Wednesday 28 October 2009

Wed 14th October

Seronera, Serengeti – Arusha – Zanzibar

Waking up at Olakira camp for our final day on Safari, my eyes flickered open to come into focus on the horizon of the Serengeti plains and a rich golden orange sun illuminating the earth. A breathtaking sight to wake to, especially when you are still tucked up warm in bed and beginning to contemplate the day ahead.

Breakfast was served in the mess tent at 6.30am, toast and omelettes prepared on the barbeque grill and fresh juice to set us up for our game drive before flying out from Seronera at 11.05am.
This last morning we had an exciting ring side seat for a pair of Cheetahs hunting for their breakfast amongst a vast heard of Thomson’s Gazelle. Not dissimilar to watching our domestic cats in the UK creeping low to the ground before pouncing on unsuspecting prey – only the Gazelles clearly sensed the Cheetahs whilst they remained hidden close to the ground amongst the grassy plains. The Cheetahs tried to flank the herds but to no avail as they are nimble little creatures and as soon as one goes they all bolt like wild fire. I particularly enjoyed the chivalry of the male gazelle who stood firm protecting the females to the rear of the heard, furthest from where they sensed danger. Females in the wild are revered, protected and even boss if you are a hyena !

Final stop on our northern Tanzanian adventure was to visit the beautiful Maru Kjopes, an ancient Maassai meeting point which was used for ceremonies before the tribes were moved south from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro. Kjopes is a Dutch word which means ‘big head’ and refers to the clusters of large rocks found off the beaten track in the south east of Seronera. On the giant rocks sits a singular rock drum around 1.5 metres high and 3 metres wide. There are concave cups the size of fists set in the rock and a beating stone which when hit into the individual ‘cups’ gives a different tone. You can bang out a tune Masaai style to the audience which in our case was a leopard in the distance dragging his breakfast to the shade of the rocks. You can imagine the great festivities that took place here through the years and the scene of Massaai tribes coming in from every direction on the 360 panorama of the Serengeti – a word that in Massaai translates to endless plains.

By 10.30am we arrived at Seonera airstrip for our flight with Coastal Aviation to Zanzibar via Arusha. An informal check in procedure which consisted of walking to the aircraft, putting your bag in the hold, being part of a head count and buckling up saw us taking off bang on time. Well, the second time as our first attempt at take off was aborted due to Impala on the runway. 10 minutes in Arusha gave us enough time to have a quick chat with Anita before running back to our connecting flight. It was a little touch and go as our bags had been moved onto the second aircraft for Arusha – Zanzibar & as we had run into the departures lounge to see Anita we had to put our bags through the scanner before departing again (not something they have at Seronera) and a glass bottle was detected.

I politely but firmly informed the guard who was telling me this was a problem that it was not a problem as we had just flown in with the said bottle in hand luggage and any more chit chat with him & we would miss our flight which was revving up to depart. I scurried across the runway flapping my arms and still talking to the guard protesting and as soon as we got to the aircraft the security officer asked me if I had whisky with a smile – I said ‘No, it’s Rum’ and with a big grin again he ushered us onto the plane and off we went !

On arrival into Zanzibar we were met by a driver from Zanzibar Unique with a bottle of ice cold water each and an air conditioned car to drive us to Swahili House in the centre of Stone Town.
The hotel was formally International house and is so much so in the centre of Stone Town that we had to park a few windy streets away as there is no vehicle access to the labyrinth within the old town.

Swahili House is set over 5 floors with an open inner courtyard and rooms situated around the galleried landings. The walk up to the roof top restaurant is a dizzy one when coupled with the intense early afternoon heat and though there is a lift shaft in place, the lift is waiting at Dar Es Salaam port to be released from customs.

Well worth the climb though is the roof top bar and restaurant, Tarquin & I went up for a refresher before heading out to explore Stone Town at 4 in the afternoon and after 10 hours we were still there - all exploration on this particular afternoon was done from the rooftop !
Great cocktails, great service, the best food in Stone Town and the views are stunning. They even have a roof top Jacuzzi and a few sun beds for those who find tanning a daily essential! Hats off to Alex Innes, the chef from the UK who has seen the refurbishment of Swahili House kitchens & the hotel opening in December 2008, creating a destination in itself for rooftop sun downers and dining in the heart of Stone Town.

Tue 13th Oct 09


Today was our last full day to explore the vast grass planes of the Serengeti. We were up early to catch sunrise and hopefully some game before the heat of the day set in. Whilst most of the Serengeti is grassy planes with few trees it also has a river that attracts the animals as the only source of fresh water for miles. Along the banks we were lucky enough to see lots of elephants, lions, hippo and a couple of crocodiles, plus all the now familiar gazelle, zebra and wildebeests. Randomly enough we also bumped into our French rescuers from the day before and witnessed a male lion ‘mark his territory’ all over their Land Rover.

