Wildebeest Family

Sayari Camp, Serengeti

Tanzania’s famous Serengeti National Park is likely Africa’s most celebrated wildlife sanctuary, rivaled only by South Africa’s Kruger National Park and Kenya’s Masai Mara.  This massive park is best known for its annual wildebeest migration when some 1.5-million wildebeest (also known as gnu) follow the rains in a months-long journey from south to north and back again, culminating with the calving which takes place in the southern shortgrass plains of the Serengeti.

There are better places than the Serengeti to see elephants and rhinos – and African Painted Dogs – but few other parks quite match the Serengeti for grandeur and impact.  This is Africa.  It is vast and teeming with wildlife and can be visited at any time of the year, with the southern, central and northern parts of the park – and even the west – each having its own particular appeal.

At Asilia Africa’s Sayari Camp in the far northern Serengeti, overlooking the Mara River, I would spend my last night on safari, before heading off to hike Kilimanjaro.  My guide for the two half days there was Daudi who impressed me to no end and is clearly a rising star in the guiding fraternity.  Barely ten minutes into the drive, Daudi spotted a handsome male leopard staring out over a heavily grassed plain, from an elevated spot on top of a termite mound.  Much like a cheetah would do.

For the next 30 minutes or so we followed the leopard at a distance, as it criss-crossed the open area, walking steadily through the tall, thick grass, stopping at several termite mounds covered with bushes, scanning the surroundings carefully from each vantage point.

It is unusual for a leopard to hunt in the middle of the day, but not unheard of.  This one was clearly hungry.  Under very similar circumstances a couple of years ago we witnessed a leopard stalking and killing a black-backed jackal, at around 2 pm in the afternoon, in Namibia.  Being diurnal, cheetahs also hunt during the day.  Which is exactly what happened next.

Just minutes after leaving the hungry leopard behind, we got word of a solitary male cheetah close to the Kogatende airstrip.  Once we got there, the cat was nowhere to be seen, having walked into cover.  We drove around for a bit, knowing that the cat had to be really close.  And then it happened.  Daudi and I heard impala distress calls from the other side of a thicket.  Rapidly making our way over there,  we discovered a male cheetah just starting to feed on a kill made just minutes prior.  The victim?  A baby impala.

Typical of a cheetah, the animal ate hurriedly, always wary of its prey being appropriated by lions, leopards or hyenas.  We left the cheetah there in peace, and with a full belly, capable of surviving for another few days in the harsh African wilderness where the specter of starvation is ever-present.  This is particularly the case when the wildebeest migration is not around.  Without the abundance of vulnerable baby wildebeest which the migration brings to the scene, the life of a predator is always in the balance.

My second but last game drive in the Serengeti was an unqualified success. Two different leopard sightings plus a cheetah kill (well, almost), all before lunch.

My camp for the night was Sayari, my second Asilia Africa property on this trip,  the previous one being Namiri Plains in the Seronera area.  Sayari is one of Asilia’s showpiece properties in the Serengeti, located just off the Mara River, with great views over the plains and beyond.

Legendary Lodge

The camp is operated as two separate entities, one being a 6-roomed and the other a 9-roomed unit with a family room.  The family room has one standard bedroom with an adjacent/linked second bedroom, with its own bathroom with shower and 3 single beds.  The main bedroom has a large bed with a voluminous mosquito net, handy plug points, a reading light, ample storage space, adequate (but not great) lighting and a safe.  It also has a mini-bar stocked with cold beverages of your choice.

The large bedroom has a good-sized faux marble tub with ample hot water and both indoor and outdoor showers, with excellent water pressure.

The main area at Sayari (the 9-roomed unit) is one of the most attractive of its kind; it has a pleasing, classic safari ambience, with the design rooted in the area in which the camp is situated. In the case of Sayari, the designer took inspiration from the colorful culture of the Kuria people who call the northern Serengeti their home.

Legendary Lodge

As part of its continual efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, Asilia introduced the first solar powered microbrewery in the bush, at Sayari. The brewery uses solar power to create beer and soft drinks on site, as well as purifying water, which removes the need for plastic bottles and cans in the camp. This not only reduces waste, but reduces the transport footprint.

I enjoyed a tasty and nicely presented three-course dinner with camp manager Goodluck, a ringer for actor Cuba Gooding Jr.  Goodluck is an ebullient and energetic individual and clearly well suited for the job.

