I've been waiting for your return! Will start reading now!

Excellent report and very good photos!

The situation you describe at the crossing where you feared you were in the Wildebeast's paths fit in a discussion which was going on yesterday. It's so easy to hinder these animals on leaving the danger zone. But good to read you weren't interfering with the crossing.

To witness a lioness carrying her cub is awesome! Obviously she was still separated from the pride so the cub was really tiny and not older than 6-8 weeks. It did look even smaller despite the Photo doesn't offer a clear sight.

Also you description of the hunt in the crater - unique experience!

By reading your report I realise a self-drive is a much more intense safari than a fly-in.
It must have been really special safari.

I would like to hear more about the incident in the Western corridor/Serengeti.

Welcome back and good luck by finding back into a "normal" life!

SV

Enjoy Elizabeth!

SV
The cub was tiny. The photo isn't very clear because we didn't wish to get too close and frighten the lioness. It was one of our favourite sightings!

I will outline the poaching incident in my report. We reported it to the rangers at Seronera, who were going to monitor the area. Hopefully, it was an isolated incident.

Most people at the Mara crossings are there with a guide, who should know where the wildebeests cross - we were at a bit of a disadvantage in not knowing where we should park. Had we been in the way (of the wildebeests), we would have moved. We were at the top of a steep bit of bank, which was impossible for them to climb, which is why we had parked there in the first place. We found that most vehicles were out of the way of the wildebeests (reasonably well back), but there were 21 vehicles at one crossing - not our idea of a good time. We left!

The wildbeest hunt by the hyena in the Crater was another highlight.

Self-driving is wonderful - we love to be in control of where and when we go and how long we stay. This self-drive was the most challenging of the ones we have done so far, just because traveling without a guide in either country is uncommon. The poaching incident was the only time I was out of my comfort zone. Robin

Thank you for sharing your amazing trip. Credit to your husband and you for doing a self-drive.

Absolutely incredible--I just sent the link to your gallery to my two traveling companions from my last trip. You stayed at some places I've been and some I'd like to visit, so I am very eagerly looking forward to more details and more photos. I love Tarangire and we enjoyed Olduvai, the guys who work there and the sunset walk very much too.

Awful and scary about the poachers.

By the way, I have a few scars on my ankles and shins from tse tse bites from 3 years ago!

wonderful report and photos, robin. thank you so much!

anita

Great report and wonderful photos! I'm in the process of planning my first trip to Tanzania and you are making me wish I could go right now! Can't wait to see and read more.

Thanks,

Julie

Your Tarangire shot is the classic postcard. Who cares if they're muddy? They're lions in the trees! Beautiful light on the lions on the ground.

Twenty-one vehicles may not be a good time for you but I'm glad you observed them staying out of the way of the wildebeest.

7000? You've got yourself a part-time job now that you've returned.

I always enjoy your reports Robin and I like the format, easy to read and match the very good photos to the captions.

The Tarangire photos are very appealing, especially the baobab. I'm looking forward to seeing more. It gives me hope that one day I may do something similar.

Thank you all for your kind comments. Robert now has the photos from day one labelled and edited so I must get back to my writing.

I envy you Julie - I would go back tomorrow if I could.

Leely2 - I have no doubt that some of the tsetse bite scars are permanent - I was so desperate at one point that I was using a rock to scratch the bites on my ankles - this was before we remembered that we had anti-histamines (Claritin) in the first aid kit. The anti-histamines worked - the Benadryl Itch Relief and Calamine lotion did nothing!

Lynn - we too loved the light on the lions on the burn - the colours were so lovely that we sat and ate breakfast while admiring the scene.
Robin

Great report and photos, thank you for sharing.

robin
I am really looking forward to read your report not only on the sightings and the poachers, but also on the campsites, house of waine etc etc.
That might well enhance my appetite for a self-drive vacation.
I saw you sitting in front of your car enjoying a break. As the campsites are not fenced I was wondering whether you were somehow alert about the "animal kingdom" you were camping in

Thank you for your further explanation!

SV

Hi SV!
We were always very alert (although I admit we don't look it in that photo ), especially after dark. Some of the sites were fairly open, which made watching for approaching animals fairly easy, while others like Maji ya Ndege in the Mara Triangle were surrounded with bush, making it more difficult. We sat with our backs to the 4x4 so that nothing could creep up on us from behind and we usually faced in opposite directions. We took turns leaping up and scanning the area (with a powerful flashlight after dark). When we spotted eyes in the beam of the flashlight, we would peer at the animal with our binoculars to see what it was. There were a couple of evenings when there were lions and elephants nearby when we were early to bed - we were surrounded by lions at the Turner Springs campsite in Seronera one night and the elephants were a challenge in Lake Manyara. We never ventured far from the vehicle (maybe 20-30m), especially at night, and there was a light on the exterior of the vehicle (it runs off an extra battery) that lit up the area around the vehicle. On the nights when there was no wind we would often hear the animals approaching - on windy nights it was a little more challenging. We were extremely cautious and alert at all times, especially at night, which is why we spotted the poachers' flashlights approaching through the bush. Robin

Breakfast with the lions. Way to go.

None of your photos give an indication of extreme drought. Can you comment on the lack of rain?

In the special camping spots you stayed in the Mara, who was there? People like you? Any companies camping with their clients? Did you split it up with some camping and some permanent tented camp accommodations-Serian? Review for me the dates you spent in the Mara. Asante.

Robin - again thx a lot!

The more you write/I read the more curious I bcome. It sounds SO outragously EXCITING...I must do such a trip one day..........

SV

Hi SV! I would highly recommend it - it is very exciting. We can't wait to go back.

Lynn - We arrived at Serian on 31st July and stayed 2 nights. Then we headed into the Mara and stayed (camped) at Maji Ya Nedege special campsite in the Triangle for 6 nights. Then we returned to Serian for one night (8th August) before crossing into Tanzania and heading into the Serengeti. Serian purchased our groceries for us (we provided them with a list by email ahead of time) hence the need to return for the second time - we needed to restock with fresh produce and meat.

The special campsites seem to be used by mobile camp operators - visitors who were there with guides, cooks and drivers. We saw no other self-drivers in the Mara. Some special campsites had six to eight tents set up on them - I am not certain if the tents were for one or two people. There would be a toilet tent and a shower tent. We didn't enjoy any such luxuries, although we did have the type of shower that you fill and hang in a tree. I can't recall the names of any of the mobile camping companies whose names were displayed on the vehicles, but there seemed to be many different companies - Robert and I were surprised that so many were surviving the tough economic times.

We did combine camping with tented camps - Serian for three nights (this is where Safari Drive stores the vehicle in Kenya, so we started there), Lemala Camp at Ngoronogoro for two nights (we feared we would freeze if we camped on the crater rim and Lemala has heaters in their tents - wozzie Canadians, I know!!) and Arusha for a night before heading into Manyara and Tarangire (for a total of 6 nights) - mainly to restock groceries again. The 4x4 does come with a very efficient fridge, but it isn't huge.

In terms of drought - the Mara seemed to be quite green and it rained lightly several times when we were there (4 of the 6 days as I recall - always late in the afternoon). The river was incredibly low, however, so much so that the wildebeest could walk across rather than having to swim. It was incredibly dry in the Serengeti, but it was the dry season and we gathered from the Masai at Olduvai that, although it hadn't rained since January, this was the norm.

Lake Manyara looked positively lush after the Serengeti and I think Tarangire was about as it should be for the dry season. Perhaps someone who has visited in the past can provide better insight.

We did enjoy breakfast with several different prides of lions. We would get up at 5:45 to depart when it was just light at 6:30am. We would drive for about two hours, enjoying the solitude before the other vehicles started to appear (I was surprised at the late start of so many lodges - 8:30am seemed to be the norm - I don't know why they choose to miss what I think is the best part of the day). Then, around 9:00am, we would find somewhere scenic (or stay with predators, if that is where we were) and have breakfast in the vehicle. We had breakfast with lions, migrating wildebeests, bee-eaters, elephants, giraffes - all manner of wonderful ways to start the day. The only problem we encountered was that vehicles would descend on us because we were parked for a while. It was most embarassing having to explain that we were simply parked while having breakfast - if it was predators, then that was OK - bee-eaters, not so much .
Robin

HI Robin: It was great this evening to read your report in progress and view your photos. What a wonderful experience you've had. We have dreamed for many years about going on safari and so we are flying tomorrow evening to Nairobi to begin our southern Kenya and northern Tanzania safari. So finding your posting this evening was a great treat to view. We will look forward to reading more of your report when we return to the USA. Thanks again for posting and sharing your adventure. Dave and Sandy, South Carolina

I can just imagine the surprise of the guests who drove up to your parked vehicle expecting you were watching some big animals only to learn you were breakfasting with the bee eaters.

