Serengeti Dreamin'

[Sangeeta]

Double post - sorry!

Edited August 21, 2011 by Sangeeta

[Sangeeta]

One afternoon, we see a Hummer drive by the lions and off towards Loliondo. It clearly belongs to the Arab concession because no one else drives a Hummer in this part of the world. My brother came to Dar from India on Emirates. On the Dubai-Dar leg, the passenger next to him was an Arab en route to Loliondo. He gave my brother his business card and promised him excellent shooting should he wish to drop by. Apparently, some famous Indian movie stars are regular clients of his.

 

Two of the pride males are huge, with gorgeous black manes. They'll be fine if they wander off into Klein's, but any further east or south-east, and it's open season on them. Peter tells us that the big prides of Lobo have all but vanished, with the hunters chasing the animals right up to the boundary, and sometimes even into the actual park itself. I wish there were some way to push this pride back westwards - they're living so very close to the edge. Lynn & Tanya_1976, both of you are headed this way shortly. Please do report back on Black Mane.

 

The news from Loliondo is horrible. Masai villagers driving around in expensive Toyotas. An airfield at Loliondo with floodlights bright enough to shine like a stadium in the dark. Target practice on jackals. Giraffes and cheetah being airlifted to who knows where. And nothing even remotely ethical about how the hunting is conducted. Also, there are reported conflicts with the photographic safari camps in the area. Originally the Arabs had said that they were fine with photographic tourism in Loliondo - apparently that's no longer the case. I do want to clarify that I can't vouch for all of the above. I saw the Hummer, the lights from the airfield and the business card given to my brother. But so long as people are not allowed into the concession, people are going to say what they will. Also heard that park rangers are routinely pressured by TZ government officials to let the Arabs use park roads to bring in heavy equipment in violation of park rules. Clearly, many people are getting very rich from the Arab enterprise in Loliondo and some of the most wildlife rich areas of the Serengeti are under siege.

 

Eland are frequently seen in Bolo (and in Koga) in quite large herds. Always hard to photograph because they are so skittish, but we saw several herds of 50-100 elands in northern Serengeti.

 

 

Lobo is famous for its klipspringers and we are not disappointed.

 

 

On this trip, we see dikdik, klipspringer, oribi, red duiker and steenbok. Not a bad haul of the little guys considering the height of the grasses. But no luck with the smaller cats at all. I had my fingers crossed for a caracal, but it was not to be. No aardwolf either, which I've been dying to see.

 

 

All our sightings here - even these cheetah sightings are solo after the first few minutes. Very little traffic even on the main roads. This mom, who has 3 sub-adult cubs brings down a tommie (with no help from her cubs!) I don't see the actual kill in all the dust and confusion.

 

 

 

 

 

We see the same family out on another hunt the day on our last drive back to Seronera. There they are, moving stealthily along the horizon. I wish we could watch them forever, but there's a plane to catch and we have to move on.

 

 

These three are a coalition of siesta-loving brothers and we see them en-route to Lobo. We actually spend a couple of hours with them, hoping they'll rouse themselves, but this is the closest they come to any sort of action.

 

 

 

On our last day, Peter & I head off in the afternoon to a swampy area to the east of what we've started calling the Cheetah Family Plains. I didn't know it at the time, but these are the famous Bologonja salt licks and it looks like something out of the Garden of Eden. There are hundreds of animals grazing and browzing quietly as the late afternoon sun begins to give way to the cool of the evening. A truly spectacular sight - elephant, zebra, eland, tommy, impala, giraffe, wildebeest, hartebeest and more - all together at one spot. My daughter isn't with me so I don't have a photograph of this scene, but the sight is imprinted on my mind.

 

Some random images of the animals that didn't make it into my story, but were such an intrinsic part of the landscape:

 

 

 

 

 

Ha, ha, snuck in that caracal just to see if you've been reading this attentively! No, the caracal is not from the Serengeti. We saw this one in a sanctuary in Namibia so it isn't in the wild either.

 

The last evening on safari is traditionally African night and on our last evening, Dudu sets an African buffet before us, and then the staff join us for drinks and dinner. These guys have been amazing. It's an enormous logistical feat to break down an entire camp (3 large tents, mess tent, kitchen tent, staff tents etc.) and put it all up again on the same day in a totally different park of the park. But Hamadi and his crew are pros and they do this for us 4 times in 12 days without a single glitch. Kudos to them for a job really well done - how they were able to erect the camp on that unkempt campsite at Wogakuria is a real testament to their professionalism.

