Trip Report: Tanzania & Kenya July 2008
Aug 16th, 2008, 02:29 PM
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Trip Report: Tanzania & Kenya July 2008
<b>Operator:</b> Warrior Trails
<b>Guide:</b> Clamian
<b>Type:</b> private safari, driving
<b>Places vistied</b>: West Kilimanjaro, Tarangire, Karatu, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Nairobi
<b>Highlights:</b>
• camping in foothills of W. Kilimanjaro
• wildebeest crossing Mara River in Northern Serengeti
• outstanding cultural experiences
• spectacular wildlife sightings
<b>Itinerary:</b>
Day 1: arrive Arusha. Day room use Ngurdoto Mtn. Lodge. Overnight Arumeru Lodge.
Days 2 & 3: West Kilimanjaro. 2 nights at Hemingways Camp.
Day 4: Masai boma visit. Tarangire Nat'l Park. Overnight Tarangire River Camp.
Day 5: Tarangire. Overnight Maramboi Camp.
Day 6: Iraqw boma visit, Karatu. Lunch at Gibbs Farm. Overnight Ngorongoro Serena Lodge.
Day 7: Crater tour. Masai boma visit. Overnight Ngorongoro Serena.
Days 8 & 9: Central/Western Serengeti. 2 nights at Mbalageti.
Day 10: Northern Serengeti. Planned stay at Sayari camp changed to Asilia's Bolongonja mobile camp.
Day 11: Mara River. Overnight Bolongonja camp.
Day 12: Serengeti. Overnight Mbuzi Mawe.
Day 13: Serengeti. Overnight Ngorongoro Farm House.
Day 14: Arusha town tour & shopping. Overnight Karama Lodge
Day 15: Canoeing in Arusha National Park. Flight to Nairobi.
Day 16: Nairobi City Tour.
As a start, here are a <i>very</i> few pictures from our trip:
http://www.kodakgallery.ca/Slideshow...;mode=fromsite
To be continued...
<b>Guide:</b> Clamian
<b>Type:</b> private safari, driving
<b>Places vistied</b>: West Kilimanjaro, Tarangire, Karatu, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Nairobi
<b>Highlights:</b>
• camping in foothills of W. Kilimanjaro
• wildebeest crossing Mara River in Northern Serengeti
• outstanding cultural experiences
• spectacular wildlife sightings
<b>Itinerary:</b>
Day 1: arrive Arusha. Day room use Ngurdoto Mtn. Lodge. Overnight Arumeru Lodge.
Days 2 & 3: West Kilimanjaro. 2 nights at Hemingways Camp.
Day 4: Masai boma visit. Tarangire Nat'l Park. Overnight Tarangire River Camp.
Day 5: Tarangire. Overnight Maramboi Camp.
Day 6: Iraqw boma visit, Karatu. Lunch at Gibbs Farm. Overnight Ngorongoro Serena Lodge.
Day 7: Crater tour. Masai boma visit. Overnight Ngorongoro Serena.
Days 8 & 9: Central/Western Serengeti. 2 nights at Mbalageti.
Day 10: Northern Serengeti. Planned stay at Sayari camp changed to Asilia's Bolongonja mobile camp.
Day 11: Mara River. Overnight Bolongonja camp.
Day 12: Serengeti. Overnight Mbuzi Mawe.
Day 13: Serengeti. Overnight Ngorongoro Farm House.
Day 14: Arusha town tour & shopping. Overnight Karama Lodge
Day 15: Canoeing in Arusha National Park. Flight to Nairobi.
Day 16: Nairobi City Tour.
As a start, here are a <i>very</i> few pictures from our trip:
http://www.kodakgallery.ca/Slideshow...;mode=fromsite
To be continued...
Aug 17th, 2008, 07:32 AM
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Lynda, I took <i>your</i> formatting as an example of how to get started with my report. You do so much work for us all on the Index!!!!!!!
I'm sorry that the long link to my photos seems to have messed up the text formatting in my post...I don't like it, but I'm not sure how to have done it differently.
I'm sorry that the long link to my photos seems to have messed up the text formatting in my post...I don't like it, but I'm not sure how to have done it differently.
