Travel: Serengeti West.Park Kirawira, Tanzania, 07/11-14/2026
- Jul 14
- 6 min read
Updated: 19 hours ago
Continuation of a trip that started on July 1/2026
Fly from SFO via Dubai > Nairobi > Drive Lake Nakuru (and Lodge) > Fly > Nairobi > Arusha (Serena Lodge) > Drive > Tarengeri Park > Drive > Lake Manyara (Serena Lodge) > Drive > Ngorongoro Crater (Serena Lodge) > Drive Serengeti Central (Melia Lodge) > Drive > Serengeti Western Kirawira (Serena Tent Camp) > Fly back > Arusha > Fly back to Nairobi (Norfolk Hotel) >
Fly back via Dubai > SFO.
Tarengeri Park and Lake Manyara 07/06-07. (here)
Another half a day at the wonderful Melia Serengeti Lodge set in Serengeti Park - Central,- Seronera prior to hitting the road toward Kirawira - the Western Corridor of Serengeti Park, was a sheer enjoyment.
The drive from Central Serengeti (Seronera) to the Western Corridor took about an hour an half, so after arriving at the camp, there was plenty of time for an afternoon Safari drive.
The next 3 days at the Western part of the park, bore a slower pace, less visitors and a stay in a Tent Camp
This Western remote part of the park , though rich in Wildlife and promises of witnessing the Grand Migration,
is so distant, that to our delight, much less Land-Cruiser caravans were encircled, during the Safari drives. and the nature exploring in the wild, felt much more authentic
A Peaceful "Parliament" Gathering
The western part of Serengeti National Park— the Western Corridor—is special because of the dramatic Grumeti River crossings, massive Nile crocodiles, and lush riverine forest.
Unlike the open short-grass plains in other parts of the park, the west features dense acacia woodlands, thick river forests, and rolling hills
From May to July, thousands of migrating wildebeests and zebras try to cross the deep waters.
Huge Nile crocodiles live in the river and wait for the crossing herds, creating intense wildlife action
The crocodile infested Grumeti River which flows almost entirely within the western corridor of Serengeti National Park. sprawls westward mouths into the Speke Gulf of Lake Victoria.
It is a major river crossing for the Serengeti great migration. when thousands of wildebeest and other animals cross the crocodile-infested waters.
The area also supports large groups of elephants, giraffes, hippos, and big cats that stay year-round
The Bridge on the Grumeti River
The concrete bridge or pedestrian/vehicular crossing structure over the iconic Grumeti River, is a very narrow one car strip and stop, a popular elevated platform for viewing the captivating scenery, below and around.
Hippos, crocodile and large birds are seen from the Top of the Bridge
Morning Mud-Bath of the Hyena
Morning Drink at the Grumeti River
Elephant Herd Morning March
Scouting the Terrain
Migration of Wildebeest and Zebras
Only an hour drive away up north, from the camp, and after crossing the Grumeti River, our amazing Guide/Driver - Silas caught up with several herds of Wildebeest and Zebras caravans, proceeding down off the hilly terrain
on their migrating marsh toward Lake Victoria.
(more about Silas the fantastic guide is mentioned in the post on Arusha)
White Back Vultures and Marabou Stork Feeding after a Kill
Back to Grumeti River
Within the still water pastoral scenery danger is always lurking around the corner
David Balloon Ride Experience
On the last day of our stay David took an early morning Balloon ride arranged by. a very good reliable company
Miracle Experience - Balloon Safaris
Steve Merick - Sales Rafiki
255 699 016 702 booking@miracleexperience.co.tz
This company is a sub group of a very known Tanzanian larger conglomerate
A Tanzanite Stone Jewelry enterprise
+255 767 600 990/1
And another company under the same conglomerate is
Miracle Air - Luxury Charter Flights
connecting you to Tanzania's most iconic destination
Accommodation - Tent Camp
The luxury 5-star tented accommodation, is an exclusive, Edwardian-style luxury tented lodge, styled like a classic 19th-c colonial-era hunting camp with custom brass lamps, dark wood furniture, and private viewing decks overlooking the Grumeti River and the surrounding Savannah
It Features an outdoor swimming pool, a central dining tent serving multi-course silver-service meals, a bar, and a localized spa.
Located in the remote Western Corridor of the Serengeti., about 20 minutes from the Grumeti Airstrip and a two-hour drive from Seronera, the camp which we now visited for the second time, sits on a hilltop with sweeping views of the Kirawira Plains,/savannah.
It features 25 opulently furnished canvas tents raised on timber platforms, each offering a private deck, poster king bed beds, and an en-suite mahogany bathroom. serving great food. and fantastic staff.
During the 2 last day of our stay, we were the only guests
at the camp, and were pampered lavishly .
Strangely, the "Dry season" turned out to be quite wet as the rain showers danced on our tent's roof-top every night
The camp is positioned perfectly to witness the Great Migration—typically passing below the camp and through, between June and July. On our last day at the camp, (July 14) we witnessed from our tent's balcony, a long slow moving black process of Wildebeest, just few meters below from the camp ground..
After the excellent Melia Serengeti Lodge in the central part of the park, we are convinced this Kirawira Serena is the ultimate 5 star Tent true Africa experience
The tents' rating 10/10 impeccable service, even exceed that of the 3 other Seronas' and Melia's.
Furthermore the chef's food at the camp was the best we have tasted in Tanzania.
One of the staffer at the dinning hall named Joshua was from Sukuma Tribe the largest in Tanzania (estimated 10 million people 16% of the country's population) that is residing primarily in the northwestern regions around the southern shores of Lake Victoria. The tribe is renowned for their rich culture, cattle herding, and cotton farming.
Joshua was from Mwanza town of this region (along with Shinyanga, and Simiyu towns) The port city on the shore of Lake Victoria, is ringed by green hills, is the second largest urban settlement in Tanzania after the city of Dar es Salaam, and is known for its unusual rock formations
As a boy Joshua grew up in Canada to where his father immigrated and worked in farming.
Prior to the father's sickness and death the family visited Joshua Park in California , after which Joshua got his name.
Mwanza's unusual Rock Formation
Shortly after the father death, Joshua's mother, his sister and him had to leave Canada and returned to Tanzania, where the heartbroken mother didn't work and poverty was the family's fate, until luck has stricken.. A fellow tribe member from Mwanza town picked Joshua off the road and took him into his home, This benevolent patron also payed Joshua's 3 years studies at Mwanza"s Hotel Management school, which, later landed him a job at the Serengeti Kirawira Lodge where he worked for the past 7 years,
Joshua is now married with a 2 years old and earning enough to take care of his mother and build a house for his family.
As much as we liked the Kirawira landscape and stay, In retrospect, I would have liked to stay only 2 nights at the Tent Camp, drive instead on the third day to Mwanza by Lake Victoria, and visit Joshua's town, where rocks and human lives takes a unique formations.. Then stay one over -night before flying from there, on the following day, back to Arusha.
Controlled Fires Seen from our Tents Balcony at Night is a Dramatic Sight
Controlled fires are intentionally set in the Serengeti during the dry season (typically between June and September) by park authorities like the Tanzania National Park Authority (TANAPA) and the Grumeti Fund to manage vegetation and prevent woody shrubs from overtaking the grasslands, maintains the savanna and control pests.
David’s father, Prof' Zev Naveh (also mentioned in the post on Arusha) who was on the faculty of the Forestry department at UC Berkeley, pioneered in introducing the practice of small control fires to prevent large ones, in Sequoia trees forests of California in 1959, being named the" Israeli Pyromaniac “ . This is a standard practice now in most forests in the Western World. through his work with NATO. In 1962-1965. Prof' Naveh demonstrated to the Masai tribe in Tanzania, that fires result in greener better pasture and more cattle milk, by comparing burned pastures to non=burned pastures in large areas over two years of large scale experiments . Anyone visiting Serengeti (Masai Land ) will see that the blackened earth from thecontrolled fires, cover over 3000 km2 in the dry season.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Miracle Experience Balloon Safaris
Steve Merick Sales Rafiki
+255 699016 702. booking@miracleexperience.co.tz
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