Have you ever thought about a Tanzania dream tour?
When I was young, I watched the various scenes of African wild animals in the National Geographic Channel documentary. I often imagined that one day I could be in this strange land, appreciate all these wild feasts, and come into contact with the still pristine natural scenery.
The endless grasslands of the African land and the silhouettes of animals create a harmonious beauty.
After leaving his job at the end of the spring of this year, he began planning a “Hundred Days Tour” across North America, Europe and Africa with a backpack. After many studies and considerations, I decided to take Africa as the end of the journey, and participate in the 7-day Tanzania Dream Tour tailored for us by “Easy Travel” with friends, fulfilling our childhood wishes.
Why choose Tanzania dream tour?
According to major Internet searches and suggestions from a number of friends who have traveled to Africa, after several deliberations, Tanzania has become our final choice. The main reason is that its national park planning takes animals as the primary consideration, and most of the original features have not been excessively changed to cater for the tourism industry. Second, Tanzania is also relatively underdeveloped in principle, with relatively stable politics, and a good balance between resource protection and use. We hope to affirm their efforts with actions.
Simple human affection is also a beautiful scene in the journey.
Day 1: Entry to Tanzania
There are not many options for flying to Tanzania. We chose to arrive in the country at noon, so that it is convenient to go to the hotel where we are staying and recharge for the next journey. The hostel arranged for us to Kibo Palace, a star-rated hotel in Arusha, where the security is tight and the facilities and services are good. Unfortunately, the check-in time is short and I can’t enjoy it.
Due to some technical flaws, I was supposed to stay in a single suite and upgraded to the presidential suite free of charge. The extra-large bedroom is equipped with a separate meeting area and dining area, so I can have luxury for the first time after traveling 14 countries. Enjoyment.
Such a comfortable presidential suite allows the tired me to have a good rest.
Day 2: Step into Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park
After eating a delicious breakfast, the five of us set out in a mighty manner when the sun was just probed. On the way to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, we stopped in the rest area of some small shops to buy some souvenirs and souvenirs. Two of the group members actively bargained, their persistence in negotiation and the hawker’s language ability formed a special scenery.
After eating a delicious breakfast, the five of us set out in a mighty manner when the sun was just probed. On the way to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, we stopped in the rest area of some small shops to buy some souvenirs and souvenirs. Two of the group members actively bargained, their persistence in negotiation and the hawker’s language ability formed a special scenery.
There are many small stalls along the way, selling all kinds of souvenirs and souvenirs. Most of the items are not clearly priced, which tests the ability of passengers to “negotiate”.
The driver and tour guide Hamdan drove slowly in the city, traveling at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour. Unable to bear the question mark in my heart, we indirectly hinted whether he can speed up. He just nodded implicitly, still driving the car slowly. It was not until entering the reserve that the momentum of the four-wheel drive vehicle was perfectly utilized. After asking, I found out that the speed limit in the urban area was 50 kilometers, and there were traffic police ambushes in many places. Hamdan slowed down in order to avoid unnecessary tickets.
After entering the reserve, the road conditions changed from a flat asphalt road to a bumpy gravel road. After driving for nearly 10 hours on such a road, although my head is disgraced, I see a lot of wild activities and trees unique to Africa along the road. Any hard work is worthwhile.
The four-wheel drive prepared by the hostel feels extremely sturdy, and it is still unimpeded in the wind and dust.
In the reserve, you can see many tree species unique to Africa, among which the Baobab Tree is the most peculiar. Classified as the “Tree of Life” in Africa, it looks like a headed tree. Its branches resemble tree roots that extend into the sky; the trunk is thick and solid, and has a huge water storage capacity.
The endless prairie bears so many lives and breeds so many species.
After a bumpy journey, we arrived at Tortilis Camp tonight. Outdoor dinners fill our hungry stomachs and satisfy our tired body and mind. After a full meal, everyone hurriedly hid in the warm bed to rest and fell asleep amidst the sounds of insects.
In a camp without light damage, you can see the beautiful Milky Way when you look up.
Day 3: Northern Serengeti National Park
The itinerary planning for this day is full of highlights. After having a hearty breakfast in the camp, we set off for the northern part of the national park very early.
Just after leaving, Hamdan, the driver and tour guide, communicated a few words with the drivers of other teams on the radio, and slammed on the accelerator without waiting to explain to us. Confused, we have no time to react, so we can only hold onto our hands and sit firmly. About five minutes later, Hamdan began to crawl forward and looked around—the drivers who exchanged intelligence just mentioned that they found it not far from our camp.
