Tanzania

Where to go on safari in 2022-23

19th November 2021

Where to go on safari in 2022-23

As the Covid pandemic retreats worldwide, thoughts turn to resuming life the way we once did, filled with family, friends, togetherness – and travel.

Picking up where we left off around March of 2020, we can once again dream and plan on visiting foreign shores.

As and when travelers resume planning trips to Africa, they soon find out that there are dozens of safari destinations and hundreds of combinations of camps and activities.

Fortunately, there are just a few golden rules for a happy and successful safari trip:

* Spend more time in fewer locations. Now more than ever it makes sense to take a single country trip with fewer, longer stops.

* If you have a good guide you can have a great safari almost anywhere, anytime.

* Smaller is always better than bigger when it comes to group size and camp size.

* You almost always get what you pay for; in the case of a good safari it is prime location, small camp, good guiding, privacy (private concessions, private guide & vehicle), all-inclusive pricing and an all-round quality experience with no unpleasant surprises.

Here are a few destinations we visited recently and which we think hold great appeal for the next couple of years, for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, all of these destinations are suitable for a single country trip, reducing the number of potential Covid tests and lessening the burden of entry formalities and hassles associated with border crossings.

ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe’s three prime game-viewing areas namely Hwange, Matusadona (Lake Kariba) and Mana Pools make a truly unbeatable safari combination with as much diversity as just about any other safari destination. You’d have to fly between some areas but even with the inclusion of flights, 10 days split between these three areas in the high season is still going to be 50% less than comparable camps in Botswana.

Start your trip in Victoria Falls for the views and an extraordinary range of adventure activities and consider including the Matobos for rhino viewing, terrific scenery, culture and history.

Zimbabwe is a classic African safari destination with excellent game-viewing, headlined by the presence of thousands of elephants in all of the major national parks, most notably Hwange which has in excess of 30,000 elephants. Add to that buffaloes, eland, plenty of giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, special antelopes such as roan and sable and a good variety of cats and you end up with a first-class game-viewing destination.

KENYA
There is simply nowhere better for a first safari than Kenya. Why? Diversity of habitats, abundance of animals and wide-open plains making game-viewing relatively easy and rewarding. Add to that a well-functioning tourism infrastructure, super-friendly people and a wide range of accommodations catering to every taste and budget. Kenya is easy to get to from the USA via Europe or the Middle East, or on a non-stop flight from JFK to Nairobi on Kenya Airways, currently operating several days per week.

I would be very hard pressed to think of a 10-day safari that offers nearly as much to see and experience as a combination of Amboseli (no place better for elephants & views of Kilimanjaro); Lewa or Samburu (spectacular endemics such as Reticulated Giraffe and Grevy’s Zebra & beautiful ‘out of Africa’ views) and the Masai Mara, for simply the best game-viewing in Africa. This can be done on a fly-in basis with any start date. Shoulder months such as June and November offer excellent value for money.

WESTERN TANZANIA AND THE SERENGETI
Prefer to be away from the ‘maddening crowds’ and able to handle some long flights and the occasional bit of discomfort in pursuit of authenticity and excitement? If so, then Tanzania and specifically a combination of the Serengeti, Tarangire and Katavi National Park in far western Tanzania would be ideal.

What to expect? Mostly small, remote camps with few other people, excellent game-viewing and superb birding plus simply the best chimpanzee treks in all of Africa, at Mahale Mountains National Park. The addition of a few days in Katavi National Park elevates this from a great trip to an outstanding one. This remote park is an unvarnished slice of African wilderness where the dry season pushes its large hippo population to the limits of endurance. Big herds of buffalo, elephant, plenty of predators – Katavi has it all and there’s few other people around.

The ideal itinerary for this combination would have 4 or 5 nights in the Serengeti (which can be split between the northern and central region), 3 nights at Greystoke Camp in the Mahale Mountains National Park and 4 nights at Chada Katavi. Stay a little longer by adding a couple of nights at Ngorongoro Crater at the start of the trip.

