Our first stop in Tanzania was in Arusha, a place called Meserani Snake Park... not the most appealing name! It is a reserve that has many different types of snakes so that the venom can be used to treat locals and Masai if they get a snake bite. Feeding time for the snakes is every Sunday, and luckily (or unluckily) that was the day we arrived.

Having no interest in seeing the feeding I was dashing through the displays trying to get out before the snakes lunch time when suddenly a load of baby chicks were tossed into the snakes cages. Until my dying day I will never forget that image but I suppose I have to remember that the snakes are being kept for a good reason. I managed to make my exit before I saw anything too gruesome but from the stories the others were telling it seems fascinating how each type of snake has a different method of killing its prey.

In the afternoon we went to have a wander around the town and stock up on snacks for our safari the following morning.

The next morning our guides arrived and we were divided into 3 groups, my guide was Taday. We set off towards the Ngorongoro crater and Maswa game reserve. After a full day driving around we headed into the Serengeti National Park, where we found our tents set and up and our food cooked... a novelty after having to do it all ourselves over the past few days.

The safari was everything I had imagined and more. We were extremely lucky to not only spot all the big 5 but to have a leopard walk right past our truck. Taday said it was only the 5th time in 15 years he had seen one out of a tree! This wasn't the only close encounter we had, a heard of elephants with a small calf walk right between our group of jeeps, there was no way they were going to alter their paths for us. We also had a lioness stroll right by our jeep. It's hard to describe how amazing it is to see these amazing creatures out in the natural environment. Sadly we had to head back to Arusha to continue our tour.

In the afternoon we went to have a wander around the town and stock up on snacks for our safari the following morning.

The next morning our guides arrived and we were divided into 3 groups, my guide was Taday. We set off towards the Ngorongoro crater and Maswa game reserve. After a full day driving around we headed into the Serengeti National Park, where we found our tents set and up and our food cooked... a novelty after having to do it all ourselves over the past few days.

The safari was everyhting I had imagined and more. We were extremely lucky to not only spot all the big 5 but to have a leopard walk reight past our truck. Taday said it was only the 5th time in 15 years he had seen one out of a tree! this wasn't the only close encounter we had, a heard of elephants with a small calf walk right between our group of jeeps, completely unphased. We also had a lioness stroll right by our jeep. Its hard to describe how amazing it is to see these amazing creatures out in the natural environment. Sadly we had to head back to Arusha to continue our tour.