Adventure: Tanzania – The Africa of Our Dreams

Life in Africa is a many-splendored thing. The seemingly endless diversity within the biosphere lurks in tall grass and behind every rock. It slithers and crawls, rustles tree leaves, and soars on thermals in the sun-drenched sky. It gives birth. It takes life. And as it does, it brings the landscape – verdant or scorched – to life.

There is so very much on this glorious continent that dazzles the senses. And there is nothing more remarkable and resplendent than the countless wonders nature has wrought. So many species call this magnificent land home, and it is with great fortune that we are counted among them.

But isn’t it curious? No matter how many marvels fill your own backyard, someone else’s is always enticing. Like a festival meal, it somehow tastes a little better when someone else does the cooking and you just sit back and savor the results.

Nature is no different. A lion is just a lion. A gazelle, just a gazelle. But a savannah is not necessarily just a savannah! No matter how similar it is to those you have traversed, it is different, with mysteries to solve and secrets to reveal.

A lion relaxes on a tree limb in the Ndura Loliondo Safari Camp in Tanzania in Africa.

In your own backyard, you are the expert. You have lifted every rock and smelled every blossom. But in a new land, you are an outsider. The newness of a new place offers questions upon questions. You demand answers, and you know how to find them. You ask an expert, as one might ask you in your backyard.

Let us consider Tanzania, where there are so many unfamiliar rocks to lift and colorful blossoms to enjoy. There are ark-loads of mammals, reptiles, birds, and other creatures, large and small, familiar and not. No matter what you’ve seen, you’ve never seen it quite like this before – the sights, sounds, and smells of a new place that cries out to be explored.

With the glistening peak of Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop, the Serengeti presents a special safari experience. But you may think: Safari? Been there, done that. You’ve enjoyed steak, too. But then there’s that new restaurant. People are raving, and they have also had steak. Tanzania is like that wonderful new restaurant. And Nomad Safaris is the restaurateur par excellence.

NOMAD CAMPS – HARMONY WITH NATURE

Located within and on the margins of the Serengeti, each tented Nomad Camps safari camp offers simple elegance co-mingled with nature, sans the pretentious air of some of the more insulated luxury lodges. In harmony with its environment, the camps and their staff are as much nature’s protectors as they are your humble servants. A balance has been carefully struck between the wildlife, the Maasai culture, which has thrived here for more than a thousand years, and the Nomad Guides, who carefully expose visitors to the area’s wonders without threatening the wonders they expose.

Wildebeest on the Serengeti plain in Africa.

Nomad boasts of some of the best safari guides in the world and we decided to focus our story on them. We were hardly the first to place our pleasures in their hands. Thousands of people had preceded us, among them many celebrities. Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson chose Nomad to help celebrate his father’s 81st birthday. He was so delighted, it was rumored that he was considering opening his own camp in the region.

Hollywood actor-comedian Robin Williams bought his then wife and two of his three children to Nomad late last year. Nomad respected his privacy and kept his expedition quiet.

Ndura Loliondo Safari Camp – Guide Richard Knocker

Nomad Safari Guide Richard Knocker explains that the Ndura Loliondo Camp was designed to “celebrate nomadic cultures around the world.” It features Asian Gers or Yurts (the circular homes of tribal Mongolians, fashioned of animal skins stretched over a wooden latticework frame), conical American Indian tepees, and the traditional Maasai bomas, constructed of elephant dung. “The outcome,” Knocker says, “is the most amazing camp you will ever see.”

The yurt lodging at the Ndura Loliondo Safari Camp in Tanzania, Africa.

Ndura Loliondo operates within the Maasai concession area on the eastern periphery of the Serengeti National Park. The camp is not stationary. It spends six months in Piyaya in southern Loliondo, and six months in Ololoswan in northern Loliondo. Private campsites are positioned in stunning wilderness areas. Tourists have a choice of private game drives in four-wheel-drive vehicles, walking safaris, night game drives, great game viewing and birding, picnics, and sundowners in stunning locations, all with a highly experienced guide.

The camp consists of six large yurts, with a dining yurt and separate lounge-library yurt. Each accommodation yurt has its own bathroom with a makeup-dressing area – attached to the back of the main sleeping area, and complete with traditional safari bucket showers and new compost style toilet systems. The yurts have been designed to be as cool as possible during the day, with wrap-around shade net windows. There is also a traditional open wheel in the centre of the roof. This helps give the yurt an open feel. A canvas cap covers the wheel at night and in bad weather.

