Intrepid East Africa Highlights: Days 4-7 Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
This post is part of a series about Intrepid East Africa Highlights. Read more here.
Day 4 (continued): Lake Victoria
After the border crossing, we were reunited with our Kenyan safari truck and our new Tanzanian trucks on the customs building. Becky and our new driver Hanington (who also goes by Ton) had put all of our bags through the customs baggage scanner and transferred them to our Tanzanian safari truck that we will be using for the rest of the trip.
Macho Halisi, the tour company Hanington works for, seems to be Intrepid’s main partner and subcontractor in Tanzania. They are African owned and operated and seem to believe in the same community empowerment and positive change that Intrepid goes by. Because of the political climate between Kenya and Tanzania, Joseph, our Kenyan group leader, also pays park fees while in Tanzania and it is more cost effective to have more Tanzanians on staff while in Tanzania. Unfortunately, that also means Ton drove all day yesterday from Karatu to come pick us up at the border while Becky has to return the Kenyan truck back to Nairobi on a 8-12 hour journey as well.
I enjoyed our Kenyan safari truck much more and the Tanzanian truck is quite a bit older and in poorer condition. The roads to and from Karatu to Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti is very rough and definitely takes a beating on the trucks over time. The suspension was a bit more stiff and there was less padding in the seats. The windows also rattled a lot. I wish we could have kept the Kenyan truck but we can leave politics for another day.
We said bye to Becky and she gave everyone a big hug as we started our Tanzanian journey. I gave Becky more than double the suggested tip and many in our car did so as well.
Hanington (Ton) from Macho Halisi
Ton was definitely the coolest safari driver around and an encyclopedia of animal knowledge. He is a native of Karatu who went to university and acquired a tour guide license and safari driver certification. He was an expert animal spotter and had a deep profound knowledge in birds. One of the guys in my car is an avid birder and Ton is definitely the right guide and driver for birding. He spotted so many birds in trees that most experienced people including Joseph missed. Becky, our previous driver, picked Ton for us and we appreciated her so much for doing so.
Journey to Lake Victoria
There really isn’t much to see on the way to Lake Victoria except that the Tanzanian side of the border town seems much more developed and wealthy. The roads are well paved, there were nicer stores and more variety of goods being sold by street vendors, even restaurants and bars felt a bit more established.
We stopped by a restaurant and bar in the town of Tarime called Milan Lounge for lunch. Much to my surprise, we had the same packed lunch from Resian Camp from the previous day in a box to eat at a full service restaurant. We were allowed to purchase drinks from the restaurant but the packed lunch seemed like it was for flexibility and quick turnaround. Our lunch stop was brief, only about 45 minutes before we were back on the road again.
The rest of the journey was pouring rain and we kept the windows shut the entire time which created a lot of condensation on the windshield that Joseph wiped off by hand while sitting in the front with Ton. Most of us were tired from the early morning and dozing in and out of naps. Every now and then, we would hear people on the street whistling at us as we drove by, signaling to others in the villages to look at the foreigners who are visiting. The Lake Victoria area is one of the most remote and least developed areas in Tanzania so there wasn’t much to see at all along the way.
Sandmark Hotel, Lake Victoria
We finally reached Sandmark Hotel around 4:30 PM that day and had a chance to enjoy the sunset on Lake Victoria. The hotel is very basic but comfortable. There was no air conditioning in my room. Luckily it was pretty cool that day so opening a couple windows and turning on the fan was enough. The hot water was a struggle to operate and we have to switch it on a couple minutes before our shower time. The wifi at this hotel was again limited to the common areas only. They used a few 5G mobile hotspots that they moved around from reception to the lounge and then to the dinner area. The power cut out a few times during our stay as well. There was plastic burning nearby and I definitely smelled it in my room when I checked in. The hotel seemed to go for roughly $60-80 USD a night which seems reasonable.
Most of us gathered after check in next to the pool area overlooking Lake Victoria and watched the sunset. It was beautiful but we were also very exhausted and still had to go through dinner as well. The food here was much better than Resian Camp and there was a bigger variety of meats including fish, chicken, beef, and a wide array of vegetables and salad dishes as well. Wine and beer were fairly priced as well. The hotel manager recited the buffet menu to us course by course with ingredients and allergies. It seemed as if the restaurant manager was taught these steps in hospitality school and the service felt a bit stiff. Later during dinner, the entire hotel staff sang Jambo Bwana during our meal.
The one odd thing about this place is a single guy selling paintings on the hotel grounds. It feels as if he has been permitted by the hotel staff to go around asking guests to buy his paintings. The paintings themselves weren’t very good aesthetic wise and also in poor condition from all the dust and being moved around all the time as well. All of us want some peace and quiet when we reach the hotel and this definitely feels wrong.
