Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti - 22nd October to 3rd November 2017

[Julian]

We then spent some time watching and photographing other birds.

 

glossy Ibis

 

 

little stint

 

 

Pied Avocet

 

 

Not sure - possibly a long-tailed cormorant?

 

 

Hammerkop

 

 

 

[Julian]

We headed back into the bush for the rest of the morning and other than a few more baboons we saw very little over the next hour or so, until two bull elephants decided to entertain us for a while.

 

 

 

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[Game Warden]

@Julian I really hope that this trip report inspires more people to visit Lake Manyara on their northern circuit tour. I remember looking out for tree climbing lions: didn't see any but did see lions prowling through the undergrowth. Back in 2005 I can't recall any walkway, not that we spent enough time in the park to do it anyway... I'd love to go back.

 

I think it was close to here that Hemingway related his experiences on a Big Game hunting trip in Green Hills of Africa. 

 

Matt

[Julian]

When we were eating our lunch back at the camp a new group of six guests had just arrived, consisting of a guy with his two late-teens daughters and their boyfriends, plus a friend. They had seen very little wildlife other than monkeys and a few giraffe on their journey through the park to the camp, and they were only staying for one night. Unfortunately they had picked a day when the wildlife was not cooperating.

 

After lunch we decided to follow a short track through the bushes that leads to the camp swimming pool, as it was the only part of the camp we had not seen at all. It looked very nice if a little out of place, and then we were suddenly distracted by a shuffling noise – and much to our amazement just a few paces from the pool on the other side of a small wire fence (presumably there to keep animals away from the pool) was an entire family of 14 elephants, almost in silence, having a mud bath in a wallow.

 

We did not have a camera with us and I considered quickly going to fetch one from our room, but decided the elephants would probably be gone by the time I returned, so instead I went back to the camp lounge where the new guests were being given their briefing by May, the manager. I apologised for interrupting, and when I told them about the elephants they obviously wanted to see them immediately. They only had a few minutes watching the elephants because the young guests were rather noisily excited by them, leading to the matriarch giving a single call and in less than a minute the elephants had all very quietly disappeared into the dense bush.

 

The afternoon game drive was rather lacking in wild life, but a warthog stood still long enough for me to take a photo, and soon after a couple of zebra appeared, and a while later a good fairly close view of a grey-headed kingfisher.

 

 

We stopped down by the lake for a combined sundowner with snacks with the other six guests as it was the final evening for all of us, which gave us a chance to all have a good chat. Then it started raining so we headed back to camp promptly.

 

For our final dinner the staff had arranged another surprise for us – a private candle-lit table by the swimming pool with our own camp fire, a nice way to end our last evening.

[Julian]

6 minutes ago, Game Warden said:

@Julian I really hope that this trip report inspires more people to visit Lake Manyara on their northern circuit tour. I remember looking out for tree climbing lions: didn't see any but did see lions prowling through the undergrowth. Back in 2005 I can't recall any walkway, not that we spent enough time in the park to do it anyway... I'd love to go back.

 

I think it was close to here that Hemingway related his experiences on a Big Game hunting trip in Green Hills of Africa. 

 

Matt

@Game Warden

I hope so as well - its a beautiful place with lots to offer.

There is still more of Manyara to come yet - when we leave  a near three hour game drive to the park entrance -  Manyara had not quite finished with us - a finale to come.....

[Julian]

 

Day 6: Wed 25^th Oct - Transfer to Manyara Airstrip, and then transfer by vehicle to Ngorongoro Highlands Camp

 

Breakfast was eaten in the camp this morning followed by our farewells to the staff, except for our guide Chris who was driving us back through the whole park and then handing us over to our next guide at Lake Manyara airport. We had really enjoyed our time here and had seen just about all the major species we could expect, other than possibly a leopard – which were very hard to find in the densely forested terrain. We left the camp at 8.00am and the weather was very overcast initially.

 

We had three hours to get to the airport, plenty of time to stop and observe anything of interest, therefore we decided to take a final look at the plains area in the south of the park to look for lions, before heading northwards. No lions about but I did get an opportunity for a reasonable photo of an ostrich and some crested guineafowl.