Aug 17th, 2008, 05:00 PM
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We (adult daughter and I) left Victoria, Canada for Arusha by way of London and Nairobi. We had previously booked 2 single <b>Yotel</b> cabins for the 6 hour layover at Heathrow which turned out to be a good plan. Although the Yotel cabin space is tiny, it's very well laid out, with enough room for a full size bed, shower, toilet and sink. Floor space is just sufficient to stand in for rearranging luggage contents and to walk a foot or two in either direction. Although the rooms aren’t entirely soundproof, I managed to get some sleep. Overall, we found Yotel to be good value for the money.
We arrived in Arusha quite early in the morning to find that our luggage hadn’t made it with us! Although having our visas issued was a very quick process, it was a bit of a wait to get the lost luggage paperwork sorted out. Eventually we were on our way to <b>Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge</b> where we had use of a room for the day. The lodge is located on a coffee plantation and is very lush, with lots of mature trees. We were in an upper chalet room which overlooked lots of greenery in one direction, and some new chalet construction in the other. From our balcony, I really enjoyed watching some huge hornbills eating fruit from a tree right next to our chalet. The room was very large, with the bedroom separate from the large sitting room. It had a fireplace, mini bar, satellite TV…all things that I don’t particularly care about. There were things in the room that could have used some attention, which I found surprising considering this is a fairly new lodge: broken curtain rod, chipping paint and a few other minor things…but still things that have an impact on first impressions. Other than our own room, we didn’t see much of the rest of the lodge. I just don’t need the 9-hole golf course, health club, gym, tennis courts, badminton court and swimming pool, and plan to stay at a smaller lodge next time.
After several hours at Ngurdoto we were transferred to <b>Arumeru River Lodge</b> which we really enjoyed. The common area is lovely, and the food was quite good. I also thought their gift shop had some things to offer that I’d not seen at other lodge gift shops, with lots of things made locally in Arusha. Our semi-detached room was a decent size with a large bathroom. I liked the smaller atmosphere of Arumeru compared to Ngurdoto.
We spent a comfortable night at Arumeru and headed off for the foothills of Kilimanjaro the following morning. I really enjoyed the drive to Heminway’s Camp in West Kili. The road was quite good at the beginning of the trip, with continuously changing vistas of Kilimanjaro and it’s surrounding countryside. Eventually the road changed from tarmac to a fairly good dirt road which we were on for about an hour. Then the dirt road turned into a dusty wagon rut for the last hour to Hemingway's. Our guide had warned us that it’d be dusty and he wasn’t kidding! It was a fun ride though, and I loved the changing landscapes as we went along. I think West Kili has become one of my favourite places in Northern Tanzania. Part of that is because of our wonderful stay at Heminway’s Camp which I’ll report on next.
We arrived in Arusha quite early in the morning to find that our luggage hadn’t made it with us! Although having our visas issued was a very quick process, it was a bit of a wait to get the lost luggage paperwork sorted out. Eventually we were on our way to <b>Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge</b> where we had use of a room for the day. The lodge is located on a coffee plantation and is very lush, with lots of mature trees. We were in an upper chalet room which overlooked lots of greenery in one direction, and some new chalet construction in the other. From our balcony, I really enjoyed watching some huge hornbills eating fruit from a tree right next to our chalet. The room was very large, with the bedroom separate from the large sitting room. It had a fireplace, mini bar, satellite TV…all things that I don’t particularly care about. There were things in the room that could have used some attention, which I found surprising considering this is a fairly new lodge: broken curtain rod, chipping paint and a few other minor things…but still things that have an impact on first impressions. Other than our own room, we didn’t see much of the rest of the lodge. I just don’t need the 9-hole golf course, health club, gym, tennis courts, badminton court and swimming pool, and plan to stay at a smaller lodge next time.
After several hours at Ngurdoto we were transferred to <b>Arumeru River Lodge</b> which we really enjoyed. The common area is lovely, and the food was quite good. I also thought their gift shop had some things to offer that I’d not seen at other lodge gift shops, with lots of things made locally in Arusha. Our semi-detached room was a decent size with a large bathroom. I liked the smaller atmosphere of Arumeru compared to Ngurdoto.
