Dream Trip: Safari in Tanzania

They were the exotic creatures you saw in books as a child, the ones that entertained you when you watched The Lion King with your kids and grandkids. For 10 days in early spring, 30 Flying Longhorns surveyed these incomparable animals of Africa on safari.

“I cannot tell you how many hundreds of animals we saw,” says Texas Exes programs director Carol Barrett, who hosted the trip. Their sightings included the “Big Five”—rhino, lion, leopard, cape buffalo, and elephant—all in one remarkable day.

The Flying Longhorns also spotted plenty of wildebeests and zebras, among many other species, as they sped across the plains in breezy, open-air vehicles.

One daring member of the group even reached out and brushed a lion as he moved past, startling even the guide and earning the man the nickname “Bob the Lion-Petter.”

The highlight for many, Barrett says, was a morning hot-air balloon ride over the Serengeti. It was followed by a champagne breakfast under an umbrella tree, complete with fine linen, silver cutlery, and English porcelain.

Elsewhere in the trip, the group spread out a picnic in Ngorongoro Crater, a natural wonder that formed when a volcano collapsed. Their hotel—a lodge situated at the same altitude as Denver—brought down a feast of Tanzanian barbecue.

For a list of upcoming Flying Longhorns trips, click here.