That's a nice long time in the Mara!

I hope you have a wonderful trip Dave and Sandy! I will look forward to reading about your adventure.

Lynn - I am not certain if they were surprised or disgusted!
Many seemed focused only on predators. Robin

I see your itinerary now where your accommodations are all detailed. The lion count is tremendous!

Can you elaborate on your night drive escape from poachers? Did they approach you or interact with you?

Nice job spotting on that night drive, since you were there.

Welcome back Robin & Robert! (though I can guess you’d rather not be back). Been eagerly awaiting your return and report!(nearly missed your post because I don’t look every day – was just looking for an answer to a question of mine a while ago and spotted it!) You obviously had a great time, what an adventure, looking forward to the next installments on smugmug. 181 lions?!! I have a few questions about your trip but you may well answer them as you go on with your report so I’ll be patient (must hear more about the poachers incident). The little critters seem to have been more of a problem than the big ones! We had the same problem with the bees once, showering became a bit of a wild session with lots of flapping around - just as well no-one was around to see!

As I said I'll no doubt be back with more questions as the report progresses , but if in the meantime could I ask a couple (or 5) questions?...
- This might be difficult to answer because it was your first visit, but from what you’ve learned do you think you chose the best time of year to go?
- If you had to choose ONE place from this trip to go back to which would it be?
- If you had to shorten your trip by one week what would you miss out?
-Is there anything you did which you would have done differently with hindsight?
- Where next???

As usual great photos from Robert, looking forward to more.

We were amazed at the number of lions. It got to the point where, when we saw a cluster of vehicles, we were saying, "Oh drat! It's probably more lions!" We wanted more cheetahs and leopards!

The porcupines were a great sighting - we didn't dare take the time to stop and photograph them - we weren't far from the campsite at that point.

Here is the poacher (we assume, we have no way of knowing) story:

It was 9:30pm – we were on the Mareo special campsite in the Western Corridor - we had the table and chairs set up and we were sitting next to the Land Rover with the light on (an external light that runs off an extra battery - it lights an area up to about 20m from the vehicle), watching a slide show of the day’s pictures on the laptop. Robert happened to look up and notice lights in the direction of the main road (the track between the Western Corridor and Seronera). At first we thought that they were the headlights of a vehicle – we thought perhaps it was the rangers coming for a visit, but we couldn’t hear a vehicle. The rangers in the Mara kept telling us that they might drop in to check on us, although they never did – that is why we thought it might be the rangers. However, we then realized that there were three lights and, from the way the lights were moving, that they were flashlights coming towards us through the bush. We realized (once we knew that they were flashlights and not headlights) that they weren’t rangers because we hadn’t heard a vehicle and no ranger would walk from the main road for the 1.7km (the road into the campsite was 1.7km - as the crow flies, through the bush, shorter!) to the special campsite at night. We flashed our flashlights in their direction – basically to tell them “we’re here, so go away” but they kept coming. We quickly packed up our belongings – the table and chairs, the computer, the grill etc – and locked them in the Land Rover. We buried our wallets, cameras and computer amongst our stuff in the vehicle. We kept flashing our lights at them as we did this, but they kept coming. We didn’t have time to put down the roof-top tent. They appeared to be shining their lights on us - or at least in our direction. We had no idea if they thought we were poachers infringing on their territory or if they were bandits coming to rob us. We had seen a young giraffe with a snare around its neck earlier in the day, not far from our campsite – which we had reported to the rangers – that is why we were thinking they were poachers. It seemed unlikely that they were coming to rob us – their chances of finding anyone on that site, which was so isolated and, judging from the road into it, not used very often, were pretty slim. We continued to flash our lights at them, but they kept coming so, we locked ourselves in the 4x4. Eventually, as they kept coming, we made the decision that we needed to leave – I have no idea how close they were by then – it was difficult to judge in the dark - maybe 50m – close enough that they could have called to us and identified themselves – they didn’t. So, with the tent still up, we left the campsite and, with great difficulty in the dark, followed the track the 1.7km out to the main road. As soon as we fired up the Land Rover, their lights went out. Perhaps they thought we were the poaching patrol - I have no idea. I suspect that we may have scared them as much as they scared us. I wished later that we had turned the Land Rover and shone our headlights on them, but safety was our priority not identifying them. It was fortunate that they had not come along the campsite road and that we had an escape route - I would have hated to go crashing through the bush in darkness. We made it out to the main road and had to make a hasty decision as to whether to go left or right to find civilization. As we were to head to Seronera the following day, we decided to go in that direction (right). Big mistake – it took us over two hours to reach the nearest people – the lodge at Seronera. If we had gone left, we could have reached the rangers’ station in about 45 minutes. Of course, the lodge was in darkness when we arrived (it was after midnight by then because we had driven so slowly) as was the rangers’ station, so we simply headed to the campsites and set up the tent – we had stopped on the road after about 5km and folded up the tent – once we were certain that the owners of the flashlights weren’t following us. We had no idea if they had a vehicle somewhere – we hadn’t seen one when we reached the main road but we still feared that they might be coming after us.

Safari Drive in Tanzania is looking into the incident for us. The rangers at Seronera were concerned when we reported the incident the next morning. We feared they might be angry that we had driven through the park for two hours after dark, but they agreed that we were wise to leave.

I feared that the incident might make me nervous on the rest of the special campsites (it was early in our trip when this took place), which are all very isolated, but I was able to convince myself that it was an isolated incident. It was a small bleep in an otherwise perfect holiday and I would not hesitate to repeat the trip and use the special campsites. Robin

Thank you for the detail and all turned out well. It must have been a little scary during that rushed pack up job.

It appears whoever they were did not intend you any harm by the way they conducted themselves. You had plenty of time to see them and head out, which is maybe want they wanted if they were just small scale poachers.

Well hello Tockoloshe! Great to hear from you. We must have posted about the same time. The poaching incident is outlined above. I hope to add more to the website today.

You ask REALLY difficult questions, but I'll give them a shot!

This might be difficult to answer because it was your first visit, but from what you’ve learned do you think you chose the best time of year to go?

Having not been at any other time, it is impossible to compare, but we certainly found it perfect - great day and night temperatures, only scattered showers in the Mara, good sightings at whatever water was available, and we timed it perfectly for the migration in the Mara Triangle - the only down side was the dust in the Serengeti - choking at times.

- If you had to choose ONE place from this trip to go back to which would it be?

OK - this is impossible - Robert would probably say the Mara and I think I would have to agree. We saw more predators on other parts of the trip, but the sight of hundreds of thousands of wildebeests was amazing. We parted seas of wildebeests as we drove down the roads.

- If you had to shorten your trip by one week what would you miss out?

What a tough question - I might just take a day off everything and maybe eliminate Lake Manyara - we agreed that it was our least favourite park, although the lions in the tree were spectacular. It was just after dawn and we had them all to oursleves - they weren't far from our campsite.


-Is there anything you did which you would have done differently with hindsight?

I would have spent a 2nd night in Nairobi - as you'll read shortly (I am about to post more) I found our time there too rushed.

I would not have entered Tanzania without all of the cash that we needed (for diesel) for that segment of the trip. We had been told that we could get money at the Kenyan/Tanzanian border, but we couldn't. We feared we were going to run out of gas before we convinced the Speke Bay Lodge to exchange some money for us. If we had started in Arusha it wouldn't have been a problem - lots of ATMs and banks there.

We had originally wanted to do the trip in the reverse order - start in Arusha and end in the Mara (which I thought would be the highlight - I wanted to leave the best to last). However, the vehicle was going to be in Kenya so we had to flip the itinerary. I think I would start in Arush next time.

Where next???

Robert's next sabbatical is 2011-2012 - we are thinking of spending the year in southern Africa. We would love to do this trip again and I would also love to do a combination of Botswana and Zambia - the Zambezi R is calling - I would like to do a canoe trip. I would also want to return to Kgalagadi and the dunes!

Phew! Too early in the morning for such difficult decisions. Good to hear from you. Robin

If you had to choose between Kenya OR Tanzania...which would you choose?

Oh dear - I hope I would never have to make that choice - the Mara and the Serengeti are so close together that they make a great combination for self-drivers.

If I HAD to choose and was going to self-drive, probably Tanzania, because there were more parks (on the Northern Circuit) for us to visit/greater variety. As self-drivers in Kenya, we were limited to the Mara and couldn't go elsewhere in the country - Safari Drive felt it wasn't safe without a guide. We have learned to respect and follow the advice of the experts. Robin

That's a scary story about the poachers, I'm sure you did the best thing by leaving, the rangers obviously thought so. I'm glad it didn't spoil the rest of the trip for you.

