Green Season Southern Serengeti, Lake Ndutu, the Crater and Tarangire

[gatoratlarge]

Like a lot of Americans my vacations (and safaris to Africa) most often take place in the months of summer vacation (June through August or thereabouts) but I always wanted to see Africa in a different light and this year I got to experience a bit of the "Green Season" in the Southern Serengeti.  The last time I was in the Serengeti was in the north and central parts of the park in 2021, in 2000 I visited the western Grumeti area so this would fill in the last pieces of the puzzle for me.

 

Our guides told us that this was where the Great Migration begins --- when thousands upon thousands of wildebeests are born each day over the months of February and March.  Predator action is high and you are able to go "off track" in the Southern Serengeti.  As they said, the Migration vacations in Kenya but it LIVES in Tanzania!    I think there's a bit of rivalry between the two countries!

 

I had also hoped to see a rhino in the Serengeti---something we came close to seeing in the Mara in the past, but the rhinos were on the move and we were too slow in getting to where they had been spotted.  The Meru Kopjes are a known stronghold of black rhino in the Serengeti but visiting the area is limited by TANAPA so we paid a little extra to be able to coordinate a visit to that sector of the park.  I must say that without the help of the rangers we would never have seen them!  We went off road and of course that was one of the only times it rained hard while we were in the park!

 

TANAPA has done a great job of protecting the rhino which had reached a perilously low number of three individuals in the 90's in the Meru Kopjes region.  Other parts of the park the numbers were equally low.  They are tight lipped about the numbers today but they are comfortable saying greater than 30 and there's reason to believe it's substantially higher than that in and around the kopjes area in the central part of the reserve.

 

The itinerary went something like this (All Arrangements by Chalo Africa):

 

Flight via Dubai/Addis/Arusha and then small plane (short stop at Lake Manyara) to Seronera Airstrip in Southern Serengeti

 

Kati Kati Camp, Ndutu for five nights

 

Drive to Crater through Ngorongoro Conservation Area: for One night at the Serena Safari Lodge at Ngorongoro

 

Most of the day game drive in Crater then drive to:  Maramboi Camp on Lake Manyara for one night stay

Night drive in Tarangire NP

 

and next day full morning game drive in Tarangire then drive to Arusha for Departure...

 

Ideally it would have been longer but I was willing to get as much or little time in Africa as I could and that's all my vacation time would allow, given other travel later this year...

 

Some highlights:

 

Lover's Quarrel  she's not interested...

 

 

I got my rhinos: a mother and calf, Mawingu? and Banga:

 

 

 

 

I thought there were a few parks known for tree climbing lions like Lake Manyara NP in Tanzania and Queen Elizabeth NP in Uganda but it turns out there were plenty of lions dangling from trees in the Southern Serengeti:

 

This gaggle of lions in a sausage tree was particularly picturesque but alas we were in a hurry to catch up to the rangers and I could only fire off this one photo:

 

 

 

Not to sound macabre, but one of the things I wanted to see was a successful hunt.  Since you can go off track and prey abounds with all the wildes, it's a good opportunity to observe this behavior here in the Southern Serengeti but alas I missed again.  We had our own vehicle and and guide but I never felt the setting was right.  We came across a lioness eating a wildebeest, and two cheetah brothers went into stalking mode with the wildebeest grazing close by (but not close enough).   We never really saw a big cat without safari vehicles close by...something that frankly bothered me to think that the tourism traffic might be inhibiting their ability to hunt and find food.  I mean when a vehicle is in the midst, invariably the herds move a safe distance away.  Only in the Crater, where avoiding vehicle traffic is near impossible have the herds resigned themselves to sharing space...otherwise, even if the wildebeest or prey do not see the cheetah hiding in the grass, the mere presence of vehicles pushes them away and it becomes more difficult for them to hunt.  Lions at least can hunt in darkness...

 

My advice if you wish to see what I was unable to see  is to find the cats, give them plenty of space...perhaps even just know they are there but it might not be necessary to be able to see them at all times.  Basically, stake out a waterhole and wait and hope for the best.  I saw what I thought was somewhat unethical behavior by guides working for a good tip driving right up to the cats to give the passengers a good close shot, people talking at full volume, and an overall lack of respect for nature and its process.  It was a shame really...no wonder so many visit other parks for a more authentic wilderness experience.  All of which was possible in the Serengeti but when Big Cats are spotted, all bets are off!

