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The place
After indulging in a three-course dinner, served under a dazzling display of northern Tanzania’s stars, we join other guests sharing stories around the campfire. The guides soon join us, and we ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ amid tales of dramatic sightings, dissolving into laughter as we hear of comically close encounters.
Our senses feel somehow more alive, the crackling of the fire and screech of a bushbaby somehow louder in the immensity that surrounds us under the thin veil of darkness. Although we can’t see the flat, acacia-topped plains of the Serengeti and the multitude of life they support, we can imagine the herds of wildebeest gathering in their thousands, stamping their feet and dozing fitfully through the night.
Meandering back to our room, we pass one of the many comfortable sofas placed around the camp to soak up the Serengeti views. We sit for a while, gazing into a darkness lit up by the occasional flash of lightning. Soon, we’ll be tracking the Great Wildebeest Migration, the greatest show on earth.
The room
It’s a pleasant surprise every time we walk into our spacious tent, which is more like a suite, with its plush king-sized bed and billowing mosquito nets. It’s the essence of safari chic: canvas walls, a soaring roof draped in fabric, paraffin lamps and even a hanging closet.
The en-suite bathroom is more than big enough for the two of us, and our personal attendant is quick to deliver hot water for our shower. While I brush my teeth I can hear my partner humming, clearly enjoying the bucket-shower experience!
With a hairdryer and cotton gown waiting for us, it’s hard to believe we’re out in the wild, in the heart of nature at its most raw. Although the cackle, growl and grunt of hyena, lion and wildebeest should keep me awake, I feel so warm and safe here that instead it lulls me into a deep and peaceful sleep.
Traversing the northern, southern and western Serengeti, Sanctuary Kichakani Serengeti Camp – a luxury Tanzanian safari lodge – literally follows the Great Wildebeest Migration. Depending on the season, you’ll witness the awe-inspiring spectacle of wildebeest gathering on the plains, dramatic river crossings or hours-old calves taking their first steps.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Sanctuary Retreats
SERENGETI
sanctuary
by Melissa Andrews