One Perfect Day in the Serengeti

From Nduara Camp in Loliondo, we drove into Serengeti National Park. Within minutes our guide, Ken, spotted a young male lion on his own. He had probably been kicked out of his pride by older males and was fending for himself. This morning, he was having no luck finding breakfast.

Further into the park, Ken spotted a cheetah from a great distance so we drove closer and watched as he surveyed the plains for prey before disappearing into the tall grass. Later we saw hundreds, then thousands, of wildebeest and zebras. They were the head of the great migration, soon to be followed by a million more working their way northward toward Kenya's Masai Mara. Awaiting them were at least to big male lions perched Lion King style on top of a kopje. Surely there were many more predators around.

After a delicious picnic lunch under the shade of an acacia tree we circled back to see more herds of zebra and wildebeest along with a smattering of eland, Thompson gazelle and buffaloes. Following the Grumeti River back towards its source, we found our young lion hunkering in a bush being stared down by 20-plus giraffe and hundreds of zebra. He was going to have a hard time.

We arrived back at camp literally minutes before the clouds broke open releasing a torrential downpour which pounded our yurt and then said its goodbye by revealing a beautiful double rainbow. After drinks by the campfire we enjoyed a delicious dinner then fell asleep to the sounds of hyenas whooping and a nearby Maasai boma's singing celebration. It was a perfect Tanzania day.