After the physical challenge of Mount Meru I was very happy at the prospect of sitting on my butt for three days being chauffeured around on safari!

I'd arranged a three day safari with a company called Bush2Beach who, it transpired, were a rather good outfit. Our group was made up of Emmanuel (driver, guide and general font of all wisdom as far as animals are concerned) John (cook) and Andrea, an Australian lady with whom I was sharing the safari to cut costs.

Our itinerary included Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Tarangire National Park, each of which had its own individual characteristics and wildlife. I don't intend to describe the animals and scenery, I'll let the photos do the talking when I get a chance to upload then. My only regret is that I did not have my SLR camera with me on the basis that I couldn't take it around the World with me. My top tips for safari are take the best camera you can and take binoculars.

Everyone raves about Ngorongoro and rightly so, the abundance of wildlife and beautiful scenery make it unforgettable. However the crater seems (it is not) like a natural barrier and the number of safari tours detracts form the experience leading to a feeling that you are in a very large zoo. Taragire National Park was a very pleasant surprise with a large number of diverse animals including lions, cheetahs and elephants.

After each day's safari we would retire to our exclusive campsite and stay in massive permanent tents big enough to fit 2 double beds and an entire bathroom in them. The campsites were lit by paraffin burning lanterns and we ate dinner under the stars. The first camp was particularly memorable as it was next to a Maasai boma . The Maasai took us for a walk into the wilderness to explain how they use various trees for medicinal purposes, we had a guided tour of their village and were treated so some traditional Maasai dancing. All in all it was a thoroughly splendid and thought provoking tour providing a brief glimpse into the lifestyle of the Maasai.

I was really looking forward top the safari and it did not disappoint. Prior to experiencing it myself I had wondered how people managed to go on five day or weeklong safaris. I now know what the thrill and fascination is and how easy it is to watch wild animals in their natural habitat for many minutes on end.