Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara, Zanzibar, February 2024 - A cornucopia of experiences

[GBE]

Preamble -

It’s difficult to put a title on this particular trip:  We covered so much new and old ground; We had two quality guides that were polar opposites in their approach; Our accommodations ranged from legacy to new camps, a fly camp and a huge budget lodge, small mobile camps, and even a boutique Zanzibar beach resort; The weather, both before we arrived (100+ days of rain) and during our time there changed where we went and stayed as well as what we saw and experienced. We’d been to the southern Serengeti in February in 2013 and 2018, and the weather caused changes make for some dramatic ‘then and now’ image comparisons.  We went with no hard agenda other than to try to slow down and simply ‘be’ in the bush. 

 

The itinerary –

1 night transit at Crowne Plaza NBO,

1 night transit at Rivertrees Usa River,

4 nights fly camping (Wayo Trekking Camp) at Barafu Kopjes near the east central boundary,

4 nights at Mbalageti Lodge in the western corridor,

3 nights at Usawa Kusini,

4 nights at Lemala Ngorongoro,

3 nights at Wayo Green (Walking) Camp Manyara,

2 nights at Mysigio Ngorongoro,

2 nights at Usawa Kusini,

3 nights at Wayo Green Camp Kusini,

4 nights at Sharazad resort Jambiani, Zanzibar.

I’ll be posting separate ‘Lodge and Camp reviews’ and include links to each.

 

The impetus for this trip was to share our love of Africa and the bush with my cousin, “A”, and one of her good friends, “P”.  This would have been their first African safari, and we were looking forward to seeing the bush through new eyes again.  The last 14 nights listed above, Manyara through Zanzibar, were booked for the 4 of us.  Then, because I have no discipline, I added the first 16 nights as a separate safari for just T and me with us all meeting in Manyara.  Hence, the kind of odd/backtrack routing.

 

Booking and Changes -

We traveled with Wayo Africa on two previous trips. Since those trips they merged with Wilderness Destinations (We’re happy to report the merger took nothing away from the Wayo experience and has added in some very positive ways).  We reached out to our Wayo contact to put the broad brushstrokes together and then brought in several Wilderness Tanzania agents to finalize the booking details. We were all booked and deep in anticipation of our upcoming safari. Then, 4 months out, ‘A’ was diagnosed with cancer and would be starting treatment almost immediately.  Understandably, ‘P’ opted out. I’m happy to say treatment is going well and I’m hopeful the future will include another opportunity to go on a safari together.  With A&P out, we scrambled a bit: actually, only needed to make one phone call. Our good friends K&P said they’d love to join us.  Not only did Wilderness agree to make the changes, but they also worked with us to get full refunds processed.  And on top of that, since this wouldn’t be K&Ps first safari (they traveled with Wayo in northern TZ in 2019), we wanted to make some minor ‘activity’ changes to the itinerary.  Again, Wilderness was great about making the changes.

 

Getting There –

We fly British Air to Africa. That means we fly into NBO late, about 21:30.  Our days of sleeping in terminals are long over, so we stay at the Crowne Plaza NBO (formerly Eka and Lazizi).  In lieu of including this property in Camp Reviews: We like this property for its location just minutes from NBO arrivals/departures; Great shuttle service whether private or shared; Efficient check-in/check-out; Clean and well-appointed rooms; And great staff.  We have stayed at this property 4 times now and have always been well served.

 

The new eTA system in Kenya works very similar to the old e-Visa.  It may have shaved a little time clearing immigration, but otherwise everything is about the same.  It took us 1 ½ hours from wheels down to getting checked into our room. 

