Fortunately for us, this was not an issue. Since this was our first trip in Tanzania, we had decided to use a guide. Sure enough, early Thursday morning Bernie, our Tanzanian guide turned up in his 4X4, got us loaded inside and headed out of Dar, off to see some animals.
Although the journey lacked something in twists and turns, it was very interesting- both going there and coming back. Leaving Dar brought us into a totally different world- a world of small villages, mud huts and roadside fruit sellers. The density of Dar was in total contrast to what we saw only miles inland. The heavy rain brought out the incredible expanses of green stretching out as far as the eye could see either side of this single long road. Plenty of people braved the rain- we saw a constant stream of people going about their business. Maasai men walked by in traditional costume; youth clad in years old Liverpool football shirts cycled along; women in their colourful Kangas carrying goods in pots balanced precariously on their heads carried on conversations on mobile phones in a prefect epitome of the melange of cultures affecting a place like this. The further we headed from Dar the more stunning the scenery became. South of Morogoro, we headed through the Uluguru mountains. In the rain these mountains reminded me almost of the Lake District- green slopes, misty peaks- not what I was expecting in Africa to be honest.
After a fairly agreeable four hours of watching people, admiring views and listening to Christmas songs on my iPod with Kieran, we arrived at Mikumi. We figured we were more or less there when we saw a solitary Baboon sitting by the roadside looking at us. As we slowed down for a photo, and I hung my head out of the window for a closer look I realised we were not being looked as so much as flashed by this rather seedy little primate. Suitably amused, we headed on into the park.
Our first stop was at the Mikumi Wildlife Camp to check in, take lunch and to take a look at our accommodation. The camp was beautiful. The stated ethos of the place was that we were the guests of the animals and should therefore fit around them. Accordingly, the camp was clearly designed for low visible impact. Apart from a small shared eating area (meals taken looking out over the plains) there were twelve Bandas- small wooden lodges each with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a toilet. Between us and the Mikumi plains there was absolutely nothing- charming in the day, slightly scarier at night. Sleeping, or trying to, was an acquired skill for me. Strangely, the plains- so calm by day- were a cacophony of noise by night- the bush rats in our roof competed with crickets, bullfrogs and goodness knows what else for the privilege of stopping me sleeping. After hours of lying underneath a large mosquito net, wondering firstly what else was out there and, more importantly, whether mosquito nets would stop snakes or rats from getting in, I succumbed to tiredness and fell asleep. The second night was easier mind- I’m no Indiana Jones but you have to start somewhere!
Mikumi National Park. In the foreground Giraffes and Impala. In the distance, the Bandas of the Mikumi Wildlife Lodge, where we stayed.
So, what about the safari? Between the long, dark and noisy nights were a couple of days- these were filled with some of the most wonderful sights, sounds and smells we’d ever experienced.
Before going into all that, I guess a bit of basic information. When you think of Tanzania’s national parks, Mikumi doesn’t spring to mind- Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Mngorongoro Crater up in the north are all much better known and are well worth a visit. Mikumi is a very underrated park, in the south of the country. Yes it is intersected by a major road- the main highway to Zambia- and this detracts from the park in the eyes of some purists. However, you’re still talking about over three thousand square kilometres of African plain, bordered by the beautiful Uluguru Mountains to the north and the Udzungwa to the south. More importantly, this park has some of the most consistently good wildlife viewing in the country. Sorry to be superficial, but if we were going to bring two small boys all this way to see animals, then we needed animals.
Boy did we see animals. We opened up the roof of the jeep to allow us to stand up and look out- Kieran named the rearranged vehicle the “parachute car” but, standing up, taking in the view, it seemed more like the Popemobile to be honest! Since the first day was wet we saw fewer animals- the long forgotten experience of feeling cold, however, was a welcome one.
Soma, Kieran and Rohan with Bernie (our guide and driver) and the "Parachute Car"
The second day was much warmer and sunnier, which made both for better photos and way more wildlife. Mikumi’s reputation was well deserved- not only did we see a lot of animals, they were often within spitting distance of the jeep! The biggest boast was that we saw some small lions. Actually, we didn’t just see them, we practically ran over them- in true “King of the Plains” style, these lions were taking a rest in the middle of the track. So what impressed us the most? I’m really not too sure. We came across a herd of elephants, coming up to cross the track in front of us. They were slightly alarmed by an oncoming truck but let both the truck driver and us know who was boss! Soma was less impressed- being from India seeing an elephant is pretty common I suppose. She was very taken with the zebras though- we saw a lot of them over the two days but had an especially close encounter on the second morning- close enough to feed them almost. They seemed less like horses- smaller and closer to donkeys if anything.
Two grown up elephants and a calf- crossed our path on day 2
The giraffes left me in awe. Although they were not as tall as I’d remembered from various zoos, they were so graceful. One after the other they just strolled across the plain, a bit like the trees from Lord of the Rings! However, I think we’re all agreed that the most magical experience actually came in the camp itself. On the second morning. We opened the curtains and saw the plain in front of us full with impala. From behind the Banda, a series of impala then came running by, leaping metres off the ground as they went- there was no obstacle to jump- they were just playing. Such beautiful animals playing and jumping with such energy- even Rohan stopped and looked in amazement!
We spent two days and nights in Mikumi. It is said that Africa gets into your blood- there might be some truth there. As the jeep headed back to Dar, I felt supremely lucky to be able to visit places like this so easily. This will not be the last trip to the parks of Tanzania- of that I am sure. I don’t know if I’m becoming more “environmental” but I remember telling Soma something as we looked out over these plains, so replete with life. “I might be the world’s biggest capitalist” I said, “but there is nothing in the world that would make ruining these beautiful plains and mountains worthwhile”.
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