Tanzania
Incredible Wildlife
July 29 to August 12, 2010

This exciting safari includes "The Great Migration" in Tanzania's northern Serengeti where conditions are right for the best wildlife action, especially Cheetah hunting Thomson's Gazelles. Scenic kopjes (rocky outcroppings) harbor predators and are fascinating to explore when abundant herds are present in the vicinity. Vast herds of Wildebeest and Zebra travel through as they migrate north to the Masai Mara. We will spend two days in the Ngorongoro Crater where lion prides, hyena clans, and jackal families, uninhibited by vehicles, carry on their interesting interactions. With both fresh and alkaline lakes in the crater, the waterbirds and landbirds are very abundant. Ndutu, our most favorite place on the planet, is a less-traveled area with rare small mammals, such as Wildcat, Honey Badger, Bat-eared Fox, Side-striped Jackal, Serval, and even Caracal. We also visit Olduvai Gorge in the impressive Rift Valley where the Leakeys found the famous hominid remains.

We travel in stretch four-wheel drive Landcruisers with covered pop-tops. Even though the vehicles hold nine participants, we only take four, which provides plenty of space for observing and taking great photography. Lodges are in beautiful surroundings, with wonderful food, private baths and good laundry service.

At a Glance

Companion Safari: Extend your stay in Africa by adding Kenya, immediately following this safari.

Cost: $6900 per person, double occupancy. Review cost details.

Leaders: Gail and Doug Cheeseman have been leading small group wildlife-intensive safaris to East, Central and Southern Africa since 1978.

Size: 18 plus Doug, Gail, and our knowledgeable drivers.

Days: 15

Conditions: A non-smoking safari for people who are very interested in wildlife (mammals, birds and reptiles) and spending the maximum time in the field.

Update: This itinerary was updated in July 2009. View the plain text version, great for printing!

Synopsis:

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Detailed Itinerary

July 29 - 30, Thursday - Friday Flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Tanzania
At the latest, depart from your home to arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, Tanzania, on the evening on July 30. Meet our host from Wildersun Safaris and drive the short distance to Mountain Village Lodge for overnight on July 30. Mountain Village Lodge is located twelve kilometers from Arusha and is beautifully located beside Lake Duluti. We will arrange any extra nights and transfers for you if you want to arrive early to sightsee or simply have time to recover from travel.
Lodging on July 30: Mountain Village Lodge

Colorful Sunset

July 31, Saturday: Lake Manyara National Park
Enjoy a short walk at Mountain Village Lodge, overlooking Lake Duluti, if you are up by 6:30 am at dawn, a beautiful time of day. After breakfast meet our wonderful Tanzanian drivers. Drive to Arusha for a stop at the Wildersun Safaris office where you may exchange money for Tanzanian Shillings and store any extra bags that are not needed on safari in Tanzania. Plan on bringing one soft-sided bag each during the safari. There is plenty of space beside you inside the vehicle for your camera equipment and field guides.

We'll take a picnic lunch and drive west to Lake Manyara, which is 76 miles from Arusha. After lunch, enjoy a full afternoon of wildlife viewing at Lake Manyara. It is located at the base of the great East African Rift. Unique habitats include the alkaline lake, the escarpment dotted with Baobabs, the ground water forest, and the meandering river, plus the savanna. The source of water is the Ngorongoro Forest Reserve above the escarpment, where frequent precipitation percolates through the porous volcanic soil. When it hits the granitic basement rock at the bottom of the escarpment, it flows out of springs, providing enough moisture for figs and tamarind trees. Many land birds feed in the "ground water forest." Permanent water also means abundant wildlife. Manyara Serena Lodge sits atop the escarpment formed by the long rift or fault line that separates East Africa from the rest of the continent. The views from the lodge and the bird activity around the lodge make it a wonderful site to spend the night.
Lodging: Manyara Serena Lodge

