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A First Safari in the Serengeti, Where Every Drive Is a Game Drive

At Four Seasons Serengeti, five-star comfort meets lion sightings, balloon rides and baboons with serious attitude.

One of the first things I learned on safari is that every drive is a game drive. I landed at Seronera Airstrip in Serengeti National Park at 11 a.m. on a Sunday morning, and within an hour, I was looking out the side of our 4×4 gaping at a nearby giraffe, mere minutes before encountering a small herd of elephants. 

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I had no idea if this was just the usual; I was a safari newbie. For years, this had been at the very top of my bucket list as a travel editor, and at long last, I’d made it work. And this wasn’t just any safari—I was with Four Seasons in Tanzania, exploring their lodge in the savannah and all that the majestic location has to offer. Our group of five included two other safari novices, plus two seasoned safari-goers. For me, it was an ideal combination—I was with a couple people who were as wide-eyed and green as me, and two more journalists who knew the ins and outs of this kind of trip, but without any ego or superiority complex. 

Our guide, Goustone, picked us up at the airport to set off on our drive to the Four Seasons Lodge, as I gaped out the windows, in disbelief that I was in Tanzania, glimpsing a lion in its natural habitat.

As we pulled into the hotel, we encountered what hundreds of zebras and wildebeest. There’s not an obvious delineation between the hotel and the park, and that’s intentional—the Four Seasons, which took over the property in 2012, gives you the luxury resort experience (no camping required), right in the midst of Serengeti National Park. 

The Four Seasons is undoubtedly a luxury experience in the Serengeti, and ideal for those who have no interest in camping or giving up five-star comforts. But it’s more than that, and I soon saw how the hotel functions in a constant conversation with the local communities and environment. They know how important and fragile this ecosystem is, and contributions from every single game drive and walking safari at the property go to support the local population and wildlife projects, including the Serengeti Rhino Conservation Project. At the hotel’s Discover Center, guests are educated on the history, people and wildlife in the Serengeti, with regular talks and presentations. The hotel also works with local nonprofits, like Hope for Girls and Women, which helps support those fleeing gender-based violence in the area.

The 77 accommodations are all relatively similar in design, with a thatched roof and plenty of earth tones and natural materials, along with works from local artists. My room had a direct view of the watering hole from the private terrace; I was repeatedly,........

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