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Serengeti, ten out of ten !


africawild

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@@africawild - Hi Paco..... Amazing images from Namiri. Quick question - I have friends going there soon..... Do you have a guide recommendation? thanks.......

 

Hari , the answer to your question on day 3 !!

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@@africawild Really lovely photographs. While I agree with @@JohnR and @@TonyQ above that both of the lion options are terrific, my personal preference is for the second. The open plains with the granite boulder in front just screams Tanzania to me, then you notice the lions just casually lying on the boulder. The photo seems to capture the essence of Tanzania and lions in one shot.

 

I'll be at Namiri Plains in two months. This TR will hopefully make the time go faster.

 

Two months is just around corner , I am sure you would love Namiri Plains !!

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Day 3

 

The morning starts again with a visit to the Acacia fever tree forest and the usuals are there , we spent good time with some dagga boys that hung around , there are some really impressive bulls !

 

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We follow similar route as yesterday because we want to pay a visit to the Sametu pride. We see several giraffes , also a bunch of hyenas , there are quite a few around. Soon we arrive at the Sametu Kopjes and we find the 5 cubs with 2 adult females in a marshy vegetation where they just have finished a zebra hunted the previous night .After a few minutes the lionesses and cubs to move towards the rest of the pride.

 

 

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Buy it turns out that they pass the other lions because they are going for a drink so we follow them close. We realize why this pride is so big and healthy and way they don't move from this place , they have cover for hunting at night when other animals come for a drink , they of course have fresh water , they have a great place to hide the cubs in the kopjes that at the same time is an incredible playground for the smallness , i guess this is lion´s paradise !!

 

 

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After the drink the cubs and mums start to walk towards one of the kopjes and of course we follow them to see their next move.When the last 2 small cubs where about to arrive to the rocks 2 of the adult males appear in scene. Future and present in one frame.

 

 

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Once all the family get together in the kopje the cubs of course star to play and fight and also they keep try nursing all the time but the 2 females are not in the mood.

 

 

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One of the big males just lay down at the base of the kopje,he is a majestic lion. At that time another vehicle arrive to the place and we decide to leave and find a nice spot for breakfast , we have been almost 2 hours with the lions and again our car is the only one around , this really is a plus if you stay ay Namiri.

 

 

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In the afternoon we got another guide and is going to be our last drive by ourselves. The days is getting cloudy and looks like we are not going to be able to get away from some rain. We cross the stream in front of camp where we see plenty of plain game and suddenly we see a dead male grant gazelle, the body is not open yet and our guide is sure the gazelle was just killed, we can see the teeth marks in the neck . It is a woody area so he is sure the killer is a leopard , we look for the cat during half an hour but no luck , he must be a shy cat and we decide to leave.

Clouds are getting worse.

 

 

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After some driving in the plains we spend some time with a clan of hyenas

 

 

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And then our guide makes magic ! We are in the middle of a huge plain , is starting to rain and suddenly he stops the vehicle and starts to scan with his binoculars.He says he has seen some vultures flying in the distance so we get close, he starts to scan again and sees what he thinks is a vulture on the ground and some gazelles looking towards the same direction. We don´t see nothing because is really far away , but he turns around to find another road and we can get close to the gazelles. Now we can see the vulture and as we approach the big bird we see some movement on the grass , first a jackal , then 2 more and then a mother cheetah with 2 small cubs. They are not close to the road but it is great. the cheetah has killed a prey and the jackals are trying to still it from her. It is funny to see one of the cubs chasing the jackals all the time.

 

 

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The rain now is stronger and the light very dim so photography is bad , but what a moment ! Finally 4 jackals are too much pressure and the mother has to give up and leave , so we do !

 

 

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My tip this time has to do with the question Hari just made.

We always have to do what he is doing !! If you are going to a place you don´t know , do your homework and try to ask and find who is the best guide in camp. Of course if you have a private vehicle you have to ask for him but if you don't , ask for him anyway, you may be lucky and get it. A great guide can make a difference with a good guide ( needless to say about a bad one ) and he can really improve your experience by a big margin , it is worth to try and get those great guides.

We experience this in Namiri , we had 3 different guides , 2 of them where good ones but one was great and he really showed it in one afternoon. Too bad we did not have him for the rest of the safari.

 

By the way Hari , the guide for your friend is Patena , he is not the most smiling and funny person , but if there is something interesting hidden out there he will try to find it like no other !!

 

 

Paco

Edited by africawild
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We experience this in Namiri , we had 3 different guides , 2 of them where good but one was great and he really showed it in one afternoon. Too bad we did not have him for the rest of the safari.

Is it the normal practice for Namiri to change guides or just a coincidence?

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anthracosaur

@@africawild I was just about to ask the same question as @@bettel Also, how many guests were there per vehicle at NP? Also #2, another set of fantastic photos!

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We experience this in Namiri , we had 3 different guides , 2 of them where good but one was great and he really showed it in one afternoon. Too bad we did not have him for the rest of the safari.

Is it the normal practice for Namiri to change guides or just a coincidence?

 

 

No , i don´t think is normal practice at all . First and last drive we got a different guide driving us from a to the airstrip , but those happen to be normal long game drives .

 

Then the rest of the safari we had the same guide except for one afternoon that there was people for a walking safari and he was the only guide with walking permit in Namiri !

 

 

Paco

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Game Warden

There are just so many trip reports coming in right now where I'm thinking, I wish I'd been there...

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@@africawild I was just about to ask the same question as @@bettel Also, how many guests were there per vehicle at NP? Also #2, another set of fantastic photos!

