'Mating lions, death and serious luxury - My wild nights in the Serengeti'

A breeze rustles the grass, sending their feathery tips swaying in the scorching sun. The hum of the savannah fills the air as our 4x4 rolls to a stop. In the middle distance, flamingos wade through a shimmering lake. A rank smell drifts into the car. To our right, our expert guide Chambo points out the remains of an unfortunate wildebeest.

A white-backed vulture picks over what is left of the carcass as we creep past.

Moments later, we see him. Mere yards from us, a magnificent golden-maned lion rises from the wispy scrub, his missus lying beside him. With a sudden move, he mounts her, teeth bared, a bite on her neck, and in a flash it’s over… I’m left silently gasping. Sex and death. Side by side.

This is the Serengeti – where the wild things are. As a first-time ­safari-goer, I didn’t know what to expect. Maybe the odd distant sighting. Certainly not a front-row seat to a documentary-worthy action scene.

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“Lions can copulate more than 200 times over a week,” Chambo tells us in hushed tones. “Every 10 or 15 minutes at the beginning, about an hour towards the end. They don’t care about food, but when they are mating they are very, very dangerous.” Noted.

We wait in silence, our eyes glued to the binoculars, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before we witness the spectacle again. Job done, the lion stalks off a few paces, flops down and rolls on to his back, paws in the air. Satisfied.

It was just one of many extraordinary encounters during my five-day trip in the Tanzanian Serengeti but another, in particular, had me tearing up. The Great Migration sees tens of thousands of zebra and wildebeest moving together across the plains, and with the sound of the hulking gnus – a guttural, tuneless chorus of honks – it’s a cacophony that surely piques the interest of every apex predator for miles.

It’s one of nature’s most remarkable pairings, Chambo says. The wildebeest rely on the zebras’ sharp eyesight, while the zebras depend on the wildebeests’ sense of smell to navigate.

The clever zebras also know there is safety in numbers when surrounded by their dopy companions.

Another memorable moment was coming across a hyena lurching down the track ahead of us, forcing our vehicle to slow to a crawl. It had clearly just gorged itself as its belly was so distended it could hardly walk, stumbling along in a meat-stuffed stupor.

After such breath-halting dramas, we returned to the comfort of the newly opened Serengeti Explorer by Elewana nestled among the Nyaboro Hills in the western corridor of the national park.

Sympathetically designed to blend into the landscape, you would barely notice it was there. And if you think going on safari means roughing it in tents and compost toilets, think again.

Inside, it is another world – contemporary architecture with towering walls in black pebble-dash and cool polished concrete, soft natural furnishings, excellent wi-fi, all mod cons.

Guests are welcomed back from dusty game drives with cool, fragrant flannels at the entrance to the grand open-air lobby.

Every detail has been designed with respect to the elemental majesty of the landscape. The lodge spans two levels, each offering sweeping views, ideal for relaxing with a gin and tonic at the end of the day, or breakfast and a coffee as the sun rises over the plain.

It occupies the site of a previous camp that closed during the pandemic, but the owners took the opportunity to transform it into a high-end yet affordable retreat with 74 rooms, 115ft infinity pool, cafe, two bars, restaurant and gift shop selling items that support community groups and locals.

The enclosed compound allows guests to explore the grounds with peace of mind. The site is also protected round-the-clock by local Maasai warriors who wear vivid-coloured cloth and carry spears.

Still, nature makes its presence known. On one early morning game drive, we passed clear signs of an elephant visit. Toppled trees, flattened bushes and even the signpost had been knocked down with the casual swipe of a trunk. On certain nights, guests can enjoy the Boma – an atmospheric African barbecue set in a circular open-air enclosure.

Meat sizzles over open flames filling the air with delicious spice and smoke. More than a meal, it’s an immersive cultural experience. Guests feast on traditional Swahili food around a central firepit beneath the stars, as Maasai host drum, dance, and sing age-old rituals.

Explorer also offers the Divai wine cellar and dining room curated by head chef Abbas, featuring a seven-course tasting menu paired with excellent South African wines.

A standout dish was the mchicha na maharage (spinach and bean) soup which Abbas tells us is the same comforting meal his mum made him when he was poorly with malaria.
The kuku wa kupaka (coconut braised chicken) was so good we harangued him for the recipe.

If you don’t feel like heading out on a game drive there’s plenty on offer at the lodge itself. There is a gym and a spa offering treatments and ­massages, as well as yoga and meditation sessions. One of the lodge’s unique features is an on-site hide, positioned by a watering hole for intimate wildlife viewing. Open 24-hours, guests can reach it through an underground tunnel that opens into a viewing room, with comfy chairs positioned to look out the water-level windows.

Guests can choose between a full game drive package starting from £912 per room per night for two adults and a child, or a full-board option from £555 with the flexibility to book drives as desired. All rooms have a private balcony, a daily laundry service and are stylishly decorated with large beds.

I enjoyed the game package £1,074 a night suite, which had air conditioning, a vast walk-in wardrobe, two showers and a freestanding bath so you can enjoy a soak as you listen to the sounds of the Serengeti. Indeed, one morning, I woke to the roar of a lion in the distance – a heart-stopping reminder that despite the luxury, the wild is never far away.

The lodge is an hour and a half drive from the Seronera airstrip in the heart of the Serengeti, though it took us twice as long. The anxiety-inducing 50-minute flight from the Tanzanian city of Arusha on a 10-seater plane (like a minibus with wings) was worth it.

As we stepped off the aircraft, we saw giraffes casually grazing beside the runway. Within minutes of pulling out of the car park, we’d passed hippos wallowing in a pond, water buffalo, and found ourselves in a Serengeti-style traffic jam as a herd of elephants crossed the dusty track. Further along, Chambo pulled up alongside three sleepy lionesses sprawled out in the bush by the roadside.

We also spotted tiny dik-diks, impossibly cute with their oversized almond-shaped eyes and fluttering lashes, a pair of ostriches, with their puffed-up plumage and knock-kneed legs, and baboons loitering in trees with babies clinging to their back. Impalas, too, their sleek tan coats with bold black markings on their rumps forming a perfect M. “African McDonald’s,” joked Chambo.

The park, a Unesco World Heritage site, is teeming with wildlife, so you don’t have to seek it out. It’s right there in front of you. All you have to do is book the flight.

Vast African skies, epic, untamed plains, the beauty and brutality of the wilderness. A soul-shifting trip that will stay with me forever.

GET THERE

Ethiopian Airlines flies from Heathrow, Manchester and Gatwick to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, via Addis Ababa starting at £566 return; £1,885 business class. ethiopianairlines.com

• Domestic safari airstrip flights in Tanzania are available with Auric Air ( auricair.com ) and Coastal Aviation ( coastal.co.tz ).

BOOK IT

• Rooms at Serengeti Explorer by Elewana start at around £550 a night (2 adults and one child under 12) on full-board or around £920 for the full game package. explorer.africa
• Rooms at Serengeti Pioneer Camp start at around £700pp for the game package with full-board, and shared day and night game drives. elewanacollection.com

MORE INFO

tanzaniatourism.go.tz