Up early to get on the road to Tarangire National Park. But first … must get ready for picnic lunch. The lodge staff laid out a table full of goodies and assisted with assembling sandwiches and packing enough food for two or three people.
We also met our driver-guides who will assist David for the rest of the trip – Ringo and Yona. They got us loaded up and underway.
Before leaving town, we stopped to visit the national Cultural Heritage Center. It is a place where the past and present of the Tanzania's 120-plus tribes can be viewed. The center has a huge collection of carvings, gemstones, artifacts, clothing and books – the building on the left houses fine art (i.e., very expensive), and the building on the right houses more folk art.
The grounds are covered with carvings and carvers at work.
Inside, finding your desired item can be a bit daunting – witness the postcard collection …
After that fix for shopaholics and art-lovers, we’re on our way to Tarangire. This 1,000 square mile park is less than 100 miles from Arusha, adjacent to Lake Manyara. It is Tanzania's third largest park and has a diverse geological landscape, a variety of wildlife – including the largest recorded concentration of breeding bird species in the world. It is best known for baobab trees and big herds of elephants. During the dry season, parched animals flock to the watering holes here and to the permanent water of the Tarangire River. We’re expecting great things!
Our first stop was the Visitor Center, where we enjoyed our picnic lunch and watched the wildlife wandering around the area. This also was our first sign of tsetse flies – note the black and blue flag, with banded mongoose hurrying past it. Tsetse flies are attracted to blue and black colors; one way to avoid them is to hang a flag AWAY from populated areas. In case you’re wondering, we did see a few and they do bite; but our guides assured us that they are not carrying sleeping sickness.
Finally, it’s time for a game drive on the way to our lodging for the night. We didn’t have to go far to see elephants and the park’s famous baobab trees. We also saw our first member of the “Little Five,” the white-headed buffalo weaver. We’ll be watching for the other: lion ant, rhinoceros dung beetle, leopard tortoise, and elephant shrew.
Animals: Red-headed agama, African elephant, impala, banded mongoose, wildebeest (gnu), zebra, warthog and little grey mouse.
Birds: Grey heron, guinea fowl, white-headed buffalo weaver, pin-tailed whydah, long-tail fiscal (shrike), and ostrich.
Afternoon Highlights:
Baobab trees - These magnificent trees are slowly being destroyed by the elephants, which strip the bark to get moisture during very dry times of the year. Right now, they all look dead since baobabs drop their leaves to conserve moisture during the dry season. And remember, elephants are VERY big – these trees are truly huge.
Gray heron – Long-necked and long-legged, just like heron.
Ostriches - one, two, three ...
Impala – medium-sized antelope, with distinctive rear end - it looks like a brown and white target. Only males have horns.
Wildebeest – Large antelope, also known as a gnu; it has short horns, sloping back and an elongated face. African legend says that God created the wildebeest last – with leftover parts from all the other animals. On this warm sunny afternoon, most of the wildebeest were hiding in the shade, but this one wandered over to say hello.
Long-tailed fiscal – Also known as butcher bird for its custom of impaling its prey on a thorn bush.
White-headed buffalo weaver – Member of the “Little Five;” known for its nest-building skills.
Zebras – Each animal has a unique stripe pattern
Elephants galore. Here is a watering hole that is a favorite of the elephant crowd. They were drinking, playing, and wallowing in the mud (see video below).
Across the way, there were even more elephants, munching away on dry-looking grass – takes a lot of fuel to keep these big guys going. They can eat up to 500 pounds of vegetation in a single day and drink as much as 40 gallons of water at one time.
It was fascinating to watch these big guys use their trunks - this short video shows how he uses his trunk to grab a slender clump of grass, then uses his foot to knock the clump out of the ground, and then uses the trunk to shake off the dirt before eating.
With our heads spinning from the sight of so many elephants, we bounced on over to our lodging for the next couple of nights – Lake Burunge Tented Camp – just outside the park boundary. The camp consists of 20 luxury tents located in a shady grove, with great views of Lake Burunge. The tents are large, with a thatched roof overhead and verandas overlooking the lake.
There are built-in showers, flush toilets, and beds covered with mosquito nets.
The tents are spread apart for privacy and because the property is spread out, we were escorted in late afternoon and evening by a staff member.
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