Thanks.

 

We were 5 in the car for the rest of our stay in camp and the other vehicles i saw did not have more than 4 , but the camp was not full . I will say that with a full camp maximum will be 6 , two per row !! I think there were 3 guides and 3 vehicles ready every day .

I would like to mention that for start times morning and noon , and also if having breakfast in camp or depart with a packed breakfast all vehicle occupants have to agree. The guide of course always try to please everyone

 

 

Paco

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Superb report, Paco. Evocative pictures and I really like your tips. Have to agree 100% on a great guide taking a safari to a different level and a bad guide ruining it. I would add a private vehicle and a camps location are the other two must haves, at least for me. Everything else (ok almost everything: I need good food, a hot shower and a decent bed) can be compromised.

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@@africawild Not sure how I missed day 2 on day 2 but caught up now. Lovely photos again. I would vote for the 2nd phot of the lions on the rock (but maybe that is bacause I already know what they look like close up :D ) More seriously I like the way they are placed within their habitat.

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madaboutcheetah

@@africawild - Thanks so much, Paco. WIll make sure they request Patena.

 

Look forward to the rest of this fantastic report!!!

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Fantastic TR @@africawild and those photographs are all so great! Great tips too, going to Namiri the first week of May and will make sure we request for Patena. Thank you!

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Great photos - nice lion and cheetah families! How long does it typically take to drive from Namiri to the Seronera airstrip?

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Wonderful, as you always give us. Thank you.

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Great photos - nice lion and cheetah families! How long does it typically take to drive from Namiri to the Seronera airstrip?

 

I would say there isn´t a proper strait drive to the airstrip unless you are late , you are always going to see something interesting in the way.

 

However to catch our Kogatende flight we went ¿fast? to the airstrip , with a few very short stops ( cheetah , lions in the middle of the road , bat ear foxes with pubs , more lions ) and it was one and a half hours drive.

 

Paco

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Hi Paco,

 

Great TR and superb photography / composition. Hyena and Cheetha pics, excellent. Waiting for more!

 

Do you know by any chance, if The Soit le Montonyi area / Namiri plains, is open to self drivers or is it just for camp use (Asilia).

 

Happy and memory full writings!

 

AP

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Thank you all !!

 

I have reviewed the photos of the fourth day (945) to choose 10 and I find it hard to follow the story with just 10 , so I'll upload 20 , I hope not to bore people too much.

 

As usual in the Serengeti, the day begins with a glorious sunrise, although in a few minutes, as happened almost every day during our trip , the sky is covered with clouds

 

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In our way to the usual visit to the lions the guide sees this eagle-owl

 

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After stopping for some hyenas , and about 40 minutes from camp we find the Sametu pride, the cubs are out again!

 

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And last year young members of the pride are around also , buy they looks like they need some food soon !!

 

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Within 30 minutes of our arrival, the mothers decide it's time to take the cubs to good cover so all head for the rocks where they hide the small ones .

 

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We continue driving through the plains observing the usuals , like these common ostriches in courtship

 

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We head to find a place for breakfast and when we are coming to a lonely tree that seems a perfect place we realize that someone has arrived earlier than us

 

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We stop the vehicle beside them and decided to eat breakfast in the car , they are very relax and don´t even pay attention to us.

 

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After a great breakfast with the best possible company we continue the route stopping from time to time, now some hyenas, now another pride of lions , until we reach camp at midday .

 

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Lions seemed to be everywhere. The light was terrible so i played with shutter speed , As always Murphy's Law, the only decent picture i cut the tail

 

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In the afternoon we decide with our guide to explore the Barafu Kopjes, but a huge storm makes us change direction.

 

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Birds also deserve some interest.

 

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The afternoon is relatively quiet but ends with a priceless moonrise to the left and magical sunset to the right !!!

 

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The tip for today is "LEAVE EARLY" whenever is possible.

The three days we went to see the Sametu PRIDE first thing in the morning , we found them with the cubs out and spent some good time with them. But we were the only vehicle to come out with a packed breakfast, the other guests decided to have breakfast in camp every day and every day by the time they reached the kopjes , the cubs had already hidden in the rocks and all they saw were flat cats.

 

 

The next day will be half day Namiri and half day Northern Serengeti , i think i am going to need another 20 pictures to tell the story !!

 

Paco

 

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madaboutcheetah

Brilliant, Paco!!! Thank You!

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@@africawild I thought limiting yourself to ten pictures a day might be difficult! Once more I have enjoyed the pictures of the lions within their landscape - very powerful. Thank-you.

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"When the sun rises in africa you gotta be running" (not only animals but you also with your camera....)

 

Once again stunning photography.

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Brilliant pictures, Paco.

The wide angle low light ones are spectacular- my favorite is the second to last one-"Kopje under a full moon"! What time was this shot- I can't make out if the light was just fading or it was dark, shot with a slow shutter on a tripod.

Edited by AKR1
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[quote name="AKR1" post="190723" timestam

Edited by AKR1
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Lovely photos of those views that just go on forever.

Really like the 4th pic on this page (lions along the road) and the sunset/moonrise ones, as well.

Appreciate the thoughts on the composition of the photos, too.

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This keeps getting better and better - wonderful photos! Such a nice sighting of the Verreaux Eagle Owl - eagle eye magic from your guide :)

 

Thanks for replying about the driving distances - gathering some info for a possible future self drive and was wondering how far I have to venture to visit the same areas if I get exasperated with the crowding around Seronera :) Distances are not always what they seem on a map!

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