Crossing into the Serengeti

We bumped our way out of Ngorongoro crater towards the Serengeti. Once again, the journey itself was unforgettable. We passed one Maasai village after another, some bigger than others but all with similar round thatched huts built in a circle protected by high walls of sharp acacia branches. Along the way, we saw Maasai men and children walking their cows and goats in search of green pastures and water holes. And right nearby zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, giraffes roamed around grazing. The lions, cheetahs and leopards wouldn’t be too far away either. 

One of the many Maasai villages dotted along the way from Ngorongoro to Serengeti.

The modern gumboots wearing warrior.

Grazing land of the Maasai 

Which is also the feeding ground of the giraffes.

Towering over the acacia trees that they feed on.

Fetching water is hard work in these blazing hot conditions. Taking a break under the shade of this huge tree with their buddies.

Road to the Serengeti 

What a sight to greet us! 

What a beautiful creature. 

Where bubs is, Mum is never far away.

Eyes always on her little one.

The cheetah’s tear mark face is what differentiates it from the leopard. 

 Curious Banded Mongoose

Crowding protectively around their injured friend. Unfortunately they couldn’t help and had to leave him behind.

Bedtime for these 

Time to head home as the sun starts to set.

Our home for the night. Kubu-Kubu Lodge. Incredibly luxurious lodge right in the middle of the Serengeti. With no electric fence surrounding the camp, we were literally living next to Africa’s wildlife, although the hotel staff assured us that our brave Maasai warriors would protect us from the animals. Still it was pretty scary walking back in the pitch black night after dinner and seeing the glimmering eyes of hyenas less than a few feet from us.  

Unforgettable. A family of migrating elephants right infront of us. We counted almost 70 of them. We were told that these elephants were following the clouds and rain. Where there is rain, there will be green pastures. 

Sunrise... Another 6am start

Our Maasai protectors. “Do not walk around camp alone. Always have our Maasai warriors accompany you to your room” (hotel policy)!

Kinyonga (chameleon in Swahili). Our home in the Serengeti. One very grumpy kid. We didn’t know at that time but this poor little girl was feeling rather sick.

Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact volcano caldera in the world. The crater measures around 16-19km in diameter, with walls of 400-610m in height. We were bit disappointed that we were too early for the migration. The sight of thousands of wildebeests and zebras rushing through the crater is indescribable according to friends who have been there. Still, we were really looking forward to our drive into the crater. Mia had only one thing on her mind, she was determined to find a black rhino! The crater is home to the Big Five. When we got to the rim, looking into the crater was breathtaking. Nothing had prepared us for the size of the crater, it stretched as far as the eye could see and right in the crater were hundreds of animals scattered all around. 

Deep in the crater

Wildebeests everywhere

King of the jungle. Our guide tells us that lions are the laziest, all they do is sleep.

Well, this king got up long enough for this. It’s the time of the year, mating season.

Hippo pool. These guys are super stinky. Ryan and Mia were gagging away as we parked next to them to watch the lions in the distance.

Keeping cool snoozing in their mud pool.

Oblivious to everything around them.

Smiles for the camera but once the shot was taken it was hands over their noses! The hippos were smelled so bad.

A lone bull elephant 

The female doing her mating dance to attract...

...Mr Ostrich.

Lunch break by the lake in the crater.

Happy little girl, fed and ready for our long drive to the Serengeti.

One last look back into the crater as we drive back up towards the rim.

Mia and Johnson insisted that they saw a baby rhino but they’re the only ones who “saw” it. The rest of us only saw a black dot which could have been any animal! When we first drove into the crater, I got all excited. I was so sure it was a rhino in the distance, it was so clear in my binoculars. Johnson wasn’t convinced and asked for my binoculars then said “it’s a warthog” 😓😆. And so, the rhino continues to elude us.

Across the plains from Kenya to Tanzania

Today we drove from Amboselli to Tarime, where we crossed from Kenya over to Tanzania. There, Ben handed us over to our Tanzanian guide, Johnson who will take us to see the wonders of Ngorongoro crater and the Serengeti for the next three days. Ben had told us last night that the drive to the Tanzanian border would take five hours and we would be leaving at five in the morning. When we climbed into the car that morning, we had an extra passenger, a Maasai warrior. He would show us a shortcut to the border. And what an incredible shortcut it was! Not only did it cut our journey down by two hours, it also took us through the the most beautiful landscape. No words can fully describe just how amazing it was to watch the sun rise over the vast plains of Africa, and see the animals as they walk through the wilderness stopping along along the way to feed.

