SERENGETI MIGRATION, NGORONGORO CRATER & AMBOSELI’S ELEPHANTS
9-20 April 2011 SOLD OUT Enquire now for 2012!!!
“For the wildebeest it is a period of birth and renewal. For the predators a time of plenty…”
The annual migration of more than a million wildebeest across the plains of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem has neither beginning nor end, for the migration is an endless cycle as the animals wander in search of food and water. However, if there is any beginning it can only be at the moment of birth, an annual event that sees more than 400 000 wildebeest calves delivered on the short grass plains of the southern Serengeti in Tanzania over a period of a few weeks.
Join acclaimed wildlife photographer and author Daryl Balfour on an exclusive safari timed to take in this annual spectacle early in 2010. The trip, limited to a maximum of four people and designed for optimum comfort and convenience with only four passengers to a customised 4x4 game viewing vehicle, starts from Kilimanjaro International Airport, Tanzania and will take in the Eighth Wonder of the World, Ngorongoro Crater, the Cradle of Mankind (Oldupai Gorge) and the southern reaches of the Serengeti, along with Amboseli National Park in Kenya, perhaps Africa’s premier elephant watching destination and the place where those classic shots of snow-capped Mt Kilimanjaro are taken.
We have designed these expeditions to be small enough to offer each group personal attention and optimal photographic positioning, but will still offer non-photographers superb game viewing opportunities. The Serengeti at this time of year is at its best, with great sightings of lions, cheetah, hyaenas and most of the other wildlife species the area is acclaimed for.
Enthusiastic photographers will be able to call on Daryl Balfour’s expertise in this field for assistance and advice on how to improve their skills behind the lens or computer, or simply enjoy the fireside tales of his experiences in some of the remotest corners of Africa over the past two decades.
The annual migration of more than a million wildebeest across the plains of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem has neither beginning nor end, for the migration is an endless cycle as the animals wander in search of food and water. However, if there is any beginning it can only be at the moment of birth, an annual event that sees more than 400 000 wildebeest calves delivered on the short grass plains of the southern Serengeti in Tanzania over a period of a few weeks.
Join acclaimed wildlife photographer and author Daryl Balfour on an exclusive safari timed to take in this annual spectacle early in 2010. The trip, limited to a maximum of four people and designed for optimum comfort and convenience with only four passengers to a customised 4x4 game viewing vehicle, starts from Kilimanjaro International Airport, Tanzania and will take in the Eighth Wonder of the World, Ngorongoro Crater, the Cradle of Mankind (Oldupai Gorge) and the southern reaches of the Serengeti, along with Amboseli National Park in Kenya, perhaps Africa’s premier elephant watching destination and the place where those classic shots of snow-capped Mt Kilimanjaro are taken.
We have designed these expeditions to be small enough to offer each group personal attention and optimal photographic positioning, but will still offer non-photographers superb game viewing opportunities. The Serengeti at this time of year is at its best, with great sightings of lions, cheetah, hyaenas and most of the other wildlife species the area is acclaimed for.
Enthusiastic photographers will be able to call on Daryl Balfour’s expertise in this field for assistance and advice on how to improve their skills behind the lens or computer, or simply enjoy the fireside tales of his experiences in some of the remotest corners of Africa over the past two decades.
The wildebeest migration is a never-ending cycle. There is no beginning, no end - other than the time of birth and the time of death. For those who have never seen the migration we recommend our Maasai Mara Migration safaris each year between August - October. But for those who have seen this we can strongly recommend seeing the migration at the time of birth, when 400 000+ baby wildebeest are born in the southern Serengeti each year in February-April.
