Trip Report, Part I: 26 Glorious Days in Tanzania
Mar 28th, 2005, 02:48 PM
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 334
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm sorry that this has taken me so long - I hope that I still hold your interest...! Things have been really busy, but I had so much fun getting back into the trip report, that I suspect the next installment will follow forthwith 
Part IV: Oldonyo Lengai
While in the Lake Natron area, we stayed at the Lake Natron Public Campsite; the place is nice enough (lots of trees – which is great for much-needed shade!). There weren’t very many tourists there in January (in fact, on the second night, it was only us!), which we considered to be a serious bonus, and it was a great place to meet some of the local massai townspeople… There were local boys that were allowed by the campsite owners to hang around and provide service to any tourists/tour companies that came through. Also, right near our campsite, was a little massai market, with about 40 women trying to sell their wares (mostly beaded jewelry). Thus, all of the local women and children used the campsite as a meeting place, which allowed us to meet quite a lot of them… During most of the day (with no potential customers in sight , the area of the market also became a makeshift school; with someone standing in front to teach the children, as well as most of the women, to speak Swahili – it was amazing to watch.
We arrived at this campsite in the mid-afternoon a very tired lot, after spending the past 4 days hiking through the highlands…! We spent the afternoon showering (finally
, and relaxing. It was great to have a little concrete structure around the shower stalls (as well as around the sometimes-flushing toilets), but unfortunately this also meant that it was a breeding ground for mosquitoes – not that it mattered much – we really needed the shower.
That evening, we went to bed at around 8:00p.m., so as to wake up at midnight to begin our climb of Oldonyo Lengai. Easier said than done… We were so excited/nervous about our imminent quest to climb the mountain, and it was so HOT (I’m sure you’ve heard about the intense HEAT in the Natron area…), that not much sleeping was done!
We were “awoken” at midnight, and invited to drink some tea and enjoy a few biscuits before heading off in our Rover for the base of Lengai. Why at midnight, you ask? In Tanzania, most of the difficult trekking and climbing is done throughout the night; this is done for two reasons: (1) a trekker would/should always prefer to reach the summit of a mountain in time for sunrise, in order to attain the most beautiful views; and (2) the African sun is so da*n hot, that it really wouldn’t be feasible to climb during the middle of the day!
The drive towards the base of the mountain was an eerie one. It was pitch black, and no real roads exist in the Natron area, so the driver had the discretion of taking whichever crevassed path he chose (an oft-disputed decision with our guide) – which included the mandatory midnight crossing of a riverbed! Once we arrived at the base, we got out and began the hike up.
At this point, we had absolutely no idea what to expect. Accompanying us was, as always, our guide, George, as well as two masaai men – the owners of the donkeys that had accompanied us on our trek through the highlands. George had given us our prep. beforehand: “Oldonyo Lengai is not a joke. It is tough. We will climb behind one another and stay together within a few feet.” And so it began.
It was surprisingly warm, given the late hour, and we were lucky enough to have a beautiful shining moon over a clear sky…
Let’s be clear: Lengai is an active volcano of approximately 10,000 feet, and it’s steep! VERY steep – in fact, it would be correct to say that the entire climb is at an angle of about 45 degrees, which makes for some very hard work. My husband Paul was carrying a small backpack (which unfortunately was very heavy) with our camera, tripod, and videocamera, as well as a polar fleece shirt and gloves, needed for once we gained some height. I was lucky enough to have our guide George insist upon carrying my little bag – he knew that I’d need all of my strength to get up to the top.
We were both wearing proper trekking attire, including wick-away clothing and well-broken in hiking boots, of course! We also thankfully brought our shock-absorbent hiking poles (which we couldn’t have survived without – even our guide got someone to carve him a walking stick to climb Lengai) and powerful headlamps (absolutely essential for night trekking; since your hands are needed for your hiking poles, holding a flashlight would be impossible and you’ll definitely want to be able to see a few feet in front of you [even despite the fact that the headlamps attract all kinds of buzzing insects to your forehead
])! We also brought plenty of water (which one desperately needs!), and of course our physical fitness – we aren’t regular hikers, and hadn’t done a lot of prepatory training, but we are certainly in reasonable shape and good fitness (another definite essential!) and had done a decent amount of mountain trekking in the past.
Now, I know that there are several people on this board contemplating the trip up Oldonyo Lengai and so I’m going to be completely honest in my assessment of the trek: It’s really challenging. It took us seven hours to reach the top of the volcano. There is no set path, but instead you are climbing wherever you are guided towards the top, through ash, scree and rock. There is no technical climbing at all, rather just trekking with hiking poles, but it’s so steep that a few hours in, my hips were beginning to hurt from climbing at such an angle.
The going is tough, and every few minutes, when we’d start breathing fast and hard, one of the guides would give the “pole, pole” advice. “Pole, pole” is the Swahili way of saying “slowly, slowly”. This is extremely important when ascending quickly – altitude sickness, while not potentially fatal at the altitude of Lengai, is always a possibility (and never fun!). It’s amazing how those simple words, “po-le, po-le”, said slowly and rhythmically, served to slow us down, reminded us to take a breath, and brought us back on track. We must have heard it 100 times on the way up (and another 200 on the way down!).