 

 

These cheetah brothers came the closest to engaging in a hunt but did not pull the trigger---in my opinion, human interference played a role which is really unfortunate...

 

Mother and two cubs:

 

We came across two males chilling on the way to the Central Serengeti:

 

 

 

Of course one of the main points was to witness the Migration in the calving season---the views on the plains were positively biblical and the views in all directions---360 degrees!

 

 

Certain areas of the plains seemed to be the nursery and baby wildes almost out numbered the adults...not necessarily represented in this particular photo although you can see a few babies  -- just an observation that I noticed certain areas with a high concentration/ratio of calves to adults :

Take the scene below and stretch it to the horizons in all directions and you know why some call it one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World -- the numbers are truly astounding!

 

Surprising to me was the beauty of Lake Ndutu and the thousands of greater and lesser flamingos that gave it a pink collar around the entire perimeter!

 

 

 

 

As usual, Africa's birds are stunning and included seasonal visitors from Europe like white storks and Abdim's storks:

 

Long crested eagle(s):

 

 

One of my personal favorites, love birds!

My third visit to the Crater was not the charm---it is a spectacular geological feature and the slopes are beautifully forested with mossy trees, but land rover traffic is too much for me to make a point of visiting it for a fourth time.  I'm grateful for it's value as a refuge for wildlife and rhinos in particular but don't need to visit again.

 

Favorite spot in the Crater was probably the hippo pool:

 

 

 

These very ungrateful Egyptian geese seemed displeased with their landing pad! 

 

 

What I really enjoyed was a visit to Tarangire NP.  Much less crowded. a pretty park with so many baobabs as well as elephants:

 

 

And besides---on a night safari I was able to "bag" a third aardvark of my safari "career"  not the best footage but you get the idea:

 

 

Tarangire gave us our first glimpse of a leopard on this trip (on the last drive):

 

 

One interesting night with a bit of missed sleep was waking (3A) to a munching sound just on the other side of the canvas behind the head of my bed---a herd of 30-40 Cape Buffalo...not unusual to have night visitors in camp, but the reality of those massive horns about two feet from my own head with nothing but a sheet of canvas between definitely got me up (quietly) and moved to the center of the tent until they passed!  

 

 

A bonus elephant parade with a tiny baby, well, just because  :

 

 

Impala reflections:

 

 

Edited March 13, 2023 by gatoratlarge

[AKR1]

Amazing start. Looking forward to more. Your reports are always both informative and entertaining. Great pictures/ videos complete the story. Thanks @gatoratlarge

[Caracal]

Great start - but a third aardvark sighting @gatoratlarge- that's bordering on being greedy! I'm jealous - my first safari was in 1973 and I'm still yet to see one!

Edited March 13, 2023 by Caracal
typo

[Zubbie15]

Quite jealous of the aardvark! When did you do the rhino tracking around Moru Kopjes? We did it in the second half of February, and saw a mother rhino with a baby (maybe the same one you saw?).  But I wasn't too satisfied, it really felt like we were harassing them. 

[gatoratlarge]

1 hour ago, Zubbie15 said:

Quite jealous of the aardvark! When did you do the rhino tracking around Moru Kopjes? We did it in the second half of February, and saw a mother rhino with a baby (maybe the same one you saw?).  But I wasn't too satisfied, it really felt like we were harassing them. 

I would say that we never got close enough for it to feel like harassment---all my pics were at max zoom range but any vehicle noise did seem to send the momma rhino trotting away from the noise.  It was also raining -- the rangers must track them each day so I didn't feel like we were particularly bothering them.  They did ask if we were satisfied with the viewing and we said yes.  Didn't see the need to pursue them any further...happy to know they are back thriving in the Serengeti.  There are definitely many places where they are more relaxed....Saturday Feb 25 was the date we spotted them....

[Zubbie15]

10 hours ago, gatoratlarge said:

Saturday Feb 25 was the date we spotted them..

 

I guess we just missed you, we did the rhino tracking on February 23rd.  I don't want to get your report too off track, but I'll just say that the mother rhino ended up charging the ranger vehicle during our tracking, so she clearly was not happy!

