Pack your bags. We are going to Tanzania!” proclaimed my partner with great excitement from across the hallway. Even though I would consider myself to be an avid globetrotting photographer who has travelled across continents seeking out exotic new corners of the world to explore and capture, I have to admit that an African safari adventure has never been high on my priority list of things to do and places to visit.
By Luke Elijah
Written in 2018
I am generally not a fan of looking at or photographing wild animals, and so the idea of coping with multiple layovers, paying an arm and a leg, and risking my life just to glance at them from a distance was simply not my cup of tea or idea of fun. I surmised that I had already seen enough of these African animals in zoos and on the Animal Planet channel to last several lifetimes. However, all my assumptions were to be proven wrong. Little did I know that this was going to be the best trip of my life, and that I was in for a real treat.
As we flew over Tanzania, we goggled at the picturesque snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro from the right side of the plane and the Ngorongoro crater from the left. And as the plane descended, we could make out scattered herds of buffalo and wildebeests that appeared like little black ants dotted across the extensive plains of the African savannah.
Upon landing at the Seronera airstrip, we were ushered to a busy waiting room packed with mainly American and European retirees, all stylishly decked out in smart looking safari explorer inspired outfits. Their khaki colored sartorial attire reminded me very much of a fusion between Indiana Jones and Ralph Lauren. Behind the bustling administrative building of the airstrip was a parking garage full of sturdy 4 X 4 land rovers from all the different safari camps and lodges, waiting to pick up arriving guests and chauffeur them to their respective destinations.
En route to the Four Seasons safari lodge, the geographical terrain and typography shifts and changes dramatically. Green undulating hills and mesmerizing flatiron rock boulder formations set against cyan blue skies sprinkled with fluffy tufts of gossamer cirrus clouds made the most stunning backdrops.
The endless plains and vast landscapes stretched as far as the eye could see, and were littered with the ubiquitous prancing impalas and hartebeests. Statuesque giraffes sauntered across the grasslands filled with iconic acacia trees housing swallow’s nests. At times, our vehicle bobbing up and down on the bumpy dirt roads would come up mere centimeters away from the precariously long and prickly spikes of whistling thorn bushes. Our convoy stopped by a bloat of hefty hippopotamus cooling themselves off in the river. The broad canopies of umbrella thorn trees provided these sun sensitive ‘river horses’ with much needed shade and reprieve from the scorching heat. Every minute or so, a rotund hippo would entertain us by surfacing up to yawn and blow out a fine mist of air bubbles that dissipated into a fleeting rainbow. Nearby, sinister looking Nile crocodiles lazed by the riverbanks, as a troop of furry baboons curiously looked on from a safe distance by the babbling brooks. Everything that I saw and experienced while on the fifty minutes ride to the lodge reminded me of descriptions straight out of Danish Baroness Karen Blixen’s memoirs, “Out of Africa”.
Upon checking into the Four Seasons, the friendly staff beguiled us and other newly arrived guests with tales of how a pride of over thirty regal lions were spotted prowling right next to the lodge just three days prior to our arrival, leaving us excited with eager anticipation, but also green with envy that we did not also get to witness such an extravaganza.
One of the main highlights of the lodge has got to be the marvelous discovery center where guests and their families can educate themselves on African culture, history, and wildlife, by viewing the numerous exhibits on display, or by watching some of the full length feature documentaries about wildlife conservation, the great migration, and other Serengeti related subjects. The well-curated discovery center also contains intriguing specimens and curious artefacts such as the colossal skull of an elephant, the lanky skeleton of a giraffe, tribal weaponry and other oddities.
Situated right across from the discovery center, the breezy Maji terrace and pool bar overlooks the grand centerpiece of the Four Seasons Safari Lodge—a wide infinity swimming pool that cascades into an active watering hole set against a breath-taking backdrop of the lush surrounding landscapes. This is where the lodge guests congregated and unwound after a long day of game drives to exchange casual banter over scrumptious African tapas and refreshing tribal themed cocktails. We thoroughly enjoyed the freshly baked artisanal bread that was dipped in delicious kachumbari, and then washed down with a glass of iced hibiscus and rooibos tea. Everything on Maji’s casual dining menu sounds appetizing, making it a challenge to decide which dishes to order. My selection of the homemade saffron tonarelli pasta and succulent poached jumbo prawns with avocado tartare and turmeric aioli turned out to be an excellent choice. As I was enjoying my palatable lunch, one of the waiters abruptly exclaimed, “Look! The elephants have finally returned after a six month absence!” I could only gaze in wonder as right across from the wide infinity pool deck stood a large family herd of a dozen majestic elephants and their young quenching their thirst from the watering hole. This was most certainly a sight that one does not get to see every day. Absolutely priceless and utterly magnificent! I also observed that the tusks of the African elephants were more pronounced and apparent as compared to their Asian counterparts.
