gleaner

We are still trying to put our safari together we are hoping to be travelling Christmas/new year 2007/2008,we have set out a basic itinerary of I night in Lake Manyara, 2 nights at Ngorongoro and 3 nights in the Serengeti, we are now looking at a few activity to include my husband and son would like to do a hike to the Olmoti Crater. Has anyone done any hikes in the Ngorongoro Highlands? Looking at the serena lodge website it is an escorted hike with an armed ranger and the Maasia.can these be done in an afternoon? After a morning, down in the crater. And what are everyone’s opinions on the safety are these hikes really safe! I for one will stay at the lodge with a book and just worry
Also does anyone know whether it is worth going into the Olduvai Gorge? Is there anything in the gorge itself to see? Or should we just visit the museum, I have read somewhere that the footprints and other finds have been covered over to protect them.
We are planning to stay in Arusha for a day or maybe two before the safari, is it safe to wander around the town and maybe the market, and is there anything we really should see or do while we are in Arusha? Any good places to eat?

Thank you in advance

climbhighsleeplow

1. Olmoti Crater. A great little hike! It is very safe if one follows the rules and book a ranger (with gun) to accompany you. Lone buffalo bulls are the main concern but rarely encountered. Some budget companies sneak up there without rangers and they are taking risks.

I have a complete description, map and images of the trek here:

http://www.go-safari.com/NCA/ncaTrekking.htm
http://www.go-safari.com/NCA/ncaTrekkingOlmoti.htm

2. Most people enjoy the small and touristy Oldupai Gorge museum, the short lecture and the view of the gorge. You can also drive/walk into the crater but not really worth it IMO. In reality the true footprint area is very away from the museum and not easily accessible! The SHIFTING SANDS are just a small distance away and fun to see once! If you are coming from the Serengeti it is an easy detour to the museum.

3. Arusha is very safe during the day. Plenty of restaurants - your best meal maybe in your hotel. Where are you staying?

Eben

Matt_from_England

Hi Gleaner,

In the museum which overlooks the Gorge (Oldupai) you will have s hort lecture, possibly whilst eating a packed lunch. There is a small interesting but dusty display from Leakeys life including an impression of the footprints and Maasai artifacts for sale. If you pay 10 dollars or so you can drop down into the Gorge and see the dig sites which are numerous:

http://www.smartgroups.com/picvault/....jpg/saf23.jpg

Yours truly at the site of the Leakey's find, homo habilis - man with ability. I found it worth the money and the heat - but then I'm interested in Louis Leakey and archeaology. Great for sneaking photos of Maasai goat herders too. Look for the gate guardian, an elder who maintains the tradition of protecting the site which Leakey trusted to the Maasai tribe way back when.

Arusha is great, as Eben says daytime is best, check out the food market, the Jambo coffee shop on Boma Road, for local goodies go to the small craft market just down form the clock tower, cheap and great for haggling and talking to the locals. (I found the big heritage centre very expensive in comparison with every else I visited. Food wise Spices and Herbs ethiopian restaurant on the New Moshi road. Its in a hotel and offers great ethiopian food.

Eben perhaps on my next visit we can meet there for lunch?

And here's a reply I posted ages ago to someone else re Arusha:

"Hi there V Town,

I loved Arusha and travelled round using Dala dalas and by foot: I am sure that the hotels will arrange taxis for you and with their help negotiate a price for say a couple of hours.

I'll get back to you with a few more things later: but here's a map of Arusha to study:

http://www.acc.habari.co.tz/maps/a00.html

The wars crimes tribunal is at the Arusha International Conference Centre."

Matt

MamaTembo

Gleaner:
We encountered one of those lone bull buffalo on a hike to Olmoti. Gave us quite a fright, ranger too I think, not to mention the animal. It crashed away like the proverbial bull in the china shop. I was happy we had the ranger along tho, so make sure you take one.