Knocker brings Loliondo to life. His infectious British enthusiasm and wicked sense of humor guarantee a wild Tanzanian safari, whether the wildlife cooperate or not. Our visit was right after the great migration and we barely saw a zebra or impala, much less any of the highly vaunted big five: cape buffalo, elephant, rhino, lion, and cheetah. But Knocker’s extensive knowledge of animal life (birds are his specialty), his understanding of and appreciation for the Maasai, and his ability to poke fun at himself kept us entertained. We learned something new every day.

Sunset at the Nomads Camp in Tanzania.

Richard Knocker grew up in East Africa and is widely regarded as one of the best “birders” [slang for bird watchers] in all of Tanzania. Locals who know him joke, “He has eyes like a buzzard.” Consequently, Knocker is one of the area’s most requested guides.

He was born and raised in Kenya. At an early age he developed a passion for the bush on family safaris. He is expert at walking safaris and often enjoys wandering off the beaten track. With Richard, there’s always the possibility that an extraordinary event will appear around the next turn. He keeps your senses sharp and prepared for the unexpected. In our case, that was important; we quite unexpectedly crossed paths with a male lion stud aimlessly trotting through the bush. We kept our distance, and then ran into two leopards trying to cut a meal from a pack of wildebeests.

But humans provided one of the more remarkable and memorable experiences. As the sun set, hundreds of local Maasai massed and welcomed us with song and dance, and a multitude of reasons for us to spend our money (they had brought beautiful handmade arts and crafts). Their rhythmic vocals and syncopated movements were absolutely mesmerizing. However, they lingered long after they had interfaced with commerce. We had been taking photographs and our digital cameras had become the main attraction. The Maasai surrounded us and we happily showed them the images. “This technology is magic to the Maasai,” Richard said.

A Maasai guide leads a walking safari in the Ndura Loliondo Safari Camp.

“The Maasai are very sensitive and spiritual,” he continued. They had entertained us, and we were now entertaining them. The combination of hard currency and our technological curio had made us rather popular. “They wouldn’t stick around this long,” he noted, “if they didn’t feel great energy from you.” We felt downright energized!

Serengeti Safari Camp – The late Nomad Guide Mkombe Mniko

“In the Maasai language, ‘Serengeti’ means ‘endless plain.’ Here at Serengeti Safari Camp you will experience one of the greatest wildlife spectacles seen anywhere on earth.” – Mkombe Mniko, 2008.

The Serengeti Safari Camp is on the edge of the vast plain. At certain times of the year, wildebeest by the millions descend on the savannah and bear their young. Many of the animals live out there lives right here. Lurking in the tall grass is a multitude of predators that shadow the migrating herds. For tourists, these present excellent opportunities for seeing lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and wild dogs, who pass up the more dangerous elephants and rhinos to take down easier prey, the wildebeest among them. As observers, we thrill to the drama. To the animals, large and small, it’s simply a daily struggle for survival. Bird life is particularly rich in the Serengeti, and many happily settle for what the carnivores leave over. It is one of the greatest spectacles to be seen anywhere on earth, played out on a stage unlike any other in the world.

Elephants graze on the savannah near the Serengeti Safari Camp.

There are great walks and game drives available here, offering the best chances to witness animal action close up and thrillingly personal. With its seemingly endless plains, lazy rivers, beautiful kopjes, and surrounding acacia woodlands, all of which teem with birds and wild animals, it is no wonder that the Serengeti is described as the “Africa of our dreams.”

Accommodations at the camp feature large walk-in Meru tents with basic bathroom and dressing facilities, offering unrivalled exclusivity and comfort. The cuisine is of the highest standards, with innovative menus using fresh fruit and vegetables. You will enjoy candlelit dinners under the stars, a variety of bush breakfasts, sumptuous picnics, and refreshing sundowners, with a hearty toast to the day that has passed so superbly. And each repast we enjoyed on the open savannah was a guarded affair, with sentries posted to insure safety.

Raised on the shores of Lake Victoria, Mkombe spent time in the Tanzanian People’s Defense Force before becoming a secondary-school teacher in Kenya. His passion for Tanzania’s wildlife soon brought him back to his home country, where he began guiding in northern Tanzania’s Serengeti eco-system. He became one of the best guides in the area. In 1996 he joined Nomad Safari Guides (later to become Nomad Tanzania) and became one of their principal guides at Sand Rivers Selous, leading their very popular and well-known walking safaris.

Meru tent at the Serengeti Safari Camp in Tanzania, Africa.

While hiking one morning, we showed Mkombe photographs of Jesse’s year-old identical twin girls. He delighted in their smiles. “Children are the soul of this planet,” he said. “I know your beautiful girls have added much joy to your life.

