Blog work trip (Marloes): walking safari Serengeti NP
Blog work trip in Tanzania (Marloes) March 2018 – Day 7: walking safaris Serengeti Nationaal Park
Oh how I love to wake up in nature! The location of our hiking camp (varies per season) is fantastic: it is located at the foot of a cup (rock formation) surrounded by nothing but pure wilderness. We drink a cup of coffee at sunrise with only the sound of nature waking up: (many!) birds and we hear impalas and zebras in the distance.
Today we leave the car; we will be a walking all day. Prim (one of our highly trained hiking guides) has planned a morning and late afternoon walk. We start early, because it’s still nice and cool. Prim doesn’t really have a plan; he follows his senses and just starts walking. We follow him in silence, enjoying the peace, space and all the little beauty in nature (which you pass in the car). We walk across wide, rolling grassy plains from head to head (rock formations that you see in abundance in the Serengeti). Climbing the huge rocks is fantastic, because once you reach the top you have a 360° view of this endless park. You won’t get bored here! While we enjoy sitting on top of a rock, a group of impalas is getting closer and closer unsuspectingly. We observe their natural behavior in silence, because they are completely unaware that we are sitting there. A highlight!
Prim is a little disappointed, because there is much less game than previous week (migration is called migration for a reason!). We, on the contrary, are very satisfied: being in nature, with nothing but wilderness surrounding us, is more than wonderful! In addition, the great stories from Prim about the special, small details in nature are also very entertaining. What a knowledge that man has … So we are anything but disappointed!
If it gets warmer around noon, we walk back to the camp for a delicious lunch. There is time to relax here, with the chatter of busy birds around us. By the end of the afternoon (when the weather is cooler) we set off again – on foot of course. The light at that time is at its best … After a walk of about an hour, a surprise is waiting for us: Hamisi (bartender) has displayed a cup of snacks and drinks for during the sunset. This is fantastic! But the crew doesn’t leave it at that… after the sundowners of Hamisi we bounce back happily in the jeep. Once in the camp we want to turn left to the mess tent (“restaurant”), but no: we have to turn right; up the rock formation. They lit the campfire on the rock and there is a beautiful table set for us … we are very impressed! These are the cherries on the cake and are the unexpected, unforgettable extras during a safari. What a great team here! Tired but very, VERY satisfied we crawl into our tent again for the night …