On the morning of my departure I set off on my final game drive.  Almost right off the bat,  we bumped into a good sized herd of buffaloes, affording me my first, best opportunity of the trip, to get some buffalo photographs.  I had seen several of them in other areas, but none close enough for good captures.  This particular herd of about 100 or so were inquisitive and stared at us intently for quite a while, creating some good photo ops.

Villa Maua

In summary, my short stay at Sayari was fun and exciting, packed with big cat sightings (lions, cheetah and leopard), a fair number of elephants and the aforementioned buffaloes.  So again, as was the case at Lamai Serengeti, four of the ‘Big Five’ mammals in less than 24 hours.  Even so, game viewing can be challenging in the Northern Serengeti in February, so it is always a good idea to include some additional time at camps in the south or central part of the park, at that time of the year. 

Sanctuary Retreats

On my 45 minute flight back to Arusha, I had some good views of Lake Natron en route and our obliging pilot also flew right by an active volcano, Ol Doinyo Lengai, the Mountain of God.  I was on the wrong side of the aircraft for a photograph but the smoke plume left no doubt as to the status of the volcano.

Our blog next week will feature the first part of the 5-day Marangu Route, also known as the Coca-Cola route, sometimes described as the easiest of the various routes to the summit of Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro, at Uhuru Point.  As Bert would experience, it was shorter than the other routes, but definitely not easy.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

Nomad Tanzania

Lamai Serengeti Camp, Tanzania

Over breakfast at Lamai Serengeti Camp on the day of my departure, I had my first ‘Africa moment’ of the trip.  Maybe it was just a matter of time and place, the way the sun shone low off the horizon.  Or perhaps I had been in Africa long enough to slip into its different rhythm, finding myself somewhere between sleeping and waking, gazing out over the distant plains in the direction of the Mara River.  Sometimes a view can truly be mesmerizing.

It was bitter-sweet to be back at Lamai Serengeti which I visited previously when it was full.  Choc-a-bloc with no room for the proverbial mouse.  It was buzzing with the typical safari camp vibe:  fun, laughter and camaraderie, sharing stories and sightings over pre-dinner drinks.  This time?  Quite different, being the only guest in the lodge.  Even at the best of times the Lamai area can be quiet just before it shuts down for March and April, for the long rains. And this year of course, the travel-inhibitive effect of the pandemic was pervasive all over Africa.

Lamai Serengeti Camp is located in the far northern Serengeti, just a short drive from the Mara River, ideally positioned for the annual wildebeest migration.  If you spend several days here between mid-July and October, you’ll stand a good chance to see the herds of wildebeest and zebra come through and with a bit of luck you may even experience a river crossing.

On the day I got there in mid-February 2021, the Lamai area had received an abundance of early rains which made for exceedingly tall grass, not conducive to great game-viewing.  There were good numbers of plains game around, including topi, kongoni, the ubiquitous gazelles, a handful of giraffes and some buffalo bulls.  Just not the usual abundance of animals associated with the Serengeti, where one often sees five or six or more different types of large mammals, at the same time.

However, what the game-viewing lacked in quantity, it made up for in quality.  On the first morning drive, we came upon two female lions with cubs.  They were fairly high up on a prominent rock, the two lions lazily stretching out, preparing for an afternoon siesta.  One of the cubs (apparently from a litter of eight) was quite energetic, bounding up the rock and proceeding to stare us down.

That afternoon my guide Joel spotted a leopard from a long distance, clear across a valley.  An astonishing feat of visual acuity, yet something which many of the guides do day in and day out, without even realizing just how special it is.  Upon closer inspection it turned out to be a female with two young cubs, no more than a few weeks old.  In fast fading light, I captured a few images of the three leopards.  While the mother was rather disinterested in our presence, the cubs took a distinct interest, staring at us intently.  Probably because we were one of their first vehicle sightings.  Sometimes we’re being looked at too – this is not a one-way street…

The following day – in the same area – we bumped into a male cheetah on the hunt, which gave us the big cat trifecta:  lions, leopards and cheetahs, all three in less than 24 hours.  There’s only a handful of places in Africa where this can be experienced with any manner of consistency, and Lamai Serengeti Camp is one of them.  On both my visits to the area we’ve managed this safari hat trick.  The first time around it was on the same game drive.

