The Asian Green Bee Eater

   The Peepal Tree and the Birds: Stories from an Urban Balcony

Story Three: The Asian Green Bee-eater

It flew into the branch like a swift arrow just released from a bow—Lord Vishnu’s Śārṅga, as some called the bee-eaters.

Restless, the little bird flitted around playfully.

Then it perched on the electric cable passing through the Peepal’s branches.

The old, wise tree admired the small ball of green with tiny buttoned eyes and a bandit mask, like a little spy on quiet watch. It was the cutest of the lot.

The tree often wondered who would have thought this little soul could be trapped in unpleasant folklore. They said the bird carried poison in its mouth—the reincarnation of gossipers, forever chasing trouble through the air.

Such unfairness for such innocence.

In another legend, from a distant land, the bird was said to be a symbol of a second life granted by the Greek god Apollo after a grave mistake.

But the little green bird knew nothing of these tales.

Unaware, it simply watched the sky, rose into the light, and returned again to its quiet perch—content in its own tiny world.

Back to Start: The Peepal Tree and The Birds: Stories from an urban balcony

The Purple Sunbird

  The Peepal Tree and the Birds: Stories from an Urban Balcony

Story Two: The Purple Sunbird

The Peepal tree woke to a beautiful song.
A thin, high note rose through the morning air, bright and clear like a distant soprano greeting the day.

The tree searched its branches but saw nothing.
The singer was tiny, hidden among its twisted twigs.
The note came again.
A branch stirred.
The first rays of morning touched the feathers of the little bird—mid-song, its beak open and throat lifted to the sky—and it shone like a small jewel against the bright summer light.
A solitary singer, immersed in its own world, the dawn resting gently upon it as it poured its song into the waking air.

The Peepal listened.
And it remembered the words of Rabindranath Tagore:

Birds do not sing because they have something to say;

They sing because they have songs.

Back to Start: The Peepal Tree and The Birds: Stories from an urban balcony

The Red Whiskered Bulbul

 The Peepal Tree and the Birds: Stories from an Urban Balcony

Story One: The Red Whiskered Bulbul

The Peepal tree stood tall in front of the balcony.

Its leaves had fallen for the season,

And its bare branches spread wide across the skyline.

People said the sacred fig was wise.

Some believed it whispered its knowledge

to the birds that came to feed on its fruits.

A red-whiskered bulbul perched on one of its solitary branches.

It was about to break into its morning raga—the four-note ginger-beer call—when the Peepal spoke,

grave and low,

“Whisky springs not here to stay.

Summer comes with a scorching ray.”

The bulbul tilted its crested head.

“Ah! But I love the summer,” it chirped.

“The hotter the sun, the better the day.”

One yellowing leaf of the Peepal fluttered in the early morning breeze.

“Hm,” the tree murmured.

The bulbul began its morning raga.

Clear notes bounced through the empty branches.

The Peepal listened.

The sun would be harsh this year.

The winds would be dry.

Yet the bird sang as if summer were a festival.

The old tree seemed to absorb the song as it spilled into the warm morning air.

Perhaps the bird was right.

Even in the harshest summer, someone must still sing.

Back to Start: The Peepal Tree and The Birds: Stories from an urban balcony

The Peepal Tree and the Birds: Stories from an Urban Balcony

Across the balcony stands a Peepal tree.

Most days it appears ordinary—its branches tangled against the skyline, its leaves trembling in the smallest breeze. People pass beneath it without looking up. Yet for those who pause long enough, the tree reveals a different world.

Birds arrive there every day.

Some come only for a moment, resting on the electric wires that cross the street. Others hop through the branches, pecking at the small figs hidden among the leaves. Some sing loudly, announcing the morning. Others remain silent, watching the sky.

From the balcony, I began to notice them.

What started as a way of passing the time slowly became a habit of attention. Each bird seemed to carry its own story, its own small way of living with the seasons, the wind, and the city.

At the center of it all stood the Peepal tree.

Old trees have a way of witnessing more than we realize. They stand through heat and rain, through the coming and going of birds, quietly absorbing the life that gathers around them.

These pages are a small record of those encounters—moments shared between a tree, its birds, and an observer on a balcony.

