OUR GUIDE TO SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK WITH FOUR SEASONS SAFARI LODGE
Our first trip to Africa was nothing short of amazing! We were so grateful to have partnered with the Four Seasons Safari Lodge to make the trip even more unforgettable. The hotel is located deep in the Serengeti National Park and is one of the most beautiful and secluded Four Seasons properties we’ve ever been to! In this post we’re going to walk you through our personal experience and give you important tips that will help make your future Safari experience the best it can be!
HOW TO GET TO THERE:
The journey started with a 6 hour flight from New York City to Amsterdam. Amsterdam seems to be one of the best hubs to get to Tanzania from as KLM is one of the only airlines to fly direct to Kilimanjaro from Europe. It also doesn’t hurt to stop off in one of our absolute favorite European cities for a few days
From Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro was around an 8 hour flight. The majority of flights into Seronera Airstrip are in the morning, or late afternoon so it is highly recommended to arrive the night before your stay in the park in order to maximize your time and arrive as early as possible on your check-in day. The ride was about 1 hour from Kilimanjaro to Arusha where we stayed at a beautiful Four Points by Sheraton hotel which was conveniently arranged through the Four Seasons and offered to all guests through their extremely helpful reservation contacts.
We woke up, had a delicious breakfast and drove about 25 minutes to Arusha airport ready to board the exciting 6-8 person hopper airplanes. The airport itself is extremely laid back, we arrived around 30 min before our flight. As the employees know exactly who is arriving for each flight (since they are so small) its makes the entire process quick and convenient. Being the last 2 to board the plane we swiftly went through the small security area, boarded our plane, and we were off!
Do not be surprised to have multiple stops during your flight which may not be outlined on your ticket. The airlines provide transportation to numerous airstrips throughout the Serengeti. When we landed in Seronera, we were happily greeted by our Four Seasons Safari Lodge driver named Kelvin! He quickly brought us and our bags to the safari car. He gave us some cold towels, popped some champagne and had plenty of welcome snacks. Four Seasons just always has the best welcomes!
WHERE WE STAYED:
From the moment you arrive on the property you can’t help but get an overwhelming feeling of excitement as the hotel lies so remotely in the middle of the Serengeti, surrounded by wildlife. We were welcomed by multiple smiling staff, the Manager, and another cold towel and a delicious fresh mango juice, always nothing short of the most amazing welcomes at the Four Seasons! We quickly checked in and were brought to our suite to relax a bit and explore the property after our long journey.
OUR ROOM:
We stayed in a terrace suite room which had a beautiful view of the Serengeti National Park and the massive watering hole on the property. We loved how you could see animals right from our room! When we walked into our room we were left with a bottle of red wine, colorful macarons and a nice welcome note from the Manager. The room was beyond comfortable and we loved our private pool overlooking the National Park. It was probably the largest hotel room we’ve ever had the privilege of staying at!
MORE ABOUT THE PROPERTY:
The entire property of Four Seasons Safari was built on silts to protect visitors from harmful animals that are around the property. We never saw anything dangerous besides the cute Hyraxes (also called dassies). They’re small herbivores that are harmless and closely related to the elephants believe it or not!
The Four Seasons Safari Lodge property was just breathtaking. We would start our mornings at their beautiful breakfast buffet fueling up on made to order omelets, fresh squeezed juices, waffles and more!
After our long safari game drives we would love to come back to the main pool and enjoy some lunch and go for a swim to cool off. We will never get over how beautiful this pool was overlooking the watering hole. No matter what time of day it was, this pool was always looking perfect!
Also, the sunsets on this property were absolutely stunning from every angle. Featured below, our rooms balcony and the main pool.
THE LOCAL MASSAI:
The local Massai tribe were some of the nicest people I have ever met. They greeted us with open arms and by the end of the trip we really felt like family. The resort is protected by these local Massai and they work hard to make sure everyone is safe at all times. The locals were extremely friendly and full of life, always happy to escort you back to your room. We also had the privilege of going to a local Massai dinner and dance which was really special.
TOP THINGS TO DO
SUNRISE HOT AIR BALLOON:
One of my absolute favorite excursions that we did was a sunrise hot air balloon over the Serengeti National Park. We partnered with Serengeti Hot Air Balloon Safaris and the entire experience from start to finish was surreal. You begin by leaving the hotel around 4 AM driving through the open plains into the darkness for about an hour. Upon arrival to the launch spot the sky begins to fill with bursts of light as the balloons are tested and huge balls of flame shoot into the air.
