waynehazle

My goodness this all sounds incredible.

The food makes my mouth water <i>(Garlic cream of tomato soup, red snapper starter, roast pork and potato croquettes, smoked salmon, beef filet, roasted potatoes, red cabbage.)</i>

Your photos are wonderful! I think this is the first time I have actually looked at photos of this Little Governor's that I hear so much about.

Your elephant encounter at the tent was just a bit scary for me.

barefootbeach

Thanks Wayne for the nice comments. It was scary and I thought it's because I'm a first-timer, but the manager said it always takes your breath away when you're that close to such a large, possibly dangerous animal.

divewop

Hey BFB-
Sorry there was such a mess-up with Samuel but that you finally got it straightened out. And that you had 5 people in your jeep on your last drive. Management should have known better. Samuel is just so knowledgeable though.

I went out with the &quot;British couple&quot; the morning after you guys left and they told me you and your husband sent your regards. Though after that, I had the jeep to myself for my five days. Yay!

I can't believe the leopard sightings you had. I only saw one during my five day stay. Oh well, luck of the draw.

And glad you enjoyed your balloon rides and Captain David. He is a really nice guy. Darrell, the &quot;fill-in&quot; camp manager, adopted me for meals during my stay so I got to know David and Steve, the other pilot, at mealtimes and happy hours. They are hilarious to hang around with. A bunch of screwballs!

barefootbeach

Hi Divewop,
You are so lucky to have had Samuel to yourselves for 5 days...am surprised about the lack of leopards...the way the guides seemed to know which trees to look in made me think they were a permament attraction.

We really liked Darrell, the fill-in manager too...he was very personable....more so than the usual manager, whom we just spoke with a bit.

Did the &quot;British couple&quot; ever figure out what to do with the honeymoon tent?

divewop

How funny! The couple never mentioned what tent they were staying in! I guess if you don't know what to do with the honeymoon tent, you shouldn't be in it!

If there was a cute, single guy around, I would have gladly switched with them! ;-)

I kind of developed a school-girl crush on Darrell after he adopted me, so he would have been a prime candidate. And he was both cute and single, and also so sweet and generous to me during my stay, like letting me have Samuel to myself. Then again, being a repeat customer and the camps not being full, I'm sure, helped some too.

At first, I was disappointed George, the usual manager, wasn't there but after spending time with Darrell, David, and Steve, I was glad he was on holiday.

sandi

divewop &amp; bfb -

Darrell - is he originally from Zimbabwe?

I'm sure not an unusual name, but sounds like the guy who had spent a few years (5) at Cottar's, also at Richard's (1+).

divewop

Sandi-
Yep, that's him. Darrell, originally from Zimbabwe. He told me he used to work at Cottars before coming over to Governor's.

He's over at L.G.'s for the next few months while George is on holiday. Said he's been working over at Governor's private camp. Don't know where he's going next.

He was such a sweetheart. And loved his accent.

What's your take on him?

sandi

Sandy -

Darrell Black - that's him. He met us at Keekorok ('05) for drive to Cottar's and our guide for our 2/days here. Also our transfer to Talek gate. He was so gracious (along with Calvin Cotter) to provide us with the toilet cover for use at the Talek loo and Darrel carried it to the loo door for us.

Then next year, met up with him at Richard's Camp where he was also guide.

And, now he's at Little Governor's. Folks move about... small world isn't all that small!

atravelynn

My comments are only on Shaba. I agree that iit’s hard to get a good shot of those shy little dik dik antelopes. You had a good view of the other northern species as well. Your scorpion incident points to the importance of keeping your feet covered when walking. Everyone always raves about the beauty of Shaba, and you seem to have had a similar experience.

atravelynn

On the photos--great shot of the giraffes and Kili! Loved the baby baboon getting a ride.

atravelynn

On to Little Gov's. A 2 for 1 balloon special!!? Things are not good for an offer like that to be made. Has anyone ever been given such a deal? I've heard of $25-$50 off if you book from home, but never 2 for 1!

The Biritsh couple in the honeymoon tent seem to be a hit! How funny.

Welcome to the cheetah loving crowd.

