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

[KaliCA]

Mount Meru as seen driving toward Arusha

[KaliCA]

August 24 L'Oasis Lodge, Arusha

 

This is our last day in TZ. We sleep in, then go eat breakfast in the restaurant that looks more like a barn than a dining room. Not very pleasant. The rest of the morning is spent repacking our belongings, writing journal, lounging in the warm sun outside once the electricity stops working, and talking to some other guests. We have a picnic lunch with our left-overs in the lovely garden, before we drive down to Nathan's depot.

We take care of our bill and Nathan is fair in that we pay only for half of the frozen meat, half of the camping fee and nothing for yesterday's use of his car. He then takes us into town to meet with a friend of his who sells Tanzanite crystals. Sadly, the man only has two specimen, and neither is to our liking, so no sale.

The rest of the afternoon we spend at Blue Heron cafe, which is on the same lot as the depot, and we have a tasty pizza and coffee, while chatting with Nathan about living and doing business in Africa. We learn a lot from him, and of course we tell him the lions and the camping chair story.

At 5:30 our taxi arrives ($50 for the ride to the airport) and it takes an hour to get to the airport with all the traffic, slow trucks, and speed bumps slowing things down.

Our flight with KLM to Amsterdam leaves almost on time and stops for an hour in Kigali, Rwanda, where a lot of passengers get off and many get on.

We sleep for most of the flight and arrive in Amsterdam at 7 AM. After a short wait, we are off again and fly across the top of the world to San Francisco. Our son is there to pick us up and he drives us home. Our daughter awaits us with our two dogs that both she and our son have been doggy-sitting during out trip and we are most grateful for all their help.

So now we are thoroughly jet-lagged and a little overwhelmed by all of our experiences and new impressions. It will take some time to sort out our feelings towards Tanzania and this particular self-drive safari.

[KaliCA]

[KaliCA]

Postscript and Conclusions

 

Know-before-you-go

 

I thought I was well prepared and had an idea what the conditions in TZ would be. Wrong. Even though two friends were most helpful with advice, and I read other people's trip reports, I was still shocked to find such chaos in TZ.

Here are some things I was not prepared for:

I didn't imagine Arusha to be so busy and also chaotic.

I didn't think the Masai would be so utterly poor and begging at every corner, thus destroying any notion of the "proud Masai warrior."

I never imagined that the bad state of the roads across some of the most famous game parks in the world, would pose such a challenge for the driver and passenger alike.

I could't imagine that most bathroom facilities would be so horrible.

I could not have guessed that hot water showers would be a luxury and a rarity in TZ.

I could not imagine that a few tsetse bites would make me so miserable.

I didn't think the bureaucracy at gates would be so inefficient and time-consuming.

I didn't anticipate having problems with our camping gear.

I couldn't fathom that our Defender would be so inconvenient as a game drive vehicle and would, at times, be unreliable.

I had no idea we would be booked as a group of four rather than as two couples.

On the other hand, I could not have imagined the sheer number of animals we were to encounter, especially big cats, in the five parks we visited.

I didn't think the Tanzanian people would be among the most friendly and helpful people we have encountered yet.

 

The Route

 

In retrospect, I would leave out Lake Natron, as the roads were beyond horrible and dusty and the landscape, while stark and dramatic at places, did not compensate enough for the rough driving conditions.

There were fees to pay on this route as well, so no significant savings.

We would rather drive through the NCA twice in order to get to the Serengeti, and thus would have more of a chance of seeing wildlife, plus it would save gas, kilometers, and stress.

We would probably not go back to Arusha NP, as Lake Manyara offers some jungle environment and monkeys as well.

We would definitely not go back to the crater in the dry season, only in the green season, as it was just so drab looking.

For the Mara area, it may be worth splurging on a stay in a camp during the migration. The longer you can stay around the river, the more chances you will have witnessing a crossing.