The fact remains that the chief reason why people endure the multiple flights and annoyingly itchy and painful tsetse fly bites, while being willing to pay a king’s ransom to come all the way to the Serengeti is to gaze upon animals in their natural habitats—and that is precisely what they will be abundantly compensated with while visiting this oldest eco-system on Earth. Over 500+ species of recorded birds and 70+ species of land mammals call the capacious Serengeti their home. Pink flamingos, meerkats, warthogs, zebras, ostriches, rhinos, etc.—all co-exist in this national park spanning a whopping 30,000 square kilometers. Also a common sight fluttering around the African savannah are the blue starlings with their flamboyant feathery plumages.
As we stopped to observe and photograph the animals, our experienced driver passed us fly swatters made from the tails of giraffes and zebras so that we would not be fodder to pesky insect bites. Whatever animal we requested to see, our drivers somehow knew exactly where to find them. At times, the drivers would radio each other via walkie talkies to share the precise locations of rare animal sightings.
There is something so enchanting about seeing these safari game creatures roaming freely and flourishing in their natural environments. Looking at their robust musculature, luscious eyes, and glossy hides, the animals appear happy, healthy, active and fit—a sharp contrast to the lackluster animals we see pacing inside tiny cages at city zoos. Unperturbed by our presence, lions and elephants would walk right next to our land rover. We even caught sight of a pair of usually solitary leopards mating together before splitting up again. After coitus, the male leopard dragged the carcass of a wildebeest high up a tall sycamore tree so that other predators and scavengers would not get a bite of his prized kill. There was a palpable electrifying energy in the atmosphere and an elusive “je ne sais quoi’” quality to it all. One is left to wonder how these capricious and unpredictable wild animals might behave next.
My first full-day game drive ended on a real high when our convoy spotted a cheetah basking under the sun, completely oblivious to the admiring onlookers snapping multiple frames per second with their paparazzi style telephoto lenses. My inner child was beaming and I was so trigger-happy with my camera that I ran out of both battery power and memory card storage space. With a pair of binoculars in my left hand and my camera in my right, I thought to myself that this has got to be the best day of my life. I felt like a kid living out his childhood fantasy from WaltDisney’s “The Lion King”.
The great wildebeest migration that takes place annually is the largest overland terrestrial mammal migration spectacle on this planet. Starting from the Serengeti national parks in Tanzania, a staggering 1.5 million wildebeest, and over 200,000 zebras, gazelles, and antelopes fend for their very lives while attempting to cross the Grumeti and Mara rivers in a frenzy to get over to Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya in search of fresh grazing grounds and drinkable water.
The whole river-crossing scene looks like a surreal apocalyptic cesspit filled with fear and panic. Amidst the maddening mayhem, upset mother wildebeests frequently lose sight of their forlorn new-borns in a frantic disarray of horns, hooves, and hides. These naive young calves then become easy preys and targets for hungry lions. The zebra and gazelle populations are also inadvertently caught up in the resulting confusion and scuffled melee. Malevolent crocodiles lurking in the rivers seize the opportunity to lunge out and snap their mighty jaws onto their unsuspecting catch. Those unfortunate enough to have fallen prey scream as they struggle in vain. The commotion forces the other nearby animals to disperse and scurry away in a hurried rampage. This is Darwinian’s evolutionary theory of “the survival of the fittest” at its most raw, unadulterated, and animalistic. It is akin to watching the Discovery channel or National Geographic live in vivid high definition. By nightfall, nocturnal scavengers such as bands of sly jackals and cackling hyenas come out to scour the battlefields for any gory leftovers that the hungry vultures might have left.
