A Photo Diary of Sue and Bill’s Tanzania Holiday

We have just returned from an outstanding trip to Tanzania. Arriving at Kilimanjaro Airport, we were met by a local representative who whisked us through immigration formalities so quickly we were in our taxi and on the way within 20 minutes of landing. What a way to start our adventure. Our first night is in Machweo House, where we had a superb dinner.

Next morning we meet Yanus, our guide for the next four days, and it’s off in our private Jeep for two days in Tarangire National Park. The park is known for its elephants and we are not disappointed. We see so many, but our favourite sighting is by a large swampy area.

However, it’s not just elephants at large in Tarangire. We have great sightings of giraffe, zebra, water buffalo, leopard, lion, and so many different birds we can’t remember their names. But we have two outstanding memories of this park – our first ever cheetah sighting and a pair of lions mating. It’s all over very quickly, but unbelievable to see. We stay for lunch and see them mating again 40 minutes later!

After two great days, we head off for a totally different experience in Lake Manyara National Park. This is not big, but worth a visit. Lots of birds, hippo in a pool, water buffalo, and for the first time we see a giraffe sitting down.

Our next accommodation is Plantation Lodge. Great rooms and superb food. A place to relax and get ready for our safari in the Ngorongoro Crater.

After a short drive, we start up towards the rim of the crater. As we gain height, we start driving into the mist that is normal for this time of day. Suddenly we stop in the mist. Yanus has spotted two male lions in the long grass at the side of the road. We are not yet inside the crater and have already seen an incredible sight.

Over the rim, and the crater unfolds in front of us. Herds of zebra, more birds, and our first sight of a big herd of wildebeest. Our second highlight of the day is when we stop for lunch at a designated picnic area, adjacent to a lake. We are just about to tuck in when a hippo appears from behind a rock about 20 metres away and starts to walk towards us. Luckily he turns away and saunters round all the vehicles and into the lake.

The next day we take a short flight to the Serengeti, where we meet John our guide for the next four days. The brief we give him is that we want to see the wildebeest migration, including a river crossing. This takes a lot of patience and three days to achieve, but in the meantime we see so many highlights, including male lions and female lions with cubs.

Safari over, and it’s time for relaxation on Mafia Island, which is far less commercialised than Zanzibar. Our accommodation is Pole Pole Beach Lodge, which is among the best places we have stayed. It’s not the most luxurious, but it is very comfortable, and they manage to make it unbelievably relaxing while being totally organised. Included are free excursions, and we take up the offer of a sunset cruise – just us, the crew, and our own barman. We also go on the sandbank trip at low tide for a BBQ fish lunch. Talk about desert island.

After a trip to see the whale sharks, my wife makes the most of the beach and relaxation while I go scuba diving with Mafia Island Divers. The diving here is up with the best and highly recommended – very safe, excellent divemasters, and good-quality equipment.

We had an absolutely amazing holiday. So well organised, and we saw much more than we were expecting. Out of 5 stars, it was a 10 star trip!!!!