By Santiago Legarre
When my Argentine friends Gabriel and Maria Raquel told me that they would travel to Africa during my annual teaching stint in the continent, I was elated. I am Argentine too, but, unlike them, I have taught and travelled in Kenya for the past 15 years. I thought that this time I would cross the border and take my friends to the Serengeti in Tanzania and they heartily agreed.
Enter Explorer
My first move after hearing from my compatriots was to reach out to Elewana as the company operates lodges not only in Kenya but also in Tanzania. Elewana mentioned that they were behind the brand-new Serengeti Explorer, situated on a hill that has been recognised historically as one of the best bush locations in the Serengeti. The Explorer has reimagined a pre-existing site and created an upscale contemporary safari lodge, under the careful stewardship of Elewana’s service standard setters. My friends and I decided to give it a try. And we loved it.
During our stay, Gabriel and Maria Raquel never tired of watching the iconic Serengeti landscape as captured from the main terrace of the lodge. All three of us would sit there to share an Amarula or to try the amazing infinity pool. In any case, the view was always breathtaking. Sunrise was my favourite time of the day to come out and enjoy. There is only one word that describes my morning experience: Awe!
A festival of cats (and more)
The game drive off Serengeti Explorer proved surprising in a way both unusual and delightful. A few examples. On the road that takes you from the lodge to the famous open plains of the National Park, we saw three male lions, young but with a significant blonde mane. They sat there, literally one minute away from our rooms. We stayed near them for a long time, just by ourselves. What a contrast with the unfortunately habitual situation in which you share a sighting with a multitude of vehicles! Farther along the same road, we spotted a serval cat hunting: undoubtedly a lucky discovery, as it is normally such an elusive cat. Once in the middle of the Park, we were blessed by the sight of two leopards: a mother and her sub-adult cub. We spent at least half an hour with them. We were astonished by their friendliness, given that they are normally shy cats. Speaking of which, we saw two more different leopards during our visit to the Serengeti. I am certain that regular safari goers know that this is close to a miracle.
When it comes to cats, another highlight was our spotting the African wild cat. Even though it is highly nocturnal, we saw it cross the road and had a good look at its petit beauty. Of course, there were hundred of Serengeti lions, a classic of this National Park; and we saw two cheetahs too.
But there was more than cats to our experience. Tarangire National Partk, also in Tanzania, is thought to be a paradise for elephants. Nevertheless, I have never seen more elephants in my life than in the Serengeti National Park. I could continue enumerating the animal species my friends and I discovered during our safari, but I will rather stop here and say a word more about our place of abode.
The Black Lodge
When asked about Serengeti Explorer, Maria Raquel underlined how the dark colour of the different buildings is a perfect camouflage. In line with this, she especially appreciated the discretion of the construction. Her husband, Gabriel, was delighted with the warmth and efficiency of the staff. He also relished his time in the infinity pool, from where he would indulge in bird watching.
For my part, I admired how the designers of this new lodge managed to blend what is human artifice with the surrounding nature and the habitat of the wild animals. This is not an easy feat and it has to be commended.
How We Got There: Sister Companies
A key aspect of our safari was flying (as opposed to driving) to the Serengeti. But if you stay in Nairobi, as I do when I am in Africa, that is easier said than done. What saved my friends and me was the support of a Kenyan company with a sister branch in Tanzania. We used the services of AirKenya to fly from Wilson to Arusha and then Regional Air from Arusha to Seronera, the iconic airstrip in the middle of the Serengeti where this National Park got kicked off, around 70 years ago.
Seronera, incidentally, was also the place were Joy Adamson decided to release the lioness Elsa’s cubs in the late 1960s, which brings us to square one, as my first experience with Elewana was at Elsa’s Kopje Meru, as narrated in the October-December 2025 issue of Swara magazine.