 

Accommodations:

 

Planet Lodge, Arusha: recommended for oasis of green and tranquility. Good service. Food only ok, not better. 15 minutes drive out of town, though.

 

Serengeti: We were very happy with the special campsites, because they are beautifully located and we had animal visits. The public ones, however, are very busy and facilities are atrocious.

 

Tarangire NP: Public CS was fine, and you don't really need a special CS, unless you want total privacy.

 

Lake Manyara: no need for special CS, unless you can get Lakeshore special CS, the others are in the forest.

 

Moivaro Tented Camp, Lake Natron: Masai rooms are not value for money. Staff helpful and friendly. Can not recommend from our experience.

 

Rhino Lodge: Highly recommended if you are looking for off-rim accommodation for a reasonable price and nice atmosphere among guests.

 

Panorama Campground: recommend only for convenience of proximity to Lake Manyara and the view. Run-down grounds.

 

Arusha NP. No need for special campsites as you will most likely be the only guests on the Public CS.

 

L'Oasis Lodge, Arusha. Gated and walled, but located in a very impoverished neighborhood. Nice pool area and lobby area. Green gardens and comfortable rondavels. Food nothing special. Quiet and close to town.

 

 

Car and Camping provider

 

I can NOT recommend the services of Daniel Staub of Tanzania Pioneers. He made too many mistakes, does not know the parks well enough to be helpful and make recommendations. You do not need an intermediary to rent from SSS.

I can NOT recommend the services of Serengeti Select Safaris, because so many things went wrong.

However- a few caveats:

Nathan is a very nice, agreeable, helpful, and fair man and he offers the best deal in town. You can not beat $100 a day and $6 pppd for camping equipment rental.

But... as you read in my report, we did have many issues and challenges.

So if renting from SSS, just remember to set your expectations low, and who knows? You may have a much better experience than we did. Also, keep in mind that our car was not the one we were supposed to get, but a last minute substitute.

Make sure you get a car with a hatch for easy game viewing and photography. Our car did not come with that and it was a major disadvantage as the Land Rover is tight in space and the windows are very small.

Make sure the cool box has a dual battery system and cools and freezes as it is supposed to.

 

Would we go back to TZ and self-drive again?

 

DH feels he missed a lot by driving himself as the roads were very demanding. It was hard for him to drive and take good pictures, especially using the big lens, as there was no room to use the monopod. We did not have a hatch, so taking pics through my window was a big challenge for him.

For an extra $35 a day, Nathan can add a trusted driver to your rental. DH would like that option, but I don't want to vacation with a stranger. So I'm thinking that a hatch may be the best solution, it will, however not solve the bad road challenge. DH was also stressed because the car leaked oil and would not start up twice.

For me, the biggest challenges were the lack of decent bathroom and shower facilities, problems with the equipment, corrugated roads, tsetse bites, and the chaos at the gates and in Arusha.

However, despite all the challenges, self-driving in TZ was a big and awesome adventure and we are proud of ourselves that, at our age, we can still have wonderful adventuress together that bring us even closer as a couple.

To be able to see multiple migration crossings, finding leopards, lions, and cheetah, being independent, sleeping among the wild things, and just the privilege of being able to drive around in one of the most game-rich areas on our planet, tops everything else.

This was truly a trip that lived up to the motto:

The journey is the destination.

So yes....most likely we will be back in TZ ... Maybe in 2017.

 

2016 is booked and it will be a somewhat "tamer" trip back to favorite places such as the Kgalagadi, Nxai Pan, Moremi, Chobe, and Etosha.

 

And... As Bugs Bunny says, "That's all folk" and thanks for joining me on this trip.

[Sverker]

The single bird is a Harrier Hawk, also called Gymnogene.

 

Thank you for a great trip report, I am going to Tanzania next year on a shorter and more expensive trip, so it was extra interesting.

[pault]

Just read another couple of pages of this. Fantastic..