August 1 - 3, Sunday - Tuesday: Ndutu in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of the Serengeti Ecosystem
After breakfast drive to the Serengeti! We ascend an extensive and rich agricultural area between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater Rim before entering the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The main route to the Serengeti (a lovely dirt road) passes alongside the Crater Rim for our first view down to the Crater floor. From a good viewpoint overlooking this ecosystem 2000 feet below, a small speck is perhaps an elephant and the pink hue on the alkaline lake most certainly flamingos. Cross over from the Highlands down to the short grass plains and to the turnoff to Olduvai Gorge, still within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Drive slowly over the Serengeti Plains to Olduvai Gorge on the eastern boundary of the Serengeti Ecological Unit. Here the Leakeys found the hominid remains Australopithecus, Homo habilis and Homo erectus, plus many other fossils exhibited in the excellent, small museum at Olduvai. Descend into the gorge in our vehicles and visit Bed I where Mary Leakey found the Australopithecine "Zinjanthropus". If you search the adjacent wash, you may find some fossil fragments. (Fossils must be left in the Gorge for the benefit of future visitors). We will enjoy our picnic lunch at Olduvai.

Cheetah

During the drive to Ndutu we will watch for mammals and birds resident on these plains. We may find Spotted Hyenas, Golden and Silver-backed jackals, Kori Bustards, and gazelles. We stay for three nights at wonderful Ndutu Safari Lodge, one of our favorite places in East Africa. During this time of year in the dry season, it's definitely off the beaten track, but Ndutu is fantastic all year round! It's one place where we have a good chance of seeing rare, small mammals, such as Ratel (Honey Badger), Seval, Wild Cat, Side-striped Jackal and even Caracal! Many Fisher's Lovebirds, doves and other species of birds come in near the camp to roost and in the morning to drink. Sunsets are wonderful at Ndutu, located on the shores of alkaline Lake Legaja, also called Lake Ndutu. The night sounds at Ndutu are intriguing, a true feeling of the "bush" in East Africa. Take a short evening walk after dinner around the lodge grounds if you would like to nightspot for nocturnal mammals and birds.

Each day in Ndutu we'll head for the plains at dawn taking hot cereal ("Uji" in Swahili), coffee, tea and muffins, for a delicious breakfast later this morning on the Serengeti Plains. We'll search for Bat-eared Fox and Cheetah out hunting, possibly Honey Badger (Ratel) still foraging, as the mornings are very cool at this season and nocturnal mammals are sometimes still about, and even African Wild Cat, though the latter two are extremely shy. This is an excellent area for Cheetah, which feed mainly on gazelles and hares. Grant's Gazelles stay year around. Thomson's Gazelle is the last in the "migration" of the three major antelopes to move out of the Ndutu short grass plains. Most of the Burchell's Zebra and Wildebeest have migrated and we will see them in the Lobo Lodge area in the northeast end of the Serengeti at this season. Return to Ndutu for lunch both days. The afternoon game drives will be full of action as well, and we will enjoy the spectacular late afternoon light as we drive along the shores of the alkaline lake, where flamingos are feeding at the edges. Steinbuck (Steinbok), Grey-breasted Spurfowl, and Chestnut-banded Sand Plover are some of the specialties of the Ndutu area.
Lodging: Ndutu Safari Lodge

August 4 - 5, Wednesday - Thursday: Northern Serengeti National Park
Depart after breakfast and search the area around Naabi Hill for elusive species, especially the cats and other predators. The behavior of every species is fascinating, as they go about their daily survival strategies in the different habitats that sustain them. The great ungulate herds will be scattered between the Western Corridor and the Kenya border. Drive over the short grass plains through the kopjes. Kopjes, (meaning big heads, pronounced "copies") from the Dutch word "kop" for head, are ancient, granitic boulder outcroppings. They harbor predators and are fascinating to explore when abundant herds are present in the vicinity. Stop for a picnic and a walk at the kopje where the Seronera Museum is located, an oasis for many birds, hyrax, and lizards.

