It’s our third and final day in the Serengeti. We’ll spend several hour on a game drive, and by mid-afternoon we will depart for the Ngorongoro Crater.

But before we get going, I want to tell you about our accommodation in the Serengeti — we’re staying at one of many camp grounds here (ours is called Nyani). The most unique part is that there are no walls or gates at this camp: wildlife is free to roam between tents, and we’re advised to take a good look around before heading to the ablutions block (toilets and showers) after dark. Our driver tells us stories about the last time he came face-to-face with a lion here, or tried to sleep while a herd of zebras grazed next to his tent in the wee hours of the morning. It’s the perfect camp for a thrill-seeker. We’ve been warned!

All meals are included — simple but tasty dishes like soup, beef stew, veggies, potatoes, and fruit for dessert. Food is served family style; the only drawback is that if something runs out, there’s no more (my sister, a vegetarian, sometimes missed out on veggie dishes if she sat at the wrong end of the table).

We begin our early morning game drive by spotting an elephant herd in the distance. Herds are matriarch-led and they kick out males once they become teenagers; those males often join up in small bachelor groups.

A lion rests in tall grass:

Antelope and zebras scamper about the plains.

This is a Secretarybird. Pretty fascinating, right?

An impala and Secretary bird lock eyes:

More elephants! Our group can’t get enough.

These are the longest tusks I’ve seen on an elephant before or since:

A long line of safari vehicles tips us off to lions catching shade under this tree:

These guys could not care less about the paparazzi in the jeeps.

Lions prove they really are just big cats:

Suddenly all of the lions raise their heads.

There’s a lone wandering hyena who seems to not yet recognize the lions’ presence. I’m nervous for him/her.

I imagine the following conversation:

LIONS: Who goes there?

HYENA: OH SHIT DIDN’T SEE YOU GUYS LEAVING NOW!!

There’s another road lined with jeeps — more lions on the horizon.

A lion darts out while chasing prey.

It’s not a successful hunt, which is fairly typical. It usually takes a few tries before lions get a kill. As such, and due to the swift nature of the act, it’s rare for tourists to witness a kill.

Our driver maneuvers us closer to the next pride of lions.

This one likes to pose. She’s on the lookout for prey. (It’s usually the females who make the kill. Typical. Women get stuff done.)

It’s a giant thrill to be this close to lions. It’s exactly what I pictured when I imagined the Serengeti.

She spots something…

This lioness is clearly on the prowl… she hunches down and sneaks across the road, trying not to give her position away.

There’s a herd of antelope in the distance. They know they’re being watched and huddle together accordingly.

She waits patiently, observing her potential prey. Lions will seek out a weak member of the group — a baby, or an injured creature — and then attack only that one.

In a spurt of movement, the lioness darts across the plain towards the antelope.

But she’s too late. They scramble in all directions, leaving her empty-handed and hungry. She’ll rest for a bit to reassess her position before trying again. Each member in this band of antelopes will survive to see another hour.

Here’s a video of the action:

Our group is split into two vehicles, and the other one gets stuck for a brief moment. Everyone hops out to push it to life. Luckily the lions have dispersed for the moment so it’s safe enough to do this! Normally we wouldn’t be allowed out of the car.

That wraps up an exciting morning in the Serengeti. I have one more adventure to share with you before we move on to Ngorongoro Crater — my early morning balloon ride over these expansive plains.

Many thanks to Nomad Tours for discounting my 30-day Nairobi to Joburg tour in exchange for blogging and photography. Opinions are my own.