Itinerary at a glance:
April 9: Fly to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and onwards to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Moshi, Tanzania, transfer The Bay Leaf Hotel or Arusha Coffee Lodge for overnight, briefing etc
April 10: transfer to Arusha airport for a charter flight to Ndutu Lodge in the southern Serengeti region, for 4 nights
April 14: Morning drive via Oldupai Gorge – the Cradle of Mankind and site of many of Mary & Louis Leakey’s most famous anthropological finds – to Ngorongoro Crater with picnic lunch and afternoon spent on the Crater floor. Overnight Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, for 2 nights
April 16: Return to Arusha late afternoon for shopping (I have an excellent wholesale contact for superb Tanzanite, Tsavorite gemstones, or curios etc); Overnight The Bay Leaf Hotel or Arusha Coffee Lodge.
April 17: We travel by road about 2 hours to the Tanzania/Kenya border where we cross into Kenya then drive cross-country to our next camp, the luxury tented Tortilis Camp, facing Mt Kilimanjaro on the western edge of Amboseli National Park. We spend 3 nights here.
Amboseli National Park is one of the treasures of East Africa, and probably the best place on the continent for seeing and photographing elephants really up close and personal. This is where the classic images of the snow-capped Mt Kilimanjaro with animals, particularly elephants, in the foreground are taken, and we have timed our safari to give us an excellent chance of seeing the mountain with heavy snow cover. Apart from elephants, Amboseli also offers good viewing of a multitude of other wildlife species.
April 20: Travel by private charter flight to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, arriving about midday, for onward flight connections.
April 9: Fly to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and onwards to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Moshi, Tanzania, transfer The Bay Leaf Hotel or Arusha Coffee Lodge for overnight, briefing etc
April 10: transfer to Arusha airport for a charter flight to Ndutu Lodge in the southern Serengeti region, for 4 nights
April 14: Morning drive via Oldupai Gorge – the Cradle of Mankind and site of many of Mary & Louis Leakey’s most famous anthropological finds – to Ngorongoro Crater with picnic lunch and afternoon spent on the Crater floor. Overnight Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, for 2 nights
April 16: Return to Arusha late afternoon for shopping (I have an excellent wholesale contact for superb Tanzanite, Tsavorite gemstones, or curios etc); Overnight The Bay Leaf Hotel or Arusha Coffee Lodge.
April 17: We travel by road about 2 hours to the Tanzania/Kenya border where we cross into Kenya then drive cross-country to our next camp, the luxury tented Tortilis Camp, facing Mt Kilimanjaro on the western edge of Amboseli National Park. We spend 3 nights here.
Amboseli National Park is one of the treasures of East Africa, and probably the best place on the continent for seeing and photographing elephants really up close and personal. This is where the classic images of the snow-capped Mt Kilimanjaro with animals, particularly elephants, in the foreground are taken, and we have timed our safari to give us an excellent chance of seeing the mountain with heavy snow cover. Apart from elephants, Amboseli also offers good viewing of a multitude of other wildlife species.
April 20: Travel by private charter flight to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, arriving about midday, for onward flight connections.
Expanded itinerary information:
Due to the arrival times of flights in to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, the first night of the safari will be spent in a comfortable boutique hotel in the heart of Arusha, or a guest lodge in the midst of coffee plantations on the outskirts of town.. Meals will be for your own account here, as many guests opt for room service after their late arrival.
The first day on safari will see guests travel by road through the bustling safari capital of Arusha before taking a scheduled charter flight across Maasailand and over the scenic Ngorongoro highlands to the renowned Ndutu Lodge, ideally situated under classic umbrella-thorn acacias in the heart of the southern Serengeti. At this time of year Ndutu buzzes with international photographers and film crews, attracted by the spectacle provided by the wildebeest.
The next four nights will be spent at Ndutu Lodge, from where we will head out early each morning, exploring the grassy plains and woodlands in the area, tracking the massed herds of wildebeest and zebra, watching the birth of new calves if we’re lucky, and seeking predators such as lion, cheetah and hyaena on the hunt. The area also teems with other wildlife, including elephants, eland, various gazelle species, Kirk’s dik-dik, giraffe and, if we’re lucky, the elusive leopard. Last year I was rewarded with a record 18 different cheetah in one day, as well as my best ever sightings of aardvark in 23 years of photography!