 

 

 

Next on the agenda was a herd of buffalo moving out and along the plains.

 

 

 

 

Further north into the park we encountered more elephants.

 

 

By the time we reached the northern sector of the park the sun had broken through the cloud and we had enough time to head east to the lake again. We were rewarded with giraffes walking at a steady pace by the side of the lake.

 

 

 

Back into the forested area and now getting close to the entrance we crossed over a small bridge with a stream below which presented us with a good photo opportunity of a solitary waterbuck.

 

 

 

Some final scenic views of the park from the morning’s drive.

 

 

 

However, I have missed one section out from the drive. Less than an hour into the drive Manyara had decided we were not leaving until it gave us a final departing gift, which felt like it was saying please visit again. Chris suddenly braked shouting out ‘lions in the tree’, and there on our right in a large fig tree were two lions sleeping on boughs of the tree, one on the right, the other on the left. So we had finally found the ‘legendary’ tree-climbing lions of Lake Manyara.

 

The noise of the vehicle engine made them aware of our presence but they were happy to rest peacefully – until a monkey close by started repeatedly and loudly giving its alarm call. After a few minutes they were disturbed enough by the monkey to climb down the tree and quickly disappear into the bush.

 

 

 

After leaving the park we stopped on the steep hill briefly to take a final farewell photo overlooking Manyara,  and a few minutes later we arrived at Manyara airport.

 

 

 

[Game Warden]

@Julian Fantastic: great luck right place, right time. 

[TonyQ]

I am really enjoying your report. It is great you could arrange this trip, and you have certainly made good choices so far

[Julian]

2 hours ago, TonyQ said:

I am really enjoying your report. It is great you could arrange this trip, and you have certainly made good choices so far

@TonyQ

Thanks, Since we first visited Manyara in 2001 I always felt that Manyara has far more to offer than all the safari operators, even the best ones, suggest. It appears that over the years they have all copied previous operators comments - all stating almost identical comments- leading to this park being consistently very underrated.

I wonder how many of the operators have actually spent more than one part day in the park, and given that there is only one camp in the south, how many of them have spent anytime in the south of the park.

It feels very disappointing that the only camp in the park, which is high quality and in the midprice range outside of high season ( eg around £500 pppn in November) has very few guests outside of the peak summer months and Christmas ( there is currently only one more guest review on Tripadvisor art that camp since we stayed there), and the manager told us they have very few guests other than peak time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Julian]

Our Asilia guide from the Ngorongoro Highlands camp was already waiting for us, so Chris handed us over and we said our farewells. Our new guide’s name is Goodluck and he is a Maasai, and the safari vehicle is a closed Landrover with a pop-up roof as opposed to the long wheelbase Landcruiser we have been in for the last three days. We expected this type of vehicle as the Highlands camp location has lots of rain and is usually very cold in the mornings.

 

Goodluck tells us that the journey to the camp is about four hours including a stop for lunch at the crater viewpoint. We set off promptly and I notice immediately how much more development there has been in the town we are passing through. When we were last here in 2001 there were hardly any modern buildings on this route and no private vehicles, whereas now it has become a much larger town with many modern style buildings as well as lots of motorbikes and some cars.

 

Eventually the urban environment gives way to a more rural outlook and soon we arrive at the entrance to the Ngorongoro conservation area where there is the usual paperwork for our guide to deal with. The road now becomes much steeper as the route winds its way up the outer crater wall. The dense trees and bushes either side of the road conceal the view until we arrive at the crater ‘viewing point’ where we park and Goodluck sets out our packed lunch.

 

We walk a few yards to the viewing point and as the whole of the Ngorongoro Crater is revealed there is that same sense of awe and wonder, exactly the same feeling as we felt when we first viewed the crater 17 years ago. The walls on the opposite side of the crater, 10 to 12 miles away are clearly visible, as is the whole of this microcosm that is contained within the world's largest complete caldera, definitely one of the great ‘wonders of the world.’

 

 

 

After lunch we continue heading around the rim of the crater on the north eastern side.

