There is truly nothing like it! No one does luxury safaris like Africa… and the Africa Adventure Company
By Daniella, Megan, Kerry, Maria and Shelley in Tanzania
Day 1: Kahawa Cottages, Arusha
After introductions were made and we were welcomed, we were shown to the cottages set in beautiful spacious gardens. Kahawa is a beautiful property, apart from the owners’ main house – there is a pool area and gazebo, a dining area with firepit and the three cottages.
In the evenings guests gather around the firepit before dinner, where we had the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with the lovely staff and our wonderful guide, Ephraim.
Day 2: Mpingo Ridge, Tarangire National Park
Today we left Arusha with Ephraim and drove to Tarangire National Park for a full day of game viewing!
Continuing into the park we were amazed by the beautiful boabab trees and our first wildlife sightings, zebra, elephant, monkeys and lots of birds!
After spotting our first leopard of the trip, we made our way to Mpingo Ridge. Lemala Mpingo Ridge sits on top of an escarpment with sweeping views across the perennial Tarangire River and valley below and matches the same outstanding standards of comfort and service as the other properties in Lemala’s collection.
Day 3: Ziwani Lodge, Lake Eyasi
We had an early start today departing from Tarangire. We made a stop for some shopping at the African Galleria en route to Karatu. It was worth the stop, nice coffee and you can find souvenirs you wish to buy.
We had lunch at the beautiful Gibb’s Farm. Very secluded with really lovely gardens. The lunch setting was out of this world and the food was outstanding.
We received a briefing for our early morning Hadzabe experience from our wonderful guide, Joseph, the resident guide for the local tribes.
Afterwards we made our way to Ziwani Lodge for an overnight.
Day 4: Entamanu Ngorongoro, Ngorongoro Crater
We departed at 5:45am for a 40 minute drive to reach the Hadzabe Bushman. We met with the men and sat around the fire while they readied themselves for the hunt.
After the hunting experience we were shown to where the were woman grouped, talking beading and looking after the children. After a brief interaction with the women, we left and drove to the location of the Datoga tribe.
Here we were shown around the Boma by Joseph and met the families.
We were shown to a separate area where we met the Blacksmiths and the ladies assisting them. They gave us a demonstration and we were able to purchase their bracelets and arrow heads.
After these two experiences, we were driven to a picnic spot for packed breakfast with Ephraim and Joseph.
Afterwards we continued on to the Lake Eyasi school project to see the progress at the school. It was a worthwhile stop and it was nice to see the water tower that has been built by our clients.
We continued on to the Ngorongoro Gate where we bid farewell to Ephraim and met with the Ranger Safari guide: Ephata. We continued to the viewing location with Ephata for our first look at the crater. We took lots of photos and spent about half an hour just enjoying the view.
Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unflooded, intact caldera in the world. Known as the eighth wonder of the world, its vastness and beauty are truly overwhelming.
We made our way to Entamanu for our overnight where we arrived after dark. The manager introduced himself and provided us with an introduction to the property with the inspection set for the following morning. We had a lovely dinner and early night. Entamanu definitely left a lasting impression! Surrounded by the soaring peaks of dormant volcanic hills and the ebb and flow of Maasai pastoralist life, this is a place to explore beyond the hustle and bustle of the tourist trail.
Day 5: Siringit Serengeti Camp, Seronera
Early morning breakfast and inspection of Entamanu before departing to the Serengeti. We had some beautiful early morning giraffe sightings as they seem to be in abundance around Entamanu.
We continued to the border of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the start of the Serengeti, stopping here for some photos and the bush toilet!
Ephata was determined for us to maximize our game viewing – once again showing the dedication and passion from all our wonderful Tanzanian guides.
We had a spectacular afternoon of game viewing before ending at Siringit for our overnight. Very warm welcome by Richard and our butler Ivan, who made our stay wonderful. Sundowners around the firepit with conversations and incredible views made for a delightful evening. Following a delicious dinner, we were escorted to our tents.
Siringit Serengeti Camp offers a bespoke safari experience in the heart of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania!
Day 6 & 7: Singita Sasakwa Lodge, Singita Serengeti Grumeti
We departed after breakfast for a game drive followed by lunch.
Following lunch, we made our way to the Seronera airstrip with Ephata searching for Leopard along the way. While we had not been able to spot Leopard, the sightings of lion, cheetah, wildebeest and buffalo, plus many different bird species, zebra, gazelle etc. were in abundance and we were satiated!
Next stop: Singita!
We departed on an Auric Air private charter to the Grumeti where we were met by our guide and Singita Staff with a warm welcome, soft drinks and smiles. We sat in the shade and completed our check in process before jumping in the vehicle for the short drive to the lodge. En route we were given an inspection of Serengeti Villa, a beautiful exclusive use house within the Grumeti reserve.
On arrival we were met by Gekuli who briefed us and introduced us to our Butler, Swedy. We were in time for high tea and snacks! A lovely introduction and then given a brief tour of the main building before heading to our beautiful cottage/villa/mansion!
Singita Serengeti Grumeti is located adjacent to the Western Corridor of the Serengeti, bordering the national park, and encompasses 350,000 acres of magnificent unrivalled wilderness. Vast river valleys meander through the plains, grasslands, woodland, and forest.
We spent two nights at Singita Sasakwa where we enjoyed fresh fruit in the mornings with our buffet-style breakfasts and game drives in the afternoons, ending with an incredible sunset, sundowners and singing. The perfect ending to a perfect day.
With unparalleled views of the endless grasslands from its elevated vantage point on Sasakwa Hill, the lodge epitomises refined splendour and old-world luxury, while celebrating a casual approach.
Day 8: Bidding Farewell! It was the hardest goodbye!
After a leisurely breakfast and morning, we were transferred back to the airstrip for the scheduled charter flight to Kilimanjaro and to Arusha.
We flew on the Grumeti Air scheduled charter which made several stops along the way. We had a fabulous aerial view of both Ngorongoro Crater and Mount Meru before coming in to land.