SOUTHERN TANZANIA & ZANZIBAR
For another remote and very private Africa experience, I would recommend a combination of 4 nights in the Ruaha National Park in south-central Tanzania (Nomad’s Kigelia, Asilia’s Kwihala or Jabala Ridge or Mwagusi Camp) plus one or two camps in the Selous Game Reserve (Sand Rivers – sublime) and perhaps Beho-Beho (on our Groundhog Day list). And then add a few days in Zanzibar at the end, a combination of Stone Town and one of the beach resorts. If pressed for time, a couple of nights in Stone Town would suffice as long as you include a half day walking tour of Stone Town (must do) and possibly an outing to Jozani Forest Reserve to see the Red Colobus monkeys and the Mangroves. The Spice Tour is a bit touristy but highly entertaining and educational.

ZAMBIA
Zambia is huge and with three premier safari areas – South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi and Kafue – it has an amazing diversity of scenery, habitat and activities. Walking is central to the experience everywhere yet it isn’t forced or mandatory. They do the walking excursions mostly early in the morning as it can and does get hot later in the day.

Some of the best areas in Zambia like the Kafue and Lower Zambezi are considerably better later in the dry season, so my recommendation would be to travel there from July through October. It does get hot and dry then but definitely worth it for the concentration of elephants and other wildlife, close to water.

In terms of game-viewing, the highlights in the Kafue National Park include lions and leopards. The latter are well represented at Musekese Camp (which we highly recommend visiting) where there are 17 leopards in the area just around the camp. On a visit earlier this year, we saw two females interacting which is highly unusual. All the leopards have individual designations and their behavior and distribution and relationships are intensively studied.

The South Luangwa National Park is also known for an abundance of leopards plus good elephant numbers, giraffe, zebra and of course hundreds of hippos along the Luangwa river. There are multiple thousands of hippos on the Luangwa so you are almost never quite out of hearing distance of their booming snorts and honking. We are partial to the Shenton camps (Kaingo and Mwamba) as well as the Bushcamp Company and Time & Tide properties. They all offer a slightly different experience – depending on location and season – but all are excellent.

The Lower Zambezi National Park offers a distinctively different experience and setting, with most of the camps located on the banks of the Zambezi. So in addition to game drives (day and early evening), you can also do boating and canoeing, as well as walking. From August onwards the seeds of the Winterthorn trees start to drop, which attracts dozens of elephants day and night. The pods are like candy to them. This is best seen and experienced at the camps west of Jeki Airstrip, being Old Mondoro, the Tusk & Mane camps and Anabezi.

The area around Tusk & Mane in Lower Zambezi is impossibly atmospheric and there is just nowhere else like it. Tusk and Mane’s Kutali and Chula camps are rustic with bucket showers (having proper flush toilets) but the experience is as ‘classic safari’ as it gets.

The canoeing experience on the Lower Zambezi is amazing as well. We saw about 50 hippos on a three hour canoe outing and elephants crossed the channel in front of us and behind us. All in all an action packed outing with a few jolts of adrenaline here and there, yet I felt quite safe due to the expert guiding. Boating on the Kafue and the Zambezi rivers adds yet another facet to the Zambia experience. The two rivers are so different yet I found both of them to be fascinating given the immense flow of water and the importance they have to the wildlife areas in Zambia.

At any time of the year, the vehicle density in Zambia – except in the Mfuwe area – is lower than anywhere else. The camps are really small, mostly with just 4 or 5 tents. In areas like the Lower Zambezi and Kafue the experience is like being on your own private African safari.

BOTSWANA
I have not changed my mind about Botswana being among the very best safari destinations of any. On a recent trip which included Chief’s Island in the Moremi, the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari, we again experienced Botswana’s abundance of wildlife, beautiful scenery and friendly people.

On our very first game drive out of Chief’s Camp we saw African painted dogs, lions and cheetahs. That set the pace for the entire trip, with buffaloes on our arrival at Eagle Island Lodge, a couple of baby leopards there, interaction between two sets of male lions at Xigera Safari Camp and ending with a mother and baby pair of white rhinos at Dinaka, in the Kalahari. And of course all the plains game including plentiful giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, lechwes, gemsbok, springbok, tsessebe, steenbok, a myriad of hippos and more.

