It is very likely that this expression has already passed through your ears. Especially if you have children in the family and Disney cartoons are a part of their lives. The two magic little words became famous with the release of the movie The Lion King. In the African Swahili language, Hakuna Matata means “no worries” and I can only say that I was completely enveloped by this motto as soon as I arrived in Tanzania, where I stayed at the sensational Four Seasons Serengeti Lodge.
The Serengeti National Park is famous for its landscapes of great natural beauty and for being the largest wildlife sanctuary in Africa, especially during the Great Migration period. Let me explain. Every year, large herds move on a circular route that spans Tanzania and Kenya. The animals move across the plains in search of water and food. To give you an idea, the group of animals is made up of more than a million wildebeest, 500,000 zebras, as well as gazelles and several other species. An impressive phenomenon.
I chose to stay at the Four Seasons Serengeti Lodge, located inside the national park, to witness the spectacle of migration. The hotel has 77 accommodations, is extremely safe, sophisticated and comfortable. It welcomes children from 2 years old and up and offers an immersive, all-inclusive experience, from meals to safaris in a closed Toyota 4×4 accompanied by local guides who are very well prepared for unexpected encounters with wild animals.
As I was at the lodge in late September, during the Great Migration period, it didn’t take much effort to be surprised by hundreds of animals: wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, giraffe, lion, hippopotamus, leopard, elephant, hyena, monkey… Each safari was a spectacle more exciting than the other. I also took a balloon flight to see the Serengeti from another angle and it was sensational.
Another nice experience was visiting a Maasai tribe, a semi-nomadic ethnic group that wears colorful clothes and adornments and wanders between northern Tanzania and southern Kenya. I was welcomed by the chief of the tribe, Alais Kishau, a very nice person. I was invited into their houses and danced with the group. Unforgettable.
To travel in Tanzania is to find a lot of generosity, sweet people, big smiles, as well as the possibility to make a strong connection with nature and to stay in extremely elegant lodges in the middle of the savannah.
I return some of what I received, wishing you a happy and generous month of November.