Story One: The Red Whiskered Bulbul

Story Two: The Purple Sunbird

Story Three: The Asian Green Bee-eater

Why We Chose Serengeti for Our African Safari – Serengeti vs Masai Mara vs Kruger

Choosing the right destination for an African safari can be confusing. The Serengeti in Tanzania, the Masai Mara in Kenya, and Kruger National Park in South Africa are among the most renowned wildlife reserves in the world. While planning our first safari, we compared these three destinations based on cost, logistics, wildlife sightings, and our travel constraints.

A Lioness Pride in Serengeti National Park

The African safari had been on my bucket list for a long time, but it always felt far beyond my travel budget. This time, however, I decided to just go for it. After COVID-19, decisions have become quicker—who knows what tomorrow holds? The mindset has been simple: if you want to do something, just do it today.

With only 10 days of vacation and limited funds, we had to plan carefully and make the most of the trip within those constraints.

We wanted to experience the Great Migration, so late July to early August was initially pinned as our travel window. Unfortunately, by then almost everything for August was already booked, and we had to plan our itinerary around the dates when accommodation was still available inside Serengeti National Park.

Lesson learnt: if you’re planning a safari trip, plan well in advance. To secure good accommodation at a reasonable price, it’s best to book at least six months ahead of your travel dates. We were only four months away from our target date—and it was truly late!

Our final itinerary included three days in Zanzibar, four days in Serengeti National Park, and two days reserved for travel. Part of the family flew from Delhi to Zanzibar via Mumbai and Dar es Salaam, while the rest traveled from Milan via Doha.

Air Tanzania operates direct flights to Zanzibar and Arusha from Mumbai via Dar es Salaam. The reason we preferred this route was simple—we wanted to avoid the yellow fever vaccination requirement!

Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirements for Tanzania

Tanzania is not a Yellow Fever endemic zone, as recognized by the WHO. If you fly to Tanzania directly from a non-endemic country and depart directly to another non-endemic country, the vaccination is generally not required, although some travelers may still choose to take it as a precaution. However, if your journey involves transit through a Yellow Fever endemic country, the vaccination becomes mandatory.

We were traveling with septuagenarians who are at a higher risk of serious side effects from the vaccine, so we wanted to avoid it if possible. In fact, people aged 60 and above are often advised to avoid the Yellow Fever vaccination unless it is absolutely necessary.

South Africa and Tanzania are not endemic zones, which makes them suitable safari destinations for travelers above 60. Kenya, however, is classified as an endemic zone, which is why the Masai Mara was not an option for us.

Please note: In 2022, Tanzania temporarily required a Yellow Fever vaccination for all travelers, regardless of their flight origin or destination, due to an outbreak in Kenya. Regulations can change, so it is always advisable to check with the relevant embassy and the airline before planning your trip.

Serengeti (including Ngorongoro crater), Tanzania vs Masai Mara, Kenya vs Kruger, South Africa

The three most popular destinations for a once-in-a-lifetime African safari are Serengeti (Tanzania), Masai Mara (Kenya), and Kruger National Park (South Africa). Choosing between them was not easy, so we compared them across several practical factors before making our decision.

Here are the key pointers that guided us:

1. Yellow Fever vaccination

This was at the very top of our list. Serengeti (Tanzania) and Kruger (South Africa) did not require it for our travel route, while Masai Mara (Kenya) did. That immediately removed the Masai Mara from our shortlist.

For Indian travelers, Kenya falls under the list of countries considered at risk for Yellow Fever transmission, and the Government of India requires vaccination when traveling to or transiting through such regions. Since we were traveling with septuagenarians who are advised to avoid the vaccine unless absolutely necessary, the Masai Mara was removed from our shortlist.

2. Flight cost

Flight to Kenya < Flight to Serengeti < Flight to Kruger.

Kruger was the farthest from both Milan and Delhi, and flights for July–August were significantly more expensive, which removed Kruger from consideration and left Serengeti as the practical choice.

3. Park fees

Kruger < Serengeti < Masai Mara.

4. Travel costs within the park

Masai Mara < Kruger < Serengeti.

Travel in the Serengeti tends to be more expensive because visitors must pay the Ngorongoro Conservation Area fee while entering and exiting the park.

5. Accommodation costs

Kruger < Masai Mara < Serengeti.

Kruger has the widest range of affordable lodges and camps compared to the other two.

6. Availability of accommodation

Serengeti < Masai Mara < Kruger.