Over the course of the day we were lucky enough to see elephants chasing lions, lions starting to eat their recent catch of buffalo, a leopard resting in a tree and troops of elephants refreshing in the river. Unlike the other parks we had visited this was easily the most spread out but I personally felt gave the best viewing, for wildlife at least.

By the end we were thoroughly knackered, coated in dust and slightly sore from the outrageously bumpy roads but very glad and fortunate to have seen and done what we have. Needless to say there is potential for a stupidly long slide show once we get back if anyone would like to sit through the thousands of pictures??
Big thanks to Anita from Love Live Africa and Ali our driver.

Mon 12th Oct 09


Another early start. This time we were heading down from the Ngorongoro highlands towards the Serengeti National Park. On route we stopped off at Olduvai Gorge, a famous archaeological site where the earliest remains of our ancestors was found along with some footprints showing that early humans were up on two feet 1.8 million years ago. The site also attracted interest as it contained fossils and artefacts from then almost to date, detailing evolution and our developing use of tools, pots and eventually musical instruments.

After a quick informal lecture and a good look round the small museum we started the long drive to the Serengeti. Our driver was keen to tell us that he knew a short cut so we would be there in no time! Now, anyone who knows anything knows short cuts often aren’t a good idea, after all, If the route was sensible it would just simply be ‘the way’. In Africa the rules are the same. About an hour after leaving Olduvai we found ourselves stuck. At first it didn’t seem like too much of an issue but the car thought otherwise and firmly stayed put digging deeper and deeper holes into the sand. After some time in the midday sun trying to dig / push / pull the land cruiser out our driver decided that he best go for help. Suise – who thought the whole thing rather funny and I were left with the car whilst Ali headed off over the horizon towards where he though the nearest road should be. After a long hour sat waiting in the car with no driver, no phone signal and only able to locate ourselves on the map, give or take a 100km Ali returned with a Land Rover. Fortunately he had managed to flag down a French couple and their guide and convinced them to try and drag us out. To cut a long story short (ish) several different attempts were made to free our car, ranging from towing, winching and straight old fashioned ramming. At one point the rescue vehicle also got stuck and the poor French woman started to panic that she would also be stuck. Neither of us speak good French but just as they were formulating a plan to persuade their driver to abandon his attempts and us in the sand our car became free. Needless to say everyone was relived.

The Serengeti, Maassai for endless plain, was indeed that. We had arrived slightly later than anticipated but the late afternoon sun was perfect for game viewing. We checked in to another of the old government lodges, this time constructed around some rocks and rested. We had elected for a dawn game drive the next day and wanted to make the most of our last day full day on safari.

Sun 11th Oct 09


Unsurprisingly the African morning once again came too soon. It occurred I was in serious danger of seeing more ‘morning time’ this week than the previous month or two combined. Still, I could be in the office or behind a computer....?!

After breakfast and a tour of the farm and its facilities we headed to Plantation Lodge for a site inspection. Whilst this was not expected to be the highlight of our trip it was a stunning example of what can be achieved if you combine a breathtaking view with a large site, a fat wad of cash, and interior designer and an architect with a dream. Each house (to call these accommodations rooms would be unfair) was different to the next in design and purpose, some set up for families, some for group and some beautiful honeymoon suites. The bar / public lounge area was a multi level triumph to lounging and drinking complete with ample seating and glass floor down to a temperature controlled wine cellar and sampling area. If it were alive it would be the (unlikely) love child of Jilly ‘hint of hollyhocks’ Goolden and Kevin ‘fusion of light and space’ McCloud. Sadly whilst we could have happily sampled a vintage or two we had a date with the largest intact caldera in the world.

Once again the crow would have made quick time; however our route winded and meandered up the steep slope towards the rim. On one side the near vertical cliff seemed to continue towards infinity and on the other the view over the forest below did the same. Our Land Cruiser powered on, passing a staggering number of locals pushing heavily laden bicycles up the slope and a few coming back down again, desperate to keep their speed under control. We arrived at the gate around lunch time to be greeted by a confident male baboon that was no doubt aware exactly the time of day and was on the prowl for easy pickings. Whilst he was a little more warily avoiding the locals as he knew some may have catapults he was causing havoc in the ticket queue, toilets and car park systematically checking all the vehicles for any windows that might be left open or for any picnicking tourists.

