Africa Adventure

Endless grassland plains, prides of hunting lions and hordes of roaming wildebeest are just a tiny bit of what makes up this perfect ecosystem, situated in what can only be described as the Heart of Africa. The sheer magnificence of this place is only matched by its immense size.

A brief history:

The Serengeti plains have been inhabited by the Maasai people for centuries, but were only discovered by Europeans in the late 19^th century. Dr. Oscar Bauman, a German geographer and explorer, was the first to enter the park in 1892. The Maasai, known for being fierce warriors, protected the land and prevented the exploitation of resources by the Europeans. The Maasai have subsequently moved to the Ngorongoro highlands after the creation of the park. The Serengeti National Park stretches from the north of Tanzania into the southern parts of Kenya.

The majesty of nature:

The Serengeti is famous the world over for the massive annual wildebeest migration. Roughly 1.2million wildebeest undertake the perilous trek to other grazing fields. About 500 000 new baby wildebeest are born every year on this incredible journey. This is a perfectly synchronized natural phenomenon that amazes any who sees it.

The abundance of wildebeest and other large game has led to an increase in the amount of predators in the Serengeti. This means that your chances of spotting a lion or the elusive leopard are much better than previous years. So, if you are lucky you might even be able to spot the entire Big 5 in one trip.

What to do besides safari:

One of the best ways to go out and truly experience this awe inspiring place is to go on a photographic expedition. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned photographer or newbie with a compact camera, anyone can capture the beauty of this spectacular place. From the great migration to the tiniest ant, all provide you the opportunity to take the most beautiful photos, just like a National Geographic pro.

You can also experience the environment from the perspective of a local by having one of the Maasai people accompany you as a guide. If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you can go on a hot air balloon and see the beauty of this place from an aerial perspective.

The Serengeti is truly spectacular. It’s the perfect opportunity to experience the full power of nature with all its beauty and destruction. This is not a relaxing beach holiday, no, this is an experience; an experience that will leave a permanent impression on you and change your perspective on life.

Just stay out of the way of the wildebeest, they will leave a permanent impression on you too …

(This is a post by our intern Kristian Meijer)

(Image by Koen Muurling, CC by 2.0, via Flickr)