Serengeti

Next morning ( very satisfied that we saw the migration crossing we headed for the Serengeti.
I went through customs at Isebania ( border town) and paid $50.00 for the Visa to get into Tanzania.

Once again my pre-filled online form for the Visa was not accepted ! ( hmmm)
The Agent handed me his own version of the Visa form and I filled it out.

You are sort of in no man's land when you cross the border, because first you sign an exit form that you are leaving Kenya....then you go for about 2-4 blocks to the Tanzania border and sign an entry form for coming into Tanzania, plus the Visa form.

But in between your exit and entry...where are you ?!!!

I wanted to visit Lake Victoria and dip my hands and feet in the water .
So we made a circle loop via Speke's Bay to see Lake Victoria.

Speke Bay is named after the British Army Officer who in 1858 discovered that Lake was the source of the Nile River.
He named it Lake Victoria because Queen Victoria was the ruling monarchy at the time.

We finally arrived at the Serena Serengeti Lodge about 5 PM.. a long 10 hours after leaving the Masai Mara.

While here I completed seeing the Big 5, four times, which means I saw 4 leopards.
It is the leopards that are the limiting factor in seeing the big 5

You are suppose to always stay on the road during game drives , but when we saw a leopard our guide went off the road and drove right up under the tree...... we quickly took pictures and then back on the road again!

I saw four different kills and twice a lion failed in its attempt to bring down a Tompson gazelle.

Foolish lion !!
A lion can run 35 mph and a gazelle 50 mph,so the lion really needs the element of surprise on his side.

A cheetah killed a baby Tompson gazelle after an all too brief race for freedom by the gazelle.
You feel sorry for this poor baby gazelle but I bet those three cheetah cubs were happy when mom brought home lunch !

The cheetah is really built for speed and even though it can attain speeds of 70mph, it can maintain this for less than three football fields in length.
The cheetah does not pounce on its quarry but rather trips it and then grabs for the throat.

Leaving the Serengeti after 2 days , we stopped at Naabi Hill gate which is sort of the halfway point on your way in or out of the Serengeti.

Here you can have lunch, visit the museum ,go for a walk up the rocky hill and take those classic pictures you have seen of the long dusty road leading to and from Nabbi Hill.

The road is spotted with dust clouds in the distance, signifying a vehicle at each cloud of dust.

Ngorongoro Crater a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Okay three ways to say this name:
1. Gorongora Crater
2.Norongoro Crater
and the correct way ... "Ung- gorongoro crater. !
but everyone says Norongoro which is the easiest of the three.

I wish I could tell you that th road to the Crate was good ...but it was terrible
There are 206 bones in the human body and at one time or another, they will all have been jarred by the time you arrive.

We stopped off at Olduvia Gorge....where you can gaze out over the Gorge from a lookout point, then take in the museum there.

The Gorge is 30 miles long and it is here that in 1959 dr.mary Leakyfound a 2 million year old jawbone of a human species after she and her husband Louis had been excavation there for 28 years.

Dr. Louis Leaky died in 1972 and is buried in Westminister Abby in London. Mary died 24 years later.

We stopped at a pre-arranged ( by our tour guide) visit to a Masai village ( cost was $30.00 each ).
I thought we were just going to get a short tour of the place and be off again.

But man what a surprise...about 40 Masai men and women all dressed in their colorful outfits welcomed us with a chanting dance that lasted about 5 minutes.

They showed us inside their huts and then the school for the children , it was an eye opener to say the least.

Okay now off to the Ngorongoro Crater

It was cold here ,so this is where those sweater and jackets come in very handy,especially when you are up early in the morning for a 6:30 AM game drive.

The animals here do not migrate, they do not have to ,food and water is plenty.
You will not see giraffes here....too difficult for them to climb in and out of the crater, plus those tall Acacia trees they love to feed on are not plenty down here.!

The crater ( caldera ) is a huge place and you feel that if there were seats all around the sloping walls,you could seat half the world here.

The ultimate compliment to the Ngorongoro Crater is that it is like a zoo !
yes, but a zoo in reverse ,because here it is YOU who is captive and the animals are free.!!

Next , we are off to Lake Manyara.

Outstanding, thank you and welcome back.

Thanks Percy for the report. Looking forward to the rest and the photos.

Great report!

You drove from Mara Serena to Mara Serengeti all in one 10-hour day of driving?

Your extensive list on what to do in NBO will be very helpful for others.

What great luck with the crossing. You only waited a couple of minutes?

Hi atravelynn:

Yes we drove ( our excellent guide Robert drove) from the Masai Mara Serena Lodge via Speke Bay and arrived at the Serengeti Serena Lodge 10 hours later.

And yes , we waited only a couple of minutes at the Masai River and the Wildebeests started crossing !!!... amazing luck.

Other who waited earlier , got tired of waiting and left, I was told later at dinner.!
(Loved your pictures from your Gorilla treking trip !)

Thanks sallysaab and twaffle.

Percy,

Great report.

When were you in Samburu?

Was there any water in the river?

I'm curious if you enjoyed Samburu... or if it was just too dry and dusty to actually enjoy it?

Hi my friend, welcome home! What a great read your report has been. Sounds like such a fab time. So glad you enjoyed it and have safely returned. Anxious to see photos!

Thanks for the report, Percy. Sounds like a great trip!

Percy -

>>2.The Tanzania Visa is $50.00 cash US$<<

Gather you don't fly under a US Passport. Fee for US Passport holders if USD$100/person.

... sorry, great report; some very useful info tossed. Can never be reminded enough about these things.

simbakubwa:

Yes it was very dry in Sambura because a lot of the drought is in the northern part of Kenya.
There was water in the river but not veryy much but then the Mara River was not its usualy deep rumbling self either...

maybe that is how the wildebeest caught the crocodiles "off guard" when theystarted crossing!

However, it was very much drier in Amboseli National Park and I will be mention that now, in this segement.

Yes,I enjoyed all the National Parks as each one had a little something different to offer.

Having it to do over again ,I would have liked to have gone to Tarangire National Park, instead of maybe Samburu or Amboseli....that is easy to say now.....but then I would have always wondered what the parks I missed were like.

Hi shillmac(my Costa Rica expert friend).