 

Despite being last in line to go through the Passport and Yellow Card checkpoint, we cleared TZ immigration with our e-Visa, collected our bags, and met our Wilderness host and driver just 25 minutes after landing.  30 minutes later we arrived at Rivertrees.  This is a beautiful property.  We enjoyed a walk along the river while we waited for our room to be ready.  After an afternoon nap we enjoyed happy hour in one of the gardens and then to dinner.  We don’t typically have a transition day, opting in the past to go directly into the bush.  I must say, this was a very enjoyable and relaxing day!  Rivertrees Lodge Review

[GBE]

February 2 – Into the bush

We met our Wilderness host and driver a little before 06:00 and were on the road to the Arusha Airport by 06:15. We enjoyed the morning drive through town and seeing kids of all ages in their uniforms walking to school, markets being set up, and businesses opening. It took about an hour to get to the airport, another 15 minutes to check bags, get our colored wood boarding sticks, clear security, and take a seat in the departures lounge. Soon we were walking down the tarmac to our plane.  The process can feel a little chaotic, especially on a busy morning; But it makes for great people watching… and a great view is pretty good too.

 

 

We weren’t sure if we’d have much in the way of views while flying given the haziness and clouds.  But, as the pictures below show, we got a real treat.  The before shot is from 2013, a fairly normal year for rain. The after shot reflects the impact 4+ months of rain has on farms outside Arusha.

 

 

And the difference in the crater was stunning…

 

 

In addition to the great views out of Arusha and over the Ngorongoro Crater, we enjoyed a little extra flightseeing with stops at Ndutu and Lobo before arriving at Seronera. Not a big deal, but Joseph, our guide, got stuck in the mud on his way in and arrived about 30 minutes after we landed. Green and mud, mud and green… perhaps this should have been worked into this TR title.  Isn't this what the truck should look like at the end of the day... not the beginning:-)

 

 

We pulled out of the Seronera airstrip about 11, picked up our ranger, and were on our way around 11:30. On our way to camp we saw Grant and Thomson gazelles, hartebeest, topi, elephant, impala, side striped jackal, a single lioness, a single male lion, secretary birds, kori bustards, a tawny eagle… Nice mix of sightings welcoming us back.

 

We got to our camp around 2:45. Trekking Camp Review 

 

Several of the camp crew had been with us on our Backpacking Serengeti... TR and/or The Big Walk TR. It was great reconnecting as we settled in. We had lunch and relaxed before heading back out around 4:30. We filled out our first day’s sightings with wildebeest, zebra, eland, more gazelle, and hyena.  Back to camp a little before 7 for sundowners.  Dinner was at 7:30. And we were tucked in by 9… falling asleep to a chorus of hyena and zebra.

 

Our fly camp location was exactly where we stayed on our Big Walk. What a different experience this time with all the rain: Interspersed below are some then/now comparison pictures

 

The Barafu Kopjes run north/south with short grass plains flanking to the east with the Gol Mtns in the distance, to the west as far as the eye can see, and to the south with the Ngorongoro Highlands in the distance.  About a 30-minute walk east or west leads to two very different drainages, both of which run north and join about a 2-hour walk from camp.  The east drainage has few to no trees but with deep cut banks and long sloping hills.  The west drainage has a considerable mix of foliage and trees.  Located close to the eastern boundary, with few tracks, and only one other small camp well north in the Namiri Plains makes this area very private: During our 4 days we saw a single vehicle in the distance, two on the boundary road (at distance but they appeared to be supply trucks), and then on our exit day we passed one.  The combination of plains, kopjes, and two different drainages makes this a great place to explore on foot as well as in a vehicle.  Our camp was situated on the west side of the southernmost kopje, affording us daily views of gazelle, zebra, and hyena; Not to mention sunsets across the vast plains.

 

February 3 – Feet on the ground

Up at 6. 

 

Breakfast in camp at 6:30. 7 we headed north along the kopjes. We love walking the expanse.  It’s so quiet. The morning light casts long shadows. 

 

The vibrant greens contrast with the tan/grey of the kopjes. 