Happy 25th!

barefootbeach

thanks Atravelyn,
I was most thrilled to get the giraffes and Kili...that was the picture of Africa that I dreamed about before we went.

With the balloon special, I felt bad that Capt David was taking a loss on the next day's flight with the re-do. But, he truly didn't want us walking away remembering a less than optimal experience.

barefootbeach

Trip Report: Lake Manyara Tree Lodge

2/3/08-2/5/08
Staying here was one of our most enchanting experiences in Africa, but first we had to get there. You can view our photos at: http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/Go....mp;ABID=298563

Flights from Kenya (Masai Mara- transferring at Wilson Airport-Nairobi) to Tanzania (Kilimanjaro Airport) went smoothly. Baggage handlers helped us through passport control (we already had our visas) and the health desk to check for Yellow Fever vaccinations. I expected to see a CC Africa rep, with a sign for our names, but instead, the baggage guys walked outside of the terminal and started heading to the parking lot. There a rep from CC Africa waited with the mini-van.

In about 40 minutes, we reached Arusha, and it was fascinating to see all the colorfully and well-dressed women and children. Apparently many dressed up to go to church on Saturday. We arrived at the Arusha Coffee Lodge, for a one-night stay to break up the trip to Lake Manyara.

This lodge did not meet our expectations. The room and grounds were nice enough, but things weren’t well taken care of. They sprayed the room with Doom at night, but you couldn’t open the windows because there were no screens so I didn’t like inhaling all that DEET. We thought we’d eat lightly since we’d had so many big meals, but I had to return the Thai chicken burger as it was inedible. My standard hamburger substitution took an hour to get!

So we were glad to check out the next morning, when we found the bill was more than expected. We found an extra charge for a beer, and when that was removed, the total came down much more than the cost of the beer, as it should have been

The woman from CC Africa who transferred us to the Arusha airport did a great job of expediting our check in and had them waive weighing our luggage. We were off on a Regional Air flight to Lake Manyara airport.

Things started looking up the minute we met Vitalis, our driver/guide from Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, and his good-looking Land Cruiser game vehicle. He set up a coffe/tea welcome with the best chocolate cookies we’ve had in Africa (for some reason the usual ‘biscuits’ you get with coffee/tea with wake-up calls were pretty hard and tasteless). Two sisters from South Africa joined us, and we all set off about 9am for a game drive on the way back to the lodge. He said we’d be there by 1:00pm, but it was a very long driving morning and, unfortunately (I have a bird phobia), the women were avid birders. So we spent a LOT of time on little birds, as well as trying to find the STAR birds, those rare or unique to the Lake Manyara area.

However, the scenery was lush and wonderfully fresh along the edge of the Rift escarpment, nice contrast to the Masai Mara.

First, we went to the Hippo Pools, where we saw, well, hippos, and an amazing number and variety of birds…white and great pelicans, lesser and greater flamingoes, storks and too many others to name. Thousands of them. The birders were enthusiastically impressed, especially about them riding the thermals.

We saw many troops of baboons, going about their business in the middle of the road, babies riding on mother’s backs, and a few blue and vervet monkeys in the trees.
Also saw a lot of Maasai giraffe, who are much darker in color here. More plains zebras and impalas…a few dik diks, (but no Thomson’s or Grant’s antelopes), and elephants crashing through the bushes.


Then, Vitalis heard of a tree-climbing lion sighting…these are unique to the Lake Manyara area. So, we back-tracked until we came to a giant fig tree with a lion perched in it, surrounded by 6 other vehicles. However, it was pretty far away from us and you could barely make out her face. It took some maneuvering to get out of the lion-jam. It was now late morning and Vitalis said we still had a long drive to the end of the park where the Tree Lodge is located. There’s only one road in and out, and a lot of birds to be examined along the way.

We really liked Vitalis…he supplied very interesting tidbits about the animals, plants and geology of the area and was very nice. We got a kick out of the sisters too…they chattered away like magpies, talking over each other and were a lot of fun. But, I can now understand some previous advice on this site that birders should be in there own game vehicles. The other negative of sharing a game vehicle is that just as you’re about to shoot a photo, someone is moving which shakes the vehicle.

