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siesta time with a game of catch the tuft of Mom’s tail.
Our lion sighting had left me feeling rather feline – and what better way to indulge than by visiting the spa?
My partner joined me for a couple’s massage treatment while our kids headed out on a guided walk to learn more about the local plants. By the time we’d floated back to earth, they’d returned with heads full of botanical information (including the rejuvenating powers of the herbs the therapists had used) and pockets full of coffee cherries. After lunch, we checked out the on-site artists’ studio and couldn’t resist buying a canvas or two – they seemed rather appropriate souvenirs of our time in tents!
Three nights at Mkombe’s House
The light-aircraft flight to our final lodge was a real highlight, especially the approach to the airstrip. It felt as though the pilot would have to dodge several herds of wildebeest – the first of many we’d see in the Serengeti.
Our timing could not have been better – we’d arrived at Mkombe’s House just a few days after the vanguard of the Great Wildebeest Migration had pulled into this idyllic corner of the Serengeti. On the short drive from the airstrip, our guide explained that the herds would rest and graze here for a few days before attempting a crossing of the Grumeti River. In contrast to the throngs on the plains below, we had an entire koppie to ourselves, and only had to share the almost infinite views with the vultures soaring high above us.
Our son’s birthday proved to be an uplifting experience – unbeknown to him, we’d booked a hot-air balloon ride to mark the occasion, and we lifted off just after sunrise to glide almost silently over the assembled herds. The wildebeest paid us no mind – they had weightier matters to ponder than the passage of our parcel of heated air – but when the rising sun threw our shadow across a resting pride of lion, once lioness gazed up at us. Landing (not by the lion) we enjoyed a Champagne breakfast (with mango juice for the kids, of course) under a lone savannah tree.
We could tell that Africa had left its mark on our children, in the most wonderful way. We decided that we needed to return the compliment before the end of our Tanzania family safari, and readily agreed to our guide’s suggestion of a walking safari. The wildebeest – still to attempt the river crossing – watched our progress with some bemusement, as our walk was a mere fraction of their journey. When we got back, our daughter excitedly told us she’d seen a small, non-venomous python and – by this point, a fearless Africa veteran – that she’s casually crouched next to it in her new Facebook profile picture.
PHOTOGRAPHY: SERENGETI BALLOON SAFARIS, ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK