Serengeti National Park Trip II

Lions in a tree.

My second time to Serengeti National Park (Trip I) was completely different than my first trip due to the fact that this trip was after a bit of rain, while my previous trip was during the end of the dry season. We were also able to spend a few days there instead of a quick in and out.

As usual, Serengeti National Park and its endless plains were a real treat to spend a few days in. And it is a good thing that I am satisfied with the landscape alone because due to the rain pattern, the park was a bit sparse in wildlife. Around the central area of the park there were some lions and giraffes, though the ungulates (buffalo, zebra, etc) were quite sparse. We did get to visit one of the hippo pools which, true to its name, was loaded with hippos.

Our accommodation was a pretty cool set up at a temporary camp in the middle of the park. It consisted of a main camp with about 10 smaller tents on the periphery. It was pretty cool to hear hyenas and other creatures of the night lurking around at night (though some in our group were less enthused) and you could even hear them scratching against the tents! The major drawback of the place was that you couldn't walk anywhere outside the camp. Unlike many people think, the real risk is buffalo as there is a very low likelihood that you'll be eaten by a lion or leopard. I love to get out and walk, so being contained in a very small area was a bit frustrating, though this is my biggest "complaint" with traditional safaris.

I still would one day love to go through the north of the Serengeti but as I'm learning, it all depends on the time of the year as the landscape and wildlife are constantly changing with the rains.

Our campsite where we spent two nights.

The plains of the great Serengeti!

Hippo pool, with more hippos than I've ever seen in my life.

Plains with characteristic rock formations. Lion King style.

Lonely croc with his mouth open, waiting for an unsuspecting young animal to crawl in.

You want grass? Serengeti has grass.