Strabo Photo Tour Collection

Tanzania Safari with Boyd Norton

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This safari gives you an in-depth view of the natural history of East Africa, with a special emphasis on wildlife photography. The itinerary has proven very productive and popular in the past, allowing a maximum amount of game viewing and photography, with a minimum of time spent on the road.

This is Africa as you’ve always imagined it to be: the magic of a Serengeti sunset, the teeming wildlife of Ngorongoro Crater. A safari to Tanzania is a special adventure into the premier game-viewing country of Africa. Tanzania’s great game parks and reserves are unsurpassed anywhere in the world. We’ll see all of the major plains animals, zebras, giraffes, impalas, gazelles, and other herbivores. There will be baboons and monkeys, herds of elephant and buffalo, and some of the most wonderful bird life you will ever see.

We have planned this safari during this period for a special reason — the Serengeti migration, the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth. Our trip is timed to coincide with the annual migration of thousands of animals through the central corridor, and with luck we will witness the herds as they travel across the region to the Masai Mara in Kenya.

Over the past 25 years I’ve made more than 40 trips to Africa, mostly leading photo safaris, but also on magazine and book assignments (four of my fourteen books are on African subjects and my newest, on Serengeti, will be published in 2010). In total, I’ve spent more than 900 days in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro ecosystems. I have many Maasai, Datoga and Hadza friends who help add new photo dimensions to trips. Also, we have special friends at Olduvai and we have access to the Zinjanthropus Site. With all my travels to Tanzania and the Serengeti region, I know all the secret places in Serengeti where few go and where the photo opportunities are tremendous.

Itinerary

May 22 - May 23: USA – Amsterdam – Arusha

The safari begins this evening at your U.S. departure point, as you board your flight to Tanzania (recommended airline NW/KLM via Amsterdam). We will have a short layover before continuing to Arusha. On arrival, we will be met at the airport and taken to the hotel. Overnight MOUNTAIN VILLAGE LODGE (welcome dinner)

May 24 - May 25: Arusha - Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast we will depart for Ngorongoro Crater, one of the most famous wildlife viewing areas in the world. We will be united with Boyd, and fellow travelers that took part in the extension at their lodge. We will then check in to 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 or bush lunch, maximizing the time there, and returning as late as possible in order to get the last golden rays of light. Overnight 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.

May 26 - May 29: Serengeti

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 at the Serengeti Sopa Lodge, set in the Nyarboro Hills 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 lodge and pool have commanding views of the plains, which should be filled with herds of wildebeest and zebra at this time of year. Having four evenings at the lodge will provide time for those wanting to take advantage of laundry service.

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. Overnight SERENGETI SOPA LODGE. (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.

May 30 - May 31: Buffalo Loliondo

We will say farewell to the Serengeti plains and drive to our camp in northern Loliondo, where there are resident herds. This location is ideal as a finishing point, since you will be able to game drive off road. We will also enjoy a night drive, game walking, and private interaction with local Maasai. The Maasai of northern Loliondo are more “pure” in their culture and are just now being exposed to the benefits of limited tourism.

The Serengeti is much larger than just Serengeti National Park. The park is actually just the center of a vast natural ecosystem, which includes the area known as Loliondo Game Controlled Area. Loliondo encompasses a vast area along the eastern border of Serengeti National Park. Although it is part of the Serengeti ecosystem, it is not subject to the same rules and regulations of the National Park system. This location will allow for extended time to visit and photograph amidst the Maasai. This magnificent area contains breathtaking scenery and a vast diversity of landscapes, including beautiful mountains, deep gorges, rivers, acacia and riverine woodlands, rolling hills and lush valleys, grassy plains dotted with rocky outcrops (called kopjes), and even a volcano (Ol Donyno Lengai). There is abundant resident game which enjoys the region’s many waterholes and river areas, as well as seasonal migratory herds, which pass through on their annual trek to and from Maasai Mara in Kenya. In addition to the luxury of being able to enjoy walking safaris and night drives, visitors also enjoy the fact that there are fewer tourists in this more remote region of Tanzania. People who venture here experience a more private and intimate experience with the wildlife, and people, who live in this spectacular region. Another bonus of visiting Loliondo is that there are two packs of wild dogs that appear to be thriving here, producing puppies for the last three years. While there is never a guarantee of seeing wild dogs, one of your best opportunities for finding these rare and fascinating animals is in Loliondo. Overnight BUFFALO LUXURY CAMP (all meals)

BUFFALO LUXURY CAMP: This is not roughing it — the camp is quite comfortable, with a staff and a cook to do all the chores. The tents are permanent, offering 600 sq.ft. with beautiful furniture, sleeping and sitting area. There is electricity and bathrooms have hot and cold running water. The main lodge consists of full dining, lounge with fire pit, bar, and outside deck with a stunning view of the Serengeti. Delicious meals, complete with homemade bread. Soft drinks and bottled water are included. Beer, wine, and spirits are available at an extra cost.

