Self-Drive Safari through Northern TZ Parks. Of Mara crossings and lions in camp

[KaliCA]

Any idea what his head wound is from?

Don't know. I'm guessing buffalo.

[KaliCA]

August 21Lake Manyara NP to Tarangire NP

 

We wake up to find 4 buffalo lazying in the dry river. We stare at each other for a bit and then I retreat.

Today and tomorrow are our unplanned days without bookings, and we decide to go back to Tarangire NP since it's close and we loved it very much the first time around.

Hoping for lion, we drive the Bagayo loop and the Lakeshore loop again. Nothing. Well, we think we can be happy with our three lion sightings, one of them in a TREE. The iconic image of LM.

Promptly at 10 am we check out of Lake Manyara after telling the friendly ranger how happy we were with our visit.

The town of Mtowambu is only 5 min. away and of course, we go back to our very familiar gas station where 2 minutes later, our boys show up. Word spreads fast about the mzungus being back to spend more money!

We shop again for veggies, water, and coke, and then, as promised, for some souvenirs. Again, bargaining takes some time and patience, and we buy some masks to add to our collection, as well as a carved bowl. I buy each helper a cold coke and everyone is happy, even without buying a cultural tour. ( I'm always afraid of not getting what is promised during such tours, although we had a fantastic visit to the Himba tribe in Namibia, once).

We enter Tarangire NP gate at noon, a very busy time at the office and I stand in line with many game drivers, the only woman there, but I'm all tuned into the procedure now, since this is our second visit.

We pick a nice site at the public campsite and have some lunch. We discover that there is no water at the new ablution block, and everyone is using the old toilets and showers. Darn it. We sure don't get value for our money in TZ parks. The attendant promises to have it fixed by tomorrow. Hmmm, have heard that one before.

Our neighbor's are relaxing in camp and we strike up a conversation because their vehicles sport the same operator name as ours: Serengeti Select Safaris.

They are a family of German people, a mom, a grown daughter, and another daughter with her husband. They use one Land Rover as a game driving vehicle and the other has two roof tents installed and is stationary when in camp. We compare safari stories and our experiences renting from Nathan. Their philosophy is you get what you pay for and even though they had car trouble as well, they take it all as part of the adventure. They are nice enough to share the location of a leopard in a baobab tree and we are grateful for this tip.

The early evening is then spent observing this wonderful creature laying in typical leopard fashion, on its belly, with all 4 legs and tail dangling. The setting is magnificent with the leopard lying in the shade on a low branch of a leafless baobab. Not much action except some headraising and eyeballing the commotion around him. Yes, it's another leopard jam, but everyone is well behaved. We wait for a long while, hoping it would get up, but it was not to be. Still, beautiful sighting.

We spend the rest of the golden evening game driving around the waterholes where we see ellies, wildebeest, giraffes, and more eland glowing in the late light.

Tonight there are just a few tents and us two self-driving parties present on the Public CS, so we appreciate the quiet and solitude and the beautiful moon over the savannah.

[KaliCA]

More LM pics

 

Moon setting over the escarpment in LM.

 

 

[KaliCA]

Oops, sorry, one is enough.

 

 

[KaliCA]

Shopping in the market of Mtowambu with the help of locals.

 

 

[KaliCA]

Tarangire, worth a second visit

 

.

[KaliCA]

[KaliCA]

August 22, Tarangire NP

 

It feels as though we only slept a few hours as we spend a lot of time listening to two sets of lions roaring instead of sleeping. It is always so exhilarating to sleep in our RT, hearing lions roar close by. So after a quick BF of cereal, we drive the loops around the camp in hopes of finding them. Just foot prints, but no lions.

At the third river circuit, I spot a dark-furred cheetah in a clearing. This is exciting. It's early morning, no one is around, so we get out of the car and sit up on top of the roof tent for a great view and pics.

The cheetah is calling and meowing every few seconds, but no other animals show up. It is very restless, walks a few steps, turns around, lies down, then walks to a bush up on a mound.

Then a game drive vehicle arrives and we show them our find. It leaves the mound and acts very alert, then starts racing toward a bunch of impala. They scatter and leap away. The cheetah doesn't catch any of them, but comes running back our way, chased away by a few mad baboons that are running after the cheetah. This really looks ridiculous. A cheetah, a predator, running away because it is afraid of baboons. Too funny.