Nice that you found me on this Africa forum.
I hope you got all those e-mails I sent you along the way during the trip.
Thank you for posting some of them.
Hope the teaching grind is not to strenous.!!

Thanks Leslie_S, yes it was long gruelling but enjoyable trip.

Off to Lake Manyara

Yahoo!!!! guess what , a paved highway to Lake Manyara and a very nice one too. In many sections it was smooth as glass ...really !!

We had several game drives here and saw many animals but nothing new that I had not see before.

There was a large lion kill of two Cape Buffaloes,and as usual the male was eating first, jackals were circling the kill and teasing the lions... attempting to pester the lions out of their meal......no chance !

We saw and filmed two black rhinos mating and our driver/guide was rather excited about this , because he said it is not easy to see black rhinos and yet to catch them mating was special.

The mother black rhino had a baby rhino beside her that was anxious to suckle, ..but nope, Dad had other ideas first!!

After this escapade was over , it seemed like the male rhino wanted more ( hmmm, men !!!), but the female rhino turned around and gave him a couple of head butts as if to say .."enough already, I have a baby to feed."

We were here for 2 days , so one afternoon Robert took us to the near by village of Mto wa Mbu .

This village is not far from Lake Manyara and the highway passes right through the centre of this place,

On the way to Mto was Mbu , you WILL want to take a picture of that classic Baobab Tree right beside a curve on the highway.

The population here in Mto wa Mbu is 1800 and during the wet ( rainy) season they all use Malarone malaria medication , which they all get FREE from the government.

Mto means river and Mbu means mosquito ...so this is a malaria area for sure.

Our guide Robery knew quite a few people in the village and so we visited some of the locals homes and they gave us Banana Beer . ( well, hmmm, it tasted a bit like beer !)

Okay let us pronounce the name Mto was Mbu

1. Hum two m's like "mm", then say two
2.now say wa
3.Now hum two m's again ,"mm", now say bu (rhymes with blue)

Okay now all at one time Mto wa Mbu...that's it you got it !!

I have posted this before but now is good time to say it again , about malaria.

1. If you are in a Malaria area and even if you are taking Malarone ( or Larium)...and if you get a fever and feel sick,

2. Go to the nearest hospital or medical clinic.

3.In any malaria infested area the medical people know how to check for malaria.

4. high fever is the best time to have the test done.

5. They will prick your finger to get some blood....then they will make two slides.
Now if they are only making ONE slide , ask them to make TWO.

6. They then smear your blood on a slide and add a fixation agent to lyse the Red Blood Cells on the glass slide.

7. They then start looking at the slide under a microscope for about 10 to 15 minutes... to see if they can spot the parasite.

8. If they see the parasite ,then okay ,BUT if they don't,then ASK for one of the slides and do NOT take NO for an answer.
You are entitled to it ...it is your blood !

9. Take the slide home with you ( they will put the slide in a slim plastic case).... and have your local Pathologist at home look at the slide.

On to Arusha

We stopped off at a Masai school on the way to Arusha and gave them bags of supplies, toys, candies and postcards from back home.

In Arusha we stopped off at the office of Predator Tours to meet all the people I had been e-mail chatting with over the past few months.
This was a nice treat.

There is a lovely shopping centre here called Arusha Culture Heritage Centre.
Soif you are passing through here on your safari , you for sure will be take here.

Any gift item that you would want is here and for much less than all those gift shops at the lodges you will be visiting.

There is lots to see here, so make sure you stop here.
President Clinton was here ( pictures on the wall) and George and Laura Bush were year last year ( picture and letter on the wall).

From Arusha to Namanga the border town where we again exit out of Tanzania and enter into Kenya ( more blue cards to fill out).

It would have been nice to have been on the paved road to Namanga ..but construction was underway and we had to detour beside the highway ona very dusty road.!!

On the way to Namanga you will pass through a village called Longido, and the mountainby this village is of course Longido Mountain.

Lomgido means cliff , and on the side of the mountain is a lovely cliff..... you will see it when you pass by.

Okay now after leaving Namanga we are heading for Amboseli National Park.
You can see Mount Kilimanjaro form here ,although ,the clouds are not cooperating and are covering up the top half.

it was sad to drive here and do game drives because the place is so dry and desolate looking because of the drought condition.

It is one thing to see dead animal due to a kill, but another thing,when you see dead animals due to starvation.

A Grant's gazelle crossed the road and just lied down , with that " I give look in its eyes "....sad indeed.

There were dead Zebras and Wildebeests scattered over the plains.

We did see several Gerunuks (giraffe like antelope) and four Oryx,but the Oryx look starved !

Amboseli means Dust and boy is this place appropriately named. They were Dust Devils all over the places.

At the Serena Lodge we had a great view to the nightly lit waterhole and animal were coming all night to drink.
A lion roar at 2 AM made me think again if I locked the door.

From here we moved over to the Ol Tukai Lodge and stayed for one day. we did two more game drives here.
From our patio I could sit in the shade and look up at Mount Kilimanjaro....terrific!

The sunsets and sunrises are really spectacular here because of the mineral content in the air.
This give the sun the effect of a boiling red-orange ball slowly descending through a purple haze...pricelss!

You know you might think that the animals live in constant fear of the pedators...not so.
A Zebra can kick its way out of a single lion attack and can also chase away a leopard.

The gazelle can out run everything but the cheetah.!

After two days here it was time to head to Nairobi and directly to Jomo Kenyatta Airprot for out flight to Zanzibar.

Just some added comments:

Zebra's lock their hind legs and sleep standing up, I was watching then do this,as my guide was explaining it to me.

question : A human( in his neck) has 7 cervical vertebrae,( 8 if you count the Atlas).
How many vertebrae does a giraffe have in his neck??

All Kopjies have names ..I did not know this.

Flag of Tanzania :

1.Blue is for the rivers and oceans
2.Black is for the people
3.Yellow is for the Minerals
4.Green is for the forests

Flag of Kenya:

1.Black ... is for the people
2.Red ... is for the blood shed to btain freedom
3.Green ... is for Agriculture.

Next and final report is on Zanzibar

Percy, thanks for sharing the report. Enjoyed it particularly as we are headed to Kenya/Tanzania in Nov. Hope you will be posting pictures. Am particularly interested in seeing the bomgo antelope you saw in Samburu. What was your impression of Nairobi National Park or did you not visit it?

