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Tanzania – and particularly the northern circuit - lends
itself very well to exploration as part of a small-group scheduled safari, even
more so for a first trip or for a family group. The groups are small –
never more than 5 persons in a vehicle with guaranteed window seat – and
4-Wheel Drive vehicles (not minivans) are used so game drives can be conducted
in practically any terrain.
A trip with which we have had much success over the years is the
‘Journey into Tanzania’ with Tanzania Photographic Safaris, based in
Arusha. The safaris present good value for money, the guiding is top-notch and
the prime areas are visited with several nights in the Serengeti itself, in a
mobile tented camp. While this is certainly not a ‘luxury’ safari
with silver service and freshly cut flowers, it is very comfortable and
everything is done for you.
WHAT TO EXPECT ON A
‘JOURNEY INTO TANZANIA’
These extracts from a late MARCH Tanzania mobile tented &
lodge safari will give you a good idea of what to expect:
WILDLIFE
Yes, Virginia there is a wildebeest migration
and it is showing right now, somewhere in the theater of the vast Serengeti
Plains. And what a picture it is. My first thought upon gazing out over
thousands of wildebeest was that in the face of a spectacle like that, all
technology fails. There is no camera or other device which can do justice to
such a scene, all sound and fury in a 360 degree arc, non-stop movement and
action as the wildebeest succumb to instinct and follow the rain across the
Serengeti’s sea of grass. Parting ahead of us like water around the prow
of a boat, the wildebeest in their hundreds practically engulfed our vehicle,
splashing across the muddy, wet shortgrass plains in the Ndutu area. Sounding
like a bunch of bullfrogs on steroids, grunting and carrying on something
fierce, they bulldozed ahead, seemingly mindless of the rogue hyenas and lions
lurking all around. In the space of a couple of hours or so, we must have seen
between 200,000 and 300,000 wildebeest. Unbelievable, amazing.
Earlier, in the northern and western sections of the Serengeti,
the game-viewing had been very good, considering that we were essentially in
transit between lodges, and not on a leisurely game-drive. We enjoyed many
sightings of topi, wildebeest, hartebeest, zebra, impala, Thomson’s and
Grant’s gazelles, and several large groups of giraffe in various
locations. We also enjoyed scattered sightings of elephants, and some excellent
views of lions, which we bumped into on at least five occasions in a short
period of time. There were small (and large) groups of hyenas all over the
place; we probably saw more than 50 hyenas in the Serengeti in two days of
pretty hard driving between camps. A serval cat right by the road put up quite
a performance for us, flexing its large ears in an attempt to pick up the sound
of its prey. Just south of the Simba Hills, our guide spotted a cheetah in the
short grass plains. It climbed up onto anthills very close to our vehicle
several times, trying to judge the distance between itself and some very
nervous nearby Tommies and warthogs.
Near Seronera, we got really lucky and found a leopard just as it
was clambering down from a large tree into the grass, disappearing quickly. The
Seronera Valley is an important transition zone or ecotone, between the
southern plains and the northern woodland of the Serengeti. It has year-round
water and is perhaps the most reliable area in the park to view wildlife.
MOBILE TENTED CAMPING
I will readily admit to not being
much of a ‘camper’, and to being spoilt by staying in perhaps one too
many luxury lodge in southern Africa, over the years. That being said, I found
the accommodations on the Tanzania mobile tented safari to be very comfortable,
and not at all to be confused with ‘camping in the woods’ in the
traditional sense of the words. For one thing, everything is done for you:
there are no chores, no pitching a tent, sleeping on the ground, helping with
the cooking or anything like that. The tents are spacious and have two twin
beds. Other items in the tent include a useful clothing stand with hangers, a
small table and chair, and a bedside table. The bathroom, which was adjacent to
the tent, consists of a bush shower (filled with hot water on request) and
toilet. No need to go walkabout at night! I enjoyed a very refreshing shower
every evening after dinner, which was served in the large mess tent.
The camp staff, especially the cooks, were unstinting in their
efforts to keep me well fed and comfortable. The food was consistently
delicious, typical dinner fare being bream with a rich tomato sauce,
accompanied by an aromatic rice dish, a carrot salad, green beans, dessert and
coffee. On a different occasion it was peanut butter soup followed by a braised
potato dish, roast pork, two vegetables and dessert. Ample and wholesome.
