As an anthropologist, I always wanted to visit Africa and see for myself the remains of early human ancestors in Kenya and other East African countries. Despite several trips to Kenya for consulting work, I did not have time to spend as a tourist. Finally, in July 2024, we went on an East African safari trip for two weeks. My wife and I flew from Vancouver. Our son and daughter-in-law joined the trip from Toronto to Brussels and then to Nairobi. Twiga Safari was our tour guide in Kenya and Tanzania (see Map). This short travel piece is to share our excitements about the safari with the readers of Global Bangladesh.
The Maasai Mara: Kenya’s Crown Jewel
We started our trip from Nairobi on a well-equipped six-seater Safari Jeep. Our Twiga tour guide/driver for Keyna was George. We spent nearly a week in Kenya at the Massai Mara Game Reserve. The Mara, a sanctuary for wildlife named after the indigenous Maasai people, is a sprawling expanse of rolling plains, grassland, acacia trees, and meandering rivers. It forms an integral part of the larger Massai-Serengeti ecosystem, which spans across the border into Tanzania.
In Massai Mara, we stayed in Tipilikwani Tented Camp, a group of small independent cottages with 5-star amenities, run by big name hoteliers for tourists. The cottages were beside the game reserve. It was a bit unease on the first night with wild animals roaming around the cottage. We were assured of full security with trained and armed guards on duty all night. These guards are members of the Massai, who historically owned the land and known for their semi-nomadic pastoralist lifestyle – now long lost to modern way of life, but still live with a strong sense of Massai identity.
Our daily routine was early breakfast at the restaurant and then packed lunch for all five of us for the day, returning to the camp around 4:00 pm. George was in charge of everything for the entire week. We had paid for all our expenses (i.e., transportation, hotels/food etc.) in advance of the trips. So, the safari was all inclusive.
In Kenya, we traversed through the endless savanna, under scorching heat and clear & blue sky. The vast land and its diverse savanna landscapes has abundant wildlife, including the famous “Big Five” – the lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and the rhinoceros. We were lucky to see four of the Big Five almost every day in our daily trip, along with other wild animals. The rhinoceros was hard to find. It was amazing feeling every day looking at the vast savanna grassland with so many wildlife, particularly giraffe, elephant, horses, cheetah, Grant’s gazelle, hippo, crocodile, hyena, zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, wildebeest and many more.
We saw in front of our jeep a leopard chasing for Thomson’s gazelle, which was incredible. On another occasion, a huge male lion jumped over dirt road chasing a group of Grant’s gazelle, and then stopped, because the target was perhaps too far to run. The feeling was very amazing!
It was too early for the Great Migration of wildlife. Nonetheless, George took us to the migration site. Each year, over two million wildebeest, zebra and other herbivores trek from southern Serengeti to the lush green grasses of Massai Mara. The migration, driven by the rains, creates a dynamic and ever-changing display of life and death, as predators such as lions, hyenas, and crocodiles lie in wait. Witnessing a river crossing, where herds brave the crocodile-infested waters of the Mara River, must be an unforgettable experience. The movie Serengeti (Documentary, 2011) captured this iconic annual migration. I remember watching the movie years ago in 3D (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1783777/?ref_=mv_close). It was quite incredible to watch the migration of wildlife across the river to Kenya.
From Mara, we flew to Serengeti by bush planes. This is the only way to transport tourists to Serengeti across the border to Tanzania. The plane landed on a small air strip in the savanna plain, and took off to a small border town named Migori on the Kenyan side. We were then bused to Tarime for immigration purposes and then took another flight from Tarime to Seronera/Serengeti airstrip. We flew at a low altitude. The view from above was fantastic.
On arrival at the Serengeti air strip, we found it fairly crowded with tourists. We were looking for Twiga Safari Guide. Finding none, we were a bit unnerved, and called the tour operator in Kenya. Our Tour Guide Ngoro showed up about an hour later. We later realized that we were put on an earlier flight from Tarime to Serengeti. Twiga Tour Guide/diver arrived on time. We got into his fancy Jeep quickly for another stunningly beautiful Serengeti landscape.
The Serengeti: Tanzania’s Endless Plains
Stretching over 15,000 sq km, the Serengeti National Park is a vast and iconic wilderness that captivates the imagination. The name “Serengeti” originates from the Maasai word “Serengit,” meaning “endless plains,” which perfectly describes the park’s sweeping landscapes. Like the Maasai Mara, the Serengeti is a critical part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem and plays a pivotal role in the Great Migration.
Our Serengeti experience was magnificent! We stayed at the Turner Spring Luxury Camp right in middle of the Park. We heard howling of the animals at night from the tent. Again, it was scary, but by that time we got used to life in the wilderness. We saw many animals from tents and the breakfast table in the Turner Spring Lodge.
The Serengeti’s wildlife experiences are profoundly influenced by the changing seasons. Our Guide Ngoro said that our visit matched with the ideal time (June to October) for game viewing, as animals gather around water sources and the vegetation thins out, making wildlife easier to spot. We saw more diverse range of habitats and species in the Serengeti Park. The Serengeti is also larger than the Maasai Mara, offering a greater sense of vastness and isolation.
On our Day 2 in Serengeti, we made a brief stop at the Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world to learn about human evolution. Paleoanthropologists Mary and Louis Leaky are best known for their work at Olduvai Gorge where they discovered the first fossilized skull of an extinct ape, which is now believed to be ancestral to humans. The resident guide provided an on-site talk, explaining the site and stories.
The trip to Ngorongoro Crater was perhaps the ultimate experience of our tour. The crater is home to many species of wild game and birds. Nearly every species of African plains mammal lives in the crater – for instance, lion, buffalo, impala, gazelles, rhino, giraffe, golden & black-backed jackal, zebra, cheetah, leopard and the spotted hyena freely roam on the crater floor plains. The crater has a breath-taking beauty. There are perhaps few places on earth where such a tremendous diversity, including birdlife exists, in Lake Magadi on the crater floor.
A Safari of a Life Time
The East African safari left an indelible mark on our souls. The Maasai Mara and the Serengeti, with their timeless beauty and extraordinary biodiversity is a testament to the wonders of the wild. From Ngorongoro, we drove to Arusha, the nearest airstrip, for our flight to Zanzibar’s white sandy beach and sunshine at the luxury Emerald Zanzibar. Again, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience! From Zanzibar, we flew to Nairobi and then to Brussels-Toronto-Vancouver. Thanks to Twiga Safari operators in Nairobi and to our own Nancy @Marlin’s Travel in Burnaby, B.C., we all are impressed how smoothly everything went, between continents and countries.
Mohammad Zaman
Dr. Mohammad Zaman is an internationally known development/ resettlement specialist. He has worked in many major projects for the World Bank in Bangladesh and in other countries in Asia and Africa. Dr. Zaman’s most recent edited book (co-editor Mustafa Alam) is titled Living on the Edge: Char Dwellers in Bangladesh, Springer, 2021. E-mail: mqzaman.bc@gmail.com
