We returned to Lake Manyara Airport for the short charter flight to the Southern Serengeti, one of the most famous wildlife parks in the world. We dropped in on A&K’s Sanctuary Kusini Lodge, a 12-tented property, for lunch and a game drive which was outstanding with an almost immediate sighting of lions, resting in the mid-day sun atop a “kopje”, a Dutch word that means rocky outcrop.
It was a short flight onto the Central Serengeti where we received a champagne welcome at the airport and checked into the Four Seasons Safari Lodge. General Manager, Martin Cody, was on hand to welcome us and we were shown to Room #606, a terrace suite which had a step out patio and plunge pool overlooking the bush. It was extremely spacious with 2 full bathrooms – so nice for couples – and large sitting room. They have 12 suites (like this one), 60 savannah rooms, and a handful of villas. An interesting thing I learned is that on channel 1 of their TV they have live feed from their watering hole so you can always see what game is around! As much as I love the authenticity of experiencing a safari “under canvas,” I must admit it was nice to be in the land of strong wifi and good air conditioning! We gathered for dinner in the 2-bedroom presidential villa which was stunning, complete with large swimming pool and private watering hole where game often comes.
Up early for a game drive, we were in the vehicle moving at 7:00 a.m., when the animals are usually most active and the light best for photography. We’d barely left the lodge when we encountered some elephants including some that had climbed up one of the kopjes which was most unusual. We drove for quite a distance in order to intercept the Migration, the annual journey that over 1.5 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebras and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelles make each year, following the rains in search of water and food. It is hard to describe the density of the animals but suffice to say you could see wildebeest for as far as the eye could see. Totally amazing!
We spent an hour watching a family of elephants which included a youngster less than a year old, plus a few toddlers. It was fascinating how the older ones surrounded the young ones in order to protect them. Our guide also spotted a leopard that was perfectly camouflaged in a distant tree. It was a great day and we saw so many different species of animals that inhabit this 10,000 square mile area. One of the most awesome sightings was a crocodile that was swimming in the water with a fish flopping around in his mouth. He slid up onto a sandy beach and then suddenly catapulted its body in the air in a jackknife movement and crashed his jaws down on the fish. Miraculously we captured this with the camera and trust me it was worthy of Discovery Channel!