[gatoratlarge]

1 hour ago, Zubbie15 said:

 

I guess we just missed you, we did the rhino tracking on February 23rd.  I don't want to get your report too off track, but I'll just say that the mother rhino ended up charging the ranger vehicle during our tracking, so she clearly was not happy!

Oh wow!  Yeah, we weren’t anywhere close enough for that. I watched the YouTube video that @inyathiposted about the rhinos in the Serengeti and they have begun to disperse more widely as their numbers increase.  So we were outside of the Kopjes area.  That’s crazy that we were literally two days apart looking at the same mother and calf!  Small world!  Where’d you stay?

[gatoratlarge]

17 hours ago, Caracal said:

Great start - but a third aardvark sighting @gatoratlarge- that's bordering on being greedy! I'm jealous - my first safari was in 1973 and I'm still yet to see one!

I’ve been very lucky with those guys — one in South Luangwa, one in Tswalu and now Tarangire but I’ve whiffed on plenty:  a striped hyena, aardwolves, zorillas 😂 plenty left to see. I’d love to get some good views of a honey badger too — though I saw a couple trotting together briefly in Botswana 😆

[Zubbie15]

3 hours ago, gatoratlarge said:

Where’d you stay?

We stayed at Lemala Nanyukie, more to the east of the park, for 4 nights (21-24). We actually flew out of Seronera on the 25th, and almost missed our flight because of all the mud from the rain. It was quite close, as soon as we'd gone through security they escorted us to the plane. At some point I'll try to put together a report, but I haven't even gone through my photos yet! 

[offshorebirder]

Wow!   What a grand safari you had @gatoratlarge.

 

Fantastic that you got video of an Aardvark and the mother and calf Black Rhinos are a special treat.

 

[Kitsafari]

"I saw what I thought was somewhat unethical behavior by guides working for a good tip driving right up to the cats to give the passengers a good close shot, people talking at full volume, and an overall lack of respect for nature and its process.  It was a shame really...no wonder so many visit other parks for a more authentic wilderness experience. "

 

that sounds really horrifying. I'm not sure if a visit to Ndutu will be enjoyable and stress free under those circumstances. 

 

But wow on those plains game dotting the fields and the flamingoes, and the aardvark! it might have been a short week but crammed with lovely sightings!

[ice]

in my 20+years of travelling to Africa I have witnessed 30+ successful hunts (mostly cheetah) and certainly much more than a hundred failed attempts, and almost all of them in the NCA (7 trips between 2014 and 2022, lasting between 9 and 12 nights). Imho the area around Ndutu offers by far the best chance to witness a cat or dog kill in Africa during daytime hours. In fact, I'm flying back for my 8th Ndutu Safari next week.

[Africalover]

12 hours ago, ice said:

in my 20+years of travelling to Africa I have witnessed 30+ successful hunts (mostly cheetah) and certainly much more than a hundred failed attempts, and almost all of them in the NCA (7 trips between 2014 and 2022, lasting between 9 and 12 nights). Imho the area around Ndutu offers by far the best chance to witness a cat or dog kill in Africa during daytime hours. In fact, I'm flying back for my 8th Ndutu Safari next week.

Hi Ice.

Are you not afraid that heavy rain might limited your possibilities?

 

[ice]

@Africalover

 

not at all, I've been to Ndutu mid February, early March, early April and even mid April and yet those green season safaris were by far my best. Yes, heavy rain may in theory make some areas impassable or inaccessible (like the Plains) but if you have a good guide he will know ways to steer around

[michael-ibk]

Wow, Joe, some really terrific sightings. Beautiful photos. Can you please take me with you again one of these days? You seem to to always run into Aardvarks, no matter where you go.

[gatoratlarge]

14 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Wow, Joe, some really terrific sightings. Beautiful photos. Can you please take me with you again one of these days? You seem to to always run into Aardvarks, no matter where you go.

😁thank you. I’m looking forward on going on safari with y’all again sometime soon — maybe the Congo?? 😁

[gatoratlarge]

On 3/17/2023 at 4:29 PM, ice said:

in my 20+years of travelling to Africa I have witnessed 30+ successful hunts (mostly cheetah) and certainly much more than a hundred failed attempts, and almost all of them in the NCA (7 trips between 2014 and 2022, lasting between 9 and 12 nights). Imho the area around Ndutu offers by far the best chance to witness a cat or dog kill in Africa during daytime hours. In fact, I'm flying back for my 8th Ndutu Safari next week.