The food offerings at Lamai Serengeti were of an exceptionally high quality.  Lunch was served in a private spot overlooking the pool, and I enjoyed the butternut squash tart, green salad, freshly baked bread and a ginger sorbet, all while checking out the antics of a few vervet monkeys who were looking for a free meal ticket.  Sorry to disappoint, fellas…

Dinner was a real treat with an array of local specialities including ugali (polenta), maharagwe (bean stew), chicken stew with tomato, chapati bread, a rice pilaf, beef skewers and spinach.  All traditional and all delicious.

Legendary Lodge

The design of the lodge and rooms incorporates  traditional materials and methods, with the interiors having been hand-made by local artisans.  The end result is esthetically pleasing without being alien to the environment:  open, well ventilated and with lots of natural light.  A comfortable, organic feel.

Rooms are of a good size, with gorgeous views over the Mara River floodplain and the Oloololo escarpment in the far distance.  The in-room lighting is adequate.  There’s a large bathroom and walk-in closet with ample storage space, a safe, charging points, and a mosquito net.

Legendary Lodge

The following day, I took a quick look at the 5-roomed Lamai Private – which can be booked on an exclusive use basis.  There is also a separate family unit – Mkombe’s House – which sleeps up to four adults and six children and is likewise available for exclusive use.  It was designed specifically with families in mind.

Nomad Tanzania’s Lamai Serengeti is a place I can return to time after time, alone or with a crowd.  Its appeal is timeless and its people are what one remembers, long after the images of leopards and lions start fading away.  There was Babu, my host: the most endearing chap you’ll ever meet.  An instant friend.  Lawrence, the manager,  was personable and friendly, and provided me with a thorough briefing on the many projects and initiatives currently being supported by the Nomad Trust, ranging from conservation programs to education and healthcare.

Villa Maua

My guide Joel was – as always – the person I spent the most time with and we made the most of it.  His driving abilities were tested to the limit when we entered a rocky area to get a bit closer to the leopard female with the two cubs – but it was all worth it.  Skill, perseverance and patience:  it was a pleasure to work with Joel and he made my short visit to Lamai Serengeti a memorable and productive experience.

Sanctuary Retreats

In our blog next week, we take a look at Asilia Africa’s Sayari Camp , a jewel of a tented property which is elevated on high ground above the Mara River, in the Lamai area.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

Ngare Sero Lodge

Serengeti Safari Camp, Ndutu

Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife sanctuaries. Massive in size – dwarfing Kenya’s Masai Mara which is part of the same ecosystem – it is high on the bucket list of many travelers.  And for good reason.  There’s nothing else like it.  Its vast undulating grassy plains, interspersed with rocky outcrops, patches of woodland and forest and riverine thickets, are well-watered and support literally millions of large mammals of as many as 70 species.

It also harbors more than 500 species of birds, from heavy flightless ostriches to tiny fire-finches, a wealth of birds of prey and some of Africa’s most colorful birds such as bee-eaters, rollers, shrikes and sunbirds.  Its annual wildebeest migration – when in excess of 1.5 million wildebeest move from the southern shortgrass plains of the Serengeti to the northernmost borders of the park along the Mara and Sand Rivers, as well as to the west into the Grumeti Reserve – is one of the world’s most celebrated natural phenomena.

It has only been a couple of years since my last visit to the southern Serengeti, but it couldn’t have been more different than the previous time.  As the flight from Mwiba dipped lower and turned on short finals to line up with the runway at Ndutu airstrip, I knew right away that we had found the wildebeest migration.

Sanctuary Retreats

There were clusters of wildebeest visible all over the woodland, with herds of up to several hundred, with almost as many zebras mixed in with them, occupying every open area and grassy spot.  Sporadically, they would erupt into bursts of seemingly reverberating calls, as first one and then another and eventually many started to make their loud grunting contact calls.

After I had been picked up by my guide Amos Noah from Nomad Tanzania, we went back into the woodland to closely observe the masses of wildebeest and zebra steadily making their way through the area.  They were clearly alert to our presence, staring at us momentarily before relaxing and slowly opening up a gap between themselves and the vehicle.

At times, some of them got spooked and would take off in a random direction, sometimes causing a few others to bolt as well.  