 

From the get-go we enjoyed a very relaxed and somewhat loose walking alignment.  Our ranger was friendly and for the most part followed unobtrusively. Joseph would set our direction but wasn’t set on a particular route. This is one of his guide characteristics we really appreciated. Whether on foot or in the vehicle, Joseph’s free spirit and desire to explore – perhaps even bending a few rules along the way – created and complemented the experience we sought. We think Wayo paired us with him for this very reason. Except in woodlands or blind spots where we’d naturally fall into single file for safety, he gave us the freedom to drift so we could enjoy the bush without someone’s backside always in view.  Also, unless something required explanation, everyone was comfortable with silence to enjoy the natural sounds of the bush.

 

Slowly approaching kopjes. Picking our way in and up, excited about what we may discover.  What’s that… 

 

 

An old throne with games etched/worn into the stones below and surrounding…

 

We spent a little over 4 hours walking through the kopjes, cutting east into the treeless drainage, and then looping back to camp a little before noon.  While there were some zebra and gazelle around the kopjes, there were many of them, along with eland and hyena on the slopes rising out of the drainage.  As we angled up and out of the drainage, we found ourselves nearly retracing our own steps from 2018.  What a different experience now with lush, soft green grass instead of parched, brittle stubble.  

 

    

 

We had a great lunch back in camp. While we could see animals in the distance, for the most part we simply relaxed and napped through the afternoon.  The ability to nap, i.e. the tent was cool enough to nap, is one of the significant differences between the tents at the former trekking camps and this new one (full description in the camp report). 

 

At 4:30 we opted for a hybrid drive/walk, driving straight west to the treed drainage and then taking a 2-hour walking loop into and through the drainage. We saw some wooly throated storks, a pair of dik-diks, and an African wild cat.  We were surprised at the density of the riverine woodland and amazed by all the green and now even standing and flowing water.

 

 

 

 

Back to camp around 7, showered, had a drink by the fire, and had another great meal.  The menu, preparation, and presentation was another huge change from our previous trekking camp experiences.  This held true through all of the various Wayo and Wilderness camps on this trip.  In my notes, “Food is as good as we have had in the bush.”  We were in bed by 9 again.  This night we enjoyed dramatic lightning across the entire horizon.  And lions joined the nighttime zebra and hyena chorus. 

 

February 4 – Repeat but to the other drainage

Same start this morning, waking around 6, breakfast in camp 6:30, and walking north out of camp at 7.  Similar meander through the kopjes as the previous morning but with hopes of spotting the lions we’d heard through the night.  Alas, no lions and very few gazelles or zebras on the plains. We headed west into the other drainage and here saw gazelles, zebra, hyena, topi, hartebeest, baboons, wildebeest, black backed and side striped jackals, and a cheetah on the plain as we headed back to camp.

 

Similar afternoon with a 12:30 lunch and an afternoon nap for T. I spent the afternoon simply relaxing in the shade watching the gazelle and zebra passing through the plains. Typically, we don’t take time to nap while on safari, but part of our approach to this trip with 26 days in the bush was to simply relax and not feel the rush to pack as much into every minute as possible.  And as it turns out, it was good we relaxed these two days, because there was very little down time the rest of the trip.

 

We headed out for an evening game drive around 5.  It was a bit of a late start and not much of a game drive as much as a drive around to get to a kopje for snacks, sundowners, and a very nice sunset. And no complaints about the soft seats… 

 

 

Dinner back at camp where I learned why outdoor dinners are always served in the dark while in the bush.  At my request, they turned lights on over the table… within seconds our drinks had moths in them: out with the moths and out with the lights…  And after another great meal we were back in bed again by 9.

 

[madaboutcheetah]

Lovely - I love Barfu/Gol ........ I see that WS has it's foray into Tanzania now.

[GBE]

@madaboutcheetahI think it was summer '22 when the merger happened.  The evolution of this particular merger will be interesting to watch.  For now, I think it is a net 'plus' as each seem to be benefiting from the best of the other.  