I’d love to know your methods. I’ve witnessed a couple unsuccessful hunts but not one that resulted in dinner. Cheetahs were as close as we came on this trip but as I said, vehicles clear an area of wildes and I think the cheetahs decided against it. Is there a particular guide you use?

[gatoratlarge]

I reckon I'll continue the report with highlights day to day---I've sort of already shared the better pics  but as I sort though the rest, I'll post them along with some thoughts...

 

One observation though I'm not sure how profound it is---"it's all about the rains" which is what I'd always heard say...but only on this trip did I comprehend what that really means...I had always associated it with new grass growth.  But during the long rains you can see for miles across the plains and spot where the rain falls---in this part of the Serengeti, permanent water is not as plentiful and the need to drink almost daily drives the herds toward the falling rain and the black cotton soil holds it in gullies and indentions in the ground for a short while.  So following the rains is more water related than grass related if that makes sense.  Their survival depends upon it.  I had always thought it the other way around...Climate change is causing a lot of confusion and whether the herds adapt to the changes is yet to be determined...

 

Another thing I learned is that if I want to see a successful hunt I need to sneak into @ice's Land Cruiser --- don't mind me!  You'll hardly know I'm there!  

 

The first full day was largely spent trying to reach the Moru Kopjes for a chance to see rhinos...it took us most of our morning and early afternoon to pick up the permits and arrange a visit with the rangers but driving through the Southern Serengeti up to the Central Serengeti is never in vain...plenty to see along the way.

 

But I'm getting ahead of myself...I was determined to "be in the present" even though my time in Africa was to be short, I wanted to savor every moment.  One of the best times to me is first thing in the morning....as the bush comes to life, birds, frogs, insects...a cacophony of sounds....I love it!

 

 

I really enjoyed Kati Kati camp---the pictures I had seen were pretty pedestrian so my expectations were tempered but it was in a really beautiful setting overlooking Lake Ndutu, the ring of pink flamingos visible from camp, and surrounded by acacia dotted hills.  I'd certainly stay there again...

 

Our first sights were of sparring bachelor herds of Tommy's, Grant's gazelles and impala...always a nice sight...here's a few auditioning for their big chance:

 

 

 

 

 

Then we came across this crazed ostrich--at first I thought it was a mating dance, but it seemed to be trying to get something off its back---pretty sure that's a feather coming off but I was a bit puzzled...

 

Then this pair of lazy male lions chilling on a berm...hard to catch them with their heads up much  less their eyes open!

 

 

 

Best check culverts when you're in Africa...

 

 

Hyenas were the most numerous predator we observed...they seemed to really enjoy laying in the rain filled puddles along the roadside...did we wake you?

Sorry about that!

 

 

 

A den site...

 

 

I was taking a photo of a Kori Bustard along the ridge and when I looked closer there was a couple jackals, warthogs and a Grant's gazelle for good measure!  Abundant life!

 

 

This lookout had his eyes closed!

 

Never travelled far without stopping for more snaps:  giraffes, zebra, buffs, a tree full of lions but we were on a rhino mission, a smelly sulfuric hippo pool, martial eagles, a secretary pool of birds, migrating visitors...we saw a lot on the way to get that needed permit! 

 

White storks that made their way to the Serengeti from Europe crossing the Sahara...and Abdim's Storks, another European visitor I was told...

A face only a mother could love!

For the first few days we saw more zebras than wildes...

Masai giraffes thrived in the Southern Serengeti

 

 

 

A bit blurry but Africa's largest eagle...

Really regret not being able to stop (and the placement of that safari vehicle) as we were hurrying to catch up to park rangers that were tracking a mother rhino  and calf via gps chip...but...priorities! 

Secretary birds were everywhere we looked

Of course when we reached the rangers and veered off into the tall grass, the skies opened up and our rhino viewing was a bit hampered...still, I had never seen a rhino in the Serengeti or Mara so I was thrilled!

A few shots of mama and baby: they really notch the heck out of their ears (for identification purposes)

 

 

 

Flock of egrets take flight in the distance...

And with the rhinos---let's call it a wrap for Day 1  

 

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by gatoratlarge

[Biko]

I very much enjoyed the video of Africa awaking, slow filming, it brings me right back to where I long to be.

