81 replies to this topic

[Atravelynn]

My quandary: How to go to Mahale for 3 chimp visits as a solo traveler without breaking the bank.

The solution: One of Flycatcher’s several flying itineraries that utilize scheduled Air Excel flights. http://www.flycat.co...tineraries.html

Eben of Kiliwarriors /Eben Schoeman Safaris was enlisted as the liaison to book Flycatchers, a Swiss company that has been operating in Tanzania about a quarter century. I used Eben’s Tanzanian partners for Arusha and Tarangire. You can also book direct with Flycatchers. Since the price was the same and Eben knew them, I went through him.

The verdict: In Swiss German vernacular, “Wunderbar!”




QUOTE OF THE TRIP
It’s another Swiss German expression: “En Guete.” (En Gwetay) Literally it translates to, “Have a good.” It is always said before a meal and means, “Have a good meal,” even though the word meal is just implied. Sangeeta, who traveled with Flycatchers, also mentioned "En Guete."

[Atravelynn]

SEPT 6-23 ITINERARY
1 Flight on KLM: Chicago-Amsterdam-Kilimanjaro
2 Arrive Kilimanjaro and o/nt Arusha Hotel
3 Arusha National Park drive, walk, canoe with Kiliwarriors. o/nt Arusha Hotel
4 Fly from Arusha to Lobo Airstrip in Serengeti, morning arrival, drive north to Bologonja. O/nt at Flycatchers camp in Bolongonja part of Serengeti.
5-6 O/nt Flycatchers camp in Bolongonja
7 Fly to Mahale, take boat to Flycatchers camp.
8-10 Do 3 chimp visits, 1 dhow visit to hippos, 1 waterfall visit. O/nt Flycatchers camp in Mahale.
11 Fly to Katavi for pm game drive. O/nt Flycatchers camp in Katavi.
12-13 O/nt Flycatchers camp in Katavi.
14 Morning Katavi game drive and fly to Arusha. Drive with Kiliwarriors to just outside Tarangire. O/nt Tarangire Camp
15-16 Tarangire. O/nt Tarangire Safari Lodge.
17 Morning in Tarangire, Depart after lunch for evening flight
18 Arrive home

WHY THIS ITINERARY?
Three chimp visits in Mahale was the #1 goal. If I was going to Mahale, I wanted to add something else that was down south. Flycatcher’s Katavi camp location, like the Mahale camp location, is superb, plus Katavi has always intrigued me.

Flycatchers had trips that then continued on from Katavi to Ruaha, but I Ididn’t do it this time because I figured some day in the future a Ruaha-Selous trip would be logical.

Also, Ruaha can be 100 F in Sept and I was concerned that mid to late Sept might no longer be prime time in that park like it used to be, based on other reports and this commentary.
http://www.adventurecamps.co.tz/suestolbergerpage.htm

For these reasons and because I wanted time to include Tarangire, I did not extend to Ruaha. But I flew there on my way to Arusha and from the air it was an impressive location and we had several sightings of elephants and other things right from the airstrip.

I went to N. Serengeti on the front end because I always wanted to venture well north of Lobo when the migration would likely be present. Flycatchers offers a reasonably priced camp in this attractive region of the park.

I’ve been wanting to spend a day in Arusha National Park for a long time, which was Day #1 of the trip.

[twaffle]

Oh good, I've been looking forward to this trip.

[Atravelynn]

Why thank you Twaffle!


UNEXPECTED SIGHTINGS AND ODDITIES ON THIS SAFARI

---13 snakes total (8 while canoeing in Arusha; 2 in Katavi--1 had recently shed its skin on a nearby branch; 3 in Silale Swamp in Tarangire).


Green Boomslang from canoe in Arusha


---I spotted a poacher fishing illegally in Katavi.


---In the Serengeti I was certain I had discovered a dead vulture but it was just sunning itself. Also in Serengeti a jackal and a male baboon sat next to each other, like pals, for a few minutes.

--- 4 different cheetahs and 1 leopard that did a cheetah imitation, strolling through the grass, and posing on a termite mound in Tarangire.




---Lesser Kudu in southern part of Tarangire




--- Mating hyenas viewed from camp in Katavi, also a male roan.

Not that good of photos, but it shows the activity seen from Katavi camp




--- Finally got a good closeup photo of a giraffe tongue—Tarangire



--- Worst drought in Katavi since 1981.


