Soul Searchers

SOUL SEARCHERS – A truly unique opportunity to contemplate the traditional… Walk with the Masai warriors, and explore with the Hadzabe Bushmen – learn from their age-old wildlife experience in the bush. Walking with Alex, or another experienced guide, you will notice that we actively endeavor to conserve a genuine environment… a raw product, and a very real experience dictated by your personal pace and the minute-by-minute action unfolding around you. A four-day walking safari combined with five nights in Serian’s Serengeti South is what it’s all about: an unadulterated bush experience with those that know and understand it best.

We have access to 4,200 squared kilometers of a stunning acacia-dotted conservation area – an environment that lends itself to incredible walking safaris. Game trails weave their way through, and traditional migratory routes are well-trodden at this time of year. A stroll through the woodland, dominated by great “kopjes”, passing through herds of wildebeest and zebra, is a wonderful way to become intimately acquainted with this magical place. To the south is Lake Eyasi: home to your Hadzabe guides, who are cousins of the Kalahari bushmen and have as many centuries of bush craft at their fingertips.

You will immediately notice the difference between a vehicle tour and one conducted on foot… Senses that may have been a little dulled in a car will come alive to perceive indications of the wild game that surrounds you. Your perception of the bush will change until you feel an intimate relationship with the environment itself.

Arrive at Serian’s Serengeti South – a handsome traditional bush camp in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Take the chance to orient yourself and prepare for three nights’ exploration in the company of the Hadzabe hunters.

Hiking in the African bush might sound like hard work, but in reality it is an adventure dictated entirely by your own pace, walking and reacting to whatever interesting sightings happen along your meanderings: dung beetles rolling along on their balls of elephant dung… an elephant resting in the heat of the day… impala bounding through the bush… diminutive dikdik scooting into the safety of the nearest bush. Your perceptive capacities change as you go along, until you feel irrevocably part of this incredible environment.

Phenomenally rich in wildlife, the area boasts significant populations of elephant, lion, leopard, giraffe, buffalo, and plains game – and more unusual species include lesser kudu, side-striped hyena and caracal. Tracking is easy in the rich, alluvial soil, and walking with warriors will teach you to read the pug-marks and prints… as well as how to harvest honey, light fires the real way, make bows and arrows, and silently stalk your prey.

Sleeping out in the open, the skies are iridescent with sparkling stars, and you will find that traditional astronomers can unveil new layers of meaning behind these celestial sights. When dawn arrives, follow the spoor of an impala ram and track it step by step through its daily routine: sifting through tasty acacia pods… scratching itchy horns on a convenient tree… suddenly, an alarm call raised by the nearby leopard… he stands stock-still, horns spiraling into the air – and your three hours of tracking are rewarded by a glimpse of the magnificent… a true gift to the soul.

SERIAN’S SERENGETI SOUTH

A three- to four-day hike brings you through the dramatic gorges lining the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, and down to the shores of Lake Eyasi. Explore the wild untouched bush of the escarpment with the Hadzabe hunters, building on your newfound bush knowledge by listening to traditional folklore and learning how to collect and use herbs for traditional cures.

With porters to carry the camp equipment, and all your basic needs catered for by the simple comforts of the camp, you may feel part of the exploratory trade caravans of old. The pace is not punishing, but basic fitness is a must – and for those that want to push themselves, there can be ample opportunity provided by your accompanying warriors… a stimulating option for those in search of some wild fitness.

After a few nights in the wilds, you will be scanning the horizon through different eyes – out across the savannah, toward the famed Ngorongoro Crater. One of our game vehicles will return you to the comfort of Serian’s Serengeti South, where you will gear up for the next few days of adventure: strategically located on the edge of the Serengeti plains, the camp is in prime position for unparalleled game viewing, and with a perfect vantage point over the remarkable migration birthing season.

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