 

 

 

 

We then branch off onto the road that soon becomes little more than a track in the bush. Its a long bumpy ride to the camp but the view is always interesting and we pass by many Maasai villages on the way. We continue heading further up into the Highlands as the camp is located at nearly 9000 feet, nearly 3000 feet higher than the crater rim. 

 

The fields with Maasai cattle also contain wild zebra and Goodluck explains that the zebra and cattle keep together and in the middle of the fields as Hyena are frequent visitors in the night and occasionally lions. On the left we pass by an area of steep hillside which contains the Olmoti Crater and a long way ahead in the distance is the peak of the Empakaai Crater. We branch off the main track on to a narrower track where the gradient steepens on the final leg of the journey to the camp.

 

As we finally pull in to the camp there are dark clouds overhead and it begins to rain. Some staff are waiting to greet us and direct us to the large ‘bubble’, ‘golfball’, call it whatever you like, that is the central lounge area of the camp. It looks as amazing in reality as it did in the photos of the camp we had first seen a few months ago. After we had been given the camp orientation briefing we are taken to our room.

 

 

 

 

Fortunately for us we had room number  1 which is very close to the three spheres that make up the central camp – lounge, bar, and dining room. We had requested a room close to the central camp area as the rest of the rooms are sited increasingly further down a steep slope, and the walk up a steep hill to the main camp area can be really strenuous, as this camp is at an altitude 8900 feet.

 

Our ‘room’ also looked amazing and the view from the balcony walkway outside it was fantastic. No time for photos of the camp and rooms now as we need to get settled in, sort our belongings and be ready to go to the bar around 6.30pm. So just time now for a few external photos of the view.

 

 

We will be having a full day in the Ngorongoro Crater tomorrow then an easier day relaxing in camp with possibly a walk to descend into the Olmoti crater the following day, plus another full day in the Ngorongoro crater on our fourth and final day here.  By the time we have sorted ourselves out, checked out everything in the room and had a shower it was nearly time to join the other guests in the bar. The rooms have a radio for you to contact the staff so that you can be escorted to the central camp area as it was now dark.

 

There were few other guests here but we soon discovered there were also other Asilia staff and agents staying here as now, being low season, Asilia send some of their staff to spend a day or two at a number of their camps, as well as agents connected to Asilia who are also sent on a tour of their camps. Goodluck joins us in the bar as well as the camp manager Abel. We are informed that when we go to the crater tomorrow just one other guest will be joining us in the vehicle a pleasant young Japanese guy called Yossi. We arrange for a 5.15am wake-up call (with the usual hot drink and cookies), as we need to leave at 6.00am prompt for the near one hour drive to the office at the start of the north eastern crater descent road.  

 

The bar is a very relaxing welcoming area and we are soon chatting with the other guests and agents, and after a while we are informed dinner is almost ready, so we cross a short walkway into the dining area where there are two large tables. Everyone is made to feel welcome as the staff ensure no one is left out of the conversations that follow. We really like this communal style of dining which included several of the staff, as well as the guests and agents, as the rest of the evening became a very social, lively and cheerful event with everyone wanting  to know about each other’s current and previous safari adventures, as well as where we are from ,what we do, etc.

 

When dinner was ready to be served a member of staff makes an announcement and tells us about the red and the white wine that has been chosen for tonight’s dinner. The three courses are then described and everyone cheers. There is a choice of two for starter and dessert, which are served at your seat, but we go up to the serving table to collect our main course. The food is really superb – probably the best we have ever had on safari, a standard that you would expect in a very good restaurant back at home. All the food throughout our stay here continued to be at this standard and we discovered Freddie the chef was rated as one of Asilia’s best. (This was the first Asilia camp we have ever stayed at and this same very sociable style of dining and high quality food was also present at our next camp –Namiri Plains.)