After the excitement of a failed hunt, we are hungry as well and have BF up on the cliff again. It's very windy, so we sit in back of the Landy and eat.

Then we cross the river to see why two game drivers have stopped at the same spot. Turns out they were looking at mongoose.

There are more vehicles bunched up a few yards away, and it's because there is a dead impala not far from the road and a cheetah is breathing heavily under a bush. Two minutes later, it appears briefly, takes the kill in its mouth and drags it out of sight, behind the mound. So there was a hunt and kill not five minutes earlier and we missed it because of the mongoose. As you can see, good timing is everything on safari.

Driving south, I spot a lioness and some more dark ears by the river, but she disappears quickly. Another lioness is making life crazy for a herd of zebra and wildebeest, as she keeps walking close to them, but the hunt does not materialize. We have noticed that a single lioness will rarely be successful in hunting prey. But then again, there may be more lionesses around that we don't see!

We have lunch at Silale picnic site again, then watch two herds of ellies practically running down the hill, full of anticipation and with a definite spring in their step they enter the little stream to drink, before getting a mud bath and going into the greenery to feed. The little ones seem to have a hard time getting their footing in the slippery, deeper swampy areas.

A herd of zebra come off the hill as well, but they only go to drink at the edge of the swamp before retreating in a hurry.

On the way back north, we see hundreds of ellies in big and small herds, as well as hundreds of zebra and wildebeest. The amount of animals is simply mind-boggling. And it's all because of the shallow Tarangire River, the only source of water for miles around. So yes, in Tarangire NP in the dry season, you will see elephants by the hundreds.

We visit the spot of the cheetah kill and this time luck is with us, as we can watch it eating its prey at a distance of about 10 meters. It is nervous, aren't all cheetah? and keeps turning around as if afraid someone might steal his catch. Sure enough, there is another cheetah sitting not too far away, eye-balling it.

We cross the river one last time and just for fun, check if our cheetah is still there. Against all odds, it is actually sitting at the exact same spot on the termite mound. We then return to the waterhole which is only one kilometer from the public campsite. There we watch the evening activities by the herbies in the golden light.

Camp is quiet again tonight, just the way we like it.

[KaliCA]

[KaliCA]

[KaliCA]

[KaliCA]

[ZaminOz]

@@KaliCA

Yes buffalo a likely contender.

[Canadian Robin]

“Lioning” around – good one!

 

We loved camping at Turner Springs. With all of the lions that visited our campsite, we hardly slept a wink. Pity the campsites at TS are now held for mobile operators – they are so beautifully situated at the base of a kopje near the springs.

 

What a wonderful sighting to watch the ellies chasing lions. Such a large pride – the photo of the lions in the trees is really impressive.

 

Very generous of your DH to offer up his spot in the RTT – for me, the RTT is always a highlight, and I would have difficulty giving it up.

 

Oh my goodness…how frustrating to have to waste so my time/effort sorting out the entry to the NCA. Such a subtle difference (one versus two pre-paid cards) but with such disastrous consequences. I understand the frustration of your BIL, but how unfair to direct it at you.

 

Pity about the cooler – after all that menu planning!

 

Moru 4 is lovely, isn’t it? Like your DH, we wanted to climb to the top of the kopje but, after the lioness visit, we didn’t dare. What a difference a year makes – there were no tsetses in the Moru area, including along the river, when we were there. I remember well the wind on that campsite. We had to secure the tent with extra ropes. How were the bees on the campsite? We never saw pelicans at Lake Magadi – or flamingoes for that matter. Great sightings!

 

Three leopards in a tree?? Amazing! Jackpot! The photo of the star trail with the tree is lovely.

 

Great place to have your 4x4 quit – yikes! Wow – 3 cheetahs and a serval – your sightings are simply amazing.

 

I have made a note about being asked for the vehicle weight – we have never been asked for that. The only tough question we have ever had at the Naabi Hill Gate? The NCAA officials asked for the owner and address of our tented camp (Lemala Ngorongoro) – and, needless to say, for the address, GPS points were not good enough. We had to call Grumeti Expeditions and ask for their mailing address in Arusha – crazy! I’m convinced that the officials at the gate have a list of questions that they use only for self-drivers!

 

Camels? Really? We have never seen any. By the time you arrive at the Panorama campsite, your 4x4 does look a tad dusty.

