Welcome to Singita - 'place of miracles'
The story goes that the Grumeti Reserve was one of the most poached and hunted areas of the Serengeti, leaving it squandered and lifeless. An American Hedge Fund owner and conservationist, Paul Tudor Jones II, decided to lease the land for 99 years and pay the enormous hunting fees associated with it. He set about restoring the land first by hiring poachers to form an anti-poaching guard to protect the land. Today, 12 years later, the Grumeti Reserve is the most prolific location for wildlife in the Serengeti National Park. In fact, guides from outside the Grumeti have been know to ask Singita how they keep the animals in the reserve.
Singita's mission above all else is to preserve and protect the land and the animals that inhabit it, they also strive to uplift, educate and employ the communities around them that share that land.
Everything about Singita makes you feel good, it's a win/win for everyone involved. They protect the land and the animals with the money from the guests, the lodges employ the locals, the poachers are paid to stop poaching and guard the land, and they raise awareness with the guests and the local communities about the importance of guardianship and conservancy.
Interesting fact: The Grumeti is home to a single female rhino that lives in a large area (near Sasakwa) that is fenced-in to protect her from poachers and elephants. This female rhino and another male rhino were originally born in the Serengeti and transported to a zoo in the UK, many years later Singita brought them back to the Serengeti and protected them behind an electric fence, until one day an elephant broke through the fence and killed the male rhino, leaving the female all alone. They have a plan, years in the making, to find her a mate.
Sasakwa Lodge
December 30th, 2013 - January 1st, 2014
First stop, Sasakwa Lodge for two nights, I would say this is by far the most gentle safari experience of the three Singita lodges that we stayed at in the Grumeti. Perched on a hill, Sasakwa Lodge has a birds eye view of the grand Serengeti plains. The view is nothing less than stunning, it takes your breath away, and it.. is... memorizing. It's a vision much like Hawksview (Estate in St. John Between Trunk and Hawksnest Bay) that seduces the eye, leaving you no choice but to surrender to its magnificent glory. This dreamlike scene just yearns for your long gaze. It's easy to lose yourself, and hard to imagine that you could ever tire of that majestic vision of the vast plains and abundant nature.
After the trip was complete I found that Sasakwa was truly the best first stop on our tour of the Grumeti, it's captivating to see the grandeur of the place that you're in, before you dig deep into its nooks and crannies. And it gives you great perspective on the adventure that you are about to embark upon. By this point no one is probably reading a word of this, I don't blame you...a picture is worth a thousand words. However, I will tell you that these pictures will never do it justice, because you can't breath the air, hear the sounds of nature all around you, and feel the gentle pink warmth of the sun slowing creeping above the horizon.
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| Off in the distance there's a large watering hole that is home to a mother, father, and baby hippo that we visited twice. |
Just imagine watching the great wildebeest migration from this vantage point! It's no wonder they call it the 'greatest wildlife spectacle on earth.' Although, I do have my own vision of what could make this natural marvel even more thrilling. I envision a full symphony orchestra set up right there on the lawn of Sasakwa, let's just say NY Philharmonic, playing the work that they commissioned, Dvorak's New World Symphony. Epic.
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| That famous African sunrise. |
Sasakwa is definitely the most elegant and regal lodge, with its old-world charm and antiques. Let's just say it's not difficult to turn away from the view and gaze into the opulent manor house. In my case it was a constant back and forth, a true feast for the eyes. The lodge has a unmistakeable old wealth/British royalty vibe, and it would be impressive to see this manor house in any first world country, let alone in the middle of the Serengeti!! It boggled my mind to think of how they even built it...of course I asked, I had to. It took between 2,000-3,000 people, 12 months to build Sasakwa Lodge. I truly appreciate every detail that went into making Sasakwa what it is, a masterpiece. You can see that it's a labor of love, and a homage to the decadent and luxurious things in life. Yet I must say that with this type of luxury and opulence a certain kind of guest is attracted, luckily there's more than enough space to be secluded at most times. I felt so happy and blessed to be able to appreciate Singita through the eyes of a young woman born and raised in the inner city of Buffalo, NY, because Sasakwa deserves that kind of gratitude, which from the looks of it, may just be another day in the lives of some of the other guests. But then again, I'll be the first to say, never judge a book by its cover.
Billiard Room
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| Peter tapping into his inner Terry Richardson on this one. |
Tennis Pavilion
Overlook
Private Cottage & Pool
A few days after we got back from Africa I was at Eastern Market Nails visiting my favorite ladies, and a woman in her early 60's sat down next to me to get a pedi, I couldn't help but eavesdrop on her conversation, she had just gotten back from 5 weeks in South America and Antarctica! My ears perked up and my eyes widened. One of my friends at the nail salon asked me about the honeymoon and I mentioned Africa, the well traveled lady beside me immediately turned toward me and struck up a conversation. She asked me where I had traveled to in Africa, and I said Tanzania, and then she gave me a look and I knew what she was thinking just from the look in her eyes. The next question was... Oh, where in Tanzania?
I gave her the same look back and the nod, she exhaled with joy as I blurted out Singita Sasakwa Lodge! We both looked at each other with the same stunned look, as if we were part of some secret society. Oh my gosh!! right?? It 's the most beautiful place on earth. She had gone back twice after her first visit, not surprised. She returned specifically to watch the wildebeest migration. Naturally I asked her, "You seem like quite a world traveler, where do I go from here? What is after Singita?" Unfortunately for me she gave me the 'you peaked to soon' look, and admitted, "yeah, you won't find anything else in the world like Singita Sasakwa." So....I guess that's it. There are other places I would love to visit, but now it's officially confirmed that nothing will be better than Singita, or even on the level of genuine and authentic hospitality, unprecedented cuisine, home-like and luxurious accommodations, and immersion in wildlife/nature. She did however recommend some other safaris and advised me to visit Botswana and South Africa next, our guide Joe at Singita said the same exact thing. Apparently the safari experience in Botswana is different, and just as amazing, you can get even closer to the animals.
Sasakwa was the perfect way to start our first trip to the Serengeti, yet we were so excited to move on to the next lodge, Faru Faru, where we would get deeper into nature...
"Beyond the realms of common sense, beyond the inevitability that populations grow, but the land does not, and beyond the knowledge that Africa's pristine wild areas are in danger of disappearing more rapidly than most can imagine - it is an immutable law that the continent's future lies in the hands of those few who care deeply about her. It is in the hands of the people who have the passion, the knowledge and the dedication that is required to protect her from extinction - the ones who are destined to ensure that nature's cycles and equilibrium are upheld and handed down as a vital legacy to future generations."
- Singita Book
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