Hi sandi

Gee I did not know that the US passport fee is $100.00 ( Wow)

Thank you for your many excellent comments you made about Kenya and Tanzania, over the past year ... they were very helpful to me always!

All of this is interesting, interesting! I've directed Tully to your post as she is looking into Africa for a trip next year. Your descriptions are "almost" as good as being there. I said "almost"! I hope you got some fabulous photos to share! Get busy with the photo work, mister!

Percy -

Again, so refreshing to read a trip report from a first-timer. Us repeat visitors tend to forget things and you sure re-addressed them which is great.

Yeh, $100 for us Yanks! Sure wish they'd lower it back to the $50 as most others pay

Thanks sandi , like I said ,I did not realize that you "yanks" pay $100.00, that is a lot.

shillmac: Hi again and Hi to tully in Florida.
I got your e-mail when I was in the Masai Mara Serena lodge. Thank you for your explantion about the happening at Fodors !!

rsnyder:

Yes ,I did go to the National Park, we entered in on Langata Road ( I think) because we were coming from the Karen Blixen place.

If you want to see the Big 5 you can see 4 out of 5 of them.

I cannot tell you what the price was because our tour guide Robert handled everything....

There were about 3 school buses full of the local children coming to visit, si Iguess this is an educational event for the children to come .

We did not stay here that long ,but long enough to see the Masai giraffe, black rhino , (from a distance), several Hartebeest, ... did not see the leopard though.

You can spend a lot of time here and even visit the Wildlife Conservation Centre and listen to lectures and videos.

Though I have to add that we had a Naturalist give a slide show presentation at almost every lodge we stayed at.
The presentation is usually around 9 PM and lasts for an hour.

We took in the one at the Masai Mara and the Serengeti Serena Lodge.

In Amboseli Serena Lodge ,there was a good presentation on Elephant preservation , but I missed that one, I tried to see it the next day at noon, but there was a meeting in that room.

It is the Bongo Antelope you want to see, so if you do go to Samburu and you do not see one , then on your way back to Nanyuki, you can go to the William Holden Wildlife Education Centre and there is an animal conservation place that has the Bongo there....

This would only be a short distance for you ,when you are in Nanyuki.

When William Holden started his plans for the Mount Kenya Game Ranch in 1967, they choose the Bongo to be the Game Ranch symbol.

If you do get here, then pick up the free pamphlet entitled:

"Mountain Bongo
Repatriation to the Wilds of Mount Kenya"

The booklet is only 20 pages and has nice colorful pictures of the Bongo and William Holden. Stefani Powers in there also.

For those going to Zanzibar

Going to Zanzibar is a nice refreshing break after the pace of the Safari.

We flew from Nairobi on the noon flight in a very lovely modern plane.
The flight took one hour.

It was nice flying here because you could see out the airplane window,when you left the East Africa shoreline and were starting to be over the Indian Ocean.

We were met by our guide there and taken to the 5 star Serenea Hotel, right on the curve of the Shangani Peninsula.

The main town in Zanzibar is StoneTown,which got its name from the Coral Stones that were used for many of its buildings.
This place is a UNESCO site.

The turquoise clear water and the amazing sunsets is a treat to sore muscle and dusty eyes !!

There are many places to see here just by walking about everyday.
They say it is impossible NOT to get lost in the narrow alley maze of Stonetown...is this true ...yes !!

Some of the places you should see and will see are:

1. House of Wonders... so called because it was the first
house to have an elevator and electricity in the 1890's

2. Arab Fort ...this is right next door to the House of Wonders.
The Arabs built this fort to protect themseleves from the Portuguese ( after kicking them out )!

3.Anglican Church:

Which was built on a previous Slave market site...go inside the church, there is a cross here dedicated to Dr. Livingstone.
Then go to the holding chambers tosee the dungeon type cells that held the slaves.
( Oh yes, the cost is $3.00 ) We had a Stonetown tour by our guide and this was included in our package trip.

4. The Market in Stonetown....visit here walk around and take in the sounds and the smells !!

5. Fordorhani Park .. along the seashore and right in front of the House on Wonders.

Walk here after dinner (or even have dinner here ! if you are brave ),it is a very nice clean and neat place filled with locals cooking their wares.
It is pleasant to just people watch here also.

6. Livingstome House:

You can walk here. We did.I wish it was better looked after, since it is such a historical place.
The tourist centre is here now.

Livingstone died in 1873 in a small village in Zambia.
When he died they removed his heart and lungs and buried them by a large tree in the village .

Then they brought his body to Zanzibar , from where it was sent to England.
He is buried in Westminister Abbey.

Now in # 3 above I mentioned visiting the Anglican Church.
When you go inside and see the wooden cross made from a branch of the tree in Zambia where Dr. Livingstone's heart and lungs were buried.

The cross was brought to the Anglican Church in 1903.

Oh yes, one more place...
The Africa House Hotel..... it is just almost next door from the Serena Hotel.

They have a lovely second floor balcony with super views of the Ocean.
This is where Livingstone and his buddies used to come for a drink.

Don't miss having a beer here ( beer is $3.00 US) and the view is free!
we went here four times.
You cannot enter the Africa House Hotel from the front that is facing the water,
You have togo down one of those narrow little streets and then you will see the British Flag flying over the entrance.

Just walk in ,like you own the place, climb the stairs to the second floor , take a seat right by the front railing ...order a beer and enjoy.... ahh isn't life great !!

Like I said we took the Stonetown tour ( part of our package) and then in the afternoon we took the Spice Tour...

take the Spice Tour , you will enjoy it.

Finally,you will be besieged by street hawkers but not as much as I had anticipated.

Just a polite from No, Thank You usually does the trick.

Just say Hapana( No) Asante santa (Thank you very much).

All too soon it was back to Nairobi...to Amsterdam.... to North America.

Oh yes on our flight back from Zanzibar we flew over Mount Kilimanjaro and got some nice pictures from the plane.

Thank you everyone

Percy, your report was priceless … from pronunciation lessons to what we should do with our blood samples. Love it! Not sure that there are bongos in Samburu, I would have thought it was much too dry, but if you say you saw one there, then I believe you!

I do hope you plan to share some photos with us … they are always enjoyed and appreciated.

