Kenya-Tanzania Safari
For quite some time, Ali had really been itching to go on an African safari. So back in 2019, we finally did it! I was a ball of nerves leading up to the trip, but it ended up being one of the most memorable ones we’ve been on.
For the safari, We started in Kenya and spent 7 days driving from there to Tanzania. It was a private tour, so it was just Ali and I, and our guides the whole way. Here are the stops we made along the way.
Stop 1: Amboseli Nation Park
We left from Nairobi, Kenya and drove to our first stop: Amboseli Nation Park.
We spent 2 nights in the park. Leading up to the trip we weren’t too sure what to expect for our accommodations, but we were pleasantly surprised by our first stay. For lunch and dinner, we hung out at the lodge and our room/cabin which had an excellent view. We could sit on our private porch and watch elephants and other animals walk by. And, of course, watch all the monkeys that were running around the place.
During the day, we drove around the park. It was super exciting to see all the animals in the wild. We went out at different times of the day - sunrise, sunset, midday. Sunrise and sunset were my favorites. Peak excitement was seeing our first herd of elephants on the trip! And the time of year meant we got to see a lot of baby animals.
Stop 2: Maasai Village
This is more like stop 1.5. One of the days we were staying at Amboseli, we drove out to visit a Maasai village and learn about their culture a bit. We were guided around the village, learned about how they live, and got a chance to talk with them.
Stop 3: Lake Manyara National Park
After leaving Amboseli, we crossed into Tanzania! We said goodbye to our first driver and switched to our new driver. Then, for our first stop in Tanzania, we drove around Lake Manyara National Park. We also stayed the night in Manyara in one of the biggest hotel rooms I have ever stayed at. Probably bigger than our apartment. When we booked our safari, we booked the “luxury” option without fully knowing what that meant. And luxury is what we got. It was a special treat because we don’t often book places like that for ourselves.
Stop 4: Ngorongoro Crater
We made a quick stop on the rim of a Ngoromgoro Crater. The area is a a large volcanic caldera. This stop was just a viewpoint to look down into the crater. We’d be actually driving down on a different day. But on our way there, we did pass through this valley that was just FULL of giraffes. I’ve never seen so many together in one spot. Giraffes are one of my favorite animals and seeing dozens of them was a highlight on the trip.
Stop 5: The Olduvai Gorge Museum
We stopped by the Olduvai Gorge Museum. There, we got a bit of time to check out the museum and the view of the gorge.
Stop 6: Serengeti
We got to spend 2 nights in the Serengeti. While there, we got to stay in a luxury safari tent (king sized bed & private toilet/shower included!). We could hear lions while we slept and woke up to giraffes walking nearby. It was amazing! And on our way out, we saw a whole pride of lions, right up next to the car!
~ Car Trouble Intermission ~
As we were leaving the Serengeti, we had some car trouble. Part of the wheel axel (or something wheel related, I’m not a car person) broke. Ali and I feared the worst, but our guide amazed us! He borrowed a machete from a local Maasai who was passing by, picked the perfect tree branch, and rigged up something to keep the wheels in place. We were able to finish the trip like that. A real MacGyver moment.
Stop 7: Ngorongoro Crater
We stopped again at Ngorongoro Crate, but this time, we drove down into the crater! It was very flat and lush, and we got to see a plethora of animals, including a couple of lions that walked up to some of the safari vehicles. And, to end the day, we stayed the night in a beautiful lodge near the crater. Our last luxury stay on the safari. Our room was basically the size of our apartment!
Stop 8: The End
The last stop was to drop us off at our bed & breakfast and say goodbye to our trusty guide, Godfrey. He had been a delight and was super resourceful when we had our car trouble. We had such a great time, I would do it again without hesitation!
Bonus Stop: Rundugai Cultural Tour
This wasn’t on the official safari, but we had an afternoon to kill before our flight out of Tanzania, so we booked a small cultural tour. They took us to a nearby village and a beautiful natural hot springs. We got to meet some locals and learned about the food and medicine, and had lunch with them. It was just a small taste of life there, outside of the major cities.
