Infinity. It’s a difficult concept to grasp; a concept that has grown even more increasingly hard to find as mankind has spread out across continents and oceans, exploring and conquering as we go. The next frontier is outer space, but it isn’t difficult to imagine what certain areas of our own planet used to feel like to humans as they gazed across the horizon into what must have appeared to stretch on forever and ever. Oceans. Deserts. And Plains.

Not the deserts of the Sahara, and not the jungles of the Congo – the Serengeti is somewhere in between…

In the middle of Africa, there lies the endless plains. In Swahili: Serengeti. A tried and true African Safari is on every travel enthusiast’s bucket list. And there is no better place than in northern Tanzania, where prides of lions hunt in their natural habitat, and millions of terrestrial mammals migrate in a loop that takes them from the south of the country up into neighboring Kenya.

When it comes to safaris, the Serengeti is the Times Square of destinations. There are lesser parks and preserves where one might visit to feel more alone and immersed in nature. In fact, many of the travel advice websites and guides suggest other places that have maintained an authenticity that is somewhat lacking in the Serengeti. But when we visited that and a few other parks in Tanzania, the abundance of other tourists (all inside similarly painted Toyota Land Cruisers) didn’t bother us as much as the ‘theme park’ feel of the smaller areas.

Truly, when scanning the horizon line of the endless plains, we felt like we had traveled not only into the wilds of Africa, but also into the past – to a time when mankind didn’t disrupt the natural order of the planet. At 12,000 square miles, the sheer size of the place can dwarf any visitor, making us all feel insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe.

There were moments that took our breath away. Below are some photos I took that I hope will take yours away as well.

Welcome to the Endless Plains!
Asili Explorers! Asili means ‘nature’ in Swahili…
Luxury Tented Camps (inside the park) are the best way to stay!
We heard lions and hyenas outside our tent every night!
As you can see, luxury is the word for this kind of camping!
And the zebras aren’t too shy when they can’t see you!
Picnic areas are scattered around the park for guests’ convenience (toilets too)…
Oh, did I mention how many guests are here?
Sometimes, other cruisers even ruin photos…
But nothing can ruin such a beautiful African sunset!
Especially, when you can capture the wildlife with the changing colors in the sky!
These gazelles better be careful (can you see the lioness stalking them?)…
This impala posed for me between sips of water…
I think this could be a postcard!
We were able ot get really up close and personal with the giraffes!
Interdependent (or simbiotic as our guide liked to point out) relationships between species…
These little guys were playing around and I snapped the perfect shot!
No, those aren’t rocks. They’re hippos!
Almost 2 million wildebeests migrate every year!
Here they are running along the hills!
This family of hyenas had a den just outside our campsite (aren’t the cubs so cute?!)…
The cheetah is rare to spot, but this was one of the first animals we saw on day one!
Simba Kopje – the inspiration for Pride Rock in Disney’s The Lion King!
Which brings us to the lions!
We got very close to many (there are over 3,000 in the Serengeti)!
So glad to have a great lens (some people had bigger ones though…)!
Is it just me, or is she looking right at me?
A pair of males
These two were having some fun together (it was mating season)!
Look closely! The lioness is chasing a gazelle!
The warthog is perhaps the most skittish animal in Africa (they didn’t like to have their picture taken)…
Our guide let Jen get out of the car to take a picture with some (distant) lions…
Life isn’t all you find on the Endless Plains – there is much death as well…
Morning cup ‘o joe with some zebras!
The Baobab tree is one of the oldest trees in the world – this one is thousands of years old!
The local Maasai children think they’re funny setting up roadblocks to get tourists to give them food and money (but our guide wasn’t happy about it)…
These two Maasai boys are about to be circumsized (hence the face-painting and black clothing)…

Until Next Time…

Justin

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