I haven't been to Zanzibar, but will definitely visit Livingstone's cross if I go. No mention of Freddie Mercury! Do they not celebrate him there as well?

Great report all the way through. I remembered that malaria advice from some time back, but this time I saved it, hoping to never need it.

You should start a learn-the-language thread with your unique style of teaching the pronunciation.

The gazelle comment is haunting, especially knowing that so many wild and domestic animals are suffering the same fate with the drought.

twaffle:

I did not want to list all the animals I saw, because actually everyone sees the same animals....it is just that they will be doing different things.!!!

William Holden Wildlife Foundation did and is doing a great job with the Bongo Antelopes.

Did you know that Bongo Antelopes were brought to the USA for breeding and preservation.....and then slowly returned into the northern Kenya country !

atravelynn:

Yes ,I posted the malaria advice before but felt it was appropriate to link it with being in Mto wa Mbu .
Okay now I am going back to reading your report some more.!

Once again ,thanks twaffle and atravelynn, now to get some
as I am still trying to catch up on sleep !

Good Night

Twaffle there's a beautiful Bongo at Taroonga Zoo.

Percy, you have been on safari so don't deserve to sleep. Get back to sorting photos!

I knew about the repatriation of bongos back to Mt Kenya, but I think the confusion lies in your initial observation that you saw a bongo in Samburu, many miles north of Mt Kenya. Semantics I know, so sorry, I'll shut up about it now!

No need to list all the animals, we'll see them when you post the photo link!

sallysaab - we have a bongo here in Adelaide as well. When I saw it first, it looked a bit sad and exposed in its' enclosure but now it has been moved to the open zoo at Monarto (don't know whether it has a friend yet) and has lots of space. I don't go zoo visiting very often so haven't seen it out there yet. I did see the bongo at Taronga. I also got covered in elephant spit too! Not that I really minded.

Hi Percy!
Having just (we were there in August) returned from the Mara and Northern Circuit of Tanzania myself, I can't tell you how much I am enjoying your report.

I wish I had your help with the pronounciations before I left on safari - I discovered when we arrived that I had most of them incorrect.

Thank you for the list of things to do in Nairobi - I have filed them away for future reference. We regreted not spending an extra night and seeing more of the city.

We too ran into the president of Kenya (at Olduvai Gorge), and we were surprised by how close we were able to get to him. Having just spent the day driving along that wonderful road from the Serengeti, we felt so dusty and filthy beside the president and his entourage, who were all immaculately dressed and clean!

I never thought to order new US$1 bills - I had a poor teller at my bank spend a painfully long time going through the bank's supply, finding me newish bills. I will know for the next time!

We regreted not bringing garbage bags for our duffle bags - they were so filthy, even though they were in the back of the Land Rover, which was enclosed.

Like you, I spent the entire time in shorts and sandals - I was surprised how warm it was.

We stopped at the Serena Lodge in the Mara one morning and enjoyed coffee on their deck overlooking the Mara - it is an amazing view, isn't it?

Isn't that border crossing (Isibania/Sirari) fun? - what chaos! I could have sat there all day and watched the world go by. Did your guides have to pay the municipality reps that demanded money from Robert and I - the folks with the ropes across the roads? Luckily, we had enough Ksh to pay the fees - they wouldn't take $US.

We spent a night at Speke Bay Lodge - great view of Lake Victoria. The (dry!) Serengeti was a bit of a shock after the lushness of the lake.

I can't believe you went all the way from the Mara to the Serena Lodge in the Serengeti in a day - we only made it as far as Speke Bay! What a long day that must have been!

I loved your analogy of the crater as a stadium with seating all around and a view of the world - a great picture for those who haven't been!

We loved Mto wa Mbu - we stopped and explored some of the markets in that bustling town.

How lucky you were to see the two black rhinos - we missed them when we visited Lake Manyara.

Thank you again for your report - it has been great fun to revisit both countries through your experience. Your write so descriptively. Robin

Percy

Wonderful trip report. Very much into detail which most certainly will be of great help to others.
Excellent tip regarding the blood sample!

Taking notes all the way thru the trip must have taken ages.

Thank you very much for that.

I wonder about the Malarone pills for the locals for the rainy season as one should take them no longer than 4 weeks.

Wish you speedy re-adaption to the "normal life".

SV

Hi Everybody:

canadian_robin:

Hi I read your question before your trip and knew you were going in August.

I agree going through that border town ( Isebania) into Tanzania, was an eye opener.
I bought 5 bananas from this poor little 18 year old girl who was carrying this huge heavy tray on her head.

The $200.00 of US$ one dollar bills was a blessing to have and I gave them out like water !!

I too was wondering how come I am so close to the President and just walking about taking pictures !

The large orange bags I bought at Wal Mart were great , because just before our luggage was loaded in the Toyota Land cruise...I unzipped the outside pocket of the luggage and pulled the bag out and just slid it over the luggage..took about 10 seconds.!!

Yes, we drove from the Serena Masai Mara Lodge all the way to the Serengeti Lodge and got there at 5 PM ( we left at 7 AM).

We went via Speke Bay..... I just assumed it took that long to get there, so I thought nothing of it, but I was tired when I got there...... that wet towel and drink they give you as soon as you arrive was very much appreciated !

No , the guards at the border did not shake our tour guide/driver down for any money.

It seemed like Robert ( our driver and guide) knew a lot of people, everyone was saying Hi to him.

Yes, a little lady had a rope strung across the road but when we pulled up , Robert said something to her and she grinned and put the rope down.

About Nairobi..... I made a list of things and places I wanted to see in Nairobi. I did not just want to zip away to the Safari, without seeing the city.

Also on our final day in Nairobi ,our flight did not leave until 10PM....so the hotel let us have the room until 6PM... so we had the whole day again to see more places.

We walked over to the State House ( home of the President), I wanted to take pictures of this lovely red and white building and its grounds.

When we got to the gates, " Sorry no admission and no pictures " !! one of the many security guards said.
That is why I was so surprised when on my walk back ,a string of heavy black vehicles were taking the President to the Kenyatta Square ,where I later walked 20 feet past him!!!

Thanks Robin

spassvogel:

Actually I made very brief notes.

For example.... I would write, "Black Rhinos mating".
" 4 leopards seen in Serengeti"
" 3 pictures taken on street in Mto wa Mbu "
I kept everything short , because you cannot write much in a bumpy vehicle...and I mean bumpy.!

