The Tarangire National Park is teeming with wildlife, beast, bird and human alike. I have been slow to post updates on my trip as our days have been full and internet access not always guaranteed.
We stayed for two nights at the Tarangire Safari Lodge, a tented camp with accommodations that were not entirely tent-like, containing as they did full bathrooms and complete comfort.
There were camp-like aspects to this lodge. The electricity was turned on for four hours in the morning and four hours in the evening. There were no electrical outlets in the tents, so folks brought a power strip to plug in at the bar to charge phones, computers and batteries while the power was on. The lodge was right in the national park which meant animals could wander around at will, which at times they did. After dark, we were not allowed to walk outside our tents without a guide who carried a stick and a flashlight to scare away any beasts who might want to make a meal of us.
During our time in Taranguire, we went on three game drives. I now know why they are called “drives” – you drive around in vehicles searching for game. Fortunately it never takes more than a couple of minutes to find some. We brought bean bags to place around the windows and the upper area to rest our lenses on and take the place of tripods on long telephoto shots.
Our days typically included a morning drive from 6 am to 1 pm, lunch at the camp and another drive from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. We then showered and met for dinner at 7:30 pm, leaving not a lot of time for photo review and blog writing! I am definitely getting my money’s worth on this trip. 🙂
Zebras are all over the place as are impalas, and we quickly became quite ho-hum about them. We had to look a little harder for elephants, giraffes, lions and little creatures like dik-diks. The animals are not frightened of the vehicles, and come right on by as you can see in an elephant photo below.
I find the birds as interesting as the animals and have found a kindred soul who on occasion comandeers a vehicle and a bird-savvy driver for us. These fascinating little (and sometimes not so little) creatures range from the gorgeous to the almost grotesque. Photographing them is sometimes a challenge but always a pleasure.
I love this photo of impalas running away from us through the grass.
And this one of a parade of elephants in the distance.
An elephant passed by our line of vehicles, not in the least concerned that strange beings were pointing black cylandrical things at him.
Our second and last day in Tarangire National Park ended with this colourful sunset.
Kesho kwenye Ngorongoro Crater!
Leave a Reply