 

You have some great photos there - super nice stuff.

 

Will be back again... I'm diving in and out of this a bit, not reading in order as I would never do this - I would have totally expected at least 8 of the items on you "didn't expect" list and put most of them in the "not wholly surprising" category. Great you lsted them all though - really helpful for others to get their expectations in order..

 

For what its worth you'd find the south of Tanzania a lot better set up for this kind of trip in every way.

 

 

 

If you do go back why not invest in a portaloo and a much better tent? I know it would increase the cost, but might it make a return more feasible? Or mix this with a few days being driven yo give your poor husband some relaxation time and a proper shot with his camera? I understand what tyou eman about the driver, and I think you would have another 3 or 4 items on your list if you tried it, but I feel for him. Give a man a break.

[Marks]

Manyara looks nice. Heck of a wound on that lion's head.

The bee-eater photo on page 9 is superb, as is the "moonset" sequence.

The elephant in post #181 is a seriously powerful specimen, and the yellow hue of the first couple photos in post #187 is striking.

 

I enjoyed this very much and appreciate your honest thoughts at the conclusion here.

Edited November 13, 2015 by Marks

[Canadian Robin]

Here are some things I was not prepared for:

 

I didn't imagine Arusha to be so busy and also chaotic.

On our 2014 self-drive inTZ, we had to give up our vehicle for the day in Arusha while a leaking water tank was being repaired. The Arusha Coffee Lodge provided a car and driver to take us into Arusha for the day to shop and bank. I have to admit, both my DH and I enjoyed letting someone else tackle the chaos on the streets of Arusha.

I never imagined that the bad state of the roads across some of the most famous game parks in the world, would pose such a challenge for the driver and passenger alike.

I think it is difficult to comprehend how challenging the roads are until you drive them. It is exhausting. The 161km from Seronera, out the Western Corridor of the Serengeti, to Speke Bay on Lake Victoria - a distance of only 161km - took us 7 hours 15 minutes. It was incredibly rough and corrugated.

I couldn't imagine that most bathroom facilities would be so horrible.

The state of the bathrooms at the public campsites in the TZ parks is one of the reasons we stay on special campsites. On our first trip to TZ in 2012, we stopped at the public campsites at Seronera and Lobo in the Northern Serengeti for lunch. The bathrooms at both were in appalling condition. Ever since, we have stayed on special campsites, where we dig a pit. So much better!

I could not have guessed that hot water showers would be a luxury and a rarity in TZ.

Self-driving through TZ has given me a whole new appreciation of running water, flush toilets and hot water.

I could not imagine that a few tsetse bites would make me so miserable.

It seems that some people are badly affected by tsetses and others not so much. My bites drained, bled, and itched to the extent that I had to take an anti-histamine to sleep. My DH was also bitten, but the bites did not bother him at all. I grew up in a camping family, and have never been bothered by bites. Tsetses proved to be the exception.

 

I didn't think the bureaucracy at gates would be so inefficient and time-consuming.

Completing the paperwork at the park gates is like stepping back in time. Until Oloololo Gate in the Mara Triangle in Kenya, I had not seen anyone using carbon paper for years. We count on an hour at the gates - more at Naabi Hill, where the staff seem to enjoy giving self-drivers a tough time.

I didn't anticipate having problems with our camping gear.

No excuse for that! Shame on the company that rented it to you.

I had no idea we would be booked as a group of four rather than as two couples.

Lesson learned - thanks! I am not certain that I would have anticipated what a challenge this would present.

On the other hand, I could not have imagined the sheer number of animals we were to encounter, especially big cats, in the five parks we visited.

You certainly did enjoy spectacular sightings! Three leopards in one tree! Sigh!

I didn't think the Tanzanian people would be among the most friendly and helpful people we have encountered yet.

One of the reasons we love to self-drive in TZ and Kenya - wonderful, friendly people!

