safari

Photo Essay: Ngorongoro Crater

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Tanzania is the birthplace of the human race. It’s where they found the first human skull. If you believe in Charles Darwin’s  theory of evolution, this is where our ancestors evolved and the first humans walked across the Serengeti plains; hunted, gathered, survived, and evolved millions of years ago. “There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows, and feel as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne – bubbling allover with heartfelt gratitude for being alive .” (Karen Blixen – Out of Africa) Continue reading →

Photo Essay: Serengeti

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I’ve been dragging my feet on this article because of the holiday season, and also because I was too busy stuffing my face.  I am making up for it with a very long post! Without further ado, here are the photos from our second and third day in Africa, where we headed into the endless plain of the Serengeti, a massive wildlife park that spans across 12,000 square feet extending from northern Tanzania into Southern Kenya (that’s about the size of Maryland or Belgium if you’re interested).  In the Serengeti we got to experience the migration of the wildebeest, witness the feast of the lions, and appreciate nature in it’s rawest form – where predators and prey fight for daily survival.
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Day 2-3: On the Road in Serengeti

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The endless plain of Serengeti is filled with wildlife.  After spending a few days camping in the national park, we saw everything from gazelles to cheetah.  One of my personal favorites was witnessing a pride of lions tearing into their kill.  We were about 10 feet away from the scene, where the lioness were fighting over the last piece of the zebra, leaving nothing behind but the rib cage.  Nothing is more primal than watching one animal tear into another.

Day 1: On the Road in Tarangire

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Today is the first day of our African safari and we already saw so many animals!  One of the first animals we saw on the drive through Tarangire national park were a herd of zebras, they were just casually hanging out by the side of the road and completely oblivious to all the gawking passerby.  These zebras are even more beautiful in person.  Did you know that the pattern on each zebra is as unique as our finger prints?

Planning Tanzania

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When we thought about going to Africa, we reached out to a few friends who had already been there to ask for their recommendations and advice. That’s the great thing about having a network of friends who also love to travel, they did not disappoint with their wealth of information. They recommended Across Tanzania Expeditions, a tour company with a great track record.  We reached out to Hezron, the owner of the company and he was very responsive in answering our questions as we planned our trip, helping us figure out the best vacation that maximize our time and budget. We decided on a 6 day safari that includes few nights accommodation in a luxury tent right in the middle of the Serengeti.  I was told this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience where you can hear the wild animals wandering around your tent at night – if you’re into that kind of thing. Continue reading →