bat, that was quite possibly the best intro to a trip report!!!

We had Edward as our guide too, I can't WAIT to hear your next segment!

Bat

Plse don't keep us waiting all weekend for the rest!!! You are a great writer!

Now I want Edward for my guide too!

Welcome back. Loving the report. Very interesting about the Tribunal.

I know you must be tired but I'm anxiously awaiting your next installment.

Welcome back, bat! What a great intro! Don't keep us hanging too long until the next installment

Welcome Back Bat!!! Glad you had a great time! More!! More!!

Karibu nyumbani. I’m waiting with impatience for the continuation of your report.

Our time in Africa is just too short. Semms that bat left only yesterday and now they're home. We've got to stay longer.

Great report so far.

Thanks everyone for the comments. Yes, sandi, too short indeed.
I am having trouble posting the next segment. Is there a length limit for a post? It is showing up in the box but when I try to preview or post, it disappears. I just checked this post in preview and it worked. So I guess that I will break the next segment into smaller posts and see if that works.

On Safari with MKSC: Crater (Serena and Crater Lodge), Olduvai and Ronjo Camps, Ballooning

We drove to Manyara NP, all on very good paved road, arriving about 1 ½ hours after leaving Arusha (Arusha is about a 30 minute drive from Ngare Sero). We saw more baboons but this time they were close to the road and we had a better opportunity to examine family behavior. We particularly enjoyed the young baboons “riding jockey” on Dad’s back. We saw some female lions on the move, hippos, elephants (with one making a false charge toward us–as with the hippos in the lake, a bit of an adrenalin rush). It was here that Edward started our education about the differences among the various antelope. At our lunch stop (ah, to remember your first box lunch) I started observing the other tourist vehicles and lusted after some of them–those with a sun canopy. I had discovered a potential problem with the vehicle we were using–it had a large rectangular hatch that was either completely opened or completely closed. It needed to be open to take advantage of photo opportunities but then you were fully exposed to the sun. I particularly noticed that there were other MKSC vehicles with sun canopies and asked Edward about them. It turns out that he had thought that it was odd that we were given this vehicle because it was not his usual vehicle which did have a sun canopy.

As we were stopped at the Manyara gate on our way out, Fred saw his first highlight–a baby baboon riding jockey style on the back of his father–they were across the road from the parking lot where tourists were standing around. We had seen this earlier but this time the dad stopped and the baby looked directly at the tourists and then he waved! Talk about an anthropomorphic moment!

We left Manyara to drive to the Crater where we would be spending the first night at the Serena, relocating the next day to Crater Lodge. On the way to the Crater rim we passed the turn-off for Gibb’s Farm. Although I understand that it is very nice (and Edward indicated that it and Plantation Lodge have better facilities for the driver/guides) I was glad that we would be staying on the rim because of the extra driving time it would take in the morning to get into the crater. As we parked at the crater park entrance where Edward would process our paperwork, a baboon jumped on the hood of the car and then onto the roof. Fortunately we had closed the canvas when we left Manyara but even so it was a bit unsettling feeling, seeing, and hearing the baboon on top of the roof. Edward chased him away and then went into the park office. While he was gone, a vehicle of local folks parked next to us. They had supplies strapped to the top of their car which proved to be totally tantalizing to the baboon who charged on top of the roof and started grabbing at their boxes. Chased away again, he retreated to a nearby tree planning his next move. He made a dash for the car but this time he jumped through the open front passenger window into the front seat, amid shrieks from the women passengers in the back seat, then made away with his loot–a bag of chips.

We stopped at the rim lookout to appreciate the view arriving at the Serena about 6pm. Once we saw our balconies, we wished that we had arrived a little earlier so that we could have had more time sitting out there before dinner. All three of us were pleasantly surprised at the Serena (perhaps because as our largest accommodation we had lower expectations for it). Although it is quite large (75 units I believe) its layout of only 2 stories with the rooms distributed in two wings on each side of the dining room, makes it feel smaller. The only place that you sense its size is in the dining room. I would have preferred a second floor room, but our first floor balcony was quite nice (even the first floor is elevated a little bit above ground). The stone exterior is a nice touch. I bought a couple of cocktails from the bar to enjoy while we watched the view and the light change with sunset. It was really quite lovely (and I must say I was feeling pretty good about my bookings so far, given that having a room/tent with a view was a prime consideration). The rooms themselves are comfortable (if not particularly charming) and the bathrooms have very nice large walk-in showers with good pressure. The only real problem we noticed is that the sound proofing between the rooms is very poor. We had time before dinner for a call back to the U.S. to wish TC’s wife a happy birthday –on Fred’s mobile phone. This had started to become a running joke because the reception from the mobile phone was better than with the sat. phone that had been rented (thanks to Eben for the tip that coverage was good) . The food at the Serena, as others have mentioned, is buffet style and perfectly adequate. We sat out on the balcony after dinner and I was surprised that I did not need my fleece jacket, the temperature was quite comfortable (and pleasing after the hot day in the car).

We left early the next morning for our drive into the crater (now I did appreciate the fleece). Some have described the crater as zoo-like. I did not feel that way but I did think that it had an almost other worldly pastoral quality about it, a garden of eden sensibility. Something about seeing so many different animals in close proximity to each other–predators and potential victims so close by. I am sure my feeling about it is influenced by the fact that we did not see a kill while we were in the crater. We met a couple later in Zanzibar who saw what sounded like a horrific kill– a number of lions killing a buffalo in a very painful, tortured way. Their memory of the crater will be connected always with the memory of that kill. Instead, our memory of the crater is inextricably intertwined with our memory of a birth.

We were driving around the crater with Edward and we had already discussed the fact that the rains had not come in sufficient amount to bring the migration to Olduvai and Ndutu. I said, “well Edward, I at least need to see a calf being born so would you get on that.” We all laughed but within 15 minutes he pointed to a wildebeest and said “look there, she is about to give birth.” Something about the way she was walking had caught his attention. We parked and started observing. I had assumed that the mother would stand all during labor but instead she would lie down on her side and push several times so that her legs elevated in the air, then she got up and walked a bit and then repeated the process. We could see hooves extending from her and expected the birth to be imminent. At this point she stopped and stared–at a hyena that was approaching. We started to get very nervous. Edward had told us that a female could stop labor if she saw danger and even retract the calf somewhat and sure enough, the hooves almost disappeared. She moved away, all the time watching the hyena. The hyena went past, finally settling into a mudhole to sleep. We worried that it was just a ploy to lure the mother back into labor but she finally decided that it was safe, starting the labor cycle again of laying down and pushing then getting up. It was quite remarkable to watch the new born calf immediately try to walk. Up for a moment with legs wobbly and splayed, plop back down. Repeat over and over so that within minutes the calf could walk and trot along beside mom. Later we read a statistic that the death rate for calves in the crater is about 60%–we are sure that “our” little guy is part of the 40%.

We stopped, with many other tourists, at the hippo pool for lunch and it was fortuitous that we did for as we were leaving the lunch area we noticed a good lion sighting across the way. On the way out we saw at a distance one of the rhinos living in the crater. The wildebeest calf birth was of course the highlight but I also learned to my surprise that I find jackals to be attractive animals. Fred decided that they have gotten a bum rap since the word jackal is a derogatory reference. I also learned that I enjoyed watching zebras, particularly the beautiful patterns they made as they moved in, around, and next to each other.

Fred and I enjoyed the ride out of the crater on the winding ascent road. It made us think of other narrow mountain roads we had been one–a worse one in Crete that we recalled fondly. Mark, sitting on the outside and a bit uncomfortable with heights, was not quite as pleased. So anyone who feels the same should sit on the inside.

I had experienced the same problem in the afternoon at the crater as I had in Manyara NP. I could not take that many hours of sun. We had Edward call Petra, our ATR rep in Arusha, who arranged a vehicle switch. [Without getting bogged down in the details, it appears that we were given this vehicle, a Land Cruiser, in a misguided attempt to meet TC’s wife’s request for an operable cigarette lighter for his sat phone battery. In what seemed ironic, they had told Edward to use this vehicle instead of his normal one–which had the shade canopy AND an operable cig. lighter which he used all of the time to charge his mobile phone.] Edward would drop us at Crater Lodge and then drive back to Arusha. At first I felt bad about the extra driving that he would do but it meant that he would spend the night at home instead of at the Crater Lodge driver/guide facilities. He would meet us about 3pm the next day at Crater Lodge to relocate to Olduvai Camp, our stop after the crater.

I had always planned on lounging at Crater Lodge that next day (my way of “defraying” the cost by amortizing it over more hours of use) with Fred and Mark having the option to go on a second crater drive, but they too were content to spend time at the lodge. I had some difficulty getting enough information when I booked to decide which camp to select (since then Eben has provided helpful information) but I chose Tree camp because of its smaller size and the famous photo of the view from its balcony. That was something else we would get for our money–to recreate that photo for ourselves. I had read that the photographer had used a rose lens to color the shot and I later learned from Eben’s video of the balcony that the furniture is more rustic than that in the photo so I was not expecting a perfect recreation of the photograph.

We arrived around 3 pm (through a gate where they check admittance). North and South camps are close to this level with Tree Camp lower down. We were met by the manager of Tree Camp who drove us by cart to the top of the stairs leading down to the Tree Camp Lodge. There he explained the meal hours, not walking around at night without the guard, we asked about laundry (another way to defray the cost in my warped economic analysis), etc. And we signed a waiver–that is the first time I have stayed at a hotel that required a liability waiver (animals, particularly buffalo, walk the grounds).

We then went to our “rooms”–and they are quite the rooms as you all know. Each of the rooms are separate units. There is an unlocked very small entrance area for service deliveries or pick-ups without disturbing you. You then enter a large room with a 2 story height thatched roof. The larger than king bed is centered in the room facing a glass wall with doors that lead to the balcony. As you face the balcony, to the right is a desk with a door next to it (the toilet area–there is a view window in front of the toilet as well), to the left of the balcony doors is a fireplace. Behind the bed is the open shower–tiled with a very large rain shower style showerhead in the ceiling. There is a partial wall separating the shower from the bed to contain water but you can stand and take your shower while looking through to the balcony view. On either side in the back are pedestal sinks. There is a small separate room with a tub in front of a large window facing the same view as the balcony. Walls around the bedroom are dark wood, carved and paneled.

As Eben pointed out in one of his trip reports, the individual views from the six Tree Camp units are not as expansive as are the views of some of the units in South camp. The North and South camp units are also larger. We were able to see one and the difference is that they have 3 separate spaces–you enter the bedroom which has the bed against the back wall and enough space by the fireplace for two arm chairs, the next adjoining space is a small dressing table area, then the bathroom that contains the shower (smaller than at tree camp) and the bathtub–both of which are positioned to take in the view–and there is a separate smaller balcony off of the bathroom. IMO, the difference in the rooms is no reason to decide one camp over the other–the smaller Tree Camp units are plenty opulent. It comes down to whether you want the best view from your room, with a trade-off of staying in a larger camp, with more guests at the meal lodge–or whether you like the intimacy of the Tree Camp lodge. There is also a different style to the lodges–with the North and South camp lodges more “baronial” than Tree Camp.

As I mentioned in my interim post, North Camp has some units that would have good views but North Camp Lodge has obstructed views. South Camp lodge has a very expansive view–and because it sits higher up the slope than does Tree Camp, it has a broader view of the crater toward the eastern, Sopa side. But in your foreground are a number of units–these (14-21) should all have expansive views (perhaps 18-21 more centered views), with no units in front of them (Tree Camp is obscured below in the greenery). It’s a personal choice.