 

 

[Hads]

Kalica and DH I salute you guys on an epic adventure that you shared with us all.

The highs and lows of the whole trip. My personal feeling I got was that the overall experience with the self drive DYI trip is like you said the FREEDOM you have,get up when you want, stay as long as you want at a sighting, yes you do rough it abit but you rely on one another to get through the journey together which you did with honours, well done.

 

In 1999 I backpacked through Southern Africa with a mate using public transport ( Zim,Zam, Malawi,Bots and Nimibia) and not one day I think went to plan but what a great adventure at the time ( I did not like sleeping at border crossings in a bus with 50 locals though). I remember catching a mini bus in Zambia from Chipata to Mfuwe to go to SLNP , 3 flat tyre's later, watching fire flies stuck on a dirt road but 6 hours later we arrived safely.

 

Thanks so much for a inspiring trip report and I need to get planning my next (reminds me I have a TR to complete before Xmas )

[Atravelynn]

Lion vs. Chair

 

First round to the lion.

 

You saw tremendous stuff on your self drive. Lovely portraits of the hyenas.

[KaliCA]

Lion vs. Chair

 

First round to the lion.

 

You saw tremendous stuff on your self drive. Lovely portraits of the hyenas.

@@Atravelynn. Thanks for your comment. Yes, the great sightings compensated for all the other troubles we were having. Looking back at it now, it was a grand adventure and we want to go back for 2017.

Will be at Bagatelle Ranch middle of Septembef and wondering if the meerkats will be there.

[apfac]

Are you still with me? On we go to Lake Natron and Lobo area in the...SERENGETI. yay

 

 

August 7, from Tarangire to Lake Natron

 

For the first time we hear lion roaring during the night. Always a welcome sound. As I descend the ladder, I notice waterbuck lying close to our car. When I come back from the facilities, I almost bump into a small herd of ellies browsing around our car. Good thing I am using a flashlight!

My conclusion is that in Tarangire, in August, you do not need a special CS, unless you want total privacy. We prefer sleeping around animals, so we much preferred the public CS for this reason. (There may be more activity at Mbewha in the green season, who knows?)

We leave at 7 and drive slowly looking for the lions. Nothing. But we see two giraffe drinking at the waterhole and then our first ...eland this trip. I find that just as leopards are elusive among cats, so are eland elusive among antelopes. They always keep more distance and are prone to run away and hide. Very happy to have seen eland.

We check out of Tarangire park (easy, just sign out in the ledger book and show your permit)and stop at a roadside stand to buy a Masai painting. At the junction in Makuyuni we turn left for Mtowambu. We want to buy gas, water, and veggies there. The first gas station is out of Diesel. The one past our turn in the center of town has everything we need. An enterprising local youth latches on to us and leads us to his neighbor's fruit stand in the market behind the gas station. There I buy tomatoes, cukes, avocado, onions, apples, and eggs. It's about $4 for everything.

My brother finds a man who brings a bunch of wood that he ties to his roof. People around here are very friendly and helpful. My young man wants to sell us a cultural tour ( fly catcher, I thought so!) but we decline and I give him a few dollars for his help.

We easily find the turn towards Lake Natron ( not marked!) and proceed to take this long and dusty road under our wheels. No more tar roads for two weeks. Yikes! It is soon desolate and the fierce wind makes it difficult to drive with open windows. We stop along the road and have a quick lunch in company of a very young and very raggedy goat herd. There is enough food for this poor Masai boy and he leaves with more in his arms. On the way we encounter many more goat and cattle herding Masai and most of the kids are begging. This becomes somewhat of a nuisance as some would come down a hill and run along our car, whistling or yelling. Grown-ups do not normally beg, only children. And what a pitiful sight they are, covered in raggedy blankets, layers of dust on them. and wearing sandals made from old tires. There is such a huge need for basics out here. We would encounter many young children, miles away from any settlement, without water or food, tending their goats or cows. Very tough lives, indeed.