 

Big thank you also to Deo and Peter, our amazingly knowledgeable guides. Deo, thank you for those very thoughtful and informative dinner conversations. Peter, thank you for everything. And last but not least, thank you Bill Given, for organizing this just as I was getting ready to give up altogether on a mobile tent with an attached loo

 

As we sip our last gins and raise our last toasts, the staff begin singing their favorite song. When we heard this song a few days ago, everyone had laughed and taken pains to tell us that this was not Tanzanian KiSwahili; we had all laughed at the joke that KiSwahili was born in Zanzibar, grew up in Tanganyika, fell ill in Kenya and died in Uganda!

 

But there is a wistful feeling in the air tonight as the familiar words wash over us, and then we all join in softly...

 

Jambo, Jambo bwana,

Habari gani,

Mzouri sana.

 

Wageni, wakaribishwa,

Hapa Tanzania,

Hakuna Matata.

[Sangeeta]

Been meaning to ask you but keep forgetting - Shreyas, what kind of Serengeti mobile are you planning during the calving season? Do you have an itinerary yet + some idea about the facilities?

Thanks.

[twaffle]

Simply wonderful, thankyou

[samburumags]

Now you have really done it - I have a huge lump in my throat!

Fabulous reporting, great story, I dont know how I am going to follow that one

[Atravelynn]

Beautiful right up to the ending song and yes I found the caracal.

[Shreyas]

On 8/21/2011 at 4:33 AM, Sangeeta said:

Been meaning to ask you but keep forgetting - Shreyas, what kind of Serengeti mobile are you planning during the calving season? Do you have an itinerary yet + some idea about the facilities?

Thanks.

 

Sangeeta,

 

First off, what a beautiful trip report! I've visited it multiple times - especially when I'm day-dreaming about Africa - good my boss is not a ST member

 

Witnessing 80% of migration is epic. And loved the way you built it up in your story/writing. Also loved the Marabous with the cat fish....straight out of a documentary. The pictures are story tellers and your daughter did a great job!

 

I've been planning for a few months for the calving season trip in 2012, but got my hands full with my newborn

Basically, it will be an adventure cum photography trip. I want to spend around 15 days and be oriented in the Naabi Hills, Ndutu CA, the Kopjes, and Seronara area - which I've decided based on recommendations by many on ST, and some other resources. I personally don't like to run around changing locations a lot, but like to be situated at every location for a few days and explore the area/s. But mostly, it will all be oriented towards the location of the Migration. As of now, it's only me who's going to be on the trip as I don't know anyone personally who'd be enthusiastic about undertaking such a trip. Therefore, it becomes cost prohibitive.

 

I'm looking to get a basic mobile camping, nothing fancy. I've read through Fodors and Tripadvisor for recommendations of the outfitters, but I've not started to correspond with them yet. I realize that as it's gonna be my first time in TZ, I'd rather let the outfitter or guide know that am looking JUST to follow the migration, and let them come up with an itinerary. Depending on the budget, I'll decide upon the no. of days, but looking to fit in at least 2 weeks. I'll then match it with my notes and take it from there. What do you think? I could surely use some advice from folks like yourself and .... et al once I have some details in hand.

 

Any advice is welcome, and from anyone. My wife has decided to get me into regression therepy to to find how I was associated with Africa in my previous lives, as she can barely deal with my "eat, drink & sleep Africa syndrome"

 

Cheers

Shreyas

[samburumags]

"My wife has decided to get me into regression therepy to to find how I was associated with Africa in my previous lives, as she can barely deal with my "eat, drink & sleep Africa syndrome"

 

My husband is exactly the same, I am boring him to death with my forthcoming trip!

Edited August 23, 2011 by samburumags

[Sangeeta]

Thanks Tanya, twaffle, samburumags, Lynn and Shreyas. This was the first TR I actually persevered through to the end (thanks mainly to Tanya for her frequent update reminders!) but now that it's done, I can honestly say that it is nice to have a record of the safari, and when friends ask me how it was, I simply send them here. Hopefully, that will get us a few converts to the cause and some new ST members in the process...

 

Congratulations on the baby, Shreyas! That's wonderful news. At least you have the option of reading ST trip reports on your Iphone while sitting with the baby in the rocker at 3 AM - I couldn't do that when my daughter was a baby Seriously though, all the best & enjoy this time. It is very special and will go by more quickly than you can imagine. I'd be very interested in reading more about your findings/research on the "calving mobile" as they concretize, so do please keep us in the loop. Some of us here on ST are discussing the same trip off-line, but not for 2012. I'll PM you about that.