Serengeti has relatively fewer accommodations, which makes availability more limited, especially during peak migration season.

7. Park size

Masai Mara < Serengeti < Kruger.

The Masai Mara is the northern extension of the Serengeti ecosystem within Kenya and is the smallest of the three reserves. Serengeti National Park is significantly larger, while Kruger remains one of the largest and most accessible wildlife parks in Africa.

Serengeti National Park: ~14,750 km²

Ngorongoro Conservation Area: ~8,292 km²

Masai Mara National Reserve: ~1,510 km²

Kruger National Park: ~19,485 km²

Technically, Serengeti is the largest ecosystem (including Ngorongoro and other game reserves), while Kruger is the largest single national park with full infrastructure.

8. Chances of seeing the Big Five

Masai Mara < Serengeti < Kruger.

Kruger offers the highest probability of spotting all of the Big Five. In fact, both white and black rhinos are more commonly seen there, whereas we struggled to catch even a brief glimpse of a black rhino in Ngorongoro Crater.

Kruger National Park has a relatively stronger and more stable rhino population, so sightings are more common.

Serengeti technically has the Big Five, but rhinos are extremely rare there.

Most rhino sightings in northern Tanzania happen in Ngorongoro Crater, not in the main Serengeti plains.

Masai Mara also has Big Five sightings, but rhinos are limited and usually seen in specific conservancies.

9. Chances of witnessing the Great Migration and river crossings

Kruger < Masai Mara < Serengeti.

Because Serengeti and the Masai Mara have vast stretches of open savannah plains, they provide better opportunities to see massive herds during the migration.

The Great Migration mainly happens in Serengeti

The Masai Mara hosts the river crossing phase

Kruger has no migration event

10. Self-drive safari convenience

Serengeti < Masai Mara < Kruger.

Kruger is the most convenient park for self-drive safaris. In Serengeti, self-driving is extremely limited and generally not practical for most visitors.

Kruger = best self-drive safari in Africa

Masai Mara = possible but not very common

Serengeti = impractical without guides

11. Terrain and landscape

Kruger has a bushy landscape, while Masai Mara and Serengeti are dominated by expansive savannah grasslands. The Serengeti–Mara ecosystem feels more open and dramatic.

12. Best months to visit

Kruger: May–October

Masai Mara: June–October

Serengeti: January–February (calving season) and June–September (migration period)

13. Ease of getting a visa
South Africa < Kenya ≈ Tanzania.
All three countries offer e-visa options, but friends told us that South Africa’s visa processing time is often longer than the typical 7-day turnaround for Kenya and Tanzania.

Conclusion:

After weighing all these factors, Serengeti emerged as the most practical choice for our trip, balancing wildlife experience, travel logistics, and our constraints of time and budget.

What mattered most for us

While many factors differed between the three parks, three considerations ultimately drove our decision:

1. Yellow Fever vaccination requirements – Since we were traveling with septuagenarians who were advised to avoid the vaccine, Kenya was not a practical option.

2. Flight logistics and cost – Flights to South Africa were significantly more expensive for our July–August travel window.

3. The Great Migration – Visiting during migration season made the Serengeti the most compelling wildlife destination.

That left us with a clear choice: the Serengeti.

Kruger may be better for Big Five completeness, but Serengeti is often more dramatic for first-time safari visitors, especially during migration season.

And pairing it with Zanzibar was honestly a classic safari itinerary choice — wildlife + coast.

Great Migration, July 2024

Most Popular African Safari Destinations include the following countries: Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa

If I get a chance to take a second trip, it will be to Kruger. The Masai Mara still remains off the list because of the vaccination requirement. Zambia and Zimbabwe are next because Victoria Falls is also on my bucket list. Let's see what life has in store!

Who Should Choose Serengeti?

Choose Serengeti if you want:

• to see the Great Migration

• vast savannah landscapes

• a classic African safari experience

Choose Kruger if you want:

• affordable safari

• self-drive safaris

• higher chances of seeing the Big Five

Choose the Masai Mara if you want:

• easier access from Nairobi

• migration river crossings

Wildlife experiences like the Serengeti safari sparked my deeper interest in observing animals and birds. Recently, I began documenting the birds visiting the Peepal tree outside my balcony in Delhi in a series called The Peepal Tree and the Bird: Stories from an urban balcony.