Day 5: Driving to Serengeti
Overall, the stop here in Lake Victoria was much more logistical necessity than an actual destination. We departed a bit earlier around 9:00 AM because the president is visiting the area to campaign for election and we have about a 6 hour drive today. Breakfast was decent as well and there was a good variety of proteins, eggs, and pastries as well. We took one more look at the lake and left for Serengeti. Upon checkout, we realized the mobile internet connection for the region was down and that card payments couldn’t be processed. I happily paid for my beer in cash in USD but many in the group didn’t have enough change and took a bit of time to sort out.
Along the way, we got caught in the parade and presidential traffic. There were people dressed in green and yellow everywhere, on bikes, in trucks, and walking along the streets. A bunch of speakers blared loud music as the villagers partied. It was an election but there was only one person running, the current president. Her party has been ruling Tanzania since the founding more than 50 years ago. It seems as if the election is the most exciting thing happening in town and that people attend because there isn’t anything else to do. The money could have been much better spent elsewhere than flying campaign banners on helicopters.
Our drivers had to take a couple detours and pay some small bribes to the police officers to be let through.
We arrived at the park gate around 10:30 AM but faced a slew of issues. The Serengeti park office’s internet was down and so was the mobile data for most of our phones for the rest of the day. We couldn’t enter the park because the park rangers couldn’t access our paperwork and check us into to the park. Even if they were to let us in, we would not have the correct time registered in their system and we would have problems exiting the park. We later learned that the election parades overwhelmed the local network capacity and it wasn’t fully restored until the following day. We were stuck at the park gates for about 1.5 hours while the partner agency in Arusha processes the paperwork manually with the national park head office there.
The park fees were $200 USD per person per day counted in 24 hour increments. If we enter at 10:30 AM and paid for 2 days, we had to exit the other side by 10:30 AM as well.
Driving through the West Side of the Serengeti
There wasn’t much to see on the west side of the park and it was a good few hours of driving closer to camp where we started seeing large herds of animals. Meanwhile, our birder in the car was super excited about every bird that appeared. Birds aren’t really that interesting to me but learning to spot those birds took some practice. I have gotten quite good at it by the end of our tour.
Joseph was pretty stressed because of the delay in entering the park that we might not arrive at camp until after sunset. Today was supposed to be our day to relax at the camp and we were told this is a nicer camp than the rest. A few of us have an early morning balloon safari as well.
We had our lunch break around 2 PM when we finally reached the picnic area. Our packed lunch prepared by Sandmark Hotel wasn’t too appealing. There was some baked chicken along with a bunch of cold soggy fries along with some fruits and juices. Like the Masai Mara picnic area, the animals are always watching and trying to steal. A few velvet monkeys stole some bananas and there were finches on the ground hoping for any crumbs that fell from our plates.
After lunch, we finally arrived in the game drive area and hurried through so we can reach camp by sunset. Most of the big herds of animals were down south near our camp so the last hour of our drive was full of surprises. The herds of elephants, giraffes, gazelles, and wildebeests are much, much bigger than in Masai Mara. Because of the large expansive environment in the Serengeti, there is more food that can support more animals and it clearly shows in the herd sizes.
Thanks to our bird watching, the previous car sped ahead while we fell behind and one of the herds of wildebeests started crossing the road one by one right in front of us. Because of their poor eyesight, they walk in a single file line when migrating and follow each other wherever they go. It was a good few minutes of wildebeests just walking across the road in front of our truck. We also witnessed another herd of zebras cross as well.
Kenzen Tented Camp Seronera, Serengeti
We finally arrived at our camp around 6:30 PM just as the sun was setting. Dinner was at 7 PM so we had time for a quick shower and then it was dinner time. This camp is much nicer than anything else we’ve stayed at for this tour and it felt amazing. There were proper flooring and drainage in the shower. Hot water came super quick and water pressure was excellent. The towels and bed sheets were professionally laundered so they smelled great. Wifi was available in the tents which was an amazing change.
Dinner was fantastic and the best meals on this trip. We had a cream of vegetable soup, a choice between lamb, chicken, and beef with sides, and a dessert. There was a full service bar here that served liquor, mixed drinks, as well as wine and beer. I got a stir fry lamb with rice and it was great.
There were a row of tents on both sides of the main restaurant area and the entire area is unfenced which means animals run wild here. I was in the last tent at the far end of the camp and I can hear everything including the baboons playing in the tree, lions calling at night, and even lions and hyenas making a kill the second night. There were also elephants hanging out behind our tents the second night.