On our arrival afternoon, we spent from 5pm to about 7:30 pm with Tree Camp all to ourselves–and IMO no individual unit can compare to it. The view is mesmerizing–you can stare at it for hours, which is what we did. The next day we had it to ourselves from 10am until about 2 pm. The food was very good with a significant Indian influence. We left around 3pm after a very nice cold platter lunch (shredded duck, chutneys, salad) with wine, of course (alcoholic drinks are included–except wines from the wine “cellar” and some premium drinks such as cognac).

Edward had indicated that there was no reason to arrive at Olduvai Camp any earlier than late afternoon and he was correct. Without sufficient short rains, the migration was not there and the landscape was hot, dry, and dusty. I came to appreciate that you could always count on tommies to be there for you so that at least you could see some wildlife.

Olduvai Camp was very nice. This was our first tent experience and we found it quite comfortable. The camp is built around the base of a kopje and each of the 16 tents has a verandah with a lovely view across to the mountains in the area. The verandah had two camp chairs and a table with a wash basin and mirror. Our bed was centered in the room facing the verandah with enough room to walk around each side. Behind the “bedroom” was an extension of the tent that functioned as a closet, dressing area. The shower and toilet were outside behind the tent surrounded by a thatched wall for privacy. Next to the toilet was a pitcher with a milky chemical substance to pour into it. The bucket shower contained enough water for two people to shower.

One of the activities that the camp offers is a sunset walk to a nearby kopje accompanied by a masaii man. Our guide was a very nice young man in his early twenties and we spent the walk discussing his village, family, and future marriage plans (cattle dowry for example). Fred asked him whether masaii women are given the choice to decline a proposed husband. He paused, glanced at me, paused again, and then said yes. I did not believe him--I thought he was trying to say what he thought we wanted to hear. From the top of the kopje he gestured his arm across the plains and told us (it would not be the last time that I would hear this)–usually at this time of year looking across the plains one would see green grass covered in black from the bodies of the wildebeest migration. Still, the sunset was nice and we enjoyed talking to him.

At dinner we met folks from California who had booked with Africa Dream Safari and who were doing their trip in reverse of us–they flew into the Serengeti and were driving out with the next stop to be the Crater. I have not had a chance to email them yet, but we agreed to compare notes to see how we felt about the direction of travel (when I was booking I noticed that Africa Dream Safari tends to recommend fly-in and drive out, whereas ATR recommends drive in and fly out).

The food at Olduvai was OK except for one truly SHOCKING thing–no, it was not the dishwashing genet about which amfs reported previously (saw the genet but it was not washing dishes fortunately)–they served instant coffee! This in a country that produces very fine coffee. This in a camp owned by Frenchmen. Surely there is some French Ministry Office that takes complaints about Frenchmen who serve mediocre food and instant coffee. Seriously, it did not make any sense to me. They have a permanent kitchen. They provide you with a thermos of hot water. All they had to do was invest in a few FRENCH press coffee pots (which we saw all over the place). Oh well, c’est la vie. After dinner we went on the walk up to the star gazing platform (again with our Masaii guide) but the moon was very bright and the platform was very windy so we did not stay long.

The next morning Fred and Mark went on the walk to the Olduvai Gorge; I would follow later with Edward in the vehicle. They went with both a masaii guide (not the young man from the previous day who was relocating to Ronjo and we would see him there the next day) and an armed ranger. Although they did not see a great deal of wildlife on the walk (some giraffes and tommies), they enjoyed the exercise and again, the opportunity to talk with the two men. Fred again asked his question about women being able to refuse a proposed husband and the very quick answer was an emphatic “no.” As has been reported before, the museum is small but I enjoyed reading about the digs (and starting my collection of masaii bracelets for gift-giving). We then drove to shifting sands which at first seemed not worth the drive but once we got out and walked on it we enjoyed it. There was a lone masaii woman there who did not seem to be selling anything because she did not have her wares displayed but Edward had spoken to her in Masaii and as we drove away I asked what she was doing there. Indeed, she was selling items. We drove to a nearby highpoint to look out over the plains and Edward gestured with his arms across the vast expanse and said . . . well, you know what he said . . . usually this would all be green and covered with wildebeest. As we left, I saw the masaii woman alone in that stark landscape with no other vehicles in sight and I asked Edward to stop so that I could make a purchase. Yes, she had bracelets (and the lowest asking price so far) but I only had dollars and she wanted shillings, so it looked as if there would be no sale. Edward continued to speak to her in Masaii and she finally accepted my dollars for the purchase. As we drove away he explained that her main concern was where she would be able to convert the dollars to shillings and he had told her she could do so at the museum. That was a long way away and so I am not at all sure that I did her a favor by going back to make the purchase.

We called it an early day. One of the things that I liked about Edward was that he was willing to be quite frank about what the dry weather meant in terms of a potential drive. Our itinerary indicated we might drive to Olkarien Gorge where the vultures nest but he said it would be a miserable multi hour drive that would not be worth it. (I had this confirmed later by our Nomad guide who had camped there with some previous clients.) Instead we returned to camp for a late lunch (I have to say that the ubiquitous lunch chicken tasted much better hot on the plate than cold in the boxes) and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the view from our verandah. I did find the African landscape quite beautiful which compensated greatly for the lack of wildlife. In the late afternoon I was dosing pleasantly on the bed when I heard wind chimes. I wondered where they were and then I realized it was the sound of the bells on the masaii cattle being herded by the young boys across from the tent–so even the masaii cattle could provide a lovely African moment.

Ok, that worked--do you think I am supposed to get the message that I am too wordy? Too bad!

Onto the Serengeti

The next morning after breakfast we set off early for our next destination–Ronjo Camp in the Serengeti. It took about 50 minutes to reach the “welcome to the Serengeti” sign. I knew that the serengeti had some permanent resident wildlife that would not be so migration dependent and I guess that I had unconsciously expected that the change would be more quick and dramatic in coming. When we passed the Naabi gate it seemed rather empty–tommies of course, then some wildebeest and zebras. Incredibly hot, dusty, and windy with the horizon hazy with dust. I had been trying very hard not to be depressed about the unfortunate timing of our trip in an off-year but I was succumbing to some disappointment. We turned onto one of the loop roads and saw some elephants and some reed bucks (more antelope education), then a hippo pool with a dead zebra carcass in it–which did nothing to lift my mood. All of a second Edward pointed and said look, a male lion. It was our first sighting of a male and there was something about seeing him that made me feel cheerful. The classic and trite description–he looked quite regal.

We next headed to the Little Simba kopjes where Edward directed our attention to a cheetah with cubs. He told us to watch her because she was stalking the oncoming herd of wildebeest and zebra who were headed for the waterhole in front of us. Sure enough as they approached she sprang from her cover and the animals turned and fled in a cloud of dust. I thought she had failed but she emerged from the dust with a wildebeest calf in her grasp. She carried it over toward her cubs and as I watched through my binoculars I noticed that the calf’s legs were moving. I asked Edward if the calf was still alive but he said no. She seemed to be giving her cubs the chance to deliver the death blow but they were inept and it seemed to me that she then killed it. I wondered whether Edward was doing what the young masaii man had done–telling me what he thought I wanted to hear. Fred thinks the calf was dead at the beginning–but in any event I had seen a kill and as interesting as it was I felt that I was quite content for it to be my only observed kill.

We continued game driving into the park and stopped with a number of other vehicles to watch 5 lionesses under a tree with 2 of them clearly stalking nearby warthogs. The tension mounted as you watched the lionesses approaching. I had a pang of guilt as I realized that because the warthogs were not as attractive to me as had been the baby calf maybe I was rooting for the lions after all. We expected the lioness closest to the warthogs to be the one to spring first but instead the one further back ran out–prematurely as it turned out resulting in the warthogs escaping quite easily (I felt a little better because I had been relieved that they had). It seemed so obvious a mistake by the lioness and even she seemed to realize it–instead of rejoining the others back at the tree she kind of held back for a moment as if she anticipated that they would say to her–what were you thinking? (particularly the lion who had been in the better position). She finally sauntered over to the tree only to be scared by a very large bus that drove by–sending her running across the road in front of our vehicle. Now she really looked sheepish–she was definitely not having a good day. A male lion showed up across the road and we waited awhile to see if there would be any interaction but they remained separate. Continuing on our game drive we saw our first leopard in a tree—they sure look uncomfortable laying on their belly with their legs hanging down. At the masaii kopjes we saw a “Lion King” tableau with a male lion standing on the edge of the rock surveying his kingdom from above, with a female lion laying back on the ledge. Because we were taking the balloon ride the next day we had to sign up for it in the vicinity of the Wildlife Lodge–another release to sign. Although the balloon folks were supposed to be picking us up at Ronjo the next morning, the rep asked Edward to do it for them and he agreed. We then game drove our way over to Ronjo which was camped near Turner Spring. On the way we spent time at a hyena burrow with lots of pups. I admit that the hyena is one of my least favorite animals and that I find them aesthetically unpleasing–but even they produce cute young ones.

Ronjo camp, is a temporary camp in that it must be moved but they seem to maintain it in the seronera valley year round. The camp location when we were there had a nice view of acacia and because it looked toward the spring, you could see a line of wildebeest and zebra moving across the horizon. There were 11 tents set up somewhat like the Olduvai camp. The tents were smaller (to be expected) but had a verandah with 2 camp chairs and a table with a washbasin and mirror. We had twin beds here instead of our usual single large bed. The “bathroom” was outside the back of the tent– a toilet with the pitcher of chemical liquid nearby and a bucket shower. However, the Olduvai bathroom arrangement had felt quite private and comfortable–the Ronjo camp set-up did not. Given that the camps have the same owners it’s somewhat surprising–and easily remedied. The problem is that the thatched wall surround is lower at Ronjo than at Olduvai (and the Olduvai tents back onto the kopje). Also the sides of the tents are more exposed to their neighbors (again making the height of the walls more important). For some reason I cannot fathom, they do not hang the shower buckets very high at Ronjo–I had to bend a little and I am 5"2"--you can imagine what the 6" guys had to do. We were in tent 3 and I had to ask to be moved because it was right on the path from the dining room tent on which the male staff and guests passed back and forth and if you were in the “toilet” the cloth curtain was blowing about and there was no way to secure it on the sides--fortunately I had Fred available to hold it for me. When I asked to be moved I explained that it was a privacy issue and I was told by the camp manager that I was not the first to complain. So, Leely, make sure you request certain tents at Ronjo–I suppose that you will be at a different camp location and so I do not know if number 3 will remain the one to avoid. I would suggest that you ask for tents away from the main path to the dining room tent–in fact away from the tent at all because at least in its current set-up there are tents behind the dining room so that the DR tent is within the site lines of your views. I’ll let ATR know about the situation. On the plus side, we thought they did a nice job with the food and they now charge batteries for clients. If you do not want to stay in a lodge in the seronera valley, it does provide an alternative.

Very early the next morning Edward drove us to the balloon site. We arrived before dawn, the first customers to arrive, and the crew was starting to assemble the balloon by the light of vehicle headlights. There were two balloons; ours held 12 people, I am not sure about the other one. The pilot assigned us to a section–3 in each corner of the balloon basket with the pilot in the middle. I did not realize how we would be entering the balloon. I had imagined a gate that you walked through. Instead, the basket was on its side and we positioned ourselves on our backs with our knees bent crouched over to keep our heads below the rim of the basket. As the balloon filled with air it pulled the basket upright at which point you could stand up. There was difficulty getting our basket aloft. A panel that seals the air inside the balloon kept coming loose. The pilot informed us we might not be able to take the ride if they could not resolve the problem soon as there was a limited window of time that they could fly because of thermals. The wind had been unusually strong that week and he had been forced to cancel 4 of the last 7 flights. The other balloon had lifted immediately and we waited, crouched in the basket, listening to the burner blow hot air in the balloon, wondering if our flight would be cancelled. On the fourth try, we were off. The delay meant that there would be a shorter flight–about 40 minutes. Once airborne the pilot kept us rather low (obviously above the trees) and there were moments when you were floating over a herd of wildebeest and zebras and they were running across the land below you that seemed right out of the descriptions. Perhaps the highlight of the flight though came not from the animals below but from two of the passengers– a marriage proposal complete with diamond ring, a surprised and happy bride to be. We learned about the engagement because she started to cry and at first we thought something was amiss until they explained the tears were joyful. When we landed everyone is given a glass of champagne, we toasted to the couple, and the rest of the event turned into an impromptu engagement party. They drove us to a site where the crew had set up a lovely breakfast–table set under acacia trees, china, more champagne–and a “loo with a view.” The engagement made everything very festive and certainly enhanced the pleasure of the trip for us.