Seeing so many teams from a distance, I know that there must be something to watch nearby.
lion!
The lions, who have become accustomed to cars and humans, walked leisurely in the direction of the convoy. Hamdan parked the car on an oblique section of the lion’s path, and we curiously asked why we didn’t stop right in front of the lion’s path. According to him, we infringe upon lions and other wild habitats, we should adapt to their behavior, and should not block the direction of animals. This resonates with our group of animal lovers, and we admire Tanzania and their perseverance in caring and monitoring the integrity of the national park.
The lion walked in the car group, there was no rejection at all. The lion crawls forward and looks at the prey “lion” ahead.
On the road driving north, in addition to seeing various terrestrial creatures moving on the ground, you can also see many birds flying in the sky when you look up. Every picture is a unique landscape, and every moment is not similar for a moment. Today’s perfect appreciation of wild animals makes us look forward to the great migration of animals in the north tomorrow. The third night was spent in the well-equipped Kenzan Mars camp, looking forward to the next day’s focus event!
Enjoying the perfect sunset with fireflies by the campsite, who can not be intoxicated by it?
Day 4: Northern Serengeti National Park
A group of us chose to come to Serengeti National Park in mid-August. In addition to the reasons mentioned above, the other biggest driving force is the magnificent sight that appears here every year-the great migration of animals.
What is the great migration of animals? Around June of each year, the green grass on the Tanzanian grasslands is gradually consumed due to the reduction of animal food and rain, and the food source of herbivores is also decreasing. The moisture in the air drifted northward due to post-season changes and wind direction shifts, which caused clouds to collect rain, which made the grasslands in the northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya vibrant, and also contributed to large groups of herbivores A spectacular scene of migrating for food.
Beautiful things need to wait, and beautiful scenery needs patience.
To get a glimpse of the most anticipated river crossing during the Great Migration, we got up early in the morning. When the faint sunlight just came out, our group got into the jeep and set off to the bank of the Marseille and began to “bury in ambush”. No less than 20 jeeps are also waiting near us. Similar to the migration of birds, wildebeests and zebras that migrate on land will cross the river on specific routes each year to specific “water crossings” on the banks of the river.
Many jeeps parked on both sides of the river, all carrying tourists looking forward to watching the wildebeest migration.
The wildebeest began to gather, and when the first one rushed into the water, all the companions behind would also file in. The dusty poplar is breathtaking.
According to Hamdan
In most cases, wildebeests are launched one after another. The sight of a group launching in the picture does not often occur. We were very lucky to meet.
The crossing of the river takes about 20 minutes. There are many reasons to “stop” takin from entering the water. The most widely accepted one is that the wildebeest feel threatened in the water-such as the appearance of crocodiles, which prompts them to stop rushing into the water and continue to migrate on land. Go to the next drain.
After lunch, we saw many herbivores in groups in the long grass area, feasting on the green grass everywhere. Being able to witness all these wild scenes with your own eyes is a wonderful memory worth remembering again and again during the journey.
Day 5: Depart from the northern part of Serengeti National Park
Yesterday, I witnessed the animal wonders-the great migration of animals in East Africa. This morning, everyone was shocked by this magical sight for a long time, and they kept discussing excitedly while having breakfast.
After leaving the camp, we headed to the grasslands on the Kenyan border to try our luck. Our tour guide Hamdan said there were often opportunities to see lions hunting down migrating herbivores. In order not to let us down, he looked around seriously, hoping that in several of his “pocket prosperous areas”, we can see the pictures of lions eating.
Huang Tian paid his attention. After about 30 minutes of searching, he found the trail of a lion under a tree in the distance. After driving the car closer, he found that there was a wildebeest bone half-eaten lying beside the lion. Hamdan parked the car at a suitable distance and let us enjoy it slowly in the “rock zone”.
The lions lazily guarded the wildebeest wreck, preventing other animals from taking advantage of it.
The perfect interpretation of “Lion opens its mouth”.
After the lion has finished eating, hyenas and vultures will be attracted to eat the remaining residue.
The operation of nature is truly magical. Hyenas and vultures follow in the footsteps of lions and wait patiently for the lions to hunt. They are also known as opportunists in the African grasslands. They do not hunt actively, most of them are hunting by speculation to snatch other animals, or take the opportunity to enjoy the leftover food of the lions. The lion gets the respect it deserves, and other creatures have room for survival. The mutually beneficial and good relationship allows the grasslands to live in peace and achieve ecological balance.
On the grassland, you can also see various species of herbivores, such as zebra, Thomson antelope, and African duiker.