We climbed and climbed. Once we’d been climbing for a couple of hours, and the climbing was getting tougher and tougher, we would take very short (1 minute) breaks every few minutes to sit down (which really didn’t involve much effort – when you’re climbing on such an angle, it only takes a foot or so to plop your butt onto the ground below We had been told that Lengai had previously been climbed in between 4 and 8 hours, and we of course deluded ourselves into thinking that we would be of the climbers to achieve the top in 4 hours… unfortunately we were wrong. When we’d been climbing for about 4 hours, we made the mistake of asking how much farther – the real problem is that the volcano is so steep, that it constantly looks like you are just about to reach the peak! The answer to our question “how much farther?” came with a very regrettable (and unexpected!) response of “at least another 2 and a 1/2 hours” . We were crushed. But we kept on.
By this point, I was somewhat regretting the climb. We had been climbing for over 5 hours, and I was exhausted. It was pitch black outside and we hadn’t seen one single thing. It was so steep (and dark) that we weren’t even able to take pictures or video. I wasn’t finding it enjoyable. And I also knew that once we reached the top, we would only be able to spend very little time up there before having to head down to avoid climbing throughout the midday heat. I also started thinking about how we were supposed to climb Mount Meru (a challenging 4-day 17,000 ft. climb) in two days following this climb, and so I decided: I wasn’t doing it. In fact, for the rest of the climb up Lengai, I spent my time focusing on how we could make use of those extra 4 days that we would no longer need for Mount Meru – “another safari – perfect!”, I thought. That got me through
When we finally reached the top, just in time for sunrise, it was beautiful. It was gorgeous. There were lava formations, the air smelled of sulphur, and the sun was just coming up over Lengai and shining beautifully onto the Rift Valley below. The green of the Rift Valley turned a mixture of yellow, orange and pink and we took some beautiful photos. We probably spent about half an hour at the top (remember to confirm with your tour company that they are going to bring some snacks to the top, because we had assumed incorrectly and were very hungry for the whole way down [even despite the energy bars we had brought ourselves]
We began our descent. And as hard as we had thought the way up was, it was an even tougher way down! On the climb up, I had been nervous that climbing down at such an angle was going to be extremely scary (even though I’m never afraid of heights!) – but not so. The height didn’t bother me one bit – and in fact, the mountain seemed less scary than it did on the way up, because the craters that we had been afraid of falling into, were often shorter, less dangerous, or farther away than they had appeared during the middle of the night.
However, the way down was still one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. We had read stories about climbers, who had said “I would go up Lengai again, but no-one could pay me enough to come down again…” and we began to understand why. The climb down took us about six hours (from 7:30 a.m. to about 1:45 p.m.) It was hot and sweaty and steep. The angle on the way down made it extremely tough on the heels and knees, the scree and ash below our feet made everyone very prone to slipping (I believe my husband was the only one who didn’t take at least one rolling tumble!) and the descent seemed to never end.
Once we reached the bottom, and had enjoyed a shower and a soak of the feet, we went for a walk with George, to gaze upon our feat. It is a spectacular volcano and we were extremely proud of ourselves for having climbed it. What a sense of accomplishment.
Some say that the sights and smells of Lengai will never be forgotten. I agree that it’s beautiful. And some people might definitely think it’s worth the climb, but I can’t say with 100% certainty that that’s true for me or my husband. What we really enjoy about trekking is the entire experience of a climb… being able to enjoy the entire trek (rather than just scrambling up)… stopping to look around, see the sights, take some pictures… being able to enjoy spectacular views… The views at the top of Lengai were no doubt gorgeous and the views on the way down were also beautiful, of course – but the “path/way” up is pretty much the same “path/way” down – which allows for a beautiful view (but constantly the same view) of the Rift Valley and surrounding area… I’m a person that enjoys different, changing¸views throughout a climb… This view was exactly the same throughout the entire climb, but simply at different altitudes as you descended. And we were so tired, exhausted and physically drained, that the views just weren’t rewarding enough.