The Ngorongoro crater is a world heritage site and also known as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. It has walls 2000 feet high and spans over 10 miles creating a natural amphitheatre with some of the densest populations of large animals found anywhere attracted by the vegetation and year round water. Also, I suspect, the steep sides don’t exactly make it easy to leave.

Our visit was in the middle of the dry season so the vegetation was not at its fullest, however this made spotting a lot easier. We saw many hippo, buffalo, warthog, wildebeest, zebra and several types of gazelle and antelopes. Alongside these herbivores we also saw hyena and lions sleeping within the grass. Sadly the only thing that eluded us was rhino. The exact remaining number of rhino left in the crater is a closely guarded secret often speculated by the game drivers. We heard estimates ranging from 17 to a massive 30. In any event it was clear there was room for a few more. We learnt that the authorities had stopped publishing the figures as this almost provided a guide to the poachers and that numbers were now slowly on the up. Each day the rhino are followed at distance by the park rangers who guard them 24 – 7. At Ngorongoro they have also implemented a scheme to split tourist revenue with the local Maassai who in turn keep an eye on the park rangers to minimise corruption and any illegal hunting.

After driving round all day soaking in the epic landscapes and getting up close and personal with the large herds we headed back up the steep caldera walls to our lodge. Tonight we were to stay at an old government run lodge perched precariously high on the rim 2,286 meters above sea level. Rooms are basic but in the process of being improved, the location however is stunning. At the time it was built it was the pinnacle of both architectural and structural design and as it was government owned they selected themselves the best possible spot. From the balcony’s you got an uninterrupted view across the crater in all directions and could see herds of tinny black specks roaming the crater floor looking for food.

Monday 19 October 2009

Sat 10th Oct 09


Despite having a relativity early night the morning sun came fast. I did notice a few similarities from the previous morning as Susie tried to convince me to watch the sun rise - which was in the end worth it.

After an early breakfast we left Oliver's Camp at about 8am to travel to Lake Manyara. Lake Manyara National Park is well known for its elephants, hippo and tree climbing lions. Whilst the tree climbing lions managed to successfully elude us we did see lots of monkeys, baboons, elephants, etc. We also managed to see several Hippo wallowing in a small pool barely big enough for them - but as this is the height of the dry season I guess this was their best option. Even the Lake itself, which is Alkaline, is a fraction of the size it should be. As well as the lake the area is covered by forest, unlike any of the other parks we had or would visit. This made it quite a bit cooler under the shade of the large trees and I reckoned it would have been my pick if I had to choose where to live as an animal.

After a full day, abandoned slightly early due to a massive dust storm, we headed out of the park and up the escarpment towards the Ngorongoro area. Overnight was in Gibbs Farm, a colonial style lodge complete with massive open fireplaces and a bath big enough to swim in. After several days on the roads and some epic dust storms it was exactly what we needed.

Saturday 17 October 2009

Fri 9th Oct 09


After a good night’s sleep we were woke early by the call of an animal affectionately known as the ‘go away’ bird. Today we had an epic journey away from Kilimanjaro, back through Arusha and on to Tarangire National Park. The perilously bumpy tracks and roads were no match for our stretch Land Cruiser and the fearless driver Ali. He attacked the road with a level of conviction only a man not driving his own car can manage. After an extensive ‘African Massage’ that rattled the bones and a healthy coating of dust we arrived at the gates of the national park.

Tarangire was not exactly flush with green but had substantially more vegetation and subsequently many more animals. Tarangire is lower lying than the foothills of Kilimanjaro and has more available fresh water and is substantially hotter. On route to Oliver’s Camp, where we were to spend the night, we enjoyed spectacular game viewing from our open roof vehicle. The park is currently full of Elephant, Zebra, Wildebeest and Buffalo attracted by the prospect of water and food. Likewise there are also a few lions, although we only saw a couple, plus various birds and other smaller animals. Unlike the first location you have to stick to the roads and only the camp staff and a few rangers live inside the national park.

Our camp itself was also tented, however in a different more colonial style and had a similar atmosphere and feel (I imagine) to the camps of the first European explorers. We were served a lunch that was improbably good considering our apparent isolated location and headed back to our tent to escape the heat recuperate having spent about 8 hours in the car.

As the evening cooled more guests arrived and everybody congregated around a camp fire sharing stories of their own adventures before dinner, drinks and bed.

Thurs 8th Oct 09


At long lat our Safari adventure could begin. We were greeted by Anita form Love Live Africa, our ground agent in Tanzania and was introduced to our driver / guide, Ali, who would remain with us for the week. After an initial briefing we set off to our first camp, Kambi ya Tembo west of Kilimanjaro.