On Wednesday afternoon, drive to Migration Camp, a permanent luxury camp located close to the Grumeti River in the northern Serengeti. Vast herds of Wildebeest and Zebra travel through this area as they migrate north to the Masai Mara. The "migration," meaning more Wildebeest and Burchell's Zebra than we can possibly estimate. This camp is situated on the side of an incredible kopje known as Poacher's Lookout and we may see Klipspringers that live on these rocks. The views of the plains from this location extend into the Masai Mara, which is Kenya's portion of the Serengeti eco-system. Very few people visit this northern Serengeti area. We will drive to the Mara River on the Tanzania side of the ecosystem, close to the Kenya border, if the migration is congregating in that area. It is a miracle that the Serengeti ecosystem still exists intact thanks to two or three farsighted people who took measures to save it in its natural state, a true conservation success story. Serengeti Home by Kay Turner conveys how so few people accomplished so much. Doug calls the Serengeti the "glory of the Pleistocene" with so many species of mammals still surviving. We'll see many species of mammals and birds in this very rich wildlife area.
Lodging: Migration Camp luxury permanent tented camp

August 6, Friday: The Seronera Area of Serengeti National Park
We'll have another full day in the Serengeti National Park visiting areas where conditions are right for the best wildlife action, especially for observing Cheetah hunting for Thomson's Gazelles. Herds are covering distances every day to drink and congregate at the rivers and springs where they can find good water supplies. Stay tonight at the beautiful Serengeti Serena Lodge in the central part of the Serengeti and not far from the amazing Seronera River.
Lodging: Serengeti Serena Lodge

Black-maned Lion in Ngorongoro Crater

August 7 - 8, Saturday - Sunday: Ngorongoro Crater
Saturday morning as we return south to Naabi Hill, we travel through an exciting area of the Serengeti where the Cheetah population is doing well. Arrive in the late afternoon at the spectacular Ngorongoro Serena Lodge situated on the crater rim at approximately 7500 feet. This lodge is truly a five-star accommodation with views into the crater from every room. On both days we'll take a picnic lunch and descend into the Crater. This crater is one of the great wonders of the natural world, covering 110 square miles. It is almost a perfect caldera ten to eleven miles across. Black Rhinos are regularly seen here, especially near the acacia woodlands in the marshy plains. With both fresh and alkaline lakes, the waterbirds and landbirds are very abundant. The lion prides, hyena clans, and jackal families, uninhibited by vehicles, carry on their interesting interactions. Male lions of Ngorongoro, famous for their black manes, are habituated to the presence of vehicles and are frequently found in consort with a lioness in estrous. In the Crater, even in the daytime, we can sometimes hear lions roar and hyenas call. We may stay in the crater until the gates close at 6:00 pm, although you may choose to return earlier to relax at our beautiful lodge on the rim of the crater. Birds around the lodge are forest species, including sunbirds, canaries, weavers, and many others.
Lodging: Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

August 9 - 10, Monday - Tuesday: Tarangire National Park
After lunch, depart from Ndutu after a beautiful morning in the woodlands and on the plains. Return via the rim of Ngorongoro Crater and Ngorongoro Forest Reserve to Manyara Serena Lodge, still sitting 1000 feet above the lake, atop the escarpment formed by the Great Rift for dinner and overnight.
Lodging: Tarangire Sopa Lodge

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August 11 - 12, Wednesday - Thursday: Arusha and Homeward or join us in Kenya!
Head back to Arusha this morning and stop briefly at a craft shop to give you a quick opportunity to shop before lunch. Keep in mind, however, that you may not want to wait until the last day to buy gifts or crafts. If something catches your eye in one of the lodge gift shops, it may be difficult to find again.

If you are traveling homeward, drive to Kea Lodge this afternoon, located only one-half mile from Kilimanjaro International Airport, to freshen up in dayrooms. The Kea Lodge provides a shuttle to the airport with plenty of time to check in for your evening flight home. You will arrive home on August 12, depending on flight schedules. We would be happy to arrange hotel nights and airport transfers if you would like to extend your stay in Tanzania.
Lodging: Dayrooms at Kea Lodge