 

We have always thought that Lake Manyara is an under-rated park, although the tsetse flies seem worse/more extensive with each visit. Lovely photos of the lion in the tree. Hmmm – Lakeshore SC is a favourite – despite the lion, I probably would have voted for staying! J

 

Leopard in a baobab - Africa at its best.

Thank you for a most enjoyable read!

[Julian]

Spent the last hour and a half reading through this report - you had many really great sightings and photos.

It must have been a really good trip.

The cost is obviously very cheap self-driving, but not something I would ever have the experience or confidence to do.

You are obviously used to self-drive from your previous travels and can cope very well with the many small, and larger, problems which may occur.

 

Just to say , you commented on the poor roads - but this is East Africa and other than very major routes i guess there are few real roads - it was much worse in northern Tanzania when I travelled there 14 years ago. The last 25 miles of the road to Lake Manyara was just broken rocks.

 

You also seemed disappointed when you first saw the Ngorongoro crater, as it wasnt green.

Basically East Africa is brown in the dry season and green the rest of the year, the crater was very green when I visited it in January, back in 2001.

[KaliCA]

@@Canadian Robin, thank you so much for your kind words. Glad to know you enjoyed reading along and remembering events from the places you know so well and were kind enough to introduce me to through YOUR trip reports.

Believe me, B&B were mentioned quite a few times during the trip. Especially around Moru and Lakeshore sp CS. I knew you would have camped there even with the lioness around, and I'm kind of sorry we didn't. But at the time, it seemed the correct decision.

I could not even believe how relatively empty Moru was of animals, compared to Seronera. I had such high hopes for multiple lions there and not even one showed up. Can't believe we had to leave early because it was just so quiet. We both went in August and there seem to have been some big changes, maybe rain-related?

No bees, but so much wind we could not camp on your spot!

[KaliCA]

@@Julian, thanks for joining me on this TR and your kind words.

Regarding costs, here is the breakdown of a day self-driving in the Serengeti per couple

Car rental $100

Gas: $ 15

Car entrance fee $10

Serengeti entrance fee $100

Serengeti sp. campsite $100

 

Total of $325 per couple without food, so compared to lodge stays, it is certainly cheaper and we can therefore stay many more days than people going on guided safaris typically stay. This year, we spent two weeks in Kruger and three weeks in TZ, so much more time than the typical 10-14 days most people spend when choosing guided safaris.

But, the biggest advantage for us is FREEDOM to choose and be and having some awesome adventures on our own.

You are right in observing that TZ was not our first self-drive safari, in fact, I would suggest to choose SA, Nam and Bots as a first-time safari self-drive destination.

[KaliCA]

August 23Tarangire NP to Arusha

 

We have slept in a little and wake up as the sun is spinning everything around us into gold. We spend a lot of time simply enjoying the many animals moving all around us. There are more than 10 giraffe, some really close to our tent, some zebra, a few waterbuck nibble on seed pods next to the Defender, impala in the clearing and ellies on the hill. Wow, a veritable Garden of Eden!

So next to Sero 4, this is another favorite campsite.

Not the facilities, though. Still no water in the new shower block, as I predicted.

It takes us almost two hours to pack up as we are delighted to have all these animals around, so we stop often in our chores and just enjoy all the comings and goings.

The plan is to game drive till about 11 am and then we would have to leave the park by noon as per our permit. We drive the Little Serengeti loop with the many baobab trees, and notice how the waterhole there has fully dried up since our last visit there three. weeks ago. We have a big breakfast at Matete

Picnic site, and then visit the waterhole close to the Public CS one last time.

There are a lot of wildebeest and zebra drinking, some entering the water up to their bellies. Then two different herds of ellies appear. Some enter the water and start to play-fight, dunking each other, going under with only the trunks showing, and just all together having too much fun during ellie spa time.

A young bull from the first herd is getting madder and madder at the second herd and runs up to females, trying to scare them away. He grabs wood and flings it around, races around the rim of the waterhole, and even enters it all the while trumpeting loudly and carrying on like a crazy boy.

So this mad Ellie action is getting a bit too wild and we want to back off a little. Surprise! our car won't start again! There is a crazed ellie and many game drive vehicles around us and we are stuck... again. Sounds like a battery or starter problem.

