Tanzania Safari
The world’s most spectacular and abundant wildlife terrain. A trip of a lifetime.
My friend Mimi and her family took a trip that I’ve been in hot pursuit of for years. Here are details and highlights of her amazing family expedition through Singita Grumeti, Massai Mara Game Reserve and Loisaba Conservancy. Plan a trip with the family to the most gigantic bedroom in the world where the African night sky is your ceiling, the hills and terrain are your walls and the soothing sounds of wildlife lull you to sleep.
There’s an excellent chance you will see the majority if not all of these magnificent creatures. The big five. Cheetah. Serval. Hyena. Bat-eared foxes. Black-backed and side-striped jackals. Hippo. Crocodile. Baboons. Warthog. Topi. Eland. Thompson’s gazelle. Grant’s gazelle. Impala. Waterbuck. Oribi. Reed-buck. Zebra. Just to name a few!
Singita Grumeti
Situated adjacent to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, is an integral part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, the home of the Great Migration. The reserve was created by the Tanzanian government in 1994 in order to protect the path of the annual wildebeest migration and the indigenous biodiversity of this vast and important ecosystem.
Accommodations are like nothing you’ve ever seen before. First is the Sasaskwa Lodge. Grand entrance. Wraparound verandas. Silver candelabras. Coveted antiques. Noteworthy artifacts and tribal cushions. Stately Edwardian manor styled house. Light and airy atmosphere. Panoramic views. Undeniable sense of immense freedom. Serenity. Stillness. Striking the perfect balance of luxury and elegance.
Faru Faru Lodge is set in front of a busy waterhole alongside the Grumeti River in the heart of the Serengeti. Continuous connections with nature. Breathtaking surroundings. A more relaxed approach to luxury. Contemporary African lodge. Deeply restorative power of nature. Airy bedroom suites. Intuitive ease. Oversized windows provides a front row seat to the wilderness.
Sabora Tented Camp charts a visionary new course for luxury living under a canvas. Perfect for travellers yearning for an African safari full of energy and unrivalled levels of comfort. Mindfully created interiors. Deep rich combination of textures. Functional aesthetics married with a romantic essence.
Massai Mara Game Reserve
As Mimi notes… is truly magical. Open grassland of pure organic splendor. A visit to Maasai village is a moment never to be forgotten. Maasai Mara, locally known simply as The Mara, is a large national game reserve in Narok, Kenya. Regarded as the jewel of Kenya’s wildlife. Contiguous with the Serengeti Park. The reserve is one of the most popular tourism destinations in Africa. Wildlife tends to be most concentrated on the reserve’s western escarpment. The annual wildebeest’s migration alone involves over 1.5 million animals arriving in July and departing in November. There have been some 95 species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles and over 400 birds species recorded on the reserve.
Climatic Conditions – Altitude 5,300 feet (1,600 metres). Rainy season from November through May, with peak rainfall in December-January and April-May. Dry season from June-November. Often sunny mornings with cloud build-up in the afternoons – during the rains this develops into thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Max temperatures up to 30°C and min temperatures around 20°C.
Access – The Mara Triangle is serviced by two all-weather airstrips– Mara Serena and Kichwa Tembo. The main road access into the Triangle is through Narok and Sekenani Gate.
Accommodation – Mara Serena (150 beds that have luxury bedding and cozy pillows) and Little Governors’ Camp (36 beds luxury bedding and cozy pillows) are the only two lodges situated in the Triangle. Kichwa Tembo, Mpata Club, Olonana, Mara Siria and Kilima Camp are situated on the periphery but use the Triangle.
Best time to visit – Peak season is between July and October, during the migration. Early November and February can also offer excellent game viewing.
Activities – Game viewing, camping, night game drives, visits to Masai cultural villages, ballooning, bush dinner, lunch and breakfast. Masai Mara makes for a spot for a destination wedding photographer to engage different scenes with clients.
Loisaba Conservancy
57,000 acre wildlife conservancy located in Laikipia, Northern Kenya. Abundant wildlife. Exquisite accommodation. Adventurous activities. You will revive your mind, rejuvenate your body and revitalize your soul. Complete freedom to choose how they spend their time. Trek through the bush with camels. Mountain bike down the escarpment. Horseback ride or drive through the plains.
Loisaba Lodo Springs offers an ultra-private experience with eight individual, spacious rooms with impressive views that reach across the magical landscape of northern Kenya stretching out to Mount Kenya. Service is paramount, with each room assigned an Elewana Guest Ambassador to serve and cater to guests’ every need, as well as a dedicated safari vehicle and a highly qualified Elewana field guide who will accompany guests for the duration of their stay.
Loisaba Starbeds showcase the most beautiful night sky. An African adventure in themselves. Handcrafted four-poster beds which sit on wheels are rolled out onto raised wooden platforms so that guests can sleep under the endless African night sky. Cosy and homely dining room, sitting room and a wooden deck. Located among a kopje of rocks in one of the Eastern Valleys, overlooking the Kiboko Dam. Home to a resident hippo family and a main water source for passing game. You don’t get much closer than this!
Thank you Mimi and Family!