---In Katavi a croc reached up and grabbed a bird, swallowing it in just a couple of gulps. Mud pits held 100s of crocs and hippos.

A bird can be seen sticking out of the left and the right sides of the croc’s mouth






---In Mahale we saw several male chimps spring to aggressive warrior stance when they heard unrelated males in the distance. No threat to us, just to the other chimps.



--- We stood a few feet from a warthog hole in Mahale one morning and watched 3 warthogs emerge one after the other to greet the day.

--- The Flycatchers tents had a large container of 50+ Q-tips on a nightstand, which I found surprising. I'd never seen Q-tips supplied before. Aural hygiene must be a camp priority. I thought maybe Q-tips were invented by the Swiss, but my investigation showed it was an American of Polish descent.

Edited by Atravelynn, 25 November 2011 - 06:07 AM.

[Atravelynn]

THE WINE LIST
The one wine I had remains a mystery because there was no label on the bottle, but I was told by the Flycatchers Serengeti staff that it was South African.

I had planned to request ugali, a traditional African cornmeal dish, for the final evening meal in the Serengeti…so when I found out another guest at the camp was an English-speaking wine salesman, I just had to ask, “What wine goes with ugali?” My question was somewhat in jest, but the response was serious and ventured into foie gras wine pairings. I think he suggested white wine for ugali so that’s what I got. When I ordered it, I did not realize that I had bought the whole bottle. One glass was enough for me and I could persuade only one other guest to join me in a drink, leaving 2/3 of a bottle at the end of our farewell dinner in the Serengeti.

Naturally, the bottle of partially consumed mystery wine went airborne with me to Mahale.

After arriving in Mahale, we met for lunch in the camp’s dining room overlooking the magnificent Lake Tanganyika. I brought along my bottle and explained the wine situation and asked if it could be stored in the corner mini-fridge. I also inquired about any corking fees and was told there were none.

Two of us enjoyed a sampler glass of my white wine with our first evening meal in Mahale, in celebration of a fantastic initial outing with the chimps. The bottle went back into the mini-fridge about half full.



The second chimp outing was even more successful but I had sustained a big bruise on my knee when I slipped on some wet rocks while following the chimps along a stream. I could feel my knee swell and knew a cold compress would help. There was no ice, so at lunch I requested my wine bottle from the mini-fridge and tied it against my knee with my bandana. I could not perform this maneuver discreetly so I explained my use of the bottle, which everyone found to be quite funny. Thankfully, the knee fully recovered.



After our third and final outstanding chimp visit we had a lot to celebrate and I did so with a final glass of wine. There were no other imbibers, which left one small glass-worth of wine in the bottle. We found out that a Swiss guest would have Mahale all to herself for the next several days and that she was arriving on the plane that would be our departure flight. I told the staff to welcome the new lucky guest with a glass of mystery wine that they could explain had flown in from the Serengeti and had rehabilitated the knee of an American. I hope it made her wine list.

[madaboutcheetah]

Lynn, sounds a fantastic trip!!!! Cheetahs in Tarangire - Great luck!!! Didn't know they were common sightings out there -

Unlabeled wine - never know! Might be that "goat do roam" one .......... they might be following you!

[Safaridude]

Fantastic Lynn. Is there more? please?

[Atravelynn]

Those goats might pursue me all through Africa, Hari!

FLYCATCHERS
I’d gladly return to Tanzania with them.

They are a Swiss company and over 90% of their clients are Swiss with some Germans and about 2% are American. All guiding is done in English. My travelmates throughout the entire trip were an absolutely lovely Swiss couple (Beat and Yvonne) who--fortunately for me--enjoyed putting their considerable English skills to use.

I encountered 10 other Flycatchers guests that were either in the camps with me or transferring at the airstrip. All seemed to be good sports and not high maintenance folks, which is what I would expect based on the type of operation Flycatchers is. One was a repeat guest who did the Flycatchers circuit every year. (She’s the one I told the Mahale staff to offer my wine.)

At meal times when the group was all Swiss, naturally most of the conversation was not English. When it was just the Swiss couple and me, we spoke English. Often a guide accompanied us at meals and the guide spoke English. Going solo could mean limited dinner conversation, depending on the other guests, and I was prepared for that. All information provided by the guide in the vehicle was in English.

