Quick Facts

Read a trip report from a previous tour.

Overview

Join me for an amazing 15-day photo safari to Tanzania in February 2011 during the height of the wildebeest birthing season where we will visit two of the most famous locations in East Africa to view and photograph wildlife. Our safari will begin in Arusha where we will be met upon arrival and transported to our lodge. The next morning we will drive to Ngorongoro Crater where we will spend three (3) full days down in the crater with good opportunities for lion and black rhino in a spectacular setting. Then we will drive to Serengeti National Park, where we will spend two (2) days in the central Serengeti with an excellent opportunity for hippos and good opportunities for leopard, giraffe, baboons, and monkies. Then we will spend seven (7) days in the southern Serengeti where about a million wildebeest will gather, along with an almost equal number of zebra, to give birth. The open plains will be packed with animals — it's an amazing spectacle. This area is also good for cheetah and lion, and we will have the permits necessary to visit the neighboring Ngorongoro Conservation Area so we can go where the animals are. After flying back to Arusha, we will have a day room (a regular hotel room for the afternoon) to prepare for our flights home after dinner.

This safari is intended for photographers, or serious naturalists, who want to spend time with the animals in order to allow behavior to develop. On game-drive days, we will maximize our time in the field during good light by leaving before sunrise and having a boxed breakfast in the field. On some days, we will return to camp for lunch and a siesta, then return to the field in the afternoon. On other days, we will take a picnic lunch so we can remain in photographically interesting areas further away from our camps.

We will only have three (3) photographers in each 7-passenger Range Rover to facilitate shooting and accommodate our gear. Our local guides have an in-depth knowledge of animal behavior, are sensitive to the needs of photographers, and will help put us in position to create spectacular images. We will spend our nights in lodges and a luxury mobile tented camp to experience the modern and more traditional ways of visiting Africa. Electricity will be available at our accommodations to power laptops and charge camera batteries.

The safari is limited to eight participants to provide a cozy small-group atmosphere. The safari is not physically demanding, but you must be able to get in and out of a van-like vehicle and be able to climb steep, narrow steps to the commuter plane.

Several airlines fly to Arusha, and airfare to Arusha is not included in the fee so that you can earn or use your own frequent-flyer miles. KLM/Delta provides reliable service from Amsterdam, and has a generous carry-on policy. Many people find it useful to arrive in Arusha a day before the safari starts in order to recover from jet lag. Our internal flight has a 45 kg (approximately 100 Lb) baggage limit (total of carry-on and checked) per person to facilitate transporting our gear.

This safari is scheduled to mesh with my Gorillas in February 2011 safari, so join me for both to make the most of your air travel.

Fee includes:

• All accommodation and meals (no meals on Day 1)
• Bottled water at meals and in the vehicles
• Flight from the Serengeti to Arusha
• Ground transportation within Tanzania
• National Park and Conservation Area entrance fees
• Visa fees

Fee does not include:

• Airfare to Arusha
• Personal laundry and miscellaneous personal expenses
• Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks
• Tips to bar staff
• Gratuities for local guides
• Gratuities for camp/lodge staff

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Itinerary

Day 1	Feb 5	Arrive in Arusha Transfer to Mountain Village Lodge (no meals included today)
Day 2	Feb 6	Breakfast at Mountain Village Lodge Drive to Ngorongoro Crater Check into the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge and have lunch Descend into the crater for an afternoon game drive Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Days 3-5	Feb 7-9	All-day game drive with boxed breakfast and picnic lunch Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Day 6	Feb 10	Short morning game drive with boxed breakfast Drive to Oldupai Gorge, the site of Louis and Mary Leakey's famous archeological discoveries Drive to Serengeti National Park Picnic lunch Afternoon game drive in the central Serengeti Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge
Day 7	Feb 11	Morning game drive with boxed breakfast Lunch and siesta at Serengeti Serena Lodge Afternoon game drive Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge
Days 8-14	Feb 12-18	Morning game drive with boxed breakfast Lunch and siesta at our own Luxury Mobile Tented Camp in the southern Serengeti Afternoon game drive (On some days, all-day game drive with boxed breakfast and picnic lunch) Dinner and overnight at our own Luxury Mobile Tented Camp in the southern Serengeti
Day 15	Feb 19	Breakfast at our own Luxury Mobile Tented Camp Fly to Arusha Lunch and day room at a hotel (opportunity to shop at an excellent local craft shop) Dinner and depart for home

* The itinerary is subject to change due to driving conditions and game locations.

Read a trip report from a previous tour.