Tanzania Photo Safaris

* Intensive game viewing and photography at Serengeti National Park during migration time.

* Time to absorb and photograph the wonder of it all. Most safari companies rush from place to place. We take our time. We can spend hours watching and waiting for the action or just the right light.

* Exploration of Ngorongoro Crater and a chance to photograph a Maasai boma.

* Visit to Olduvai Gorge and the Zinjanthropus Site.

* Limited to 12 participants. As a compromise between providing ample space and reducing our carbon footprint, we will have 4 people per 7 passenger "stretch" Land Cruisers. Since we started this practice five years ago we have had overwhelming approval from our participants.

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. Not a serious photographer? Not a problem. You will enjoy the extra time we spend viewing and observing the wildlife and fabulous landscapes.

Boyd’s intimate knowledge of all these areas will assure you of the best photographic and game viewing opportunities.

We have planned these safaris 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 eastern Serengeti, and we will witness the herds as they travel across the plains on the way to the Maasai Mara in Kenya.

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 photographic groups.

* Accommodations and Food

Some of the safari accommodations are in modern, deluxe lodges that are in harmony with their environment and are constructed of local materials. In the Serengeti  you'll stay at a deluxe tented camp, immersing you in the sights and sounds of Africa. Food at all locations is well prepared and delicious.

* Pre-departure Preparation

Extensive background readings and travel information will be supplied when you enroll. Plus, you will receive a copy of one of Boyd's latest books, Safari Journal  (Click to link to Amazon).

We use the best safari outfitter in all of East Africa, a company that was started eighteen years ago by two close friends of Boyd's and native Tanzanians. As a native owned company, this means that all income derived goes directly into the local economy, not to some foreign owned company office in Chicago or New York or London. This is  ecotourism in its best form. Every year our participants have nothing but glowing praise for our safari outfitter, their driver guides (the best in the business), and the camp staff.

Itinerary

February 6 - February 7: USA – Amsterdam – Arusha

The safari begins this evening at your U.S. departure point, as you board the KLM/Delta flight to Amsterdam. You will have a short layover before continuing to Arusha. On arrival, you will be met at the airport, your Visa issued, and taken to the hotel. Overnight MOUNTAIN VILLAGE LODGE (meals on plane)

February 8: Lake Manyara

After an early breakfast, we’ll drive directly to Lake Manyara National Park. It is a small park and is bordered by the Western Wall of the Great Rift Valley and lies at 3,150-feet altitude. It is noted for its elephant population and tree-climbing lions. Actually, it is quite hard to see tree-climbing lions in Lake Manyara, due to the brush and woodland. 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 Iain and Oria 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)

February 9 - February 10: 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, 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. 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.

February 11 - February 14: Serengeti

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

* Special Feature: Boyd has friends on staff at the Olduvai Museum. If they are available, 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.

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, we usually 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.

The next four evenings we will stay in a tented camp located in the Naabi Hill area. The camp will be set up in advance for the private use of the tour group. It is nestled in the acacia woodland overlooking the plains of the Serengeti National Park, which should be filled with herds of wildebeest and zebra at this time of year.

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, allowing us to be as close to the herds as possible. There is a separate dining tent, with a staff to prepare meals on a charcoal fire, and the food is often the best on the safari. Soft drinks and bottled water are included, with alcoholic beverages at an extra cost.

Each tent is equipped with small tables and comfortable beds with mattresses, sheets, pillows, and blankets. There is a verandah attached to each tent with two camp chairs and a canvas washbasin that is filled with hot water in the morning, afternoon, and in the evening. In addition each tent has an attached chemical toilet and an attached shower with hot water available on request. The camp does have a generator to provide electricity during the day for operating your gear and charging batteries. As you sit around the campfire at night, sound of wildebeest, hyenas, and lions fill the air. Overnight SERENGETI MOBILE CAMP. (all meals)

February 15 - February 16: Ngorongoro Conservation Area-Serengeti

We will spend the next two evenings at Ndutu Lodge, situated in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the southern Serengeti eco-system. In the Conservation Area we are able to drive off-road and this region is one of the best opportunities for photographing leopards. The Lodge nestles unobtrusively under a canopy of giant acacias overlooking a soda lake, Lake Ndutu. The lodge offers a superb base in which to explore the range of habitats that lie within easy reach—swamps, woodlands, soda lakes and the world famous Serengeti short grass plains. Each of the 34 cottages is constructed in local materials and has en-suite facilities and a private verandah that overlooks Lake Ndutu. Overnight NDUTU SAFARI LODGE. (all meals)

February 17: Serengeti – Karatu

We will say farewell to the Serengeti plains and drive back past Ngoronogoro to the Plantation Lodge. The accommodations for the evening are on an old coffee farm with its beautiful gardens and exceptional rooms. You will immediately notice the care and attention that went into creating this lodge. While here we will have opportunity to meet Dr. Frank Artress and his wife Susan, founders of a medical clinic in Karatu. This amazing couple gave up a thriving medical practice in San Francisco to devote their lives to helping people in the region with their medical needs. Overnight PLANTATION LODGE. (all meals)

February 18: Arusha – Amsterdam

This morning we will drive back to Arusha. We will have time for shopping at the Cultural Heritage Center, the very best place to purchase the rare precious stone, Tanzanite, of the finest quality available. The rest of the afternoon is free to relax, or re-pack in our dayrooms at MOUNTAIN VILLAGE LODGE. We will have a farewell dinner before departing for the airport in the evening. (all meals)

February 19: 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

Accommodations will be a combination of modern, deluxe lodges and mobile camping. The lodges are in harmony with their environment and are constructed of local materials. Camping consists of spacious canvas tents that are set up exclusively for your private booking and located as close to the herds as possible. Each tent is equipped with small tables and comfortable beds with mattresses, sheets, pillows, and blankets. There is a verandah attached to each tent with two camp chairs and a canvas washbasin that is filled with hot water in the morning, afternoon, and in the evening. Tents are ensuite, with a chemical semiflush toilet, and bucket showers.

Food & Drink

Food at all locations is well prepared and delicious. There will be picnic lunches some days while on safari to maximize time photographing wildlife.

Notes

Special Features of This Safari
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. 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.)

Photographic expertise and leadership of Boyd Norton. Boyd has made more than 45 trips to Africa and spent hundreds of days exploring out of the way locations in Serengeti country. Four of Boyd’s fourteen acclaimed books are on African subjects and his new book on the Serengeti will be released in 2011. He’ll show you his secret places for the best landscapes and wildlife.

Pricing Info

Tour land cost: $7,895 US Dollars based upon minimum of 6 paying participants. All our program prices are based on double occupancy unless noted in exceptions.

Single room supplement: $1,095; 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.

To Register or For More Information: jacque@strabotours.com

607-756-8676

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All photos © Boyd Norton; all rights reserved