In certain spots there were almost as many zebras as wildebeest, the animals being packed together tightly.  It was not an easy scene to photograph.  Frankly, a photograph simply does not transmit the scope and drama of the event.  I did later capture some of the motion on video, but even that is a pale imitation of being there, right then.

At nearby Lake Ndutu we came upon a pride of lions.  Three of them – including one handsome male – was doing what most lions do during the day:  find a comfortable spot and sleep.  The other five had taken their sleep behavior to the next level.  We found them high up in a huge acacia tortilis tree, stretched out on thick horizontal branches, seemingly quite comfortable with their legs and tails hanging down.

Their heads were down and turned either to the left or right, changing position every now and then. In 30 years of being in the safari business, I had not seen this – ever.  Despite trying several times, I had never seen the tree-climbing lions of Lake Manyara National Park, or the ones known to do this in the Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda.  Or anywhere else.

So it was a really special sighting, particularly with just one or two other vehicles around.  Ordinarily – in a non-Covid year – a sighting like this would be surrounded by a dozen or more vehicles.   Once we had observed and photographed the dozing lions – who barely acknowledged our presence – we headed back into the woodland for even more ‘migration’ photos and views.

Legendary Lodge

Next up was a big male leopard on a horizontal branch in a different tree, a couple of miles or so from the lake.  It had dragged a carcass of an impala up to the same branch.  Parking next to a vehicle with several professional photographers (we figured it out by the size of the lenses), we observed the leopard for quite a while.  Eventually we drove in another direction where we found what turned out  to be several dozen giraffes – there’s almost always more of them than you think – and a large herd of elephants.

An hour or so later, we returned to the male leopard – which had relocated to a different branch in the tree – and caught a glimpse of a shy female leopard nearby.  We saw her again on our way back to camp.  Briefly stopping, we saw her first descend a tree and then climb right back up.  Light conditions (backlit) were unfortunately rather poor that late in the afternoon, so I ended up with a couple of ‘silhouette only’ pics.  Can’t win them all.

Legendary Lodge

Soon thereafter, we arrived at Nomad Tanzania’s Serengeti Safari Camp #2.  This small mobile tented camp has 7 tents, including a family tent consisting of 2 adjoining tents.  There’s also a compact yet attractive mess tent and lounge tent with a small library, a device re-charging station and a small bar.

Villa Maua

The tented rooms are quite simple yet perfectly adequate and they retain the essence of mobile tented camping, without turning into yet another ‘luxury’ camp.  So essentially a case of ‘just enough’ and ‘not too much’…  The interior lighting isn’t great but at least you don’t have to mess with lamps or lanterns or candles.  The flush toilet takes a bit of getting used to but it beats a ‘long drop’.  Some people blanch when they hear ‘bucket shower’ but in a setting like this one, it lends an authentic touch and it is of course much more environmentally friendly than an assemblage of pipes and wells.  All I had to do was indicate when I wanted to take a shower and at the agreed time, an attendant hooked up a large container with hot water, just outside the tent.  This time around I lingered a bit too long and ran out of water before I was quite ready.  Not an issue.  Another bucket was produced in short order.

The food offerings at Serengeti Safari Camp were fresh and tasty and while there were not a huge amount of choices or options, it is definitely in the ‘solid’ category.  

What Nomad Tanzania admirably succeeds in doing, is retaining the essence of camping in the sense of staying connected with the wilderness.  You’re right in the middle of where it all happens.  I am personally never happier going to bed at night with the sounds of wildebeest contact calls and braying zebras filling the air.  We even heard – and a couple of staff members spotted it – a leopard right from the dinner table.

The Serengeti Safari Camp staff were friendly and helpful, without exception.  The guiding – by Amos Noah – was excellent.  He knew where the tree-climbing lions were, found several leopards, got me into position for some flamingo shots, and was an agreeable and fun person to be with.

After dinner – in the company of two other guests from England – I retired early and spent a peaceful night in my tent at Serengeti Safari Camp #2.  My only regret?  The brevity of the visit.  Up early the next morning, I enjoyed a hot breakfast before hitting the road once again, back to Ndutu Airstrip, off to a different spot in the southern Serengeti.

In next week’s blog:  I move a bit further south and west to Sanctuary’s Kusini camp, a luxury tented property where I was the beneficiary of exceptionally good guiding and several obliging leopards.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris