A New Day, A New Camp

This morning was my first "sleep in" of my trip so far. My flight for Lobo was leaving after breakfast and there wasn't enough time to do a game drive. Well I thought I would get a sleep in! My neighbor next to me (the lady who yelled during the previous day's cheetah kill) woke me yelling out to her butler that she couldn't find her glasses. The butler was near my tent and she thought it was ok to just screech away. Wonders never cease especially when she yelled out again that she found them next to her bed on the table. So I decided to sit up and watch the bush come awake after it's rest. The morning light in Africa is something that many people comment upon. Most of us struggle when we wake before a sunrise but in Africa we are and alert to see what the new dawn brings.

All of the camp had cleared out by the time I got out of bed and headed down for breakfast.  This was my first one in camp and it was a delicious plate of bacon and eggs! I finalized my thank you cards/tips and had a last chat with some of the staff. Unfortunately, Andrew was already out with some new guests and I wasn't able to see him before I left. With another lovely send off, I was soon off driving to the airstrip.

The Serengeti express arrived with all the guests excitedly looking out the windows. They all disembarked to be met by their respective guides from all the various camps in the Ndutu region. The guides obviously all know each other and it is a regular mother's meeting, oh sorry catch up when everyone meets at the airstrip. My bag was placed into the hold and up I walked, sorry bent over as I went into the cabin and made my way to my favourite single seat just behind the pilots.

After a quick taxi down to the end of the runway we had turned around and were off. The trip to Lobo Airstrip in the north of the Serengeti didn't take too long and before I knew it we were landing. Myself and another guest exited from the plane and our new guide met us. We went to the car to have our welcome drinks and made our introductions. The gentleman accompanying me turned out to be a photographer/advertising executive flying in from New York to take photos of a community based project training local woman in the art of honey making. Therefore, I was going to be the only guest in camp on safari.AWESOME!!

Our drive to Kleins' Camp was very different compared to my previous camps. The area was lush and green, kopjes (rock formations) were seen from the road and there seemed to be more trees and less plains and flat areas consistent with the area around Ndutu. We stopped to see some elephants and we encountered a tortoise, which was a first sighting for me. On arrival into camp everyone was singing and a lovely welcome drink welcomed us. The camp managers made the introductions and my bag was whisked off to my room as I was accompanied to the bar/communal area to sign my life away. Kleins Camp is built on the side of a hill with amazing views from each of the rooms and the bar area. Each of the stone cottages have a lovely balcony, a beautiful large room with a fabulous bed and a huge bathroom with a shower and all the amenities. I changed quickly and went to have lunch in the dining room, which unfortunately didn't have the amazing views of the communal bar area. Once again andBeyond didn't disappoint and the soups were a highlight.

The afternoon came and my guide introduced me to my tracker, which was a first on this trip. He decided to show me around the private concession to see what we could find. The boys were enthusiastic about all the great game they had on the private concession including excellent lion prides, giraffes, elephants and wild dog was seen 2 days prior. Of course all the other resident game was around as well.

The boys and I hit the track and went out to explore. We came across an awesome herd of elephants, which displayed amazing behavior that was new to me due to having some young ones in the group. This was genuinely beautiful as the area they were in was so green and lush and a stark contrast to the elephant's tough, grey, weathered skin. The peacefulness of the elephants and the elegance of synchronized eating were hypnotizing. The three of us enjoyed the elephants for an hour before going off to find some lions. Unfortunately, the lions eluded us during the daylight hours but we continued into the night for a night drive and came across the pride that the guide had spoken to me about and also a cheetah. It was a beautiful evening because the moon was full and the light sent a beautiful silvery glow across the concession. I definitely was experiencing an outer body experience with how stunning my first day was and how privileged I felt to be experiencing this.

We left soon after because the drive back to camp is a bumpy and uphill one. Upon arriving into camp I was whisked off to dinner and it didn't disappoint! What another amazing andBeyond experience in a gorgeous location.

Where I Stayed - andBeyond's Kleins Camp, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania

Absolutely brilliant! The staff, location, rooms, food/drink and of course the amazing animals make this place a must for anyone wanting to go on safari. I had some of the best lion, giraffe and elephant sightings of my life there and had a trip to a non-touristy Masai village that was brilliant. The proximity to the Serengeti National Park enable guests to visit The Mara River and the park if they don't want to stay in Kleins' Private Concession. I can't wait to go back to this very special place! Thank you to everyone at Kleins for such an amazing time.