Eben, I have questions for you if that's OK.
Should there be an accompanying ranger on the three day hike from Ng crater to Lake Natron? Or will the Maasai guides suffice? I get different opinions on that.
Have you done any hikes in the Lemagrut area, which may or may not incorporate climbing the mountain? I've long been curious about it.

Thanks much.

Leslie

dlo

MamaTembo

I'm not Eben but i can tell you we used a ranger from Olmoti to Empakaii and just the maasai to Natron.We were told the ranger was mandatory to Empakaii.

MamaTembo

Thank you dlo.

climbhighsleeplow

Hi Leslie

I love your handle - MamaTembo!

I know for a fact that some cheap outfitters do treks without rangers. Frankly I am unsure the official rules because I always get a ranger on all treks in the NCA.

At only $20 per day it is cheap, they are very keen and knowledgeable, if something goes wrong then the NCA will take some resonsibility and lastly these rangers need some extra income. They do a geat job!

There are several treks at Lemagrut and south. I have done the climb and I have done parts of the trail towards Ndutu via Naibartat (with a sneak peek at the Laetoli footprints area!). This is a super trek especially around the migration.

I know one can trek from Lemagrut towards Oldupai Camp. There are also treks around Endulen but I find the area more populated than expected with less wildlife.

I am very interested in the treks near Oldeani Mountain and south to Lake Eyasi. There are no roads so it is hard to explore before actually doing the treks.

I am going back in March to spend 3 weeks in Ndutu/NCA to film/trek everywhere from Ndutu then up past Oldupai towards Nasera, Gol Mountains, Olkarien and then over to Natron and down to Empakaai!

The migration should be everywhere, it should be green and hopefully not too muddy!
Eben

MamaTembo

Thanks for the feedback Eben. Your March plans sound fantastic! I would love to hear about it when you get back. NCA became one of my favourite destinations in TZ when I lived there. I've included Nasera Rock for two nights on my upcoming December trip. The hour before sunset at Nasera never leaves you. One March at Nasera hyenas took down a zebra not 100 feet from my tent. I can still hear that poor animal.
I must try some of the treks that you mention. I've always wanted to walk down the old escarpment to Eyasi. I've read a few accounts of it. But really good information is short on many of these hikes before you set out, but I guess that is all part of the adventure. How much time would I need for the hike to Ndutu via Naibartat? Do you begin at Nairbartat? Thanks again.
Leslie

cybor

Hi Eben,
Where would you start the trek from Oldeani Mt. to lake Eyasi? What do you think the difficulty level is? I'm most interested in hearing about this after your trip. Keep us posted.

side note and interuption - sorry gleaner: Although I teased you about being lion food when fly camping on a very old post - One of the trips to Botswana that I'm looking at feature this and I must say, I'm intrigued. Can you double up in the tents - I'd rather not die alone.
Thanks;
Sherry

gleaner

hi
thankyou for the links,looking at the maps would we be better off staying at the Sopa lodge,we were planing to stay at all Serena lodges,however we noticed that the Sopa lodge would be alot closer,any opinions on the Ngorongoro Sopa lodge it looks o.k. on one of the websites i found, thankyou again liz

Bill_H

<b>looking at the maps would we be better off staying at the Sopa lodge</b>

Sopa will give closer access to Olmoti and also better access to the crater floor.

<b>any opinions on the Ngorongoro Sopa lodge it looks o.k. on one of the websites</b>

It's fine ... we've stayed in several Serena lodges but at the crater we stay at Sopa instead because of the better access.

Bill

aby

gleaner

just wanted to add to Bill's view of Sopa &quot;better access&quot; to the Caldera's floor:
Since only Sopa guests use this gate, it is the only chance to see 'less-crowded&quot; Ngorongoro. be at the gate a few minutes before they open &amp; u can enjoy a couple of hours without the crowds (as most people enter through the other gate &amp; many reach the caldera at a later time' say around 8)
IMHO this makes Sopa the best lodge on the rim (counting wildlife watch more important than accomodation or food.)

