Lake Manyara
Our first day of safari was action-packed! I expected African safari to be somewhat like driving through Jasper National Park - you should spot some wildlife, from a-far at the very least. Actually, the park was chock-a-block with wildlife right infront of our noses. We couldn't even zoom in with the camera in some instances, because they were so close!Safari includes hours of driving around the African plain (or jungle) in whichever direction you choose - for us, anyway, as we had a private safari driver: Samuel. Sam was amazing and knew exactly where to go; he could identify any animal and give loads of information about it's eating habits, mating rituals and other interesting stuff; and he totally let us play the routes by ear. A packed-lunch is also provided, so each day includes a picnic as well. The jeeps that are used have hatches in the roofs, which open to provide canopied viewing - all you have to do is stand on the seats and you're almost IN nature!
Click on the pictures in the slideshow to learn more about what we saw.
On the first night of our safari we left Lake Manyara Park and drove to the E Unoto Luxury Maasai Lodge. We had no idea what to expect, as we didn't choose this accommodation, it came with our safari package. No need for apprehension though, as it was AMAZING.
We were greeted with cool towels to wipe our faces and glasses of freshly squeezed fruit juice - a practise we came to love by the end of our trip! Next, we were introduced to our private Maasia butler, who was to take care of all of our needs during our stay. We made our way to our private hillside bungalow and were astounded by it's splendor and picturesque view! The bungalow was beautiful and luxuriously appointed with double sinks, a king-sized bed and a large verandah overlooking the jungle and a small lake. It was a completely private retreat from which we could listen in on the squawking of native birds and the chatter of curious monkeys.
Our 3-course dinner was served in the open-air dining room, by the pool, by our butler, who shared tidbits about the Maasia culture with us while we ate. Afterward we enjoyed an acrobatics performance and a traditional Maasai dance performed by some nearby villagers. Needless to say, we were less than exstatic to leave the next day - this was probably my favourite of the Tanzania-mainland accommodations.
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