I did write down those pronounciations and the meaning of the flag colors.!

I had a little note book about the size of a deck of cards...
so when I opened it to write down a point.... the vehicle hit a bump and the line went straight across the page !!!

So I would say to Randy, "When we get back to the Lodge , remind me to write down so and so "
Back at the Lodge a few hours later ,we both forgot what it was we were suppose to remember.

I recalled it later( most times)but not always.

Not sure about the Malarone pills or for how long the people in Mto wa Mbu take them ...but they do take then and they get them free.

Okay you guys , how many cervical vetebrae does the giraffe have.???

Oh yes, the pop quiz.

I'm going to answer 7 for almost all mammals. The giraffe's cervical vertebrae are just bigger.

I'm sure will be tested on those flag colors and meanings again too.

Any omissions in your report, we'll just blame on Randy who forgot to tell you to write something down.

I was curious about the Bongo in Samburu too. Probably not in Samburu, but if you saw a Bongo anywhere that is pretty amazing. What was the Bongo doing?

I agree about garabage bags. Don't leave home without them.

All of you sandal wearers, nothing nips at your ankles? I seem to get little bug bites on my feet and ankles if they are uncovered.

Same number as a human

Okay atravelynn and twaffle you are both correct ( couldn't trick you), the same number as humans .
The vertebrae are just bigger.

You would be surprised at some of the answers to this questions !!

One Bongo was standing by some shrubs and another had a baby suckling !

I am amazed that I never got bit by anything,I was expecting bugs everywhere.

Never saw a mosquito. But this is the end of their winter so perhaps in the rainy season, mosquitos are everywhere.

Robert told me what the flag colors mean for both Kenya and Tanzania.

Twaffle and I must be in sync! A suckling bongo, that's great.

Thanks for your report! Any photos of the bongos? One bongo sighting would be incredibly lucky, two is time to buy a lotto ticket!

Lynn,
No problems with sandals this trip as it was so dry although I did get an acacia thorn in my toe (that's another risk you take with sandals). When it's wet, I've gotten little bites.

"Suckling Bongo" could be used as an insult, as in: "Your're nothing but a suckling bongo." Maybe odd insults are on my mind since today, Sept 19, is Talk Like a Pirate Day.

"Arg, the suckling bongos and scurvy dogs are unfit to swab my poop deck."

Looking forward to any bongo shots you might have, Percy. But no hurry.

I will be going through my pictures next week.

And Randy has more on his Sony Camcorder since it had a 120 Zoom.

I guess going from the Masai Mara Serena Lodge to the Serenegeti Serena Lodge is a long way, and it seems like not many have done it on one day !

It took 10 hours from start to finish but it was not just straight through driving.

We went through Isebania to cross into Tanzania.
Exit and entry froms and $ 50.00 for a Visa.

Further down we had a box lunch in a very small village ,We sat in the shade of a large tree by a Coca Cola sign.

Then , we kept on going as I wanted to see Lake Victoria.
we crossed over a large steele bridge , the sign before the bridge read "Mara River "

There was a security guard at the bridge and Robert told us to keep our cameras out of sight !

We arrive at Lake Victoria, I waded in the water and had few pictures taken.
The surround area was Speke Bay,and women were washing their clothes in little water holes in the ground and then laying them out on the grass to dry..... the day was very hot.

We went through a gate called Ndabaka ( Robert spelled the name for me ) Gate at Grumeti River.

We had to get some gas at a small village called Ramaji ( but they called it Lamaji !)

We did the bridge walk over the Grumeti River which is really drying up a lot Robert said.

There was a sharp decline down the bank to the river and a concrete slab for a bridge with no side supports.

A large herd of elephants were only about 60 feet away.

Robert went down the embankment and parked the vehicle on the slab of concrete,as the elephants were slowly moving towrds us ,eating off the tree branches as the moved along toward us.

I was a bit uneasy!! and said to Robert ,"Let get off this bridge that bull elephant could knock us over."

Robert just laughed, I guess knowing that would not happened.

There was so little water in the Grumeti River that the elephants were sinking their trunks through the wet sand to get some nourishment.

Anyway we did cross to the other side , went up the embankment, then drover around a bit on the other side and came to a suspension bridge, ..we all got out and walk across this bridge, we saw no animals here not even flies.!

Then it was back to the other side again, and we continued on to the Serengeti.

Saw my first Dik-Dik here and then more of the common animals you all see driving along , but nothing special like a leopard or anything.

When we fiiiinally arrive at the Serengeti Lodge I looked at my watch and it was 5 PM.
it had been a long hot dry and in many places a dusty day.

And that is how you get from Mara Serena Lodge to Serengeti Serena Lodge in 10 hours !!!

Have a pleasant weekend everyone.

Lynn - Both Robert and I found ticks on our bodies (feet and upwards - ugh!) during our stay (on the campsite) in the Mara, but I was in sandals and Robert was in runners and socks - so it didn't seem to matter what our foot apparel was as far as ticks were concerned. We both were eaten alive by the Tsetse flies, but I certainly had more bites on my ankles and feet thanks to the sandals. The tsetse bites are really nasty - I just lost my last scab a couple of days ago and my last exposure to Tsetse flies was at Tarangire (27th August). I have scars on my ankles that aren't going to fade for a long while. Thick socks are needed - they bit right through our sweatshirts (with T-shirts underneath) - they also loved the upper back! Wretched creatures!

Percy - Interesting that the rope folks ("municipality reps", as they called themselves) let your vehicle through without paying - we paid Ksh150 on the Kenyan side of the border and then Tsh3000 on the Tanzanian side - a third women, further from the border on the Tanzanian side, let us through without paying. Not big amounts, thankfully, so we had enough cash, (thanks to a head's up that I had received on this forum - the Fodorite's guide had been made to pay, and the guide was none to pleased apparently!).

The Grumeti River was incredibly dry, wasn't it - much more so than the Mara River. We found the occasional pool of water in the riverbed, and that was it.

I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures. Robin

Hi robin

Yes , the amount those "rope" reps were asking was not much but our tour guide Robert did not have to pay, she lowered the rope.

Yep,for sure the Grumeti river is very dry and like you said there was the occasional pool of water.