Flycatcher tents were simple with ensuite facilities consisting of a regular flush toilet and a shower that had hot water provided once a day. A pitcher of warm water was brought each morning. The Mahale tent was a little fancier and hot water was always available, no morning pitchers. Food was delicious, served buffet style, and included salads, a dessert (ranging from a fruit cup to avocado crème) at each meal, and
soup for each evening meal. Around the campfire were snacks such as nuts or popcorn.

The inside of Serengeti and Katavi tents was almost identical


Inside the Mahale tent. The Q-tip dispenser is visible, next to the water bottle.

The vehicles were nice Land Cruisers and we never had a breakdown; the guides at each location were wonderful; the staff members were helpful and friendly; and batteries could be recharged in the vehicle or in camp.

Flycatchers vehicle in foreground, tents at Katavi in background

Edited by Atravelynn, 25 November 2011 - 04:16 PM.

[Atravelynn]

Flycatchers Bolongonja

The Flycatcher Serengeti location in Bolongonja allows access to both Lobo and Kogatende and was in a lovely part of the park where lions called each night (which we had no trouble hearing on account of the Q-tip supply), zebras passed through each morning, and elephants entered camp one evening.


View from in front of Flycatchers Bolongonja. Distant wilde herd

If the goal is to wait for river crossings, Flycatcher’s camp is about a 2 hour drive from the river--not that convenient--but daylong trips to the Mara River are offered, which we did. The staff mentioned that film crews stay at Flycatchers for long periods of time and head out early each morning, spending the day near the river, trying to catch a crossing. Because rains in both Bolongonja and the Mara encouraged the wildes to stay where they were, we saw very few wildebeest gathering to contemplate a crossing. Nor was much else out and about in Kogatende on our visit there, though the landscapes were fabulous.


Mara River in Northern Serengeti

[Game Warden]

I love that shot of the warthog emerging from his hole.

[Atravelynn]

Thanks GW, it was perfect timing for the warthogs. Mahale may be known for chimps, but hanging with the warthogs was very special too.




Flycatchers Mahale

The Flycatcher Mahale location can’t be beat, regardless of price and Flycatchers has the best price. Staff, food, slightly fancier tents than the other Flycatcher locations with hot water always available, pristine beach--all combine for a magical experience. It’s the crown jewel of the Flycatcher operation. In my opinion, why would you stay anywhere else? Disclosure: I did not visit the other Mahale camps but I did see their location while in a boat. All looked very nice, but Flycatcher’s location was tops.


Flycatchers Mahale dining room

[Sangeeta]

Been so looking forward to this, Lynn! I loved that warthog sighting too. Only ever seen them enter/exit their burrows once (and even that from a distance), so I agree with the "specialness" of the sighting.

This is a trip down nostalgia lane for me. Your sightings from camp look better than anything we saw. If the drought is as bad as you report, perhaps that drew more animals to the plains in front of the camp? But hyenas mating, crocs gobbling birds and a roan on top of all that! We saw lions stalking from the mess tent too.

Heartily second your kudos for Flycatcher. They really do make this trip possible for many who would find it hard going otherwise. I know they did for me.

[Paolo]

This is a trip down nostalgia lane for me. Your sightings from camp look better than anything we saw. If the drought is as bad as you report, perhaps that drew more animals to the plains in front of the camp? But hyenas mating, crocs gobbling birds and a roan on top of all that! We saw lions stalking from the mess tent too.

My experience of different visits to Katavi is that it depends very much on which location you are. When Katavi is at its driest, the bottom end of Katisunga (where Flycatcher is located) is better (from a game spotting point of view) than in wetter years. Chada plain is possibly the opposite (and even very good at the beginning of the wet season: they had a herd of 200+ elephants in front of the guest tents at Chada Camp a few days ago).

I reckon that the best place in Katavi at the height of a drought must be Mpunga Mbuga/Chorangwa, which however is only accessible with a mobile camp or fly camp.

Roan are fairly common in the plains area of Katavi from late August onwards.

[Anita]

Ditto on the warthog! Great sighting and pic. Also loved the very first photo -of the chimp- is that how laughing my a** off would look like?

Really look forward to more- a trip down memory lane for me too on the N.Serengeti and Tarangire parts. 4 cheetahs in Tarangire is simply brilliant!

[Treepol]

Fabulous start to your trip report Lynn.