By the time we got to the Lodge, it was 2:20pm and we were starving. We were met by the whole staff, singing and chanting. Scott, the personable manager, escorted us to the dining area…which looked like the open set of a theatrical stage….with multiple levels open on one side to the forest and filled with organic wooden forms of wood as building sculptures. Had an excellent lunch and wine, especially enjoyed the homemade pear ice cream. Met Abdullah, our server and butler, who took care of everything for us…he was very professional, a charmer and had the most beautiful smile.

We decided we’d had enough traveling for the day and chose to enjoy our tree house instead….and what a fantasy this is! Built on stilts in the middle of the forest, a huge deck with a free form twig railing, an outdoor shower encircled by curvy twigs, a claw-foot bathtub overlooking the forest, and huge bedroom with a mosquito-netting draped bed, good lighting for a change….and gasp, a hairdryer!

I chose to have a massage on the deck…$60 for an hour…and it was heavenly. At one point, an elephant crashed through the tree branches below the deck. Afterwards, a long soak in the bathtub, and life was great. It’s just a shame to bathe, apply scented body lotion, and then spray DEET over your exposed skin!

Fully restored, we were escorted by the askari (Maasai guard) to dinner, where we were handed their signature frozen gin &amp; tonics and shown to the lounge, where Vitalis and the sisters were chatting before dinner. Of course, since we skipped the afternoon game drive, they had an amazing experience. Their vehicle was in between a climbing lion and her 2 cubs and a family of elephants…and there was quite an altercation with both posturing for dominance. The sisters said they were afraid…and when we asked Vitalis if he was also, he admitted “a little”. So, it must’ve been something!

Our dinner was under the stars, surrounded by a semi-circular twig boma, on which a multitude of lit lanterns glowed …with a bon-fire in the center. Magical! Dinner began with an excellent split pea soup, grilled tilapia, coconut mashed potatoes and a veggie. Afterwards, when we heard the chanting, saw the warriors, preceded by a lit cake…we knew what was coming. Another 25th Anniversary celebration! This time, the chef donned a scary mask and danced around. The cake was excellent and was shared with the other guests.

Abdullah brought great coffee and cookies at 6am as part of the wakeup call.
Again, the game drive focused on birds, but there aren’t a lot of other animals to see anyway. The sisters, retired school principals, really put Vitalis through his paces, but he was up to the challenge. They’d say, “Is that a chartreuse wattle tick eater?” or something similar and he’d respond, No, it may look like that, but does the chartreuse end at the throat or extend through the body?”, etc. It was amazing how he could identify the smallest bird flitting by while we searched laboriously through binocs to see it more closely. Mid-morning we stopped for a coffee/cookie break on the dried-up shores of Lake Manyara and admired the thousands of flamingoes, pelicans, etc. that stretched across the water as far as you could see. The sisters think they’ve cured me because I actually expressed some interest in the birds…what else is there to do?

We also saw giraffes lounging on the beach…a first!… a baby elephant giving himself a mud bath and others close up…about 15 hippos emerging from a pond and trudging over to another pond…more baboons…warthogs…and saw our 3rd Star bird…a Pangani Longclaw (the others were the Lesser Flamingoes and a Long-tailed Fiscal) We were out until 11:30am and had brunch when we got back.

It was very hot in the afternoon so took a dip in their swimming pool. Today tried the outdoor shower, along with the loofah and body scrub that they provided. While shampooing, I did occasionally look up into the overhanging tree branches to ensure that a leopard wasn’t lurking.

The afternoon game drive wasn’t very productive…and I did get a little tired of traveling back and forth on the same road each time. About 6:30pm, Vitalis and Abdullah surprised us with a bush bar set up on the bank above Lake Manyara and we enjoyed our sundowners there.

Got back and needed to make a quick change for dinner…but first, there was the little matter of a bat flying in our room that had to be dealt with. My mighty hunter husband picked up his weapon of choice, a fly swatter that we had brought with us for tsetse flies, and with his first smack, hit him. But then he couldn’t find the bat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a little flutter in the drain of that beautiful claw foot tub. (Thank God, I’d already cleaned up) He threw the bath mat over it, and went on the deck with his torch to signal the Maasai warrior.
My husband didn’t know if it was stunned or dead, but it was dead and the guard threw it outside. Very handy to have a Maasai warrior at your disposal!