One more week, and I will be on my next safari.

[Atravelynn]

You picked a wonderful time to travel, when it is lush and abundant.  The spinning ostrich is hilarious.  Hopefully the female ostriches don't think so.  Lions in the tree is quite the find!  Nice job on the rhino.  Well worth it to have the help of the rangers to find them.  I hope mother and calf thrive in the Serengeti.  Looks like the mother is a feisty gal, charging a vehicle.  The hyenas look exhilarated to be taking a mud bath.  Aardvark, aardvark!  Wow!  You made very good use of your time.

[gatoratlarge]

Thanks @Atravelynn

 

I'll continue with Day 2 Highlights---some of which I previously posted:

 

It was a restless night in my tent as around 10P I was awakened by the soft grunts and lowing of some large bovine---in fact it was a Cape Buffalo grazing, slowly working its way along the side of my tent---I had remained asleep until it reached the spot just on the other side of my headboard on the other side of the canvas!

 

This was just a bit too close and I very slowly slid out of the bed and got in the middle of the tent so that if for some freak reason the buffalo became enraged or disoriented (these are the crazy thoughts that go through my mind when that close to a potentially dangerous beast!) I at least had a bed in between us.  Then I made sure the phone was on silent and filmed as it made it's way into view and moved on...but that was not to be the end of the buffalo's....they would be back around 3A but this time a herd of 30 or so!

 

I like sleeping with the screen flaps of the tent partially open and so I was able to see out as the herd moved through lit by the lanterns at my tent entrance and the one at the end of the foot path...my safari compadre the next tent over prefers sleeping with everything zipped completely up (said he doesn't want anything watching him while he sleeps  so he was basically closed up in his tent with all the noises surrounding him --- one buffalo scratching his belly on a fallen log on the side of his tent and shaking it at the same time of which I had a front row view.  If something is going to take me out in the night, I'd much rather see what I'm dealing with! 

 

 

The next morning we made our way out of camp down an acacia woodland area which we dubbed Giraffe Alley---hard to not stop every time as they are such an amazing creature to watch...silent, they'd often move just to the other side of the tree feeling more secure or even hidden, but still clearly in view.  PS You can increase the quality of the video by clicking the wheel like symbol and watching at a higher resolution---not sure why YouTube doesn't do that automatically)  While antelope diversity wasn't what I'd seen in other parts of Africa (zebra and wildes dominating the number) dik diks were as numerous as anywhere I'd been.  Elands were not uncommon...impala, Tommies and Grant's gazelles...

 

 

We chose this morning for a first trip along Lake Ndutu's shores to see the flamboyance of flamingos...it was a bit windy but so cool to hear the sounds and watch the colony, head upside down and buried under the water feeding...the beak is so specialized...

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then made our way to the plains and shared some time with a mum cheetah and her two "cubs" though they were nearly her size...plenty of wildes and zebra and babies too...

 

 

 

 

 

We wrapped up the day with the lion pride that lives around Lake Ndutu...one female keeping the flies at bay napping in a tree...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lookin a little orange-y

 

Other sights from Day 2:

 

It's Dung Beetle Season too!

 

 

A weaver trying to impress the ladies with his basket weaving skills!

One of my faves---the long crested eagle

 

Spotted a couple steenboks on this trip:

Back to where we started at Kati Kati Camp:

 

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by gatoratlarge

[gatoratlarge]

Day 3-5

 

As the safari fades into my memory, the days begin to blur...my journal and the order of my photos jog my memory as to the sequence of events of the safari.  For brevity, I'll combine the final three days together into one post:

 

For the first few days, it was all about zebras---we saw lots of wildes but zebras seemed to be the predominant species---later, the tables shifted and there were thousands and thousands, tens? hundreds of thousands? of wildes on the open plains...it is a spectacle for sure!

 

 

 

 

 

Zebra Hugs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

We came across a bit of a circus around two mating lions---she flirted but when push came to shove, didn't seem interested.  She'd cajole again but he was justifiably reluctant  in the end, another male lion appears (likely his brother) and a balloon descended from the sky as the bevy of land cruisers dispersed  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of the story:

 

We visited the alkaline Lake Ndutu and the flamingos again:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making flamingos

 

 

 

Elands at the lakeshore...