A couple of other comments on the balloon ride. Chatting with the pilot we learned that the company has a female pilot and an African (black) pilot–unusual for the industry. They hope to send the African pilot to the World Balloon Competition in a year or so–breaking the color line in that event. As other posters have noted, the burner is noisy and it seemed that the quiet moments were fewer than the noisy ones. I asked the pilot if his use of the burner was typical and he said yes. I know that many people ask whether it is worth the money–and it is one of those personal decisions that everyone has to make for themselves. I am glad that I did it but I probably would not do it again.

The rest of the day was spent game driving seeing lions mate, revisiting the leopard in the tree we had seen the day before, now with a fresh kill in the tree with him, watching another leopard stalk a baby zebra–unsuccessfully. I now realized that I could enjoy the tension of the hunt but preferred that the outcome be unsuccessful–at least for the predator, that is. Watched a very young hippo out of the water with its mother--up, plop, up, plop--fun to watch. A sad scene in which a mother wildebeest had lost her calf and was plaintively calling out for it. We wanted to get out of the car and help her search–I prefer to think that she found it after we left.

The next day we left Ronjo to game drive to the Naabi gate where we would meet our new guide Ken and shift to Nomad camps for our last 5 nights of safari. On the way out we noticed that a full zebra carcass we had seen on the way to camp the preceding afternoon was now merely skeleton. We came across 5 hyenas, 2 jackals and vultures engaged in finishing off a wildebeest carcass (an adolescent, not a calf). One of the hyenas took a piece across the road and hid it but the jackals immediately found it. The jackals then took turns eating so that one of them could chase away the vultures if they made a move toward the meat–one did so and the guard jackal leapt at it nipping at its leg. Watched a baboon family for awhile that had an extremely young baby–mom was eating and the baby kept trying to get in on it–looked to be saying “hey Mom can I have some too?”

We reached the Naabi gate and it was time to say goodbye to Edward. In our six days with him we had laughed a lot and had learned a lot. He had been a very good companion and a great guide. We were sorry to see him go. We were also sorry to say goodbye to the seronera valley where we had seen a lot of animal action and we were a little wary of what Ndutu would bring.

Next, safari with Nomad, “Masek” and Loliondo Camps

bat, raced through and will read more carefully when I get home from work.

Did see the Ronjo toilet/shower issues. Dear lord!

leely: I do not mean to make it sound dire--it is easily fixed and I will make a point of bringing it up to ATR.

Oh I was just kidding (sort of); should have used a smiley.

Take care and get some rest!

There'll be no rest until the trip report is complete. Keep it coming!

I must say it's torturous seeing all these trip reports without a trip to Africa in the works this year but I can't stop reading.

WELCOME BACK BAT! So glad to see your report, I read the first part, must go for supper, but printed out the second part - can't wait to read!
Just so that I get it right in my trip report index is MKSC Mt Kilimanjaro Safari Club? If so, is it a ground operator in Kenya?
Lynda

Lynda:
Yes, that is the correct name--the ground operator in TZ.
AKA (and this is what is on the vehicles) Tanganyika Expeditions. They own the Olduvai and Ronjo Camps. To stay at these camps you have to be on an MKSC safari. [same with Nomad for its camps]

You lured me in alright with your teaser! How fascinating that you took in part of the genocide trial. Adds a whole 'nother dimension to the Africa experience. What a good idea to seek out a local source of school supplies rather than lugging them from home.

Glad you gave an account of Arusha Nat Park, a place on my list, but not one that gets much of a review.

How wonderful to witness wildebeest birth with the added drama of the hyena!

The Manyara baboons you recounted bring back memories, especially the babies on the backs. Those troops were some of the most obliging photographically as I recall. But also aggressive if they were in people's vehicles. That would be scary.

What luck your drive to the balloon produced a hyena den with pups, a favorite of mine. Glad you could appreciate the little guys even if they're not a favorite of yours.

We agree exactly on the balloon experience. But you had the added bonus of a proposal on your ride!

To see a cheetah kill with hunting lessons for the cheetah cubs is an amazing stroke of luck!

Such an enjoyable report. Looking forward to the Ndutu finale you alluded to.

atravelynn:
Thanks for the close read--I did lug the school supplies though (or rather the airline did and the guys at Ngare Sero). I don't think I could have found the items there easily and certainly not for the price I got them here--I did want to convey to folks in the U.S. the kind of store where I found the "fun" school items. It is sort of like what used to be called a 5c & 10c (five and dime store) or a "notions" store. I was able to buy things by the dozens. It is rather eccentric but there might be something like it in others' hometowns/cities.

I'm really enjoying the trip report, bat. Thanks for all of the details!
Carrie

Okay, I'm ready for more.

You've had some very interesting sightings so far despite the lack of a dense migration. I have to say I like hyenas, especially the way they lope around--lucky you got to see the babies.

Can't wait to tell my friends about the toilet scene at Ronjo--that'll give them something to ponder for the next four months. When you say the bathrooms are outside the tents, do you mean you access them by walking outside? I'm one of those people who inevitably wakes up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Problem?

Keep it coming, bat. I love all the details.

Also, you said you had arranged a late start for your Arusha NP day. Do you think you would have liked more time there or was your (half day?) sufficient?

Can you tell I'm reading and re-reading and making notes?

Leely:
I am glad that you are reading closely--I worried about the length and detail but wanted to put it in, particularly for places about which we have not had alot of reports. Feel free to ask as many questions as you want.

re the bathroom at Olduvai and Ronjo. I tried to make a sketch out of parentheses and underlining but when I went to preview it the letters were all moved around--so let me try to describe it in words.

You unzip the back wall of the tent and step out--yes, you are outside. You are in an enclosed area of thatched walls.
Within that enclosure a few feet back from your tent is your toilet on one side and your shower on the other. At Olduvai the thatched bathroom side walls connect to the tent with a gate on one side--for staff to access the toilet area to replenish supplies. At Ronjo the walls wrap around like a U with the side walls extending a few feet, parallel to the side wall of the tent. But there is no gate, just an opening. And the problem with tent 3 was that the path to the dining room was on that side of the tent so that with the curtain flapping in the wind, you felt that someone walking down the path would be able to see in. The other tents would not have this problem. But all of them at Ronjo have a lower height thatched wall than at Olduvai (and are not backed onto a kopje)--so when someone is taking a shower, you can see your neighbor--depending on their height perhaps from shoulders up.

Maybe sarvowinner can chime in--she did not mention any of this so I do not want you to get a distorted view from me. If we had not been assigned tent 3, I think that all that I would have said was that the walls could be a little higher as could the shower head.

Re Arusha NP--yes, I definitely wish that we had stated earlier to add the walk at Meru. Friends did that and found themselves walking with giraffes. Also, Stacia mentioned the ash cone on Meru that you can walk to. When you read about Arusha NP, the descriptions tend to indicate 3 distinct areas--lower slopes of Meru, the crater, and the lakes. Besides you are paying for a full day anyway.

bat,
Thanks for the heads-up. I'm not going to worry about this too much (even though I'm 5'8"), but will definitely request tents away from the dining tent. And definitely not a hatch-top vehicle; that sun is too strong for me.

leely:
Not to confuse--The second vehicle we had with the sun canopy has a hatch top. But you have the option up raising 4 rods to a vertical position upon which the canvas sun canopy fits to shade the open hatch area--high enough above to permit standing with our heads and cameras above roof level.

leely:
Also, re the bathroom walls--my "neighbor" was my TC who is over 6 ft tall-besides, I should get a "reality check" from the guys to see how they remember it.

re: roofs. Hatch-top, pop-top, Pop Tart...I know what you mean.

And showers: funny, I called my friend to tell her about your report. She said, "Oh, I'll just bring a bathing suit."

As we're also a party of three, one more question, and then I hope you'll get back to your wonderful report. Did they always give you tents next to each other? As the person who will be sleeping solo, I do hope to have my friends nearby to hold my flapping toilet "wall" for me.

Yes, always tents next to each other.

P.S. no bathing suits necessary.

Great report Bat - I'll have to get going again.
We had exactly the same thoughts on the coffee at Olduvai & Ronjo. MKSC has to get their act together & "smell the coffee".
Certainly agree with you about the jackals - they are lovely animals. You were so lucky with the kills (or maybe not??). I also enjoyed the stalking but in the end wasn't too sad to have missed the actual death strikes.
I wonder if it was the same cheetah & cubs we saw by the river? The cubs were half grown & the mother was stalking a baby hartebeest.
Read your comments on tent 3 to my daughter who stayed in the sme one. She asked me to relay her solution - she used the pieces of loose wire holding the wall thatch together & poked a hole in the curtin fabric. I guess those years in Brownies & Guides paid off.
BTW did you happen to come across a swimsuit. I think I left it hanging on the thatch after our swim - I had to use knickers & tank tops in Zanzibar.Keep writing - I'm looking forward to reading more.

Welcome back! Am saving this to read when I have proper internet access back!

A great report bat. I just returned from TZ on 25th Feb and also stayed at Ronjo and Olduvai camp. I have to agree with bat regarding the "en-suite" bathrooms. Straw-thatched walls with Maasai blankets to cover the entrance. The bottom parts of the thatched wall have a wooden frame, into which I would tuck the blankets in. This was the only way to prevent the windy gusts revealing all. The milky liquid in the jug is dettol-water, used to prevent the odours from the chemical toilet. I took a bathrobe with me, which definately made me feel better. I have a photo of the bathroom....is there anyway of sharing it on this forum?

Hi Africa, hope you had a great trip. Looking forward to hearing about your experiences. One possible way to share the photo is to send it to Eben for his website. Maybe he will see this and explain how to. Were you planning to post other photos of your trip? If so you could include it with them. I believe there are some threads on how to post pictures.

sarvowinner--clever daughter--since I had Fred I did not have to improvise!

With Nomad at Ndutu

So we started our time with Ken. We drove out of the Serengeti NP on the Naabi gate road and then made a right turn to Ndutu. It’s a dirt road and it started out exactly as I expected--uneventful. Yeah, we saw our tommies and our Grant gazelles. But then, Ken saw something— a Grant gazelle nudging something in the ground.. Ken stopped the vehicle–the gazelle looked at us for a moment and then very deliberatively moved away. Ken indicated that this was her way of drawing us away–from a baby. He now turned the vehicle toward them. My brain was trying to take this in–we are driving off the road! He drove us to the original spot and indeed there was a newborn –breathing very rapidly as a cooling agent –we watched for only a few moments so that Mom could come back. Wow! This is really cool driving off road, I thought.

We continued our drive–we saw ostriches and female lions. Ken gave us a discourse on hyenas as super predators and that they eat even bones which gives the moms calcium-rich milk for pups. He explained the tapetum lucidum of cats that gives them the ability to see well at night. Ken spotted a cheetah and stopped but then repositioned the vehicle perfectly for picture taking, turning the engine off and rolling it the last few feet so as not to disturb the cheetah. He then pointed out certain aspects of her coat that indicated she might not be completely healthy. By the time we reached camp late that afternoon two things were clear to us--driving off road was incredible and that Ken had a very sophisticated knowledge of the animals and their behavior.