Another excellent dinner…roasted corn soup, pork and vegetable kebabs….and I forgot to mention the other night…they make Nan bread in a special oven…and a great chocolate dessert.

Next morning, a 5am wakeup call…served us breakfast at 6am…and we’re off to the airport…about 1 ½ hr drive without a game drive. We were sad to leave Vitalis and Abdullah…our magical tree-house, and also the zany cheerfulness of the sisters.

Next: Serengeti, Kusini Camp

atravelynn

Too bad about the bat.

Two birders and an ornithophobic, and a bat exterminator make for an interesting combo in the vehicle.

Glad the Tree House was a hit.

cary999

Great report, easy and fun to read. Keep it coming please.
Lake Manyara area (I think, never been there) is known primarily for its birds. So you may have been seeing the best it has to offer. Somebody who knows better, please enlighten me more on Lake Manyara.

regards - tom

barefootbeach

Trip Report #6: Serengeti: Kusini Camp

2/5-2/8/08

We had picked Kusini Camp, located in the extreme southwest part of the Serengeti, because it seemed to have the best chance of being near the Migration in early February and was billed as a luxury camp.

You can view our photos at: http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/Go....mp;ABID=298563

Our Air Excel flight from Lake Manyara to Kusini Camp left promptly at 9am, and we were the only two passengers. Made a stop at Seronera in central Serengeti, to pick up more people. It was dramatically cooler here than Lake Manyara, in the upper 50’s, overcast, and had recently rained. On our descent onto the Kusini Camp airstrip, from both sides of the plane, we saw herds of wildebeests as far as the eye could see. Ah, the Migration was here.

Wolfgang, our guide from Kusini Camp, was waiting in an open Land Cruiser, and we proceeded on another game drive before going to camp. At first, I wasn’t too impressed with him. He was quieter, harder to understand, and didn’t seem as knowledgeable…but then, Vitalis was a hard act to follow. But, as we got to know him better I changed to a favorable opinion. And, I wasn’t too impressed with the famed Serengeti either. if you ignore the millions of wildebeests around, we didn’t see as many animals. The wildebeests had just given birth to about a half million babies about two weeks early, (because they’ve had rain early…somehow everything that happens is explained by the timing of the rain) So, the herds were spread out because the females were tending to the calves and not moving. And, no one had mentioned….the FLIES that accompany the Migration. Apparently, they had just come out that day, and they were obnoxious. We covered our mouth and nose with bandanas to avoid these pests that feast on all the wildebeest dung. We did see some sleeping lionesses, an old male lion up on a kopje, some klipspringers, spotted hyenas, and black-backed jackals. But compared to the Masai Mara, much fewer animals (other than wildebeests and zebras) and more boring scenery.

So, on this drab and dreary day… covered up like bandits, we pulled up to the Kusini Camp, where we were staying 3, rather than our usual 2 nights. The camp was nothing like I expected. The place looked like an army outpost. Clearly the most basic of places we’ve stayed at, although the camp is situated in a dramatic setting…high on a kopje (small rocky hill) overlooking the plains of the Serengeti and within a small forested area. The dining/lounge area is just a drab green tent on the granite rocky outcrop. Our tent, #8, is the furthest away, but it has the best view. From the raised wooden deck, we overlook a wide-open expanse of a tree-studded meadow below, with the plains in the distance. But the tent is devoid of decoration…drab green canvas, wooden floors, plain ecru bedspread, beat-up old wooden dresser, camp chairs, simple shower, flush toilet and sink…looks old and dreary…not enough lighting again . It’s a good thing we have our head-lights that we’ve used extensively in many camps. I feel slightly depressed on arrival.
Head back for lunch and it’s good. Pasta with 2 sauces, gazpacho and great bread and apple pie. Wine is included here also. Had to put up with a very noisy, obnoxious American who talked over our table to the one adjacent. (Remember, I’m American too)