I was just wondering where you were sitting/standing when you took the giraffe photo? Great photo of the warthog greeting the day and the chimp rolling merrily on the ground.

Regards,


Pol

[KathBC]

Finally!

That first chimp photo would put a smile on anyone's face! Love it!

How long and hard was the trek before sighting those adorable chimps?

[Atravelynn]

Sangeeta, no crocs in front of camp--just no water. The crocs were in the croc pit, or is that croc pot? No mess tent stalking lions that I know of during my stay.

Paolo, you have some of the best Katavi advice on the whole Internet about where to stay when! There's nothing like that out there 'cause I was looking. It bears repeating in bigger font and in purple.

"My experience of different visits to Katavi is that it depends very much on which location you are. When Katavi is at its driest, the bottom end of Katisunga (where Flycatcher is located) is better (from a game spotting point of view) than in wetter years. Chada plain is possibly the opposite (and even very good at the beginning of the wet season: they had a herd of 200+ elephants in front of the guest tents at Chada Camp a few days ago).

I reckon that the best place in Katavi at the height of a drought must be Mpunga Mbuga/Chorangwa, which however is only accessible with a mobile camp or fly camp."



It appears the rains did come then, to Katavi if Chada is shining. I sure hope the rains are plentiful.

Tanya, but my 4 cheetahs were not climbing any trees together, darn."

Treepol, The giraffe tongue was taken while I was doing giraffe riding safari. Just kidding. I was standing in the vehicle using a beanbag.

KathBC, stats on the chimp treks are coming up. They ranged from easy to harder than most gorilla treks.

[Atravelynn]

Katavi Dining tent


The Flycatcher Katavi camp sits on the Katuma River with the Katisunga Plains sprawled out in front.

Based on previous reports, I wondered if by September the river could be dry, causing animals to disperse widely in search of water in places without road access. I learned when I arrived that Katavi was experiencing the worst drought since 1981 and the Katuma River in front of camp had dried up way back in May. Terrible conditions! But there were underwater springs throughout the Katisunga Plains in front of the camp that attracted constant herds of elephant, buffalo, waterbuck, giraffe, impala, topi, warthogs, and zebra. Camp Manager Nazir joked that some guests preferred to stay all day in camp and look at the activity in front of them rather than going on game drives. Not entirely a joke.












All photos taken while I wandered around the Katavi Camp grounds

One species that was noticeably lacking was the tse tse fly—none in camp and these pets were bothersome only in a few areas of the park.

Edited by Atravelynn, 27 November 2011 - 06:15 AM.

[Atravelynn]

Flycatcher’s should appeal to anyone who places a premium on location, guiding, and simple but very adequate and comfortable accommodations, all for a reasonable cost. Their circuitous routing that allows the famed Serengeti to be combined with lesser traveled Southern parks is attractive to repeat Africa visitors. But it also makes a wonderful first safari, especially if combined with traditional stops such as Ngorongoro or Tarangire.

The only problem I encountered on the entire trip was my inability to get a photo of any one of the more than 25 species of flycatchers in Tanzania, which I felt was a must for this trip. I finally succeeded in Tarangire when a Gray Flycatcher perched nearby. There had been some flycatchers flitting around camp in Katavi I was told, but they had eluded me.


Gray Flycatcher

[Atravelynn]

ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK

Airport to Arusha Hotel = 50 minutes

Wilburt of Kiliwarriors met me at the airport and transferred me to the hotel.

Arusha Hotel to park entrance = 40 minutes

Peter of Kiliwarriors was my guide for a full day in Arusha National Park that included a box lunch. The unseasonal cool rain that had started a few hours after my arrival the previous night continued until mid-morning of our day in the park, and it played a role in our sightings.

We entered near Serengeti Ndogo, open plains where zebra and buffalo grazed in the drizzle. At times we’d see one other vehicle, and had one shared sighting of a Brown Hooded Kingfisher, but mainly we were alone.



After driving about 20 minutes in the rain, we saw 4 elephants eating along the road. Peter had never seen elephants from the road in this park--only on foot--and he celebrated this unusual occurrence by singing the Jambo Bwana song. We theorized that the unexpected rain may have encouraged the elephants to deviate from their typical routine.


Normally visitors would see some Black and White Colobus Monkeys in the forests along the road, but they were taking refuge from the rainfall and remained hidden all morning.