Niyam's African Adventure (August 2013)

[africapurohit]

We stopped for breakfast at the Sand River allowing Niyam to view the files of migrating animals as he enjoyed his Coco Pops. The Sand River is a physical boundary separating the Serengeti and Masai Mara and it's also one of the easiest crossing points. Even Niyam could cross here and it seemed some of the wildebeests had cottoned on. The Sand River area is also a great place to get close to relaxed basking vultures.

 

Niyam having breakfast at the edge of the plains, watching the migrating animals file past. Our original spot for breakfast had to be abandoned as Lonyoki saw some retreating lions heading into the Sand River.

Niyam still enjoying himself. Despite being away for 4 weeks, he wanted to stay longer.

Life would be so much easier if all wildebeests knew about this crossing point! The bank on the left-hand side is the Serengeti and the right-hand side is the Masai Mara.

It's a good area if you want to get close to relaxed vultures

[africapurohit]

We drove along the Serengeti-Mara border before heading back towards the camp for lunch.................

 

Black-headed Heron

Thomson's Gazelle

Crowned Lapwing

Lilac-breasted Roller

Agama Lizard

Another sleepy male leopard. It was only a few kilometres away from our leopard sighting the previous day, so it could have been the same leopard.

Klipspringer

 

We spent about 30 minutes with giraffe "creche" where one adult was looking after four babies. Although i did take some photos, the light was very harsh so I spent more time enjoying the sighting.

 

[pault]

Aha... I really thought your updates (when I noticed them) were people catching up with your report and you giving a quick thanks. I was sure you had decided to quit while very far ahead, with that amazing crossing.

 

Beautiful updates and you and birds seem to have been made for each other! They pose so beautifully for you. Nice to get the other side of the crossing, and great to see the Sand River (with bonus crossing) and Lamai Wedge shots - lovely, peaceful areas. The giraffe shots are very nice despite the light draining the colour. That and the Bataleurs are very special sightings.

 

For the very little it is worth it looks like the same leopard and certainly looks like a Ruppell's Starling to me (if not, at least you have company being wrong).

[Zim Girl]

Love the 'relaxed vultures'.

[africapurohit]

Thanks @@pault and @@Zim Girl.

 

pault, let's call it a very long mid-season break! I have also made a deal with @@twaffle that I will finish this before she heads to Serian's Serengeti North Camp. I have now reached our final day in Northern Serengeti - the last day covers a bit of Arusha National Park.

[africapurohit]

After lunch we took some photos in camp, before heading off on our final Serengeti game drive. Within minutes of leaving camp, we had a wonderful close (and relaxed) encounter with a breeding herd of elephants. This particular herd had made a habit of visiting close to the camp during the previous four lunchtimes. I always saw them just beyond the tree-line from tent 5. All of these elephant photos were taken with a full-frame at 200mm, so it should give you some idea of how close the elephants were.

 

Alex teaching Niyam a bit of archery

Niyam with Alex and Robyn

Niyam the Lion and Alex the Crocodile

onNiyam with Mdebe and Lonyoki, just before departing for our final game drive

[twaffle]

I'm so glad that you've continued on. I have a week left before I leave and your photos have helped build the excitement levels.

[Marks]

Honestly one of the most amazing and comprehensive trips I've read on here. I have been trying to be more active on the forums and read some trips I've missed, and I admit to being daunted by the 25 pages here - but I have been reading on and off all day, and it has been a wonderful time. The pages simultaneously fly by and make me linger over each photo and encounter. Just excellent stuff. And to share it all with your son - great memories in the making.

 

I should give a special mention to your bravery, which you alluded to in one of the earlier posts here, when you mentioned that a swarm of bees passed through your vehicle in the past. I have a (non-allergic and completely in my head) phobia of bees and may have suffered a heart attack in that experience...so well done!

 

Your wildebeest photos on the past few pages rank among the most densely packed scenes I've ever seen...must have been great to see.

[africapurohit]

@@Marks thank you for the kind words. Taking Niyam was an amazing learning experience for me and has given me the confidence to pull-off my next safari in 2016 when I plan to take all three of my boys (and their mum ). Niyam will be 9 years old then and his younger brothers will be aged 7 and 4. The original plan was South Africa but I'm now leaning towards a 3-week mobile safari in Botswana - I think it will be an amazing experience for the kids.

[africapurohit]

We returned to the spot where we sighted the male leopard in the morning, but he was no where to be seen and there were no vehicles in the area. We drove around the kopjes whilst Mdebe scanned the area with his binoculars, until he eventually found the hidden cat. He had found a different kopje to sleep on. But it wasn't long before our stationary vehicle attracted the attention of other vehicles.