[GBE]

February 5 – beyond the familiar

A little different this morning with a coffee wake up at 5:30. Rather than walking, we decided to extend our explorations with a full day game drive. Leaving camp at 6, we headed southeast toward Lemuta.  A little over 20 minutes from camp we found 13 lions on an Eland carcass.  A couple of large males were still gnawing on the ribs, but for the most part the lot of them were quite content.  There was water about 200m from the carcass; Now and then one or a couple would saunter up for a drink, sometimes staying up by the water, sometime coming back to the carcass, and sometimes just flopping down between them in the warming morning sun.  All the while, we counted well over 20 hyenas loitering at various distances but staying well back.  We watched for well over an hour and a half.  All in all, a very nice, private sighting on the vast open plain.

 

     

 

 

 

Moving on we viewed never ending wildebeest dotting hillsides and strung along the horizon.  Not densely packed, but likely thousands given the vastness. 

 

 

   

 

About an hour and a half from the feeding lions we came upon a frenetic feeding of vultures on a wildebeest carcass.  This is one of my favorite types of sighting on safari, and one of T’s least favorite…  The carcass was largely intact, and the intensity of the vultures was aggressive and violent.  It’s fascinating to watch two go after each other for dominance/right of position in the pecking order (pun intended), but at the cost of others getting access to the limited access points into the carcass. After a half hour we decided to move on.

    

 

 

               

 

Heading a little more east and north we descended into another part of the treeless drainage.  Remembering how dry it was when we’d walked the area in 2018 it was, again, a wonder to see so much water and hippos so far from year-round water.  Lots of tortoises and geese too.

 

2018...

 

2024...

 

    

 

And mud, mud!  It was a bit challenging to figure a way across, but eventually we did and continued east through declining numbers of wildebeest but increasing numbers of zebra.  For the most part our view of one or the other extended from horizon to horizon.  With little change in view for an hour, we decided to cut north over what turned out to be some of the roughest open terrain we can recall.  Combined with significant erosion cuts in the slopes and transition from short grass plains to taller grass and shrubbery it was very nearly a ‘spirit busting’ hour.  About the only sightings we had were scattered groups of gazelles. Then we crested a ridge and looked down to a beautiful, treed river, kopjes, and thin woodlands extending north. We’re pretty sure this was one of the tributaries to the Nyabugoti River.

 

As we descended, we saw an elephant disappear into the trees along the river.  As we started looking for a way across the river to access the kopjes, we came across several lions lying in the shade. They weren’t going to do anything but lay there, and we were hungry – to get across and to eat.  So, we continued on, eventually finding a ‘tricky’ way across.  It was 1:45 when we settled in for lunch, and it took a little time to relax, refuel, and really take in what a wonderful spot it was. It’s funny how exhausting it can be on a game drive, and we’re just passengers. 

Shade

 

And a view....

 

Refreshed, we headed west along the river, eyes alert for game and a re-crossing point.  While hopeful, we didn’t see any game, but did find another crossing point and took the opportunity.  As we ascended the ridge, we came across a nice group of giraffes and then zebras.  Minutes later we found a single male lion.  On we go for a pair of mating lions.  The further west and south we went, the more we saw zebra, gazelle, eland, ostrich, and topi.  Another hour and we came across a single cheetah.  It was getting late, and she didn’t look to be in hunting mode, so on we went.  With Barafu Kopjes in sight, we saw a leopard… tortoise. On to camp. 

     

 

      

 

11 hours driving.  Exploring off track the entire time.  Much of our route was new to Joseph and it took a map and recalling boundary markers we’d passed to verify where we had been.  What a great adventure. 

 

We enjoyed showers, sundowners, dinner, and watching hyena through our thermal scope as they would come in close in the darkness. We stayed up a little later, knowing this was our last night at this very special site.

 

February 6 – From east to west, with a southern detour

5:30 coffee wakeup. 6:15 breakfast. With loading and goodbyes, we were out at 7. We looped behind our kopje and then to the western drainage where we found 3 male lions, likely from the pride we saw feeding the previous morning.  We skirted south along the east edge and saw a pair of dik-dik.  We looped around a southern edge, dropped into the drainage, and headed north.  We were surprised by the amount of water, almost a lake, and the amount and density of woodland.  The diversity in this drainage system really deserves(ed) more exploration.  We continued north a bit and then up onto the west edge.  We discussed options and decided to head back south over the plains, heading for South East Kopjes and then loop back north through the Gol and Simba Kopjes on our way to dropping our ranger back at Seronera. 