 

Thank you for your very kind words, samburumags. When one reaches the solo travel phase, it's definitely stage 5 of the disease

[Shreyas]

My husband is exactly the same, I am boring him to death with my forthcoming trip!

 

Samburumags, I hear you!

And when we're driving somewhere, I mostly listen to "Deep Forest" albums...don't know if you're familiar with the band but thanks to your fellow Frenchman - Eric Mouquet - who has composed my life's anthems in his music. On that note, I'd strongly recommend you listen to

just to get a taste.

 

Btw, where are you headed? I remember seeing your trip details somewhere but can't exactly place it.

[Shreyas]

At least you have the option of reading ST trip reports on your Iphone while sitting with the baby in the rocker at 3 AM - I couldn't do that when my daughter was a baby Seriously though, all the best & enjoy this time. It is very special and will go by more quickly than you can imagine. I'd be very interested in reading more about your findings/research on the "calving mobile" as they concretize, so do please keep us in the loop. Some of us here on ST are discussing the same trip off-line, but not for 2012. I'll PM you about that.

 

Thank you for your very kind words, samburumags. When one reaches the solo travel phase, it's definitely stage 5 of the disease

 

Sangeeta, thanks,... and look at me, I just put the baby to sleep and jumped on to the spectacular world of adventures and safaris

 

I surely would be more than glad to hear the details of the trip you folks are talking about, but I HAVE to get a dose of Africa by early 2012 to keep me alive and sane for the rest of the year

It's amazing to see that even with the given vastness of this safari business, it all boils down to the recommendations and reviews made over the internet that helps it sail thru. I'd shortly be starting to contact the folks that I've narrowed down, and will surely keep you posted.

Will wait for your msg!

[samburumags]

My husband is exactly the same, I am boring him to death with my forthcoming trip!

 

Samburumags, I hear you!

And when we're driving somewhere, I mostly listen to "Deep Forest" albums...don't know if you're familiar with the band but thanks to your fellow Frenchman - Eric Mouquet - who has composed my life's anthems in his music. On that note, I'd strongly recommend you listen to

just to get a taste.

 

Btw, where are you headed? I remember seeing your trip details somewhere but can't exactly place it.

Hi Shreyas, by the way I am not French!! Just an old Scottish biddy living in France. I am off to Samburu and the Mara on the 1st October and it cant come soon enough

[Atravelynn]

I am not French!! Just an old Scottish biddy living in France.

 

A Scottish biddy? Some of the very nicest, most entertaining souls I have met traveling were Scottish biddies or Scots of some sort. Really, you can do a search and you'll see I've made the statement before about the wonderful Scots I have encountered.

 

Regardless our nationalities I can see our poor husbands all seem to suffer the same fate.

[samburumags]

[Jan]

Sangeeta, thankyou so much for a fantastic trip report! The writing and photos are fantastic. I felt that I was

 

with you! It makes me feel that I must do so much better with my own TR's!

 

 

Jan

[Sangeeta]

As long as you don't cease posting photos of meerkats perched on various parts of you, Jan Your pictures are worth many thousand words...

 

Lynn & samburumags - I'll be solo in 2012 too! I've now officially joined the husband-by-the-wayside gang :lol:

[Kavey]

Haven't been online much last couple of weeks so haven't read more since my last comment.

 

Nearly jumped out of my seat when I saw the caracal, was about to scroll back through whole report to see how I'd missed it when I saw your comment on it!!!

 

And, I've been loving the photos but one that stands out for me, the lions mating, where there's the lioness on the ground, and the male is shaking his head, and a long shutter speed has allowed sharpness in the rest of the image but given motion blur to the twist of his head, is GENIUS.

 

Seriously, seriously fabulous!

[Sangeeta]

Kavey, my daughter practically flipped cartwheels when I read your comments about her photo to her. I wish you could have seen the expression on her face - she was walking on air for the rest of the evening. She knows nothing about shutter speeds etc. so that pic was entirely serendipitous, but your comments have finally convinced me that she has a good eye and some native talent, so it would be worth the money to fork out on a good basic camera for her - something that she can grow into. Any suggestions, from you or twaffle or another photography pro here would be greatly appreciated. Nothing too expensive, but a solid piece of equipment that we can add to as finances permit?

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

 

Sangeeta

[Kavey]

Hi Sangeeta, I promise you and daughter that I wasn't being nice just because she's a kid. That photo really struck me, I was thinking about it for looong after I saw it, and so envious I've not taken one like it. I might take inspiration from her one day!