Initially the roads were tarmacked, however they soon changed to bumpy dirt roads and then to even bumpier tracks. The journey although not far if your a crow, took a few hours to navigate before arriving to a beautiful tented camp with views across the planes to mount Kilimanjaro. On route we received an 'African Massage' from the pothole roads and got fairly well coated in dust. We did see a few Zebra and Buffalo however, sheltering beneath the few remaining trees from the sun.

West Kilimanjaro is currently very dry and life is tough. Many of the animals have moved as there have been no proper rains for over two years and the land is parched. Our camp was quiet but a welcome reprieve from the dust and the sun. From our tent we had beautiful views to Mount Kilimanjaro and across the dry plains.

After lunch and the mid day heat had gone we headed out on a game drive with the local team from the camp. This area is not designated as an official National Park and had no real roads and allows you to explore as you choose. Also as its not a national park the locals have been allowed to stay on the land and co exist with the wildlife as they have done for millions of years. On the game drive it became apparent exactly how tough life was in this rural part of Africa. Whilst we saw a fair number of live animals there were also many that were not. The real reason though for visiting this area was to spend time with the Maasai. We visited a traditional Maasai village and was greeted by the women and young children that lived there whilst the men roamed the land with their cattle. The traditional greeting takes several minutes and comprises of both song and dance. We spent time inside the hut of one of the elders and via two stages of translation asked them about their lives, experiences and thoughts.


In this area the Maasai still very much live to the same traditional values and in the same way in which they have done, herding cattle and building traditional boma's in which to live. Although the Maasai do live in many areas throughout Tanzania they are slowly adopting a slightly different role to fit in with the land, the wildlife and the tourists. This is widely thought of as a good thing by the Maasai, tourists and authorities who were previously evicting them from their ancestral lands to make way for 'progress'. The Maasai we met wanted more people to come as they anticipated this would make things easier as the tourists bring roads and water. Perhaps they are right, but it was still nice to see the unchanged ways - although I very much doubt if many Westerners could cope with the Maasai way of life.

After a little more game viewing and sundown drinks in the bush we returned to camp for dinner and star watching before bed.


Wed 7th Oct 09

If our journey was anything to go by all is well and 'normal' in the world. We left for Heathrow with ample time to catch the flight, check out the new terminal 5 and a few of the lounges however about an hour in we glided to a gentle halt half way along the M26. After some hours in the early morning rain we were informed by a roadside recovery man that our accelerator cable had snapped were forced to get a tow back home. 6 hours after leaving for the first time we set off again, this time by taxi, and finally arrived at Heathrow. Naturally our flight had long since departed and we were forced to get new tickets for later that evening. This delay however did give us ample time to check out the delights of terminal 5 and 3 and 4. Later that evening we boarded a Kenya Airways flight and was off.

After an unexpectedly long journey we finally arrived into the heat, traffic and street sellers that is Nairobi. Our hotel would have been about 15 minutes away however the bumper to bumper rush hour traffic was not on our side. Fortunately our driver was able to navigate a new route through a series of back streets, none of which signposted as the metal is to tempting for the locals to leave and the authorities have long since given up.

A full 16 hours late we were delighted to arrive at last at the Palacina in Nairobi. By some fluke, or as Susie prefers, excellent planning, we had booked two nights to allow us to recover from the journey before heading off on Safari so all was not lost. The Palacina itself was beautiful and certainly welcome. We had a delicious late breakfast and caught up on some missing sleep. Later that evening we ventured out to the Carnivore restaurant which has grown over the years to become one of Nairobi's most popular places to eat. Carnivore, as the name suggests is not suitable for vegetarians. The menu consists of various well known and some slightly more exotic flame grilled meats that are brought round on large skewers and you are encouraged to eat until you 'surrender'. If Carlsberg did BBQ.....

The next morning, still with full bellies, we returned to Nairobi airport and caught our flight to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

Friday 16 October 2009

Client Feedback

Hi Susie,
Just a quick note to thank you for all you did to arrange our holiday! It was absolutely brilliant and all the travel, transfers and accomodation were all perfect.
We had a lovely time and couldn't have done it without your help so thanks again.
Georgie and Damian

Wednesday 14 October 2009

Client Feedback

Hi Ed,

Thanks for all the quotes and information, you are by far the most professional and courteous person I have dealt with in this industry!
Thanks again for all your great help.
Tom

Monday 5 October 2009

October Trip

Both Suise and I will be away in Tanzania for the next 28 days - Please check back here for regular updates.

We will be on Safari for the first week exploring the northern circuit before heading down to Zanzibar for a further 3 weeks. We will be visiting many of our existing hotels and lodges, plus keeping an eye out for anything new!!