I had a toy when I was a kid that was a favorite. It consisted of a truck that pulled a trailer with a cage on top. And in that cage were pairs of animals—elephants, lions, giraffes, and camels. Suffice to say, I’ve wanted to go on a safari for a very long time. Not sure why it took so long to get around to it, but we decided about a year in advance that we were going to do it. So where to start? The internet, obviously… and that just leads to even more questions. As fate would have it, we were connected up with Unique Safaris. Beginning with our first Zoom meeting, we knew we were in good hands. The planning was all about us and what we wanted to get out the experience. We were given a broad array of choices but also a lot of expertise related to those choices. Ultimately, we came up with an itinerary that was perfect for us. And then we waited. I started getting really excited (and anxious) about a month before. I bought the cloths, applied for the visa, got the vaccinations, packed, and repacked. The day finally came, and we boarded our first flight in Chicago and a cold late February morning.
All of a sudden (well it wasn’t exactly all of a sudden, 28 hours to be exact), we landed on a balmy evening in Tanzania. I was more anxious than excited until the Unique Safaris staff met us outside Kilimanjaro Airport. Once again, we knew we were in good hands. After a day of acclimation, the next step was to meet our guide. We were immediately impressed with Alex. He was so friendly, enthusiastic, professional, and he made us feel welcome in his country. He wanted to know about us and our expectations. He carefully explained our itinerary and his experience as a guide. A few hours later we arrived at Ngorongoro Crater. Up and over the edge and around a corner our safari really started. Zebra, Cape buffalo, and wildebeest everywhere and thousands of flamingos. At that moment I decided to keep and ongoing list of every animal we saw, which ultimately turned out to be a very long list. From there we began our fantastic voyage around the perimeter of the Serengeti stopping at camps along the way.
It’s challenging to accurately describe this remarkable place in a few words. Incredibly vast, otherworldly, flat, mysterious, at times seemingly desolate yet teeming with life, quiet, dangerous, and always fascinating. Every day brought new surprises. Alex was just amazing at spotting action off in the distance. He purposely took us to places where nobody else was. This allowed us to see so much and remarkably up close. His knowledge of the Serengeti and its wildlife added tremendously to our experience.
We all learned a lot. Hyenas are scary, noisy and tenacious. Vultures are badass. Zebras are beautiful and evidently must be quite delicious. Wildebeest are much better-looking animals than I imagined and there are SO many of them. Lions only look lazy. Cheetahs are adorable and curious. Ostriches are sort of ridiculous. Giraffes are shy. Antelope come in every size you can imagine, and you can learn to tell them apart fairly quickly. Vervet monkeys are cheeky. Elephants are really imposing. Hippos are dangerous.
The camps we stayed at far exceeded expectations. I have a new appreciation for what a tent can be. These are nicer than some hotel rooms. No kidding! If you’re worried about the bathroom, don’t. Everyone at the camps was welcoming, friendly, and seemed to really care about our comfort. Prior to departure, I’d given very little thought about food. We were told we’d be fed well, and we absolutely were. Lots of food. The picnic lunches were delightful. Imagine eating a picnic lunch while watching a pride of lions hunting for their own lunch. We did that. We had a bush lunch and two bush dinners. Think china, silverware, white tablecloth and napkins. Very Out of Africa and truly unforgettable.
Our Unique Safari was spectacular. I’d do it again in a heartbeat and I can’t imagine doing it with anyone but Unique Safaris.
