| Western Serengeti (Kirawira) |
After lunch at the Serengeti Serena Lodge on 19 October we drove west for about two hours to the
Kirawira Serena Tented Camp, located in the western part of Serengeti National Park.
Kirawira Serena Tented Camp, located in the western part of Serengeti National Park.
Our home for the next two nights was nominally a tent but really more of a fancy cottage made to
look and feel like a luxurious tent of a century ago. Our "tent" was on a solid platform with
reproductions of antiques, twin beds, electric lights, and had a fancy bathroom with complete with
hot and cold running water. Like the rest of the "camp" our "tent" was decorated to make you feel
you were living the life of a wealthy "white hunter" in the early 1900's, perhaps Theodore Roosevelt
or Ernest Hemingway. Disney could not have done it better.
look and feel like a luxurious tent of a century ago. Our "tent" was on a solid platform with
reproductions of antiques, twin beds, electric lights, and had a fancy bathroom with complete with
hot and cold running water. Like the rest of the "camp" our "tent" was decorated to make you feel
you were living the life of a wealthy "white hunter" in the early 1900's, perhaps Theodore Roosevelt
or Ernest Hemingway. Disney could not have done it better.
Exterior of our "tent:" at Kirawira
Partial interior view of our "tent" at Kirawira
From the Kirawira Serena Tented Camp we went on an excursion to the shore of Lake Victoria, the
largest lake in Africa, roughly two hundred miles in diameter. We stopped at the town of Mwanza,
where we visited an outdoor fishmarket and then cruised on small fishing boats for an hour or so.
Following that cruise we visited a "medicine man" who attempted to diagnose a member of our group.
largest lake in Africa, roughly two hundred miles in diameter. We stopped at the town of Mwanza,
where we visited an outdoor fishmarket and then cruised on small fishing boats for an hour or so.
Following that cruise we visited a "medicine man" who attempted to diagnose a member of our group.
Fishmarket at Mwanza, on the shore of Lake Victoria
Fishermen pushing boat ashore
Medicine man diagnosing his new foreign patient
The following day was the last day of our tour. We had our final game drive and boarded a small
plane for the first leg of our trip home.
plane for the first leg of our trip home.
Above is our wonderful tour group ready to board our vans for the ride to the nearby airfield. In the rear center is our very
knowledgeable tour leader. In the foreground are our two very skillful Tanzanian drivers
knowledgeable tour leader. In the foreground are our two very skillful Tanzanian drivers
To the left are the people with
whom we were happy to share a
van. At the lower left is
Nickson, our expert Tanzanian
driver, skilled at driving the
dusty roads while spotting and
identifying the huge variety of
animals and birds.
whom we were happy to share a
van. At the lower left is
Nickson, our expert Tanzanian
driver, skilled at driving the
dusty roads while spotting and
identifying the huge variety of
animals and birds.
Plane ready to take our small group from an unpaved airstrip in
the Western Serengeti to the town of Arusha, from where we
flew home (on large planes) via Amsterdam
the Western Serengeti to the town of Arusha, from where we
flew home (on large planes) via Amsterdam
Small extinct volcano viewed during our flight to Arusha