 

The route south was on open plains, a serpentine on/off track meander.  Soon we came across 3 more male lions.  They were at quite a distance and there was no indication they were going to do anything, i.e. there was no game in view and they were just lying in the morning sun.  We came across a troupe of baboons on a rock outcropping.  And finally, we saw our first buffalo of the trip.  The farther south we went, the more game we saw.  First it was gazelle, then zebra, and then eland.  Soon hyena too.  But no wildebeest. We understood the migration was largely in the Ndutu area, but were surprised there were none here, especially given how many we’d seen out toward Lemuta the day before.  The other surprise for us was how long the grass was… in the short grass plains.  There were places it was so tall that there was little hope of seeing any predators.

 

As we looped up through the Gol Kopjes, we came across 15+ hyena hanging out in and around a water and mud hole. 

 

  

 

    

 

Then we saw a couple of male lions sunning on some rocks.  But for the most part, sightings were a bit sparse.  Heading north we did come across a lone cheetah that appeared to be focused on a very distant gazelle. 

 

We watch for a time, adjusted our position, watched… then lost him.  We spent considerable time searching.  About the time we found him, we spotted two more on the far ridge and opted to take a closer look.  Turns out it was a mother and cub.  She was pretty focused on a group of gazelles on the other side of the ridge, so we sat tight and had lunch while alternately watching the mother and cub on one ridge and the male far off another ridge.  The gazelle moved on, the likelihood of a hunt dwindled, so on we went. While there were a few other vehicles in the Gol Kopjes area, we knew we were getting closer to Seronera with the numbers we started to see as we got to the Simba Kopjes.  And while we did see a beautiful male lion atop a rock spire that could have been a worthy picture, the number of other vehicles was really off putting, so we kept going.  Later we saw a lioness on a rock precipice, but soon after there was no game anywhere, except some elephants as we neared Seronera.  At this point it became less of a game drive a more a commuter trip to drop our ranger and fuel up before embarking on the next stage of our trip.

 

Before transitioning this TR from fly camping, I want to share a bit more of what makes this style of safari close to, if not our favorite: It’s about connection with feet on the ground, exploring new areas that get little to no visitors, having time to feel the vastness of the wilderness, and… the small things.

Certainly the vastness. But note the little white spots on the ground... flowers!

 

 

 

    

 

[JayRon]

Wow, what a trip (report)  so far! I haven´t been to Serengeti since 2003 so I forgot just how many predators that are there  And very interesting to get a report that also features some walking safari. Looking forward to more  

[GBE]

Thank you @JayRon. 

We've been spoiled by the breadth and depth of animals in the Serengeti, and it's why we keep going back.

We were also very fortunate to connect with Jean du Plessis (founder Wayo) on our second safari.  With him and his crew we've really enjoyed a variety of walking, trekking, and backpacking activities. While game drives get us closer to the animals, there is something about having feet on the ground that really resonates for us.

I hope to get the next several days in the Western Corridor up this evening.

Cheers,

[AKR1]

@GBE another amazing trip report - really enjoying. Thanks for doing this. 

[GBE]

Preface to the Western Corridor –

Perhaps putting ‘the cart before the horse’ here, but we were struck by the beauty of the Western Corridor. The diverse combination of grasslands, mountains, and river valleys make it one of the most visually interesting parts of the Serengeti. Unfortunately, all the rain over the previous months made many of the tracks impassable, limiting us to high ground and main routes, and preventing us from any real exploring.  We still had some great game viewing. And being off season, there were very, very few other vehicles, so we didn’t need to ‘explore’ the secondary routes to avoid the crowds.   