Before my trip, I had heard and read the precautionary tales about ‘not
drinking the water’ and being careful about what you eat in East Africa. I
need not have worried - I ate second helpings of pretty much everything without
any problems. There was always bottled water available in the tents, on the
vehicles or in the rooms at the various lodges. I took a couple of Pepto-Bismol
pills with every meal for ‘insurance’ but it probably wasn’t
even necessary. Nowadays, we recommend that visitors obtain a prescription for
Xifaxan to treat any incidence of stomach upset.
One major advantage to staying in a mobile tented camp is the
absence of any other visitors, which translates into privacy, and quiet. This
makes for a very ‘pure’ African safari experience. Another plus is
the fact that staying in a tent gets one very close to nature: there are no
walls to close off the wilderness. On my second night on safari, I was in the
shower when a lion roared loudly not very far from the tent. Momentarily it
felt as if the warm water pouring down on me had been chilled slightly, or
maybe it was just my blood running cold... That to me, typified the experience
of being on a tented safari in Africa. I felt very much part of the
environment, and even though I was perfectly safe inside the zipped-up tent, my
heart still skipped a beat, and my chest tightened up just a little bit, if
only for a moment.
CULTURE
Cultural experiences are never far away in
Tanzania. Market day at Isinya, in the Kilimanjaro area, was amazing. Andy
Harris and I went up to the Masai community center a few miles from the
campsite, ostensibly to experience a bit of the local culture, to observe the
colorful Masai people and so on. The ‘cultural experience’ that one
reads about in the travel brochures. Well, it didn’t quite work out like
that. As we were walking in amongst the crowd of Masai people gathered under
the trees, selling and buying everything from maize meal to traditional Masai
knives, I realized that the tables were being turned on us. We had become the
‘cultural experience’, not the other way around! So there we were,
dressed in what must have appeared to the Masai to be the most inappropriate
gear considering the mild climate, being pointed at and smiled at in what was
obviously a good natured, yet nonetheless slightly disconcerting manner.
Several of the women seemed to be giving us the once-over and deciding all too
quickly - for reasons that will thankfully remain unknown to us forever - that
we didn’t measure up! Perhaps my ear-lobes were not big enough?
NGORONGORO CRATER
It is probably a bit passé to
describe Ngorongoro Crater as a Garden of Eden, or the Shangri-La of wildlife,
but both descriptions fit. Ngorongoro Crater is one of those exceptional
natural places on earth where reality exceeds expectation. Vague images that
had formed in my mind over many years of anticipation were instantly reframed
and focused, upon my first view of the crater, from the top of the descent
road. It turns out that my mental picture of the place had been a pale,
monochromatic reproduction of this vibrant, colorful masterpiece. Indeed,
Ngorongoro Crater belongs squarely in that rather over-crowded pantheon of
‘natural wonders of the world’. If you have not been there already,
by all means go and see it for yourself - soon.
Here, in an area of just about 10 miles square, you essentially
have a microcosm of practically all the natural habitats of East Africa: lakes,
marshes, rivers, grassy plains, woodland, forest and hills. For such a small
area, the crater (more correctly a caldera), is extremely productive and as a
result it sustains large numbers of an amazing variety of animals and birds.
Ngorongoro Crater was truly superb - and so few other people in low season!
What a thrill it was to see the rare and endangered Black Rhino on both our
trips onto the Crater floor. The rhino were not very close to the road, but
being birders, we had a telescope handy so we were able to pull them up nice
and close in the Kowa. The rhino was #5 on our Big Five list, and we had
managed to find elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino in the space of
about 48 hrs. Quite a thrill.
Sunday, April 2, was a great morning to find oneself on the floor
of the crater. In the crisp, clear morning light the zebra, eland and buffalo
which we saw on the way down, appeared startlingly bright, as if someone had
just given them a fresh coat of paint. Then, in the distance, we noticed a
female cheetah and her three youngsters walking away from a male lion, which
they had just spotted. At a steady pace the four cheetah walked in our
direction from our right to our left, periodically peering over their right
shoulders. We had a grandstand view, with the mountain in the background
providing a perfect backdrop. The female cheetah was interested in only one
thing and that was to put as much distance as it could, between itself and the
lion. Food, as in hunting, was definitely not on its mind. The other animals on
the crater floor seemed to realize that too. The many Thomson’s and
Grant’s Gazelles, zebras and wildebeest in the area were somewhat nervous
but they didn’t take flight, letting the cheetah foursome walk right by
them. I suppose this is what makes game-viewing on an African safari so much
fun: even when nothing happens, it can be spectacular!