Flocks of zebras and Thomson antelopes enjoy a green feast. They are all extremely alert animals, and a slight disturbance will alarm them.
Day 6: Central Serengeti National Park
Early in the morning again, we embarked on a long and rugged road.
Driving from the north to the middle, every scene outside the window is like a beautiful scene from a documentary. The day before yesterday, I admired the scene of the great migration of dusty flying poplars, with the deafening sound of hoof steps; yesterday I saw a scene of a lion eating; there are also various natural scenes that can only be seen in the photo album. These classic pictures have not been rehearsed at all. Just like every moment in life, we can only look forward to it. No one can fully weave any events that will happen next.
The mother giraffe and the baby giraffe have breakfast together. The protective giraffe mother is very sensitive to the movement of the side and warns the approach of our car.
Here, in addition to different species of land animals, you can also see many different birds flying in the treetops or in the sky. Some are in groups, and some are acting alone. A lot of reptiles can also be seen on the ground, and the flat-headed hyena with a blue and red body that surprised me the most. Known as the “African Spider-Man”, it moves agile and disappears from the eyes in the blink of an eye. Male flat-headed iguanas have bright colors to estrus female flat-headed iguanas, while female flat-headed iguanas are relatively dull.
The male and female hyenas are not in color, but they are also called “African Spider-Man”.
Appreciating these tiny insects quietly is actually not interesting. Not as obvious as large animals, it takes more eyesight and thought to discover them before it is possible to see their demeanor.
Fortunately, we also had the opportunity to photograph the “eagle pose” of an owl in the wild.
When the sun slowly became dazzling and the temperature gradually increased, our group began to feel tired. After all, after 6 consecutive days of bumpy driving and seeing many animals, everyone started to become quieter. Maybe God don’t want us to come here in vain. At the turn of our path, we saw a lot of cars surrounding the big tree. It turned out that there were two sleepy leopards lying on the tree!
The leopard hides between the tree trunks and hides perfectly.
The sturdy leopard is a natural climber. They will hang their captured prey on trees to prevent other animals from snatching it away.
After leaving the Serengeti, we stayed at the luxurious Olea African Lodge in Karatu, where a sumptuous buffet-style dinner ended our last night in Tanzania.
Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater
Since everyone will leave the country on the evening flight, the tour guide hopes that we can embark on the return journey with the best memories, so we set off before the sun shines.
Today’s “final destination” is the volcanic crater in the Ngorongoro Reserve. Here, it is said to be the best sacred place to meet the African “Big 5”. It has an excellent geographical location and has bred a lot of animals and plants. Also, because of the abundant water sources, animals can obtain drinking water and food all year round, so there is no need for great migration. The high mountains located on the border isolate foreign threats and provide no convenient way for the animals living in them to leave. Even if they succeed in crossing the mountains, they will not be able to turn back the same way.
The endless volcanic crater is the largest and most complete volcanic crater in the world. It is about 20,000 meters wide and 600 meters high.
Here is rich in ecological resources and unique scenery, like a paradise on earth, as beautiful as the Garden of Eden.
The blue sky and white clouds are matched with the green hills, and the magic of nature is perfectly presented here.
Due to the unique structure of its geographical situation, different scenery can be seen here in the morning, afternoon and night. In the morning, the thick fog casts a mysterious veil on the trees and the earth, creating perfect images. When the sun rose above the head, endless animals and plants appeared in the eyes, it was truly beautiful.
Today is the day to leave Tanzania, and I feel extra resentful about these beautiful scenery. Passing buffaloes, lions, hippos bathing in the water to cool down, giraffes eating leisurely, and big but gentle elephants, the shadows they pass through the window seem to say goodbye to us.
It may not be material to satisfy the body and mind, but to learn to appreciate the different things around, experience the unique culture of others, and broaden the horizons of the wider world. This trip to Tanzania not only allowed me to enter the African land that I had imagined countless times in my childhood, but also gave me a deeper admiration for nature and the biological world. If you have the same vision as me, contact Easy Travel and let their team realize it for you!
*This is purely a personal travel note for sharing. The author and the group members participate in all the itineraries in the article at their own expense. Since it is a customized journey, please refer to the content of the article and contact the relevant company contact person for inquiries and confirmation.
About the author
Zhang Jingxian, A graduate of the Department of Veterinary Medicine who is not doing business properly, has backpacked to Australia and New Zealand for half a year, and in 2018, he launched a 100-day backpacking tour to North America, Europe and Africa. You can search for “My.Jography” and contact me.