We spent a comfortable night at Arumeru and headed off for the foothills of Kilimanjaro the following morning. I really enjoyed the drive to Heminway’s Camp in West Kili. The road was quite good at the beginning of the trip, with continuously changing vistas of Kilimanjaro and it’s surrounding countryside. Eventually the road changed from tarmac to a fairly good dirt road which we were on for about an hour. Then the dirt road turned into a dusty wagon rut for the last hour to Hemingway's. Our guide had warned us that it’d be dusty and he wasn’t kidding! It was a fun ride though, and I loved the changing landscapes as we went along. I think West Kili has become one of my favourite places in Northern Tanzania. Part of that is because of our wonderful stay at Heminway’s Camp which I’ll report on next.
Aug 17th, 2008, 05:55 PM
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Looking forward to your account of the interesting places you stayed. Asilia's Bolongonja is a new one, can't wait for more on that. The photos you took while there indicate you had wonderful wildlife.
What were the dates of your trip? I see July, but I'm curious if it was early or late July.
Great photos. I especially liked to portrait shot of the eles in Tarangire, the drinking impala, the hippos splashing in the mud, the giraffe tongue, the heron in the Serengeti, the male lion on the kopjes, and the close up of the baby zebra with the other herd members.
What were the dates of your trip? I see July, but I'm curious if it was early or late July.
Great photos. I especially liked to portrait shot of the eles in Tarangire, the drinking impala, the hippos splashing in the mud, the giraffe tongue, the heron in the Serengeti, the male lion on the kopjes, and the close up of the baby zebra with the other herd members.
Aug 18th, 2008, 07:48 AM
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Calo, nice pictures, especially the topi! Did he get bitten by an insect or did he twist his neck to look at you? You got a really good line of wildebeests and the lion on the kopje looks like an expert poser. The hyena with the snare is a bit too painful to look at though.
Aug 18th, 2008, 06:30 PM
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Lynn, we were "in the bush" from July 7 to July 21. I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures. I took so many it was hard to choose which ones to share online....a problem we all have!
Nyamera, I think the topi was posing for me. They are a favorite of <i>mine</i>, too, although having seen huge numbers of Eland on this trip, I'm beginning to favor the larger antelope. It was tough watching the hyena with the snare around it's neck....it was obviously in distress and there wasn't a darn thing we could do about it.
Nyamera, I think the topi was posing for me. They are a favorite of <i>mine</i>, too, although having seen huge numbers of Eland on this trip, I'm beginning to favor the larger antelope. It was tough watching the hyena with the snare around it's neck....it was obviously in distress and there wasn't a darn thing we could do about it.
Aug 19th, 2008, 04:18 PM
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Thank you, Irecommend. We used a combination of Canon Elan 7N (film camera) and Canon xti (digital SLR). I am very impressed with the xti. I don't imagine I'll be using my film camera any more because it's becoming obsolete.
Aug 20th, 2008, 05:36 AM
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Leely2, I'm holding off on my next post (about Hemingway's and West Kili) because I'm hopeful that the editors will fix the formatting in this thread. I've sent a couple of emails to them, but haven't had a response. I guess I'll just keep going, although I think it's a nuisance to read.
Lynn, I have no answer about a wildlife service intervening in situations such as with the hyena we saw. I can't imagine this particular animal would have survived an intervention, and our guide felt it was within hours of dying. Putting it down would have been a kindness.
Lynn, I have no answer about a wildlife service intervening in situations such as with the hyena we saw. I can't imagine this particular animal would have survived an intervention, and our guide felt it was within hours of dying. Putting it down would have been a kindness.
Aug 21st, 2008, 01:51 PM
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Lynn, on our last trip to Tanzania we booked with Roy Safaris. Our driver was Clamian who subsequently started up his own company called Warrior Trails. Clamian is Masai (hence the "Warrior" part of the company name), and not only has vast knowledge of the local land, fauna, and flora, but has very close connections to the local indigenous communities. He has a substantial network in the safari business after having worked many years in the industry.