Eventually, THE famed volcano, Ol Doinyo Lengai, comes into view, but despite this awesome landmark, it is most difficult to enjoy the drive as the road conditions are just shocking. No bridges, but deep dry river beds have to be crossed and even when the road is relatively straight it is full of treacherous dips and holes. We were expecting three toll roadblocks and sure enough, each village levies a tax for passing though just like it used to be in the Middle Ages. At each check-point we are offered beaded trinkets made by Masai women. We pay two times $10 pp and one time $15 pp, so $70 in total for two people.

Also, we need a wilderness permit for the stretch after Lake Natron, another $70. To compare, if you cross the NCA, you would spend less in km and gas, but spend $50 pppd just driving through plus a fee for the car of around $20

Daniel Staub did not tell me about the wilderness fee of $70 so I was under the false impression that the way through Lake Natron would be cheaper. It is not.

After a harrowing 7 hour drive, we arrive at Moivaro Tented camp above Lake Natron, dusty and exhausted. The reception by the Masai staff is super friendly and we're looking forward to cleaning up and rest. But, alas... There is no hot water in the shower. Hard to believe, and we paid over $200 a night for two. The little hut, too, is a disappointment with its bare cement floor and blankets hung as curtains. Garage sale style. I'm sorry to say that we should have camped at World View CS as our German friends did.

I take a dip in the slimy pool and we wash some of our dirty clothes and then it is time for dinner. Dinner is quite tasty with fresh ingredients, so not a total loss. There is a sliver of the lake visible from the lodge, but you need a guide to access the lake or the waterfall nearby.

Looking back on it now, we should have spent a full day around there or taken the NCA route into Serengeti. Getting to Klein's Gate in two days is too much driving given the horrible conditions. So a day with the Masai, waterfall, lake, ancient footprints would have broken up two tough driving days.

 

August 8, Lake Natron To Lobo Public CS

 

Mentally, I send best wishes to our son on his 32nd birthday, as there is no wifi here.

We are up early and watch the sun rise above the lake far below. We decided to eat BF at 6:30 in order to leave at 7 for the 8 hour drive to Lobo Campsite. We receive a boxed lunch each (included in full board) and say good-bye to the friendly staff. We wash our windows with water from the river and promptly some women want to sell us their beaded ware.

We enjoy the drive close to the Lake and the scenery is quite dramatic with the silver lake to the east, the volcano nicely lit by the early light in the south and the escarpment to the west, even some greenery fed by streams coming off the escarpment. Humans are but a speck of dust in such a vast landscape.

We come to a fork in the road. Our GPS is telling us to take the left road as the main track, whereas my BIL insists on taking the right track. We part and each party does as they please. I don't like it as this is desert and desolate country and I did not want us to separate, but we did. How will we find each other again?

Our track dips into a riverbed, crosses it and heads straight for the escarpment. Are we to climb up the Rift Valley? Oh yes, my DH is driving like a pro and the Defender seems to enjoy climbing up this long and winding road as much as the driver does. Good and trusty horse it is.... Now.... After the filter change! I'm a little scared as the road is very steep, but not in bad shape, oh wait, there are a few very hairy places, but never mind. We make it to the top and admire the sweeping view over the valley and lake below. Wow, we made it! Now off to find the relatives.

We zoom along on what feels like a sandy highway. This is Africa at its best, a sandy track long last. We pass Grant's gazelles, zebra, and some Maasai bomas, but no people. In the distance, we spot a village nestled on a hill and head there. After getting lost in the village and lots of people staring at the mzungus, with looks of "what the heck are those people doing here!"we pass the community fountain and come to a junction where.... my sister and BIL are waiting for us surrounded by a lot of children. We proceed to eat our boxed lunches and end up sharing with many of the hungry onlookers.