Botswana has gotten quite pricey – especially from June through the end of October (high season), but you don’t have to spend weeks here to have a fantastic time on safari. Seven to nine nights total on safari is more than adequate. For a longer trip, add on a few days in Zimbabwe or South Africa. To keep the price manageable, consider going in the low-demand season, from November through the end of March. If you spend a bit more time in fewer areas (to give yourself a little more time and opportunity to find some of the elusive species like leopards and cheetahs), it can be every bit as good as the high season.

Some visitors – notably photographers – consider the low season to be the best time of the year, bar none. Why? There are lots of baby animals around (notably hundreds of baby impalas) which stimulates predator activity. Just about every day, you will experience gorgeous sunrises and sunsets due to the presence of some clouds. There are many bird species in breeding plumage, and lots of summer migrant bird species present, including the strident woodland kingfisher, several species of shrikes, bee-eaters, orioles, wading birds, birds of prey and many more. The animals are generally in good condition at this time of the year due to abundant food sources, and the green vegetation creates beautiful backdrops. The bottom line? Travel to Botswana in the low demand season and enjoy superb game-viewing and exceptionally good photography conditions at much lower prices, with far fewer other visitors around. Call or email us for information about several superb low-demand season trip itineraries and cost estimates.

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Marangu Route, Kilimanjaro – Part 1

30th April 2021

Marangu Route, Kilimanjaro – Part 1

Marangu

Marangu Route, Kilimanjaro – Part 1

On what was my third Kilimanjaro climb, having summited via the Machame and Rongai Routes previously, I took the first steps up the Marangu Route – sometimes referred to as the ‘Coca-Cola’ Route – in mid-February 2021.

While the Marangu Route is often given short shrift as being the shortest, ‘easiest’ Kilimanjaro route, and the least scenic one, it is no less challenging than the other routes where and when it matters, which is on summit day.

Like the Rongai route, the path to the summit on Marangu goes via Gilman’s Point and then Stella Point. At the stage of the climb where you have used up just about all your energy – to reach Gilman’s Point – you have essentially two more hours ahead of you, your lungs laboring mightily at an altitude of nearly 19,000 feet above sea level, before reaching Uhuru Point. And then you have to turn around and retrace your steps, every one of them, all the way down to about 12,000 feet.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The hours leading up to the start of the climb take on somewhat of an air of familiarity by climb #3. It starts with an overnight stay at Zara Tours’ rather mediocre hotel in Moshi (the food was a lot better this year!) where we assembled for an equipment check and pre-climb briefing conducted by our head guide, Joseph Majuto. Just like the year before when he guided us on the Rongai Route, Joseph was energetic, super helpful and ever vigilant of my comfort, health and safety.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we piled into a minibus and headed to a downtown supermarket to pick up some cold water and a couple of last minute items. In my case suntan lotion and a couple of candy bars. One year ago, in February 2020, the hotel was full with small groups of excited hikers coming and going constantly. This time, there were just three tourists spending the night there: myself and a German couple who were going to trek the Machame Route.

Gone was the air of excitement, the chatter, camaraderie and laughter. Replaced by a sense of resignation, and some hope, these many months into the coronavirus crisis. It was no different at the Marangu Gate. I was one of only three persons to check in for the Marangu climb on the day. There were about 10 people doing day-trips to Mandara Camp and back, to be out of the gate by 6:30 pm.

Thu 18 Feb: Mandara Gate to Mandara Huts

The first day’s hike is an easy walk of 8 km (5 miles), all the way within a perfectly awesome rainforest, eventually alongside a burbling mountain stream. Forest birds were – as usual – in short supply, but I did hear some Turacos calling; likely Hartlaub’s. It wasn’t until we reached the pretty Mandara Huts campsite that we saw any notable wildlife, being some habituated Sykes’ Monkeys. We did encounter a shy Dik-dik antelope in the forest as well.

Even though we covered only 5 miles the total duration of the hike was nearly 5 hours, with a stopover for a boxed lunch and a couple of other rest stops thrown in.

