Today was our first day of safari. The team headed west to visit the beautiful Lake Manyara, the closest of the 3 National Parks we will visit. The lake is a brief stopping ground for many migratory animals and home to more than 300 different birds. Everyone enjoyed the day cruising around in our safari vehicles with cold beverages in hand while seeing the animals up close.

The remnants of the last rainy season are still very visible, and the park is lush and dense, which makes seeing some animals difficult. However, we did see what seemed like record numbers of baboons and elephants. Many of them were so close, we could almost touch them. It was a nice introduction to the incredible diversity of wildlife that Africa has. The team is looking forward to seeing more tomorrow.

We wrapped up the evening with a wonderful meal at our new lodge. See for yourself!

Casey and the Safari crew