On leaving Ndutu we will travel by road across the Serengeti plains, visiting Oldupai Gorge, the “Cradle of Mankind” en route to the famous Ngorongoro Crater, home to a very high density of lions, some of Africa’s best black rhino viewing, spectacular elephant bulls and a wide variety of other game species including Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, Coke’s hartebeest and golden jackals. At Oldupai we will enjoy a brief informal lecture about thepalaeo-anthropological diggings and discoveries that have taken place here over the years, by, among others, the famous husband-and-wife team of Louis and Mary Leakey. After enjoying a picnic lunch on our way up into the highlands from Oldupai we will spend the afternoon in the Crater floor. That night we stay at the Ngorongoro Sopa Hotel situated right on the crater rim, overlooking the crater itself. After an early start the next morning we‘ll tour the crater floor once more, seeking the Crater’s legendary big tuskers, black rhino and big cats. Ngorongoro Crater is also great for birding, particularly raptors and flamingos.
Due to the arrival times of flights in to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, the first night of the safari will be spent in a comfortable boutique hotel in the heart of Arusha, or a guest lodge in the midst of coffee plantations on the outskirts of town.. Meals will be for your own account here, as many guests opt for room service after their late arrival.
The first day on safari will see guests travel by road through the bustling safari capital of Arusha before taking a scheduled charter flight across Maasailand and over the scenic Ngorongoro highlands to the renowned Ndutu Lodge, ideally situated under classic umbrella-thorn acacias in the heart of the southern Serengeti. At this time of year Ndutu buzzes with international photographers and film crews, attracted by the spectacle provided by the wildebeest.
The next four nights will be spent at Ndutu Lodge, from where we will head out early each morning, exploring the grassy plains and woodlands in the area, tracking the massed herds of wildebeest and zebra, watching the birth of new calves if we’re lucky, and seeking predators such as lion, cheetah and hyaena on the hunt. The area also teems with other wildlife, including elephants, eland, various gazelle species, Kirk’s dik-dik, giraffe and, if we’re lucky, the elusive leopard. Last year I was rewarded with a record 18 different cheetah in one day, as well as my best ever sightings of aardvark in 23 years of photography!
On leaving Ndutu we will travel by road across the Serengeti plains, visiting Oldupai Gorge, the “Cradle of Mankind” en route to the famous Ngorongoro Crater, home to a very high density of lions, some of Africa’s best black rhino viewing, spectacular elephant bulls and a wide variety of other game species including Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, Coke’s hartebeest and golden jackals. At Oldupai we will enjoy a brief informal lecture about thepalaeo-anthropological diggings and discoveries that have taken place here over the years, by, among others, the famous husband-and-wife team of Louis and Mary Leakey. After enjoying a picnic lunch on our way up into the highlands from Oldupai we will spend the afternoon in the Crater floor. That night we stay at the Ngorongoro Sopa Hotel situated right on the crater rim, overlooking the crater itself. After an early start the next morning we‘ll tour the crater floor once more, seeking the Crater’s legendary big tuskers, black rhino and big cats. Ngorongoro Crater is also great for birding, particularly raptors and flamingos.
The last day of the Tanzanian
leg of our safari sees us bidding farewell to the Crater and making our
way back overland to Arusha where we spend the night at the same hotel
in town. There will be an opportunity in Arusha to shop for the
acclaimed and rare Tanzanite and Tsavorite and other gemstones,
Tanzanite being mined at the only known gem-quality deposit on the
planet near the town. I have an excellent contact with an international
wholesale dealer here, and high quality stones at genuine bargain prices
can be expected.
From Arusha we travel by paved road to the Kenya border, about 2 hours away, where we pass through Immigration and Customs formalities and enter Kenya. From here we turn east and travel across country to the spectacular Amboseli National Park.