Because of the close proximity to wild animals, we had to be escorted at all times after dark and there was a radio in the tent for us to request help from the staff. Realistically, there weren’t any reason to leave the tent after dinner because it is time for bed.
Day 6: Hot Air Balloons and Game Drive in Serengeti
Serengeti Balloon Safari
A representative from the Serengeti Balloon Safari company came the night before to collect payment and complete registration forms. Unfortunately since the mobile internet was down in the entire region, we couldn’t finish payment and completed the payments before launch and during our breakfast afterwards. While you could book the balloon safari directly online yourself, it is much better to go through your group leader so they can coordinate your pickup and drop off and the price is the same. There are a few different launch sites and depending on the time of the year, the camp you stay at and the departure point of others in our tour might be different too.
Our meeting time was 4:30 AM when the operations manager of Serengeti Balloon Safari came and picked us up from camp. He took us on a mini safari through an area known for lions and hippos and it did not disappoint. Since these animals are nocturnal, it is rare to see them active during the day. The car we took was also very new and much more comfortable than either Kenya or Tanzania trucks we sat in. The cushioned seats made a huge difference in the comfort of the ride. It took about 1.5 hours to reach the launch site from our camp so we arrived just in time for sunrise.
The balloon launch site was pretty impressive by itself. There were about 8 balloons taking off around the same time and the timing is precisely orchestrated so that the guests arrive a few minutes before take-off, use the bathroom, have a sip of tea, and lift off around sunrise. The process was very organized and the ground crew supporting the pilot was very well trained. We were given a brief safety talk on the ground and then climbed into the basket one by one and hooked in with our safety harness. Each balloon has 4 passenger compartments for a total of 16 guests.
We took off from the Central Serengeti launch site at 2.53170° S, 34.87895° E according to the location of the photos from my phone. The launch site itself is marked on the main road but isn’t on Google Maps yet.
We probably had the most experienced pilot out of the bunch and our flight path took us high quickly for a view of the other balloons taking off and then lower around tree height where we can see animals and the landscape up close. The entire experience felt like living in Animal Planet or National Geographic. We later learned that our pilot is an American from San Diego and it seems as if he knows most of the balloon pilots in the world. Ballooning is his passion and he’s just flexing his skills on the rest of the pilots.
Our total flight time was around 1 hour and we flew in the general direction of the Seronera guest center where the bush breakfast takes place. In the last 15 minutes of flying, we went right over a few camps and saw the launch site staff chasing our balloon while coordinating the pickup location over radio.
Upon landing, we were served some sparkling wine from South Africa while our pilot explained the traditions of ballooning. Many years back when the hot air balloons were invented in France, accidents from balloon fires would often destroy farms and crops in rural France during landing. Many superstitious people also attacked the balloons thinking they were devils from the sky. Champagne was later carried onboard the unmanned flights as a gift to the farmers and as a sign that the balloons were endorsed by the King of France. When a balloon lands successfully, the scientists and farmers would open the champagne as a celebration. One of the first people to be on a hot air balloon is Pilâtre de Rozier, a French chemistry and physics teacher who the word pilot is named after.
After the ride and the champagne, we were driven by the ground team a short distance to the bush breakfast that is set up nearby. Our pilot also greeted us during breakfast and presented us with our flight certificates.
The breakfast was made to order from a small mobile cooking station on the far side of the breakfast setup. We were served fresh juice, coffee, more sparkling wine, and a yogurt muesli to start. I ordered a bacon and egg plate which also included some African spinach and grilled tomatoes. The food was fantastic, especially considering how remote the setup is.
The most important question here is, is this worth $600 USD? I absolutely think so and if presented the opportunity again, I would do it in a heartbeat. Compared to the Kenya one, the few that did both said the Serengeti experience was better coordinated and the balloons were all the same color which made for better photos. There was a bit more wildlife in Masai Mara because of the density of the animals. The breakfast with wine was also better than the Masai Mara balloons.
It may seem expensive on paper but given the 1.5 hour drive to the launch site in a 4x4 safari vehicle, an excellent pilot, a breakfast in the bush, and one of the best sceneries in the world, the price isn’t bad. Everything in Serengeti is brought in over land and takes a full 24 hours from the ports of Dar Es Salaam. I’m sure such a remote operation has its own costs including lodging for all the ground staff and pilots. There’s a team of 5 for every balloon on the ground to coordinate guest pickup, launch, and retrieval of the balloon afterwards and there’s only 1 launch per day. A separate dedicated culinary team was responsible for the catering as well.
