A world where humans are not the main characters! Tanzania's Serengeti National Park Safari

After the COVID-19 pandemic, with a passion for travel overflowing in my heart, I chose Tanzania as my first overseas travel destination.
Among them, I introduce the main event: a 2-night, 3-day safari tour to Serengeti National Park.
If you love traveling, you might have dreamed of it at least once; it's truly the world of The Lion King.
It feels endlessly far away, but if you set your mind to it, you can get there in a week.

The unknown world of Africa

My first time in Africa.
Amidst mixed feelings of anticipation and anxiety, landing at Kilimanjaro Airport felt like entering another world.
What left a strong impression were the intense western sunlight, people dressed in colorful and stylish traditional attire, and the many people walking along the main roads.

Let's go on safari

Then, on the day of the tour, after several hours of driving, as we passed through the entrance of Serengeti National Park, animals gradually began to appear.
Starting with herds of herbivores like impalas and gazelles, and just when I thought I saw a distinctive figure in the distance, an ostrich appeared!
Then suddenly, a zebra passed right in front of us, followed by an encounter with an unbelievably large giraffe in the distance, and one after another, animals I'd only seen on TV or in zoos, like the African elephant, appeared before my eyes.

As I was moved by the expansive scenery, the car suddenly stopped.
Through the network of tour guides communicating via radio, we received information that there were lions and cheetahs.
Carnivores often try not to be noticed, so it's not easy to encounter them.
The sight of grown adults with binoculars, desperately scanning the surroundings for any slight movement, was like playing hide-and-seek in a vast park the size of Shikoku.

What it means to live

What I felt upon actually visiting was the preciousness and harshness of life.
Not only from the prey herbivores, but also from encounters with male lions that, like Simba in The Lion King, had been driven out of their pride after a few years of life.
He was emaciated, walking while making a sound like a growl.

This is said to be to communicate his presence to the surroundings.
However, as far as the eye could see, there were no animals in sight.
Seeing him standing alone in the vast wilderness, I felt the harshness of nature.
Moreover, you can feel it not only from animals but also from humans.
The Maasai, living not far from the area where we encountered wild animals, continue to walk on endless paths, leading cattle or carrying large loads.
Being able to witness such primitive scenes was a valuable experience that made me reflect on what it means to 'live'.

Wherever you go, meals are a delight!

Wherever you go, you get hungry. And meals always make us happy.
The meals I had in Tanzania were like this.

They weren't flashy, but they were genuinely delicious.
What left an impression was that the fruit was delicious everywhere, and that avocados appeared as a fruit.