We arrived at Nomad’s camp (ATR calls it Masek Camp, Nomad calls it Serengeti Camp and relocates it seasonally. In Feb it is in the NCA at a private campsite in Ndutu–actually it is relocated every 2 weeks even within Ndutu among several private campsites to permit some “resting” for the campsites). A member of the staff greeted us with cold drinks and then Ken walked us to our tents. A khaki color, they looked relatively new. Out front a shaded verandah with two camp chairs and a table. Inside our bed (two twins joined together) was positioned with the headboard on the right wall flanked by matching tables (khaki fabric-covered cubes with a decorative African print overcloth). Each table held a lamp designed in the style of a kerosene lamp but powered by electricity from a solar powered battery (staff placed the battery in the bathroom during the afternoon and removed it in the morning to be recharged; cords ran from the battery to the lights). On the opposite wall a basket for laundry (included in the price), a dressing table with the same decorative African print tablecloth, and an open closet unit (hanging bar above, canvas shelves below). On the floor a sisal rug. As you exited the back tent wall you entered the bathroom tent (leely, you are not outside). The ceiling of the bathroom tent had plastic skylights. The toilet was on the right (regular toilet seat over a “drop” toilet into which you placed scoopfuls of earth after use, provided in a basket by the side), a bucket shower in the middle, and a “sink” table to the left (basin with two pitchers for hot and cold water–hot water replenished in the morning and afternoon, extra water in a large bucket under the table). An additional table with bottled water and upon which to place toiletry bags, and two hanging “kerosene” lanterns completed the furnishings in the bathroom. The tent walls had rope draped on them for the towels and for laundry (the room instructions indicated that women’s underwear could not be included in the camp laundry but they provided detergent for hand washing). Very nice indeed.

Within a few moments, Mark came into our tent and said, “this is exactly what I thought elegant camping would be.” Then he gave me what I can only describe as a kind of “high five.” Trust me, he is not a high-five kind of guy. But there it was –it was boyish, it was exuberant, he was happy, and so was I.

The card with the camp instructions indicated that the bucket shower held enough water for only one shower. I showered first and noticed the “softness” of the water which made it a little difficult to tell that you had rinsed off the soap. [Ken later pointed out the wells that the various operators use for their non-drinking camp water–they have locked lids on them and trucks pull up to load water for the camps. We saw Explorer and Kibo trucks at the wells.] There was just enough water for me to finish my shower and at that point I thought, well this is kind of a nuisance because one of us is going to have to go out and ask for a refill. I had barely expressed this thought to Fred when I heard a staff member outside the back of the tent letting me know that he was re-filling it. Apparently they pay attention to the fact that there are two people in a tent and refill automatically at shower time. One last comment about the bathrooms–in the morning a staff member enters the bathroom from a “service door” and puts your hot water on the sink table for you. So I preferred to sleep with the cover over the screened window in the back tent wall shared by the bedroom and the bathroom. The staff member will call out before entering the bathroom in case you are in there.

Cleaned up we headed out to the campfire and met our camp mates, a couple from the U.K. (One tent was empty so there were only the five of us.) We also met their guide, Emmanuel. After cocktails and appetizers around the fire we moved into the dining room tent. To our delight we then realized that Ken and Emmanuel would be joining us for dinner. It turned out that the British couple and Emmanuel are all very funny storytellers. We had a great meal and great laughs all during dinner. At the end of the meal Emmanuel addressed all us about plans for the next day. He recommended an early morning game drive (6:30 am), a return to camp for lunch and then an afternoon drive (4:30). Because we were in the NCA, all vehicles needed to be back in camp by 7pm. After discussing it with Ken, I abandoned my original idea of returning to the Serengeti to the Moru Kopjes area we had not seen, and decided to see what else the Ndutu area might hold.

The next morning we had coffee (back in the land of real coffee) delivered to our tent with our wake-up call and then headed out. It was a cat morning. As we departed Mark caught sight of a leopard on the run but Fred and I missed it. . We followed a young male cheetah for awhile who, Ken indicated, was trying to mark out territory. We saw a hugely fat-stomached-from-a-kill female cheetah. Another female seemed as if she might be getting ready to stalk so we watched her for awhile. We finished the morning drive by watching a pride of lions–three males and two females at the time.
After a nice lunch and a nap we headed out for the afternoon drive during which we had fun watching an elephant family of a Mom and three younger elephants with the baby about 6 months old. Ken believed that one of the younger elephants must have been “adopted” because it was too close in age with another to have been the natural offspring of the Mom. One adolescent elephant did not have tusks which Ken indicated was a genetic factor that could be seen at times. We drove around Lakes Ndutu and Masek, both were dried out but we enjoyed the acacia woodland landscape, the umbrella and flat-top acacias now so evocative of Africa for me. Also enjoyed watching a family of bat eared foxes and then headed back to camp.

We made a stop at Nomad’s other Ndutu camp (they had two) to say goodbye to a couple from Minnesota we had run into repeatedly over the past days because their itinerary overlapped ours at Olduvai and Ronjo. We had previously had a lengthy discussion about their experience climbing Kilimanjaro which he described as 98% misery and 2% elation. But now with a few more days of resting, he changed it to 70% misery and 30% elation. We plan to check with them in 6 months at which time we expect the memory of the misery will have faded even more but the memory of the elation will not. We all talked about what we had seen at Ndutu. For the past three days they had been trying to find a lion pride that had 8 cubs but had been unsuccessful. They had one last brief chance in the morning as they were flying out to return home.

Back at our own camp, another great dinner full of laughter (perhaps enhanced by the free-flowing wine (included)). Before turning in I used our mobile phone to call my mother– the only call that I made on the trip. I had told her she would not hear from us but could not resist once I knew the reception was so good. She was extremely surprised and said “are you calling from your tent?” I replied, “Yes, Mom, I am as a matter of fact.”

We had spent our two nights at Ndutu and were scheduled to re-locate to Nomad’s Loliondo camp the next day. They could give us a “late checkout” because new clients were not arriving that day. Plans called for a morning game drive with a bush breakfast, return to camp to pack and then after lunch head out to Loliondo. As we readied for the morning drive, Ken asked if we had heard the lions roaring at 5am–we had not. It had been one of the things on my “list”–what it would be like to experience being in a tent while hearing a lion roar, and somehow I had managed to sleep through it. We headed out for the drive and within a half hour, Ken received a call on the radio from Emmanuel. We changed direction and Ken explained that he and Emmanuel had made a plan to find the lions they had heard that morning. They would each explore in a different direction and would call each other when one had found the pride. As we approached the pride, we saw another Nomad vehicle with the folks from Minnesota–they would get to see the pride after all.

It again became clear what a difference off-road driving made. Had we been limited to the road, we would have been able to see a lioness or two, but not the cubs. With Ken’s adroit positioning of the car, we were able to get quite close. Not all eight cubs were visible and they were only a little active, but not really frisky. Still, it was great fun. We next decided to have our breakfast. We had not, foolishly as it turns out, requested a bush breakfast on the preceding day. I expected a box breakfast–nice, but a box breakfast nonetheless presumably eaten in the car. Instead Ken pulled into a spot shaded by an acacia tree and proceeded to unload items from the back of the vehicle: four small folding camp chairs, a folding table and tablecloth, plastic boxes of food (egg sandwiches, fruit, cereal with milk), a thermos full of hot water, and, lo and behold, a French Press coffee carafe to make fresh coffee. It was great.

We game drove back to camp and went to our tents to finish packing for lunch. The sky was quite cloudy holding the promise of rain. As much as I hoped for rain, the thought it might rain as we were leaving Ndutu made me melancholy. We went to lunch to say our good-byes to the Brits and Emmanuel but the wheels were turning in my head already–they do not need the tents, our next stop is a Nomad camp also–maybe we can switch a night. And you know the rest–it did start to rain, we made the switch, and Fred gained mega points in our relationship for being so sensitive to my feelings.

Downright giddy we set out for our late afternoon drive. The rain slowed down to a gentle mist. The air smelled fresh and moist, the dust was gone, I could swear it looked greener already. Ken found the pride again and now the cubs were as lively and rambunctious as could be–playing nonstop with each other or “attacking” one of the three adolescent males who played back. For two hours we had our own animal planet/discovery channel show–only it was three dimensional. The cubs were endlessly entertaining but there were also a few moments that punctuated the festivities with a little drama. The pride comprised five females four of whom were the mothers of the young cubs ranging in age from four to six months and three adolescent male lions. When we first arrived, the rain was still falling gently and Fred’s camera was getting wet as he took pictures. I noticed that tourists in the other vehicle were holding an umbrella over their camera so I lifted ours out of the hatch and opened it. A minute or so later, I heard Ken say in a quiet and calm voice that I should bring the umbrella into the vehicle. I did so immediately and asked why–he said, “because she was getting upset.” Apparently one of the lionesses was becoming agitated as I opened the umbrella–I asked him how he knew and he said it was because of her tail movements. A little reminder that we were watching lions very closely in the wild with no barrier between us and them. About a half hour later, there was a tremendous commotion when one of the lionesses laid into one of the adolescent males, with two other females chiming in. He had not seemed to be doing anything. Ken surmised that she was conveying a preemptive caution to him to be careful around the cubs. His own mother came over to him and Ken translated her actions to be consoling him–there, there, my boy, it’s OK, just be careful. The highest moment of drama actually came when the lions had moved out of sight. By ones, and twos they started to drift away from us behind some shrubs and trees. All of a sudden there was a tremendous, spine-tingling roar from the lions. Ken explained that the rain had removed the scent marking their territory and this was their way of re-marking it at the moment. We relocated the car to where the lions had moved—now they were spread over the plain. The light was leaving as it approached 7 pm –time to get back to the camp. It had been a magical two hours
.
Dinner was particularly festive that night–the chef served a cheese souffle for the first course–how he could produce one over an acacia wood fire is beyond me. The entire group stayed up later than usual ending the evening by toasting our time together with some special cognac we had brought for the trip.

Next, last leg of the safari-Loliondo

bat -

This has been such a great read.
Thanks so much.

thanks sandi--I appreciate it.

What an awesome trip! First of all, you tell a wonderful story and second, I can't believe what all you were lucky enough to see.

I really enjoyed reading this. Thanks!

Well, everyone has pretty much summed it up, but... this has been one fun report to read! Thanks for so much detail, bat! Any photos coming?

Cheerio,
Sharon

bat, I swear, my account of Oldupai and Ronjo is very similar! The friendly masaii guides, the lack of animals, etc..

For those looking for a visual of the fly-tents with the alfresco bath area, follow my links to our tent at Oldupai.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc33b3127cce977c447c68c600000026108ZbuHDRoA
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc33b3127cce977c4296e91f00000026108ZbuHDRoA
and here is Ronjo
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc33b3127cce977e0bef687200000026108ZbuHDRoA

Not the best, but in the first pic, you can see where the "bedroom" separates from the bathroom.

ok now I need to backtrack and read the bit about Nomad.

Great report bat!

oh my gosh I just got chills reading your most recent segment! What a great decision to stick around - you saw so much!

Wow, wow and more wow!

"Wow, wow and more wow!"

Totally agree with BostonGal.

Talk about living vicariously through trip reports!

Great that you were able to make a last minute camp switch. I liked the bit about the misery to elation ratio of climbing Kili. You'll definitely have to update us if you check in with them in 6 months.

About the instant coffee, all I can say is

now I understand the intro. This report is a perfect mix of wonderful wildlife sightings, especially babies – I’ve never seen hyena pups – and very detailed practical information.

“Living vicariously”, thanks Kavey for finding the right words.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. One good thing about having to file a trip report is that it is forcing me to write down a travelogue that I otherwise would not have done.

Forgot to mention what an intriguing title you had for your post.

