The Heart of wild Africa – Tanzania
- Dara Wissinger Pütz
- Mar 10
- 9 min read
As a huge Disney nerd, I have always wanted to experience The Lion King in real life. What I imagined would be seeing a lion in the distance across the savannah turned into seeing them so close I could count their whiskers! Not only did we see over 70 lions on this trip, but we also saw all of the Big Five in the first two days. The Big Five were named by hunters as they are the most elusive to hunt and they consist of: lions, leopards, buffalo, elephants and rhinos. Many other travelers we crossed paths with said they were lucky to see one their entire trip. We were extremely blessed to see all of them and many at a very close distance.
Our experience in Tanzania began with our welcome team from Leopard Tours (who helped coordinate the entire trip). We were taught basic Swahili such as ‘Asante sana’ for thank you and ‘Kwaheri’ for goodbye. Since our flight arrived in Kilimanjaro airport late in the evening we went straight to our hotel, Siringit Villa. Arusha is the next largest city to Kilimanjaro which is where all international flights come in for a local safari.
Over the course of the week, we moved via safari vehicle and expert guides from Arusha to Tarangire National Park to Ngorongoro crater and conservation area, to the great Serengeti and beyond! We stayed on average 2-3 nights per location according to each park area. We ended our trip at a private resort outside of the Serengeti and while it was amazing, I would recommend extending your time at the glamping experience within the Serengeti.
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is known for its high volume of elephant herds and the gorgeous Baobab trees. On the journey into the park, we were introduced by our guide to local Maasai culture as we passed many Maasai villages located just outside of the park. According to our guide there are still over 1.5 million Maasai people living a nomadic life in Tanzania and the neighboring country of Kenya still in their traditional ways today. We would learn later in our trip Maasai are allowed to live in the Ngorongoro conservation area because they pose no threat to the wildlife species there. The Maasai farm their own food, and they eat livestock such as cows and goats. Some other tribes (of which Tanzania has over 120) do in fact eat wildlife such as zebra and wildebeest.
Elephant viewings did not disappoint at Tarangire. We saw elephants within eyesight in any direction once we stopped the vehicle. I wept at being so close to these majestic and mighty pachyderms. When we weren’t viewing elephants, we got our first glimpses of ostrich, giraffes, monkeys, zebras and leaving the park some momma lions and their cubs!
Ngorongoro Crater
This crater is one of its kind and is the world’s largest caldera. A volcano erupted millions of years ago and imploded on itself to create the perfect protected ecosystem within. Animals who reside in the crater choose to stay within the crater walls because all they need to flourish is provided to them within these pristine conditions. Giraffes are the only big wildlife which don’t reside within the crate as getting up and down the steep slopes are too much of a challenge for them.
The crater is 19km in diameter. To reach the bottom of the crater takes at least one hour from the park entrance. The landscape is expansive, with gorgeous views of the savanna with sloped walls in any direction. Wildlife thrives in this protected environment as we were lucky enough to see black rhinos, hippos, flamingos, zebras, warthogs, wildebeest, and the rarely sighted serval cat! Since the crater is protected and controlled by the government within the national park system, only 120 vehicles maximum per day are allowed to visit. Since we were there during the low season it felt like we didn’t see any more than twenty vehicles the entire day.
To visit this area, we stayed at Neptune Ngorongoro luxury lodge which was a convenient ten-minute drive from the park entrance. As the parks are only open at sunrise to sunset this allows for optimal viewing of wildlife in the crater. Not only was the location of this lodge perfect but so was the lodge itself. The experience here was all inclusive with exquisite meals and drinks. Our cabin was the size of apartments I have lived in before. Staff are available to set a roaring fire for you if your room is too cold or if the weather is too warm there is a pool available for use next to the spa. Maasai welcome you in traditional dress and in warm song. Not only were the staff superb but they sent us on safari every day with delicious treats!
Serengeti National Park
The infamous Serengeti exceeded all expectations. Here we saw cheetahs, leopards, lions and countless other wildlife. Our guide was kind enough to let us sit and watch the animals from our safari park for as long as we liked. Guides across the Serengeti are constantly chatting with one another via radios while scanning the horizon to ensure you can see as many animals as possible. Besides the wildlife, the sunsets in the Serengeti were unmatched.
We stayed in a luxury tent at Siringit Serengeti Camp in the middle of the African bush. Not only was this the coolest glamping experience ever with running water and a real toilet but the staff served us 5-star meals and drinks throughout the stay. All tents are near one another while still giving enough privacy to ensure safety and staff live onsite in nearby tents. Each room is provided with a radio to communicate with staff, a whistle in case of emergencies and a flashlight. We felt extremely safe considering there were no real walls, and we could hear lions roaring in the distance when we went to bed. This by far was THE most magical part of our entire stay and I would add more than the two nights we stay for the next time we are lucky enough to visit the Serengeti.