So, I guess when all is said and done, I can say that Oldonyo Lengai is a challenging and beautiful trek (and for the achievement of which you will receive much respect from the local people. However, whether you will find it rewarding enough to make up for the challenge of the climb is purely subjective. I’ve decided that for me, it wasn’t. I enjoyed infinitely more our trekking through the Crater Highlands. And our climb up Mount Meru a few days later (yes, a few days of safari at Tarangire National Park provided the necessary rejuvenation, thank goodness…!) totally reinforced my opinion… although it was tough (both mentally and physically), as well as very high and steep, it provided exactly what we were looking for… But alas, that’s a story for the next installment of my trip report
Part IV: Oldonyo Lengai
While in the Lake Natron area, we stayed at the Lake Natron Public Campsite; the place is nice enough (lots of trees – which is great for much-needed shade!). There weren’t very many tourists there in January (in fact, on the second night, it was only us!), which we considered to be a serious bonus
, and it was a great place to meet some of the local massai townspeople… There were local boys that were allowed by the campsite owners to hang around and provide service to any tourists/tour companies that came through. Also, right near our campsite, was a little massai market, with about 40 women trying to sell their wares (mostly beaded jewelry). Thus, all of the local women and children used the campsite as a meeting place, which allowed us to meet quite a lot of them… During most of the day (with no potential customers in sight , the area of the market also became a makeshift school; with someone standing in front to teach the children, as well as most of the women, to speak Swahili – it was amazing to watch.We arrived at this campsite in the mid-afternoon a very tired lot, after spending the past 4 days hiking through the highlands…! We spent the afternoon showering (finally
, and relaxing. It was great to have a little concrete structure around the shower stalls (as well as around the sometimes-flushing toilets), but unfortunately this also meant that it was a breeding ground for mosquitoes – not that it mattered much – we really needed the shower. That evening, we went to bed at around 8:00p.m., so as to wake up at midnight to begin our climb of Oldonyo Lengai. Easier said than done…
We were so excited/nervous about our imminent quest to climb the mountain, and it was so HOT (I’m sure you’ve heard about the intense HEAT in the Natron area…), that not much sleeping was done!We were “awoken” at midnight, and invited to drink some tea and enjoy a few biscuits before heading off in our Rover for the base of Lengai. Why at midnight, you ask? In Tanzania, most of the difficult trekking and climbing is done throughout the night; this is done for two reasons: (1) a trekker would/should always prefer to reach the summit of a mountain in time for sunrise, in order to attain the most beautiful views; and (2) the African sun is so da*n hot, that it really wouldn’t be feasible to climb during the middle of the day!
The drive towards the base of the mountain was an eerie one. It was pitch black, and no real roads exist in the Natron area, so the driver had the discretion of taking whichever crevassed path he chose (an oft-disputed decision with our guide) – which included the mandatory midnight crossing of a riverbed! Once we arrived at the base, we got out and began the hike up.
At this point, we had absolutely no idea what to expect. Accompanying us was, as always, our guide, George, as well as two masaai men – the owners of the donkeys that had accompanied us on our trek through the highlands. George had given us our prep. beforehand: “Oldonyo Lengai is not a joke. It is tough. We will climb behind one another and stay together within a few feet.” And so it began.
It was surprisingly warm, given the late hour, and we were lucky enough to have a beautiful shining moon over a clear sky…
Let’s be clear: Lengai is an active volcano of approximately 10,000 feet, and it’s steep! VERY steep – in fact, it would be correct to say that the entire climb is at an angle of about 45 degrees, which makes for some very hard work. My husband Paul was carrying a small backpack (which unfortunately was very heavy) with our camera, tripod, and videocamera, as well as a polar fleece shirt and gloves, needed for once we gained some height. I was lucky enough to have our guide George insist upon carrying my little bag – he knew that I’d need all of my strength to get up to the top.
We were both wearing proper trekking attire, including wick-away clothing and well-broken in hiking boots, of course! We also thankfully brought our shock-absorbent hiking poles (which we couldn’t have survived without – even our guide got someone to carve him a walking stick to climb Lengai) and powerful headlamps (absolutely essential for night trekking; since your hands are needed for your hiking poles, holding a flashlight would be impossible and you’ll definitely want to be able to see a few feet in front of you [even despite the fact that the headlamps attract all kinds of buzzing insects to your forehead
])! We also brought plenty of water (which one desperately needs!), and of course our physical fitness – we aren’t regular hikers, and hadn’t done a lot of prepatory training, but we are certainly in reasonable shape and good fitness (another definite essential!) and had done a decent amount of mountain trekking in the past.Now, I know that there are several people on this board contemplating the trip up Oldonyo Lengai and so I’m going to be completely honest in my assessment of the trek: It’s really challenging. It took us seven hours to reach the top of the volcano. There is no set path, but instead you are climbing wherever you are guided towards the top, through ash, scree and rock. There is no technical climbing at all, rather just trekking with hiking poles, but it’s so steep that a few hours in, my hips were beginning to hurt from climbing at such an angle.
The going is tough, and every few minutes, when we’d start breathing fast and hard, one of the guides would give the “pole, pole” advice. “Pole, pole” is the Swahili way of saying “slowly, slowly”. This is extremely important when ascending quickly – altitude sickness, while not potentially fatal at the altitude of Lengai, is always a possibility (and never fun!). It’s amazing how those simple words, “po-le, po-le”, said slowly and rhythmically, served to slow us down, reminded us to take a breath, and brought us back on track. We must have heard it 100 times on the way up (and another 200 on the way down!).
