Trip Report - Tanzania October 2008

I have just downloaded the photos and comments and am looking forward to looking at them at leisure later today. Thanks.

"The report on smugmug is actually very brief"

I am amaze at how much work and effort some people put in this reports.
Yours is excellent,with very nice pictures also.

Did you used Swala´s guides and vehicles for the drives at Tarangire?
If so,How where them?

Thanks.

Thanks for taking a look!

PacoAhedo: No, I had the same guide from Good Earth for everything except the transport to the hot air balloon. But if I didn't have that, I wouldn't have an issue using the Swala guides at the camp. They seemed very nice and professional and I'm sure they know where to go for the best spotting.

Carrie, I just started but wanted to let you know it's wonderful the way you've organized things. I feel almost as if I am there.

Thanks! I will post more after I've had time to look at all the photos. Great style indeed.

Wow, that's an incredible report, and a really friendly layout. Your pictures are amazing. Seems like the rhinos were quite a distance from you in the Crater -- I had the same experience, and wasn't able to get too close to them.

Michael

Enjoyed the photos and the layout … it was like going on safari myself with the day by day descriptions. The baby hippo was pretty special and you certainly saw a lot of lions.

Great effort. It's an excellent way to do your report and I am totally impressed you did it so quickly, with nice photos too. Another vote for the layout. Fantastic! You had a really good first trip (day four was something) and somehow I guess your conclusion that you'll be back is correct.

Enjoyed your report and photos, thanks!

CarrieT

Thanks for the great report and pictures.

You did all 15 days in Tanzania..was this too much?

Did you not want to go into Kenya ?

Thanks
Percy

Great photos and report. Some very cool shots like the zebra with its ears back and the pair of hornbills, and the nursing vervet. You were lucky to see lions in the tree. I did not care for the poacher's hole, that's for sure.

Anybody contemplating this itinerary will have an incentive to do it and high hopes based on all you saw.

I was trying to see the pictures from Ndutu Lodge. Was that Day 10?

You flew to N. Serengeti and then drove on down through it. That makes sense in Oct.

Wonderful presentation of your trip, well done.

We have enjoyed the services of Saidi (we know him as Abdul) on two Tanzanian Safaris through Good Earth, first in January 2007 and again in August 2008. On our first visit to Ngorongoro in 2007, we had several sightings of Rhino, all from great distance, and Abdul had no interest in getting closer. During our visit this year, he spotted the Rhino with the split horn from a great distance and we stopped to watch him. Over the course of 30 minutes the Rhino walked directly at us and ended up passing about 10 meters from the LandCruiser, heading off NNW. One of our most memorable sightings in two trips, with great photos. I don't think Abdul was happy about being so close to the Rhino, but we were very pleased.

We were at Ndutu for two days in late January 2008 and it remains my favorite place. The migration was spread out that year due to late rains into January, but the accommodations and location were great. A marvelous range of wildlife and very relaxing place to stay.

Jim

Thank you everyone for looking at the trip report and photos. I'm glad the format is pleasing and easy to navigate.

Percy, I have nothing against Kenya. My choice in Tanzania only comes from my personal travel style. I prefer to concentrate on one area and really get to know it before moving on. Even with 15 days in Tanzania, I could have easily added another week (another day or two at Lobo, an extra day at Manyara, extra day at the Crater, extra day at Ndutu, etc.). If I only had enough time off from work, I certainly would have added a few more days.

Atravelynn, Ndutu Lodge was on Day 9 (the end of the day - the photos of the rooms, etc. are the very last in that gallery) and the beginning of day 10. I really wish I had planned an extra day at Ndutu. There was no calving to see, but it was a wonderful lodge and I enjoyed the remoteness of the area. And I loved the Genets! I had to buy a t-shirt with the Lodge name becuase it had a Genet on it.

Jim, Saidi (Abdul) seemed pretty fearless with us, but then again we didn't get near the rhinos We got pretty close (meaning inches) to the elephants, lions and buffalo with no nervousness on his part. The only panicky one was the girl I went with - she really flipped out every time anything got close, but I loved it and I was snapping away! She was in the front seat because she refused to climb in the back of the LandRover...so I don't know what she was worried about - she couldn't see half of what I could see anyway. That's probably a good thing. I do wish I'd see the rhino closer...maybe next trip!

Carrie

Carrie, thanks so much for doing this in the trip report format - that's wonderful! I am slowly catching up to 2008 & should be ready to load up some more soon.

Your pictures and the descriptions on each day were great to follow!

