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Upcoming Private Safaris for 2012
We are currently booking for safaris
through March, April and May of 2011
with extensions to Madagascar in April and May.
Please contact us to schedule your attendance.
Past Safaris
October 2002,
January 2003, March 2003, April 2003
W I T H E X T E N S I O N S T O
M A D A G A S C A R
Your
private safari awaits you!
You will have the best opportunity to view the widest
variety of animals
and birds in the greatest numbers. There are
two rainy seasons in Tanzania,
these are however the best times
to view the "Great Migration". The first in
January and February (short rains) and in March, April, and May (long rains).
We call
them the "green seasons". Not only are crowds at a
minimum, but the
wild flowers are in full bloom in the form of
endless carpets which attract
millions of butterflies. There is
little to no dust and the migration of
some 1.7 million wildebeest
and 300,000 zebra and gazelle means
many births and the
predators that follow.
Colobus Monkey
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Classic 8
Day Tanzanian Safari:
Karibu! (Welcome
in Swahili)
We meet in Arusha at Kilimanjaro
Airport where we are collected by our driver. We are transferred to Moivaro Lodge/Ngare Sero
Lodge near Mt. Kilimanjaro for a late dinner and overnight. Both lodges are located below
4,000ft. and afford the only opportunity to view Colobus
monkeys. These are the large 35-40 lb. black and white primates with the long white capes and pom-pom tails that occur only around Mt. Kilimanjaro. A troop frequents the lodge each morning along with
Sykes monkeys and Silvery-cheeked Hornbills, the largest of Africa's Hornbills.
Look for White-eared Barbets, Crowned Night Herons, Giant Kingfishers,
Hadada Ibis and Wood Owls.
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Forest
Tusker |
After breakfast we depart through Arusha in Land Rovers towards the "Great Rift Wall". Before climbing the escarpment, we enter into Manyara National Park. The park is known for
its tree-climbing lions. We will also see many elephant and
giraffe. Watch for large Leopard tortoises! It is a half day to whet your appetite. We have a picnic lunch in the
park. We then climb the escarpment to Gibb's
Farm, where we have dinner and overnight in very quaint cottages at
6,000ft.
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Lions
Gold-Breasted
Starling
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Breakfast at the farm then off for a full day of game driving in the Ngorongoro Crater. Ngorongoro is the largest volcanic crater caldera on the planet (100sq. miles, 260sq.klms.).
A world heritage site with it's own weather system; The rim is some
8,000ft. elevation and the floor 6,000ft. The drive up will produce many interesting species of birds, such as Schallow's
Touraco, Narina Trogon, Red-winged Starling, White-starred Robin,
Double-collard Sunbird, Oriole Finch, Coqui and Shelly's Francolin to name a few. If we are lucky, maybe even a Crowned Eagle. Bushbuck and Duikers, (small forest
antelope) are often encountered.
Though we are only 3 degrees from the equator, it is very cool with little humidity. Lunch in the crater at Hippo pools. We then depart the crater and head on down to the Serengeti
Plain with a stop at Oldupai Gorge (the cradle of man) and the Leakey Museum. We then continue on to Ndutu Safari Lodge located in the heart of the Serengeti. It is, in fact, the only private lodge
bordering the park. A very special
place, this will be our base for the next four nights. The fruits and vegetables you enjoy at the lodge are grown on
Gibb's Farm and transported to Ndutu, some three hours away. |
Grants
Zebra and foal |
We explore and game drive the lakes in and around the Serengeti. The
area's soda lakes are
often crowded with two species of Flamingos. Other birds commonly seen include:
Pygmy Falcon, Spotted Thick-knee, Blacksmith Plover, Stilts, Coursers,
White-chested Fish Eagle,
Hottentot and Red-billed Teal. We sometimes take picnic lunches with us but always return for a delicious dinner and campfire cocktails each evening to the sounds of
lions roaring in the near distance. It is a sound you will never forget.
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Leopard
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The Ndutu
area of the Serengeti is legendary for the annual "Great
Migration". The amazing visual contrast of the area's Acacia
woodlands against the short and long grass plains make for an
exceptional backdrop of the near two million animals that endure
the round trip trek from Kenya to Tanzania and back again. The
surrounding catchments of Lake Nudutu provide the only source of
water these animals can depend on for many square kilometers.
It's a very busy watering stop with many different species condensed into a large and diverse mammalian mass.
Some of the many species you will see include: Elephant, Zebra, Wildebeest, Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Hyena, Hartebeest, Eland, Giraffe, Reed Buck, Steinbok, Dik-dik, Hippo,
Bat-eared Fox, and two species
of Jackal. Large birds include Crowned Cranes, White,
Yellow-billed, Saddle-billed, Open-billed, Marabou, Black and Abdim's Storks.
Also huge Kori Bustards, (largest flying bird in Africa).
I have seen as many as
ten species of Eagle
in a single day!
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Masai
dancing |
This is a day we can continue game driving the Serengeti
(5,000 sq. miles) or choose to
safari north to the Moru Kopjes. These are areas of large rock outcroppings surrounded by grass plains of stunning beauty and excellent game viewing
opportunities. Kopjes contain species that survive only here. Birds include
Bare-faced go-away bird (touraco), Spot-flanked Barbet, Meyer's Parrot, Ruppell's
long-tailed Starling, and the beautiful Cliff Chat. Interesting animals of these areas include Klipspringer
(rock antelope), Gennet (civet), Mongoose and the Rattel
(large weasel). This
area is also the site of the legendary "Gong Rock". Because the Masai never used drums, these
rocks were important for tribal communication
for many generations.
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My
high school teacher |
Early morning game drive (looking for that elusive leopard), return to the lodge for lunch after which we depart for
Gibb's Farm. On the way, we will stop at a Masai
Village to watch, film, or take part in dances and your opportunity to barter for authentic native crafts. Dinner and overnight at
Gibb's Farm.
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Lioness |
Delicious buffet breakfast, then a morning walk to the waterfall and
Elephant Caves or just relax at the lodge. After lunch, we drive to Manyara airstrip to catch your flight to Kilimanjaro to meet your KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) connection to the USA
or Europe.
Click
on map
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