We climbed and climbed. Once we’d been climbing for a couple of hours, and the climbing was getting tougher and tougher, we would take very short (1 minute) breaks every few minutes to sit down (which really didn’t involve much effort – when you’re climbing on such an angle, it only takes a foot or so to plop your butt onto the ground below
We had been told that Lengai had previously been climbed in between 4 and 8 hours, and we of course deluded ourselves into thinking that we would be of the climbers to achieve the top in 4 hours… unfortunately we were wrong. When we’d been climbing for about 4 hours, we made the mistake of asking how much farther – the real problem is that the volcano is so steep, that it constantly looks like you are just about to reach the peak! The answer to our question “how much farther?” came with a very regrettable (and unexpected!) response of “at least another 2 and a 1/2 hours” . We were crushed. But we kept on. By this point, I was somewhat regretting the climb. We had been climbing for over 5 hours, and I was exhausted. It was pitch black outside and we hadn’t seen one single thing. It was so steep (and dark) that we weren’t even able to take pictures or video. I wasn’t finding it enjoyable. And I also knew that once we reached the top, we would only be able to spend very little time up there before having to head down to avoid climbing throughout the midday heat. I also started thinking about how we were supposed to climb Mount Meru (a challenging 4-day 17,000 ft. climb) in two days following this climb, and so I decided: I wasn’t doing it. In fact, for the rest of the climb up Lengai, I spent my time focusing on how we could make use of those extra 4 days that we would no longer need for Mount Meru – “another safari – perfect!”, I thought. That got me through
When we finally reached the top, just in time for sunrise, it was beautiful. It was gorgeous. There were lava formations, the air smelled of sulphur, and the sun was just coming up over Lengai and shining beautifully onto the Rift Valley below. The green of the Rift Valley turned a mixture of yellow, orange and pink and we took some beautiful photos. We probably spent about half an hour at the top (remember to confirm with your tour company that they are going to bring some snacks to the top, because we had assumed incorrectly and were very hungry for the whole way down [even despite the energy bars we had brought ourselves]
We began our descent. And as hard as we had thought the way up was, it was an even tougher way down! On the climb up, I had been nervous that climbing down at such an angle was going to be extremely scary (even though I’m never afraid of heights!) – but not so. The height didn’t bother me one bit – and in fact, the mountain seemed less scary than it did on the way up, because the craters that we had been afraid of falling into, were often shorter, less dangerous, or farther away than they had appeared during the middle of the night.
However, the way down was still one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. We had read stories about climbers, who had said “I would go up Lengai again, but no-one could pay me enough to come down again…” and we began to understand why. The climb down took us about six hours (from 7:30 a.m. to about 1:45 p.m.) It was hot and sweaty and steep. The angle on the way down made it extremely tough on the heels and knees, the scree and ash below our feet made everyone very prone to slipping (I believe my husband was the only one who didn’t take at least one rolling tumble!) and the descent seemed to never end.
Once we reached the bottom, and had enjoyed a shower and a soak of the feet, we went for a walk with George, to gaze upon our feat. It is a spectacular volcano and we were extremely proud of ourselves for having climbed it. What a sense of accomplishment.
Some say that the sights and smells of Lengai will never be forgotten. I agree that it’s beautiful. And some people might definitely think it’s worth the climb, but I can’t say with 100% certainty that that’s true for me or my husband. What we really enjoy about trekking is the entire experience of a climb… being able to enjoy the entire trek (rather than just scrambling up)… stopping to look around, see the sights, take some pictures… being able to enjoy spectacular views… The views at the top of Lengai were no doubt gorgeous and the views on the way down were also beautiful, of course – but the “path/way” up is pretty much the same “path/way” down – which allows for a beautiful view (but constantly the same view) of the Rift Valley and surrounding area… I’m a person that enjoys different, changing¸views throughout a climb… This view was exactly the same throughout the entire climb, but simply at different altitudes as you descended. And we were so tired, exhausted and physically drained, that the views just weren’t rewarding enough.
So, I guess when all is said and done, I can say that Oldonyo Lengai is a challenging and beautiful trek (and for the achievement of which you will receive much respect from the local people
. However, whether you will find it rewarding enough to make up for the challenge of the climb is purely subjective. I’ve decided that for me, it wasn’t. I enjoyed infinitely more our trekking through the Crater Highlands. And our climb up Mount Meru a few days later (yes, a few days of safari at Tarangire National Park provided the necessary rejuvenation, thank goodness…!) totally reinforced my opinion… although it was tough (both mentally and physically), as well as very high and steep, it provided exactly what we were looking for… But alas, that’s a story for the next installment of my trip report
Aug 8th, 2005, 08:04 AM
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 334
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You guys are great for still being interested (I had briefly thought that maybe I'd waited too long and lost my chance)...
I will definitely compose the rest and post it within the next few days. Our ENTIRE trip was phenomenal and I feel badly that I left off the rest of my post, not allowing people to benefit from the experience...
Only a few days - I PROMISE
I will definitely compose the rest and post it within the next few days. Our ENTIRE trip was phenomenal and I feel badly that I left off the rest of my post, not allowing people to benefit from the experience...
Only a few days - I PROMISE
Aug 8th, 2005, 08:08 AM
#29
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,339
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No I do understand. I never finished my report from the long long long 2004 trip and I decided after several months that there were so many more recent trip reports that it wasn't worth finishing mine unless anyone specifically wanted it. I'd just answer questions instead.