A curious onlooker. Took me completely by surprise as we weren’t driving through a protected National Park. As we continued on our drive, we saw even more giraffes, zebras, wildebeests and many other animals. This really is the true meaning of being in the wild!

One of many Maasai villages we passed. 

Similar layout yet different in their own ways.

Love these beautiful creatures. So graceful as they waltzed across the plains.

Our first sight of a baby giraffe. 

We arrived at our meeting spot way ahead of schedule so we stopped for morning tea in this tiny kitchen at the back of a souvenir shop. Everything was made fresh from the produce grown in their backyard.

Chapati for our lunch.

End of our journey with Ben and Joy, for now.

Our new ride into Tanzania.

Across the border, we continued our journey on to Lake Manyara for our first Tanzanian game drive. Lake Manyara is a shallow lake in the Manyara Region in Tanzania, most well known for its pink flamingos and tree climbing lions. Unfortunately we didn’t see any of their special lions despite looking up countless number of trees 🙁. And the lake was also very dry at this time of the year.

A lone elephant going for a drink.

Baby zebra, so much like our human babies. Big head, small body 😄

There were babies everywhere

Mia loved watching these little guys play.

Another big head, but this wasn’t a baby!

View from the top of the mountain on the road away from the lake.

After a long day, we arrive at “The Farmhouse”, an old colonial looking plantation where we will be spending the night. It is still a working farmhouse, located on a coffee plantation. The vegetables and fruits grown here are used for meals for guests and also transported to a few other hotels in this same chain.

Spot the Maribou storks. These giant scavengers roam anywhere food can be found. 

The Maasai

The Maasai are fearless. They live in harmony on this land alongside the animals. As Ben told us, the Maasai are not afraid of lions, it is the lions which are afraid of them! We visited a Maasai village in Amboselli. You could see this as a tourist trap, we did paid US$30 per adult and $15 per child, but still it was a fascinating experience to have a glimpse into the lives of these nomadic people. For Ryan, this was even more meaningful as he had read about the life of the Maasai warrior from a book (Facing the Lion, a very good read) Tania had given him a few years ago. When we got there, we were greeted by the Chief’s son who gave us a brief explanation about his village and his people. 20 families live in here, with the most important people being the Chief, the Medicine Man and the Mid-Wife. The Maasai still practice polygamy, each man can have up to five wives, five families. The women are responsible for building the houses and tending to household duties. The men’s main responsibility is their cattle. To the Maasai, their cattle are the most valuable asset they have. Each cow is worth around US$300, so the more cows one owns, the richer and more respected he is. Every morning, they set out and walk for miles with their cattle to find the best feeding grounds, and water source. At dawn, they bring the cows and sheep home and keep them within the protected grounds, keeping them safe from from the wild animals. Still, no where is truly safe here in the wild. Occasionally elephants, lions, cheetahs and other wild animals do break through the barrier and come to hunt their cattle. And that is why, a Maasai warrior always carries his spears and knives, even when he sleeps. 

The Maasai are fiercely proud of their traditions. They have consistently resisted the government’s efforts to “modernise” their lifestyle. While they have adopted some changes, they have mostly still clung on to their traditional way of life. Speaking to the Chief’s son, we were told that about 60% of the children in the village now attend school including the girls. However, upon completion of their education, most of them will continue to live in the village and carry on their duties as has been passed down for generations. As we walked around the village, looking at the men, women and children, you can’t help but feel a sense of contentment in them. 

Ryan and his new warrior friends. 

Welcome dance by the men and women of the village.

My short legs just couldn’t match these beautiful lady’s high jumps! 

“Family photo” (Shad and Ryan with their rungu in hand, a wooden baton traditionally used by Maasai warriors in warfare and hunting).

Inside one of the huts, the walls are made from cow dung, grass and acacia. Each house is shared by a mother and her children. The father rotates among the houses of all his wives. 

Kids found it fascinating watching these guys start a fire.

Success!

The Medicine man’s son (soon to take over from his father who is 80+ old) describing the uses of the different roots and herbs. The Maasai people are only ever taken to hospital if they break a bone or die. For every other illness, they are treated at home by the Medicine man.

Cutie pies

This little boy guarding the gate to stop the sheep from wandering out as he waited for the rest of the village’s sheep to be brought home after their day out grazing. 

Boy and warrior saying goodbye.