Except this time. we know what to do. We ask a friendly GD to push us backwards, and he does. Thank goodness, the engine starts and we are off driving towards the exit. We check out with the engine running, buy some more souvenirs from a shop along the road, with the engine running, then text Nathan to meet us at his depot at 2 o'clock to see if the starter problem can be fixed.

We reach Arusha and as agreed, Nathan is there (and it's Sunday) and asks DH to turn the engine off. It won't start again. It's dead and it seems we are done with our safari. No more defender, so that means we can not visit Arusha NP special campsite that has already been booked and paid for.

So, on the fly, we change our plans to the following: We will get another Land Rover and drive out of Arusha in order to see Mount Kilimanjaro. DH is adamant about seeing this famous mountain while we are here. Then we would drive to L'Oasis Lodge and spend the night there, before coming back to the depot to catch our ride to the airport at 5:30 PM the next day.

Meanwhile, our German fellow travelers are showing up returning their Defenders at the depot and are nice enough to give me written directions on how to find the L'Oasis Lodge, where they would be spending their last night as well. So we would all meet up at the lodge again for dinner.

Now we have a big clean-up and organizing job ahead of us. We empty the Defender of all of our belongings and place everything on the grass. Then we have to dust off, sort, give-away or repack most of it into our suitcases. Miraculously, it all fits!This arduous chore takes us more than two hours.

It is now close to 5pm on a Sunday, and we are leaving Arusha, driving east with the silver Defender to find famous Kilimanjaro mountain. After 40 minutes, we find a clear spot and take some pics of the rather disappointing view, because there is now very little snow on top. Anyway, DH gets his wish and I just want to go back to the lodge, as the chaos of the crowds and traffic is getting too much for me and I am plain out of patience.

As DH is driving back to Arusha, he says, "I have no clutch; it's stuck on the floor." And so it was. He can only drive in third gear now, and so starts a hair-raising trip back to town, in third gear, with the car almost stalling behind slower vehicles a few times. Our mission is to make it as close to town as possible. It is now almost dark and even harder to navigate through the chaos of people, cars, taxis, bikes, dogs, goats, and kids. Finally, we reach the main junction and make it into a quiet side street and we are done; this car is done as well.

We call Nathan and he and his son tow us back to the depot. Turns out that this car has just come back from the mechanic where a clutch problem was supposed to be fixed, NOT.

Then we get yet another car and Nathan drives us up to L'Oasis Lodge which we would have never found in the dark. We check in after 8 pm and are allowed to stay till 2pm the next day. Nice. We pay $108 for a bungalow and half-board. By now it's 9 o'clock and we have dinner right away, nothing special, except I have to send back my bloody pork chop. Unfortunately, we don't see the German people anymore as they probably went to bed early for their flight to Zanzibar the next morning.

Our room is a rondavel bungalow with two separate big beds. It's quite alright and it has hot showers. We go to bed exhausted from all the stress we had today all due to double car troubles with Nathan's bad equipment.

[KaliCA]

Can anyone tell me the name of the single bird in post 186. I'm thinking Harrier Falcon?

[Canadian Robin]

We hope to go back to Kenya and Tanzania in 2017 and, if we do, we will definitely put Moru 4 on the agenda. It will be interesting to see what we find - bees or no bees, tsetses or no tsetses, and animals/lions or no animals/ lions. I guess, based on your visit and ours, the one certainty on Moru 4 will be strong winds.

 

 

I knew you would have camped there even with the lioness around, and I'm kind of sorry we didn't. But at the time, it seemed the correct decision.

 

Absolutely the correct decision! You are clearly far more sensible than me. Looking forward to more! R

[Canadian Robin]

Oh my goodness - you certainly had more than your share of 4x4 difficulties. Pity you had to miss Arusha NP.

[KaliCA]

Yes, so many car troubles, but in Nathan's defense, this was an inverted car he had just bought from a German man and we got it only because the one assigned to us was totaled in an accident on the crater rim, but stil....it sucked!

 

Re your other post. Arusha NP would have been our second visit as we were there the first night and second day. When planning I thought it would be nice to finish the trip in the greenery and solitude of a sp. CS.

But truly, it is always best to finish a camping trip at a BB or lodge as the clean-up and packing will be so much easier.

[KaliCA]

Oops, inverted should be read as unvetted

[KaliCA]

[KaliCA]

Garden of Eden as seen from Tarangire Public CS