To our surprise the basket could hold 19 people total, broken up into sections of 2 people and the employee controlling the balloon in the center. With our fingers crossed that the wind would be in our favor for take off, we anxiously awaited the green light from the hot air balloon team. Before we knew it the winds had calmed and the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, the prefect conditions to take off. After skipping off the ground a few times the balloon begins to climb in altitude and you are finally floating across the open plains of the Serengeti. Flying in a hot air balloon is like no experience we have had, when hot air is not being blown into the balloon, is it without a doubt the most peaceful and quite mode of transportation. The flight lasts for about an hour, sometimes over and sometimes under depending on the wind.
After about an hour of flying, you land and the balloonist’s tradition is to toast the flight with some champagne! After the champagne toast, you’ll drive to another location close by where they serve you breakfast under the sweeping canopy of an acacia in the middle of the Serengeti plains. They served tropical fruit, fresh bread, eggs and more. Everything was delicious and we were able to watch the chef cook it right in front of us!
SAFARI GAME DRIVES:
This is what going to Serengeti National Park is all about! You wake up and you hit the safari drives for hours! Most safari game drives leave at dawn or dusk. We opted for dawn because we love being up early when we travel and it was beautiful to watch the sun rise over the Serengeti! You can have the option of a private driver or joining a vehicle of 6-8 people. for your game drive and they will take you to all the best spots where they know the animals typically hang at.
We spotted a cheetah and her cubs, a fresh lion kill in the morning, elephants, zebras, giraffes, hippos, hyenas and so many more. The FS team set up these safari game drives for us everyday and we can’t thank them enough for making each drive so unique and special. The Four Seasons jeep was super comfortable and had plenty of room! It even had WiFi, chargers and a full cooler with beers, wine, really everything you wanted!
SPA AT THE FOUR SEASONS SAFARI LODGE:
This was something we weren’t planning on doing but when we saw the location we both looked at each other and were like, lets just do it! Set in a surreal location overlooking the National Park, this massage experience was the perfect way to relax and unwind after a long day on the safari. FS spas are always so worth it in our opinion and are hard to pass!
SUNSET KOPJE NATURE WALK AND MEDIATION:
One of the more unique experiences was the sunset kopje nature walk and mediation (Kopje means hilltop in Swahili). We were brought on a 10 minute walk up a steep hill to enjoy panoramic views over the Serengeti. Local vogi, Kenneth gave us a private sunset meditation and then we watched the sun go down and snacked on some snacks and juice. Serengeti had some of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever seen! So many colors and it was just so peaceful to be there and take in all the beauty of the Serengeti!
TRAVEL TIPS
BEST TIME TO GO: If you want to see a lot of wildlife, I’d go in the dry season (June- October). Since it’s dry seasons the plains are not as lush and abundant in vegetation, so there are endless opportunities to view wildlife gathering around waterholes. June and July are the best months to see the wildebeest migration in the western part of the park and August to September in the north of the park
VISAS/VACCINATIONS: Tanzania offers visas on arrival (check your home country on their list to verify your home country is qualified) or you can look into getting a visa ahead of time. We got our visas upon arrival and they were $100 in cash for Americans. Visas can be obtained before arriving in your home country, as with bad luck the line can be a couple hours long, even at 11 PM as the majority of the planes arriving are carrying tourists needing to get visas upon arrival. We also definitely recommend getting all your shots about a month in advance to be safe (are are A LOT and they can get very pricey!)
TRAVELING WITH BAGS: Less is more for this trip. Meaning I would pack a small duffle bag as your main bag and a small carry-on for the plane. I even managed to fit a small backpack in my carry-on too. I recommend going light because you are supposed to be allowed 15 kgs/ 33 lbs. We didn’t have trouble with weight but you never know if they could be strict, sometimes a small tip goes a long way to airport employees
WHAT TO PACK: I thought it was going to be extremely hot in Tanzania but it was actually about 75-80 degrees each day during September. I lived in jumpers, shorts, pants and dresses. I recommend dressing in camouflage colors so you don’t stand out. Also avoid black and purple so you don’t attract certain bugs! Mornings and nights get cold in the Serengeti, so I’d pack at least one light jacket. Pack three pairs of shoes: 1 pair of sneakers for the airplane, 1 pair of boots and 1 pair of sandals. Sunglasses are also a must, we each packed 2 pairs!
EQUIPMENT TIPS: Pack your best cameras and more importantly it’s all about which lenses you bring. We brought a 24-105 mm for lifestyle images and a 300 mm lenses for close up shots of the animals which is a must do! We also brought our Small Sony A7SII and Sony RX0 for video (one for regular video, one for a vlog type video). We recommend having at least three fully charged batteries for your camera. The heat drains batteries and you will need them because you’ll want to take so many photos!
Looking to book your trip to Four Seasons Safari Lodge?
Book here: https://www.fourseasons.com/serengeti/?seo=google_local_sbt1_emea
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