 

Lake Masek, where we encountered our first elephants of the safari

 

 

 

 

Sparring impala:

 

 

 

 

BIrds of the Serengeti...helmeted guinea fowl...

We found a covey of love birds in a dead tree---one of my favorites...

A huge lappet faced vultures --- 9 foot wing span and all...

More lions:

 

Clearly this was a relatively fresh kill but I only saw the aftermath...

 

Blood on her paws....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just loved this African scene...lone giraffe drinking amongst the acacias...near Lake Masek

 

dark faced baby giraffe

These cheetah brothers were as close as we got to a live hunt...they were paying close attention to the baby wildes that surrounded them...one getting into a stalking position...but my belief is the safari vehicles did not aid in the hunt...the wildebeests slowly move away and the distance isn't quite right for them to pull the trigger...

 

 

I never tire of the African landscape...the gnarled acacias

 

 

 

Kept running into a skittish family of jackals, parents with a pup near the camp entrance...

 

Bad hair day for a crested eagle

Edited April 5, 2023 by gatoratlarge

[michael-ibk]

Joe, I love the rich lush ambiance you are showing here - this is the kind of Africa I love the most. And few things are more Garden Eden like to me than a lake full of Flamingos with other animals around them. Just beautiful. I can see that Buffalo was a bit too close for comfort but it made me think of the exact moment I knew Africa had caught me forever and ever - when a Zebra was grazing right next to my bed in a basic safari tent in the Serengeti. Will never forget that.

[gatoratlarge]

We spent our last moments in the Southern Serengeti surrounded by thousands and thousands of wildebeests.  We ate lunch under a lone acacia tree, the gnuing of the wildebeests, zebras scattered amongst them along with the occasional herd of eland.  We then set out through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to reach the Crater rim.  I've made this drive before, stopping off at Olduvai Gorge but this route seemed much less traveled almost like the tracks you see in the national park.  We didn't see another car for miles and miles until finally reaching a main road passing though Masai country with herders along both sides.  When we began to near the Crater, the lush moss covered slopes were really beautiful.  I enjoyed the journey!  We stayed at the Serena Crater Lodge---a stone lodge that blends into the rim of the crater.

 

Last lunch:

 

 

Drive to the Crater:

Masai herdsmen

 

I brake for ostriches...we saw quite a few on this trip

 

First sights down in the crater...eland!

 

 

The over abundance of safari vehicles drove me kinda nuts

 

 

 

We saw many crowned cranes in the crater---one of Africa's most stunning birds!

I knew we were likely to see black rhino in the crater -- not many places for them to hide!  They stayed pretty far away from the track so viewing was from a distance...

 

 

 

 

The hippo pool was a great spot for birds -- we lingered for quite a while here

 

Squacco herons were plenty

 

This jackal had an escort---

A gaggle of tawny eagles...

We left the crater and drove to Maramboi Tented Lodge which sits on the shore of Lake Manyara---we both wished we had more time to explore the area but we headed out  for a night drive into Tarangire National Park---I've already spoiled the surprise but not too far into the drive we came across the aardvark, we also saw the usual suspects: genets, bushbabies leaping tree to tree...but a night drive is always a good idea to add to your wildlife list, we saw springhares, bat eared foxes, white tailed mongooses and the aforementioned rarities...

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful scenery of the Tarangire River, the baobab dotted landscape...

And as I mentioned before our one and only leopard of the trip---this one a large male still dwarfed by the size of the sausage tree

 

Ostrich clan

 

 

 

Only a week on the ground in Africa but a productive one...we left Tarangire for Arusha and headed back to the US via Dubai early that evening.  That's a wrap for this safari but looking forward to a safari or two to Africa in 2024!

[gatoratlarge]

9 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Joe, I love the rich lush ambiance you are showing here - this is the kind of Africa I love the most. And few things are more Garden Eden like to me than a lake full of Flamingos with other animals around them. Just beautiful. I can see that Buffalo was a bit too close for comfort but it made me think of the exact moment I knew Africa had caught me forever and ever - when a Zebra was grazing right next to my bed in a basic safari tent in the Serengeti. Will never forget that.

 

I'm with you---we all have that moment when Africa catches you, that moment that stays with you for life....I'm ready for the next one!    Being that close to a buffalo was a bit breathtaking but more exhilarating than scary...I love those moments (sort of like encountering the mega herd in Zakouma  !