BUT I WANT YOURS!
BUT I WANT YOURS!
Aug 22nd, 2005, 12:36 PM
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 334
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, I know it’s been an embarrassingly long while since my last installment, but, at Kavey’s request… I’m continuing on! Thanks Kavey, for the encouragement – I hope that you and any others still interested will find the information useful… Also, I believe that I had promised an earlier poster some information about Naitolia Camp (just outside of Tarangire NP) and I hope that late information is better than never! Here goes...
After spending one last night in the Lake Natron area, and enjoying our first full night’s sleep in two full days!, we headed out of the area, en route to our next destination: Tarangire National Park! By this point, we had strictly been trekking and hadn’t been on safari for almost a week! It’s amazing because, a week earlier, when we left the Crater to begin our highlands trekking (which, you might remember, was after almost a full week of safari!), we had felt satisfied with our safari experience. But by this point a week later - we were already anxious to get back to safari-ing
We made the rather long and hot drive from Lake Natron back into Arusha to pick up supplies. On the way, we drove through amazing countryside… that area is always described in books as “other-worldly”, and I couldn’t agree more. Hot, dry, rolling hills and volcanic mountains surrounded by desert-like plains (we even saw cacti!). We drove through the town of Engaruka and had a chance to meet with some of local townspeople – lovely, warm people.
After a short stop at the East African Safari and Touring Co. office (which is a little place on one of the main streets in Arusha, hidden away behind some storefronts) to pick up supplies, we headed toward Tarangire National Park. The drive was along the main, paved road, but it was interesting nonetheless… locals swimming in the nearby streams, people walking to gather supplies… I can truly say that I was riveted to the scenery during every moment of our time in Tanzania
We arrived at Naitolia Camp and were in awe. The property is approx. 40 minutes from the gates of Tarangire National Park, but is still located within the Tarangire Conservation Area – which means that wildlife is still in the area, but it allows for the opportunity to participate in night game drives and walks.
Once again, we were the only ones staying at the camp, which provided a peace and tranquility that we could never have even imagined.
The camp at Naitolia is owned by East African, and each “tent” is constructed entirely from local materials with low stone and grass walls, covered by a grass-thatched roof in the style of the traditional African banda. The only modern aspect of the tent is the front façade made of canvas and shade cloth (mosquito netting), so that we had a beautiful uninterrupted view of the Lemiyon Plains from the comfort of our huge, cedar four-poster bed (this honestly was one of the most comfortable beds my husband and I have ever slept in – the king-sized mattress was wonderful, and the duvet was warm and cozy – perfect for the cool Tarangire evenings… surrounded by the safety of mosquito netting). We didn’t stay in the Treehouse (of which there’s only one – and it would have been significantly more expensive…) but our tent was beautiful, and after having trekked and camped and climbed through the highlands, we literally jumped up and down with excitement at the true luxury provided by the camp.
In addition to the spacious, wonderful “tent” – with the wonderful bed, sitting area and writing table - we particularly enjoyed the other facilities too … Each tent had an outdoor “ensuite” - the ensuite consisted of an area (made private by the construction of hay walls in the direction of the other tents or common areas, but completely open on the other side to nature and the plains) with a small washing basin (for washing up), a separate “hay room” with an outdoor shower (which they’d fill with warm water upon request), and yes, get this, an outdoor flush toilet. I should put “flush” in quotations because I’ll admit that realistically, the toilet only flushed once every hour or so… but we hadn’t had a toilet in so long, and the views from the outdoor toilet were so superb – it was amazing (an especially bizarre feeling to use the facilities at night underneath a full Tanzanian sky of stars!).
For those of you who’d like to check out some photos and get more information about the Camp, check the following web address:
http://www.eastafricansafari.info/naitolia.htm
The common area included a lovely (and romantic) candle-lit dining area (as far as I could tell, when all of the camp's six tents are full, everyone eats together at the one big long table – but we had it to ourselves, and a bar and small library, that opened out to views of the acacias and open savannah. The food was reasonably good - they were out of a few supplies, but the food was still enjoyable. I must admit that we had expected the food at this luxury lodge to be even better than the food that we’d previously been enjoying while camping and trekking, but we actually enjoyed the food while trekking even more…
The staff at the camp was extremely friendly, and some of the staff was the same as when we’d been at our semi-permanent camp in the Serengeti (which they’d taken down once we left the area…) and so it was nice to see some of them again!