 

By around 9.30pm all the guests were going back to their rooms. It was noticeably cold outside but as we opened the door to our room the warmth of the glowing log burner made the place feel really homely. The staff light the log burner while you are having dinner and although it dies out before morning the rooms also have a gas heater you can switch on when you get up which very quickly warms the room. The bed was huge and as well as bed linen had luxurious furry rugs and throws on it to ensure you stayed warm. The icing on the cake was the hot water bottles that had been placed in the bed with furry covers on them that ensured they stayed hot all night. I should also add that there is a twin shower with high water pressure and excellent lights over the twin sinks, with large mirrors. This is definitely high quality as well as strikingly unusual safari accommodation. Tomorrow the Ngorongoro Crater welcomes us.

 

[Julian]

 

Day 7: Thurs 26^th Oct – 2^nd day at Highlands Camp, first day Ngorongoro Crater

 

Our wake-up call came at 5.15am as we were due to leave at 6.00am for the journey to the Ngorongoro Crater. I had woken up a few minutes earlier and turned the gas heater on as it felt really cold but the heater instantly began to warm the room. We wrapped up warm, including a thermal base layer and woolly hat as it was going to be a rather chilly journey to the crater, even in a closed-in Landrover.

 

Just before 6.00am we drove out of the camp and Good Luck drove as fast as he could (ie not very fast) on the pitted and pot-holed track. There wasn’t much to see as it was still dark and when the sunrise did begin it was largely obscured by cloud, and then became very misty. We arrived at the north-eastern descent road office at 6.50am and a few minutes later we started the descent.

 

Although the weather was cold and very misty at the rim, as we began the descent we could see it was clearing in the crater and the sunlight began to break through, creating that beautiful early morning glow to sections of the crater. It looked quite surreal, an idyllic time and place for some landscape photos.

 

 

Edited February 7, 2018 by Julian

[Julian]

The wildlife gradually appeared, first of all some baboons who were just waking up in a very large tree. Next on the agenda were some birds of prey (too far away to get good photos), then a couple of warthogs.

 

 

 

As we approached the floor of the crater we had a nice close view of an ostrich.

 

 

Driving on for a few minutes we came upon a pair of lions sleeping. Goodluck informed us that they were a mating pair from a large pride of 27 lions whose territory is here on the eastern side of the crater.

 

 

Zebra and wildebeest were already grazing close by.

 

 

It was still quiet in this sector of the crater, with only a couple of other vehicles that had arrived before us. A little further on and we found what we were hoping for.........most of the rest of the large pride of lions.

 

We counted 18 and some were still feeding on the remains of their wildebeest kill. There were also nine jackals who were trying to steal pieces of meat while the lions were still feeding. We watched them and photographed them for quite a while with only us and one other vehicle present.  

[Julian]

 

 

 

 

[Julian]

 

 

 

[Julian]

 

 

 

[mopsy]

Great start in the crater @Julian the male lion has a magnificent mane on him!

[Amylovescritters]

Absolutely stunning photos !

[Julian]

13 hours ago, Amylovescritters said:

Absolutely stunning photos !

@Amylovescritters

Thanks, we were lucky to have such good early morning light. It made a huge difference, enabling us to get good photos of the landscape on the descent and then the light was just about perfect for photographing the lions. 

[Julian]

 

After watching the lions finish off their breakfast it was nearly time for ours, so Goodluck drove in the direction of the main picnic site. On the way there we stopped briefly for some photos of a warthog family, and then a few birds.

 

 

First came the grey-crowned cranes then a good close view of a kori bustard and finally a sacred ibis.

 

 

 

It was nearly 9.30am as we approached the picnic site area and we expected it to be quite busy with other visitors, and as we drove into the parking area there was the grand total of..................... two other vehicles, hardly crowded. (However when we drove through this area again at around 1.00pm, I counted 38 vehicles parked.) We stretched our legs and admired the view of the large pool and the landscape in the background, while Goodluck organised breakfast.

 

 

 

As soon as the food came out some small birds arrived to see if there was anything on offer, so before we finished breakfast I took a few bird photos. The first is a superb starling and I believe both of the other two are weavers but I don’t know species of weavers.

 

 

Before we moved on from the picnic site I took a few more photos including one of Goodluck with Rachel and Yossi (the Japanese guy who shared our vehicle today).