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ITINERARY: JOURNEY INTO
TANZANIA 2007
Classic mobile camping and Lodge
Safari
2007 OUTLINE ITINERARY:
- Day 1 : Arr JRO by KLM, New Arusha Hotel B/B
- Day 2 : Kikoti Safari Camp – Tarangire
- Day 3 : Kikoti Safari Camp – Tarangire
- Day 4 : Kikoti Safari Camp - Tarangire
- Day 5 : Kisimangeda Camp – Lake Eyasi
- Day 6 : Kisimangeda Camp – Lake Eyasi
- Day 7 : Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge
- Day 8 : Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge
- Day 9 : Mobile Camp Serengeti
- Day 10: Mobile Camp Serengeti
- Day 11: Mobile Camp Serengeti
- Day 12: Drive to Arusha or fly Seronera – Arusha
(Optional)
SCHEDULED DEPARTURES SAFARI PRICES 2007:
Price per
person sharing: $ 4,340.00
Single room Supplement: $ 530.00
TRANSFER PRICES & Extras - 2007:
- Private transfer Nairobi to Arusha: $ 335.00 per vehicle
- Kilimanjaro Airport – Arusha: $ 135.00 per vehicle
- Namanga Border – Arusha: $ 250.00 per vehicle
- Shuttle Bus from Nairobi to Arusha: $ 40.00 per person
- Flight From Seronera to Arusha: $ 250.00 per person
- Dayroom and meals in Arusha: $ 140.00 per person
PRIVATE DEPARTURES - PRICES 2007:
Price per person
sharing: $5,147.00 p.p.
Single room supplement: $530.00
OPTIONAL BALLOON PRICE: U$ 450.00 Per Person
SAFARI DATES 2007:
- JAN: 03rd, 15th
- FEB: 15th
- MAR: 16th
- MAY: 30th
- JUNE: 7th
- JULY: 5th
- AUG : 2nd
- SEPT: 6th, 13th
- OCT: 11th
- NOV: 1st
- DEC: 21st
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JOURNEY INTO TANZANIA -
ITINERARY 2007
Day 1: ARUSHA
Arrive Kilimanjaro International Airport
by KLM (KL 567 @ 9:20 PM), where you will be met by a Tanzania Photographic
Safaris representative for a road transfer to your hotel (please note transfer
costs are extra as listed above). Overnight at the New Arusha Hotel on bed
& breakfast basis.
Day 2 : TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, depart
for Tarangire National Park - a park at its most classic – idolized in
Hollywood movies, romanticized by early settlers and sought ever since by the
modern traveler.
Open savannah, looming primeval baobab trees and stretched groves
of acacia tortilis complete with roaming herds of elephant and an impressive
array of predators.
Spend the day in the park with lunch hampers, arriving in time for
a welcome gala dinner in the boma with traditional maasai dances. Overnight at
Kikoti Safari Camp.
Day 3 & 4:
Early morning game drive with packed
breakfast, returning to camp for late lunch.
4:00 pm: Embark on a guided bush walk with armed rangers and a
naturalist guide, with sundowners on Kikoti Rock. Depart for your evening game
drive in open 4x4 vehicles arriving in time for a bush dinner. Overnight at
Kikoti Safari Camp.
Day 5 + 6: TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK - LAKE EYASI
After
breakfast, proceed to Lake Eyasi - via a small farming community at the base of
the Rift valley called Mto wa Mbu. From here, we make our way up the
escarpment, passing Karatu driving Southwest arriving at the northshore of Lake
Eyasi – a mild alkaline lake stretching 50 km’s.
To the northeast the horizon is dominated by the Ngorongoro crater
highlands and beyond lies the Serengeti Plains. We spend these two days
exploring the dry and harsh landscape with the Hadzabe and Watindiga bushmen
living their daily lives gathering roots and wild fruits.
Accompanying them on hunts with their bows and poisoned arrows,
take you back to earlier times, when man lived in harmony with nature.
This is a unique experience – as well as an opportunity to
interact with the other native tribes with a different lifestyle such as the
Barabaig’s and Datoga Tribe. All meals and overnight at Kisimangeda camp
– LAKE EYASI.