<b> Eben </b>
already looking forward to printing your (future) trip report

This september i was planning with friends an 'expedition' to some remote areas of lake Eyasi. but it didn't work out for us this year...

aby

cybor

Hi Liz,
The beauty of the Sopa is it's easy access to the floor as Bill stated. Also, from what I've heard, it seems to be an shorter ride, a better road and less crowded than the road closest to the Serena.
The views and sunsets from the Sopa are wonderful. The hotel IMHO is a bit shop worn and the food and service ok. but I knew that going in.
Sherry

aby

Sherry

the road to Sopa lodge is not a 'better road' - on the contrary, especially when it rains. but once u r at the lodge, going down the caldera is The advantage !
(the second advantage is of course for the hikers)
aby

gleaner

thanks again
without this forum i could not even begin to imagine trying to arrange this trip the knowledge on here is simply amazing,we are planning to stay at the Serena lodges at Lake Manyara and the Serengeti,are these a good choices or should we be looking at the sopa lodge in the Serengeti,please don't say tents,i work for a marine conservation group and feel much more at home with sharks and turtles than lions any day.
thankyou again liz

aby

liz
<font color="gray">a marine conservation group </font> - sounds interesting !!
Sharks look more threatening than lions to me...
A Maasai friend, once told me how women avoid being attacked by a lion, while collecting firewood in the forest. If they meet a lion, they never look him straight in the eye.
Since lions have those special amber eyes, said my friend, if you stare straight at them, they think you want to take their eyes. Then they attack...
well, lions like us, have some mammalian codes (how do we react to a constant stare in our eyes?) but Sharks? what kind of codes do they have? even their vertebrae are made of cartilage?? ;-)

<b>Serena vs. Sopa</b>
at Serengeti and Manyara u can stay with Serena. considered a somewhat better chain, it has some advantages e.g. foodwise
&amp; Serengeti Sopa location has no advantage

aby

cybor

Dear Aby,
Possibly wrong on the Sopa to crater rd.(wasn't speaking about the road leading to the Sopa itself from the main gate) don't know, but am only going by what many people have said about feeling like they would topple over the edge of the Serena, Wilderness lodge rd. leading into the crater, particularly when their were 2 opposing cars. I take it you've experienced both rds.
As always, I appreciate your eloquence and factual manner.
Best;

Bill_H

<b>we are planning to stay at the Serena lodges at Lake Manyara and the Serengeti,are these a good choices or should we be looking at the sopa lodge in the Serengeti</b>

We've stayed several times at the Manyara Serena and stayed at the Serengeti Serena for 7 nights last year and they are both nice places, but at Ngorongoro we prefer the Sopa because of the location (the Serena is a newer lodge but on the same side as several other lodges) ... so if I were you I'd stick with your original plan for Serengeti but maybe change to Sopa just for Ngorongoro ...

Bill

Bill_H

<b>the road to Sopa lodge is not a 'better road' - on the contrary</b>

Maybe we're looking for different things in an access road ... here are the reasons I think the Sopa road is better ...

* wide enough for both ascending and descending vehicles to use it at the same time. On the Serena side the roads are so narrow that one is for ascent, one descent.

* the gradient is less steep so you can drive faster and more safely.

* you are only 5 minutes or so from the lodge entrance while on the Serena side the up and down roads are about 20-25 minutes apart on the bad rim road, so you waste time either early or late.

* only one lodge uses this road while four or five on the Serena side plus all the day traffic from lodges at Karatu and coming from Serengeti use the Serena side roads. Probably have 5x - 10x as many vehicles using the Serena side road as the Sopa side road each day.

That's why I say the Sopa road is better ...

Bill

LyndaS

Gleaner-
If you go to the New East Africa Trip Report Index, look up these three -

DLO's report Dec 05
AlwaysAfrica's report Dec 04
Sunny Days report Sept 2005

All three have <i>fabulous</i> reports written on their highland treks - reading them really me feel I was there with them!

The index by the way is in (more or less) chronological date order to make it easier to find the reports.

Hope this helps!