Lake Manyara, Tanzania
For the first leg of our safari we spent two days in the Lake Manyara Man and Biosphere Reserve. The lake and surrounding area is home to many of Tanzania’s big game animals including elephants, giraffes, hippos, olive baboons, and warthogs and we were able to see them all. Besides the game, our first two days were really spent getting used to life under the stars. Our trip was a 7 day “Authentic Camping” safari, which meant our home for a week was a tent and our meals were served around a campfire. There were six of us on the trip (2 Americans, 1 Canadian, 2 South Africans, and 1 Brit) and we were supported by 1 guide and a 4 person crew. The guide and crew were responsible for driving us around the game parks in a Land Cruiser, setting up camp, cooking our meals, cleaning up the camp, and even doing our stinky laundry… it was really roughing it.
Olive Baboons blocking the road… and later keeping us up at night
What made Lake Manyara stand out most was the wildlife activity after dark. We were camping in a jungle environment and when the sun went down the animals came out. On our first night, we had some Olive Baboons banging on the back of our tent and the jungle seemed, and was, alive. Not only did Shelly push our two beds together, she also made me switch beds so that I was closest to the tent wall and she was in the center. My hand was also used as her personal stress relief and I suggested she take an Excedrin PM to help ease her nerves, which she immediately did. Within 15 minutes she was sound asleep and my hand was once again mine.
Shelly’s Warthog remained safely out of our camp at night
Some of the many giraffes we saw during our safari
Shelly and I in front of the hotsprings that feed Lake Manyara
Tags: Tanzania
nkurtz
UNBELIEVABLE! I would have needed a bottle of wine to go to sleep there!
Wow ~ it’s like Yellowstone on the other side of the world. Hot springs and herds of wild animals under a big beautiful sky….
SH