Afterwards, we took a short nap. I’m so tired here! Must be the weather and the dreariness. And then we were off on our 4:30pm game drive, which is private. The most fun we had was watching the wildie babies chasing our vehicle…they run like the dickens! I felt like we were the pace car for babies in training for a race! Wolfgang said that they think we’re their mother...but they are so dumb that they run right in front of the vehicle and we were lucky not to hit them. They start running within 10 minutes of being born…they’d better to avoid all the predators around. I just couldn’t believe how fast they were and so cute with their little black faces and scampering gait. It’s hard to believe they’ll grow up into the relatively homely mature wildebeest. Driving around, we saw many lone babies who had gotten lost from their herds….that meant they were likely to be hyena or lion fodder. This was the first area where we saw kill lying around…mostly wildebeest babies. I asked Wolfgang if another mother would suckle a baby that wasn’t hers, and he wasn’t sure. We didn’t witness a birth, but did see babies nursing.

Mid-drive, I told Wolfgang I had to “check the tires”. My husband gave me the most peculiar look because he hadn’t heard that term used before for a bush loo break, and he knows I’m the most mechanically inept person he knows!

On a kopje, we also saw 3 lionesses and 2 males…and later 3 cheetahs. They looked extremely stuffed. One lioness sat guarding her kill…a full-grown wildebeest and two babies, but she looked too satiated to move. Anyway, so far I’m not crazy about the Serengeti. It’s flat and ugly and the migration isn’t what it’s cracked up to be…and then there are the flies!
Got back by 6:45pm in time for sundowners (but no sun) on top of the big kopje. No one seemed very friendly. We downed our gin &amp; tonics (beginning to really like these!) had a few appetizers, and went back to change for dinner. Came back and everyone was sitting around the campfire waiting for the 7:30 call to dinner….first camp where many people just went to dinner in their safari clothes. The chef and another read tonight’s menu first in Swahili and then in English. We started talking to a younger American couple and were the last to enter the dining tent. Two large square communal tables were set up. One was already filled and the other was partially filled with the two American couples we’d seen at lunch and two British couples. However, the way they had seated themselves left one seat open on one side and three seats opposite….and we and the younger couple still had to sit down. So, I nicely asked the Americans if they could slide over one spot so that the four of us could sit together with our spouses. And they refused! It wasn’t like they were going to be separated from their spouses or anything. However, the British couple realized what was going on and slid over, so were able to be seated together. I was furious with their rudeness, but luckily, I had a charming seatmate in the younger American woman and didn’t need to speak to the other Americans the whole evening. She was interesting and fun to talk with ( a military trained Dr. who had served in Iraq) and salvaged what could have been a very long evening.
This was the first camp where the food wasn’t great for dinner. The chicken had a lot of inedible parts, and the lamb was tough. The starter and dessert were fine though.

Here, they seemed to encourage you to go on a game drive later, so we began at 7:30am. Again, the highlight was watching the baby wildebeests scampering about. The older ones gallop like horses. Also saw a small African wildcat that looked like a house cat and zebras mating. Again, an overcast day, and I’m getting bored riding across the endless plain. Got back at 1pm for lunch and decided to skip the afternoon game drive, preferring to nap in the very comfortable bed, and enjoy our view from the deck.

This time, sundowners on the kopje were much more fun. We were the only Americans left and really enjoyed sitting around the campfire and laughing with the other British and Australian couples before dinner. Tonight, they’d set up separate tables. Other than using white tablecloths and large candelabras, the dining tent is very plain also. The entrees were mixed again…tilapia was good and the pork was tough, but good soup and dessert.

Next morning’s game drive began at 8am. One of the British groups said they’d follow us because their driver for the week from Arusha had gotten terribly lost getting to Kusini the day before, and he wanted to tail a local driver. Hakuna matata. Right away, we saw 3 bull elephants, each chomping on a tree. One of them had a penis that looked like a 2X4 hanging at a 45 degree angle…with all the elephants we’ve seen, this was a first. Wolfgang decided we should move on because that meant he could get aggressive fast in his agitated state.