After Sanjo village, it is true Maasai country. Many herds of cattle and goats with their shepherds clad in red blankets, villages, corn fields, and bomas, on hills and in valleys all the way to Klein's Gate. No one is stopping us or asking us to produce the wilderness permit. Hmmmm...$70 for the government....

In Wasso village, we notice a new gas station, but it's not open yet. We ask a local where to find Diesel and he brings us to his friend who has Diesel in barrels, no pump. We buy 30 liters each and it gets funneled into our tank and the helpful man gets diesel splashed all over him. That earns him a nice tip. We pay 64'000 TSH and are happy to have found fuel. It adds to our mental comfort as the next fuel stop will only be in Seronera, Central Serengeti.

Just before Klein's Gate, we pass through a very colorful Maasai village with many many people buying and selling. Looks like a holiday or market gathering.

We enter Klein's Gate ranger post and here it is only two steps to get a permit and no waiting. Pay one person, (Visa) then get the permit written by another person. Very important, as it turns out, is the fact that while the individual campsites are recorded on the permit and even the number of days in each, THERE IS NO DATE NEXT TO EACH BOOKING. Will be important later.

I ask other game drivers about the migration and I'm told there has been a crossing yesterday. Oh good, so we may still have a chance of catching the migration.

I can't believe it, but we are paying $1350 for our 9 night stay inside the Serengeti, (two people, one car) Well, this is how much some people pay to stay ONE night in a luxury lodge, so there....ok, no need to think about money any more. We are inside the promised land, land of many dreams and high expectations. Shall we enter?

 

It's so green here and the rolling hills with acacia trees and kopjes go on and on. Just beautiful. We enter the fist game driving track we can and slowly make our way to Lobo Public CS. We encounter herds and herds of wildebeest and zebra, as well as some topis with two boinking babies, and to my delight, a small herd of eland and a pair of klipspringer on a rock. So cute. We are amazed at the huge number of herbivores all around us. Wow.

 

My sister and BIL are already set up at Lobo Public CS and it's quite tight with many overlander dome tents, and barely enough space for us. The campsite sits below some dramatic kopjes, but it's on a slope, so we have to drive on a rock to make our tent even. But wait, what are the black things with horns in the meadow just below us? Yes, Buffalo. Let's hope they will stay put at night. The campsite has a beautiful view down into the valley and across to another dramatic ridge.

The evening is very windy and chilly, so grilling outside is a challenge. Upon closer inspection it turns out that the bathroom facilities are very old and rather disgusting. There is no hot water, a big shock to me, and I just can't bring myself to take a cold shower in this cold weather. There are only 2 working toilets for about 60 campers. Deplorable, and I'm mad at the conditions, seeing we paid all that money getting here and now have to be uncomfortable. Hmmm, is there a theme developing here?

No French-speakers tonight... Just about 30 Spanish-speakers, some very late arrivals who have a hard time finding spots for their tents. They are only sitting down to dinner at 9 pm and have A LOT to talk about!

We go to sleep with Spanish chatter and the wind is making our tent flap. Where are my ear plugs? Highly recommended.

 

August 9, Lobo area

 

We wake up a lot during the night as the tent keeps flapping despite some extra securing with ropes. Again, we are up before sunrise and see dark shadows grazing in the meadow below. Dagga Boys, and now a lot more. We make morning tea and pack up watching the sun rise across the ridge. Beautiful setting.

Today we will be game driving all the tracks around the Lobo area. It turns out that the main gravel road is horribly corrugated, however, the game driving tracks are more sandy and compact and easier to drive.

We see two klipspringer, one with a broken horn, watching alertly from a round rock, a young jackal on the prowl, and then a single lioness. She is sitting upright in the early morning glow, then walks through the golden grass before sitting on a termite hill to scout around. First lion in the Serengeti. Beautiful sighting.

For breakfast we decide to find Lobo 1 special CS, as we will spend the next two nights there, and it was not to be found in T4A.