Aug 21st, 2008, 01:55 PM
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West Kilimanjaro is contiguous with Amboseli in Kenya. Hemingway’s Camp is on 250 km of land leased from the local Masai, some of whom work at the camp. With only 5 well-spaced tents in the camp, there is a real sense of privacy and remoteness that we loved. Our traditional tent was very comfortable, with ensuite facilities including a chemical toilet and hot water bucket shower.
Hemingway’s is situated in spectacular landscapes, with fabulous views of Mt. Kilimanjaro, visible to us from our tent and while on game drives.
Here’s a look at Eben’s map showing the location of Hemingway’s:
http://go-safari.com/Westkilimanjaro...limanjaro5.jpg
After a long, dusty drive to Hemingway’s it was nice to be greeted by the <i>entire</i> camp staff. The staff was exceptional in making sure all of our needs were met and they were truly the friendliest, most delightful and enthusiastic staff of any of the places we have ever stayed and we would go back in a heartbeat.
Wildlife viewing in the area was fabulous. Although we didn’t see any Gerenuk, we saw Kudu and many, many of the Amboseli elephants we’d hoped for. It was especially nice to be able to off-road in this area. On our second night at the camp we had a hyena crunching bones outside our tent!!
A fantastic little hill behind the camp provided a wonderful place for sundowners. One of the special times with the camp staff was on the sundowner hill, listening to stories of their lives and teaching them games from our side of the world.
I marvelled at the ability of the camp chef to provide excellent meals considering the challenges of such a remote place. The best meal we had in camp was set up for us beside the evening campfire, and to our surprise and delight, people from the local Masai village came to sing for us around the fire that night.
A particular highlight for us during one of our game drives was to visit a huge Masai well that had been dug about 12 meters into the dry soil. There were hundreds of cattle being watered when we were there, so we watched with interest as the Masai herdsmen whistled for groups of 4-5 cattle to take their turns traipsing down the path into the well, drinking and traipsing back up again. There seemed to be different whistles for different cattle, and the animals sure seemed to know when it was their turn to drink. The entire event was fascinating to see and we consider ourselves very fortunate to have witnessed this essential part of Masai life.
From West Kilimanjaro we headed to Tarangire for a couple of days. I'll report on that next.
Hemingway’s is situated in spectacular landscapes, with fabulous views of Mt. Kilimanjaro, visible to us from our tent and while on game drives.
Here’s a look at Eben’s map showing the location of Hemingway’s:
http://go-safari.com/Westkilimanjaro...limanjaro5.jpg
After a long, dusty drive to Hemingway’s it was nice to be greeted by the <i>entire</i> camp staff. The staff was exceptional in making sure all of our needs were met and they were truly the friendliest, most delightful and enthusiastic staff of any of the places we have ever stayed and we would go back in a heartbeat.
Wildlife viewing in the area was fabulous. Although we didn’t see any Gerenuk, we saw Kudu and many, many of the Amboseli elephants we’d hoped for. It was especially nice to be able to off-road in this area. On our second night at the camp we had a hyena crunching bones outside our tent!!
A fantastic little hill behind the camp provided a wonderful place for sundowners. One of the special times with the camp staff was on the sundowner hill, listening to stories of their lives and teaching them games from our side of the world.
I marvelled at the ability of the camp chef to provide excellent meals considering the challenges of such a remote place. The best meal we had in camp was set up for us beside the evening campfire, and to our surprise and delight, people from the local Masai village came to sing for us around the fire that night.
A particular highlight for us during one of our game drives was to visit a huge Masai well that had been dug about 12 meters into the dry soil. There were hundreds of cattle being watered when we were there, so we watched with interest as the Masai herdsmen whistled for groups of 4-5 cattle to take their turns traipsing down the path into the well, drinking and traipsing back up again. There seemed to be different whistles for different cattle, and the animals sure seemed to know when it was their turn to drink. The entire event was fascinating to see and we consider ourselves very fortunate to have witnessed this essential part of Masai life.
From West Kilimanjaro we headed to Tarangire for a couple of days. I'll report on that next.
