33. Tanzania: Serengeti & the Big 5

Located in northern Tanzania, Serengeti National Park covers almost 15k sq km, with 3.7 million acres of unspoiled savannah. The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai, and translates to "place where the land runs on forever". Thats no joke. There are times when your 360 degree view is grassland all the way to the horizon in all directions.

The park boasts over 70 large mammal species, including the "Big 5" (lion, elephant, cape buffalo, rhino, and leopard) as well as zebra, giraffe, hippo, wildebeest, warthogs, and the many antelope groups such as impala, gazelle, and eland.

Our game drive was awesome. Here are some shots of the big 5.

Note: our best leopard sighting was at South Luangwa Park in Zambia, but that was because the leopard is a nocturnal animal and we did an evening game drive there. We were lucky to spot one sleeping in a tree during our daytime game drive here.Read more