I must mention though that there was one thing that we didn’t like at this camp: the tipping procedure. The hostess staff asked us on our first day at the camp whether we’d like to be leaving a tip at the end of our stay and they dropped off the “tip book” for our review… The tip book consisted of a page of entries of the “previous guests” and how much they had provided as tip. Naturally, the high amounts listed put some pressure on us as to how much we were going to leave at the end of our stay… As it turns out, at the end of our stay, we put our tip into an envelope and dropped it in the “tip box” at the front of the common area (which seemed extremely formal, considering we were the only ones staying at the camp!) and then were again given “the book” to write down our information and how much we had tipped. My husband immediately noticed that it was a DIFFERENT page of entries (the most recent, of course…) and the tips were SIGNIFICANTLY lower – all in all, it seems that the highest page of entries was given to us to apply some pressure; this left us, for the one and only time during our entire trip, feeling a little ripped off. So, if you’re planning on staying at this wonderful camp (which I believe is listed in the Lonely Planet for $375 pp/pn – full board, but was certainly MUCH cheaper (perhaps half!) as an inclusion when using East African as a tour operator), enjoy every moment, but be forewarned about the tipping procedure and don’t fall prey to these tactics.
The other property in Tarangire Conservation Area that is owned by East African is Boundary Hill Lodge. We got to hear all about it (it’s an even newer property), but made the decision that we’d rather stay in camps than in lodges, and also decided that the lodge was too expensive an option. It does look beautiful, however, and more distinctly, the lodge is 50% owned and operated by a local Masaai village. Information about the lodge can be found on the East African Safari and Touring Co. website. (http://www.eastafricansafari.info)
Now, back to our stay! Our first night at the camp, we ate dinner by candlelight (Naitolia has no power) and then went on our first and only night drive. Dinnertime was peaceful and romantic (to only candle and lamp light), with the sounds of nature surrounding us. I spent some time writing in our travel journal, and we watched a most beautiful sunset over the plains from the deck of our tent, and then we headed out on our first night drive. It’s funny because when we were planning our trip and trying to decide whether to go on a night drive, people had many differing opinions. Some people (including some of the other tour companies that we were dealing with before deciding to go with East African…) believe that night drives aren’t worth it. Their reasons: it’s too dark, you almost never get to see any big game, it means that you have to be staying too far out of the park and it’s just not worth it. Others advised that night drives were a fantastic, unique experience – my husband and I most definitely agree!
Our night drive was fabulous and yes, it’s true that it meant that we stayed 40 minutes outside of the park – but we visited the park for several days anyways! And although we didn’t spot any big game, it was an exhilarating experience to search for animals amidst the dark plains…
We drove along in the darkness… Our guide, George, accompanied us as our driver this time, and he brought along one of the camp staff to be our spotter. The spotter brought an extremely vivid spotlight and he stood out of the open roof of the LandRover, roaming the area with his spotlight… At first, nothing. And then… it was a most extraordinary feeling to spot shiny, gleaming eyes in the darkness; it truly makes one realize that there’s a whole other animal world going on out there while we’re sleeping! We stopped the car. Impala, a whole bunch of them, were staring right at us from quite close at the side of the road. The drive continued and although we didn’t spot any big game, we were excited to spot numerous birds and such wildlife as dik dik, a gorgeous Serval Cat and even a chameleon way up in a tree (I don’t know how these spotters do it!!!).
I highly recommend one night drive in an itinerary (although one is probably sufficient) – it’s not as “flashy” as daytime drives, but it provides a whole new perspective and is a unique and fun way to spend an evening.
We headed back to the peace and quiet of our tent, and crawled into our bed. What a day! And we slept with dreams of our upcoming day in Tarangire in our heads!
“A January Day in Tarangire” coming soon…!
After spending one last night in the Lake Natron area, and enjoying our first full night’s sleep in two full days!, we headed out of the area, en route to our next destination: Tarangire National Park! By this point, we had strictly been trekking and hadn’t been on safari for almost a week! It’s amazing because, a week earlier, when we left the Crater to begin our highlands trekking (which, you might remember, was after almost a full week of safari!), we had felt satisfied with our safari experience. But by this point a week later - we were already anxious to get back to safari-ing
We made the rather long and hot drive from Lake Natron back into Arusha to pick up supplies. On the way, we drove through amazing countryside… that area is always described in books as “other-worldly”, and I couldn’t agree more. Hot, dry, rolling hills and volcanic mountains surrounded by desert-like plains (we even saw cacti!). We drove through the town of Engaruka and had a chance to meet with some of local townspeople – lovely, warm people.
After a short stop at the East African Safari and Touring Co. office (which is a little place on one of the main streets in Arusha, hidden away behind some storefronts) to pick up supplies, we headed toward Tarangire National Park. The drive was along the main, paved road, but it was interesting nonetheless… locals swimming in the nearby streams, people walking to gather supplies… I can truly say that I was riveted to the scenery during every moment of our time in Tanzania
We arrived at Naitolia Camp and were in awe. The property is approx. 40 minutes from the gates of Tarangire National Park, but is still located within the Tarangire Conservation Area – which means that wildlife is still in the area, but it allows for the opportunity to participate in night game drives and walks.
Once again, we were the only ones staying at the camp, which provided a peace and tranquility that we could never have even imagined.