 

We spent almost an hour with the leopard but he wasn't doing much and it was at this sighting that I saw @@PCNW who had arrived that day. The number of vehicles were building up and golden hour was almost upon us, so I made the call to move on and find a more cooperative subject. It was one of the best decisions I made! Not far from the leopard, we came across this heavenly scene...

 

The deep grey clouds provided the perfect backdrop to the golden-lit kopjes, with a male klipspringer as the star act. As we moved closer, he started to pose in various different positions and seemed to enjoy the attention. His female colleague wasn't quite so bold. We spent around 30 minutes at this special sighting and I almost felt obliged to pay this klipspringer a fee. A few vehicles stopped to see what we were looking at but always drove on when they realised it wasn't a leopard - we happily directed them to the leopard .

 

[twaffle]

Some of the best klipspringer images I've seen.

[TonyQ]

@@africapurohit

Beautiful klipspringer photos!

[michael-ibk]

Absolutely love these Klippspringer photos, so hope to see some of these very special animals soon.

[PCNW]

You're killing me @@africapurohit seeing these beautiful images of this beautiful place makes me want to go back. The fur on the klippspringers (or king slippers as I called them) always looks like we've over done the sharpening but that's just the way their hide is.

[Atravelynn]

And the hits just keep coming! Even the skies cooperate for you. They may be gray but the light filters through onto the klipspringers giving them an angelic quality. When @@twaffle says you have some of the best klipspringer pictures that's a real compliment.

 

You have captured migration magic with the leaping wildes!

 

A private mobile for you and the family in Botswana would be ideal. How have your younger sons reacted to the photos of this safari and your stories?

Edited July 5, 2014 by Atravelynn

[Marks]

@@Marks thank you for the kind words. Taking Niyam was an amazing learning experience for me and has given me the confidence to pull-off my next safari in 2016 when I plan to take all three of my boys (and their mum ). Niyam will be 9 years old then and his younger brothers will be aged 7 and 4. The original plan was South Africa but I'm now leaning towards a 3-week mobile safari in Botswana - I think it will be an amazing experience for the kids.

 

This sounds like it will be another experience to treasure (and read about here on ST).

 

Nice klipspringer images, as well. Very crisp, with awesome lighting.

[africapurohit]

Thank you all for the kind comments about the klipspringer photos but this situation was more luck than anything else - you can't go too wrong if an animal lets you get that close, whilst posing in fantastic light.

 

@@michael-ibk I hope you do get to see them. The way they can elegantly negotiate the steep rock faces is amazing to watch (I wish I had filmed this!)

 

@@PCNW you are right about their fur, it does play tricks on the mind.

 

@@Atravelynn the boys love looking through the photos, not just of this safari but also from past safaris me and my wife have been on from 10-12 years back. Niyam can still name many of the birds almost a year on. My second son is excellent with his African wildlife and far more advanced than Niyam was at the same age - he's just turned 5 but is already studying distribution maps and spoor! The youngest who is 2 years, can already identify most of the mammals but he insists on mimicking the sound of the animals so slideshows can take a bit longer!

[africapurohit]

As the light started to fade we decided to head back to camp............

 

One of the more interesting kopje formations, with the hills of the Masai Mara in the far distance

This Thomson's Gazelle had impressive horns

We met this young hyena during our first gamedrive in the Serengeti and Niyam was happy to see it again on our final drive

The final glow before darkness falls

Our last Serengeti sunset

 

 

 

The next installment will cover a brief but wonderful visit to Arusha National Park.

P.S. @@twaffle you can tell Alex the Serengeti part of the report is finished

Edited July 6, 2014 by africapurohit

[twaffle]

Thanks @africapurahit I'll let him know. I've enjoyed this trip through your eyes very much and hope I see even a little of the variety you had. Looking forward to Arusha NP.

[graceland]

Oh my @@africapurohit, what amazing last day pics. Serian is such a special place. So glad you enjoyed it and I hope to try Alex's Serengeti spot in the next years.

I follow him around always drooling

so thank you for the fix......

 

I love that you plan your safaris around your children. You are awesome.

[Zim Girl]

Oh, the baby hyena pics are just adorable!

[Sangeeta]

AP - simply bowled over by that last illuminated Kopje landscape with a misty Mara on the horizon.

Actually bowled over by this entire report! Thanks so much for taking the time to share so much detail - this is now an all-time classic Tz report. We're lucky to have you here.

[Atravelynn]

Now the young hyena, peeking out of a perfectly cylindrical symmetrical den. Everything worked on this trip.

[Dam2810]

What a trip!!!! Fabulous trip report (it must be one of the longest as well ;-) ) and amazing pictures.

[Gregor]

Just read this TR through in full awe, what a fantastic trip, good storytelling and fantastic photo. So many top-notch wonderful photos. For one, I just love the animalscape photo of the klipspringer (the first one).