Then, he drove us east near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and for the first time, we could see the herds of male wildebeests moving in several lines that stretched both directions to the horizon. The females are still tending their calves. We saw a lot of baby carcasses since so many get lost. Apparently, only 1 in 3 make it back here next year. Also saw a pack of many spotted hyenas just off the road, as well as herds of Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles.

The best part was just before lunch when I spotted a lone CC Africa vehicle ahead, and inside were our game drive partners from Lake Manyara…the South African sisters! Couldn’t believe we’d run into them literally in the middle of nowhere, especially since they were staying at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and that’s a long ways away.

We were heading to our bush lunch rendezvous with our British friends, but first spotted three sleeping lions…not much excitement there…and then 5 cheetahs! I love watching cheetahs! At least they were moving around a bit and watching us.

The bush lunch went quickly because of the flies, some drizzle and coolness. The Brits were joking about how much nicer our vehicle was, that Wolfgang provided chairs for the lunch, which apparently their driver didn’t have, and how their driver didn’t help Wolfgang at all. It made me glad that we were using the camp guides rather than hiring one for the week.

Got back about 2:30pm and decided we’d had it with game drives on the Serengeti. Maybe it was the weather, but I wondered if we’d been better off staying in the Seronera area. Perhaps it had more hills/mountains in the background, or more forested areas. Yes, we were near the Migration, but, to me, that was good for about 15 minutes (other than watching the babies run). I had chosen to stay 3 nights because I thought we’d cover more ground in the Serengeti, but it seemed like we kept traveling over the same areas. Two nights would have been sufficient. Wolfgang turned out to be a good guide. He was sweet, a bit shy, and told some good stories about animal (as well as some client) behavior.

However, the final dinner was so much fun that it made our visit here worthwhile. This time, we had one table with all of us, and we’ve never laughed as long and hard as we did that night. When the mother of our funny British friend started talking about the five-legged elephant we saw, that was all that was needed to set it off. Kusini did the best job of getting people to mix, from their sundowners on the kopje, to sitting around the campfire before and after dinner, and occasionally doing group seating. The managers, Sean &amp; Samantha, were interesting to talk to and always greeted us when we returned to camp.

We heard Cape Buffaloes and hyenas during the night, but once again, missed hearing the lion’s roar. Upon waking, we saw a huge buffalo grazing right next to our tent and were glad we didn’t have to leave the tent right away. We were ready to move on to an actual lodge, rather than a tent.

Next: Ngorongoro Crater: Serena Lodge

Patty

Another great set of photos! What a cute little tommie. Also loved your Mara balloon photos, the baby baboon from Manyara and the yellow billed storks feeding their chicks in the tree. Manyara looks lush and beautiful. Looking forward to more!

Dana_M

Great trip report barefootbeach. Your safari certainly started off with a bang. What a wonderful first game drive. I’m glad your guide at Tortillis was so accommodating when he heard the Twiga Twiga chant, and that you were ultimately successful. You’ll cherish those photos of the giraffe with Kili in the background for a long time. Great way to celebrate your 25th anniversary. And then to start at Joy’s with a private game drive and immediate giraffe sightings! You had great cat sightings in the Mara: lion, leopard and cheetah. You were lucky with game in Tanzania as well, especially the baby wildies in the Serengeti, in addition to lion and cheetah.


Your report is very informative. I love your food/menu descriptions. I’m a bit of a food snob, so I particularly enjoy these sidebars. I’m glad the last night at Kusini made the stay there enjoyable. Sounds like thus far the only disappointment was Arusha Coffee Lodge, and that only for a brief visit.

I’m looking forward to reading more.

barefootbeach

Thanks for the comments Patty &amp; Dana. I guess we were lucky with our game sightings...since it's our first trip I don't know what &quot;normal&quot; is...if there is such a thing. And, as you can tell, the food, location and atmosphere rank as much with me as the animals. Going over these reports just reminded me of how very special Africa is. I'm so grateful they're making some progress in resolving the post-election violence in Kenya.

Dana_M

Barefoot--I noticed you wrote &quot;first trip&quot; not &quot;only trip&quot;! Are you now hooked like the rest of us?