 

 

 

 

[Julian]

On 2/8/2018 at 0:17 AM, mopsy said:

Great start in the crater @Julian the male lion has a magnificent mane on him!

@mopsy

 

Thanks, the light was great and the early start ( those lion photos we re taken around 7.45am) gave us some great viewing.

[Julian]

The morning was becoming very warm as it was still the dry season down here on the crater floor, even though rain clouds were never far away over the surrounding highlands. At times it was possible to see clearly all the way across and all the way round the crater including all of the slopes right up to the rim, and we could also see in the distance, where the grasses still looked at bit greener, that there were a few buffalo, some gazelle and lots of zebras and wildebeest, so we decided to head in that direction.

 

The grazers were more concentrated in this location because there is a stream that never dries up and a pool. Later we saw where the water was still flowing fast as the stream travels down the crater wall after first coming from the highlands. The crater floor is at an altitude of about 4000 feet above sea level, and the crater rim is at 6000 feet but the highlands continue to rise to over 9000 feet meaning there is rainfall all year round and therefore permanent water here in the crater along with some land that always has new grasses growing for the grazers.

 

On the way to the pool we spotted a solitary hartebeest among a few grazers, but our attention was quickly diverted by a bull elephant heading in our direction.  We had hoped to see some of the bull elephants as this is one of the few places in East Africa where elephants are relatively safe from poaching, meaning that there are a good number of large, older bull elephants that reside here, although they spend a lot of time in the swamp areas which have no vehicle tracks anywhere nearby. We knew we would not see any of the elephant families as they spend all their time in the dry season on the inner and outer slopes of the crater, whereas the bulls feed in the swamps at this time of year.

 

 

After the elephant passed by we spotted two male lions but they were just resting and a fair distance from the track, so we continued.  A couple of grey crested cranes gave us a good close photo opportunity, as did a Grants gazelle and a Thomsons gazelle with its calf suckling, and then a few wildebeest.

 

 

 

As we approached the area where the pool was there were lots of zebra and wildebeest grazing on the significantly greener grass. The pool was inhabited by hippos and a significant number and variety of birds on its banks which included pelicans, egrets, Ibis, and other species.  All of the wildlife in this location, with the hills nearby and the crater walls in the background created a beautiful scenic view.

 

 

After spending quite a while here, next it was time to go for our lunch so Goodluck radioed to check where we should go, which he had said was to collect our lunchboxes. However his colleague had told him that four bull elephants had just been spotted so he asked if we wanted to go and see them or go for lunch – obviously we set off to find the elephants. We quickly found them and as they came closer, as always with elephants, they were a joy to watch. These were a magnificent quartet but too soon they had passed and were disappearing into the distance.

 

 

 

 

We set off promptly for lunch heading into an area of more trees and bushes, almost missing three waterbuck close by. Luckily they did not run away as they often do and I took a quick photo.

 

 

 

 

 

[Julian]

 

We continued a bit further into this area and then we spotted ...............our lunch! 

Set out under the trees in a beautiful sheltered location was a table set for five (another two guests were due to join us for lunch), another table with Freddie the chef cooking our lunch, and another table with a huge variety of drinks. This was a private picnic site in the crater which Asilia have to pre-book, and it certainly rounded off the morning perfectly, especially with Freddie’s excellent cooking.

 

 

 

 

[mapumbo]

Beautiful shots.  Good for you.  There is no substitute for doing it right and it appears Asillia came through with flying colors.

[Julian]

 

19 minutes ago, mapumbo said:

Beautiful shots.  Good for you.  There is no substitute for doing it right and it appears Asillia came through with flying colors.

 

@mapumbo

 

Thanks Mapumbo. Our first experience of Asilia and as Namiri Plains is also an Asilia camp, the rest of our trip was to be with their staff - and they were all superb.

However  a bit more to come from the afternoon in the Crater, followed by a day in camp and then a second day in the Crater - which was definitely worth doing.  

[Julian]

I realise this report is taking a long time to produce - so apologies to those of you who I know are waiting to see the Namiri Plains section of the report - It will get completed....eventually!