Best time to visit Tanzania
Lucky for us, the timing of this trip (based around my birthday celebration) happened to fall at the very end of the busy season and start of the rainy season. We went in the very first week of March and the last two days of our trip is when the rainy season began. No one visits in the month of April as it is full in the rainy season with impassible paths and inability to find or see the animals on game drives. The most popular time to visit is during June, July, and August which is considered Tanzanian winter. Naturally the busiest time to visit Tanzania is during “The Great Migration”. This does vary from area to area and cannot be guaranteed viewing of the herds.
Our time to visit in the very first week of March was PERFECT. Many of the locations we stayed at had only a few other guests. In one hotel we were the only guests for several nights! The game drive paths we quite empty for the entire trip. We were told by our guides during the busy season there are hundreds of vehicles, and all lodges are booked out. We felt so at peace going during this time of year and benefitted from fantastic weather as well (high of 30℃ during the day and lows of 20℃ during the night and early mornings). In my opinion, there is no better time of year to go than when we went.
What to Pack for your African Safari
We were lucky to visit for ten days, and it was the ideal length of time to see a wide variety of wildlife. Most lodges have laundry services available but ensure you check this ahead of time and plan your packing around this point! You will want to wash clothing due to the windy conditions which cover you in fine dust and dirt every day. We packed all items in a soft sided carry on as this is a requirement to take the bush plane to various locations within the country. Ensure all clothing packed are breathable, able to be layered and are light in color. Black attracts the tsetse flies and bright colors can attract the animals.
What I packed for clothing:
3 pairs of joggers (having a cinched pant at the ankle helps with the bug bites)
3 t-shirts
3 tank tops
2-3 button up breathable tops
5-6 pairs of long socks
2-3 bras
5-6 pairs of underwear
2 pairs of pajamas (it does get chilly in the evenings so consider a set with pants)
1 swimsuit (if your lodge has a pool)
1 baseball cap
1 wide brimmed hat (I recommend one with a drawstring under the chin)
1 winter cap (for chilly mornings)
Sneakers/boots
1 pair of sandals
1 sweater
1 packable down jacket
What I packed additionally:
Bug spray (many lodges will also carry this but it’s good to have your own on hand)
Anti itch cream
Sunscreen
Daily vitamins
Probiotics
Imodium
Hydration packets
Malaria medication (we did not take it during the trip but had it with us just in case)
Sunglasses
Eye drops
Pocket tissues
Wet wipes
Hand sanitizer
Binoculars (some companies provide these in the vehicle but its good to have a pair of your own)
Other considerations
While Africa is beautiful and this trip was amazing, please ensure you are doing your best to protect your overall health. A few months prior to our trip we went to our general practitioner and reviewed all our vaccination records to ensure we were up to date on vaccinations that are important to have when visiting Africa. We chose not to take Malaria medication during the trip as the side effects can be quite intense, but we did bring the medication with us in case we contracted anything while there.
Ensure you do not brush your teeth with the normal water and of course do not drink the normal water in Tanzania. Only bottled water should be utilized. Remember to bring vitamins with you and take them daily to help with immune health which can be impacted by travel stress and new germs which are native to the area. Since you are in a safari vehicle most of the day hydration packets are key as you may not be drinking as much water as you should be. Due to windy conditions I would also recommend a good facial moisturizer and lip balm to bring with you at all times.
Most national parks had very clean toilets to use at the entrance gates and some (like Ngorongoro) had some toilets throughout the park. If you are doing game drives outside of a national park or all day without lodge breaks you will most likely have to pee in the African bush. In our vehicle we called this “checking the tire pressure”. Our driver checked the area before anyone got out to do their business and I can now say I peed while watching zebra in the distance!
Thankful for the trip of a lifetime
This trip was a huge bucket list trip for me, and I am so grateful and blessed to have been able to see nature so close and personal in this lifetime. Every single part of this trip was surreal. If budget and time allow, I wholeheartedly recommend you experience the same. Being close enough to count the spots on a leopard is something I thought only the filmmakers in wildlife documentaries were able to experience.
Africa is a vast continent with many options to see its wild side and have a true safari experience. I can only attest to the absolute awe I experienced in Tanzania. The people, culture, language, climate, and wildlife exude charm and joy. We loved every minute of this trip of a lifetime and are already plotting how we can get back to seeing more of Africa.
Meet Dara
Originally I am from the very first and second smallest state in America, Delaware. After achieving my masters degree I wanted to take a 'gap year' to work in Shanghai, China with Disney. I met my husband in Shanghai and somehow that 'gap year' turned into more than 8 years of living abroad! I have lived across three continents and four countries before I turned 30 and I wouldn't be surprised if those statistics change again before I am 40. I currently reside in the land of fairytale inspiration itself, Bavaria, Germany with my German husband. I love the thrill of visiting somewhere new and I am passionate about planning every single detail for all of our trips. I have always wanted to share my knowledge and expertise from this magical life abroad and thus this column was born. Join me as I take you from Delaware to Everywhere.
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