Sayari Camp has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence, which honors top-rated lodging businesses, restaurants and attractions, as reviewed by travelers on the world’s largest travel site.

To qualify, these businesses must maintain an average rating of four or higher out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor. Additional criteria include volume of reviews and how recently they have been submitted by TripAdvisor travelers. The accolade is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide.

“The TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence program gives exceptional businesses in a variety of different industries around the world the recognition they deserve,” said Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor for Business. “From top-rated restaurants in Boston to top-rated attractions in Barcelona, we want to applaud these businesses for offering TripAdvisor travelers a great customer experience.”

It's true, Tanzania is a place of great marvels – Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar… But that's not all. It also has great herds of elephants in Ruaha, tree-climbing lions around Lake Manyara, chimpanzee sanctuaries in Gombe and Mahale and packs of wild dogs in Selous. There are also sunsets on the Rufiji River, when the water boils with hippos and crocodiles.

In fact, the country has the whole panoply of east Africa's wildlife – including such rarities as the red colobus monkey, black rhino, hawksbill and leatherback turtles and Pemba flying foxes – concentrated in an unrivalled collection of parks and reserves.

So you think you've seen it all? We're betting Tanzania still has a surprise or two for you.

"Sayari Camp - Serengeti, Tanzania

This is the spot to catch the epic wildebeest migration. The thundering, tumultuous running of a million hooves, the eerie, encroaching sound of if, as if a mighty battle is about to begin. The profusion of animal here - not just wildebeest, but cheetah and lion too - and the horizon wrapped like a ribbon around you make it the best camp in the north. With the vastness of the sky above and the slightly raised aspect of the camp on a small rocky gradient, the supreme view is down towards Masai Mara and a massive strecht of the river, so you are very likely to catch a water-crossing up close. Which is something not to be missed. The grunting, hot sweat of the animals, with crocodiles snapping and lurching up at them, is thrilling and overwhelming. The camp itself is in two halves, so it actually feels smaller than it is - canvas and simple but modern, with huge showers. But it`s the game experience that makes Sayari just phenomenal."

The wildlife out here in Sayari is still okay as we saw a few groups of Wildebeest around Lamai plains – but the crossings are decreasing! On the 24th of November we saw a crossing and next to the bush there was a lion hiding (one of those two nomadic brothers). All of the sudden the lion jumped onto the neck of one of the Wildebeest – but failed. He then tried again to get the other Wildebeest but couldn’t make it either. It was wonderful to watch.

On the 26th of November during the evening hours we saw a strange behaviour of a male Lion of the Wogakurya pride that mated with three different females in a period of 7 to 10 minutes! Have you ever seen this before?

We had a fantastic week with lots of animals around the camp including a few Wildebeest crossing the river... Some of the good sightings were the following:

• Lions with cubs of different ages - from six weeks, two months, and four months - in one big pride
  of 22 Lions owned by five big males
• Lots of Elephants... Talking about seventy Elephants in one game drive!!!
• Leopards along Bologonja River
• Cheetah at Wogakurya
• Christer and Ruth saw Egyptian Vulture which is one of a rare species of Vulture

Sayari Camp has had some wonderful encounters with the wildlife over the past few weeks. The animals have been curious about camp and have come up for close inspection to see what is happening. Our camp manager Barbs, took these fantastic pictures which we hope you will enjoy.

coming to inspect the camp closely...

(pictures supplied by Barbs Buchanan - Sayari Camp Manager)

...Elephant visiting the Sayari Pool Area

...Zebra visiting the dining area