Chris_GA_Atl

This is yet another thread relating to our June-July 2008 trip to Tanzania -- planning this trip has already been substantially improved from the input I have received from members of this Forum.

Our itinerary is getting more and more settled, but one big decision remains. For our last safari stop, should we go to Elewana's Migration Camp or Asilia's Sayari Camp?

For background, the general itinerary is as follows:

(1) June 16-23: Cape Town, shark observation and diving with Rob Lawrence (African Shark Eco-Charters) and a visit with Selwyn!

(2) 3 nights in Tarangire / Oliver's (June 24-27).

(3) 1 night Crater (Serena) (June 28)

(4) 3 nights Grumeti River Camp (June 29-July 1)

(5) 3 nights somewhere in the northern part of the Serengeti, either Sayari or Migration Camp (July 2-5).

OK, so that leads to the question at hand -- which northern corridor camp should we choose? The idea is to give us an opportunity to see the migration herds if they have made it that far north by then, but I know that the wildebeest may not have made it up that far at that time of year. With that in mind, here are my perceived pros and cons of each camp:

Migration Camp:
-- Further south; more centrally located and possibly more likely to be near migration herds at that time of year
-- Permanent water (Grumeti River) supports good resident game in case the migration hasn't arrived
-- Lodge facilities recently renovated and highly recommended by several Fodor's board members
-- Some visitors perceive atmosphere at Migration Camp as "stuffy" (our travel agent says the same thing)

Sayari:
-- Located in remote northern part of the Serengeti = few other tourists around
-- If migration has made it that far north, herds may linger on the southern bank of the Mara River because it is a more difficult barrier to cross than the Grumeti River
-- Permanent water (Mara River) supports good resident game
-- Bulk of migration may bypass Migration camp in favor of more westerly routes outside Serengeti NP boundaries, but may still congregate near Sayari
-- No "stuffy" comments

As I said, these are perceptions, so all are subject to being corrected by people who have actually visited these lodges. Based on considerations like these (or others you believe relevant), which would you recommend for an early July visit and why?

Your thoughtful advice is always appreciated.

Chris

climbhighsleeplow

Chris

The area around Migration camp is forest and it is a huge area with limited game routes. Even if the migration is in the area, you will only catch glimpses of herds (large and small) amongst the trees. It is almost impossible to see/experience the full scope of the migration.

You will probably spend most of your game drives in the Lobo area where lions and leopard sightings are common. And the very scenic landscape opens up for better overall viewing.

But it is a super camp well worth a visit!

Sayari offers really splendid landscapes with great vistas from the top of hills. There are many open plains areas and several springs to keep the grasses green in some areas. If the migration makes it up there you can see huge herds in all directions from the higher spots. Croccodile and hippo are active there.

Lion, cheetah and other cats are a bit skittish still and often seen a bit too far for great viewing. You can always drive down to Lobo but it is 2 hours one-way.

I would vote for Sayari just because the area has fewer vehicles and you can still get to Lobo if needed - but you have better overall scenery. And if the migration has not reached Sayari it is no biggie because the viewing won't be that impressive to the immediate south anyway. And if the herds are up north - then you will have a ringside seat to a great spectacle.

However it is a very long drive from Grumeti Camp - 5 hours+ and then you have to get back. By air I guess? Air is a bit more expensive because of inducements.

sandi

Choices, choices, but Eben brings up good points re Sayari - privacy.

While up that way, and even in the Western corridor, inquire about the newly instituted "Air Boats" that are starting service this year by Mara River Air Boats Safaris. The same type of boats you see skimming across the croc infested waters of Florida and Georgia. Check it out for a fun afternoon - www.marariverairboatsafari-ltd.com.

morgiane

hey all,

we're staying at migration camp this july, chosen for all the great reviews & it's placement in northern tanzania...so based on eben's information he posted, i have a question -

eben, you mentioned that Migration Camp is all woodland with little chance of seeing the migration is its full glory... Is the Sayari area drivable (like perhaps on an all day drive) from Migration camp? the way you described it:
---
Sayari offers really splendid landscapes with great vistas from the top of hills. There are many open plains areas and several springs to keep the grasses green in some areas. If the migration makes it up there you can see huge herds in all directions from the higher spots. Croccodile and hippo are active there.
---
makes me yearn to be able to see that! i know my fiance really hoped to see crocodile & i'd love the opp to see the migration.