Boma (Swahili for an enclosed animal hut) is where in-house guests of the Four Seasons go to savor an authentically prepared African feast in a semi al-fresco dining setting surrounded by an open-air blazing bonfire, and have several Maasai tribe members put on a cultural show to entertain them. Boma features grilled gamy meats and other fresh local ingredients that are seasoned with African herbs and spices. Some of Boma’s top gourmet specialties include savory zucchini fritters with tomato and ginger chutney, as well as creamy banana soup with chunks of roast beef. My hands down favorite culinary picks were the delectable braised duck fritters with zesty cranberry chutney, and the exquisite pan seared catch of the day which happened to be the mahi-mahi paired with pumpkin ugali, garden pea purée, papaya and basil relish.
The Four Season safari lodge’s spa boasts an elaborate and extensive listing of rejuvenating therapies with aptly named monikers such as “Safari Balance” and “Tanzanian Energizer”. I gravitated towards the two-hour “African Detox” spa treatment that started off with an invigorating full body green tea salt scrub, followed by a detoxifying herbal mud masque that is fortified and enriched with seaweed, guarana, ivy, and msasa plant extract. The mud masque is heat activated, so we first relaxed our sore muscles in the steam room, scented with pure essential oils of tea tree and eucalyptus, so as to open up the pores and stimulate better absorption of the masque ingredients. This heavenly treatment is concluded with a revitalizing Kiffa (Swahili for “tool”) massage that utilizes a rungu, which is essentially a wooden baton apparatus used by the Masaai tribe warriors to indicate their heroic status. The generous use of Africology’s signature cellulite busting massage oil blend of baobab and other African plants, combined with gentle effleurage massage strokes, further aids in the lymphatic drainage and elimination of toxins and fatty deposits. After our treatment, we felt so light and refreshed. And the icing on the cake was that our spa treatments ended with our therapists serving us a delicious concoction of curcumin, cucumber and baobab juice, balanced with a drizzle of wild harvested honey.
Looking resplendent in his white linen tunic caftan, the meditation and yoga instructor waited patiently as we consumed every last drop of the baobab juice mix. With a beaming smile, the ethereal looking yogi grabbed some provisions and comfy cushions and beckoned us to set off on foot towards a fairly arduous, albeit short, ascent up a steep hill covered by tall grass, acacia scrub bushes and jagged rock boulders. Our small party was escorted by two Maasai tribe warriors dressed in their classic red/black checkered ceremonial garb and adorned with vibrantly ornate beaded accessories. A burly safari security guard armed with an imposing hunting rifle joined us to complete the group. While the escort team was conspicuously present to ensure our safety, we really had absolutely nothing to fear or worry about. The only wild animals spotted scurrying about were harmless tiny critters such as dik diks and hyraxes. In fact, they were so adorable that I felt compelled to stop and gush, making puerile remarks about adopting one and bringing it home as if it were a soft toy.
From the high vantage point at the summit of the hill, we were handsomely rewarded for our physical exertions with spectacular 360 degrees sweeping panoramic outlooks of the awe-inspiring vistas. In front of us, the western sky displayed a gradational palette of dusk shades and sunset pastel hues that were peppered with sporadic showers of rain. The eastern skies behind us revealed imposing clusters of dark and stormy cumulonimbus clouds. One could clearly hear the soft distant rumblings of thunder that were swiftly followed by melodramatic flashes of lightning.
While our Maasai guardians stood beside us keeping a keen watch, the yogi guided us through a sunset meditation sequence starting with pranayama breath work that included “Lion’s breath” and the uttering of three sacred Om chants. These were followed by sets of various beginners’ yoga poses such as the Mountain, Tree and Warrior. In closing, we were instructed to connect with Mother Earth and honor the primordial spirit of the land as we exhaled the breath of life. As the fiery sun set over the twilight horizon on my final day in the Serengeti and a brilliant full moon rose to take its place, I sent out a fervent prayer and made a promise that I shall return to the Motherland. This sunset meditation session was an epic finale and fitting curtain call to my virgin African safari odyssey. I bring home with me a snapshot memento of this magical moment that will forever be emblazoned unto the deepest recesses of my psyche.
This article was first published in the print edition of Yoga Journal Singapore, which is now Yogahood Online.