You can’t reach the summit on Day 1, but you can significantly improve your chances of reaching it, by taking it easy, early on. There’s no deadline, no cut-off time to be at any specific point, and there’s no special medal for a speedy summit. Start too fast and you will almost certainly struggle later on. Yes the pace may sometimes feel glacially slow, but don’t let it bother you. Take a look at the persons rushing up the mountain. You may see them again later, heading down well before summiting – after running out of gas.

As a solo climber I had the luxury of having an entire 4-bedded hut at Mandara Huts to myself, which made getting settled in, a lot less onerous than within the tight confines of a tent. The room has a light (not that great but better than none), ample gear storage space, 4 bunk beds with foam mattresses and cushions, and a good sized table with three chairs.

At the start of the day, I had taken 250mg Diamox which resulted in a rather persistent and pronounced diuretic effect. In the evening I reverted back to the ‘standard’ guideline which is to take just 125mg, twice a day. Until early on the summit night, when I popped another 250mg. Diamox (acetazolamide) being a prescription drug which helps to prevent and reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness.

Legendary Lodge

At the end of Day 1, I was feeling good, with no major aches or pains. The only area of concern was a hotspot on the sole of my left foot, in a calloused area just behind the big toe. Keeping your feet healthy and in good condition is paramount on a long (45 mile) hike like this one. So I immediately sterilized the area and used a gel plaster to cover the hotspot, to prevent a blister from forming. It worked. I replaced the gel plaster a couple of times further along the hike and there was no further damage.

Marangu

Three common Kilimanjaro climb pitfalls to avoid

What are the three most common mistakes made in the planning and execution of a Kili climb?

#1: Not adding an additional acclimating day and opting for the minimum # of days on a climb.

Unless you are a super-conditioned athlete – and even then – attempting the Machame Route in just six days or the Marangu Route in just five, is looking for trouble. Spending an additional day on the mountain at altitude makes a huge difference in the chance for a successful summit. So spend a bit more time in Tanzania and pay the extra money for one more day: it will be worth your while. This is even more important on the shorter routes like Marangu and Umbwe, both of which can theoretically be done in 5 days. Definitely add an extra night on these climbs; even then your body is going to have a tough time to adjust due to the short, rapid ascent.

#2: Flying into Kilimanjaro the night before starting your Kili climb.

This is not a good idea, particularly if you live in a city close to sea level and you have to take one or more long flights crossing as many as 9 or 10 time zones to get to Tanzania. Departing from sea level, spending 30-plus hours on the journey, only getting to Tanzania the night before – and then setting out on the climb the very next day – is decidedly risky. Like asking your body to go from zero to 60 mph overnight.

Villa Maua

On the other hand, spending 3 nights or so in Tanzania at around 1,500 meters above sea level, such as in the Arusha or Moshe area, can make a decisive difference for the better. You’ve already made a significant investment in time and money to get this far, so don’t risk it by starting up the mountain too soon. Spending a few nights at a lodge such as Ngare Sero, on the lower slopes of Mt. Meru just outside Arusha, will be hugely beneficial. There’s plenty of activities to keep you busy, including hiking on the lower slopes of Mt. Meru. Get over the jetlag, rest up a bit and give your body a chance to acclimate to the mile-high altitude before you pile on more altitude over the next few days. If you’re keen, we can even arrange a 3-day hike of Mt. Meru which would be the ideal fine-tuning of your Kilimanjaro preparation.

#3. Starting off at too fast a pace

You’ve done the training, you’re feeling fit and you want to get to the top. Fast. So off you go, charging up the mountain, right out of the gate. Big mistake. Kili is not a race and there is no special certificate for beating the pack. It takes 6 or 7 days or even more, and the real test only starts around midnight on summit day. That is when a Kili climb goes from relatively easy to sometimes super difficult, depending on the conditions. Not conserving your energy earlier on will cost you dearly then. Always mind your guide’s entreaties to go slowly. Pole pole.

