bundu bashing in the middle of the thick African bush! At one point I felt I had to get home and spoke to the head office in Arusha who lined up the option of an immediate pickup from Lake Natron where we arrived at around 2 pm and transfer to the central Serengeti Airstrip to fly out that same day. With much relief the hospital provided immediate care and reassurance of her recovering health, I continued the journey keeping constant tabs on my little family back home, again so grateful for the excellent local coverage even in very remote places and the reassurance that if I needed to get home immediately, help was instant via the operations crew.

What I can say is that the drive took us along the Great Rift Valley which runs all the way from Lebanon to Northern Mozambique. Dotted along the way are quaint villages with locals covered in colourful blankets as traditional wear, some laden with exquisite jewellery and distinctive markings (Maasai Tattoos) as well as low-cut ears. 

Start of the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania

Lake Natron is located on the northeastern border of Tanzania to Kenya so we were able to stand along the shore of the lake and peep across at some neighbouring Kenyan Mountains. This is a soda lake that attracts immense flocks of flamingos and other wonderful water birds. Our guide arranged with a local Masai Guide to take us for a walk along the Lakeshore so when we arrived, we had time for a briefing and quick acclimatization to the sudden heat as the area is a dry and arid one with a very desert-like feeling to it.

Lake Natron locals

Our camp for the night, the Halisi Tented Camp was extremely comfortable and I was also able to connect to a WiFi source (again in honestly the middle of nowhere, powered by solar!) 

Halisi camp on safari in Tanzania

The Lakeshore walk was short but wonderful, an immense feeling of openness and space as well as harmony between humans and nature.

Lake Natron, Tanzania

Our Masai guide explained about the shore, the bird species, seasons and little things that make the place so special as the sun went down behind the clouds. Ol Doinyo Lengai Mountain, raised just over 3000 meters above sea level, towered above us.

Lake Natron sunset

The ancient Maasai story goes that the Ol Doinyo Lengai Mountain is where God lived because it was and still is an active volcano and every now and then the mountain would smoke suggesting that god was cooking up a storm. So, the Maasai would make offerings of their cows by leaving one at the foot of the mountain for god to enjoy. Of course, due to the wildlife in the area, the cow was inevitably gone or had been eaten with just the bones left behind so they believed god had eaten well. Our guide explained that after many years of this the people finally realized it was the wildlife snatching up the livestock and so the offerings ceased but the story remains and the Maasai still live in their traditional homesteads dotted around the area of Lake Natron.

Ol doinyo Lengai, Tanzania

The staff back at camp prepared a delicious 3-course meal for us, we ate well and slept fairly well considering the sudden difference in temperature. The fact that only a sheet on the bed was provided said a lot.

Serengeti National Park & The Great Migration Safari

At last, the highlight of our Great Migration safari in Tanzania. The Great Wildebeest Migration in Serengeti National Park.

The route we took to Serengeti was not the normal tourist route. It cannot be taken during the rainy season from March through to May when the rivers run full and make it impossible to pass. We got a small taste for this as our safari guide navigated some fairly wet and muddy patches giving us a true impression of how important a land cruiser vehicle is for traveling through East Africa in general. We commended him on his excellent driving and care of his vehicle as well as his calm demeanor through some pretty sticky passes. So our return saw us continuing in a northerly direction to enter the Serengeti via the Klein Gate in the very remote north, a gate rarely entered by the looks of it but so very worth the drive in the end. Bearing in mind that the area we traveled through to reach the gate is completely unfenced so what we encountered before arriving at the gate was a little bit of magic and a whole lot of mother nature…

We witnessed part of the famous Great Migration of wildebeest! They came tearing over the road in front of us, herds and herds, heading towards the Northern Serengeti, kicking up the dust as they flew past, prancing so delicately on their long legs, and we were the only tourists to witness this great show. Something I can treasure forever.

