Go on safari in the Serengeti

We’re sitting at a table on the top of a rocky outcrop in the middle of the African savanna under a star-studded inky black sky, our gourmet feast lit only by the glow of a campfire. Suddenly, from somewhere out in the bush, we hear a strange noise, like a low-pitched ‘whoop’; at first it’s only faint, but gradually it becomes louder, as though it’s getting nearer to us. ‘Lion,’ says one of our guides.

Torchlight reveals dozens of bright eyes shining – gazelle, doing their best to hide from the big cats who are waiting in the darkness to catch them for supper. We are completely protected by rangers, of course, but still, it is utterly thrilling to know that we’re also surrounded by lions.

Located in northern Tanzania, and bordered by Kenya’s Masai Mara, the Serengeti is home to 70 larger mammals and 500 bird species, all roaming wild and free, which makes every moment you’re in the park a suspense-filled adventure. You never know what you’re going to see, or when. Our journey there had involved a connecting flight in a tiny light plane over the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater, and then acres and acres of emerald green savanna, peppered with hundreds of running wildebeest – an advantage of visiting during the rainy season.

Within minutes of setting off from the airfield in our Jeep we see our first big cat – a solitary cheetah, sunbathing on a rock; a closer look through the binoculars proffered by our guide reveals her exquisite almond eyes, flecked with gold, and expression of total contentment as she dozes in the sun. Shortly afterwards, two giraffes emerge from the lush date palm trees lining the river, with their impossibly long legs and extraordinary geometrical prints, walking gracefully, their heads held high. No wonder they’re nicknamed locally as ‘the African supermodel’. They are absolutely enchanting.

Then, quite by chance, we discover a male lion sprawled out under an acacia tree, guarding his kill (an unlucky wildebeest) from four waiting vultures. We marvel at his enormous paws, his toffee-coloured mane and golden coat; his eyes narrow as he watches our jeep with suspicion, before reverting his gaze to the vultures. We’ve only been in the Serengeti for an hour, and already we’ve seen some of the most captivating wildlife in the world.

For our five-night safari adventure we are based at the spectacular Four Seasons Safari Lodge, in the heart of the Serengeti. It’s an exceptionally luxurious retreat, but what makes it so special, apart from exemplary service and fabulous accommodation, is its location. During the dry season, elephants come to the waterhole next to the infinity swimming pool, and in the mornings and evenings baboons gather on one of the rock formations, or ‘kopjes’, to see the sun rise and set; it’s like a live-action version of The Lion King.

Like the rest of the resort, which has been designed to blend in with the astonishing natural surroundings, our suite is furnished in teak with splashes of colourful African textiles and artwork. There’s a shower, a bath and a wet room, an exquisite four-poster bed with mosquito net, and two TVs, where you can tune into the live cam from the waterhole so you never miss a thing. There’s also air-conditioning and internet access; no wonder the President of Tanzania is a fan of the resort – this is definitely the way to safari in style.

Then on our third morning as we’re returning from a drive, our guide, Priscus, suddenly stops the jeep. ‘There,’ he says, handing us the binoculars. We look across, and see our first wild elephant – a young male, dark charcoal grey with pristine white tusks, almost silhouetted against the green of the trees: he is absolutely magnificent, making his way across the tundra with extraordinary speed. Gradually he gets nearer, so that we no longer need the binoculars, and we watch him for ages, transfixed. It’s impossible not to feel deeply moved, because of course, despite his size, he’s incredibly vulnerable; even in the Serengeti poaching is an issue.

After our first sighting we see a few more elephants, including some over 45 years old, which is comforting; but our most memorable encounter comes on an afternoon drive. We notice something blocking the road ahead and as we get closer we find ourselves in the middle of an entire herd of elephants, including babies running along behind their mothers, their ears flapping. We marvel at the way the adults use their trunks to forage for food, expertly uprooting trees and stripping branches.

The best is yet to come though, as we quickly realise that we’re not the only ones watching: an enormous pride of lions, known as a super pride, are sitting in the shade close by. We’re told that while the lions will watch the elephants they will never attack them (unless a baby gets separated from the herd). Instead they are content to keep on watching, like cats looking at birds. There are at least 15 cubs, all different sizes, their legs outstretched, their eyes focused first on the elephants and then us. They are closely guarded by three golden lionesses, who are pretending to be nonchalant, but watch us the whole time. One of them yawns, showing her enormous teeth. That, right there, is the bucket list moment.

One morning our guide takes us for an early drive – 6.30am start – so that we can see the sun rise over the Serengeti. It’s utterly glorious, amber and topaz, bathing the bush in extraordinary golden light. Definitely worth getting up for.

We see spotted hyenas who, despite their reputation, resemble cuddly teddy bears; jackals; hippos, both in and out of the mud, waddling along, snorting and foraging for food; countless varieties of gazelle and antelope, including the very cute and tiny dik-dik, which are only 15cm tall and always travel in pairs – they mate for life; zebras, who prove to be camera-shy, running as soon as the jeep stops for us to take photos; lots of Cape buffalo; birds, including eagles, hawks, marabou storks and an owl; and, of course, more lionesses, some in trees – although sadly, not another male lion.

At one point Priscus, who is incredibly knowledgeable about every species in the Serengeti, suddenly stops the jeep in the middle of the road; he’s spotted two dung beetles, and we watch, fascinated, as they carry on rolling their dung; it’s really not as gross as it sounds. Nature in action.

We are also fortunate to see two leopards – one nestled in a tree, almost camouflaged, and one on the top of a mountain, basking in the morning sun. They are fabulous cats, their coats pale cream, almost white, splattered with black rosettes.

We also see the remains of a wildebeest hanging from a tree – evidence that a leopard has been up there at some point and bought her kill home.

Seeing these rare animals in the wild like this, watching them behave as they are supposed to, feels like an enormous privilege, and conservation is a constant theme of our trip, the threat from poachers never far away. During our trip the only animal we don’t see is rhino, although we’re assured that a few have been spotted in the northern Serengeti; too far for us to reach during our game drives, unfortunately. There is an unexpected bonus, though: a close encounter with an entire pack of extremely rare African wild dogs. They laze under a tree, sleeping in the shade.

One of our favourite moments is when we go for a picnic in one of the designated areas that are deemed safe; the children are delighted to be able to run around and as we sit under a tree; looking at the birds and sweeping plains, it feels wonderfully free, as though we’re as much a part of the Serengeti as the animals who live there.

On our final night, we watch the monkeys on Baboon Rock as they sit, waiting for the sun to set and the sky to turn from cornflower blue to purple. Suddenly, one raises his arm in the air, as though in a salute. If Simba himself suddenly appeared next to him, I wouldn’t have been surprised.