The camp at Naitolia is owned by East African, and each “tent” is constructed entirely from local materials with low stone and grass walls, covered by a grass-thatched roof in the style of the traditional African banda. The only modern aspect of the tent is the front façade made of canvas and shade cloth (mosquito netting), so that we had a beautiful uninterrupted view of the Lemiyon Plains from the comfort of our huge, cedar four-poster bed (this honestly was one of the most comfortable beds my husband and I have ever slept in – the king-sized mattress was wonderful, and the duvet was warm and cozy – perfect for the cool Tarangire evenings… surrounded by the safety of mosquito netting). We didn’t stay in the Treehouse (of which there’s only one – and it would have been significantly more expensive…) but our tent was beautiful, and after having trekked and camped and climbed through the highlands, we literally jumped up and down with excitement at the true luxury provided by the camp.
In addition to the spacious, wonderful “tent” – with the wonderful bed, sitting area and writing table
- we particularly enjoyed the other facilities too … Each tent had an outdoor “ensuite” - the ensuite consisted of an area (made private by the construction of hay walls in the direction of the other tents or common areas, but completely open on the other side to nature and the plains) with a small washing basin (for washing up), a separate “hay room” with an outdoor shower (which they’d fill with warm water upon request), and yes, get this, an outdoor flush toilet. I should put “flush” in quotations because I’ll admit that realistically, the toilet only flushed once every hour or so… but we hadn’t had a toilet in so long, and the views from the outdoor toilet were so superb – it was amazing (an especially bizarre feeling to use the facilities at night underneath a full Tanzanian sky of stars!).For those of you who’d like to check out some photos and get more information about the Camp, check the following web address:
http://www.eastafricansafari.info/naitolia.htm
The common area included a lovely (and romantic) candle-lit dining area (as far as I could tell, when all of the camp's six tents are full, everyone eats together at the one big long table – but we had it to ourselves
, and a bar and small library, that opened out to views of the acacias and open savannah. The food was reasonably good - they were out of a few supplies, but the food was still enjoyable. I must admit that we had expected the food at this luxury lodge to be even better than the food that we’d previously been enjoying while camping and trekking, but we actually enjoyed the food while trekking even more… The staff at the camp was extremely friendly, and some of the staff was the same as when we’d been at our semi-permanent camp in the Serengeti (which they’d taken down once we left the area…) and so it was nice to see some of them again!
I must mention though that there was one thing that we didn’t like at this camp: the tipping procedure. The hostess staff asked us on our first day at the camp whether we’d like to be leaving a tip at the end of our stay and they dropped off the “tip book” for our review… The tip book consisted of a page of entries of the “previous guests” and how much they had provided as tip. Naturally, the high amounts listed put some pressure on us as to how much we were going to leave at the end of our stay… As it turns out, at the end of our stay, we put our tip into an envelope and dropped it in the “tip box” at the front of the common area (which seemed extremely formal, considering we were the only ones staying at the camp!) and then were again given “the book” to write down our information and how much we had tipped. My husband immediately noticed that it was a DIFFERENT page of entries (the most recent, of course…) and the tips were SIGNIFICANTLY lower – all in all, it seems that the highest page of entries was given to us to apply some pressure; this left us, for the one and only time during our entire trip, feeling a little ripped off. So, if you’re planning on staying at this wonderful camp (which I believe is listed in the Lonely Planet for $375 pp/pn – full board, but was certainly MUCH cheaper (perhaps half!) as an inclusion when using East African as a tour operator), enjoy every moment, but be forewarned about the tipping procedure and don’t fall prey to these tactics.
The other property in Tarangire Conservation Area that is owned by East African is Boundary Hill Lodge. We got to hear all about it (it’s an even newer property), but made the decision that we’d rather stay in camps than in lodges, and also decided that the lodge was too expensive an option. It does look beautiful, however, and more distinctly, the lodge is 50% owned and operated by a local Masaai village. Information about the lodge can be found on the East African Safari and Touring Co. website. (http://www.eastafricansafari.info)
Now, back to our stay! Our first night at the camp, we ate dinner by candlelight (Naitolia has no power) and then went on our first and only night drive. Dinnertime was peaceful and romantic (to only candle and lamp light), with the sounds of nature surrounding us. I spent some time writing in our travel journal, and we watched a most beautiful sunset over the plains from the deck of our tent, and then we headed out on our first night drive. It’s funny because when we were planning our trip and trying to decide whether to go on a night drive, people had many differing opinions. Some people (including some of the other tour companies that we were dealing with before deciding to go with East African…) believe that night drives aren’t worth it. Their reasons: it’s too dark, you almost never get to see any big game, it means that you have to be staying too far out of the park and it’s just not worth it. Others advised that night drives were a fantastic, unique experience – my husband and I most definitely agree!
Our night drive was fabulous and yes, it’s true that it meant that we stayed 40 minutes outside of the park – but we visited the park for several days anyways! And although we didn’t spot any big game, it was an exhilarating experience to search for animals amidst the dark plains…
We drove along in the darkness… Our guide, George, accompanied us as our driver this time, and he brought along one of the camp staff to be our spotter. The spotter brought an extremely vivid spotlight and he stood out of the open roof of the LandRover, roaming the area with his spotlight… At first, nothing. And then… it was a most extraordinary feeling to spot shiny, gleaming eyes in the darkness; it truly makes one realize that there’s a whole other animal world going on out there while we’re sleeping! We stopped the car. Impala, a whole bunch of them, were staring right at us from quite close at the side of the road. The drive continued and although we didn’t spot any big game, we were excited to spot numerous birds and such wildlife as dik dik, a gorgeous Serval Cat and even a chameleon way up in a tree (I don’t know how these spotters do it!!!).