Of course, several other factors come into play, including good physical preparation, proper equipment, picking the best time of the year for your climb, and having a competent head guide in charge.

Friday 19 February: Mandara to Horombo Huts

From Mandara Huts, it is a long, steady, uphill hike to Horombo Huts, where we would spend the next two nights. Along the way, the habitat changes from rainforest to open macchia scrub. Ordinarily, both sides of the trail would be covered by fairly dense stands of protea bushes. Not this time. Almost as soon as we emerged from the rainforest, we started to see the devastation caused by the recent (Oct. 2020) fire which destroyed some 28 square kilometers of mostly grass and shrub-covered areas on the southern slopes of the mountain.

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Signs of regeneration are very much evident with fresh shoots of proteas visible everywhere. It will take several years for the area to regain its previous splendor though.

From Horombo, we did a 3-hour hike up to the Zebra Rocks for some additional altitude acclimatization. The afternoon – as the travel brochures used to state – was ‘at leisure’. Time to catch up on some notes, send a few emails and texts (struggling with a spotty and intermittent cell phone signal) and simply resting up for the next couple of days which would be the toughest part of the climb.

Our blog post next week will take us all the way to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and down again, with heavy snow on summit day creating tough hiking conditions. On the way down – at Stella Point – we crossed paths with a world-famous kayaker – Aleksander Doba – on his way up to the summit.

More Info

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Sayari Camp, Serengeti

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Tanzania’s famous Serengeti National Park is likely Africa’s most celebrated

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

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Lamai Serengeti Camp, Tanzania

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Lamai Serengeti Camp, Tanzania

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

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Namiri Plains Camp, Serengeti Plains

11th April 2021

Namiri Plains Camp, Serengeti Plains

A Rare Black Serval

Namiri Plains Camp, Serengeti Plains

Say ‘Seronera’ to an African safari pro and you might get a raised eyebrow. While everyone acknowledges Seronera – the central portion of the vast Serengeti Plains – to be a fantastic game-viewing area, it is seasonally affected by too many vehicles at big cat and other high profile sightings. In the high and even shoulder season in non-Covid years, you could inadvertently run into a melee with just too many other people and vehicles around.

Which is why I was happy to be able to visit and explore a portion of the eastern sector of Seronera where crowds are not an issue. At all. Over the course of a couple of days in the area – about two to three hours drive east of Seronera – we saw only a handful of other vehicles – and lots of animals.

Backing up a couple of days, I arrived at a bustling Seronera Airstrip with more than 20 vehicles around on a Saturday in mid-February 2021. Clearly plenty of arrivals and departures. In fact, surprisingly busy conditions, considering the state of international travel at the time.

Thoughts of airstrips and passenger pickups soon fade as you make your way through impossibly beautiful savannah grasslands and rolling hills, traveling east. It was a solid two hour drive from Seronera to Namiri Plains Camp, passing several other camps along the way, including Lemala Nanyuki. The road was rough and waterlogged and it took some skillful driving by my guide David to negotiate a few tricky spots. All part of a day on safari. Your silent interior angst when approaching a seemingly impassable muddy crossing is almost instantly dispelled by authoritative, experienced handling of a vehicle which is clearly up to the task.

We saw quite a bit of game en route, including a breeding herd of elephants, groups of topi antelopes, a host of giraffes and some good birds including several secretary birds. It was a transfer drive but not really. The visual entertainment and the silent cheering as we cleared one after another mud ambush kept me enthralled and there were no anxious glances at a wristwatch or mentally trying to calculate how far we still had to go.

My arrival at Namiri Plains left a good first impression when seemingly the entire team lined up to welcome me, belting out a spirited rendition of Hakuna Matata. Everything I saw and experienced subsequently confirmed my earlier assumptions. The lounge, dining room, the pathways and general appearance of the property and grounds solidified the impression of a well-run, well-managed camp.

Another early and consistent high note: the food. It started with a delicious lunch, a tasty chicken wrap with a green as well as a butternut squash salad on the side. Dinner that same day was a perfectly prepared fillet of beef, with a range of creatively executed and presented salads and other side dishes presented in a mezze platter fashion. Fresh, innovative and fun.