sorry if i hijacked this thread...i hope this information would be helpful to others too...

climbhighsleeplow

Please see my map here:

http://www.go-safari.com/Serengeti/SerengetiNorth2.jpg

It is about 105 km from Migration Camp to Sayari when using a game road (not shown) following the Grumeti River up towards Kleins before turning NW - at least a 3-hour drive but certainly doable if your outfitter has no mileage restrictions.

Please remember that the herds split up after reaching the central Serengeti areas. Viewing will be different than the open plains of the Southern Serengeti or the Masai Mara.

Some run straight north past Migration Camp. Others go a bit more east past Lobo and the bulk go west towards Kirawira and then north from there to pop out near Sayari or a bit east towards Bologonja.

While at Migration Camp, you can drive east, south and north east and you may run into pockets of wildebeests everywhere! Best viewing (thanks to the open landscape) is generally at the Lobo and the Sayari areas and some points inbetween.

climbhighsleeplow

Just a note about the air boats - as far as I can tell they operate far to the west near Lake Victoria and maybe towards Masirori Swamp.

Certainly very very far away from Sayari - a good thing!

How noisy are these things?

Chris_GA_Atl

Eben and Sandi, thank you for your comments. That's exactly the advice I was looking for and is very helpful in making my decision.

Also, Eben, let me take this opportunity to thank you for the go-safari.com web site. That has been a really invaluable resource in helping me plan this trip.

To answer your question about getting back and forth between Grumeti and Sayari, I don't know what my travel agent has in mind, but I suspect it involves driving from one to the other. I know it is a long drive, but my wife won't tolerate the small aircraft involved in flying between these two areas, plus the drive should have game viewing opportunities anyway.

Thanks again.

Chris

sandi

Eben -

I can only imagine how noisy these boats are, ugh! So, it's best they be at a distance from any camps. However, I'm sure these are conducted during hours when guests would otherwise be out on game drives during mornings or afternoons, not while they are sleeping. Hey, it's an option, as visitors are always seeking "something else/different" and this is sure meets the bill.

Chris -

Can understand your wife wanting to avoid some flights, and while the drive from Grumeti to Sayari is a long one... she will be okay flying from here (or Migration camp) back to Arusha? Yes? Otherwise, the drive will take up a full day, probably with a stop somewhere.

jul_uk

Hi Chris

Obviously it is different from year to year but ... we were at Sayari July 5/6/7 last year and the migration hadn't reached the area - only a few early arrivals. We had been in the western corridor beforehand and saw much more. Whilst at Sayari two or three vehicles arrived from other areas on days out looking for the migration - in vain. The herds were apparently outside the serengeti at this time and re-entering to arrive near Sayari. The plains up there were lovely even if not full. As Eben said, really excellent Hippo viewing and it was nice to spend time near the Mara River. Overall very nice camp/staff/tents/food/service but, in terms of game-viewing, the least exciting area of our trip. I adored the landscape up there. My husband found it to be a bit of an anti-climax to the trip but if the migration had been there no doubt it would have been his favourite. I see you are doing Grumeti so you are covering good areas - I would think you are best to go to Sayari but be prepared that you may just find the same conditions that we had - and just relax and have a good time anyway. Unless more experienced Fodorites can suggest some other completely different possible last stop for your itinerary.

Julie

Calo

Chris, I have nothing much else to add to the excellent comments already posted by the others. One quick suggestion would be that you shorten your stay at Tarangire by 1 night (most people find 2 nights adequate) and add a night at Migration on your way up to Sayari. That way your dilemma is solved.

sisalfactory

I agree about Sayari. Sayari is more remote and away from the crowds. Few vehicles game drive in this region. And if the migration is there - bingo!

The Migration is never predictable. You have to stay in 2-3 different areas in Serengeti and hope you will see them in one of the locations. Part of the fun is going to search for the migratory animals but there is always so much more to see besides the migration. There are always the resident animals to enjoy, the sunrises and sunsets, the landscape, the flowers, the smells and sounds of Serengeti, etc.