 

I would guess the best option if she's really enjoying the photography is to start with the lowest level of DSLR, the smallest/ least expensive model available from whichever brand you choose. Nikon and Canon are, of course, the two big names and, despite the fact that most users are desperately loyal to one or other, and resultingly disparaging about the other, I'm probably one of few who've actually owned and used both and can say that, honestly, they're very similar in cost, quality of output and so on. The difference is that most people will simply click with one or other user interface. For us, we came down on side of Canon and sold our Nikon stuff. It's worth taking her into a store and playing (for some time) with both to see which she prefers as switching between is not ideal as the long term investment will be in lenses over the years. Another reason we opted for Canon in the end was that more of our friends were Canon, which allowed us all greater flexibility of sharing our lenses, borrowing from each other and deciding what to buy ourselves.

 

I also suggest she get a few books to learn the basics of photography, I got one of these as a young teen, when I got my first SLR camera, and really enjoyed learning about exposure, aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, composition and the impact these could all have on my images. It sounds difficult but one learns through practical experimentation, with reference to a good book to learn the terms and options, and it's easily something a teenage girl can do. I speak from experience.

 

Initially, if you do buy a DSLR, you can either buy the camera in a package with a "kit" lens, that's a basic inexpensive lens the manufacturer bundles in with the body. Or you could choose a different lens for her. The kit lenses usually have a fairly short reach, say 50 to 80 mm so I might recommend looking at a lens with a better range, for example, 18 to 125 mm is one of my walkaround lenses, it's good for people, towns, travelling. Not enough zoom for safari but otherwise great. I have a Canon brand camera, my walkaround lens is a Sigma brand, with Canon fit. Before next wildlife trip, you can investigate in a longer lens for her, maybe a 100 to 300 mm.

 

But the best thing about SLR systems is that one buys a body and one or two lenses. Then as one continued with the hobby, one can add lenses as and when. Occasionally, one will update the body, buying a new one, but staying with the same brand and lens fittings so that all the old lenses are still usable.

 

Does this help at all?

 

x

[samburumags]

Very interesting Kavey, if only I was 40 or so years younger! Too late now my little Canon Power Shot A640 will just have to do the best it can! Good luck to Sangeeta's daughter, she has been the star of ST for the last couple of weeks!

[Kavey]

I don't think one HAS to have an SLR (let alone a medium format or large format, does anyone still use those, I guess just a smaller set of professionals) to take good pictures, but am suggesting it for Sangeeta's daughter as it sounds like she may have found a new love and I remember well my own nascent interest in photography which was also born from exciting international holidays as a kid. Although in the 27 or so years since I asked my parents for my first SLR I've gone through phases of more and less active interest, it's always been something I've come back to and having an SLR really helps learn those fundamentals of aperture, shutter speed, exposure and one can also experiment with exposure, panning/ motion blur (which is the photo that sparked this off, SO good) and all kinds of fun genres.

[Sangeeta]

Thank you so very, very much for taking the time to write such a detailed response, Kavey. It was extremely helpful and makes a lot of sense for a novice. Especially your comments about Canon & Nikon & how it really boils down to a personal preference as opposed to significant differences in quality, pricing, variety etc. That was very liberating advice and one that we will definitely keep in mind. Nina read your response and was very encouraged to hear that you began as a teenager too. We hear you about the books also. It's a bit like languages. Easier to acquire if you have a good grasp of the grammar. I think she quite fancies herself talking about focal lengths & shutter speeds now

 

Thanks again for your help, Kavey. Really sweet of you take the time & trouble.

 

You too, Samburumags, merci beaucoup for your kind words to her. Looking forward to reading about your imminent adventures...

[twaffle]

Kavey gives excellent advice. I am totally hopeless when it comes to anything technical … cameras are just tools for me to get the image I want and there are so many more people with much more interest in the various tech aspects. I especially agree with Kavey regarding Canon versus Nikon, just a silly argument for people with too much time on their hands and way too big an ego. Find something which feels comfortable and vaguely intuitive to use and go out and experiment. I've been having lots of fun recently taking photos with my iphone, you couldn't get photography any less high tech than that!

[Kavey]

You're welcome, don't hesitate to drop me a PM or email should you wish any further info. x

[pault]

I caught up at last - what a wonderful trip around the Serengeti. That's really the way to do it! I am thinking of going to the Serengeti now - I have never been and I think it's time to plan for it.