One thing we quickly figured out when registering at Machame Hut for the climb was that students are a rare species on Kilimanjaro. The registration list was mostly populated by doctors, dentists and other recently well paid people. This doesn't mean that we are well paid students, quite the opposite! We had to save up for a long time to afford this trip. And what does this have to do with a safari you say??
Thats exactly the thing, since we already paid a lot of money to fly down to Africa we figured we might as well stay a bit longer and see the sights. And what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Africa?? Safari! We ended up going for a three day safari the day after we came back from Kilimanjaro. I will advise you not to, and here's why:
Due to our limited time schedual we only had three days available for safari, something that in retrospect we should have done something with. The thing is, that even though you will see a lot of animals and experience the thrill of seeing large animals in the wild, three days will feel like you are rushing it. And rushing it is something that you shouldn't do when you actually should be waiting patiently for the next spotting of one of the big five. So heed my advice and take atleast four days if you can!
Safari options close to Kilimanjaro
Safari lovers rejoice! The area close to Tanzania has some of the best safari game grounds in all of Tanzania. The only three I can personally describe is Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara, but this is also the the three larger and more famous national parks in Tanzania.
Serengeti
The Serengeti is probably most famous for the enormous wildebeest migration occuring annually. Unfortunately we didn't get to see this, but I will definently be back for it!. Serengeti is known for the chance to spot the "Big Five", named for the five most prized trophies taken by hunters: the lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo. The national park is one of the few parks that's part of the UNESCO world heritage due to its biodiversity and ecological significance.
Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro crater is by many considered to be one of the great natuaral wonders of the world. It was created when a huge volcano collapsed on itself some two-three million years ago. The crater is huge! It is 610 m (2,001 ft) deep and it's floor covers 260 km² (102 square miles).
What's fascinating about this crater, is that it has evolved into a living breathing eco system that houses a wide variety of animals. The count of animals in this crater is over 25 000 giving you ample opportunity to see all your favourite safari animals, along with the famous "Big Five". The first view you get of the Ngorongoro crater is absolutely stunning. Standing on the crater rim looking out over this huge hole in the earth now dotted with lakes, swamps and grasslands is enough to make any man humble.
Lake Manyara
Combining the Serengeti and Ngorongoro with Lake Manyara is a safari plan that will satisfy your every safari dream. As i stated earlier we did this trip in three days, which is possible, but in our experience not something we recommend. Take your time, enjoy the scenery, and most important, don't stress! Make sure you have enough time to enjoy it while you're there! Lake Manyara gave us the opportunity to watch the largest number of birds, especially Flamingos that we had ever seen(the previous number was four..in the Stuttgart Zoo..). But from four flamingos to possibly several thousand is quite an experience, not that it was possible to count them, but there was a lot of them!
I hope this small article atleast opened your eyes on the combination options available for your Kilimanjaro treks. Tanzania has so much to offer, experience it!
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