“I have a son, but I was separated from him shortly after he was born. I didn’t see him for many, many years.” He reported with great enthusiasm that he had recently been reunited with his son. “We have become the best of friends,” he said, adding proudly that now “he has a wife and 5-year-old son of his own.” Getting to know his son, and his son’s son, has been one of his greatest joys.

I asked if his son had followed in his footsteps and become a safari guide, Mkombe said he had not. He added: “It is still possible, though. We’ll see.”

Sadly, Mkombe passed away in May of 2008 from complications of pneumonia. But he lives on in the memories of those he led. Surely, we will never forget him. His passion for the Serengeti and for his family will remain with us always.

Zebra and wildebeest roam the Serengeti savannah.

The Serengeti was his greatest love. His passion, instinct and sense of fun made him one of the most beloved guides in the country. Mkombe Mniko will be sorely missed.

Tarangire Mobile Camp – Nomad Guide Squack Evans

“Bedouin luxury in the heart of African wilderness. The Tarangire is a smorgasbord for predators and the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem.” – Squack Evans, 2008.

Nomad Tarangire is a real safari. A small but stylish camp with only four tents, it places each visitor in the thick of it, and in the middle of nowhere. But its minimalism fosters exciting innovation. From the setup of each safari tent, to the use of sulfurized water to shower with at the crack of dawn, to the inventive cuisine, tourists enjoy the best of everything within the limits of nature.

You might expect that each day’s highlights would be sightings of elephants, leopards, and cape buffalos, but the meals were truly highpoints (our eyes have seen the animals, but our palates have never tasted such imagination). It’s amazing what can be done with fruits, vegetables, and the right combination of herbs and know-how.

Sundowners evening tea in the heart of the Serengeti.

Tarangire is Old Africa. Broken and weathered terrain makes this fascinating and diverse walking country. Tarangire National Park has a particularly dense wildlife population between June and October. Huge herds of elephants and other game congregate along the shores of the Tarangire River in the dry season. Exceptional birdlife contribute to the all-around Tarangire experience. Each couple, or group of guests, is provided with a private vehicle and an experienced private Nomad guide. Guests take their pick of daily adventures, from game drives in key game spots, to exciting walking safaris within the remote wilderness areas.

Nomad Safari Guide Squack Evans is a seasoned outdoorsman with a touch of Hollywood theatrics. He is bigger than life, with extensive knowledge, a gift of gab, and a wonderful wit. The grandson of the Kenyan rancher and bush hand Jasper Evans, Squack has a rich family history. His ancestors pioneered camel safaris and conservancy in Kenya. He cut his eyeteeth as a safari guide in Zimbabwe, working for Wilderness Safaris in Hwange and Victoria Falls. But Nomad was his true calling. He arrived there in 2004 to run Chada Katavi and ranks among the best.

A Fitting Send-Off

The final day of a holiday can be so sad. As much as we love home and the surroundings in which we have grown so comfortable, we are about to leave something new, special, and exciting behind us. On the evening before we departed, we were given a send-off to match the welcome provided by the Maasai. The sun was setting. The western sky was a vibrant red-orange watercolor. A mist of dust formed on the horizon, and within ten minutes a magnificent herd of over 50 elephants stood silhouetted against the twilit sky. They had, we surmised, come to say goodbye. We felt honored.

Elephants bid our travelers goodbye.

No matter how many extraordinary sights we see in this world, the troupe of elephants who bade us farewell, along with the countless times we came face to face with the majesty and beauty of Tanzania, will sustain us for as long as we live. They will do the same for you. This backyard called Tanzania is unlike any you’ve ever seen before. And it’s one you should not miss.

[Jesse Nash is a Hamptons-based journalist who has contributed celebrity interviews, luxury travel, food and wine features to magazines and newspapers worldwide including “Rolling Stone,” “Paris Match,” “Hello,” the “New York Post,” the “New York Daily News,” “Harper's Bazaar,” “Vanity Fair,” “Cosmopolitan,” and “Elle,” to mention but a few. Dan Christoffel has been teaching art for over 41 years and is an Artist-In-Residence For Life at CW Post College in Long Island. Dan was Jesse's art professor at Grand Avenue High School from 1974-76. How remarkable that Dan and Jesse lost touch after 1976 only to reconnect almost 30 years later at a mutual student friend's engagement party. From the teacher-student relationship, an incredible friendship would blossom. Dan and Jesse have since traveled to China three times, Peru, Italy, Barbados, Chile, and, of course, Tanzania.]