Dec 4 & 5 - Day 7 + 8: LAKE EYASI - NGORONGORO CRATER
This day we leave for Ngorongoro highlands, arriving in time for an early
lunch at the lodge.
This afternoon we drop down 2000 ft, into one of the most
spectacular settings. Ngorongoro is perhaps the finest and without doubt the
most impressive, wildlife destination on the planet.
A perfectly formed sunken volcano that hosts as wide a cross
section of wildlife as is found on the continent of Africa including the rare
and endangered Black Rhino.
A game drive around the perfect natural amphitheatre, bounded by
2000 ft sheer walls, allows a rare intimacy with the resident wildlife that
roam the definitive range of eco systems.
During your stay, you will have an opportunity to visit the Olmoti
Crater – The shallow grassy crater is the source of the Munge River, which
pours through a notch in the rim in a spectacular waterfall on its way to
Ngorongoro Crater.
(Two nights full board accommodation at the Ngorongoro Wildlife
Lodge)
Day 9, 10 + 11: NGORONGORO CRATER - SERENGETI NATIONAL
PARK
We depart for Serengeti National park – Arguably the most
famous national park in the world, the vast predator rich Serengeti needs
little introduction. The primeval paradise of roughly the size of Connecticut
has been the subject of countless wildlife films, each seeking to capture the
unique spirit of this exhilarating eco system that was, until recently, the
domain of favored few. The unfurling plains of Seronera provide the stage for
the most dramatic wildlife spectacle on the planet when the massed herds of a
million wildebeest congregate on the short grass plains for the great migration
north to the Maasai Mara. We are proud to say that the Serengeti is everything
that a discerning safari seeker would expect and more – and we believe
that a few nights in a mobile camp is the best way to do it the justice it
deserves.
On your way to Serengeti – you will stop and visit the
Olduvai Gorge, a river canyon cut 100 meters deep through the volcanic soils of
the Serengeti plains. Buried in the layers are the remains of animals and
hominoids that lived and died around the shallow lake amid grassy plains and
woodlands from 2,000,000 years ago to present. Olduvai museum is also very
useful for information and education. Spend these four days exploring the
endless plains of Serengeti National Park.
Three nights full board accommodation at TPS Serengeti Medium
Camp
Day 12 : SERENGETI - ARUSHA
Fly from Seronera to Arusha
with Regional Air – Scheduled flight departing at 11:15 hrs (this is an
optional flight at additional cost). A day room at the New Arusha Hotel and
dinner can be arranged (Optional, extra cost). You will be transferred back to
JRO Airport by road for your departing flight.
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SERVICES INCLUDED IN THE
PACKAGE:
Transport: Six-passenger Toyota Extended Land Cruisers,
with photographic hatches fully equipped with Binoculars, bean bags, cool boxes
for cold drinks and mineral water, first aid kits, books (Birds and plants,
mammals, tracks), basket with hot tea and coffee. The vehicles are fitted with
VHF Radios and mobile phones, tow rope, shovel, axe and machete. Kleenex box
and toilet paper also available.
Full board accommodation as per the itinerary, inclusive of park
fees, Camp Crew, 4x4 Camp truck for equipment, camp fees, mineral water and
soft drinks, walking fees where applicable, night game drives, bush dinners,
sundowners on Kikoti rock, armed game ranger services, visit to Olduvai Gorge.
Not included: Airport transfers, flight from Seronera to
Arusha and day room & dinner on last day.Tips to driver guides, camp staff
and hotel staff, Laundry, drinks, telephone calls, Airport taxes and any items
of personal nature.
| Your Tent |
Mess Tent |
Meals |
| 10 x 10 x 8 feet canvas tents |
Traditional Mess Tent |
3 Course meals served |
| Two beds with 6” mattress |
Dining Table with white linen |
Soups |
| Two luggage racks |
Camp Chairs |
Selection of meats, salads |
| Two wash basins |
Candle lit dinner with Silverware |
Vegetables |
| Private shower and toilet |
Kerosene Lamps for lighting |
Desserts prepared by our master chef |
| Fresh linen with blankets |
|
|
| 1 Mirror |
|
|
| Tanzanian Tea / Coffee |
|
|
| Waste and Laundry basket |
|
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| Two Kerosene Lanterns |
|
|
| 1 Flashlight |
|
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