Good maneuvering on your part to hang on until the rains. Just in time.

Your lion pride encounter was wonderful!

Fred is a good guy.

Thanks for the excellent trip report Bat - your time in Ndutu was just a few days after we left. We also spent quite a bit of time watching the lion pride - and those cubs! just adorable. Thanks for letting me re-live this experience.

Fabulous report, bat! Can't wait for the end, then I will print out, re-read and put up on the index. What is MKSC though, just want to make sure I get it right in the index?????
Thanks!
Lynda

Lynda:
MKSC is Mt Kilimanjaro Safari Club. It is also known as Tanganyika Expeditions (that is the name on the vehicles). It is the local operator used by ATR for the non-Nomad portion of the safari. MKSC/Tanganyika owns Olduvai and Ronjo Camps for its exclusive use. They also own Mawe Ninga (in Tarangire). I believe that eben may have said that Mawe Ninga can be booked by other companies--I am not sure.

I guess I am not sure whether Ronjo is exlusive to them--perhaps eben or someone else knows--but for purposes of the index MKSC/Tanganyika Expeditions was the local operator for the non-Nomad portion. Nomad was the local operator for the Nomad portion.

Nomad Loliondo Camp

The next morning after breakfast in the dining tent we said good-bye to the camp staff–they all come out to say good-bye--and headed to the Nomad Camp in Loliondo As we drove out of the Ndutu area we watched a jackal family at play, at one point the acacia woodland took on an almost manicured garden appearance, and we passed the turn-off for Olakira Camp (at the muhanga campsite). I was tempted to pull in to see if we could take a look at a tent but it was now down to our TC’s last 2 days of vacation so it would not have been a fair request.

Basically as I understand it, we were driving north along the boundary between the NCA and the Serengeti NP. There were concrete markers periodically identifying the line between the two. We crossed the Naabi Gate road at the “pyramid” welcome sign and continued north. The “road” was really just tracks, very bumpy, and after an hour or so of driving we understood well why the Masai named the area “endless plains.” The total drive time was four hours with about three of that pure driving time. Along the way we ran into a Nomad vehicle heading south. Ken stopped to talk to the driver and we said hello to the family traveling with him. They were leaving Loliondo headed to Ndutu and the guide informed Ken that they had seen lion cubs and leopard while they had been at Loliondo. Seemed promising but I had already decided that even if Loliondo did not have any dramatic moments, our splendid finish at Ndutu would satisfy me.

As we entered the Piaya area, the landscape changed to include some large kopjes with very dramatic trees–a fig tree that worked its roots into the crevices of rock so as to appear that it was rooted directly into the rock. As we drove closer to camp we came across a wildebeest herd that had calved (in the Seronera valley, some had calved but others seemed to be extending their gestation period, holding off for rain and a trip to the southern grass plains).

Arriving at Loliondo camp we received the same cold drink and warm welcome that we had received at the Ndutu camp. Our tents, however, were a bit of a disappointment. It was not merely that they were army green and slightly smaller than the tents at Ndutu, they were much older and shabbier–somewhat stained and mended. Of more concern was that they needed more mending–a “run” in the front screen, some gaps here and there in corners which could permit insect ingress. The shower curtain was stained and the plastic liner torn. Even if we had not had the contrast between the niceness of the Ndutu camp I think that we would have thought that we expected more from Nomad. On the plus side, the staff made the needed repairs immediately and Ken told me that our vehicle had brought new shower curtain fabric that a staff member would be sewing into new curtains. The camp had the same great staff attention to our needs, the same great cooking, and of course, the same great guide. The tents looked out at an acacia studded landscape with the addition of a zebra family who liked to hang out at the camp. (Which reminds me of a Cole Porter song, or my variation on it that is–“you say zeb-ra, I say zee-bra, let’s call the whole thing off”–I had not realized there was a Brit/Am difference in pronunciation. What is that saying–two countries divided by a common language? But, I digress.)

Two of the attractions of Loliondo Camp are that you can go on walks and on night drives because it is located within a private concession. The local Masai have given private concessions to Olakira/Sayari and Wildlife Explorer in the vicinity as well. We went out on our afternoon drive at 5:30 intending to stay out past dark. This meant that we would have another staff member with us who would drive the vehicle so that Ken could be the spotter. Before sunset we saw giraffes (I never tire of seeing them–they seem so other worldly), hartebeest, eland, wildebeest, tommies, impala, a leopard kill in a tree but no leopard, baboons, and dikdik (which are so cute in their pairs). In addition to the umbrella and flat top acacia we were used to, the landscape included whistling acacia and a fair amount of aloe. There was one addition to the landscape that was disturbing–periodically you could see the skeleton of Masai cattle. (You may remember that eben reported in January that the lack of rain had caused Masai from other areas to come into the Loliondo area in search of grazing for their cattle. They and their cattle were long gone but some scattered skeletons were the remnants from that time.) There was no dust (yea!) as it had rained the day before. There were also no other vehicles. I realized that our particular itinerary had taken us in a progression from more vehicles with only on-road driving within time limits (crater, seronera valley) to less vehicles and off-road driving but still time limits (Ndutu) to almost no other vehicles, off-road driving and no time limits (Loliondo).

After dark, Ken used an infra red light which illuminated the eyes of the animals in red without bothering them the way that a spotlight would. As a result we saw our only bushbabies of the trip and African kangaroos–Ken’s joke which I fell for–spring hares (which do hop just like a kangaroo). We saw quite a few impala harems. I wound up calling this our “Night of the Living Dead” game drive because a herd of wildebeest set back into the woodland appeared as a long row of red eyes–a bit spooky. We enjoyed the star gazing we could do from the open hatches of the vehicle. We returned to camp about 8:40 and then went to dinner. Ken said that a guest could choose to have an early dinner and then go out on a night game drive so that they were out later.

Our camp mates that night were a young couple from Chicago. We had fun hearing about their trip which had started in Egypt. One of the things that I noticed in talking to other tourists was that everyone–despite the absence of the migration and the prevalence of the hot dusty weather–had a fantastic time. Everyone’s face lit up when they told their favorite stories about their special sightings–and everyone had incredible special sightings to describe.

The next morning Fred and Mark set out around 7am for a walk–accompanied by Ken, a Masai guide, and an armed guard. Lazy me would meet them for a bush breakfast at the end of their walk. When I had said to Ken that I had decided not to go on the walk but could we have a breakfast in the bush like we had done at Ndutu and I would ride out for that, he expressed disappointment-- I had spoiled his surprise. I did not fully appreciate what he meant until I arrived at the breakfast location–one of the beautiful kopjes--and was surprised after all to find that this would not be a simple bush breakfast like Ndutu at all. There were at least three staff members there creating an acacia fire over which to cook, setting up a full scale dining table with regular camp chairs, and a buffet table to hold juice, fruit, cereal, yoghurt, and of course, fresh coffee. We would have an elegant “out of Africa” breakfast complete with eggs cooked to order when Fred, Mark, and Ken arrived.

I could see the red cloth of their Masai guide from a distance so I was able to watch them approach for quite a awhile. As they came closer I struck my very best Meryl Streep pose (I was wearing a long khaki travel skirt with a cream linen shirt, left forearm draped across my forehead shielding my eyes, right arm extended vertically in a languid wave) so that Fred could take the picture of me standing next to the breakfast tables with the kopje in the background. Look at me, look at me!! But they didn’t–they kept chatting and looking at things on the ground so I guess the perfect picture will have to remain only in my imagination..

That afternoon would be our last game drive at Loliondo; the next day we would be leaving first thing in the morning for the three hour drive to the seronera airstrip. Mark decided to stay in camp. One of the things we liked about being at Loliondo was that since you did not have to be back in camp by 7pm, you could be out on a game drive as the light softened at the end of the day and went into sunset and beyond. We saw a herd of wildebeest and what made it special was that it was only Moms and calves. There was literally a calf for every female. My main recollection of the drive was that it was a splendid display of antelope and it seemed like a setting for a midsummer night’s dream–elands, impala, grants, tommies, and dikdiks in a forested landscape. All we needed were some fairies and elves–or perhaps, a la Fantasia, some centaurs and fauns. At one point I had almost a pang of guilt that I should be disappointed that I was not seeing cats–but I wasn’t disappointed. It was lovely in the suffused light of dusk. [oops, I guess that I am already editing the memory--just remembered one thing that was not so lovely–Ken had maneuvered closer to a herd of Elands, Fred stood up to take a photo but before he could focus he cried out, I am being attacked–it was the dread tse, tse flies. Surprisingly, because I am a mosquito magnet, they did not bother me, preferring Fred and Ken). But back to it being lovely–we rode back standing on the seats, with a light breeze blowing in our faces, as we watched the sunset.

When we arrived back in camp we learned that Mark had just finished watching his own sunset tableau. There had been what seemed like an endless stream of wildebeest walking single file across the horizon.

For our last dinner, we were pleased to have Emmanuel back with us. He had picked up new clients at Seronera that day and brought them to Loliondo. The new guests had recently sold their house in the Cotswolds because of too many tourists and had moved to Scotland. They were avid salmon fishers and told us some very interesting stories about salmon fishing in Russia–complete with some rather harrowing descriptions of bullet riddled helicopters for transport. She had climbed Kili in the past so we were able to add to our collection of Kili climb stories. One theme seems to have emerged–it is hard to predict who will have the most difficulty on a climb–fitness not always being the best predictor. The Chicago couple had been on a visit to a local boma which they described as a highlight of their trip, enjoying particularly dancing with (or attempting to dance with) their host family. In all we would be a “full house” for dinner–7 guests and 4 guides. These dinners at Nomad camps seemed like a jovial dinner party every night with interesting people to meet–including the guides. [As an aside, I do not think you would have the same feeling at an Olakira/Sayari camp The greater size would foreclose a single dinner table plus the guests would be there with guides from different companies–in fact, would the guides eat with the guests there? I do not know.] In any event, we enjoyed thoroughly the social company of the other guests and the guides. Having the guides with us at dinner gave us an opportunity for conversation that we did not have in the vehicle not only because of sitting in different rows but also because we were concentrating on the animal viewing.

The next morning, after good-bye and thank-you to the staff, we left for the long drive to the airstrip. This time Ken took a slightly different “road” through the Serengeti arriving on the Naabi Gate road closer to the actual gate. The drive had been very bumpy and a repeat of the scenery and game we had seen on the drive in but we did get to see a very new born gazelle–we had missed the birth by moments, Mom had not even yet cleaned up the baby. We watched only a few moments so that Mom’s anxiety about our presence would be short-lived. We had been lucky it seemed to me in having a trip full of young ones.

Once back in the Serengeti NP it was not long before we saw lions. The male and three females were sitting and dozing under a tree right by the side of the road. We were the first vehicles to pull up and it seemed as if we could reach out and touch them. As we drove away, Fred requested that he be able to see a running cheetah (when we had seen the cheetah kill the week before he had looked at the oncoming herd for just a moment —unfortunately it was the moment the cheetah sprang). A few minutes down the road Ken obliged by spotting three cheetahs under a tree- a Mom and two adolescents. The adolescent male started to run–well, it was more of a lope but it would have to count. Not bad for a drive to the airport!

We arrived at the airstrip–the first thing we noticed was that there are no scales to weigh luggage. With no Zanair plane in sight as we neared our departure time, Ken checked with the Nomad office--they had confirmed our flight with Zanair (a nice touch I thought). The empty plane arrived, our luggage placed on board, hugs and handshakes with Ken and then we boarded ourselves. The plane took off, banked and passed again by the parking lot. Looking down we could see that Ken had waited and was waving at us. Sadly we waved back, sorry to be saying good bye to him and sorry that are safari had ended.