 

Now, on to the Western Corridor

We left Seronera around 3, heading west for the Mbalageti Lodge.  The farther west, the longer the grass.  But we did see a good sized group of giraffes and a large herd of buffalo.  We saw more impala than gazelle, some elephants, a waterbuck, marsh mongoose, dik-dik, and zebra.  We came upon another safari vehicle with an electrical problem.  Joseph sorted the issue and got it resolved, though suggested they not turn the engine off until they got to their camp. While a main road/track, it was off season and there were very few other vehicles. Help isn’t necessarily around the next corner, and we understand and appreciate all drivers need to look out for each other. Later, the question of other drivers impacted one of our route decisions.

 

The Lodge is about 40 – 45 minutes off the main road.  About 10 minutes from the lodge it is necessary to cross the Mbalageti River. With all the rain, the river was quite high.  Joseph took some time assessing before deciding to give it a try. Though the water came up over the wheel wells and the exit was quite steep, we did cross without incident.

 

We arrived at Mbalageti Lodge (review) a little before 6.  Orientation didn’t take long and we were to our suite by 6:10.  Great view!  Though it was not quite dark yet, we were escorted to the restaurant at 7.  There was one family of 5 and one other couple.  The couple left the next day and the family the following day. We don’t know why, perhaps because there were so few people, but the manager came to our table to let us know we would be upgraded to a suite the next day.  Unnecessary, as we were happy with our room, but a nice gesture and representative of the effort of all staff to make our stay as nice as possible.  We were back to our room, showered, and in bed by 9.

 

At dinner, Joseph let us know he took the vehicle back across the river out of concern the forecasted rains would make the river un-crossable. There is a foot suspension bridge for this very situation, so each of the following mornings and evenings we were shuttled to and from the bridge by the lodge.

 

February 7 –

Our morning escort arrived right on time at 5:45. We met Joseph at reception and had coffee as we waited for our breakfast and lunch boxes.  We were in the shuttle a little after 6 and crossing the foot bridge by 6:20. We were a bit anxious on our first crossing, but with each successive trip we became more comfortable. Joseph and the shuttle driver transferred the meals and supplies, and we were on our way by 6:30. 

 

One of the absolute highlights of our stay at Mbalageti lodge was the morning drive out to the main road. As this was off season and there really were no other guests using the road, we never had to share the track and could take it at our pace, stopping wherever we wanted for as long as we wanted. From the river the track runs north through mixed trees and clearings, out into a couple wide-open plains, then up and over the Mumughia Hills before descending to the main road and Grumeti River. 

 

As we were crossing one of the open plains there were many, many gazelles scampering along, on, and across the track.  We marveled at the heavy dew and distant mist, neither of which we’d ever really encountered in the Serengeti. It was shaping up to be a nice sunrise and we waited with a large herd of zebras in hopes of getting some great morning light. Alas, most zebra moved to the east side of the road by the time the sun was up, but it was still a great experience.  A little later we came upon a small herd of buffalo.  Throw in a few jackals along with secretary birds, ox-peckers, and egrets and it was a pretty spectacular start to our day. While the drive from the main road to/from the Mbalageti river could be as little as 40 – 45 minutes, this morning we spent about 90 minutes.

        

 

 

      

 

 

There are 2 main tracks across the Grumeti River.  From our junction with the main road, we headed east to the track that crosses to the Nangangwa Plains.  As we crossed the Grumeti we stopped to watch a group of baboons hanging in the bushy trees over the river.  We also saw a couple of hippos and a croc.

