Tanzania Safari - Ruaha, Katavi, Serengeti

We have enjoyed expeditions here a number of times. Tanzania is an African favourite of ours because the more remote parts are still unspoiled.

The more remote you can get to, the more enjoyable a safari is. To a point. In the remotest areas of Katavi the animals are so unused to vehicles, they become startled and race off at the very sound of an engine, before we have even seen them. But around Ruaha and the less remote parts of Katavi (remember this is all relative, Katavi in southern Tanzania is remote by anyone’s standards), there is a nice balance of seeing wild animals behaving wildly but at the same time they are comfortable with having the vehicles around at a sensible distance. And you can get magnificent mobile tented camps which enable you to essentially go where it’s best to go each day. We do not rough it - the tents are some of the best so they are very comfortable and sometimes there are (private) outdoor showers - a real treat, beating the view of any five star hotel bathroom. And food cooked over a campfire is always good.

The Northern Serengeti is not our favourite for general safari. If you really want to see Ngorogoro Crater, you will be seeing it with hordes of crowded vehicles – we counted 18 vehicles around two lions on one occasion. And you can’t go off-road so it’s difficult to get close enough for photography even with long lenses. It’s a shame because the crater itself is obviously impressive but it can be missed, only because it has become over-visited and over-crowded. There is much better game viewing to be had. The exception to this of course is following the Wildebeest migration in the northern Serengeti although the off-road restrictions once again put a stop to some of the better photography opportunities.