Those poor elephants sinking their trunks into wet sand to get some moisture !!

We are thinking of making a similar trip late December into early January. What is the best time - weatherwise - to make this trip?

Late December to early January is a good time to go.

This is usually the dry weather and high tourism times( along with July to September).

It will be starting Summer time there and the temperatures will be higher.

The rainy season is always labelled as April and May( that is one reason prices are lower then ).

I have read reports where people that went in June and loved it because it was sort of the off season and they had "more space" to themselevs!

But I will let other who have been there in late December to February answer better than I can.

Monsoon -

>>We are thinking of making a similar trip late December into early January. What is the best time - weatherwise - to make this trip?<<

Dec-Jan (thru Feb) is what would be considered "summer" in East Africa, when temps, especially in the north, i.e., Samburu can reach into the 100s. And, there is no air conditioning. However, mornings/nights are much cooler and many (not all) properties do provide fans. But, it's a dry heat... so not all that uncomfy. And, depending on the altitude of a particular park or lodge/camp... the higher, usually a tad cooler.

I personally find the best weather is Mar, Oct, Nov to early/Dec or June (in other words, their Fall & Spring periods)... temps are comfy, game might be a bit more dispersed, but they sure don't go on holiday, there are less visitors, prices can be somewhat lower.

The Migration time, mid-July to early-Oct can be considered "best time" but is also the most expensive and crowded.

Percy,

Pho-tos, Pho-tos, Pho-tos! Photos, please?

anita

monsoon,
Also keep in mind that prices will be at their highest over the Christmas/New Years holiday period.

I'm thinking of taking our next trip in June for a combination of comfortable weather and reasonable prices.

Patty -

June - Maybe we'll meet up then

sandi

are you going Again !!

Percy - thanks to your posting and quotes, my husband and I rented Out of Africa this past weekend. The scenery! Sigh! Robin

You will love the movie for sure , having just returned from your trip.

The Karen Blixen Museum home was on my list of places to see in Nairobi. When I toured Copenhagen in 2007 ( August) I visited her home there and her gravesite.

She is buried virtually in her back yard under a huge tree.

Percy -

>>are you going again<< - well, yes. If "stuff" doesn't get in the way as it did this past May/June. Was almost set to be heading out in early-Oct (next week), but had to postpone. This has been a strange year for which I had little control.

So, yes - again, and again, and again!

Ah sandi ...you lucky person

We are blessed to have your comments on this board about Safaris and Kenya and Tanzania.!

Hope the "stuff" situation is all cleared up for your journey next year.

I did not mention it but I saw three Serval Cats, 2 in the Serengeti and one in Ngorongoro Crater.

Our guide spotted all of them, I would have never, without his help , and even when he was pointing them out to me , I still had a hard time at first to see them......
they
hide so well in the grass.

Randy zoomed in an got a little movie on them ,but I do not hear mention of Servals Cats very much... Are they that hard to see ?

Thanks again for all your help.

I'm with Anita - I would love to see some of your photos, Percy! Robin

Percy,

Back to the Mara to Serengeti trip. Was this all with the same guide or did you change guides or vehicles or companies? It seems like you went with just one company if I recall. You went all the way to the Serena in the Serengeti. Any idea how long it would take if you were headed to the northern part of the Serengeti, such as Bologonja?

Hi atravelynn

Yes I had the same guide throughout the whole trip.

We did not change vehicles. It was a private tour for the two of us .

Yes we left the Serena Lodge in the Masai Mara and circled via Speke bay because I wanted to see Lake Victoria.

It was a long day of travelling until we reached the Serena Lodge in the Serengeti, but we had stops along the way.

I really cannot tell you how long the drive would be,but it certainly would be shorter !...and hopefully the road is decent.

As you know there are six Gates leading out of the Masai Mara and you would be existing out of the Sand River Gate which is the closest to Bologonja.

You know a tour company's driver would be able to tell you accurately how long it would take because they drive these road all the time.

I assume you are going to one of the Camps there

When we drove from the Mara into the Serengeti, we were told that the Sand River Gate was closed and that we could not use it to enter Tanzania. We had to go all the way around and enter via the Western Corridor. Robin

Thanks for the gate info. I was under the impression that the Sand River Gate had been closed for a long time.

Between Kenya and Tanzania, Sand River Gate isn't an official border crossing - visas, proof of inocs - for tourists. Thus Isebania in the West or Namanga in the East.

We entered via Isebania and then back again via Namanga...then on to Amboseli National Park.

Hello Percy

Great report, and tips too. We are taking the kids to tanzania in December, and will be sure to bring along big plastic bags, wads of $1, and duct tape (thanks LyndaS). Somehow makes it sound like we're off to some sinister operation!

madalinahk

The orange plastic bags were great because you just slipped them over your luggage ..it only takes a few seconds.

Yes, if you have lots of $1.00 bills, then it is very easy to tip everyone you have to and want to.

For example if you take a picture with a Masai person in their red cloak( it is not called a cloak), then of course you tip them.

Have a great time in Tanzania,if in Arusha make sure you and the kids visit the Culture Heritage Centre...they will love it.

sandi:

Thanks for the heads up on the Sand River Gate .

Pardon for this digression as Percy gets the photos together.

So if a person wanted to go from Mara Serena in Kenya to the Bologonja region of the Serengeti in Tanzania, what would be the best gate to use and is it doable in a day?

the "red cloak" is a "shuka"

atravelynn - as there is NO direct crossing between the Mara and Serengeti which has been closed for years, so you couldn't go from the Mara Serena to Bologonja. Visitors have to transit via an "official" border crossing - Isebania or Namanga.

Resident Kenyans or Tanzanians, in their own vehicles can often cross with no problems, but not tourist vehicles.

A few years back arriving at Keekorok airstrip on the way to Cottar's Camp we came to the Sand River Gate and crossed into Tanzania... tracking a pair of lions. We could go just so far, before border patrol was there to turn us back from proceeding farther. For us it wasn't really an issue, as they knew the Cottar's vehicle/guide and that we weren't trying to sneak in. If we had been, the guys with the guns would have been all over us having to show proof of who, what, why, passports, visas, vehicle registration, etc. etc.

Yes it is a shuka . I just could not think of the word.

Then I guess it is off to Isebenia from the Serena Lodge in the Mara ! Namanga seems a loooong ways away.

