Serengeti Serenade

A quintessentially African sound reverberates in our ears the minute that we step out of our Regional Air flight and into the warm sunshine. The deep grunt-grunt-grunt-honk, frequently interspersed with a watery snort or a loud splash, is both familiar and oddly welcoming, like overhearing a group of strangers in a bar laughing at a joke that you haven’t heard but the response to which inevitably makes you smile anyway.

It’s also about to become the soundtrack to an unforgettable few days of adventure at &Beyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge, tucked deep into the riverside thickets in the Serengeti’s remote Western Corridor.

As we settle in the cushy seats of the safari vehicle, our guide Wilfred welcomes us with a big smile and offers us a quick game drive before we head to the lodge. Before we know it, we’re parked beside the river, where a large pod of hippos welcomes us with a serenade of throaty grumbles and groans. Across the river, an African fish eagle perches in the riverside trees and a grey headed kingfisher surveys the waters for lunch from a strategic spot on an overhanging branch.

Leaving the hippos and their splashing behind, we pull up to the entrance of &Beyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge, only to be greeted with the melodious sound of voices raised in song. It feels like the entire staff complement has turned out to greet us, enticing and ushering us into the cool interiors. As we climb the few steps into the main guest area, the riverside view unfolds before us and there are our friends, the hippos, once again, wallowing in the shallows directly in front of the lodge, grunting out yet another chorus of welcome.

While the view is the first thing to draw your attention and take your breath away, there is plenty about this sensitively constructed lodge to attract the gaze. Elegantly contemporary yet faultlessly tuned into its environment, the open design effortlessly blends the incredible setting with comfort and style. Flowing along the banks of the river, warm shades of wood, vibrant woven fabrics and organic glass installations bring touches of glamour, creating intimate areas that tempt guests to linger a little longer simply gazing on the peacefully setting of the hippo pool.

There are yet more delights waiting for those who can tear themselves away from this mesmerising setting. Spilling along the banks of the river, each of the ten spacious tented suites is a light and airy haven awaits, offering vast wooden interiors with woven ceilings and soothing, earthy tones. Floor to ceiling windows dominate each space, drawing the eye to sparkling plunge pools. How tempting to spend the afternoon in the pool’s cool depths, emulating the content hippos that can always be heard, and almost always seen, from each and every suite!

For now, it’s time for lunch and it would be rude to keep Chefs Jackson and Goodluck waiting. Course after delicious course appears on the table, created using the freshest ingredients and featuring many a local twist. Crisp pizzas, feathery light gnocci and creamy pastas pay homage to the lodge’s original Italian owners, crunchy fish tacos utilise ingredients from nearby Lake Victoria, and delicious lamb curries celebrate the region’s renowned spices.

Later that afternoon, sitting in the vehicle once again, we watch as a herd of elephants spills over the plains as a dark line of rain rolls in across the horizon. Just as it seems we’re about to get wet, the edge of a rainbow peeks through a dark lacing of clouds, a promise of even more good things to come.

And good things do come the very next day, as we raise sleepy heads from plush pillows and set off on early morning game drive, spirits buoyed by delicious, fragrant cups of coffee delivered to our suite by smiling faces and deposited in the convenient butler hatch. Less than half an hour into our drive, we find one of the large prides of lion that this remote corner of the Serengeti is so justly renowned for. Bathed in golden morning light, a number of lionesses and their sub-adult cubs are sprawled in the grass. While the older lionesses snooze, the youngsters start a game of catch, tagging and chasing each other in pursuit of the prize, an old wildebeest horn. Seated in the vehicle, close enough to feel the thud of running paws on the sun-baked earth and hear the crunch of jaws on horn, we’re dumbstruck by the sheer power and joy of living of these magnificent cats.

Moving on, we stop for a picnic breakfast overlooking a short grass plain. Quickly setting up a table topped with a snowy white cloth, Wilfred lays out an endless stream of tempting delights - fruits, freshly squeezed juices, crunchy granola topped with creamy yogurt and delicious breakfast wraps. As we tuck into our outdoor feast, a long line of giraffes strides across the plain. Dainty heads swivel on elegant necks as long-lashed eyes turn to gaze upon these unexpected interlopers, but the animals amble on, unflappable and majestic. We can hear the clicking of their long legs and the stealthy scuffle of their hooves as they pass us by. Breakfast with the giraffes, indeed!

It’s moments like these that make game viewing in the Western Corridor so special. The area is less frequented by tourists than the Central Serengeti, although just as easily reached thanks to frequent local connections by Regional Air. This scenic landscape not only provides the possibility to view Great Migration river crossings from time to time, but is also blessed with abundant resident game. Wildlife viewing here is unhurried and exclusive, with few vehicles other than your own ever attending a sighting. And, while there may be fewer eyes around to help with the spotting, the wildlife is so dense that there are scarcely any moments without something to look at. Something that we’re reminded of later that morning as we stop in the midst of a grassy plain filled with shallow pans of water and gaze around us as zebras, impalas and topi antelope graze while baboons and warthogs chase each other, hyenas wallow in the mud and jackals keep a wary eye on everything from a distance.

Gathered around the campfire in the lodge’s cosy boma that night, we remind each other of the day’s highlights and debate what wonders are yet to come.

Our answer comes the very next morning, when we rise well before dawn and drive out to where a leaping tongue of flame lights up the slowly inflating canvas of a hot air balloon. As golden light spills over the edge of the world, we hop into the basket of the balloon and, with a gentle bump, we find ourselves floating along with the first rays of the rising sun. A brisk breeze carries us along at a steady clip, chasing our own shadow across the plains or soaring just above treetop height. It’s a surreal feeling as we look down on birds stirring in their nests. There’s a quick flash of black and white fur as a colobus monkey startles at the unexpected intrusion from above. Floating above the Grumeti River, we see our old friends, the hippos, coming back from a night of grazing along well-trodden paths. From above, the Serengeti looks like a green and gold patchwork criss-crossed by a network of animal highways that are well-night invisible from the ground. The talk is animated as we celebrate our early morning flight over a champagne breakfast. By the time that Wilfred picks us up for the game drive back to camp, we have a brand new wish list of sightings. He accepts the challenge with a knowing shrug and a gracious smile and, not fifteen minutes later, we find ourselves sitting in front of two magnificent male lions resting in the shade of some shrubs. Item one on the list done. What’s next? Another encounter with a herd of elephants? No problem.

Now the search is on in earnest for the one remaining species on the wish list – the leopard. We cross plains and scour thickets until the steadily intensifying heat drive us back to the lodge. Revived and revitalised by a delicious lunch, we idly ponder an array of relaxing options before it’s time to meet for afternoon tea. Should we sit quietly in one of the many nooks of the guest area, watching the coming and going of the wildlife on the river’s banks? Spend some time browsing through the exquisite selection of locally produced goods in the Safari Shop? Work up an appetite for the freshly baked cakes sure to be served at tea in the air conditioned gym? Soak the heat of the day away in our private plunge pool?

They say time flies when you’re having fun and soon we find ourselves on the last game drive of our journey. Once again traversing far and wide in search of leopard. The elusive creature refuses to be found, but, along the way, we admire the Western Corridor in its many moods. As we pause for one last sunset, watching a seemingly endless herd of topi stream across the landscape, there’s no regret for the missing leopard, only great joy at the amazing things that we have seen and done.

How to get there

The Serengeti National Park is easily accessible by flight through Regional Air Services, which offers scheduled flights to all the safari destinations in Northern Tanzania in addition to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. It also offers charter services across Tanzania with a connection to Kenya’s Maasai Mara.