Thanks for your answers to my difficult questions - all ideas getting filed away for future reference! Simbakubwa's was a good one too especially for the self driver.

You'd better not tell me anything more about your next trip, with your viewing record you'll have 2 extra people tagging along!

Thanks Robin,
Great info and stories you're sharing. Good to see another self-drive report, and glad to hear your one bad incident hasn't put you off. keep it coming!
Ted

If you go back to Botswana, Tockoloshe, we'll be tagging along with you - I've seen the wild dog and lion photos!!

I think my heart would have beat right out of my chest when I saw those lights with no vehicle. What a scary, unfortunate episode. Glad you are both okay.

It was a bit unfortunate Leely 2 but, thankfully, it was a small incident in an otherwise fantastic trip. It could have been worse - we might have been in bed. Robin

Hi Robin, been looking forward to having some time this weekend to look at your report properly!

Well your trip got off to a good start courtesy of BA – what good luck! We sometimes fly with BA just because we use BA airmiles but that 24 hour seat booking policy has frustrated us many times. Also we tried to check in from Windhoek for the JNB-LON leg and weren’t allowed to check in online because we were taking a connecting flight (still don’t understand why), so of course when we tried to get good seats at JNB they had all gone. It’s definitely something we’d consider when booking a flight again. Unfortunately Air Namibia have stopped flights from London direct (now via Frankfurt) but we were delighted to get an upgrade to business from them last year – makes a huge difference to flight comfort.

Did taking the flights in the small planes help you get over your nervousness or are you still not too keen on them – did seeing into the cockpit make you feel more secure or worse?

You were very kind about my lion photos but you certainly got your pick out of your 181. I loved the lioness with her cub, and the magnificent male in the North Mara Conservancy. But the best one has to be your breakfast companion – just shows how careful you have to be! Luckily he must have had his breakfast. (would you Canadians get the ‘he’s behind youuu’ panto reference?) And you got to witness your first kill in the Serengeti, – disturbing yes, I’m not sure how I’d feel about it, but it’s a privilege to see magnificent predators at work.

The wildebeest pictures are ‘classic Mara’ – it’s something my husband has wanted to see from a very young age so now he’s seen your photos there’s going to be no stopping him. The wildebeest hunt by the hyena in the Crater must have been a sight too.

As much as we enjoy the self sufficiency of the self-drive it’s a different thing to have a local guide like your Masai guides, that interaction can very rewarding – good for you for learning some Maa, I’m sure they appreciated it (that’s new for me, didn’t know that was their language)

How far has Robert got through the 7000 photos?
Looking forward to more.

Hi Tockoloshe!
I wondered if perhaps BA's 24-hour seat selection was new. They must get a lot of complaints. Coming home, our seats once again weren't together, and we didn't manage to get bumped up to business class - at least the airline managed to seat us across the aisle from each other. I believe KLM now goes direct Arusha to Amsterdam - we might try them next time.

I think I would be a little more comfortable on the small planes the next time, as long as there was something to look at. The wildebeests were so spectacular from the plane on the second flight that I was completely distracted.

The number of lions was amazing - our count doesn't even include lions that we would see for a second time later in the day. They seemed to be everywhere. Clearly, they are thriving.

The lion at breakfast was a wee bit of a shock. I am not certain why the second vehicle waited until we had finished breakfast to call our guide. All of us had "marked our territory" in the surrounding bush by the time they called - in fact, I think it was Robert heading off in the lion's direction to find a suitable bush that precipitated the phone call. It certainly reminded us how careful you have to be at all times. Robert and I had let our guard down because we were with a guide - not a good idea!

The wildebeests were amazing - we had no idea. We were very fortunate to see as many as we did. The migration was early this year - normally, in early August, there wouldn't be as many wildebeests in the Mara. We had originally planned to go to the Mara last for this reason but, even in late August, we wouldn't have expected to see as many as we did.
Parting seas of wildbeests as we tried to make our way down the roads was quite something (better pictures coming!)and we frequently climbed up on the roof of the 4x4 to better appreciate the view. I gather the migration is very unpredictable (from year to year), so it would be difficult to know when to go next time.

We didn't know about Maa before we went either - it is amazing what you can find on the internet. Interacting with the guides at Olduvai was a highlight of our trip - as was, I am sure, your visit with the bushmen at Grassland. I think it was the experience at Olduvai that makes us so keen to go to Grassland. We would plan on spending at least a couple of nights.

Robert is slowly making his way through the pictures - he is labeling and editing as he goes, so it is taking a while. I think he is on about day 10! Just like at camp, we have a slide show here every night.

Should be more later today. Robin

I just read the stoty on the poacher's visit. Huch - scary! And congrats to you both that you did not let it interfere with your overall experiences which were fantastic! Doubt I would have been that brave!

THX also for the House of Waine pics - we are looking forward to our visit in Feb 2010

Thank you for sharing!

SV

House of Waine was great - a very comfortable room and a great breakfast. I would have liked to stay a second night. Arriving late at night and leaving first thing in the morning just didn't give us time to appreciate it.

The poachers' visit was a bit frightening - I was just happy that we were still up and knew enough to leave. Half an hour later and we would have been in bed. Who knows what might have happened then.
Robin

Robin
I fear we are going to feel the same regarding HOW! We arrive at 1900hrs but then that at least leaves us a couple of hours more incl. the dinner. And of course we leave also at 1000hrs next morning. It's always the question whether one wants to spend one more night in the city when the game drives and bush is calling

And yes - that seems to be a blessing in disguise that you were still on your feet when the "visitors" were coming!


SV

Good point - when it comes down to a night in Nairobi or another night in the Mara, there is no contest! Robin

Another weekend’s trip report reading – great!
(I hate this new format, if I don't look every day it takes me ages to find a thread I'm interested in when it drops off the list!)

The tracks do make driving in Namibia & Botswana look easy, I’m not sure we’d have the confidence to take this on!

The wildebeest crossing pics are great. Gosh the idea of 30 vehicles at the crossing is just what puts us off, but a sight worth seeing.

Thanks for the info on the Masai, I didn’t know much about their lives. Although you were the only ones there they seem prepared for visitors, judging by the large ‘shop’ – do you know if it’s a stopping off point for many tours? It’s a pity about the sales techniques – don’t they realise it just puts people off? Or does it work with some people, otherwise why would they do it?

Bit of a pain about the missing supplies, we’ve learnt from experience to check everything before we set off! This time the spade and tow rope were missing when we did our pre-departure check – of course we didn’t need them this time but what’s the betting we would have done if we hadn’t had them??

Drought situation in Kenya doesn’t look good – I put a link to an item on BBC news this evening.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8265988.stm

Hi Tockoloshe!
I am not certain that we would have had the nerve (to take on the navigating) either had we known ahead of time. It really wasn't until we arrived that we realised what is was going to be like. In the end, it was easier than you might expect - we had the paper maps, so we always knew what direction we were trying to head. As long as you had your GPS, you'd be fine. The first section of the trip was the most difficult/vague - after that, as we headed to the Serengeti, the driving became much easier. The roads were never marked, but at least it was obvious that they were roads. The drive from Serian to Speke Bay near Lake Victoria took all day and was fascinating - I'll be posting pics after the highlights of the Mara.

I hated the crossing with 30 vehicles - if it had been just Robert and me (we were with the Serian guide), we would have left. Thankfully, later in the week, when we were on our own, we saw a much better crossing with few vehicles.

We wondered why the big shop because this Masai village doesn't receive many visitors apparently - it is rather in the middle of nowehere. Thankfully, we were the only ones there at the time. I don't know why they continue with the aggressive sales pitch - they must realize that it isn't working.

The missing supplies was a bit funny (thankfully, neither of us is addicted to our morning coffee!) - our own fault - we should have checked for the starter kit. Since our Botswana vehicle had been so well equipped and the Safari Drive folks there so organized, we made the mistake of assuming the situation would be the same in Kenya. Lesson lerrned!

Thanks for the link to the BBC news item. It is such a sad situation.

More pics coming - Robert and I are in the process of choosing our favourite photos from the 5 days in the Mara - a tough decision.
Robin

Looking forward to more photos! I don't think I've checked your blog for a week so thank you for letting "us" know here when you've added stuff.

The drought is creating a very grim situation. I have been doing my rain dance steadily.

Mara highlights now added started on page 22. Here is the link again. Enjoy! Robin

http://bert-and-bin.smugmug.com/Travel/Kenya-Tanzania-2009/9504315_Lmned/1/638901400_BHybf

You did a great job posting the pictures.

Iam not much of a picture poster but I rather send pictures to friends that request to see some.

I still have mine in the Camera Memory Card , this way I can hook the camera to the TV and watch them .