Next, some R and R in Zanzibar

Bat,
I just want to add my thanks to you. I am so enjoying your wonderful writing. You are a real story-teller. You accounts are leaving me salivating for our trip in June. We will be in the Serrengeti and the Masai Mara as well as other places and I can't wait. Thanks again for sharing.

marty:
Thanks for the comments--lucky you going in June. I'll be needing some trip reports then so I can look forward to yours.

bat,
We cried on the flight to Zanzibar. That's how sad we were that the safari was over and we had to say goodbye to our guide and cook. Strange, isn't it?

Anyway, GREAT report! I love the idea of you doing your best Meryl Streep and no one even noticing. Sheesh.

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts about Zbar.

hey leely, yeah I am still sad--kind of milking the trip by writing about it though.

Just think, that will be YOU at the Nomad camp in June--you will love it. I asked Ken how Nomad felt about requests for specific guides and he said they like it--so request away. If not Ken, Emmanuel would be great also.

Still have the Meryl Streep-esque image in my mind. You ended your safari on a strong note with the jackal and cheetah families. Thank you for a very enjoyable entertaining report. Well done.

I chuckled at the Meryl Streep reenactment. Did you bring the skirt/blouse especially for that purpose?

I loved the description of the “setting of a midsummer night’s dream”. Cats are a bonus, everything is perfect, and in East Africa you always get plenty of bonus on next game drive. The Meryl Streep pose is a perfect description of a kind of disappointment that’s more common. Beautiful trip report.

It just gets more magical as it goes on, doesn't it?

bat, once again a great installment.
Like the others, I love your effort at the Meryl Streep photo op.

I am starting to feel guilty, I am STILL only on day 4 or 5 of my trip report and I've been home for over 3 weeks!

Looking forward to your review of Z'bar.

thanks for your comments. Africa does get more magical and it does so when you least expect it. If you think about my trip from one perspective--planned around the migration that did not happen--it was a bust--and yet, of course it was not at all.

cruisinred I did not take the skirt & blouse for that purpose--did not know we would have that kind of setting. But that day because I was not going on the walk or a "real" game drive, I wore sandals--I was quite tired of my socks/walking shoes, the skirt was clean and so--the Meryl Streep pose idea occurred because of the setting.

I'm sorry we won't be able to see the Meryl Streep pose.

I had a similar yet opposite photo op experience in Kenya. I was sitting in the pool at Samatian gazing out at the sunset. Just as I started getting out of the pool, I heard collective screams of "No!" coming from Mark, Ross and Ross's mom who were all sitting in the lounge. Unbeknownst to me, Mark had been trying to compose a perfect photo with the sunset, me and the reflection off the pool and I'd just ruined his shot! He later made me re-enact but I don't think it was quite the same.

I'm glad to hear that Nomad uses infrared lights on their night game drives. I'd heard that some camps in Kenya were switching to this as it's not supposed to blind the animals like a regular spotlight would.

Loving this and waiting rather impatiently for the Zanzibar chapter. We leave for TZ on March 14th:
Tarangire Treetops
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
Serengeti Serena
Olakira
Bluebay Beach Resort Zanzibar
I AM SO EXCITED THAT I KEEP GETTING KNOTS IN MY STOMACH. OH THE PAINS.

bugswife,
How exciting! You'll have to take a lesson from bat and make the most of your time at Crater Lodge.

And don't forget the khaki skirt and white shirtsleeve blouse just in case there's a landscape you'll look lovely posed against.

Patty-that is the opposite!

bugswife, remember when you first posted and now it is less than 2 weeks away? great itinerary, you will have a fabulous time and we will be looking forward to hearing particularly about Olakira.

leely--the advantage to the missed shot is, of course, that it is lovely in my mind.

I know!!!! I almost paid $$$$$$$$$$$$ for the trip! Thank the lord for Sandi. She really is a pleasure. And, since we are both located on the east side of NYC, perhaps I will be able to see more of her when I return (right now it seems all I am doing is getting ready for the trip). Now, if anyone knows of a good parrot sitter in NYC, I would be forever in their debt.

BTW Patty--Mark is a "keeper" too!

To Zanzibar: Emerson & Green, Matemwe Bungalows

Mark, Fred, and I sat in silence–each in our own contemplative world about what we had experienced. The pilot had told us before take-off that we would be stopping at Manyara to pick up other passengers on the way to Arusha. I had imagined that the flight would be a scenic one, combining transportation with viewing, but it was a bit of a disappointment. The pilot had asked us to sit mid plane which meant on the wings. I could look down and see some landscape but it was obscured and I was not sure what I was seeing, although I did recognize Manyara as we approached it. We landed at Manyara and a family embarked–three children and their parents. Throughout the short flight Mom had a smile on her face that was a “I am actually terrified but I am pretending to smile so that my children will not know that I am terrified” smile. When we arrived at Arusha she said to me surely this will not be the same plane. As we disembarked I asked whether we would be on the same plane the answer–yes–I told her the bad news.

Fred and I said good-bye to Mark who left for shopping and a day room at the KIA hotel before his evening departure on the KLM flight. We had to be ticketed for the Zanzibar segment which involved paying a local departure tax ($6pp). The ticket agent asked me how much our luggage weighed and with pounds on the brain I said 33. He immediately said that is too much at which point I realized my error and corrected it. Our stored luggage never left the plane. We were permitted to board the plane prior to the new customers and Fred and I made the mistake of picking the back row (one seat had more leg room)–a mistake because the plane was very hot and the back row was the hottest. Perhaps this was to prepare us for our arrival in Zanzibar.

We left the plane at Zanzibar and the heat and humidity hit us like a physical blow, staggering us. Fred, formerly nice Ndutu Fred, gave me a look that said I had better have the correct answer–“Our hotel tonight is air-conditioned, correct?” I answered yes, but privately I was trying to remember whether someone had posted in Fodorville that the a/c at Emerson and Green was not always reliable. I chose not to share these misgivings. We had no problems retrieving our luggage and the porters took us to a cab–did not think to ask for one with air conditioning. Our taxi driver spoke almost no English. As we sat in the taxi about to depart a child walked up to my side of the car and looked at me imploringly. He did not ask for money; he did not gesture for money. He merely stood and looked at me. It was heartbreaking and with great difficulty I broke away from his gaze to say to Fred that I wanted to give this child money–he told me to be strong but I did not think I could resist. I started to fumble for money, but the taxi pulled away before I could make the mistake.

As we drove toward Stonetown I saw women covered in black from head to toe, a vivid reminder that Zanzibar is a Muslim island–it seemed odd to be going to a beach resort in such a place. I looked wistfully at the Serena as we passed it because I knew it would have reliable air conditioning. Our taxi driver stopped the car at the closest point to E & G (you cannot drive up to it) and before we could open our doors, two men approached each of our back windows offering to help with the luggage. I was in a bit of a quandary about what to do. Our taxi driver was quite old and would not be able to handle much, I was not sure how far the hotel was, and in that heat I did not want to try to carry my duffle by myself (no wheels to lessen the weight) or have Fred carry both. Our driver was in a bit of an argument with them but because of the language barrier I was not sure what was being said. We decided to have one of the men help carry luggage. As he walked ahead of us I felt some momentary panic that he would turn a corner and disappear–but he did not and we and all of our luggage arrived at Emerson and Green a short distance away.

We checked in and went, via several sets of stairs with irregular and high risers, to our room–one of, if not the most, interesting hotel rooms I have ever seen. It is located on the top (3rd) floor of the new wing–called the Peace of Love wing (created by acquiring an adjoining building). Emerson & Green’s website has good pictures of it. http://www.zanzibar.org/emegre/mainframe.htm The Keep Suite has four different sections to it–you walk into a “room” that is a roofed verandah that is open to the outside (scalloped half walls and some lattice screening). In it are a desk, cabinet, loveseat and large curvilinear tub with shower. Tucked in one corner behind a screen--the sink and toilet. On the right side, lattice swinging doors open to a small garden. To the left there is a separate bedroom completely enclosed and with air-conditioning- a huge bed that took up one end of the room with steps to climb into it. Outside in the small garden area a set of stairs took you to the roof level where there is a very large pavilion–banquette seating around two sides of a table and a wooden swing large enough for two. Fantastic panoramic views (one section of lattice wall to give you privacy from the guests and staff in the tower restaurant).

The staff member who showed us around the room endeared himself to us when he showed us how to use the a/c remote control and put it down to 16 saying, 16, will be very cold in a few minutes. And it was!! (the a/c is a through-the-wall Sanyo unit–looked new.) Because the bedroom was small the a/c unit kept it as cold as we wanted. We spent the rest of the afternoon running back and forth between the un-air-conditioned portion and the a/c’d bedroom. That night we had dinner in the Tower Restaurant and as we waited for sunset, we were reminded of Stonetown’s Muslim identity when loudspeakers blared the call for prayers, and the prayers, from various mosques in town. Most of the courses at dinner were pretty good (terrible cake for desert). The ambience was nice and there was a violinist. But we realized later that we had made a mistake given that we could have had a private dinner in our own rooftop pavilion.

The next morning we corrected our mistake by having breakfast in our pavilion, then went on a guided town tour that included shopping. The hotel arranged the guide–Shaaban—who, commenting on architecture along the way, took us through the labyrinthine streets to the former slave market and to the food market. I enjoyed seeing the colorful stalls full of produce declining, however, to take a close look at the chickens and meat section. Shaaban was very helpful negotiating prices for us at a spice stall. We returned to the hotel where a driver awaited us for the trip to Matemwe Bungalows. We felt as if we were on a mini-safari as porters with our luggage followed us through the streets to the van. I had become so overheated during our three hour tour that I was ecstatic to see that the van was air-conditioned.

The main roads to Matemwe, north and east across the island, past police roadblocks checking that vehicles with tourists in them had the correct licenses, were very good. Even after we made a “left at the beach,” the road was not too bad but then it really deteriorated. As we bounced and lurched, the driver explained that he had two choices, either to drive on a sand road on which he might get stuck or to drive on the very rocky inland road he had chosen. Fred and I were surprised that the undercarriage of the van was not being destroyed–it felt and sounded that way. When we arrived at Matemwe Bungalows the staff greeted us with leis made from white flowers from the gardens. I do not know what else to call them–is there a Zanzibarian name? Iced towels followed–hmm, good start.

The Asilia group (Sayari/Olakira, Oliver’s Camp) purchased Matemwe Bungalows about 18 months ago and the company has made some significant infrastructure changes (and raised the prices as a result; $420pn for a double, full-board). Gone are the standard units, replaced by new suites. There are a total of twelve units (none with a/c)–all suites–the 6 original suites and 6 new ones. The property lays in a line along a rocky promontory. Starting from and facing the reception area, above and to the right (south) is the large, two story thatched-roof dining room one end of which is a lounging area. Further to the right is the beach–some of the finest white powder sand I have ever seen. This stretch of beach continues past the village and down to Matemwe Beach Village and the other Matemwe accommodations. Back at the reception area to your left (going north) is the pool area (new this season). There are two small, shallow pools, one at the path level and one above at the top of the promontory level. Each has a curviness to it and some special feature–the lower pool has a waterfall, the upper has an infinity lip where you can stand and stare at the ocean and its tidal movements. The lower area has a bar (replacing the former beach bar) with a sand floor, cushioned seating areas separated by parts of dhow boats, and the skeleton of a whale. Continuing north along the path by the bar the twelve units are laid out with units 1-6 being the new ones, and units 7-12 the older ones. Each unit is reached by steps (ours had 10) from the garden path and is sitting on top of the promontory. The garden along the path is lovely and very interesting in its shape and plantings. The difference between the new units and the older ones is that the new units have a loft area with a bed and desk and a larger bathroom with two sinks and a separate bathtub instead of a shower only. All have louvered wood window shades and louvered French Doors to a curved terrace that faces the ocean. There on the terrace is a double width hammock and chairs. The terrace is shaded by the overhang of the Makuti thatch roof. We were in unit two and from the terrace we had about a 240 degree view of the water with Mnemba Island visible to the left.

