“Tarangire is mostly about baobabs and elephants,”
remarks Annette Simonson of Tarangire Safari Lodge. The exquisite tented lodge is
the first to open in Tarangire National Park in the 1970s.
It’s a quiet afternoon save for the occasional
trumpeting of the elephants. The wide, endless panorama of the savanna is
stunning dotted with enormous baobabs. From the edge of the bluff sandwiched
between the tents and the river below, a lone giraffe seeks shade under an
acacia and reminds me of the old East African stamps depicting the scene. The
Tarangire not only lends its name to the lodge and the park but also to the
river that is the soul of the land. It’s a busy scene below with almost a
hundred elephants strolling to the river for a drink – big bulls, protective
mothers and tiny calves. It’s ethereal - a page from another planet. A herd of
zebra saunters across the river. Moments later, it’s followed by the gnus.
Vultures soar in the air and land in a thick flock at the far end of the river.
In the lull that ensues, l have no desire to move, contented to watch the rich
abundance of game from atop.
Well rested, we make our way out for the late
afternoon game drive. “During the dry season, the elephants are in the park
because of the river. Then when the rains come, they disperse out,” continues
Annette. The great pachyderms are everywhere, the river attracting them like a
magnet. We choose to drive along its course and aren’t disappointed.
A pair of giraffes stop for a drink at the river. A
family of elephants – the largest mammal on land walk in a single file towards
the tallest land creature. The giraffe looks around, the elephants pass and the
towering frame drops its neck 20 feet down and with legs splayed and proceeds
to drink as the ox-peckers on its neck jump off to wade in the shallow water.
Something catches the eye of our friend – it’s a
huge bird he says. “It’s there, in front of you”. We scan the tree and it’s
only a subtle flick of the camouflaged Verraux’s eagle owl’s ear that gives it
away. It is so perfectly camouflaged in the crook of the trunk and yet completely
exposed. It’s a powerful raptor that needs wide open spaces to live and hunt in.
Considered a bad omen, most are killed on sight and today few are found outside
protected areas. Yet they are invaluable in getting rid of vermin like rats.
Gigantic baobabs continue to dot the gold-coloured
plains. The sun begins to slink just when we see a golden lioness draped around
the branch of tree. The owl has brought us good luck, we joke.
It’s the night of the full moon. The terrace is
alive with holiday makers watching the wildlife below while enjoying hot canapés
and cocktails. The moon rises – a golden orb and spreads its sheen on the plains
below. The river glimmers. I watch from my verandah till the lights go off and
zipping the screen, fall asleep wanting to awake to the surreal panorama in the
first light of dawn.
Somewhere in the middle of the night, the elephants
trumpet. I hear them around the camp browsing. The lion roars as if holding a
microphone. I’m still in the dreamy stage when the noises are too close. I open
my eyes and see a lion cub walk past my tent. In a flash two of them jump onto
my patio and play like kids knocking down the chair and table when suddenly l’m
staring into the eyes of the female lioness on the patio. With just 10 feet
between us and separated by a net screen l freeze. She’s a beautiful cat in the
silver moon, growling while the cubs scrabble around. After what seems
eternity, she lets out a stern call and whisks the cubs away. It’s an
unforgettable moment in time. “The lioness’s concern was her cubs,” remarks
Shivani Bhalla of the Ewaso Lions in Kenya who has pioneered lion research in
the Ewaso region in north Kenya. As the feline and l stared at each other, l’m
sure that was her priority. And the owl brought me luck again.
Time
at Tarangire
It’s a 118 kilometers from Arusha on the road to
Dodoma. It’s on the northern Tanzanian circuit which includes Lake Manyara,
Ngorongoro and Serengeti.
Stay at the Tarangire Safari Lodge: www.tarangiresafarilodge.com bookings@tarangiresafarilodge.com +255 (0) 27 254 4752, +255 (0) 27 253 1447
It’s upmarket with the best location, merging exquisite
in the natural landscape. The food is delicious. It’s strong on supporting
communities and keeping the wildlife migratory corridors open without which the
parks of Africa would not survive.
Pay by
VISA card at park entrance. Or go to TANNAPA HQ which is on the Arusha-Tarangire
Road. You will be issued with a card to load at the bank.
Essential – a yellow fever certificate.
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