On the map you have a red dotted line from Nairobi to Serian , so I am assumg you flew this segment.

The sold red line you drove( right !?) but what is that dotted part from Aruha back to Nairobi !

Thanks for all the lovely pictures

Percy, I hope you have downloaded and backed up your photos. Those memory cards are notoriously unreliable over the long term.

Hi Percy!
We flew from Nairobi to Serian (1st dotted line) and then took a shuttle bus (Impala) from Arusha to Nairobi (2nd dotted line) - the latter was a huge mistake - longest 6 hours of my life - back row of a stuffy/hot and cramped bus along very dusty and rough roads. Never again! The rest of the route we self-drove. Robin

twaffle yes I have download them onto my computer.

I always have wiped out the memory card after I have down loaded the pictures onto my computer(from previous trips)....but this time I also took some short movies with my Canon ( Phd ) camera.

It is easier to watch the movies off the memory card when I attach the camera to the computer.

But yes as time goes bye I will format the card again.,for the next trip

The movies are all short and nothing longer than 2 minutes.

I tried to attach the movie icon in an e-mail to a friend so that he could see the Migration over the Mara River...

but it would not go...and almost shut down my computer Hmmm.

After I label the pictures ( I took 388 pictures )so you see I am not one of those that just clicks away !!!

For example.....I got four nice pictures of a Leopard....I felt I did not need 8 !!

My friend Randy took 642 pictures and filled up six disks on his Sony Camcorder ....which is good because he will then make DVD's for me.


canadian_robin

Boy can I identifiy with that ride you took from Arusha to Nairobi.

I had a double whammy..it was the same going to Amboslei and then I had to get from Amboseli to Nairobi Airport for my flight to Zanzibar..... I don't think there was a mile of road that was not under construction !!

Hey, but we survived we are back home ,in one piece and healthy ( still!)

Goodnight twaffle and canadian_robin

Thanks Percy, and good night to you as well.

Robin, I loved your Mara section of photos and report, especially the bits about the South West wilderness area. Managing to escape the crowds was well done.

The lions in the Mara, are of course, very well mannered and would never eat a self driving tourists!

canadian_robin

Since you have watched the movie "Out of Africa" perhaps you might want to see (again) the John wayne movie title
"Hatari"

Hatari means Danger.

It was filmed in Arusha National Park and the Rhino scenes were filmed in Ngorongoro Crater.

When I was in Arusha and visted the Heritage Culture Centre, I bought a DVD entitled "Africa, The Serengeti" narrated by James Earl Jones..
the DVD
also has the John Wayne movie on it.

I saw Hatari many years ago but now it will have a different meaning and interest!

twaffle ...you watch the movie also !!!!

Thanks Percy! I hadn't heard of Hatari - I will have a look for it. Robin

I'm caught up again, so ready for more! Great photos. I'll need to look at a map with the special/private campsites in Serengeti to orient myself. There are a few Turners, aren't there? (Sorry, haven't been to TZ in 3+ years.)

I took the Nairobi-Arusha shuttle and didn't find it bad at all. Hmm, maybe I am tougher than I think I am.

Thanks Percy, I have both the Hatari and Out of Africa DVDs and watch them often, although I get tired of the melancholy feeling I get with OOA.

Yes it is rather sad to watch the Out of Africa movie.

Especially the way things turned out in the end.

Her home museum in Nairobi is a nice place to visit, more so if one knows some history about her.

The grounds are very nice and very spacious both in the front ,back and sides.

I thought to myself, "Boy this must have been quite the place in the 1920's "

Back in Copenhagen she has (had) a lovely huge home , white with a red roof.

Her grave site is at the back of the home .

(If you want to see a picture(s) of her home and gravesite email me at
percyd@shaw.ca

I have to watch Hatari againI have not even unwrapped the plastic wrapper on the DVD !..maybe this weekend !

How odd to read "Hatari." A couple hours ago my husband called me to the computer to see the Elephant Walk clip on Youtube that he found. We didn't know what movie it was from but a little searching produced "Hatari."

I see Mara highlights are up. Good.

A really great read! Excellent pics!

I enjoy both tremendously!

SV

Percy - I wish we had had the time in Nairobi to go to the KB museum. Next time!
Thanks SV! Robin

canadian_robin - what kind of GPS did you have? Your own or did the vehicle come with it? We ar going to buy one for the SA and Namibia portion of our trip next February.

Thanks! Too bad you can't attend the Toronto GTG tonight! Watch for pics on the Canada Board.

Hi Elizabeth!
We used a Garmin 60Cx. We purchased it before our self-drive through Botswana in 2008. Safari Drive does provide a GPS with their vehicles, but we wanted to be well familiar with it before heading off into the bush. We also took a course at the university to ensure that we knew what we were doing.

Wish I could be at the GTG - I would have enjoyed meeting you. Robin

Hi Robin & Robert!
Many thanks for such a wonderful trip report, very well written with amazing photos! And what an adventure! I really enjoyed reading/looking through your webpage!

We have a couple of questions regarding the Maji Ya Ndege campsite in the Mara (we`re thinking of staying there ourselves on our next Kenya self-drive trip). How did you like that campsite? Would you recommend it?
What about safety? Did you have an askari/guard at your campsite during the night? Were you the only ones staying there at the same time?
Do you think it would be advisable to get a GPS for the Mara Triangle in order to find one`s way around the reserve & campsite locations or is a detailed map enough for the Mara Triangle/Masai Mara?

Many thanks in advance & looking forward to continue reading about your East African adventure! /Danny

Hi Danny!
The Maji Ya Ndege campsite was lovely but, if I were to go again, I would ask for the campsite about a kilometre south of there known as Ndovu. It is a fairly new campsite, so not marked on all of the maps. We ended up at Ndovu on the day we arrived in the Triangle, thinking it was Maji Ya Nedge. The sites are not marked in any way, so they are difficult to find even with a GPS. Fortunately, the site was occupied and the folks on it were able to tell us that we were too far south. Both campsites are on the (Mara) river, but the actual clearing for the tents is closer on Ndovu - on Maji Ya Ndege, we had to be a little further from the vehicle when we sat on the edge of the river - trees prevented us from moving the 4x4 closer to the water. At Ndovu, the tents were right on the river's edge, so they had a constant and wonderful view of the river. We always felt a bit vulnerable when we were amongst the trees next to the river in our chairs - it would have been easy for a predator to creep up on us without our seeing them.

We did not have a guard and it was just the two of us on the site. At the time, I did not feel in any way unsafe - but you should read about the incident at Entim that happened shortly after our stay at Maji Ya Ngege - it gave me pause for thought. In that incident, the bandits escaped across the river into the Triangle south of the Maji Ya Ndege campsite.

http://www.fodors.com/community/africa-the-middle-east/incident-at-entim-camp-in-mara.cfm

Also, I assume you have read my description of our incident on a special campsite in the Serengeti - see above on this thread. I know guards are recommended in some parks, but I had read nothing to suggest that it would be necessary for any of the parks/reserves we were visiting (Triangle, Serengeti, Lake Mayara, Tarangire). I would hate the idea of someone having to sit up all night to keep me safe - time to go somewhere else!

The GPS saved us many times. We were able to find GPS points for most of the campsites we stayed at and it was hugely helpful. The tracks to the campsites off the roads are not marked in any way (in the Serengeti and Triangle - they were well marked in Tarangire and Lake Manyara), and the tracks are very difficult to see. We sat on the road next to the track to Maji Ya Ndege and wondered if it could possibly be the track to the campsite (even after we knew we were in the correct area thanks to the folks on Ndovu). Also, we never would have found our way to the Triangle through the North Mara Conservancy from Serian without the GPS - there are no road signs whatever and tracks crossing in every direction in the North Mara Conservancy - without the GPS we never would have known which track to follow. You could probably find your way around the Triangle without a GPS - we used our map most of the time and used the GPS only to confirm where we were. However, depending on how you would be getting to the Triangle, I would highly recommend a GPS. The best paper map was the Masai Mara Visitor Map Guide - see page 1 of my report for details. Also, the Track4Africa map of Kenya and Tanzania on our GPS was incredibly helpful.

We hope to repeat this trip in 2011 or 2012, when we will be back in southern Africa for a year - in the meantime, I will certainly be watching to see if there are more incidents like the one at Entim (and if that incident is reported on the Mara Conservancy website or kept quiet).

Glad you are enjoying the report - I should be adding our trip to the Serengeti this week.
Robin

Robin, thank you so much for your very helpful reply and all your suggestions! We`re following your adventurous trip report with great interest!