I highly recommend one night drive in an itinerary (although one is probably sufficient) – it’s not as “flashy” as daytime drives, but it provides a whole new perspective and is a unique and fun way to spend an evening.
We headed back to the peace and quiet of our tent, and crawled into our bed. What a day! And we slept with dreams of our upcoming day in Tarangire in our heads!
“A January Day in Tarangire” coming soon…!
Aug 22nd, 2005, 01:16 PM
#31
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great report! Thanks AlwaysAfrica
I just want to give you an update on the lodges your wrote about!
Naitolia Camp is now owned by Kirurumu Tented Camps and Lodges. I visited in June this year and they were busy upgrading the camp. At that time it was a bit run down (especially the tree house) but the Kirurumu team will most certainly make a difference. I posted some pictures earlier. I would not considered it a luxury camp though, unless they really do a makeover!
Boundary Hill Lodge is still under major construction and a bit of a mystery. It is in an excellent location but one can only hope that it will be completed soon to operate as it should!! I posted pictures of it as well!
Eben
I just want to give you an update on the lodges your wrote about!
Naitolia Camp is now owned by Kirurumu Tented Camps and Lodges. I visited in June this year and they were busy upgrading the camp. At that time it was a bit run down (especially the tree house) but the Kirurumu team will most certainly make a difference. I posted some pictures earlier. I would not considered it a luxury camp though, unless they really do a makeover!
Boundary Hill Lodge is still under major construction and a bit of a mystery. It is in an excellent location but one can only hope that it will be completed soon to operate as it should!! I posted pictures of it as well!
Eben
Aug 22nd, 2005, 01:26 PM
#32
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,339
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ooooooooh thank you thank you!
What a shocker about those tipping practices - I have never come across or heard of anything like that before and would be very unimpressed indeed were I to be manipulated in that way!
I don't know if you fed this back to the managing company but if not, I'd certainly consider doing so.
That said, the camp and experiences sound delightful and you're so lucky having it all to yourselves again!
What a shocker about those tipping practices - I have never come across or heard of anything like that before and would be very unimpressed indeed were I to be manipulated in that way!
I don't know if you fed this back to the managing company but if not, I'd certainly consider doing so.
That said, the camp and experiences sound delightful and you're so lucky having it all to yourselves again!
Aug 22nd, 2005, 01:32 PM
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 334
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the update climbhighsleeplow! I do, however, wonder why/how it was sold by East African... curious!
And it's funny that you should say that it's definitely not a luxury camp - for us, having done some semi-permanent camps, a lodge and mobile camping, Naitolia Camp was most definitely luxurious (even though we knew that it wasn't one of the high-end ones...)! It certainly makes one remember to take any specific opinions within a trip report in the context of the poster's entire trip...!
Glad you enjoyed the report... I'll be posting the next installment within the next few days...
And it's funny that you should say that it's definitely not a luxury camp - for us, having done some semi-permanent camps, a lodge and mobile camping, Naitolia Camp was most definitely luxurious (even though we knew that it wasn't one of the high-end ones...)! It certainly makes one remember to take any specific opinions within a trip report in the context of the poster's entire trip...!
Glad you enjoyed the report... I'll be posting the next installment within the next few days...
Aug 22nd, 2005, 02:16 PM
#38
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
AlwaysAfrica, this year in June I did my first camping safari (a very, very basic one) and I am hooked! Not for everyone for sure but it was one of my best trips ever (and I've stayed at Crater Lodge, Swala, Kusini, Klein's, Grumeti and more!)
I absolutely share your enthusiasm!
Here is the link to my Tarangire pics. As you can see the thatch, etc was quite torn up when I visited Naitolia.
Do you have pics of your trip? It will be good to compare and I would love to see the campsites you stayed at! I also think it is good to read about places that are not often mentioned here!
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...p;conn_speed=1
I absolutely share your enthusiasm!
Here is the link to my Tarangire pics. As you can see the thatch, etc was quite torn up when I visited Naitolia.
Do you have pics of your trip? It will be good to compare and I would love to see the campsites you stayed at! I also think it is good to read about places that are not often mentioned here!
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...p;conn_speed=1
Aug 26th, 2005, 07:30 PM
#40
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey Always....
It seems that we must have been on the same flight.. I left on 12/26 and got to Kili on the 27 via KLM...yes, it was very hot! I'm actually going back again on Dec 26 this year.. kind of funny about the date.... Glad you enjoyed your trip!
Laura
It seems that we must have been on the same flight.. I left on 12/26 and got to Kili on the 27 via KLM...yes, it was very hot! I'm actually going back again on Dec 26 this year.. kind of funny about the date.... Glad you enjoyed your trip!
Laura