We can only find Lobo 2, the site of a mobile camp city, but a helpful employee, drives us to the beginning of the very faint tracks. Looks like no one has been on Lobo 1 in quite some time.

The track stops at a clearing and a fire pit. A few eland greet us not far away, but retreat all too soon. We set up for BF, without a table, so I invent one by placing the kitchen box cover between our two chairs. Voilà. Better than nothing. The camping chairs are really hard to open and heavy, not the ideal gear for a quick set up for lunch or BF.

We attach some duct tape to a bush to signal the tun-off for my sister and this is where I have a very bad fall and hurt my ribs. This injury is very painful, especially during the night and every time I cough or laugh and it would bother me throughout the trip.

The rest of the day we game drive around Lobo. We see huge herds of wildebeest, congregating, running across ditches and the road and we get a preview of what a crossing might look like. We enjoy the green landscape and visit Ngare Springs where we hoped to find lions, but instead see beautifully marked giraffe and across the river... A Maasai with a herd of goats. Really? Are we that close to the park boundary.

I'm delighted to see more eland, mixed in with a herd of zebra. I was hoping to see more lions sitting on the many rock outcroppings. But it was not to be. There were very few game drivers around so it was relatively quiet in the Lobo area.

After an enjoyable. albeit quiet game driving day, we make it back to Lobo 1 and do some grilling with the relatives. Again, it is rather windy here, but we are excited to be sleeping among animals rather than among loud people. We keep shining our lights around scanning the surroundings and we soon notice some hyena after dark. Later, we observe a fat civet cat making its way across camp.

At night, we hear lions roar and hyena call.

Hi Kalica,

 

Congratulations for the excellent trip and report. Just digging into some info in order to go next October and wondering about the Natron road. You have mentioned that after living LN you took the left road and BIL took the right and both met at Sonjo. Did he mention how difficult was the ride compared to yours? We are planning traveling from Klein´s gate towards Mto-wa-mbu, and just worried about the descent escarpment.

 

Thank you.

[KaliCA]

Hi, thanks for reading along and glad to know it helps you in your planning.

My DH was driving and he says to definitely take the road around the escarpment as this is , and I quote, " one sh*t-ass scary road", especially if you were to drive down the escarpment. It was steep and slippery and full of ruts going up, and that was hard enough. My heart was in my pants half the time. So.... don't be a hero, be safe and go around. In addition, once we got to the village, we got quite lost.

Also, I would recommend staying at Worldview CS once you make it to Lake Natron. Watch out for cows and Maasai when driving after Klein's gate. Try to argue your way out of paying the road tolls, we didn't, but I heard of people who did it successfully. Insist on a receipt if you have to pay.

Have fun and let me know how it goes. Go well.

[ExtraordinaryAlex]

@@KaliCA Just read this- thanks for sharing, what a brilliant report!

[KaliCA]

Thanks to all who commented and for your nice words. Very encouraging that some of you appreciated reading about our experiences.

 

@ pault you mention that the South of TZ is geared more towards self-drivers. I have only ever heard that it is much wilder and less infra structure for camping. Are there any resources you can share with me so I can check it out?

 

@@Hads you showed real concern for poor DH who had to do all of the driving. For the safari after next, I'm planning on taking a driver/guide to visit the Mara and hopefully this will work out and DH can concentrate on taking even better shots!