You are most welcome! I am just uploading more photos now - for the drive from the Mara to the Serengeti - an adventure in itself! Then, I will start entering the Serengeti photos and text. Robin

Greeting Canadian_robin. I so enjoyed reading about your incredible trip. Very enjoyable. The photos are absolutely remarkable as well. What an adventure. Your pictures, and description of the border towns brought me right back to what we saw a year ago. Thank you so much for sharing.

Greg

Hi Robin

Well, you’ve been at the The Ndabaka Gate of Serengeti National Park for quite a while – I have been following – please carry on! (though I know how 'normal' life tends to take over!)

A feature I love about your trips is that you try and spend time talking to people you meet, like the villagers in Mararianta, and what a good idea to take photos of home to share. And I always like the descriptions of what you see on the way; the roads, people, shops, and traffic. I always regret not taking more photos like that to remind us of the ‘getting there’ as well as the highlights, it gives us such a good idea what the whole trip was like and what to expect should we be brave enough to try the same thing.

By the way, I forgot to ask you if you ever tried to make the beer bread when you were camping???

Hi Tockoloshe!
I have been stalled for a few days - I have been busy at work. After this weekend, things should be a little less busy and I hopefully will get started again. Also, my DH has been hogging the computer - he is almost through the 7000 photos and is anxious to put together a slide show of our favourites. The neighbours are after us for our annual GTG and slide show!

Heard from Safari Drive yesterday that TANAPA arrested some poachers near the Mareo campsite - guess it was a good thing we left when we did. Not sure how the poachers would have felt about us being there. Pity - that lovely campsite may not see any campers for a while.

We did make the beer bread and that will come up in my report. Burned the first batch to a crisp (got distracted by ellies!) but subsequent batches were delicious!

Glad you're enjoying the report. For this trip in particular, it was about so much more than the wildlife. I think that is why Robert and I enjoyed it so much - we had far more opportunity to interact with the local people. Photos from home always seem to be a huge hit - particularly the snow pictures.

Have you been following this recent thread? Your Botswana reports were featured in it. I am certain micmic would appreciate your input. Robin

http://www.fodors.com/community/africa-the-middle-east/thinking-botswana.cfm

Robin, thank you very much for plugging my topic

The problem is that by searching for your Botswana trip report we also found your Kenya/Tanzania trip report. And now we are torn... we know we will be visiting all these countries eventually, but what do we plan for *this* year ?

So, I'm about to ask a very difficult question: Which among these two trips was the most exciting one ? Notwithstanding planning mistakes and unforeseen circumstances, which would you repeat if you could only repeat one ?

Difficult is the word - yikes!

Let me begin by saying that we hope to repeat both trips in 2011-2012 when we will in Cape Town on our next sabbatical. They were both fantastic trips and they are both worthy of being repeated. The only change I would make to the Botswana trip is to try and combine it with Zambia rather than SA and Namibia. The Tanzania/Kenya trip I would repeat as is, with perhaps some minor changes ( a second night with the Masai at Olduvai Tented Camp, for example).

If I had to choose one trip over the other I would select the Kenya/Tanzania trip for several reasons - the migration was amazing; there was far more opportunity to interact with the local people - culturally, it was a far more rewarding trip; the wildlife was spectacular - the numbers - the 182 lions, for example - were just amazing; the scenery of the Northern Circuit in Tanzania was lovely - the Crater, the Serengeti plains, Tarangire and its baobabs - lots of variety and very beautiful; and perhaps fewer people - we found Moremi busier than either the Mara or the Northern Circuit. Those would be the primary reasons why I would choose Kenya/Tanzania over Botswana.

Having said that, given our experience with the poachers in the Western Corridor (we were informed by Safai Drive just two days ago that TANAPA recently arrested several poachers near the Mareo campsite, so it was likely poachers that caused us to flee in the night) and the incident at Entim, I will certainly be watching the TANAPA/Mara Conservancy websites to see if these type of incidents become more frequent. If so, the next time we will drag visiting family or friends along with us - safety in numbers (although it didn't help the folks at Entim). Also, Kenya and Tanzania was certainly more challenging - we had to rely on our GPS at times and you wouldn't want to do the trip if you weren't comfortable mingling with the locals. In Mararianta, we and our vehicle were completely surrounded by the villagers (when we got lost) - that might have unsettled someone who hadn't already done a fair amount of self-driving through southern Africa. Botswana is the easier of the two trips I think but, if you are prepared for the challenges of self-driving through Kenya and Tanzania, I would be inclined to go there.

I hope to do more work on the Kenya/Tanzania report this weekend. Robin

Robin - it's good that Safari Drive have kept you informed, and for you to pass the information on here, it is something to bear in mind - certainly not to be put off but maybe 'safety in numbers' is a point to consider. They had already advised us that they couldn't offer a couple of the itineraries advertised in their brochure due to safety concerns, so they are constantly revising their advice.

I would be pleased to help micmic if I can, but you've got him torn between Botswana & East Africa now! Which way are you leaning micmic??

Looking forward to more of the report whenever you can.

I'm curious - where (what countries) were the safety concerns? When we planned our trip, SD suggested that we not self-drive anywhere in Kenya other than to the Mara and, even then, they didn't recommend we drive from Nairobi to the Mara. It's good to have the advice of someone in the know. I must ask them about Zambia.

I do seem to have side-tracked poor micmic. Called my DH to see if he agreed with my answer - he too would go with Kenya/Tanzania for many of the same reasons, although he would also like to return to Botswana.

Back to my writing! Robin

Sorry Robin, I wasn't clear, I did mean Kenya - I may have had an older brochure and when I phoned to ask for more details they couldn't recommend a couple of the suggested trips any more.

I am throughly enjoying your report and your photos. It makes for wonderful reading as I now dream of going to East Africa.

I love all the detail in your report, and the amazing photos. Thanks for taking the time to put it all together for us to enjoy.

The lions mating were an amazing group of photos. And your bird photos are great.

looking forward to the next installment

amy

I too am still reading your report

Count me as another still following.

tockoloshe, thanks very much for offering to help. We will probably need you next year, as now Robin has totally diverted us! Yes, we will be visiting Kenya/Tanzania this year. Actually it's not only Robin's report, it's also that most of the stories and the photos in the wildlife books I was reading as a kid were from the Mara and the Serengeti. So I somehow realized that while both places my be equally beautiful, my childhood fantasies draw me to East Africa!

micmic - good for you! Hope to follow you to East Africa soon ourselves - I know what you mean about growing up with wildlife stories about Massai Mara & Serengeti, it is a dream we have to follow up! Meanwhile we live it through Robin's report ....

Indeed, I keep refreshing the report hoping she has added to it

Robin could you please give us an idea of the cost for this trip, excluding tickets to and from Africa ?

micmic

I just e-mail a person who asked me the cost of the Safari I took in mid August to mid September.

I outline the whole cost to her so if you want me to forward it over to you , then please e-mail me at percyd@shaw.ca

Hi Robin

Here is a start:

The total cost of staying in the Mara Triangle for two non-resident adults with a vehicle > 6 passengers for 6 nights (6x24hrs), not including the Land Rover rental was:
US$300 for the special campsite
US$720 for the park entry permits
Ksh6000 for the vehicle permits
Ksh7500 for the campsite reservation fee
US$234.00 to fly the two of us from Nairobi to the Mara (Air Kenya)

The total cost of visiting three Tanzanian National Parks for two non-Tanzanian adults for 13 nights (but 14x24hrs) with a foreign vehicle, not including the Land Rover rental, was:
US$1400 for the special campsites
US$1220 for the park entry permits
US$560 for the vehicle permits

The total cost of visiting the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for two non-resident adults for 3 nights (but 4x24hrs) with a vehicle >2000kgs and two visits into the crater was:
US$200 for the special campsite
US$400 for the park entry permits
US$160 for the vehicle permits
US$400 for the crater fee (two full-day visits)

Land Rover is ~US$225/day (it seems to vary somewhat based on how long you have it)
Then there were our stays at Lemala at Ngorongoro, Serian in the Mara, Olduvai Tented Camp, and the Coffee Lodge and Rivertrees in Arusha - you could get the 2010 rates online.
Food and diesel were extra - the Land Rover came full (long range tank) and with an extra 20l gerry can of diesel.

Hmm - I'm probably forgetting something - let me know. All of the park fees are available online (TANAPA and Mara Conservancy websites), so you may want to check to ensure they haven't risen. Robin

Thanks, you couldn't have been more helpful if you were an accountant

Robin, I haven't had alot of time to read your report yet but the pictures are wonderful! It is so amazing to see what you were able to witness with both the animals and I love the detail of the villages and the East African way of life. It definitely shows that you have the opportunity to see so much when you are traveling by yourselves. I can't imagine, though, being on guard all the time; surrounded by all of those animals!

fourwheelinit, I can't speak for Robin but for us being surrounded by wild animals is the best bit! Yes you do have to be on your guard, you don't want to turn your back on a cheeky hyaena or the lions padding through the campsite, and having a huge baboon come crashing onto your picnic table is quite a thing, but what experiences to remember!