It was everything that I hoped it would be–peaceful, relaxing, stunning views from everywhere but particularly a private shaded space with a stunning view. We were able to relax about as quickly as we ever had at a place. In fact we quickly became slugs. Our first full day, we woke early to the sun rising directly in front of our terrace and to the makings of fresh coffee waiting there for us (thermos of hot water, coffee in a tin, the identical French Press carafes Nomad uses). We sipped our coffee while we watched the local fishermen head out in their dhows (because there is a protective reef they are heading out by traveling parallel to the shore right in front of the suites), then meandered down to breakfast (buffet with fruit, juice, cereal, baked goods, yogurt, etc plus a grill station for eggs and meat cooked to order). We followed breakfast with some time in the pool during the early, more benign sun time staring at the tidal action from the lip of the upper pool. We returned to our room when the sun got too hot and lay in the hammock and read or watched local folks in the water as the tide receded further–men and boys fishing, women tending seaweed gardens (the women go in fully clothed). Then it was time for lunch so we wandered back down to the dining room to an excellent selection of salads (often with an Indian influence) and some grilled fish from the grill station. Then more lounge time on our terrace until later in the afternoon when we ventured out for a better look at the beach and a dip in the pool again. Back to the room we ordered a cocktail from the staff member who came by around 6pm, watching the light change over the ocean as the sun set). We later headed out to dinner, a served meal with two main course choices. During dinner a staff member inquired about our day and whether we wanted to engage in any activities the next day. After dinner some star gazing, a little reading, sleep.

Next day repeat. Variations available: lounge at the beach instead of the pool (Makuti thatch shaded lounge chairs), walk on the beach (past some stalls from which local villagers sell pictures and t-shirts), go for a guided walk during low tide to the protective reef barrier, go snorkeling to Mnemba Island, kayak in the lagoon, scuba diving. We did the snorkeling trip–about 2 and a half hours–time of day in the morning dependent on the tide–on their own dhow, motor out and sail back. We also went on the guided reef walk. As has been said a number of times, this beach and most on Zanzibar, are very tidal. When the tide is in you can swim from the beach and the bottom is sandy. When the tide is out, it is very shallow all the way out to the reef and the exposed bottom is covered with sea urchins. They provided reef shoes and you picked your way through the sea urchins, past the seaweed gardens, to the protective reef. When the tide was out you could also walk on the exposed beach along the base of the promontory. Because it is so hot and so tidal, the addition of the pools greatly enhanced our enjoyment of the place. [We were told that Matemwe Beach Village will be adding a pool also.]

Asilia (or some of its shareholders) purchased (or have some legal claim to) the land adjoining the beach front along the small bay to the immediate south of the resort–in other words , the resort’s beach-- which will protect it from other development. We were told that a large (perhaps 200 unit) hotel is planned for somewhere between that bay and Matemwe Beach Village.

Chatting with other guests, we were able to continue our “research “ on Kili climbs. A college age Australian woman who had climbed with her Dad, did not feel that Kili was as difficult as she had thought that it might be and confirmed other comments about the fact that it was not necessarily the fittest person who had the easiest time. In her opinion it was not a particularly pretty climb–much preferring the foothills of Nepal. At dinner one night I noticed a man with a Kiliwarriors T-shirt, Eben’s company, and so, of course, asked if he had just climbed with them. He had and his comment about them was that they were simply the best on the mountain. One nice touch had been the staff singing the climbers into camp at the end of the day.

As far as we were concerned Matemwe Bungalows was perfect–an opinion shared by the other guests with whom we chatted. When we arrived, some guests who were leaving the next day asked us how long we were staying and when we indicated we had 4 nights, they became wistful at the idea of having 4 nights yet to unfold. By our last night, we were those wistful guests. Even so, it might not be the right choice for everyone–even putting budget aside. I would not consider it a good base from which to see the island–before we drove in on the bumpy road we had envisioned a day trip one day, but changed our minds by the time we arrived at the Bungalows. Plus once you are there it is hard to leave it. If we were staying longer than 4 nights I might have ventured out As a result, full board makes sense here. There is absolutely no nightlife other than star gazing. (Frankly, I am not sure what beach areas might have night life on Zanzibar but maybe larger resorts have live music at night, or areas like Kendwa have some party action.) But if you want an intimate, totally relaxing place with “rooms with a view” and its within your budget, we highly recommend it.

I guess my evaluation would not be complete without a comment about the weather and the ability to sleep without a/c. I was very worried about this and had been told that the sea breezes kept the room nicely cool. The breeze kicked up in the late afternoon and quieted down over the course of the night. The rooms have standing fans. The first night the electricity went off unexpectedly in the early morning hours turning off the fan and we woke up from the warmth. The other nights, without the electricity problem, we were fine. [And as you have probably already noted from my comments about the a/c at Emerson & Green, I am a climate control gal. My understanding is that February is particularly hot and humid. In fact, the Asilia website lists February as low season.. So if I was OK with only the fan, I think that most everyone else would be also. Besides, a major part of the ambience is its thatched roof bungalow architecture and you cannot have that with a/c.]

As you might surmise, we left Matemwe Bungalows very reluctantly. It was an excellent buffer between the on-the-go safari followed by the intensity of Stonetown and our dreaded return to home and work.

bat,

Stone Town is a trip, isn't it? It kind of freaked me out at first, especially coming from the ultra-protected world of the Northern Circuit safari. Love your description of the guys wanting to take carry luggage for you. Boy, that's one intense place. Hustle, hustle, hustle and heat, heat, heat--fascinating.

Thanks for helping me relive being there.

I'm happy (but not surprised) that you and Fred were able to just do nothing for days on end. I can't think of a better place to unwind.

I have requested Edward for the MKSC part of our safari.

Where to next?

Leely--you can make a request for Nomad also (according to Ken).

I agree completely about Stonetown--it was dismaying at first. The contrast between being in town and being on the beach is extreme.

re next trip.

I am suffering from safari withdrawal syndrome at the moment and the only cure of which I am aware is to plan your next trip but I do not know when the next Africa trip will be. Time and money--the usual obstacles--need to be figured out. I don't see anything sooner than June 07.

bat-

Thanks for the detailed description of Matemwe Bungalows. I was getting a little nervous due to all of the focus lately on the need for a/c, but now I am really excited about going there.

Carrie

Hi Carrie:
I know what you mean --I was very nervous also but I think that you can tell that we thought it was fabulous.
Remind me when you are going? How many nights there?

Hi again Carrie:
Never mind--I did a search and you are going to have a great trip!

Great report bat. Thanks for sharing. The UN tribunal sounds facinating. Did you feel like you had a good concept of what you were listening to?
The canoeing also sounds like a must do. It's amazing how much there is to take in when not taking in the animal sightings. I do feel that we could go back and do and see so much more.
Glad to hear that you had a good time.
Sherry

Still really enjoying this report, thanks so much!

funny the things that you think about when you are about to fall asleep--last night mine was--uh, oh, embarassingly bad math.

I wrote that we had a 240 degree view of water from our terrace. I was subtracting from 360 rather than 180. Each terrace has about a 180 degree view. To the right of ours you could see a makuti fence screening the side entrance to unit one then water for about 120 degrees, then foliage on the left through which you could see Mnemba Island. As I said, it was a lovely view.

sherry and kavey, thanks.

sherry re the tribunal--I could tell that he was a protected witness (because of the curtain around him screening him from the visitors' view), that he had been a member of the army, he was a Hutu who had married a Tutsi, and his family was killed --no details about their deaths while I was there (probably because he was being questioned by the defense lawyer at this point in the trial who would not want to go into those details).

There are a some things that people could do to get more context --go to the website ahead of time to see what trials are happening and look for info on what has happened in the trial to date. Send an email to the press office (close in time to when you will be there), tell them when you will be there and ask them about the trials. Ask at the tribunal when you get there. If security does not know, you could ask to speak to someone from the press office or ask the person who gives you the head sets.

I was fascinated seeing the whole set-up even aside from listening to some of the testimony.

bat,

Would you mind dropping me an e-mail...I have a couple questions I would like to ask you offline about your experience.

Thanks.

sure

E & G and Matemwe sound really nice. And you’ve done many Fodorites a favour telling them that you survived without A/C. It really isn’t necessary anywhere. Asante kwa ripoti.

Ha! You don't have to work in Bangkok in April Nyamera. However, of course you meant in East Africa, in which case the only air conditioning I need is the wind in my hair.

(Can you can tell I am excited about booking my trip? I am even thinking fondly of the dust.)

By the way that was great, bat.

Nyamera,
Your tougher than I.
To live without a/c in the bush is ok as there's a breeze of sorts and fresh air but I gotta say that when in Arusha it was was dog hot and muggy, with deisel fumes, fighting dogs in the hood and dusty construction outside my window in the early am. Not good whilst one's face is in a bucket.
Sherry

Kimburu and Sherry,
I’ve worked many summers in southern Spain, in a small space behind bulletproof glass and without A/C. When the fan was out of order I just used the most decadent looking banknotes ($$$-bills) to fan myself. I’ve also done some physically demanding labour in that kind of heat. It wasn’t nice as I always got “prickly heat” at the side of my neck. It’s not as humid as Bangkok or the East African coast though. In Kenya I’ve never stayed at a place with A/C, and I wouldn’t like to because I’d definitely catch a cold. Apart from the coast, Samburu is the only place where I’ve had and been happy to have a fan. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been to Kenya in June.

Kimburu, It’s very evident

Gosh, there are so many great threads today and I'm all backed up on my candlestick making!

Can't wait to peruse this, cybor's and the other threads more carefully later.

bat, did you find the tents hot?

I agree, excellent account of arriving in Stonetown - we had the same experience with men immediately rushing over to "help".

I'm so glad you enjoyed the Bungalows. We stayed at Matemwe Beach Village and loved the area. How far was the walk from your hut to the beach? It looked like a long walk, when we passed by on our diving boat.

You are correct - I had no idea a pool was even an option in Zanzibar! But they were in the middle of building one at the Beach Village.

Thanks again for your great report!

nyamera, I have noticed a cultural/national difference re a/c. More folks in the US grow up with it or are not acclimated to life without it.

Leely: the tents were not too hot--the sun is intense but you are high plains (Zbar is more humid)

BostonGal:
The distance to the beach varied with your unit. Number 1 closest, number 12 farthest (but 12 has a small cove next to it). We were in 2 and it was not far--past unit 1, the pool, the reception, the dining room and there you were. (not good at estimating actual feet).

At M Beach you walked out straight to the beach yes? How good was the view from your room? I debated between the Asali suite at MBeach vs MBungalows but went with MBungalows because the best information I could get was that I had a great shaded view from our terrace. I am very big on "rooms with a view".--Plus I thought the elevation on the promontory made breezes more likely.

Leely:
Did you mean at night-not hot. Even during the afternoon the shade went a long way.

bat,;
Thanks. Yes, I meant midday if you were hanging out, not on a game drive, was it too hot to hang in your tent? Sounds like the answer is no.

Leely:
Olduvai had a breeeze; did not stay at Ronjo mid afternoon; Nomad in camp every afternoon, could nap or sit on the verandah.

bat, thank you for the reply. I don't know why I'm wondering about this; I certainly can't control the weather.

Leely: besides at Nomad you can always have a G & T (with ice, no less) to cool off. You are going to love Nomad--they are even good enough for Rocco!!! [but not in an ott way like Crater Lodge]

We didn't have a direct view, it was less than 20 steps to get to the hammock and covered hut where you go when you need a break from the sun. From there, just another 4 steps and you're on the beach.