 

 

 

Once out onto the plains we spent a good 8 hours traversing, looping, and backtracking through massive meadows/plains.  Some were short grass, some long, some without trees, some with one or two, and some with more.  There were also some light woodlands.  Seems we may have gone beyond the public tracks onto patrol tracks at one point.  We were met by a patrol that sent us back the way we’d come.  Later we learned that the protracted discussion with the patrol rangers opened the door to possibly returning to the area provided we contact them ahead of time.  We saw a small group of lions including some playful cubs.  We also saw many hyenas, but surprisingly no cheetah or leopard despite being in some very rich habitat for both. We were treated to a group of 20+ giraffes, 50+ eland, many impalas as well as singles. There were gazelles, huge buffalo herds, zebra, and wildebeests.  On our way back, on the track from the main road to the Mbalageti Lodge, we saw many tortoises, banded mongoose, and a martial eagle.  Back to camp by 6. 

             

 

We moved from our single suite to a 2 bedrooms suite, not that we needed all the space, but it was quite the accommodation. While all rooms at Mbalageti have good views, our view from this suite was really outstanding.

 

We got our laundry sorted for pick up during turndown.  We headed to the restaurant around 6:45 so we wouldn’t need an escort.  Drinks, dinner, and back to our room for showers before bed by 9.

 

February 8 –

Same routine but we were about 10 minutes later leaving the suspension bridge.  There was much less mist this morning, but it was still odd to see it hanging in the distance.  It was another morning treat with both black backed and stripped jackals, elephants, zebra, topi, wildebeest, and even a/the same secretary bird in the same tree. But for a sunrise picture, we chose to put the cameras down and simply enjoy the views. We put the cameras down quite a bit on this trip. Both guides needed to be coached/reminded that simply because we weren’t taking pictures didn’t mean we were bored or wanted to move on. It’s kind of funny when we think about it, how guides typically read client behavior and how our behavior confused them at times. The three of us agreed that any one of us could simply say “OK”, and if there wasn’t an objection from one or both of the other two, on we would go. Maybe worth noting here as well, on this trip Terese opted not to use the Nikons and instead only used her phone camera. It was a bit of a test… and a lot of the images in this report came from her phone.

 

We took the same route as the previous morning.  As we turned off the main road, we did come upon a large group of impalas that didn’t bolt…

 

 

 

Then on across the Grumeti and onto the plains. Soon we spotted a cheetah, definitely focused on some far-off gazelles.  We stayed with this cheetah for over an hour as it went into full hunt mode.  Unfortunately, the hunt took it across the boundary into the Game Reserve.  Crossing this boundary was not a rule Joseph was inclined to bend, especially with two reserve vehicles tracking the hunt. Though still in view, the distance between us and the targeted gazelles was too far and getting farther; So we decided to move on. 

 

About an hour later we came on an odd sight. Initially we thought it was just a group of hyenas on what was left of a carcass.  Some were lying down while some were up and sniffing around.  Not an unusual sight until we got closer and got a better angle. Amongst the hyena were 2 lionesses almost frozen in tension over a larger piece of what turned out to be a wildebeest. There were hyenas all around and within 2 feet of the lionesses at times, but neither seemed to notice or care. When we adjusted our position for a better look at the lionesses, it was clear they had no intention of sharing the last bit of meat with the other.  As well, both had considerable abrasions, with one having significant lacerations and puncture wounds. Eventually one of the lionesses got the piece away but only took a dozen or so steps before lying down to work on it.  The other lioness followed a few steps but then just laid down and watched.  All the while, both lionesses and hyenas seem ambivalent about the others’ proximity.  We watched for about 15 minutes, but there was no indication there would be any change.

     

 

 

A half hour later, looking for a little shade, we discovered two more lionesses hidden in the dense foliage of a low growing tree.

   

 

We decided to head west toward the Grumeti airstrip.  I’m glad we did, because exploring and seeing the landscapes was something we wanted to do on this trip. But no animals.  Lots of dead ends due to mud. As we got closer to the airstrip we did see some animals, especially warthogs, but with all due respect, nothing compelling.  We had a little miscommunication with Joseph that resulted in us crossing the Grumeti and continuing west instead of turning east.  Here again we dead-ended and decided to head back.  It was well afternoon, and with another seeming miscommunication we didn’t stop for lunch until we were back to where we’d last seen the lions.  After lunch, we drove for about a ½ hour before all agreeing it was time to head back to camp. On our way back we did get a fun look at a family of White-faced whistling ducks.  We also saw our first vervet monkeys of the trip.  Otherwise, an uneventful trip back, arriving at camp around 5. The early return was good for many reasons, not the least of which was the previous 3 days were all 11 hours driving.  We all needed a break, even if it was only cutting this day down to 10 hours.