Fourwheelinit: I agree with Tockoloshe entirely - being surrounded by the animals is one of the best parts of self-driving and being on your own. I loved the fact that animals were free to wander into our campsite at any time. With the exception of the campsite in the Mara, the sites were always strategically placed in open areas where we would have plenty of time to spot approaching elephants or predators. After dark, it was a bit more of a challenge and we had to be more on our guard, but there was a certain thrill in that. I never viewed having to keep watch as a chore.

For those of you who have been patiently waiting I have, at long last, added some more photos and text. Robin

Here is the link again:

http://bert-and-bin.smugmug.com/Travel/Kenya-Tanzania-2009/9504315_Lmned/1/638901400_BHybf

I love "Classic" Serengeti.

Your pictures definitely prove all of the wonderful opportunities that you had to witness all of that splendor.

I just finished reading the first 36 pages - all I can say is WOW!!!!!! Really enjoying your adventures and the pictures are beyond words. Thank you for sharing.

I am also keeping in touch here .
Thanks Robin

Good - back on the road again!

Loved the pics and description of 'classic Serengeti' & those sunsets, how marvellous to have it all to yourselves.

Going back to the wild animals business, it may seem a strange thing to say but both myself and my husband have said that we would rather be eaten by a lion as part of the food chain than run over by a bus - hopefully neither will ever happen, but there's no point stressing about it!!

"For seven nights in the Serengeti, the permits and campsite fees totaled US$1820."
I guess that's where Botswana got its ideas for the new US$50 pppn Moremi/Chobe camping fees ... still waiting to hear what the park fees will shoot up to.

Thanks again for giving us all the details of your trip.

Not wanting to hijack East Africa, Robin, but I found a website you might be interested in for planning your next trip to Botswana - I'll mention it here because it's probably being read by some like-minded souls interested in self-drive ...
http://www.wilkinsonsworld.com/ about a couple who live in Windhoek and "with our 4X4 fully equipped for camping we spend much of our free time in the great outdoors and look forward to sharing some of our experiences with you through the medium of this web site." Specifically they did that drive through Grasslands and on through to Central Kalahari - kind of reassured us that we made the right decision not to have attempted it on that occasion!
http://www.wilkinsonsworld.com/category/ck-botswana-2009/

If, in the future, your husband posts a message that Tockoloshe was eaten by a lion while on safari, I will take some comfort in knowing that this is the way you wished to go!! Better than a bus, I agree!

Camping in Tanzania is definitely not cheap - you certainly pay for the privilege of camping amongst the animals.

Thanks for the link - I skimmed through the report last night and will read it in detail tonight. What bad luck those folks seem to have! The road looks a tad treacherous - certainly not fit for towing a trailer. Robin

Hi Tokoloshe
Thanks very much for recommending that others read our site trip on Botswana. We do appreciate the 'plug'. If we can be of any assistance to anyone about Botswana or Namibia, please don't hestitate to contact us.
Have been looking at your amazing photos and they have made us very jealous!
Best wishes
Jane and Rob

Owlwoman - I can't believe you worked your way through all 36 pages - it must have taken you a while!

It took me a little while, I come to work early in the AM, so it's nice and quiet for reading. Just finished the next few pages, loved the birds. How scary to be encroached like that at night, must of been terrifying at the time, but makes a great story now Glad it worked out alright. Looking forward to reading more.

I am certain it did (take you a little while). I am afraid I have added some more for your to read. Enjoy! Robin

http://bert-and-bin.smugmug.com/Travel/Kenya-Tanzania-2009/9504315_Lmned/1/638901400_BHybf

Keep them coming

I won't get tired of looking !!!

Continuing to enjoy your wonderful trip report and photos.

Your memorable night with the hyenas in the campsite, and the lions just out of your view sounds oh so wonderful!

The photos are really wonderful. Did you/Robert use a monopod or tripod?

Looking forward to the next installment.

amy

Thanks Amy!

It was a most memorable, albeit sleepless, night - I loved that campsite.

The photographers among us will be horrified but, most of the time, the camera was hand-held (by my DH, who takes most of the photos - I am the scribe and keep a journal - the division of labour suits us both ). The only time he pulled out the tripod was when we wanted both of us in the photo - for the beginning-of-the-trip portrait, for example. For photos out the window of the vehicle, he does use a bean bag. Robin

Still loving the report, Robin..Was Maji ya Nderge where Serian sets up their Mobile camp? We are thinking of spending 2 nights there and would love your thoughts. More game there than where Serian is located? Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks!
FP

Hi FP!
Serian does use Maji Ya Ndege for their mobile camps (it is a favourite of Alex Walker), but they may use other campsites in the Mara Triangle as well. I am not certain.

Here is the answer I gave earlier when Danny1 asked a similar same question (whether we liked the site and would use it again):

The Maji Ya Ndege campsite was lovely but, if I were to go again, I would ask for the campsite about a kilometre south of there known as Ndovu. It is a fairly new campsite, so not marked on all of the maps. We ended up at Ndovu on the day we arrived in the Triangle, thinking it was Maji Ya Nedge. The sites are not marked in any way, so they are difficult to find, even with a GPS. Fortunately, the site was occupied and the folks on it were able to tell us that we were too far south. Both campsites are on the (Mara) river, but the actual clearing for the tents is closer on Ndovu. On Maji Ya Ndege, we had to be a little further from the vehicle when we sat on the edge of the river - trees prevented us from moving the 4x4 closer to the water. At Ndovu, the tents were right on the river's edge, so they had a constant and wonderful view of the river. We always felt a bit vulnerable when we were amongst the trees next to the river in our chairs - it would have been easy for a predator to creep up on us without our seeing them.

There were many more animals around the Maji Ya Ndege campsite than at Serian because the MYN campsite is located right in the Triangle. While there certainly were animals around Serian, and our guides found us plenty of interesting sightings (including lions), the Serian area did not compare to the Triangle.

I will be green with envy if you camp in the Triangle. I would highly recommend it - it was a highlight.

I hope to get back to the report soon - work has been a bit crazy of late. Robin

Hi Robin,
Thanks for the reply..We are considering the mobile, although I am not a "basic" camper - that is why I was going for Ngare, haha-That sofa on the deck in your pics looked inviting by the river. And after an exhausting day of gameviewing I would look forward to reclining with a glass of wine in hand relaxing before my gourmet meal
Sure to get some feedback on that one!

Of course now I am wondering about the Serian area vs. just staying in Triangle, but I think everyone starts 2nd guessing their choices so I will just let it be.
We were thinking of switching to another camp altogether in the area (Naibor) but the Serian folks sent us quite a bit on their mobile camp and of course, DH thinks its great to camp out along a river. Well, what can I say - it's his trip too!

Thanks for your thoughts.. I will be sure to get specific about the area.

FP

FP

Hi Robin,

So enjoyed your report and photos...really brought back memories. Never thought a self-drive in E. Africa was a possibility until now. Thanks again.

Deb

Thanks Deb! I will be back at it shortly! Self-drive certainly isn't common, but it is possible.

FP
Yes, I readily admit that there were times when I wished that someone else was going to prepare our evening meal and that we had more time to relax. We were very thankful that we had thrown in a visit to a tented camp/lodge every few days. Hot showers and gourmet meals (and more time to relax) were certainly most welcome after a few days of bush camping.

I suspect that a Serian mobile camp would be far from "basic" - it would probably offer the best of both worlds - comfy tents, great food and service, and close proximity to the animals. You might want to consider a combination of the two - a couple of nights at Serian Ngare (the day of your arrival in and departure from the Mara) and the rest of your time with the mobile camp in the Triangle or Mara Reserve. Ngare was lovely - my DH and I fought over that sofa - but so was Maji Ya Ndege. The advantage of the MYN campsite was that, since it was so isolated, we didn't see any other vehicles for at least the first hour each morning. It took the vehicles from Serena and the other lodges/camps a while to reach our area.

From Serian, it took us about about an hour to reach the Musiara Gate of the Mara Reserve (6:40am to 7:30am to be exact, with stops for photos of the sunrise and many animals) - longer to reach the Triangle (it would probably take you less time to reach the Triangle with an experienced driver - he would do better on the rough road and not get lost in the village !). However, there is plenty to see along the way and, if you drive into the Triangle, you will have the opportunity to travel that wonderful road south of Mararianta! Our guide from Serian took us into the Mara Reserve rather than the Triangle because he knew we were about to spend 6 nights camping in the Triangle.

