Mikumi National Park: Lion on the road

 

A strange time of day to see a lion on the road.

 

One of the coolest features of the highway from Dar es Salaam going west is the passage through Mikumi National Park. Although photography and stopping to view animals is permitted, you can easily see several different kinds of animals in what I dub a, “poverty safari”. It’s not unusual to have to stop to let a giraffe or elephant cross the road and although game viewing is much better in the dry season, the rainy season can still offer some surprises.   

I’ve driven through Mikumi dozens of times but I had never seen a lion from the road. Well, my luck changed the other day when we saw a sturdy lioness come on to the road at 11am. She was completely unbothered by our car and oncoming traffic and continued to stroll for about five minutes before she went off the side of the road.   

For some reason, the national park posts signs in the park indicating that photography is not permitted if you are passing through, and thus to technically get permission to take and post this picture, I had to stop at the national park office and pay the admission fee for the national park. It’s a shame because Mikumi National Park in transit is the only opportunity the majority of Tanzanians get to enter a national park. In my opinion, the sharing of pictures should be encouraged to raise awareness about domestic tourism as well as encouraging positive feelings towards wildlife. 

Emerging.

Local Waterfall Hike: Trip III

Pretty view from above. 

 

One of our go to local day excursions is a small generously labeled “waterfall” (previous trips) located in the foothills to the south. The area is inaccessible during the rainy season and thus we usually try to go as soon as it dries up so that we can see the water level in the river/waterfall. It’s a pretty little hike up to the water point and the length of the hike can vary depending on how close you park your vehicle. There are some trails around the foothills and you can climb up to get a beautiful vista of the surrounding area.   

Because the water level varies, it is always tricky to try to find a place to swim. When it’s dry there are several little pools and it’s easy to navigate over dry boulders but in the rainy season it is more slippery and the fast flowing water requires you to be a little more careful!

Any Mountain Wagtails?

There was so much water I couldn't even get to my normal spot to take a comparison pic.

Kisolanza Farm House food

Breakfast fruit platter is perfect.

 

I've written about Kisolanza Farm House before but I want to highlight their food as they have just opened a roadside cafe meaning more people will be able to easily access their menu. 

They have always done an amazing job with their food across all the meals and I've appreciated their creativity with local ingredients. Some of my favorites are their farm-fresh light lunch, chocolate mousse, farm fresh strawberries with homemade cream, carrot lasagna, and the t-bone steak. I am excited that their roadside restaurant will offer lunch and dinner on weekends. I swear I am not a paid sponsor or anything like that; the food is just delicious! 

Light lunch.