The setting of Namiri Plains is quite dramatic with a beautiful and very ‘Africa’ looking view to the front of camp. Essentially a sprinkling of acacia tortilis trees – the distinctively flat-topped ones – dotted over a short grass plain, with a particularly striking dead tree close to the lounge, the undeniable focus of attention. This tree may have been alive when the lodge was first built, but it was never more attractive – even iconic – than now.

I found the design of Namiri Plains camp to be striking and very much in tune with the environment. It is open and airy, with clean lines and lots of space. There’s plenty of natural wood and rock visible in the main building, with the tented roof extending well beyond the edge of the structure. The camp has a total of 10 rooms, 4 on the right side, 6 on the left, including one family room.

Legendary Lodge

The spacious, stylish tented suites have sliding doors running the width of each room and opening on to an expansive viewing deck. The walls are made from calcrete, a sedimentary rock created from the ashes of the Ngorongoro volcanoes, that helps to regulate the temperature. Interiors are all decorated in natural materials and tones. Each bathroom has a view over the plains and I made almost immediate use of a standalone tub on my private deck for an al fresco bath. Picked up a few muddy splashes on the way in? No problem.

Game-viewing at Namiri Plains

I enjoyed one full day of game-viewing at Namiri Plains, and was it a doozy. We saw a total of 30 lions (from 4 different groups) just in the first morning, a serval cat hunting for frogs in a shallow pond, and a cheetah patrolling the plains. Not to mention giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, kongoni, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, warthogs, zebras, jackals and a host of birds.

Legendary Lodge

We had good views of a pair of mating lions, and another large pride of lions drinking at a shallow depression. There’s not a lot of off-roading at Namiri Plains. It can be done for special guests, like professional photographers on assignment, but in line with park regulations the guides mainly stick to the established roads. That said, we had some pretty close big cat sightings and good captures overall.

My colleague Jason, who visited Namiri Plains before I did, recounts his game viewing experience there as being somewhat unique and very productive. “Our guide knew a pride of lions with cubs had been spotted near one of the clearly visible rocky outcrops a short distance from the camp. We quickly found the pride and had a great evening watching the cubs play with each other and their family.

Villa Maua

The following day we looked for some of the many cheetahs in the area and managed to find two separate families — one mother with 6 cubs and another with 3. Even our drive back to Seronera was eventful, as we stumbled upon the melanistic serval cat that is somewhat famous in the area. Our guide noticed a black animal jumping through the tall grass and immediately knew what it was. A very rare sighting to wrap up a short stay at Namiri Plains”. Sightings of melanistic serval? Jason 1, Bert 0.

Before Namiri Plains was built, these grasslands were closed for 20 years to allow the cheetah population to restore. The nearest other camps are over an hour’s drive away so you can experience the vast plains the way they are meant to be: in peace and quiet.

The game drive area of Namiri Plains is one of the few in the eastern Serengeti with permanent underground water sources, which makes for consistently excellent game viewing. The seasonal riverbed attracts plains game, and of course the predators are never far away. The annual wildebeest migration heads toward Namiri between October and May. During this period, you may see the plains covered in wildebeest, gathered here to feast on the lush grass.

Sanctuary Retreats

Our blog for next Friday will take us all the way to the Lamai area in the Northern Serengeti, visiting Nomad Tanzania’s Lamai Serengeti Camp. I have fond memories of first visiting this camp a few years ago and it was insightful to be back there, under very different circumstances.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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Sanctuary Kusini Camp, Southern Serengeti

2nd April 2021

Sanctuary Kusini Camp, Southern Serengeti

Sanctuary Retreats

Sanctuary Kusini Camp, Southern Serengeti

On my last night at Sanctuary Kusini Camp in the Southern Serengeti this February, I heard lions roaring from my tent. As I found out the following morning, the cats had spent the night on a rocky outcrop a few hundred meters outside of camp. Close enough to be heard and appreciated, far enough not to be a threat.