Hi CarrieT and anyone else who is interested.
My daughter Ami and I just returned, literally, a few hours ago from our first safari.
I am in a fog right now, I really didn't want to leave Africa. My daughter was ready to return home, but I would go back tomorrow given the chance.
I am still going through the video I took and looking at the pics. I am hopeless at writing a journal and only took notes the first 3 days, the remainder I just got completely caught up in each day, and collapsed into bed at the end of every day happy but exhausted. It's amazing how tiring it is just sitting in a safari vehicle, taking pics and watching the animals. Well it was for me. I was so excited each time we spotted another animal I would end up jumping up, (quietly so as not to startle the animals) clobber my head on the roof of the vehicle, or against the frame of the windows etc, drop the camera and manage to forget where I had just put the video camera not 2 minutes before. Meanwhile my daughter would be calmly sitting back, taking pictures, with nary a bruise or banged head to be seen anywhere.
Game spotting is something not to be missed, but it is hard work having your eyes peeled,binoculars attached as you search for wildlife, only to have your driver say 'Look at the leopard' and point at one who is hiding behind a rock with just her ears showing, but he managed to see her without using bino's. These guys are amazing.
Anyway, earth to Sue, come back to reality...I will return when I can get my thoughts (and pictures)in order, with my first time safari goer's observations, opinions and advice.
Sue

Thanks, CarrieT, I found Ndutu. I wanted to mention the genet anyway. Those are super daylight shots. You geot another elusive as well, the serval.

Your senses commments are very enlightening to anybody trying to figure the whole appeal of an Africa trip.

Sue, glad you made it back safe and sound (well, almost...it sounds like there were some injuries!). It sounds like you had a good time and I look forward to your report and photos. It sounds like the person I went with and your daughter were of the same mindset. Next time the two of us will have to go and leave them behind I too wanted to stay but I can't say the same for the woman I was with - she kept saying she was ready to leave (almost started saying this in the middle of the trip). Oh well, obviously not everyone gets as excited about Africa as I do (or you).

Get lots of rest and have fun getting all of your videos and photos together (it took me 10 days to go through 4,000 photos....2,000 of which had to have been taken in the first two days before I calmed down .

Carrie

Hi Carrie, I have been looking for a way to post my trip report with photos. I am curious to know how easy smugmug is to use and if you would recommend it? Did you just use a Standard Account? Can you paste in text from Word?
Thanks

Hi Robin. I find SmugMug very easy to use. I also like the fact that they back up the photos in 4 or 5 different locations in the event of fire or other issue. My only concern with these types of things has to do with them going out of business and then having to move all the photos somewhere else.

Yes, I just got the standard account (unlimited storage for all photos under 12mb). And you can definitely paste text from Word.

I know there are a few other display type web sites out there, but I don't have experience with them. Maybe someone else can comment on where they post their photos?

Carrie

carrieT,
gorgeous!! thank you so much for a great report.

robin, re smugmug, i just subscribed for the first time. it's pretty basic/user friendly. also, if you google "smugmug coupons" you'll find a yahoo link for 50% off the first year at any level of subscription (so, my basic cost $20 instead of $40.) hope this helps.
anita

Carrie,
thanks for your reply. Hey, it might be a good idea to go together next time. I'm up for it. We will save on having to pay single supplements if we travel together, plus we both love it, safari'ing I mean. The only thing I would change is to maybe go a bit earlier in the season than my daughter and I went. But I definitely want to go on another one.

Keep me in mind if you are serious about another trip in the future.
I loved Suyan and Sayari camps, that was the most personal for me. My daughter prefers lodges, but there is nothing like the luxury tenting experience. Great fun.

Sue

Anita, thanks for taking a look at the photos! I still can't believe that I was actually there...it was better than a dream for sure.

Robin....I also wanted to tell you that if you sign up for SmugMug and then get other people to join, they give you $10 off your next membership renewal for everyone who joins (I think the people get $5 off so the coupon that Anita was talking about sounds much better (and I don't think I paid $40 for my membership either).

Sue, I will certainly keep you in mind for any future trips and I agree with you on the tented camps - I prefer them over lodges for sure. How is your photo and video processing going?

Speaking of video, I wanted to tell you that I got the Serengeti Imax movie(it's BluRay) and watched it today. I didn't want to watch it before I left, but now that I'm back I watched it and got a little teary-eyed because it was such a vivid reminder of my safari. I highly recommend it!

-Carrie

Carrie
lovely pictures. is there a way to go to the next day with out going back to the original link, i am so computer illiterate.
i am planning 'my first safari" ( i say first now, as it previously was "my safari". i am having trouble deciding between Tanzania and Botswana.
i was leaning heavily towards Botswana until i started viewing your photos- which are exactly what i dream about.
So now its back to deciding again.

Hi Amycyma, thanks for taking a look. Yes, I put a link at the end of each description that will take you to the next set of photos.

I know it was a hard decision for me too, but since it was my first safari I picked Tanzania so that I might be able to catch some of the Migration.

Have fun planning!

Carrie