Camping near the herds, away from the tourist lodges, will provide you with unforgettable memories. As you sit around the campfire at night, sounds of wildebeest, hyenas, and lions fill the air.

June 1: Arusha – Amsterdam

This morning we will fly 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. KIBO PALACE (all meals)

June 2: 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)

Extension

Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara

May 18 - May 19: USA – Amsterdam – Arusha

The pre-trip extension safari begins this evening at your U.S. departure point, as you board your flight to Tanzania (recommended airline NW/KLM via 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. Overnight MOUNTAIN VILLAGE LODGE (welcome dinner)

May 20: Arusha

This morning you will have to rest and relax amidst the beautiful hotel gardens. After lunch the group will have a half day tour in Arusha, traveling to a local orphanage and school. Participants are encouraged to bring supplies to donate to the facility. A recommended list will be sent to all participants as the tour approaches. You will be returned to the lodge for dinner. Overnight MOUNTAIN VILLAGE LODGE (all meals)

May 21 - May 22: Arusha – Tarangire National Park

After breakfast we take a two hour drive to Tarangire National Park. The park remains excellent for elephants, giraffe, and birds. Bird watching is amazing all year round, as well, and Tarangire boasts the largest number of breeding species in one park in all of Africa. Three thousand migratory elephants join the existing resident herds, attracted initially by the tall grasses growing after the short rain season. The park is one of the most scenic in Tanzania with huge baobab trees.

The Tarangire River Camp is a permanent luxury camp about 3 km. from the main gate of Tarangire National Park. The area consists of 25,000 hectares of village land including Lakes Burunge and Manyara. The camp overlooks the Tarangire River and offers stunning views of the meandering river, the vast plains across the park, Lake Manyara, the Rift Valley, and the Ngorongoro highlands. Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro are easily viewed from each tent. Ten spacious luxury tents are complete with running water including attached toilet and hot water showers. Overnight at TARANGIRE RIVER CAMP. (all meals)

May 23: Lake Manyara

We enjoy another game drive on our way out of Tarangire National Park. Lunch will be served at our new lodge for the evening, after which we enjoy an afternoon game drive in 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 at the LAKE MANYARA SERENA. (all meals)

May 24: Lake Manyara – Ngorongoro Crater

This morning we will have time at the lodge and unite with any fellow travelers who did not attend the extension. (continue on with main trip safari)

Accommodations

The Ngorongoro and Serengeti accommodations will be modern, deluxe lodges that are in harmony with their environment and are constructed of local materials. In the Northern Serengeti you will stay in a luxury tented camp, immersing you in the sights and sounds of Africa. Food at all locations is well prepared and delicious.

Guides

Please contact us for more details.

Food & Drink

Food at all locations is well prepared and delicious.

Notes

* Special features:
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 $10 for Edward and $10 for the people of his boma. Also, we bring pencils and notebooks from home for the school children of the boma.

Game Drives for Photographers and Naturalists. Early mornings and late afternoons, for the best wildlife photography and light. Long days in the field. Excellent driver-guides who are sensitive to the needs of photo groups.

A maximum of only four participants per seven passenger stretch vehicle — a real luxury, but essential for photographers. We have instituted this policy to help lower our carbon footprint and for the past five years our participants have been in full support. (The safari vehicles we use are roomy 7 passenger “stretch” 4WD Land Rovers and Land Cruisers, chosen for their ruggedness and reliability. To assure maximum space and mobility, we may rotate and adjust vehicle assignments from time to time during the trip.)

Pricing Info

Tour land cost: $6,295 US Dollars based upon minimum of 10 paying participants. There is a small group surcharge of $400 if 6-9 paying participants. All our program prices are based on double occupancy unless noted in exceptions.

Single room supplement: $695; 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.

Extension land cost: $1,495 based upon minimum of 5 paying participants. There is a small group surcharge of $0 if paying participants.

Single room supplement: $120; single rooms are subject to availability and are not guaranteed.

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)