Listening to lions proclaiming their territorial dominance, is always a memorable moment on safari. Whether they’re close enough to make your chest reverberate or calling from a mile away, the roaring of lions in the bush cuts right to the heart of the safari experience. Exciting, unpredictable, with just a hint of danger – and a promise of things to come. A pursuit, a hunt – maybe even a kill.

A short flight of not even 15 minutes had brought me from Ndutu to Serengeti South airstrip, from where it was a 20-minute drive or so, to Sanctuary’s Kusini Camp. I had long wanted to make my way here and as it turned out, my highest expectations were exceeded.

Sanctuary Retreats

Lions and wildebeest on the move

Arriving before 9 am in the morning into the airstrip, meant that my guide Emmanuel Mbramba and I had plenty of time to explore the area, before having to return to camp for lunch. Our objective for the morning was to try to find some cheetahs – for which Kusini is known – but things worked out differently. One of our first sightings was a coalition of three young male lions, which seemed to be in great condition. They were clearly benefiting from the abundance of prey animals – particularly young wildebeest calves – present in the Serengeti during the migration.

From the lion sighting we drove to the nearby open plains where I witnessed an awesome wildebeest ‘run by’ with literally several thousand wildebeest thundering past us in a more or less unbroken line, from left to right, for what seemed like at least 20 minutes. On and on they came, sometimes a bit slower and then building up to a full on gallop. I thought at the time – and in recollection even more so – that it rivaled a river crossing in sheer impact and drama.

Many hundreds of photographs later, we made it to Kusini camp for a delicious lunch: a particularly nice chicken salad with chickpea and banana salads on the side.

More lions in trees

The afternoon game drive concentrated on a woodland area where we found several more lions – four of them – in trees. How odd that I would not see a lion in a tree in 30 years and then see nine of them doing that in a matter of two consecutive days. In two different parts of the Serengeti. One of the lions – a subadult male – was almost comically uncomfortable in the odd position he had assumed in a tree. Quite high up – almost in the canopy – but with only his chest and front paws resting on a branch. His hind legs were fully extended and apparently bearing a considerable amount of his weight.

Getting a good photo of a lion in a tree is challenging. For one thing, the animals are often obscured by branches and leaves. There is the much dreaded backlighting issue to contend with (getting good exposure on a dark object against a light background) and most importantly, it is difficult to illustrate the actual height to which the lions have climbed. There’s no real solution to any of these issues, except to get as many exposures as you can from different viewpoints and angles.

Leopards and more leopards

Soon after, Emmanuel found a female leopard and her young cub, also in a tree. Initially, we saw only the baby which was not shy at all. It clambered around for a bit on a horizontal branch and then ensconced itself among some leaves. As we approached the site, we observed the female higher up in the tree. She then climbed down and started feeding on a wildebeest carcass which had been jammed into the base of the tree. Eventually both mother and daughter climbed back up into the tree, where we left them.

The very next sighting was yet another leopard. This time a young male, which we soon realized was a veritable killing machine. He had no less than three carcasses strung up in his tree: two young wildebeest and most unexpectedly – a serval cat. Leopards are known to kill and actually consume other cats. When we first saw it, the serval carcass had not been mutilated or partially devoured, and we speculated about the likelihood of the leopard actually consuming it, given the abundance of other options.

Legendary Lodge

The light was fading fast so we had to return to camp for dinner. Predictably excellent. A soup starter, a choice of Spanish lamb stew with couscous, or herb-roasted chicken, and a vegetarian option. Plus a pear tart for dessert. The lions may have roared outside my tent again on this night, but I was dead to the world.

The following morning we were out early, hoping to get some better photos of the leopard which had killed the serval. Despite the lighting conditions remaining sub-par (cloudy), I did manage several decent captures of this beautiful cat. Initially as he was waking up – he had spent the night in a low bush about 20 meters from ‘his’ tree – and then as he approached and clambered up the tree.

Legendary Lodge

Over the next hour or so, the leopard relocated the dead serval more than once, eventually piling it on top of one of the wildebeest. The young male then rested up a bit, seemingly content to just stare at his handiwork. After taking a few bites from the serval, which he did not seem to find very palatable and whose fur clearly was not to his taste, the leopard turned to the wildebeest for sustenance, feeding on it for about 15 minutes or so. Then it was leopard nap-time and we went off in pursuit of other things.