I found it to be very windy in the afternoon and evening, I wonder if since Beach Village wasn't up high, if they don't have any "beachfront" or "beachview" huts due to the kicking up of sand?

Leely,

I highly recommend requesting Chedial as your Nomad guide. He has done a fantastic job on my safari. Very knowledgable, great driver, great spotter, nice personality and makes sure that his vehicle is in tip top shape and always well stocked with a full cooler of beverages and even bean bags for photographers. Each Alexsandra and I have really enjoyed having him as our guide.

BostonGal: Thanks for the info--you may be correct about kicking sand--or perhaps it is "building set-back" requirements for how close they can build on the beach. I think I read that they have some suites with loft areas with views.

Rocco, No, No , No--no dueling guide recommendations--at least not on MY trip report--save it for yours

bat,

Sorry about that...didn't catch myself until after I had already sent it.

All Nomad guides receive excellent training as they spend time in each of the Nomad camps in the Serengeti, Katavi, Selous and Mahale. In addition, the guides also visit camps/lodges in areas where Nomad does not have a dedicated camp such as Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater.

Rocco,
Where are you right now? Stone Town?

How's the weather?

bat-

My husband wondered about tipping at Matemwe, and I thought you could help us with that. Do you tip everyone there pretty much? What is a typical amount? Also, what about the guided walks and snorkling trips--do the guides on those trips receive tips as well?

Thanks so much!
Carrie

Carrie:
No tipping during your stay. They make a point on arrival of telling you that you need no money whatsoever. There is a communal tip box to put money in at the end. In speaking with the new manager Tracy, she indicated that even if we gave an individual a tip they would likely put it in the communal box (apparently that is what they encourage).

We left most of our money at reception and kept a little in the room. The only person we tipped before check out was the masseuse who came to our room--How did I forget that! They have a masseuse on staff. She used to do informal beach massages but they encouraged her to go to school in Arusha. They fronted the tuition and she has some kind of pay back arrangement.

At check out we put money in the tip box and chose to separately tip a couple of staff members individually.

At check out you pay for any activities that cost money and bar bill (guided reef walk was free, snorkeling was $18 pp, massage was $30, etc). You can pay for these with a credit card.

rocco:
No problem, it is just that I am very fond of Ken (as you are of Chedial) which speaks well for Nomad. I think that we are agreed that the Nomad guides are well trained and I would be surprised to hear that someone was disappointed with their guide.

Ruminations on the trip four weeks later.

It is hard to believe that we have now been home longer than our trip lasted.

Different friends have asked the same question–was it everything that I expected. The initial answer is no–for ten months I had expected that I would see the mass migration of the wildebeest during calving. Even when I departed on the trip knowing that the rains had not come, I expected to be lucky and that the rain would come while I was traveling and in time to affect the migration. After I explain why I have said “no”it was not all that I expected, I add but it was more than I expected in other ways–the landscape, the joy of witnessing births and young animals at play, the tension of watching a stalking predator, the friendly staff, the comraderie of the knowledgeable guides.

In the last four weeks I have noticed a difference between my adjustment to the trip being over compared to Mark and Fred. For them, the trip has gotten better and better in their minds–they have not yet peaked. For me, writing my trip report kept the trip alive for a few days but then I got a case of the blues as the reality that it was over sunk in. I think for me the fact that I lived with the anticipation of the trip so acutely (via Fodorville) during the ten months prior to leaving, aggravated the loss I felt. Further aggravating was the fact that I did not see when a next trip might be. I finally comforted myself with a worse case scenario–I have a round (as someone on this forum called them) birthday coming up in four years and if no earlier opportunity arises at least I can choose an African trip for that. That released me to enjoy the memory of this trip.

All of this–their and my post trip reactions–indicates that we experienced something very special. Something that will stay with us.

I want to closeout this trip report with a thank you to our guides, camp staff, and their families. The camp staff looked after our needs always greeting us with smiles. They spend months away from their families. And the guides are also away from their families–I know that Ken missed his wife and young daughter very much and I am sure that they miss him. It’s a difficult job in other ways as well. It is not enough that the guides have developed an expertise in their subject matter, they have to be personable and able to handle the idiosyncracies of clients–who turn over every few days or week. They also have physical hardships–if we complain about the bumpy roads for a two week trip, imagine what years of it will do to someone’s back.

So I thank Edward and Ken and the staff at all of our camps for making this the proverbial trip of a lifetime.

What a nice post to close out your trip report, bat. I can relate to so much of what you said.

Now when do we get to see the pics?

Thanks patty.

Hmm, the pictures (yes, cooncat I saw you mention them a while back). Here is the deal--Fred took the pictures and is working through the sorting which he really only has time for on weekends. We are digital newbies and are trying to learn photoshop. Right now we are creating a slideshow for dvd viewing. Then we can cull further and learn how to post here.

That is the long answer.
The short answer--sometime before my next trip.

Just wanted to say -
WELL DONE, BAT!
I just finished it at the doc's office this morning, it was a great read and I really enjoyed reading about Zanzibar - so few of the reports 'make it' as far as Zanzibar - yours gave me good insight on what to expect there!

bat,
You'll have to try a lower-budget trip next time so that you can return sooner.

Wonderful report. Take your time with the photos, of course. Even though I am just DYING to see them.

I have not got the post trip blues yet but i had them after my first African trip so i can relate.Its funny but i am trying to come up with a way to return in a year or 2.Great trip report and i'd say you caught the Africa bug.

Your final installment was insightful in so many respects. A fitting ending to a great report!

Bat,
I really enjoyed your report! I love to read everyone's report (but am horrible about thanking people for their reports), but your report was one of the best, very interesting and insightful and well written. Glad you had such a great trip.
And yes, that "let down" feeling after the trip is really hard to get over even months later, so I know just what you meant. Hope you are able to get back sooner rather than later.

Your journals are amazing and I'm mesmerized by the detail. You are indeed a born writer and should find a publisher for your trip report! I loved the detail about the animals and their young from the birth at the Crater to the cheetah with her young cubs on the kill and the monkeys/baboons and even the hyenas, who you said had cute babies! Some of your toilet details make me wonder about the smells and the whole process of using those port-a-potties! (we've opted for 3 days of camping) It takes me back to Girl Scout camp when I was 10!

Thanks for giving us so many wonderful images to think about before our first safari in late May. I wish you'd stayed longer so there would be more and more to read!

I'm sad that your wonderful report has come to an end. It's been such an enjoyable read.

You'll now have to start planning your next trip to keep up your African anticipation factor.
Many thanks for sharing bat!
Sherry

lynda, leely, dlo, lynn, brandywine, mairseydotes, and cybor--thanks.

mairseydotes, you will love the "camping."

leely, you touched a nerve re budget because I followed the advice of someone on this forum to compartmentalize the cost rather than keep track of the overall expense--so I "popped" the budget at every possible juncture--buy FF miles, stay at Crater Lodge, take the balloon ride, buy a new camera, binoculars, etc.

At least some of the purchases can be used for the next trip (although Fred used someone's SLR digital to take their picture and having looked through it he now wants one).

brandywine, I, too, hope the next trip will be sooner than later--and trust me I am scheming--offered to climb Kili if that would mean going next year. Now that's someone who has caught the Africa bug alright!

bat,
I just skimmed your whole report again, but I can't find the part where you say something about how your phone (type?) worked better than your friend's (type?).


As a techno moron, I'm just trying to figure out the easiest way to do this. I have 9,000+ rollover minutes on my phone now, so that gives you an idea how often I use it.

Leely:
We had a T-Mobile cell phone. Fred called his service and said that he wanted to use it in Africa. Our friend rented a sat phone. I believe there is a less expensive way to use cell phones than what we did--it was expensive per minute--but there was great reception everywhere we were on the northern circuit. You will be further west so I am not sure about out there.

We wer not using it to call within TZ, our friend used it to call back to the US.

Perhaps the cheaper way is for use within the country. I know that Patty does that.

You'd probably need a quad-band or tri-band GSM phone for Tanzania. If you just use the sim that comes with the phone, you'll be "roaming" and thus subject to the provider's expensive rates. If your phone is "unlocked", then you can purchase a sim in Tanzania and use that instead. You'd have a local number and the rates on phone calls out of country would probably be cheaper.

If you're just going to use your phone for emergencies, then it's probably easier to just call up your provider and have them turn on international roaming. Just bear in mind that international roaming is expensive. For Cingular, it's $4.99 a minute in Tanzania.

bat and lifelist,
Thanks to both of you. Yes, I imagine I'll use the phone for emergencies only, and I hope we don't have any.

Leely,
Check if your phone is GSM and if it has the 900/1800 MHz frequencies. If so, your phone will work in Tanzania and you can ask your provider to activate international roaming.

T-Mobile charges a flat rate of $4.99 per minute in Tanzania regardless of whether you're calling to the US, within Tanzania, some other country or receiving calls.

A local SIM card should produce much cheaper per minute rates but your phone needs to be unlocked. T-Mobile provides unlock codes to customers on request as long as you've had your service with them for at least 90 days. Cingular does NOT provide their customers with unlock codes as far as I'm aware.

You can also unlock the phone yourself if your provider will not give out the code. The ease or difficulty and cost will depend on your phone model. Just google the words unlock and your phone model.

In Kenya, I paid about $4 for a SIM and you can get top up cards in various increments. The cost to call to the US was around $1 per minute (varied a little between peak and off peak hours). Local calls were much cheaper and incoming calls were free. I imagine costs in Tanzania are pretty similar. So you can decide which option works better for you.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you get a local SIM, your phone will have a Tanzania number so anyone calling you will pay long distance rates on their end.

Bat : Thank you for taking the time to post a very enjoyable and well written trip report. We are planning a trip in February so your report is chock full of helpful information. Well done and thanks.

Thanks for the compliment and have a great time planning it--and even more fun experiencing the actual trip.

Hi Bat
We both had some post trip blues so after 3 months back in the real world how do you see your trip and are you anxious to go back.Also are you still thinking about Kili.I know Kili has sparked a strong desire to up the difficulty and do another mountain but i'm also itching to go back to Africa.I have made some decisions in the last couple of weeks to get me going again and am curious about your thoughts.BTW great trip report again.

dlo:
Thanks.

Well 3 months later I am still hanging around here, that says something I could easily go back, and go back and go back.

Re Kili, it was my SO who had the dream of climbing Kili and I was willing to go along with it. But he's no longer sure he wants to--reading and hearing how crowded it is in particular. I would really like to see the gorillas, Mahale and S. Tanzania--Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and S. Africa too.

I decided this year's trip and it is his turn to pick next year (a round birthday). At one point I had a splendid itinerary figured out for a return to TZ but at this point I do not think that he will pick Africa. He is very interested in Capetown but to be on vacation for the actual birthday means June--not good weather then.

Part of the reality is that Africa is very expensive and I "popped" the budget every which way on this last trip so we are still recovering from it.

I may have to wait as long as 4 years when it will be a big birthday for me --but hopefully not that long.

What decisions are getting you going?

bat,
I find myself doing the same with my budget this trip and to think I showed such restraint on the first two

Patty:
But you were smarter than I was--you waited until your THIRD safari to do some splurging.

Like yourself i blew the budget but i think going for 3 months made that unavoidable.We will be going to Namibia in 3 years but for now everything is still unclear.I have started some work on the side for a friend and may add still more soon.My days are now regularly 12 hours so posting time is diminished but the extra money can get me on another mountain or maybe Africa next year.Like yourself i could return yearly but there is a big world out there and a lot of other amazing places to see.I certainly plan on visiting this board regularly and hopefully people like yourself and patty and others will continue to as well.

Patty if you read this 1 of our guides from ou donkey trek is now working at Sand Rivers so if you meet Sissa say hello for me.

dlo-well at least those 12 hour days may get you closer to a trip. Good luck.