In May 2025, booking specialist Pernille went on a safari holiday in Tanzania for the very first time. During their stay at Ikoma Wild Camp, they had the chance to experience a night game drive – a type of safari adventure under the cover of darkness. You’ll have to imagine the photos, as this is the only one that wasn’t far too blurry. It turns out, taking pictures in the dark is no easy feat!
After dinner, we prepared for our night game drive. A ranger from the hotel escorted us to the gates of the wild camp, where an open jeep awaited us along with an armed ranger, a driver, and a guide, who was ready to light up the night.
We were heading out on a 3-hour drive across the area, and venturing out into the pitch darkness of the Serengeti was truly extraordinary. The sounds from earlier in the day gave way to a deafening chorus of cicadas, and with the darkness enveloping us, all of my other senses became razor-sharp. I found myself barely breathing, my neck and stomach tense as we set off. Every prickly bush and anthill could easily be mistaken for the back of a lion or the antlers of a gazelle. The jeep fell silent, everybody focused and peering ahead into the beam cast across the bush by our guide’s powerful torch.
We first spotted rabbits and some large buffaloes. Eyes glimmered in the night. Impalas appeared on the road ahead. Gradually, the clouds slipped away from the sky and the stars began to twinkle above us. Driving through the cool night air, feeling the night breeze on your face, and listening to the cicadas created a magical atmosphere. As the drive was drawing to a close, we suddenly caught sight of a lion joining another lioness! Our driver turned off road to follow them. They settled down in the grass and we were able to approach so closely that we made eye contact. They were stalking their next prey, and before long, a few elephants emerged not far from us. Another buffalo rustled in a nearby bush, and the sound of hyenas cut sharply through the air.
We wrapped up the evening’s game drive, accompanied on our way back to Ikoma by a couple of zebras ambling leisurely in front of the jeep. When we finally returned to camp, I felt a wave of relief wash over me—not from fear, but from the thrill and the need to let the whole experience truly sink in. On the walk back to my tent, I looked up into the inky night sky, and there stretched the Milky Way, a perfect finale to an evening that had been nothing short of breathtaking.
Pernille
TourCompass – From tourist to traveller
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A Tanzanian safari, a must for your safari wish list. An amazing safari experience including Serengeti & Ngorongoro. A 4-star beach stay, on the beautiful beaches of Zanzibar a perfect ending.
From baobab trees in Tarangire to the flat plains of Serengeti and the lush hills of Ngorongoro. Experience incredible nature and unique animal life in four of Tanzania’s national parks.
Experience Africa’s iconic animals on a short safari tour. Get up close to nature and sleep in comfortable tents on the Serengeti. The tour concludes with a beach holiday in wonderful Zanzibar.
Serengeti & Masai Mara: Visit two of the world’s best safari destinations on one tour. You travel from Kenya to Tanzania – and back, from where you can choose to extend your tour with a beach holiday.
Fancy experiencing Serengeti’s animal life without compromising on comfort? Then this is your tour! Enjoy the view from your lodge in the middle of the Serengeti and conclude the tour in Zanzibar.
Do you dream of a safari – but have limited time? Then this short safari tour is perfect. Experience Africa’s unique animal life and nature while staying at a tent camp in Serengeti.
Fly to the Serengeti, where great animal experiences await. You drive through the landscape on a fantastic safari to the Ngorongoro crater before flying to Zanzibar on a beach holiday.
Show the kids where the Lion King lives. Take your family to Tanzania and enjoy wonderful wildlife experiences at your own pace without having to drive too far. You get your own safari car and stay at child-friendly lodges.
Longing to laze under a shady palm in Zanzibar overlooking the sea? Fancy a taster of safari in Africa’s largest national park? Then this is the tour for you.
This is the tour for you if you don’t have a lot of time at your disposal but would like to enjoy a taste of a safari in Tanzania, followed by a beach holiday in Zanzibar.
Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain, is the focal point of this adventurous tour to Kenya and Tanzania. Look forward to amazing safari drives, nature and culture – all offering splendid views of Kilimanjaro!
Go on a safari in Northern Tanzania on a journey where the days are optimized and the time is spent on the most important thing: experiencing nature and wildlife in the most famous areas, including Serengeti.
Fly-in safari in Nyerere & Ruaha in Southern Tanzania. This tour is for travellers who dream of wild nature and experiencing wildlife without many other visitors around them.