[pault]

@KalCA You can check out a few recent-ish reports from trips to Ruaha and elsewhere for an idea. From @@FlyTraveler and @@Gregor. and @Africalover Although they used guides, their trips could easily have been done self-drive. The road from Dar to Iringa (which takes you most of the way to Selous, to Udzungwa and to Ruaha) is a major highway (Tanzanian standard, but still....) and the road from Dar to Mbeya (which takes you most of the way to Katavi - although the rest of the journey is still long - is the major route between Dar and Zambia. Then inside the southern parks (all I think, but would need to chck Selous as it is not a national park) there are quite a few accommodation options, including national park "bandas" (basic but comforaable huts) in good locations, where I am sure you would be able to camp. It is true that private camp sites would have no facilities at all, but that is no different to the north I guess, in general. And the bandas and general areas are less crowded than in the north. Roads in the southern parks are also generally in very good condition, and there are huge ranger stations so it is (at least in theory) possible to get fuel and basic supplies, as well as cooked meals - there is always a restaurant, although what they will serve may be basic, especially off-season. Again those ranger stations are ind decent locations for game viewing so for a first time visitor staying hear to them would make sense in every way. Of course if you were to set off for less visited parts of these parks it would be much more adventuous, and you would have to take a ranger with you. - and perhhaps that is what you have been told about.

 

I am sure I heard there is also a well equipped campsite at one of the tented camps outside Ruaha.......quite practical to stay there ....

 

This is all jsut from memory and never having actually done it. Read the three reports I mentioned and you will get the idea to get you started.

[KaliCA]

Thanks @@pault, will check into your suggestions.

[Julian]

Lengthy and detailed really good trip report , with lots of interesting very nice photos.

[anthracosaur]

@@KaliCA Great trip report. Sounds like you had fantastic luck with the animals and terrible luck with the equipment. You've managed to capture in your report how conflicted I am about self-driving. Having the freedom to do what you want, when you want is so appealing to me, particularly when it comes at such a lower cost than lodges and camps. However, I'm not terribly handy and the idea of being stuck with a broken-down vehicle and no cell reception is incredibly daunting. My wife would likely be up for self-driving and camping, but we probably need to do it somewhere easier.

[KaliCA]

@@Julian thanks for your nice comments.

 

@@anthracosaur. Glad you enjoyed reading my TR and contemplating a self drive safari yourself. This was our first foray into Eastern Africa as we only have done self drives in Southern Africa. So compared to TZ, the other ones were easy cheesy.

If you have never done a self drive, I would recommend starting in Kruger Park, SA. You don't even have to camp, but can stay in bungalows. Camps are fenced and many streets tarred. On the other hand, Kruger does not have the animal density of the Serengeti, but we usually have daily multiple lion sightings as well as leopard sightings, but you won't see the huge herds of herbivores as you do in the Serengeti.

Etosha NP in Namibia is also a favorite and we saw 90 different lions in 6 days during our last. visit. But again, not huge herds of herbivores or the acacia dotted landscape of the Serengeti. Easy to get around and many excellent car providers in Johannesburg and Windhoek. Camping or lodging. If you are interested, just ask away.

[apfac]

Hi, thanks for reading along and glad to know it helps you in your planning.

My DH was driving and he says to definitely take the road around the escarpment as this is , and I quote, " one sh*t-ass scary road", especially if you were to drive down the escarpment. It was steep and slippery and full of ruts going up, and that was hard enough. My heart was in my pants half the time. So.... don't be a hero, be safe and go around. In addition, once we got to the village, we got quite lost.

Also, I would recommend staying at Worldview CS once you make it to Lake Natron. Watch out for cows and Maasai when driving after Klein's gate. Try to argue your way out of paying the road tolls, we didn't, but I heard of people who did it successfully. Insist on a receipt if you have to pay.

Have fun and let me know how it goes. Go well.

Dear Kalica,

 

Thank you so much for answering to my enquiry. I apologize for the delay in answering you back, but actually I only took notice today! Thank you for the wise advice. Happy travels!

[JulieM]

Thanks for this great report @@KaliCA - I'm reading it now while planning our self-drive trip. We are considering doing Tanzania as a self-drive now before we fly south and start the big loop.

[JCC]

Thank you so much for your very informative and highly entertaining report @KaliCAWhat an adventure!  I have to say “unsafe RTT” necessitating a switch to lodge accommodation was not on my list of possible issues & outcomes. Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos. Best, JCC.