Going on safari in Tanzania is like driving a jeep through the world’s most heavily populated zoo. Except there are no walls or glass enclosures or churro stands.
In some countries within Africa, there can be great viewing of a particular species or two – say, elephants and rhinos – but in Tanzania’s Serengeti, there are massive numbers of dozens of different species. Literally everywhere you turn, there are giant herds of zebra, buffalo, elephant, and giraffe, leopards with cubs, prides of lions…the list is absolutely staggering. You will likely never see more wildlife anywhere in the world, all just gazing at you like you’re a freshly baked churro.
Sidebar: if you’ve never taken a safari, you probably wonder how it is that unsuspecting tourists aren’t routinely snacked on. Our ranger explained it this way: these wild animals view the jeeps (and the people in them) as one unit – a unit that is not threatening to them, since the jeeps have never tried to kill them. Do not, however, step OUT of the jeep. At that point, you do become threatening and your deliciousness quotient soars.
In areas of Africa that are less densely populated, animal-wise, you can spend a significant amount of your game drive time driving around in search of these beasts. But in Tanzania, it’s like they’ve been lined up for a beauty pageant. (Just wait til you see the wildebeests sing Circle of Life.) Every drive will deliver so many Instagram-worthy photos that your finger will be exhausted just clicking the shutter.
A safari is one of the most unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences you can ever have. And certainly, the animals are the most important factor in a memorable experience. But we are, gay, after all, so lodging is a close second. And with a number of 5-star safari camps, Tanzania is heaven to the traveler for whom a day without a martini and a massage is like a day without sunshine.
For Brand g’s Tanzania safari vacation, we’ve reserved Karatu Acacia Farm Lodge, Lake Masek Lodge and Kubu Kubu Camp. The staff at these resorts are exceptionally warm and welcoming and the accommodations are among the best Tanzania has to offer.
Karatu’s accommodations are gorgeous, all-suite chalets. At Lake Masek and Kubu Kubu, you’ll be glamping in luxurious “tented” accommodations. Fortunately, unlike that boy scout tent where you slept in the mud in a sleeping bag and discovered the joys of spider bites, these are essentially tented villas with 1000 thread count sheets.
Brand g’s Tanzania Vacation also includes life-changing cultural experiences, like a day with the Maasai Tribe, and an optional Rwanda extension where you can observe and interact with the famous gorillas of Dian Fossey’s Gorilla’s in the Mist.
But regardless of whether you travel with Brand g or not, choose Tanzania for your safari experience and you will come back with incredible memories, and pictures that look like you knocked over a National Geographic photographer and stole his camera.
