As the end of the 40 day Cape Town to Nairobi overland tour was nearing, we had one last incredible safari still to go. One, that I have been fortunate enough to experience twice in the last 2 years, because we went to the exact same places in my last safari in Tanzania. The Serengeti and Ngoro ngoro crater are both so equally breath-taking, you just pinch yourself when you see such incredible wildlife and scenery. For this reason, I'm leaving this blog entry up to my dad because I want his perspective of visiting this amazing place for the first time.

Guest Blog Entry by Dad

Firstly, it is a pleasure to join Kathryn's blog as a guest writer. As Kathryn had already visited the Serengeti on her school tour she has left it to me for a first-timer's recount of the experience.

The Serengeti and Ngoro ngoro crater in Tanzania were perhaps the most highly anticipated parts of the 40 day tour for me with expectations of prolific wildlife (including the Big 5), as well as the African landscape. It didn't disappoint.

We left our tour truck and the group split into 3 to join our smaller safari trucks which allowed the chance to go 4x4 with a pop-up roof for open viewing.

Fortunately for me, I made sure I was with some of my favourite members of the group (Belgium, Poland, US, Switzerland) and we also picked the head guide (Lawrence) who was an absolute expert at locating wildlife as we drove around in the truck - from millipedes and lion ants on the road, to bright green boomslangs (snakes) in bushes by the road, to lion all over the place, herds of hippos, elephants, warthogs (pumbas), hyenas, cheetahs, buffalos, wildebeest, giraffe, and about 20 different bird species over the 2 day safari. In fact, aside from no rhino sightings, the only thing Lawrence failed to do was to find me cheap, cold beer on our night on the Serengeti despite travelling into the village to get some for a number of our group.

Our truck was so much fun that Norway first jumped shipped from Kathryn's crazier truck and joined us on the first morning, and then Vic from NZ did the same the next morning. We joked that eventually it would be standing room only!

The tour also involved an optional visit to a Maasai village including some dancing, a tour of a school and some traditional Maasai jump dancing (which I wasn't particularly good at) but provided some light entertainment for the locals.

The real highlights of our Serengeti Safari however were experiencing the cheetah, hippos and 2 lionesses, including one with three baby cubs which she first called for, and then went and collected from their hide-away in a cave near by. It was a magical experience to watch them with their mother, playing without a care in the world.

Our night in camp was catered for with some good food before a campfire, and then bedding down in our tents with extra blankets, as the temperature dropped. I chose to wear a red chequered blanket at camp that evening in recognition of my Maasai experience.

Ngoro ngoro crater on the second day, got us close to wild elephant and again the wildebeest migration as they walked past us in single file on their way back north. Lots of birds and buffalo too.

The 2 days on safari were probably the highlight for me of the whole trip - the landscape, wildlife, the remarkable tracking skills of our guide, and the good company in our small 4x4 all combined to make it exceptional and worthy of a 5 out of 5 star rating for me.

I would have no hesitation in doing it all again, although doubt the mix of people in our truck could ever be replicated again.

Ma's Revenge - by Kathryn (again)

The last night of the tour was always going to be special. And G-ADVENTURES couldn't have picked a more special and comfortable, home-like place to have it. Ma's Bar, situated in Snake Park, Arusha, was one of my most favourite campsites out of the whole trip (and trust me, I have visited a lot of campsites!) Ma arranged a big buffet style BBQ with potato bake, coleslaw, marinated BBQ chicken, sausages, steak, salad, garlic bread, the lot. We were then provided with an assortment of cheeses, biscuits and bottles of JC LE ROUX (Pernille I wished you were there) & (to my Sydney girls, Jc Le Roux is very similar to that Ricadonna champagne phase I went through) which was divine! As I skulled my camping mugs of champagne (in fear that I would never drink the stuff again (as it exceeds Terry's budget a bit) and because it was free) I could already feel that tonight would be big. When all the cheese was eaten and champagne was finished we made our way to Ma's Bar to do a numerous amount of her specialty shots. So many shots were consumed; I couldn't even give you a number. But the photos (which have been posted on facebook) could suggest that not all of those shots were thrown back lightly.

The most intense of all the shots was one called Ma's Revenge - containing a lethal amount of alcohol at 85% with a big dash of Tabasco sauce which just burned the throat. I literally almost cried the first time I did this shot because of the Tabasco but I recommend it to anyone who needs his or her sinuses to be cleared. Actually every other shot that Ma created was quite enjoyable, one even tasted like a mint chocolate ice-cream, it was just that Ma's revenge shot that f***ed everyone up.

It was a night of duck-face photos, shots and reminiscing (I think) of the past 40 days, with a little bit of disbelief and then denial that it was all coming to an end. I know I write this on every blog, but I really have to emphasise that it is the strangest feeling travelling for 40 days, through 7 countries, with people that you have never met before (except dad). I guess this is just the perspective you gain after your first group tour as I'm sure my second, third and fourth group tours will all be a different experience.

The biggest surprise for me, was just how many friends I made on this tour. I really didn't expect to meet people in Africa who I could make plans with to travel with in Europe or people that would offer me places to stay when I arrive in Europe and America. That's the beauty of a group tour I guess - it forces you to meet people from all around the world who all have a similar idea and passion as you towards travelling. I really never expected to say that I would actually miss people that I had only met a month ago. But somehow saying goodbye to my new friends, is almost as hard as, if not harder, then saying goodbye to my friends in Sydney - because at least I will eventually be returning there.

My overall evaluation of the 40 Day overland tour through South & East Africa was pretty incredible. It definitely had its challenges, but the benefits certainly outweighed the negatives and it brought me close to so many different people who I would never have met otherwise. I have learnt more about Luxembourg than I will probably ever need to know thanks to Philippe and after 40 days of persistence, I have learnt that Ireland is actually split into 2 countries and Sean does not live in London, he lives in Cambridge. Imagine how clever I'm going to be after 3 or 4 of these group tours … hahaha.

Catch you on the flipside and thank you to everyone on both parts of the G-ADVENTURES tour who made my African adventure that much more exciting! See you all in Europe!