Wide eyed I looked on as the Masai warrior slowly approached the crouching lioness within the Savannah grass… slowly… cautiously… and in a blink  of an eye the lioness pounced on the Masai.I woke up with a start. As the flight started its descent,I reminisced about the last few days.My dream ,my longing for Masaimara and Serengeti had been fulfilled.

The moment we landed in Nairobi last week I couldn’t curb my excitement.We could have taken a bush flight to Masaimara but preferred driving as we could explore on our way. Our entire trip planned to cover Masaimara,Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Amboseli and back to Nairobi .And what a trip it was!!!!

We spent hours on the game drive tracking the Big Five …. nothing could deter us. The thrill of spotting our first pride of 14 lions and lioness’ surpassed all other experiences.No…wait..I am wrong.There were many more such moments.We watched with awe struck wonder at giraffes regally strolling by, hordes of zebras and gnus gathering for the great migration , cheetahs frolicking on the grass and a herd of 28 elephants crossing our path.But the jaw dropping moment was when we witnessed a game chase on our right simultaneously with two lioness’ with three cubs drinking water on our left!! Which way to look!

The only disappointment was not spotting a leopard.We stared with bulging eyes at every Acacia tree in search of a leopard.Whenever we saw a tail we jumped with delight only to see that it was the tail of either a monkey or a lioness.Yes , lioness. It was really a sight… how they slept on the branches with drooping limbs .The picture of utter relaxation! Trees and tails became our lookout throughout the game drive .

Descending to the Ngorongoro Crater was another experience… imagine standing on the world’s largest unbroken caldera! It was an out of the world experience! And looking up at majestic Mt.Kilimanjoro at Amboseli with flamingos in the frame…..I fall short of words.

I fell short of words during the hot air balloon flight too. Was I dreaming or was this trip for real?

Our lodgings were equally wonderful . Starting with Keekorok lodge at Masaimara where hippos grazed the lawn at the crack of dawn to the secluded Tortilis Camp at Serengeti where you needed guards to walk down to dinner since the Camp was unfenced and wild animals roamed freely……can there be greater adventure than this? I guess no. I could keep on writing but pictures speak more…a glimpse into our dream trip.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yfrGe8PPujtPnxNq5

I look earnestly for more trees and tails and trails…as ” all experience is an arch wherethro’/ Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades/ For ever and forever when I move.”