Strabo Photo Tour Collection

Tanzania Safari

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Copyright Boyd Norton

Intensive game viewing at Serengeti National Park during migration time
Only 4 participants per vehicle (7 passenger stretch Land Cruisers), to ensure the optimum photographic experience
Time to absorb and photograph the wonder of it all. Most safari operators rush from place to place, we take our time, watching and waiting for wildlife or just the right light.
Extended exploration of Ngorongoro Crater and a chance to meet and photograph Maasai chieftain and their family
Visit to Olduvai Gorge and the Zinjanthropus site
Boyd’s Intimate knowledge of all these areas will assure you the best photographic opportunities

Itinerary

January 25 - January 26: USA – Amsterdam – Arusha

Copyright Boyd Norton

The safari begins this evening at your U.S. departure point, as you board the KLM flight to Amsterdam. You will have a short layover before continuing to Arusha. On arrival, you will be met at the airport and taken to the hotel (Tanzania Visa fee processed and included in cost). Overnight MOUNTAIN VILLAGE LODGE (welcome dinner)

January 27: Arusha – Lake Manyara

Lake Manyara National Park is a small park bordered by the Western Wall of the Great Rift Valley. It is noted for its elephant population, abundance of hippos and tree-climbing lions. The behavior of lions climbing trees was first observed in this park, but lions do climb trees in Tarangire and the Serengeti as well. This park was also made famous by the elephant research of Ian Douglas Hamilton. The park is 123 square miles in area, 88 square miles of which are lake. Flamingos and hippos inhabit the lake shore, which is surrounded by ground-water forest, with wild fig, palm, tamarind, and baobab trees. Overnight LAKE MANYARA SERENA. (all meals)

January 28 - January 29: Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast we will depart for Ngorongoro Crater, one of the most famous wildlife viewing areas in the world. The accommodations will be at the NGORONGORO SERENA LODGE, this lodge is constructed of local stone, hidden within the forests of the west rim of the crater. It offers a stunning view of the crater, with close proximity to the access road for the descent. After lunch we will enjoy an afternoon game drive in the crater. (all meals)

The next day we will spend the entire day exploring the crater, leaving early in the morning, well before most tour vehicles depart. We will descend from the rim, at about 7,600 feet in elevation, to the floor of the crater some 2,000 feet below for the first game drive. This 102-square-mile crater is the world’s largest, unflooded, unbroken caldera. Within its perimeter are thousands of wildebeest, many black rhino, cheetah, gazelle, giraffe, and a high density of lions, hyenas, and other predators. (Recommended reading: The Innocent Killers by Jane and Hugo Van Lawick-Goodall). Flamingos inhabit an alkaline lake in the center of the crater, and other bird life is abundant.

We’ll have a picnic lunch, maximizing the time there, and returning as late as possible in order to get the last golden rays of light. Overnights NGORONGORO SERENA LODGE. (all meals)

* Special feature: depending upon his availability, Boyd’s Maasai friend, Edward Sindato Ngobei, may accompany us one of the days in the crater. Edward is a university graduate, a young chief of the local Maasai and works for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Edward has been featured in two U.S. nationally broadcast television programs (in one he was Anthony Hopkins’ guide). Edward is very articulate and well educated and is pleased to answer any questions about the Maasai culture, one of the few remaining unchanged cultures in Africa. Please note that we usually make a donation from each of us of $20 for Edward and $20 for the people of his boma. Also, we bring pencils and notebooks from home for the school children of the boma.

January 30 - February 4: Serengeti

Copyright Boyd Norton

From Ngorongoro we’ll drive to the Serengeti, via Ol Karien Gorge, or Olduvai Gorge, the world-renowned site of discoveries of early hominids made by archaeologists Mary and Louis Leakey.

We will stay in a mobile camp, set in the Naabi Hill area. It is nestled in the acacia woodland on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the plains of the south-western Serengeti National Park. The camp site will have views of the plains, which should be filled with herds of wildebeest and zebra at this time of year.

The Serengeti is one of the most famous wildlife areas in the world. The park’s 5,700 square miles are part of the 9,600-square-mile Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, home to incredible herds of wildebeest and other grazing animals. This vast area consists of treeless central plains, savannah dotted with acacias and granite outcroppings called kopjes, and riparian bush and forest in the north. We have timed the trip to coincide with the great Serengeti migration. Although there are never guarantees in the natural world, with any luck we will be able to see huge herds of wildebeest and other plains animals grazing on the savannah. The herds follow the rains and feed on the new grass, so what we will actually see depends upon the weather pattern. If past years are any indication, we have positioned ourselves to be in the right location at the right time.

Mobile camping allows for privacy, away from other tourists and enjoying an intimacy with wildlife that is unsurpassed. The ability to leave the camp just before sunrise and not have another safari vehicle around is treasured by clients. A mobile camp is a temporary canvas tented camp that is set up exclusively for your private booking and located as close to the herds as possible. It does not move each day, but the private campsite is selected carefully for the best location and the most scenic views. Each mobile camp has private sleeping tents and a separate dining tent. Specially trained cooks prepare meals on a charcoal fire or dutch oven, and the food is often the best on the safari. Furniture inside the tents consists of queen or twin beds with a full mattress, nightstands, vanity, clothes rack, flashlight and solar lamps. Each camp has a generator to provide electricity during the day for operating the camp. Tents are ensuite, with a chemical semiflush toilet, a bucket shower and a separate vanity or dressing area. Linens, towels and robes are provided in each tent. Laundry is complimentary. Overnight SERENGETI MOBILE CAMP. (all meals)

* Special Feature: Boyd has friends on staff at the Olduvai Museum, one of them will accompany us to the Zinjanthropus Site (site of Mary Leakey’s discovery of the first hominid skull -1.9 million years old), and give a short talk about the fascinating discoveries here.

February 5: Serengeti – Karatu

We will say farewell to the Serengeti plains and drive back past Ngoronogoro to Bougainvillea Lodge, superbly located between the crater and Lake Manyara. This lovely lodge is owned and managed by Tanzanians who have lived and worked in Karatu their entire lives. Each cottage has a fireplace and a veranda overlooking the gardens and pool. The restaurant features fresh, local ingredients. BOUGAINVILLEA LODGE (all meals)

February 6: Karatu – Arusha

This morning we will drive back to Arusha. We will have time for shopping at the Cultural Heritage Center. The rest of the afternoon is free to enjoy swimming, relaxing, or packing in our dayrooms. We will have a farewell dinner before departing for the airport in the evening.

February 7: Amsterdam – USA

We arrive in Amsterdam this morning and have a short layover before connecting with the KLM flight back to the USA. (meals on plane)

Accommodations

Our accommodations will vary from tented camps to lodges that are in harmony with their environment and are constructed of local materials. In the Serengeti you’ll stay at classic tented camps, immersing you in the sights and sounds of Africa.

Guides

Please contact us for more details.

Food & Drink

Food at all locations is well prepared and delicious.

Pricing Info

Tour land cost: $8,095 US Dollars based upon minimum of 10 paying participants. All our program prices are based on double occupancy unless noted in exceptions.

Single room supplement: $1,295; single rooms are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. We try to accommodate travelers who request single accommodations, as well as travelers who are looking for a roommate. If a single room is requested, or if we are unable to find a suitable roommate, you will be required to pay the supplement.

Note: The land costs on international tours is based upon current exchange rates. Although the rate has been relatively stable, should it change, there may need to be an adjustment in the land cost.

General Tour Info (includes, excludes and other details)