Thanks Again sandi

I thought that was the case with getting to an official border.

Percy,

As usual - you've given some great information. I'll be rechecking this report. DH and I hoping to do a safari in 2011.

What a wonderful trip!

Hi patandhank

I am sure you will enjoy your Safari in 2011.

Hopefully it will rain a LOT between now and then.

Take care.... I enjoyed your Baltic Cruise Report

Hi Percy!
I have just posted the section of our trip from the Mara to Speke Bay at Lake Victoria - I thought you might enjoy reliving that portion of your trip. I am still amazed that you went from the Mara Serena to the Serengeti Lodge in a day - it took us 8 hours just to get to Speke Bay! Robin

See page 27 (scroll down to the 6th picture) Sunday 9th August

http://bert-and-bin.smugmug.com/Travel/Kenya-Tanzania-2009/9504315_Lmned/1/658615904_SwwXX

So if a person wanted to go from Mara Serena in Kenya to the Bologonja region of the Serengeti in Tanzania, what would be the best gate to use and is it doable in a day?

Lynn - as far as I know, you would have too use Oloololo Gate in the Mara and Ndabaka Gate (Western Corridor) in the Serengeti to get to Bologonja from the Mara - crossing the border at Isebania/Sirari. It took us 8 hours to get from Serian Camp (north of the Mara) to Speke Bay (15km south of the Ndabaka Gate) with no stops other than an hour, 10min at the border. Continuing up north to Bologonja would have been an incredibly long day - you would have to start very early to arrive before darkness. The link above (see note to Percy) will give you an idea of what is involved in the drive. Robin

Thank you Robin for pointing out what a bad idea that was.

I didn't mean to discourage you from doing the drive - the journey between the Mara and the Serengeti via Isebania and Sirari provided a wonderful opportunity to witness life in rural Kenya and Tanzania. I just wouldn't try to do it in a day. We'll see what Percy thinks! Robin

Hi Robin

I agree that for atravelynn the drive would be further yet!

Well you know ,I did not think that from the Mara Serena Lodge to the Serengeti Sernea Lodge it was not doable in one day , so I thought nothing of it.

Robert was driving and all I had to do was sit and look and try to stay cool because it was very hot when we arrived at Lake Victoria.

We left at 7 AM and went through the Oloololo Gate and then I recall some bad area of road driving.... then we had a box lunch on the way in a small village.

We crossed a nice steel bridge over the Mara River and went on to Lake Victoria.

There was security at the bridge and Robert told us to keep our cameras out of sight,ot they will think you are taking pictures of the bridge for devious means !

We stopped at Speke Bay for a while and then another little village to get gas.

This was an experience because they brought the gas to us in large cans!

When we reached the Serengeti Park Gate ,it was still a fair distance to the Serena Lodge.

We stopped and walked across a suspension bridge , we crossed the almost dry Grumeti River, watched the elephants for a while digging into the wet sand for water.

We also stopped and took pictures of some animals along the way and I remember seeing my first Dik-Dik here.

When we arrived at the Serena Lodge it was 5 PM ..so 10 hours later, but it was not continous driving without a break.

Upon arrival they gave us a cool drink and a wet towel to get the dust off our hands and faces !

Yep it was along hot day, but after a shower and a Tusker and dinner ,we were fine !

Gee !!! everyone seems surprised I made the trip in one day... I did not know I was not suppose to or else I would have been twice as tired when I arrived at the Lodge

Going to look at your pictures now.

Percy, it was great reading your report. We are leaving for our first Africa trip in Nov for Uganda and Northern Tanzania so it's great to help get psyched! Good information about the Visas. We would be more comfortable getting our Visas ahead of time but it sounds like it won't do much good.
Great tip about the $1 bills although I can't say I'm excited about the thought of carrying them around!
We're also taking a private tour in Tanzania since I thought that possibly my only trip to Africa should be the best (yes I know, AFrica is like Lay's Potato Chips...no one can have just 1)
Anyway, thanks for the report!

C Robin,

Right, not in one day. That would be a bad idea.

Fourwheelinit,
Make those $1 bills new ones that are not all crinkled or ripped up. They don't like those old ones. I made a couple of trips to the bank to get their newest ones until I had about $75 worth. I did not try to force all of those into my money belt. I kept small piles in a variety of places.

About the one dollar bills

The bank ordered brand new one for me ...it took about 3 days.

When I say new...I mean brand new and crisp,wrapped in a paper band about the width of a wrist watch.!!!

I had $100.00 and Randy had $100.00

We had shorts with multiple zipper pockets on the outside and once we left Nairobi ( City Centre), we did not worry once we were at the Lodges...of course we took the $ with us always...during the game drives.

fourwheelinit:

It is easy to get the Visa at the airport or at the border crossing.

Notes (USD$1s) should be in good condition, no older than 5/years (so dated 2004 or 2005), but don't have to be newly printed as Percy did. Just as long as they're not folded, torn, taped or recently washed in your jeans (we all do that on occasion)... they'll be accepted. And, for the higher notes, with larger faces - $5s (purple 5 on reverse), $10s (shades of tan), $20s (multi-green).

So sandi, are you saying that the larger notes should be the ones with the new print or should not? Also, when we go to tip our guides, is it ok to tip them in $20's or does it need to smaller bills?
And yes, I have washed lots of things in my jeans! Of course RB always thinks they belong to him if he finds it first!

fourwheelinit - Yup, the larger face notes with the new print colors are best. But at minimum the larger faces. $20 notes are fine if say total tip is $30 = 1/$20, 1/$10. Smaller notes can be used for camp/staff and hotel tips.

I believe you actually lower your hassle/worry factor by getting your visa upon arrival because that way you never part with your passport and it can't get lost.

Getting the visa upon arrival is routine.

I separated all the tips and expenses into separate envelopes before I left.

For example;
1. Kenya Visa cost
2. Tanzania Visa cost
3. Money for Robert ( our driver/guide)
4. Karen Blixen Museum and Giraffe Centre in Nairobi
5. Departure fee at Zanzibar Airport.

All these were labelled in separate envelopes and circled by a rubber band !

The $1.00 bills were ,like sandi said, for hotel staff (waiter/waitress, bartender,roommaid, porter for your luggage etc.)

