Living the dream- safaris, sunsets and star gazing!




Last weekend I had the incredible opportunity to visit two national parks on safari. On Saturday morning, we had a very early start and were picked up by 4x4 jeeps to set off on our adventure! We drove through the dusty landscape of the Savanna, which was scattered with small Masai villages. It was a wonderful opportunity to soak in the stunning scenery and see the way in which many of the Masai people still live very traditional lives. We arrived at Tarangire National Park and even from the car park our excitement mounted as we were able to see the long necks of giraffes poking through the trees from a distance. As we entered the reserve, it wasn't long before we saw a herd of wildebeest followed by a herd of zebras. As we sat watching the zebra our guide whispered to us that he could see that they were getting quite anxious meaning that it was likely that there were lions around! Within minutes, quite a dramatic scene unfolded as there was a sudden stampede from the zebras and out of the dust a lioness emerged. We were then fortunate enough to see several more lionesses with their cubs, before the head lion of the pride appeared. As the day went on, we were treated to a whole other range of beautiful animals including giraffes, impalas, monkeys, ostriches and elephants. One of my highlights was when we were able to get within a few metres of a family of elephants. I literally held my breath as the male elephant turned around to look at us, before walking straight towards our vehicle. We were assured by our guide that we were safe and that the elephant was just curious. All in all it was a magical first day of our safari experience.


In the evening we were able to go for a swim and watch the sunset from our campsite which overlooked Lake Manyara. As the evening went on, we had a traditional Tanzanian meal for dinner and as it was such a clear night, we were able to sit looking at the stars around the campfire.

On day 2 of Safari, we visited Lake Manyara National Park. Once again we were treated to a whole host of different animals including water buffalo, baboons, more giraffes and elephants, warthogs and hippos! Having taught about the African Savanna for many years, it was incredibly special be emerged within this ecosystem for two days and to learn more about the animals and their habitat, including the ways in which the National Parks have ensured that these animals will be protected for future generations to enjoy. 

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