You could certainly ask where the mobile camp will be set up - Serian books its campsites months in advance, just as we did, so they will know (or you could look on the Mara Conservancy website and see what sites Serian has booked - they are booked under Alex's name - it may be a bit too early yet - we booked in November 08 for August 09 and were one of the first reservations - Alex confessed during our stay at Serian that he had wanted Maji Ya Ndege for a mobile camp when we were there, but we beat him to it).

When we were at Ngare the second time, a group had just returned from three nights on a Serian mobile camp (they raved about it) and they had camped in the Reserve not the Triangle. Either location would be excellent. If it were me, I would follow Serian's recommendation regarding the camp's location. Alex is a Kenyan, who grew up on a farm not far from the camp, so he knows the area incredibly well. I would certainly trust his judgement/recommendations - it is he who selects the campsites. It was Alex who told us to spend much time in the Mara Triangle Wilderness Area - one of the best recommendation of our trip.

I gather that Alex leads many if not all of the mobile camps, and I suspect that he would be a fantastic guide. Robin

Nkorombo Camp - had to get that typed in before I forgot it! That is the mobile camp I believe they are using and looking at a map,seems south of MYN,but my mapping skills are limited at best.
Anyway you are a fountain of info for me Robin and I so appreciate not only your report and wonderful photos but helping me figure out the best for my own safari. Alex and his team have been really good at answering all my questions; and I am sure any trip with them will be most eventful.

Will post a final itinerary once its decided - again,thx for all your reporting and help!

FP

You're welcome FP. I will have a look on my maps and see if I can find Nkorombo. I will look forward to seeing your final itinerary. Robin

Nkorombo is not on any of may maps, but I found this, which describes the location. Robin

http://www.africatravelresource.com/T1/africa/kenya/sw/mara/confluence/KNKB/0/lodge/01intro/

Flowerpower, I will be spending 6 nights at Serian in January, half of which will be in their mobile camp which I believe will be at Nkorombo, but I'm not sure. Wherever they put it will be fine with me.

Yay, Twaffle, cant wait to hear about it! I read on another forum a bit of a report on the area and Nkorombo and the game-viewing sounded great.
Robin, as usual - you are a wealth of info!
Thx all,
FP

I am envious of you both!
FP - I have added some Lobo photos for you. More to follow....Robin

Thank you for sharing! This is one of the best trip reports that I've seen. It looks like you two had an absolutely fantastic holiday. I've done the northern circuit and will be going to Kenys next year so I particulary enjoyed this!

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Hi Robin - I've obviously come across your trip report a little late, but what FABULOUS photos. Wow, you and/or your husband are obviously very adept photographers. What kind of camera/lenses did you use?

Thanks PT123! You will love Kenya!

Cateyes555 - My husband takes most of the photos and I keep the journal - a division of labour that suits us both.

We used a Nikon D80 and a Nikon D90 - in the past, we have traveled to southern Africa with only one camera, but we found that changing lenses in that dusty envirnonment meant hours of Photoshopping out dust spots when we returned home. We splurged before this trip and bought a second camera body, the D90 (the updated version of the D80, which is no longer available). It made a huge difference to have two cameras - much better when taking the pictures and so much better at the editing stage.

My DH feels that the D90 is a huge improvement over the D80 - the colour is so much more accurate - vital when taking pictures of things such as the dunes in Namibia.

On the D90 we had a 70-300mm lens and on the D80 a 18-70mm.
Robin

Hey Robin
Been checking back periodically to see if you'd added more to your report - will settle down to read the latest! Thanks!

Hi Tockoloshe! Finally got back at it this week - should have the trip from the crater to Arusha added tomorrow and then Lake Manyara and Tarangire. I'm on a roll! Enjoy! Robin

What an wonderful trip report and photos! And what sightings you had. Wow. I can just imagine how much work it was to put this all together so please know it is being enjoyed.
Cindy

I'm still following also

Hi Cindy! I do enjoy it very much - it allows me to relive a wonderful journey. What I create in Smugmug (the photos and text) will be the basis for a hardcover book that I will then put together using Blurb. It will take very little time to create the book because I can download the photos and text from Smugmug directly to Blurb - very quick! The Blurb book will be a gift for my DH! I have done this for all of our African trips. I had hoped to have the book ready for Christmas, but I am a little late - perhaps our 34th wedding anniversary in August! Robin

Just about caught up now (to date!) - a truly stunning report of a stunning trip, it really will make a fantastic book and worth all the effort.
As usual you build up a very interesting picture of daily life from the natural beauty to 'street level'.
What great lion experiences - the muddy tree-climbing gang and the zebra kill, I am getting seriously envious of your uncanny ability to find sights like these - though I realise a lot is down to perseverance and not just luck.
I too am not a fan of baboons, but your photo of the newborn baby is very moving, the second one looking over her shoulder (proud Dad?) makes the picture - a competition winner I'm sure!
The lodges (Olduvai Tented Camp, Lemala Camp, Arusha Coffee Lodge) also look fantastic, and I imagine a welcome change from the tent. Can I ask: do you think you got the mix of camping and lodges right?
I hope your plans for the next self-drive trip will not be thwarted by the Botswana government (have you seen ST forum for some potentially bad news for self-drivers?) They do seem to want to push us 'undesireables' out.

Looking forward to the finale!
(I noticed you've added some notes to the beginning too, I think, so that's why it's taken me a while to read through the whole thing again!)
Thanks again for posting this - even if it fills me with that longing for my little roof-top tent.

Hi Tockoloshe!
Good to hear from you! I long for the roof-top tent myself.

Wow - you must have just caught up - I think I added the bit about the zebra kill only yesterday. I still have to finish Tarangire - there were many more highlights in that park. There is an end in sight, however.

We have been incredibly lucky with our sightings - we put it down to a combination of luck/good timing (mostly) and driving very slowly so we don't miss anything. The timing comes at least partly from camping on the special campsites, which allows us to be in the thick of things at dawn - no driving in from a lodge or gate. Most helpful!

The second baboon was either an aunt or sibling - we couldn't decide which. She was smaller than mom - definitely a female.

The lodges were a welcome break from camping. We so looked forward to the hot showers and to having someone else cook. It was also a good opportunity to do laundry - the dust necessitated a daily change of clothes. The only problem we encountered were the water restrictions at Lemala Camp - each tent is allocated a certain amount of water each day, so if you have a lot of laundry accumulated, that could be a problem. We supplemented with water from the 4x4. Lemala will do laundry for you, but we preferred to do our own. We were very thankful we camped at the crater - we would have frozen in the roof-top tent. The heater was a God-send. So - short answer - the mix of camping and lodges was about right, although I would have liked a second night at Olduvai Camp - more time with the Masai!

Sorry - I did sneak a few notes in at the beginning - they were as a result of questions on this forum - they made me realize that I had missed info that self-drivers might find useful.

A self-drive through Botswana and Zambia is on our 2011/2012 list. I do recall last year that the Botswana government was threatening to eliminate self-drivers. Have they moved ahead with that? Perhaps it is time to write some letters. There are similar rumours about the Mara Reserve. The irony of it all is that we only saw one other self-driver on the whole Kenya-Tanzania trip - eliminating us (self-drivers) really isn't going to help them reduce the number of visitors, if that is their primary concern. If their concern is behaviour/driving, then they should go after some of the guides/safari companies - I have seen some appalling infractions from them.

What are your latest travel plans? Robin

Hi Robin
Tarangire seems to have delivered too! I wondered if you keep a separate album for all the birds you've seen, it would also make a good smugmug book, with spaces for the missing ones, an excuse so you have to go back to 'get' them! I must admit we didn't start off as birders but it turned out to be good fun spotting new ones, and sparked a new interest for us, as well as filling in time when the 'big game' eluded us of course!
The self drive debate in Botswana seems to be on-going, with claims that they never intended to ban self-drivers and it's all been taken out of proportion, but we'll have to wait and see. As you say, the safari companies should have a good look at what their drivers get up to.
As much as it pains us we're giving Africa a miss this year, what with inflated fares for World Cup etc. Instead it's off to Oz in August for a different kind of wilderness - we'll travel from Perth up the west coast to Broome and the Kimberley area. So maybe some sea exploration this time as well as the outback - still planning to camp, might even get our roof-top tent after all!
Do you have anything planned before your 2011/12 trip?

Hello Robin,

I've been following the report with great interest

I see that Tarangire has 12 special campsites. Which ones would you recommend from what you experienced there ?