With much excitement after this sighting, we entered the northern Serengeti Park and travelled westward to our camp for the night, arriving at around 7 pm. A long day of driving indeed. The game drive through Serengeti was about 3 hours, so we were treated to an extraordinary lion pride sighting. A group of teenage cubs lying in the tall grass which captivated us to start with and then Mommy came from one side and called for her cubs. They got up and approached her as cats do, nudging her cheeks and following her back to the pride. Then another mommy lion came from a different side and again called for her cubs who came running towards her also in a loving manner although the stragglers who did not run fast enough got a bit of an earful and a paw to the cheek. They all walked back to the main spot together and proceeded to clean each other. We then spotted the male lion who was hiding away from the pride, he was magnificent, the true king of the African wilds. 

Serengeti lion pride on safari in Tanzania

Serengeti lion, Tanzania

Another two treats on this drive were a cheetah and her cubs finishing off a meal and a lazy leopard chilling nonchalantly in a tree, as cats do, having fed well on an antelope that hung perfectly in the V of the tree below. 

And then our camp, my favorite so far, Kati Kati Tented Camp which I have heard so much about through the many clients I have sent this way. It’s just as I imagined, surrounded by wild Serengeti, nestled deep in the bush with a resident buffalo to keep us entertained. We were briefed and told that during the night we had to be escorted by a staff member with a torch. No complaints there! With our late arrival, we had a moment to freshen up in our luxurious tented rooms complete with linen, towels, toilet, and the African-style bucket shower!

Kati Kati in Tanzania

Dinner was another magnificent 3-course extravaganza always starting with a soup and ending off with something sweet. Drinks are also served with a select choice of spirits, mixers, wine and local beers. Another highlight is the bonfire for after-dinner conversation with your group and the crew. Watching the stars above and listening to some wild sounds around the camp. 

The morning saw us moving westerly and then returning to the center of the park, we ventured off on an early morning safari with our breakfast and lunch packs.

More wonderful sightings, lion, hippo, crocodile, jackal, hyena, buffalo, antelope and wildebeest to name a few. Due to the early morning start, we were fortunate to see 2 lion couples on honeymoon, a family with mom, dad and 2 baby cubs and a retired male lion all within metres of each other doing their thing. I must say it was a unique sighting and another lasting safari impression saved in the memory bank.

We had a delightful site inspection at the gorgeously luxurious Kubu Kubu Camp with breathtaking sweeping (can you even use those two words together?) views over the Serengeti Plains in a migratory corridor so if one is fortunate to be sitting out on the deck when the wildebeest migration passes they literally have front row seats! What we didn’t know was that a scrumptious hot lunch had been prepared for our visit and we sat down, GnT in hand on a balmy hot African day in the Serengeti watching the view and feeling quite pleased with ourselves.

Another night in the Serengeti at the Serengeti View Camp. The nice thing about this camp was the song and dance that ensued after dinner. The staff surprised us with the famous Jambo Bwana song as they danced around our tables and urged us to follow them. It was a very happy moment for all the guests that night.

Halisi camp on safari in Tanzania

Cake time on safari

Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater 

Our journey continued towards the central Serengeti and then out via the south gate where we bid our final goodbye to this wild wonder.

As a final treat, about 5 kilometres outside of the Serengeti, the migration decided to pass in front of us AGAIN, this time an even larger herd running into the distance for miles and miles, as far as the eye could see. Another incredible sighting for all of us leaving us feeling most fortunate and grateful to mother nature for such a rare treat.

Catching the Great Migration in Serengeti on two separate occasions was the highlight of my Tanzania Safari!

Serengeti Migration Safari

Onwards to the Ngorongoro Crater and a drastic drop in temperature from shorts and T-shirts to jackets and scarves in an instant! We visited the famous Serena Crater Hotel, one of the oldest, if not the first hotel built on the Crater rim again with views that provided pristine, untouched panoramas of a very unique wildlife haven and home to a resident, retired elephant who was happily munching a few leaves up against the balcony. He was so close I could have given him a little pat on the head. 