There seemed to be other operators in Serengeti from less central launch sites for a slightly cheaper price, but why skimp on the experience if this is a once in a lifetime trip?
For what it’s worth, Intrepid seems to have an excellent relationship with Serengeti Balloon Safari. We were definitely picked up in the best car by the manager and given the best pilot out of the bunch. All the other guests had to prepay weeks or months in advance to reserve a spot but we were allowed to show up the same day with our credit cards after Joseph gave them a headcount. It seems worthwhile to travel with a reputable tour company like Intrepid.
Serengeti Game Drive
This was probably my favorite game drive the entire trip and I wish we had more. Because of our late arrival to camp the previous day, Joseph decided to do a full day game drive instead of separate morning and evening drives with a break back at camp in between.
The balloon crew got picked up at the Seronera Visitor Center where the rest of the group used the toilets and browsed the small shops. The balloon safari team coordinated with Joseph on timing and location, and depending on the wind and weather conditions, the balloons don’t always end up in this area.
The immediate area surrounding the visitor center had very few animals around because of the density of lodging and safari trucks. We drove for quite a bit before we started seeing bigger herds. By this time it was already getting quite hot and some of the Egyptian Geese we saw were already spreading their wings to cool off.
We were alerted to some lions nearby and made a dash over, right in time for their mating. The other Intrepid truck didn’t arrive until afterwards but stayed for a while and told us the lions went for another round soon after. There must have been around 20 safari trucks around and these lions definitely weren’t shy.
As we drove around, Ton overheard on the radio a bunch of chatter about leopards in a tree and a bunch of trucks racing down the road. When we arrived, we found a crazy line just to get through the road. The 2 leopards were so well camouflaged, we couldn’t see them until we got super close to the tree. Many of the truck drivers parked under the tree for an eternity while everyone else was waiting in line and it definitely felt a bit unfair. The leopards weren’t really doing anything except sitting in the tree and we probably waited for 30 minutes before we got our turn where we left in about 5 minutes.
As we left the leopard area, it was around 1 PM and time for lunch. The packed lunch from Kenzen was so much better than previous ones. There was marinara meat sauce with pasta packed in separate containers, salad, some chocolate bars, pastry, fruit cup, yogurt, and a juice box. After having dry chicken the previous 3 days, this was a huge change.
As with early afternoons, there wasn’t much to see since it was really hot. We came across a few lions resting under the trees, a few more birds of interest to our bird guy, some dik-diks which are these tiny antelopes the size of rabbits, and herds of wildebeests, gazelles, impalas, and waterbucks.
Dik-diks usually travel in pairs and are mated for life, so if you see one, there must be another around.
Impalas are usually in herds with a single male and many females. The males fight during mating season to lead and mate with the females in the herd, but usually for only a few days before being challenged and kicked out by a different male. There are usually bachelor male groups nearby waiting to challenge the leading male. Impalas have the M pattern on their butt so the safari joke is always the “African McDonald’s”.
Elephants are always in herds, so if you see a lone elephant, chance are, it is older and left the herd to retire in peace. They have 6 sets of teeth that each last 10-12 years, so when they are on their last set, they tend to eat softer foods such as grasses and live a solitary life. When they pass away, the herd would mourn the dead and sometimes attempt to bury the carcass as well. Elephants love to scratch their backs on trees and also debark the trees to chew the bark for nutrients. They are also extremely destructive and tear down bushes and trees that are in their way. Much of the Serengeti Plains and Masai Mara landscape is maintained by elephants who push down any trees that attempt to grow in the grasslands.
We arrived in the same area we drove through in the early morning to the balloon launch site and found a huge pride of lions just sleeping under the tree. We then saw a river with at least 50 hippos in it. This seems to be the area with a lot of animals since water is scarce.
We started heading back to camp around 3 PM so we can enjoy the rest of the afternoon and watch the sunset from camp. We came across a bunch of elephants and giraffes next to the road and they seemed not bothered by the safari trucks. The immediate area around the camp seemed to have many bushes that provide shelter for gazelles and impalas. There was an interesting rock that Ton said usually has lions on it and we did a bit of bird watching on our way back as well.
We arrived back at camp around 4:30 PM and many of us went immediately to the shower and then to the dining area for some beer after an extremely long day.
For dinner, we had another cream of vegetable soup, a choice between different proteins cooked in different ways, and dessert was a specially prepared Intrepid group cake ordered by Joseph. The entire camp staff came to sing Jambo Bwana as we enjoyed our last dinner at the camp.
A bonfire was set up outside for us to hang out but I was extremely tired and went right to sleep after dinner.
Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater
We left Kenzen Camp around 8 AM to be out of the park gate around 9 AM. Luckily, we weren’t in a rush to exit the park but we had a time schedule to stick to and 4 hours of driving before we reach the Ngorongoro Crater where we will have lunch and hopefully see a rhino.
Journey to Ngorongoro Crater
The exit line was pretty crazy and it took about 20 minutes to process paperwork to leave the park. It seems like everyone is on a similar schedule either leaving mid morning or late afternoon to maximize the park fees for the 24 hour increments. From most itineraries I’ve reviewed, the tours for Serengeti arrive in the morning and do Ngorongoro on the way back, or arrive in the late afternoon after Ngorongoro in which case they leave the park after a day of safaris.
It was about an hour drive to the Serengeti park gate from our camp on very bumpy and dusty roads with nothing but yellow grass plains around. We did see a few balloons fly by which was pretty cool.
Joseph had brought face masks for us to use and it made the drive much more bearable. We had to close all the windows when cars pass us in the opposite direction and open it again because the area was very hot and dry. After exiting the park, there was another 2 hours of driving to the entry gate of Ngorongoro Crater where the area is even more barren. On the way, we stopped at the border of Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area for a bathroom breaking our trucks were immediately swarmed by locals selling trinkets and bracelets.
Ngorogo Crater Conservation Area
We arrived at the entry gate around 10:30 AM and it took another 15 minutes for the entry paperwork. The crater has only one way in and one way out so everyone waits at the same gate to enter and exit. The park fees are ~$70 USD per person and an additional $295 USD per vehicle that enters the crater.
The main sights to see here are the flamingos and the rhinos. The animals here are also much less afraid of people due to the remote location and conservation efforts. We were able to see a lot more zebras up close because they are typically very skittish.
By the time we got into the crater and drove by the lake, it was already 1PM. We had our packaged lunch from Kenzen Camp at the only rest stop in the park. Today’s menu was curry chicken with macaroni, salad, fruits, yogurt, and chocolate and tasted amazing.. As always, a bunch of birds were watching and trying to steal our food.
At this point, the guides didn’t seem too upbeat because there haven’t been any rhino sightings reported the whole day. We were heading towards the forested area where the elephants and rhinos usually are after lunch. The forested area is the wetter side of the crater that catches more rain water. It also happens to be one of the natural corridors for animals to migrate in and out of the crater from Serengeti.
As we drove through the forested area, we encountered a herd of elephants grazing in the bushes but not much of anything else. On the road to exit the park, Ton spotted what he thought was a rhino and stopped to check with his binoculars. It was at least a kilometers away and extremely hard to see considering these animals are the size of a van. It was indeed a rhino. We checked off all the Big 5 on this trip - lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, and cape buffalo.
I personally didn’t feel like I’ve “seen” a rhino if it is only a small dark speck, even with binoculars so when I continued down to Zambia, I actually went for a separate rhino trek in Livingstone to see one up close.
After exiting the park and descending from the edge of the crater, the roads were nicely paved. It was another hour to our next accommodation in Karatu, Ngorongoro Lodge and Campsite.
I had never felt dustier and dirtier in my life. When I showered and washed my hair and face, the water came out black with dirt. When I blew my nose, it was all black stuff coming out. All my clothes and bags were extremely dusty, but that’s a problem for another day.
Closing Thoughts
The entire experience of Serengeti was absolutely amazing and quite different than Masai Mara. Although the distances are vast between places in Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, the large herds of animals made the Serengeti visit worth it.
After completing Serengeti, I felt that I could have spent an extra day or two in Serengeti, flying in and out of the park from Arusha or Dar Es Salam, and possibly skipped Ngorongoro Crater. Ngorongoro is the best place around Masai Mara and Serengeti for seeing rhinos but it felt much less impressive after Serengeti, especially since our rhino sighting so distant. There are better places to see rhinos in Africa and the extra day and long drive on the dusty road wasn’t quite worth it. There were also flights to Lake Manyara that skips the dusty half day drive to visit the Karatu, the tribes, and also visit Ngorongoro Crater from that side as well.
I had considered self-driving at one point and booking my own accommodations for Serengeti but it didn’t seem worth it at all with the park fees, rental costs, and other potential headaches. I’m glad I went with Intrepid because I saw a lot more with the guides than I could have otherwise. If you’re looking for a less structured safari trip, South Luangwa National Park in Zambia and Kruger National Park in South Africa are good alternatives where you can book your own flights and lodging and arrange everything through the lodge.
This post is part of a series about Intrepid East Africa Highlights. Read more here.