Tanzania, a paradise for wildlife
Because I heard that late July and early August is the best time to see wildebeest crossing the river, I booked a flight to Tanzania for early August. However, due to weather conditions this year, most of the wildebeest had already crossed the river by early July, which was a bit disappointing. But I still saw other animals, so it was definitely worth the trip.
I had always heard that Ethiopian Airlines was unreliable, with many cases of lost luggage. But we were lucky; our luggage was intact from the flight there to the flight back.
Flying from Pudong directly to Africa, crossing the Red Sea and the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, flying over Mount Kilimanjaro, and landing at Kilimanjaro Airport. From Arusha to Karatu, then to the Ngorongoro Crater, the safari officially began, and I saw more wildlife than I had ever seen in my life. Wildebeest, antelope, zebra, buffalo, rhino, giraffe, and more. We were quite lucky to see the Big Five in a single day.
From the Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti, we saw leopards, cheetahs, lions, and other top predators. We were also fortunate to witness the entire courtship and mating process of ostriches. The last stop was Lake Natron, where we saw the sacred mountain of the Maasai people, Ol Doinyo Lengai, and flocks of flamingos.
Tanzania is also a tipping country, and both US dollars and the local currency, shillings, are accepted. Currency exchange at the airport is relatively favorable. Be sure to take sun protection seriously, as it is near the equator and the midday sun is very strong. It generally doesn't rain during the dry season, but we experienced a thunderstorm one day, which the guide said was the first time he had seen it. Due to relatively underdeveloped infrastructure, the roads are quite dusty, so it's best to wear durable clothing. In terms of food, it can't compare to the great Chinese cuisine. Since we spent many days on safari in off-road vehicles, we mostly ate lunch boxes provided by the hotels.