Appreciate an engaging Serengeti experience when you follow a luxury safari circuit within Tanzania which includes a cheetah watch campaign, a discovery centre and more

Home to the Serengeti National Park and the incredible wildlife that lives within it, Tanzania is known as one of the world’s most prestigious safari destinations. Here visitors can expect an engaging Serengeti playground experience:

• The cheetah watch campaign
• Discovery centre
• Infrared technology notifies guests of wildlife
• A cultural journey through Arusha

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CHEETAH WATCH CAMPAIGN 

Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti supports The Cheetah Watch Campaign run by the Serengeti Cheetah Project and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute. The Project’s 30-year study of these endangered cats has taught us much of what we know today and developed our understanding of these majestic creatures.

The Cheetah Watch Campaign aims to involve tourists in the monitoring and conservation of cheetahs, whose numbers are slowly declining due to poaching and loss of habitat. Visitors to the Serengeti are encouraged to submit their cheetah photos and, with the help of their guide, notes on location and behaviour to the Project. 

Through its Discovery Centre, the Lodge encourages its guests to load their cheetah photos onto its iMac, which are then sent to the Cheetah Project, which uses each cheetah’s unique spot pattern to identify the individuals that were sighted and then send the guests a brief history of that cheetah.

Since starting the Campaign at the Lodge in late 2013, guests have submitted many cheetah sightings, resulting in the identification of 10 new individual cheetahs to the Project.

DISCOVERY CENTRE

Discovery Centre Manager Ahmed Attas adds, “At the Discovery Centre, guests are able to contribute to this essential research, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of cheetah ecology. The Cheetah Watch Campaign plays a vital role in helping researchers to understand and conserve these beautiful cats, and it is really easy for guests to take part in if they are lucky enough to see cheetahs during their stay in the Serengeti. It’s incredible that our guests have helped to identify so many new individuals for the Project in such a short period.”

Curious at heart, Ahmed Attas is right at home as Manager of the Discovery Centre at Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti. His first steps on the career ladder set the tone for what was to come, as he took a position as an assistant mountain guide to lead hiking tours to the top of Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. “My home town of Moshi is the closest town to Mount Kilimanjaro. I grew up looking at its slopes and its snow-capped summit piercing the sky above. When you have such inspiration on your doorstep, it is hard to not to want to go out and explore.”

And onwards and upwards he went. The desire to learn more about Tanzania’s famous wildlife saw him transition into becoming a safari guide. Seeing the animals in their native habitat and witnessing the scale and diversity of wildlife populations that could be found across the region, Attas decided he would embark upon further studies to broaden his knowledge. “While working as a safari guide, I first enrolled to complete a Certificate in Wildlife Management, but soon realised there was so much more to learn. I continued on to complete a Diploma in this same subject, but even then I was not satisfied! In the end, I made the decision to commit to full time education by enrolling for a Degree in Wildlife Sciences and Conservation in Dar es Salaam.”

For almost a decade after completing his degree, Attas worked across various safari guide and camp manager positions, both in the Serengeti National Park and game reserves. “The more time I spent in the bush, the more I took appreciation of not only the wildlife, but also the nature. At the lodge I was managing in 2011, I started my first role as a nature guide and it was always such a thrill to see the reactions of guests when they discovered insights on how the ecosystem works and supports both the animals, and in turn, us.”

In 2015, Attas was presented with the opportunity to join the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) to oversee their photography and wildlife division, which allowed him to combine his interests in animals, conservation and nature, all while gaining a new approach through the lens of photography. And now, as he oversees the Discovery Centre, it seems he will have an avenue for every skillset he has acquired on his journey. “The Discovery Centre is such a key component of the Lodge. It holds wealth of information and is also the home of the works from visiting wildlife photographers. It is the link to various community and sustainability projects supported by Four Seasons and, I am happy to say, it is my office!”

Discovery Centre featuring museum quality exhibits and a lecture hall for guests to learn about the local wildlife, environment and culture.

INFRARED TECHNOLOGY

Set within Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti is the perfect escape for those looking for a truly magical experience and to get up close and intimate with nature.

Kula’s restaurant, the Maji Terrace and the free-form infinity pool all overlook the active watering hole, providing fascinating views of the animals as they congregate within mere metres of the Lodge; from elephants and their young to herds of buffalo and troops of baboons, guests are able to view the action as it is happening from the comfort of the Lodge.

Furthermore, thanks to infrared technology at the watering hole, guests can be notified via Channel 1 on their bedroom televisions when animals approach the watering hole, allowing them to watch the wildlife on screen or catch the arrival from their private terraces or the swimming pool.  This feature means that guests will never miss any of the wildlife action and will experience stunning, once-in-a-lifetime views of the animals against the remarkable backdrop of the Serengeti plains.

A Cultural Journey Through Arusha

On arrival or departure from Kilimanjaro International Airport, there could be no better place to recuperate or say good-bye than from one of Arusha’s picturesque coffee lodges. Nestled between acres of rolling coffee fields, the lodges provide a sense of serene escapism in which to relax before a safari adventure.

Take a morning stroll of the nearby plantation or discover the step by step process in which coffee is produced. By afternoon, enjoy the tranquility of the grounds with a fresh pot of Tanzanian coffee or visit the nearby workshop of local craftsmen and women to browse a collection of Maasai beaded jewellery and accessories.

Or enjoy a locally-inspired dinner before a good night’s rest ahead of your departure.

To experience this most celebrated wildlife reserve visit Four Seasons Serengeti