And yes like atravelynn says...why part with your passport,when it is simple to get the Visa at he location.

I got all new one dollar bills because I told my bank lady that I was going to Africa and that I neeed bills that were not marked up ,damaged or torn.

She said "When are you going"?
I said "Next month"
She said, " Oh heck , then let me order you some brand new ones."
There is no extra cost to gettting new ones !!

Good Evening Percy.

I just wanted to comment on how much I enjoyed reading your trip report. It brought back such wonderful memories about our Safari one year ago. You managed to visit number of the same places we did during our trip.

It seems that Tour company relations between Kenya and Tanzania have relaxed somewhat, which is good to hear. Last year, we had to change drivers when crossing the boarder from Kenya to Tanzania, and then again once crossing from Tanzania to Kenya. During the 14 day trip, we had 3 separate drivers. We enjoyed getting to know all of them, but I think we probably would have mostly enjoyed just having the same driver through-out the whole trip.

LOL - I'm remembering Patrick(our 1st Kenyan Leg driver) vrs. the "Municipality Officers" at the border town!!! He was quite upset at them, asking for the 'Tariff'!.

Anyways...again, wonderful read. Thank you for sharing.

Greg

Hi Greg:

I think it is me who should be thanking you , because I read your Trip Report and enjoyed it very much.

In fact I made notes from your report.

Also we exchanged e-mails and you answered all my questions ,which was very helpful.

I wonder if Amboseli was a dry for you as it was for me. I felt so sorry for the animals trying to scrounge for food.

But I was lucky enough to see Mount Kilimanjaro twice, and coming in from Zanzibar back to Nairobi we flew very close near the top of Kilimanjaro...

Good Night

Yes, our group definitely noticed how desolate, barren, and dry Ambolseli was. It really did leave a lasting impression. My wife was able to take a photo of a lone elephant, walking along the road, heading back to the mountains. That photo just seemed to say so much, about that area.

Bit of Trivia for you all. Did you know that Stonetown, Zanzibar was the birthplace of the lead singer of the Rock Group 'Queen', Freddy Mercury? I believe the house he was born in is now a Curio shop.

Just a comment about the tipping. We were able to break down some larger denomination bills into smaller ones, at a number of the lodge front desks. We found this helpful, when we were finding ourselves running short on 'Ones', which we found to be handing out very often.

Thanks,
Greg

Thanks Greg

Yes, I knew about Queen and Freddy Mercury , we had a tour guide for one full day as part of our being in Zanzibar for 4 1/2 days.

I agree the dryness in Amboseli National Park, was rather sad.

You would see elephants grabbing tufts of brown dried up grass, shaking it to get the dust off and then eating what remained.
Hopefully by now there has been some rain.

Percy,

Sorry if I missed it, but who did you use that could guide you in both Kenya and Tanzania and drive across the border.

Now I know about Freddy Mercury. His universal recognition and appeal never ceases to amaze me.

I used Predator Tours out of Arusha.

They came highly recommended because friends of Randy's (fellow I went with) used them last year and gave us good reviews.

We visited thier office when we passed through Arusha.


They were very good and and Robert was about as good a driver as you can get.

How he managed to get use from place to place on some of those road was amazing.

Robert seemed to know everybody. It never took us much time to get through the border.

Robert's passport was all filled up...so he had this sheet of paper with about a 100 stamps on it.!!! this served as his passport,because he travelled back and forth so often.

It was sooo nice to have the same good guide all the way through.

Percy, thanks a lot for the report and answering all the questions.

After having read your report and Robin's, I'm tempted to try a combination of your experiences: Half the trip self-driving with Safari Drive and the other half with Predator Safaris and a guide/driver. It looks ideal to me. I hope it works out!

Good Luck micmic

Your are more adventurous and I am and Robin even more

Seeing all that traffic in Nanyuki and in Nairobi and the roads we travelled on in the Mara,Serengeti etc.....

I am happy Robert was driving ( yes, now that you mention it ,I am chicken !! )

Thanks for the guide info, Percy. And you are not a chicken. Not even a Guinea Fowl.

Ahh Bless your heart atravelynn !!

Personally I would not want to drive that Toyota Land Cruiser to the places and through the places that Robert did.

I would be squawking like a Guinea Fowl if I had to

Guinea fowl are one of my favourites!

Micmic - I was trying to decide that if we had done part of our trip with a guide and part on a self-drive basis, which I would have self-driven. I have come to the conclusion that I would have been happy to drive any portion of our route. I have fond memories of getting lost in the village of Mararianta and the drive across the Kenyan/Tanzanian border, but it would have been equally exciting with a guide - although presumably the guide wouldn't have become lost in the village! There was also a certain sense of accomplishment in actually getting the Land Rover to the top of that obstacle course south of the village.

I guess my only advice is to make certain that your guide understands that you wish to have plenty of time to stop along the way - in villages, markets and to chat with people who are walking along the road - that you are going with the approach that the journey is to be an important part of the experience. Robin

Your right Robin about the adventures along the way.

And since ours was a private tour for just Randy and myself ,we stopped whenever we wanted and spent time in villages along the way , picking up a cool coke and some bananas.

It was nice to walk the street(s) of Nanyuki , Lake Nakuru and the bodertown of Isebania.....there were other very small villages that we stop at briefly .

We went to Mto wa Mbu twice and also stopped at Karuta on the way to Arusha.

You still have way more adventure nerve fibers than me

I have to agree with Percy. Your pictures are awesome and I certainly am envious of the wonderful things that you were able to do but I'm not sure how relaxed I would be with all of those wild animals out there! You guys are awesome!

At times, we became almost too relaxed about the fact that we were camped amongst predators, elephants and other creatures that could do us great harm. I would find myself asking my DH if he had scanned recently. It was easy to become too complacent in that situation, particularly during the day. Thankfully, after dark, apart from the hyenas which were incredibly bold, our lights seemed to keep the animals at bay until we went to bed. It was amazing how quickly the animals would descend on our campsite once our lights were out. We would barely be up the ladder before they would be on the site. It made for great game viewing! Robin

All I can say is "WOW"! I must say that the old adrenalin is pumping with that tale!

Thanks for sharing, great TR, you travel like we do, private guide and all, trying to convince my DH this is the trip to take (he's leaning toward Galapodos), decisions, decisions!