Before the site inspection, we stopped for a short walk along the rim which lasted about an hour and enabled us to see giraffes up close for a few vital giraffe selfies and a herd of zebra.

Ngorongoro Crater zebras on Tanzania Safari

I felt that this was the perfect way to end off a long day of driving and a good time to do it as mornings are very misty. It also provided incredible vistas of the Crater for some beautiful landscape shots. The guide who walked us along the rim explained some of the flora to us, as we meandered through the tall grasses, and carried a gun to scare off a lion should one happen to drop in on our walk.

Ngorongoro Crater view, Tanzania

We all felt our safari nights dwindling with just 3 more to go from this night on. Our night was spent on the crater rim but the other side of the road so no views but lush surroundings and heavy mist adding to the ambiance of this tented camp experience at Ang’ata. Our welcoming team collected the baggage and saw us to our tents. We arrived at dusk so had time for a much-needed warm shower and change into our winter wear before heading into the main tent for dinner. Again we required an escort between our tent and the main area as buffalo, hyena, lion to name a few, can be found snooping around the camp at times. This was our last tented night experience, last bucket shower, and last time we enjoyed a happy crew catering just to us. The 3-course meal was very different from the others we had experienced, however, every experience included such wonderful food, we never went to bed hungry!

An early morning saw us into the Crater for our final safari but an extremely unique safari at that! The Crater is home to some very relaxed and happy animals, the lions feed extremely well and you are almost certainly guaranteed lions feeding on a catch from the night before. I have been fortunate in the two visits I have made to the Crater to see lions feeding, this time a group of 3 lions, 1 male and 2 females were enjoying some buffalo while in the background hyena and jackal waited for their turn.

Sadly, this was our only chance to try and spy the black rhino as they are not found in the north, west or central Serengeti nor are they found in Tarangire or Lake Manyara. We left without spotting him so we can claim we saw 4 of the Big 5 animals but not many can claim they witnessed the Great Migration of Africa so we all took glee in this.

Tanzania safari group in land cruiser

Ngorongoro Crater to Karatu & Arusha

Once out of the crater, we made our way to Karatu, a little town just outside of the Crater region. Here we enjoyed a site inspection with hot lunch served at the gorgeous Old Farmhouse Lodge which is nestled on a coffee plantation with a very active vegetable garden and orchard providing all fresh produce to the lodge. We went on a little walking tour to learn more about the farm and the production of coffee. An educational walk with a delightful cup of coffee offered afterwards, ground from the plantation itself.

We checked into our rooms at their sister lodging, the newer Valley Lodge and had a few GnTs as the sunset and the sounds of nature chorused around us. It was to be our last night together for the next day was our drive back to Arusha and the following morning I had a 2:45 am transfer booked to start my long journey back home.

Dinner on the last night of our Tanzania safari was a grand buffet affair. The next day kicked off with a gushing shower, unlike the bucket showers from the days previously and a long drive back to Arusha via a stop for a very local lunch provided by the Mama Africa Foundation. This is an excursion I would insist is added to any itinerary returning this way which is the majority of them. The activity starts in a local banana plantation which is very pretty and you are taken on a walk through the banana fields to what looks like a little tiny village restaurant. Here the ladies of the village are cooking up a storm for us on their clay-fired ovens and we sit under the leafy banana trees, enjoying a taste of both banana beer and wine while dining on a local feast of delicious treats. A most memorable way to end off an incredible Tanzania safari adventure with your group and guide.

Mama Africa lunch cooking

Mama africa lunch table

Mama Africa lunch

On this trip I wish to highlight how fortunate we were to catch the great migration on two separate occasions, mainly because we were not expecting the movement to have started so early in June and in our location. It just goes to show how unpredictable mother nature is and how very much it is due to luck that we were able to witness this great feat. 

Our sad farewells were made on this final evening at the Rivertrees Lodge in Arusha. We met up with our Tanzania safari supplier once again and enjoyed recounting our adventures over an a la carte dinner this time and a glass of red wine before hitting the sack for an early start home.

Claire on safari in Tanzania

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