If you are continuing with us on our Safari to Kenya, the perfect companion safari to this one, we'll drive together in a Wildersun Safaris transfer bus to the Kenyan border at Namanga and then on to Nairobi. On the way, we pass through the Athi Plains that are "owned" by the Masai. Some of their land is now being leased or sold for farming purposes, such as the Ostrich farm that belongs to former President Moi. The Athi Plains is a peneplain that stretches from Nairobi at 5500 feet south to the coast. It was formed by the massive amounts of volcanic lava, which flowed from the Kenya Highlands to the coast. Most of Kenya and Tanzania's rich wildlife areas are at altitudes above 4500 feet and have very comfortable climates. Say "kwaheri" to our Tanzanian driver on arrival at the Mayfair Court Hotel (now a Holiday Inn) in Nairobi. Dinner on your own this evening.
Lodging: Mayfair Court (included in cost of the Kenya safari)

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Costs

Costs, Payments and Cancellations: Upon receiving your deposit, we will send complete trip materials. Deposits are refundable before the final payment date, except for $150. The $150 may go toward another tour if a reservation is made within six months of the departure date of this trip. There are no refunds given after the final payment date. Trip cancellation insurance applications are available. Trip options, if any, and singles are extra.

Included:

• All meals from breakfast on July 31 through lunch on August 11.
• Lodging from the night of July 30 to dayrooms on August 11.
• Airport transfers on July 30 and August 11.
• All activities, and entrance fees to parks and reserves as described in the itinerary, unless listed as optional.

Not Included:

• Airfare. Approximately $1,950 from East Coast US, $2,200 from West Coast on KLM round trip to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania (quoted June 2009).
• Dinner on August 11. Food choices not on our standard menu.
• Bottled beverages - Each lodge provides half-liter bottle of drinking water per person in your room daily. Bottled water is an extra charge during meals.
• Personal expenses such as laundry services.
• Gratuities: Tipping is, of course, discretionary, however we suggest budgeting $12 to $15 per day per participant (a total of $144 to $180 per participant) to be distributed among all the resident naturalists and drivers. Doug and Gail also contribute their share. The gratuity will be collected at the end of the safari.

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Other Details

Reservations: Please contact us to assure space availability and to let us answer your questions. Then, print our reservation form, fill it out, and post it to us in the mail with your deposit:

Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris
20800 Kittredge Road
Saratoga, CA 95070

Toll Free: (800) 527-5330
Local: (408) 741-5330
Fax: (408) 741-0358
Email: info@cheesemans.com

Gail and Doug Cheeseman

Leaders: Doug and Gail Cheeseman have found leading safaris to be a fresh way of blending a desire to observe nature with a wish to inspire travelers towards the values of conservation and education. Doug turned on biology majors with zoology and ecology at De Anza College in Cupertino, California during his long career. Gail is an avid birder and naturalist, plus a meticulous coordinator of trip logistics. Gail and Doug lead as many trips as their schedule can accommodate, including Antaractica, Africa, and Bhutan.

Travel Insurance: There are many types of travel insurance, including emergency medical insurance (cheap) and trip cancellation insurance (expensive). Be sure to compare benefits and exclusions carefully so you will purchase the policy that you desire and need. Read our recommendations and requirements.

Outfitters and Lodging: Wildersun Safaris, Arusha, Tanzania. We travel in stretch four-wheel drive Landcruisers with covered pop-tops. Even though the vehicles hold nine participants, we only take four, which provides plenty of space for observing and taking great photography. Lodges are in beautiful surroundings, with wonderful food, private baths and good laundry service.

Mailing List: If you would like to be on our mailing list or request information, please use our online information request form or contact us to give us your name, address, email address and phone number. Please note we will never share your personal information with anybody!

Responsibility: Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris, Saratoga, California, act only as agents and shall not be responsible or become liable for any delay incurred by any person in connection with any means of transportation, nor for the loss, damage, or injury to person or property by reason of any event beyond the control of the agency or default of such agency suppliers. We reserve the right to cancel the tour prior to departure in which case full refund will constitute full settlement to the passenger. No refund will be made for any unused portion of the tour unless arrangements are made at the time of booking. All rates are based on current tariffs, exchange rates and fuel prices and are subject to adjustment in the event of any change therein. By sending your initial deposit, you agree to accept our payment schedule as a contract. If payments are still outstanding two weeks after the due date, your space may be forfeited. Baggage is at the owner's risk.

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All material © Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris.
All photos © Doug or Ted Cheeseman, unless otherwise credited.
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