THE EAST AFRICAN SERIES, DAY 24 & 25
Masai Mara – Lahia Lodge – Ngorongoro Crater
The Serengeti. It was time to say goodbye to Michael as we set off to Tanzania. I remember the first day with him when he collected us from our hotel in Karen and took us to the Masai Mara he was full of chat, wouldn’t and couldn’t stop talking.
WELCOME TO COUNTRY 158
By the end of it we couldn’t stop asking him questions and this just wasn’t about animals in the bush but politics (here and at home) and poverty in Kenya, he was a fountain of knowledge and easy to listen to.
WHERE IS LAHIA LODGE?
Lahia Lodge
Government entry advice
TANZANIA
We said our goodbyes and jumped into our next jeep where we would be for the next 4 days until Arusha.
After filling in the mass of paperwork and paying $50 for the privilege to enter the country we began our journey to the Serengeti, one of the worlds best National Parks.
The Serengeti
DAILY INFO… DAY 24
- HOTEL – Lahia Lodge, 8.5/10
- FOOD – Table buffet
- ATTRACTIONS – West Serengeti
- STEPS – 18,900
DAILY INFO… DAY 25
- HOTEL – Sanctuary at Ngorongoro Crater Camp 7/10
- FOOD – Soup & family buffet
- ATTRACTIONS – Central Serengeti
- STEPS – 11,100
LAHIA LODGE
After 9 hours on the road we arrived at Lahia Lodge which had the best views I could ever imagine. When I think of the Serengeti I think of vast plains as far as the eye can see and the famous acacia trees which twist their way up to the sky. From this lodge you can see nothing but that, it was quintessential Serengeti! I fully expected Sir David Attenborough to walk around the corner!
The rooms are huge and also have views across the plains, I could not have faulted it’s location but 1 day is just no where near enough.
The Serengeti
THE SERENGETI (Day 25)
After hearing lions, birds and something barking throughout the night (pure bliss), we made our way through the plains and into central Serengeti.
This is the first moment we have seen a huge number of jeeps. I counted 15 at a lion sighting who was enjoying a nap on a tree. This was the reason we entered through the much quieter west gate and not the north.
The Serengeti
FLAG….
- GREEN – A symbol of Tanzania’s agriculture and its natural wonders.
- BLUE – Represents its lakes, rivers, and the Indian Ocean.
- BLACK – Represents the nation’s people.
- YELLOW – Symbols of the nation’s mineral wealth.
STENCH
I can’t believe the number of hippos in and around this part of Africa. But arriving at this next pool I couldn’t even count them, 50 would be on the low side. All looking like large stepping stones. However, this number comes a cost…a huge amount of sh*te and the stench was unavoidable. They are pretty much chilling in their own filth.
RELATED READ: HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST HOSTEL
DUST
The next 2 hours (at least) were spent flying over some of the dustiest roads on our trip. And because of the large amount of traffic we couldn’t pass enough cars to avoid the dust either. This was then topped off when we drove past a guy who’s axle failed. He thankfully ended up in a ditch but it could have easily happened on a hillside and that would have been that.
NGORONGORO
Eventually we arrived at the first viewpoint of Ngorongoro Crater and it was phenomenal. The size is hard to comprehend. It was over 2 million years ago that once sat here erupted and virtually blowing itself to pieces, forming a huge Caldera with an area of over 300miles2. Since then it has hosted the most dense population of the Big 5 in the world.
For another idea on size we had to drive 3/4 of the way around which took us 1hr 30mins.
SANCTUARY AT NGORONGORO CRATER CAMP
We were staying, thankfully for for 2 nights, at the Sanctuary, perched nicely at the top of the ridge but unfortunately with no views overlooking ther crater. How much a lodge would be that offered that, I do not know!
The accom is more basic than the others, mainly down the crazy location but still first class against other options. There is the main decking area which has 2 tents; 1 with the lounge and bar and the other as the dining room which all guests eat at the same time which is nice.
LAYERS
It has gotten cold most mornings and nights but none more so than here at Ngorongoro. Although not prepared well in the common areas, the rooms come with a gas heater and 2 electric blankets, making bedtime an absolute privilege.
SUMMED UP….
- MVP – The lady body of Lahia Lodge was great
- HIGHLIGHT – Views from the lodge
- LOWLIGHT – Dusty and hella bumpy roads through the Serengeti
The Serengeti
TODAY’S YOUTUBE VIDEOS
If you want to see today from a different perspective, and catch a few different stories from the front row, then check out today’s YouTube videos below.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Serengeti, it feels good to tick another item off the bucket list!
NEXT UP
We explore the crater of Ngorongoro, one of the most densely pack parks in the world!! Click to read.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
158/229
This post is part of The East African Series, for the entire series click here or for episode 1, click here.
To watch the video of my trip, head to my highlights on my Instagram.
