Ulf Rörstrand - Travelogue
Accompanied by one of our fantastic guides, Ulf Rörstrand and his family enjoyed unique encounters with lions, leopards, and elephants on the savanna. The trip concluded with relaxing days on Zanzibar’s white-sand beaches—a perfect combination that allowed them to truly experience Tanzania and create memories that will last a lifetime.
We had been planning a safari trip for the whole family (5 people—2 adults and 3 boys aged 17–23) for quite some time, and some friends who were very satisfied with their trip recommended that we contact Nalini. After giving it some thought, we decided on a combination of a safari and a few final days in Zanzibar. After some initial hiccups with canceled flights and other issues—which, in the end, actually worked out better for us—we were on our way. Several members of the family have a keen interest in nature and were looking forward to spending time with the animals and experiencing the fantastic natural surroundings. We flew via Doha and landed in Arusha to begin our trip.
We set out on our road trip with our fantastic guide, Hussein. Our first stop was Endoro Lodge, where we arrived in the evening after dark. So the next morning, we were struck by the incredibly beautiful nature and surroundings. After a cozy breakfast, we headed on to Tarangire National Park, where we got to see lots of elephants up close and went on an interesting and fun “walking safari.”
Later that day, we continued on toward the Serengeti and our destination, Tukaone Tented Camp, which was situated in a stunningly beautiful location with a lovely view of the surroundings. Both on the way there and throughout our stay, we had amazing wildlife encounters and took beautiful photos of the stunning surroundings. Tukaone was our favorite spot of the entire trip, and our only regret is that we didn’t have more time to relax and simply listen to the African night and all the sounds of elephants, hyenas, and lions.
For a couple of days, we had the privilege of following a fairly large pride of lions and their cubs. They were quite approachable, and we had some wonderful moments with them.
Our outstanding guide, Hussein, demonstrated his expertise when he once predicted exactly where the pride was headed and pulled away from the other cars so that we could be alone with the lions when they, sure enough, appeared a short while later in a new spot. Thanks to him, we had several unique experiences where we got up close to both elephants and leopards and even managed to spot a leopard cub from a short distance away.
After a couple of days, we (unfortunately) left the Serengeti and headed for the Ngorongoro Crater. After a fairly long drive, we spent the night at Angata Lodge, where we stayed in fantastic rooms. During the night, we were awakened by buffalo grazing right outside our tent. It was an exciting experience that we weren’t quite prepared for.
We spent the next day in the Ngorongoro Crater, which offered stunning natural scenery and breathtakingly beautiful views. Especially in the beautiful morning light, we took some incredibly beautiful photos, and it was exciting to stand up in the jeep and look out for new animals and beautiful views. We had lunch by a lake with hippos and talked about our experiences.
The next day, we flew to Zanzibar for a week of relaxation in Paje at the Mr. Kahawa Hotel. Zanzibar offered fantastic beaches, great swimming, and delicious food (and mischievous monkeys...). Our three boys, who all play soccer, became friends with some Maasai, and they met up every day and had a great time. On the last day, the boys were invited to join a large group of Maasai as they performed their traditional jumping dance. No other tourists had the honor of participating in the dance, so it was a fun memory that will last a lifetime!
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We’re definitely going to return to Tanzania, which has a special place in our hearts!