Dreaming away!

Chris_GA_Atl

Thanks for everyone's continued input on this question. Let me respond to a couple of the questions you posed to me.

Sandi --
In terms of getting back to Arusha from Sayari, the plan is to do that by air. However, my belief was that the aircraft involved for that flight would be something a bit larger (like a Twin Otter or something like that), which is acceptable to both of us. We definitely would not have thought it possible to drive all the way back to Arusha in one day from way up there, so our travel agent had advised us that flying would be necessary for that.

Julie --
Thank you for the benefit of your experiences last year at the same time we are traveling there is 2008. We definitely recognize that trying to anticipate the location of the migration is totally hopeless, so the idea was to hit both the Western Corridor and the North in hopes we catch it one place or the other. Your comments seem to suggest that there was not much in the way of resident game-viewing at Sayari on your visit -- could you elaborate on that please?

Calo --
The reason for 3 nights at Oliver's is to take advantage of the walking safari option they have there, but which may not be possible in the other locations we are visting. Oliver's also offers the ability to do lightweight camping away from the main camp, which would require a separate night and which we may want to take advantage of. Our reading also suggests that late June in Tarangire will be a good time for game viewing, as it will be the onset of the dry season and the animals may have begun to aggregate around permanent water, and there is a permanent water source (a swamp) near Oliver's. Also, in terms of the migration, my guess is that the Western Corridor is far more likely to be the place to see it at the time of our visit, so we feel like we are covering that by going to Grumeti anyway. For those reasons we probably would not want to give up a night at Oliver's in exchange for one at the Migration Camp, although doing so would give us some additional variety and another shot at the migration.

Thank you all again for your very helpful comments.

Chris

jul_uk

Hi again Chris

It was more of an overall impression - that we saw less game than in other areas. I think Eben commented about "more skittish" that the very few sightings of cats were briefer and from more of a distance. Leopard sightings very unlikely there because of the type of terrain apparently. One thing that my husband didn't like so much was that, when we were there, they were usually only using one way in and out from camp and so this was done four times a day. (not always the case I believe but they were avoiding a burnt out area)He probably found this worse because this was the only place we didn't have our own vehicle with driver/guide going wherever/whenever. We had already enjoyed some really good game-viewing in the previous week. We did have, nearly always, a private vehicle with our Sayari guide but the schedule was very much the common morning and late afternoon game drives. Absolutely fine but the first and last part of every game drive was the same and not good for game.
With hindsight we both feel that Sayari would have been perfect as our first camp. I read in a post somewhere when I did a search on this board that another fodorite had gone there and didn't see much game but was ready to relax and wind-down and loved it. So I was a bit more prepared than my husband whose excitement at being on safari was still "building" rather than "winding -down"
But, having said all this, we had some memorable times there. Exceptionally close to lions mating - obviously too distracted to be skittish. Hippos in the Mara River totally different to other sightings elsewhere and always the hippo scenes that live on most in my daydreams. Quite good for crocs. I also enjoyed seeing young hyena and packs there, although at quite a distance. It is also the only place I saw a snake of any size.
I do hope that you get lucky and the migration has arrived.
Another thought - I will always regret staying in Tarangire for only two nights (Swala)- it deserved more and is so different from other areas, stick to at least three.
Julie

Chris_GA_Atl

Julie, thank you for that description. I think it will be OK for us to have some less-exciting time at the end of our trip -- we will be starting with a week of cage diving, which hopefully will be the highlight of the trip. We should have good game viewing in Tarangire and the Western Corridor, so it's no big deal if Sayari is slower. It's worth it for the chance to see the migration at the Mara River, if the timing works out right.

We definitely plan to retain 3 nights at Tarangire. I am hoping to spend one of those nights fly-camping, which I think would be really exciting.

Chris

safaridude

The guide I had last September in Tanzania had been to Sayari in mid-July. He said there were wildebeests, lions and cheetahs everywhere, plus rhinos. So, I guess timing is everything. I am going there in mid-August and have my fingers crossed.