I must admit that I wasn't a keen birder in the beginning either, but the interest has grown. There are just too many beautiful birds - it becomes impossible to ignore them. I hadn't thought of creating a bird book - my DH would enjoy that. Good idea! Thanks! We are not heading to Africa this year either for the same reasons. 2011-2012 will be our next visit - can't wait! I am busily planning in my head.

micmic - The Mbweha campsite was in a lovely location and very isolated, but we couldn't return to it for our third night. A nearby colony of bees had discovered us by then, and we were forced to relocate (we didn't go to another campsite - we just set up a couple of kilometres away from Mbweha). This story will be added to my TR shortly. We didn't have time to visit all of the special campsites but, based on our experience, most of the action seems to be in the north, near the river, so I would go for a site in that area. Sights like Honda Honda (south) and Kanga (west) are a long drive from the river and the gate. Mlegea, Terminalia, Kware and Mibuyu look like they are well located, but I haven't visited them. Robin

Hello Robin
We have enjoyed reading your travel diary which we discovered on the Safari Drive website. We have used the services of SD on several occasions having been introduced to them by Chris McIntyre of Expert Africa.
We are undertaking a trip which seems to be very similar to yours ( tho' a little shorter, timewise).
This will be our first self drive to Tanzania and it seems that stocking up on provisions is a little more difficult than places like Botswana, Zambia and Namibia. Do you have any hints. We know the fridge on the vehicles is usually very efficient but space in it, and around the vehicle is very limited especially if we have to carry drinking water for the majority of the trip. Your suggestions would be gratefully received!!

Happy to learn that you enjoyed the travel diary - which reminds me - I must go back and finish it. I just have the trip from Arusha to Nairobi to describe and then it will be complete.

We too learned of Safari Drive from Chris - although not through Expert Africa but rather his Bradt Guides.

As you will know from the diary, we shopped in only one place in Tanzania - at the Shoprite in Arusha. The Shoprite was excellent and had everything we needed - good meat, produce etc. The beginning of our journey was more problematic because we started in the middle of nowhere (Serian Camp in the Mara, where the vehicle was stored). It took much brainstorming to come up with the idea of submitting a grocery list to Serian and having them shop on our behalf. Serian flies their groceries in weekly and our order was simply added to the camp order. I was a little nervous about the idea, but I provided a very detailed list and whoever does the shopping for Serian did a great job. We returned to Serian for a re-stock of groceries after our week in the Mara and before heading to the Serengeti because there really wasn't anywhere else to shop in between the two. You can count on being able to get anything you need in Arusha and it is close enough to Lake Manyara and Tarangire that it would be possible to do a quick grocery trip from either park. The other alternative would be to let a camp/lodge shop on your behalf - assuming that you are mixing camping with a couple of nights in tented camps or a lodge. It worked well for us, and I would certainly do it again. Safari Drive arranged it with Serian for us. Serian also topped up our fuel tank for us, since there was no fuel in the area, and provided us with freshly baked bread.

We found the fridge in the Land Rover to be incredibly efficient - it kept the food very cold. Certainly after each grocery shop, the 4x4 was very full. We put the three cases of bottled water behind the front seats - we were then able to stack other things on top of those boxes, which were very sturdy. We used the fridge only for the most perishable - meats, cheese, open (UHT/long-life) milk and open juice - some veggies and fruit (apples, oranges, cabbage, onions) were simply in boxes. We kept the juice and milk boxes in the Coleman cooler that SD provided so that, if any broke, the liquid would be contained. We kept much of the non-perishables in the drawer in the back, but we had to keep everything well protected in plastic bags, as they quickly became coated in dust.

Be sure to have Safari Drive remind either Lizzie (SD in Arusha) or Serian (depending on where you are beginning your journey) to put the food starter kit in for you. Ours was missing, and we didn't notice until it was too late.

If you can post your itinerary, I might be able to offer some more concrete suggestions for shopping. Also, if you are interested and provide your email address, I will send you my grocery list (that one I sent to Serian) for you to have a look at.

Feel free to ask any further questions. You will love Tanzania. We enjoyed that trip so much that we are going to repeat it in 2012, at the end of our next year-long sabbatical in CT.

I am interested to read that you have self-driven through Zambia. We are debating a (repeat) trip to Botswana but with Zambia (which would be new to us) added on. How did you like Zambia? I would be interested in knowing where (what parks/tented camps/campsites) you visited in Zambia. Thanks! Robin

Hi Robin
Been waiting for the finale after the "but this would be one of our most memorable anniversary celebrations for all of the wrong reasons...." teaser you left us with last time!
What great memories, in a fantastic report! Your husband will certainly enjoy reading it and I'm sure appreciate the effort you've put into it.
So, now for the next trip - I see you're already planning ...

Hi Tockoloshe! Glad you have enjoyed it! I have one more picture to add with which I am going to outline what we would do differently if we were to repeat the trip. I tried to finish up yesterday but I am having difficulty with the Smugmug website (a first!) - suddenly I can't upload photos. Hopefully, I will get it sorted out in the next couple of days.

We are busily planning a few trips for our next sabbatical, when we will be based in CT for a year: a Kgalagadi/dune trip with family; a Botswana/Zambia trip and another Kenya/Tanzania trip. Pity it is so far off but, like you, we wanted to avoid World Cup.

What are you planning? Robin

Hello again Robin
Many thanks for your reply which I have only just managed to read as we have had visitors staying over the Easter weekend.
We, like you, are starting our trip at Serian - the vehicle will be based there and is required to be in Arusha for the clients following us - we would have prefered to be starting in Arusha!! Our itinerary is much like yours though, sadly we are unable to have more than 3 weeks so are having spend slightly shorter times at each place.
We would love to have an idea of what you had sent to Serian.
If we correspond by email I can give you our itinerary and also tell you more about Zambia.
julie.e.dodd@btinternet.com

Another year in CT, great!
We're off to Australia via Thailand this year, but the pull of Africa is as strong as ever so no doubt we'll be back in 2011. Would be interested to keep an eye on your planning in case we can pinch any ideas .... Good luck!

I am determined to get back to Australia at some point. We enjoyed a year-long sabbatical in Brisbane and saw much of Australia then, but there is so much more that we would like to see. I will keep you up to date on our plans - Grassland's is on my Botswana/Zambia list. Robin

Very nice photos. Thanks for sharing.

I particularly love the sunset photos. May I ask how you were able to capture the sunset without putting the animals and foreground into a black sillouette? Did you use a grad filter or took two separate pictures, one exposed for the sunset and the other exposed for the foreground? They're beautiful.

I'll ask my DH to answer your question - I haven't a clue!

DH here! No real trick. I simply take several (many!) pictures with different speeds and then use Photoshop to lighten the foreground. Thus the best pictures are those in which the sky/sun etc are exposed correctly and then the originally dark foreground/animals are lightened via Photoshop. The details are there, they just need to be lightened up. Hope that helps.

Thank you for the tips. Usually when you try to lighten an undexposed foreground you often get a lot of noise as a result, but I didn't notice it at all in your pictures. They look great, particulary the sunset with the wilderbeese.

DH, did you really take 7000 photos? How long were you away? I'm trying to figure out how many I'm likely to take. I'll only be on Safari for a week, with an extra day in Cairo, but I'm known for taking a LOT of pictures when we travel. I'm trying to calculate memory cards, batteries, etc.

Great pictures BTW. Thanks for sharing!

My DH really did take 7000 pictures - spread over 33 days. We cleared the memory cards every morning. We had a laptop, a portable hard drive and a (Digital Foci) Picture Porter Elite (portable photo storage viewer with a memory card reader) with us, so that we could back the photos up in three places as we went. We charged our batteries using an adaptor in the cigarette lighter. Robin

I guess it's only 200 a day. I know I'm capable of that. I keep wondering why I will need binoculars and a camera.
Sounds like you were quite prepared with al the backups. We are skipping the laptop this trip to keep the weight down for internal flights. I like the idea of the picture veiwer. Sounds like a handy accessory. Thanks again!

Really superb trip report and photos. Thanks very much for sharing. I've only looked at part of it, so will have to come back, but really enjoyed it. Great work all around. That early photo of the hyena chasing a wildebeest was gripping.

I'm not sure if doing a self drive is our cup of tea, but you easily saw as much (or more) than we did on our two week guided trip through that area in January, 2005. Kudos to you guys!

Hi Robin -

I can't tell you what a resource you've been in putting together my own self-drive trip - thanks for being so thorough!

I know that you didn't us the public campsites in Serengeti and Ngorongoro, but thought I'd ask in case you or anyone else tuned in has an answer.

1. Is it possible to reserve a spot at the public campsites ahead of time (so one knows for sure that a place to stay is waiting)?

2. If not, do they ever fill up? (Translate: someone arrives and gets turned away - yikes!).

* I can't seem to figure this one out.

thanks in advance!
best,
rich

You are so brave!!! I admire and envy your trip. Will show our grandkids your photos before we go with them Tanzania next month. We will have a guide with us, but how exciting to do your own spotting. You have made me even more excited for our trip.