Only the Lions Sleep on the Serengeti Plains

On the vast and feral plains of the unforgiving Serengeti, only the lion sleeps.

About 3 million other animals, prey and predators within the Serengeti’s 5,700 square miles, pay their respects to the king and sometimes ensure their survival by resting warily for only brief moments at a time, day or night.

One of nature’s greatest spectacles is the yearly migration of 2 million wildebeest and another quarter-million or so zebras in their search for water and grasslands.

They are invariably followed by their predators: lions, cheetahs, the night-hunting leopard and cowardly but ferocious hyenas, all ready to maintain the ecological balance and make their next meal from the weak, young or unwary.

Cape buffalo, hordes of gazelles, impalas, waterbucks, wart hogs and other herbivores are also prey for the cats and other carnivores, a kill always signaled by vultures wheeling patiently in the sky above.

Tanzania’s Serengeti has long been recognized as perhaps the world’s most complex yet perfect ecosystem, with its seemingly endless plains of stubble grass, savannahs, innumerable acacia trees and lonely outcroppings of granite rocks called kopjes dotting the landscape to give it a fierce, natural beauty.

But it is the animals that turn this majestic landscape into nature’s crucible. Their constant search for food, periodic mating, calving, killing and, ultimately, surviving as a species is an endless and fascinating pageant.

Here to there: Fly British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, Pan Am or Air France (all with European stops) to Nairobi, Kenya. From there it is almost foolhardy to go on a safari into Tanzania on your own. See suggestions below.

How long/how much? Two days, with game runs to view the animals twice daily, will do for the Serengeti. But most visitors include several other stops in Tanzania (Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Mt. Kilimanjaro) and book their safaris either at home, in Nairobi or Arusha, Tanzania.

Booking before leaving makes the most sense for many reasons--including logistics, paper work (visa, shots, etc.) and iffy transportation within Tanzania. Fuel is frequently a problem, and the condition of safari operators’ vehicles varies widely.

A few fast facts: The Tanzanian shilling recently traded at 90 to the dollar, and exchange rules are very tight. You’ll need yellow fever shots moving between Kenya and Tanzania, with cholera shots and a malaria-pill regimen both good ideas. You’ll also need visas for both countries.

Take a good, strong flashlight because electricity goes off and on at all hours. And please don’t bring gifts for the native children--the government wisely discourages begging as an alternative to school. Main rainy season is from March to May, short rains in October-November.

Getting settled in: Many if not most safari tour companies choose Seronera Wildlife Lodge ($58 U.S. B&B;, double) at the heart of the Serengeti.

It’s built dramatically on a kopje , the massive boulders forming an integral part of the handsome architecture. Bedrooms are laid out in motel fashion behind the main building. Electricity is an on-and-off affair and hot water is most elusive, as it often is in Tanzania.

Lock your windows whenever leaving the room; baboons will slide them open and make themselves at home in a very messy way while you’re out. There’s a pool carved from the natural rock, a nearby airstrip and a huge bar for that chilled Safari brew after a hot game run.

Lobo Wildlife Lodge (a little less expensive) is 40 miles north of Seronera toward the Kenya border, another architecturally attractive structure that seems part of the upland bush country. Another pool, airstrip and, like the Seronera Wildlife Lodge, run by the Tanzanian government.

The thing to remember about lodging, dining and transportation in Tanzania is that it’s a relatively poor country, with attendant shortages and snafus.

For the budget-minded there are camping sites and a hostel near Seronera village, which may be booked in Arusha.

Regional food and drink: Once you open a menu and see impala steak, zebra stroganoff and gazelle goulash, you know you’re in for a few dining surprises. But don’t get your hopes too high; most of the cooking is English bland.

The saving grace is an occasional and unusual game dish. Beyond that it’s pork chops, lamb, beef and lots of carrots and cabbage. But you didn’t come here for the five-star food, right?

The country’s Safari beer is very good, and wines are well beyond grim.

Moderate-cost dining: Seronera Wildlife Lodge has a gigantic dining room with cathedral ceiling and windows looking out over the Serengeti, halfway to Lake Victoria.

Here we lucked into the impala steaks and zebra stroganoff on three-course lunch and dinner menus priced at $11.50. For the less adventurous there is always soup as a first course, a choice of poached fish, English-style boiled beef or chops.

Breakfasts always include juice, eggs, toast and plenty of good coffee and tea.

On your own: One comes to Tanzania primarily for game viewing, with 14% of the country devoted to reserves. This is done on morning and evening game runs in vans or smaller, four-wheel-drive vehicles, usually with a certified driver and perhaps a guide.

There is a definite etiquette involved: A driver never blocks another van’s view of the animals, quiet is maintained at all times and nobody ever leaves the van when animals are in sight. Breaking the last rule can be dangerous, because most animals generally ignore the vans until a door is opened or somebody steps out. Then you could be in big trouble.

During our two-day stay in the Serengeti we were fortunate in seeing innumerable lions--one group of 15 polishing off the remains of an enormous cape buffalo 18 feet from our van--the elusive leopard, hordes of wildebeest and zebras, elephants and giraffes, and baboons, the leopard’s favorite meal.

Going on safari: They come in all shapes and sizes, from first-cabin affairs to under-canvas outings at camping sites. Three safari operators with a variety of choices: Abercrombie & Kent, (800) 323-7308, recently planned and guided Prince Charles’ Serengeti sojourn and also has a fine selection of Kenya and/or Tanzania safaris; Sue’s Safaris, (213) 541-2011, has an excellent mix of choices, and Born Free Safaris, (800) 472-3274, specializes in tenting. All will send you brochures with prices.

For more information: Write to the Tanzanian Mission to the United Nations at 205 E. 42nd St., New York 10017 for general information on the country and its game reserves.