 

Getting back at 5 allowed ample time to shower and sit on our deck.  A bit of rain came through, but the deck is covered, and the rain didn’t last.  It did leave the air crisp and clear with a beautiful blue sky and distant puffy white clouds. While they weren’t visible, the baboons were certainly audible and close. We even saw some impala despite the very tall grass. 

 

We headed up to the restaurant and seated ourselves at the bar.  It would have been easier for the bartender to serve us there, but he suggested we move to a specific table out on the deck that afforded a tremendous view for a really nice sunset.  Though we were facing northeast, the color and cloud textures were quite impressive.

 

February 9 –

Same morning routine.  A little less dew and considerably less mist… but another fine sunrise.

 

We called ahead for permission, then headed to the area we’d encountered the patrol several days previous.  This was a good choice and resulted in another very good viewing day with very little dead time.  The farther east we went, the greater the diversity and density of animals. There were some large herds and lots of small groups.  Always moving, some groups would merge and then separate. As I review images and notes, I think the only plains animal not listed this day is hartebeest.  As for predators, certainly there were many hyenas.  We had several lion sightings from a mating pair to a couple far off in the distance, a couple of adolescents in and out of some scrub, a lioness in a tree and not far from her another 4 in a tree with a male between. We saw a fat and happy cheetah; we think was the same as the day before.  After lunch we headed back to the main road and drove east for a way, but no sightings, just aggressive biting flies.  Content with the day, we turned around and headed back to camp, arriving a little before 5.

     

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

We had an early dinner out on the deck.  It was light enough that we could see elephants and impala in the basin below. We were back in our room, showered, mostly packed for our morning departure, and to bed by 8:45.

 

10^th – On to Kusini –

We talked about our route to Kusini for several days. It was pretty clear Joseph was not comfortable with our desire to drive the boundary road to the Duma RS and then on down to Kusini. Eventually, he did say it was not an option. Instead, he proposed another option that would take us to the Moru Kopjes without taking the main road, but… He wasn’t certain it was passable and was waiting to hear back from some other guides that might have tried it recently. The morning of our departure he did hear back.  The gist of the message was, “at your own risk and all alone” and that no one would come help us if/when we got stuck. Given our experience with impassable tracks the previous days, we acquiesced with the caveat that we’d like to limit our backtracking on previous roads as much as possible. 

 

We left the lodge a little later than previous mornings.  No sunrise to enjoy this morning, but for the fourth morning we encountered many grazers and mongoose… and a chameleon… on our way out to the main road.

 

       

 

Our route backtracked on the main road to the Serena cutoff to Moru.  Along the main road we did see 7 lions at quite a long distance, but that was about it.  We stopped for breakfast around Makoma where we enjoyed watching a couple of lionesses and 3 cubs. The grass was relatively tall so it was more of a cat and mouse game of seeing heads and tails, then nothing, then another head, then nothing.  But it was fun trying to figure out where they’d pop up next.

 

How tall was the grass?

 

We were shocked by the height of the grass in the Moru Kopjes area.  There was little chance of seeing anything but giraffe, elephants, maybe eland… but alas, we didn’t see any of them either.  What we did experience was some of the worst ‘passable’ tracks we’d ever experienced in the Serengeti. We suspect Joseph contemplated going back to the main road but for his concern he might not make it back through some of the areas we slipped, spun, high centered, and jolted our way through.  If it wasn’t slipping and sliding in mud it was rutted and pot-holed in the extreme. When we arrived at Usawa Kusini they were a little surprised to hear we’d actually come down from Moru.  Not much of a wildlife day, but a wild day all the same.