The other things turned out to be more of the same, when we relocated the three young lion boys from the previous day. The difference being that they were on top of a big rock this time around. Having been told earlier that the area was known as ‘Simba rocks’, it all started to make sense. An impending thunderstorm – which in fact caught up with us en route – prompted a return to camp for lunch.

Villa Maua

Once again an elegantly presented, tasty meal. A summer salad. Asian pork salad with rice noodles. Marinated cucumber, beetroot and carrot salad. And a passion fruit panna cotta to wrap it up. Where are the exercise facilities when you really need them…

Sanctuary Kusini Camp turned out to be an ideal spot to spend a few days during the wildebeest migration season. Certainly seeing thousands of these animals congregated in one area is an amazing experience. This time, I started noticing the surprisingly high number of lost or abandoned baby wildebeest, many of which could be seen wandering about on their own. Lost in a vast wilderness, calling out for their mothers.

Silently, we all hoped that they would be reunited, as otherwise the outcome is grim. In just a couple of days in the Kusini area, we must have witnessed a dozen or more incidents of young wildebeest being devoured by a range of animals and birds, from lions to leopards to hyenas, vultures, marabou storks, tawny eagles and jackals. It is an inexorable part of the cycle of life in the savannah: the never-ending saga of predator and prey.

Sanctuary Retreats

Kusini camp impressions

Kusini camp itself is located in a low-impact area at the base of a rocky outcrop, with 12 well-spaced tented rooms providing comfortable accommodation. The rooms are spacious with plenty of space to store your stuff and it has ample plug points. My tent happened to have a large king size bed with a mosquito net; I found the mattress to be exceptionally firm which was not an issue as that is my personal preference. It had a good-sized outside veranda with comfortable furnishings – ideal to sit and reflect for a moment, or catch up on your diary notes.

Sanctuary Retreats

Overall I don’t think one can describe the camp as being particularly ‘luxurious’ but it is just right for the environment, fitting in well in this remote wilderness. Sanctuary Kusini is clearly a quality operation, from top to bottom. In terms of service, the level of hospitality, friendliness of the staff and management, it ranks up there with the best. I just had the sense that everyone worked well together and that has a very positive impact on the guest experience.

Another highlight was the feeling of having the entire area to oneself. The only other vehicle we saw in the course of two days of criss-crossing the area, was one other vehicle – also from Kusini – and a vehicle operated by a private guide whose client was also staying at the camp. It’s just you and your guide and thousands of animals – when the migration is around. Even at other times the game-viewing is good as the big cats are resident. Although we missed them – too busy watching leopards and lions – Kusini is known for its consistently reliable cheetah sightings.

Sanctuary Retreats

I’ve mentioned the excellent food before and the final dinner at Kusini was a case in point. Simply outstanding: a tomato and lemongrass soup, a superbly done roast chicken with a special sauce, freshly sauteed vegetable and a sweet lemony dessert. This is one lodge where even the most discerning diners will be thrilled with the quality of the cuisine.

I cannot say enough good things about my guide Emmanuel Mbramba. We bonded almost immediately when we found out that we had both been up and down Kilimanjaro a few times. Me as a climber, Emmanuel as a porter and later a guide, as I recall. Emmanuel was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and passionate about the bush and all the animals and birds. He did a superb job setting me up for photographs, had tons of patience and just the right touch in terms of knowing when to approach and when to hold off, so as not to alarm any of the animals. You would be lucky to have Emmanuel as your guide at Sanctuary, although I am sure that the other members of the guiding team have their strengths too.

The next morning, just after breakfast, I was back in the vehicle for the ride to the airstrip, this time for a flight to Seronera in the central part of the Serengeti.

In our blog next week we discover another excellent big cat destination in the central part of the Serengeti, at Namiri Plains camp. No less than 30 lions one morning, as well as cheetahs and servals. It doesn’t get any better than that.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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