From Arusha we travel by paved road to the Kenya border, about 2 hours away, where we pass through Immigration and Customs formalities and enter Kenya. From here we turn east and travel across country to the spectacular Amboseli National Park.
Amboseli - place of snow, ice and elephants
This is where the classic African scenes of wildlife – in particular elephants - with the snow-capped peaks of Mt Kilimanjaro are taken. Amboseli is without doubt one of the best places in the world to observe large numbers of elephants going about their daily lives. The Amboseli Elephant Research Project, under the leadership of Cynthia Moss, has been studying the elephants here for 40 years now, and every elephant in the park is known, most by name! (I suggest you read Cynthia’s book, Elephant Memories, if you are at all interested in the lives and behaviour of these wonderful animals.)
We spend 3 nights in Amboseli at the luxury tented Tortilis Camp, located on a small hill facing Mt Kilimanjaro. Italian-owned, Tortillis offers great cuisine, much of it with an Italian flavour!
Our last morning at Amboseli, April 22, sees us bidding farewell to the mountain and the elephants before boarding our private charter flight to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, for connection with onward international departures.
Flight Details:
International flights from your home to Kilimanjaro (Arusha),Tanzania and back again are for your own account and arrangement. You should plan on being in Arusha for the first night in our lodgings on April 9, and fordeparture from Nairobi on the afternoon or the night of April 20. Contact us for information on flights if required, as I will be flying from Johannesburg to Arusha via Nairobi on April 9 too. I have not had good experiences with the “direct” flights to Kilimanjaro from Johannesburg and have preferred in recent years to fly via Nairobi, using SAA or Kenya Airways to Nairobi and Air Kenya/Regional Air from there to Kilimanjaro.
The cost of this safari is US$8495 per person sharing. The single supplement is $3495.
The price includes: Full board accommodation sharing double rooms except in Arusha, the scheduled charter flight from Arusha to the Serengeti, all viewing and park entrance fees including visits to the crater floor, the private charter flight from Amboseli to Nairobi, all drives in customized four wheel drive transport and two experienced professional guides including professional wildlife photographer Daryl Balfour.
The price excludes: International flights, drinks, laundry, airport departure taxes, Tanzania and Kenya visas where required (available on arrival at the airport or border post) and items of a personal nature, and meals at the hotel in Arusha.
For further details on prices and availability please contact us now as these safaris sell out rapidly in each year.
We spend 3 nights in Amboseli at the luxury tented Tortilis Camp, located on a small hill facing Mt Kilimanjaro. Italian-owned, Tortillis offers great cuisine, much of it with an Italian flavour!
Our last morning at Amboseli, April 22, sees us bidding farewell to the mountain and the elephants before boarding our private charter flight to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, for connection with onward international departures.
Flight Details:
International flights from your home to Kilimanjaro (Arusha),Tanzania and back again are for your own account and arrangement. You should plan on being in Arusha for the first night in our lodgings on April 9, and fordeparture from Nairobi on the afternoon or the night of April 20. Contact us for information on flights if required, as I will be flying from Johannesburg to Arusha via Nairobi on April 9 too. I have not had good experiences with the “direct” flights to Kilimanjaro from Johannesburg and have preferred in recent years to fly via Nairobi, using SAA or Kenya Airways to Nairobi and Air Kenya/Regional Air from there to Kilimanjaro.
The cost of this safari is US$8495 per person sharing. The single supplement is $3495.
The price includes: Full board accommodation sharing double rooms except in Arusha, the scheduled charter flight from Arusha to the Serengeti, all viewing and park entrance fees including visits to the crater floor, the private charter flight from Amboseli to Nairobi, all drives in customized four wheel drive transport and two experienced professional guides including professional wildlife photographer Daryl Balfour.
The price excludes: International flights, drinks, laundry, airport departure taxes, Tanzania and Kenya visas where required (available on arrival at the airport or border post) and items of a personal nature, and meals at the hotel in Arusha.
For further details on prices and availability please contact us now as these safaris sell out rapidly in each year.
