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Home > Destinations > Africa > Tanzania > Photo Safari: Life on the Savannah with Lorne Sulcas
Photo Safari: Life on the Savannah with Lorne Sulcas
Our African photo safari joins master naturalist safari guide, wildlife photographer, and former game ranger, Lorne Sulcas, on this photo safari for novice and experienced photo enthusiasts. Photograph the best game parks of Tanzania including the Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire. Scheduled to coincide with calving in southern Serengeti National Park, the wildebeest and zebra migration will be spread out in the plains before us attracting an abundance of lions and cheetahs. Expect to see hundreds of wildebeest calves just a few hours old, with good chances of witnessing a birth. Billowy clouds and occasional Spring-like showers among clear blue skies, bright sunlight, and vibrant green grass create brilliant photographic opportunities. Based from lodges and permanent tent camps ideally situated for seasonal access to wildlife movement, we travel in retrofitted stretch 4 x 4 Land Rovers fully equipped with window seats and open hatch assuring unencumbered wildlife observation and photography. A flight from Serengeti back to Arusha minimizes driving time and rugged overland travel. Optional extensions to the spice island of Zanzibar or additional safari in Kenya are available.
DAY 1 : FEBRUARY 20, 2008 ARRIVAL
Upon arrival into Arusha you will be met and transferred to overnight at Momma Wilson's guesthouse, your African home away from home. You are graciously hosted by David and his staff in this private home in a secure, secluded and centrally located neighborhood. Ten cozy bungalows and nine lodge rooms are complimented by a refreshing pool and lush tropical gardens. Delicious home-cooked meals are served in the open-air dining room. Enjoy a sunset cocktail on the terrace overlooking nearby Mt. Meru and browse the high quality crafts in their gift shop. Overnight at Momma Wilson's. [Meals on your own]
DAY 2 : FEBRUARY 21, 2008 TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
We'll make a stop in Arusha this morning to change money and purchase any last-minute supplies before heading about two hours South to the Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is the third largest national park in Tanzania, with an unusually large population of elephants. Majestic baobab trees are an interesting feature of the park, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. The area supports a great diversity of wildlife, including giraffe, buffalo, lesser kudu, eland, and zebra. Lion, leopard and cheetah are also present. Our first game drive is this afternoon, and we'll look for that great evening light which perfectly frames the baobabs. Overnight at Tarangire River Camp. [BLD]
DAY 3 : FEBRUARY 22, 2008 LAKE MAYARA NATIONAL PARK
We depart Tarangire this morning for the hour drive to the Lake Manyara National Park. The lake, situated along the impressive escarpment of the Rift Valley, takes its name from the Maasai word for Euphorbia tirucalli, a bush which is used to make a thorny hedge to protect their cattle. With luck we may see the Manyara lions, well known for their tree climbing habits, lazily resting on the branches of an Acacia tortilis tree. Elephant, hippo, giraffe, buffalo and other animals are present in Manyara National Park, and this is a fantastic place to photograph elephant in addition to baboons, which are always found in abundance. The bird life is also very impressive with flamingoes, pelicans, hornbills and plenty of forest species. Continue to the Ngorongoro Highlands where well overnight tonight at the Ngorongoro Serena. [BLD]
DAYS 4-5 : FEBRUARY 23-24, 2008 NGORONGORO CRATER
Ngorongoro is one of the most spectacular game haunts in Africa and has been designated a World Heritage site. Here animals are found throughout the year due to the permanent availability of grass and water. Nearly 100 square miles, it contains an impressive variety of wildlife including black-maned lions, the highly endangered black rhino, herds of gnu, zebra, elephants, hippo and hyena, the most important predator within the crater. Bird life is also prolific, with flocks of flamingoes on the soda lake, plus other species of water and plains birds. We'll spend two days game driving in the Crater. Overnights at Ngorongoro Serena. [BLD]
DAYS 6-10 : FEBRUARY 25-28, 2008 SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Morning departure for Serengeti National Park, one of the most productive habitats and impressive wildlife sanctuaries in the world. Upwards of 1.5 million wildebeest and zebra concentrate in vast herds and migrate through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Our photo safari is carefully timed to coincide when wildebeest and zebra concentrate in the short-grass plains of Ndutu and Salei to the south where the calving season takes place and game viewing is at its best. During a short three week period in February over 8,000 wildebeest are born each day! This synchronization of birth in such abundance is one strategy of survival by sheer numbers against the active predation we will witness by lion, cheetah and hyena. We spend four nights at the Ndutu Safari Lodge (or similar), centrally located in the heart of calving area. The lodge overlooks the Ndutu lake basin offering superb habitats including swamps, Acacia woodlands, and the famous short grass plains of the Serengeti. Thirty-four stone cottages each have their own verandahs looking out to the lake. [BLD]
DAY 11 : FEBRUARY 29, 2008 SERENGETI-ARUSHA
Enjoy a final morning game drive across the Serengeti plains to the Seronera Airstrip for a scheduled flight to Arusha. (Overland option available upon request). Relax, shower and re-pack at Momma Wilson's before dinner and transfer to the airport, or consider an optional extension to Sinya Camp at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, a safari in Kenya, or wash away the safari dust on a tropical island in the Indian Ocean at Zanzibar, Tanzania or Lamu, Kenya. [BLD]
| - Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services - |
Days: 11 | Grade: I-II, Rough Roads, comfortable accommodations (click for grades definition) | 2008 Price: From $4495 per person. Land cost based on Group Size | Group Size | 4 | 5-8 | 9-12 | Land cost per person | $5695 | $5195 | $4595 |
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| *Pricing subject to confirmation of 2008 rates. | | | | | 2008 Departure Dates | 2009 Departure Dates | | | (Please call for availability) | (Please call for availability) |
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| | | Included: Local air transportation Serengeti-Arusha, transfers as noted; safari transport on specially outfitted 4 WD safari vehicles with English speaking driver/guide; exclusive services of camp crew while on safari; all meals on safari as noted (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner); mineral water, soft drinks, beer & wine with dinner at private camps; accommodations in permanent lodges as noted in Arusha, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti; permanent tent camp in Tarangire; park entrance and camping fees; Flying Doctors Service; Wildland Adventures travel consultation and pre-departure services; services of in-bound land operator for airline reconfirmations. | | | Not Included: International airfare, land services and meals not specifically described or otherwise indicated as on own (special orders for wine and other beverages may be taken before safari and will be paid direct at the end of the safari); beverages at the lodges and tented camps; tips and gratuities; airport departure taxes; personal expenses or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control. We recommend and offer travelers insurance. | | | Trip Notes: From January through March in the Serengeti, vast herds of zebra and wildebeest have moved into the southern short-grass plains to give birth before beginning their annual migration north into the Maasai Mara of Kenya. Game viewing here is spectacular for the sheer numbers of animals, the beauty of newborn life, the contrasting drama of predation, and for the spectacular photographic opportunities enhanced by clear skies and vibrant green colors of the savannah and Acacia woodlands.
As the new grass emerges, it provides the best source of calories and nutrients for lactating mothers and energy requirements of their newborn. Here, in a short period of just three weeks, up to 8,000 wildebeest drop their calves every day. This synchronization of birth represents a struggle of the species to survive by sheer numbers against lions, cheetah, hyenas and wild dogs who prey on newborns and weak mothers. Furthermore, the newborn wildebeest have evolved to counter this exposure by adapting quickly from the moment of birth. A newborn wildebeest stands within 7 minutes and is able to run at full speed within an hour. They also grow at a rate twenty times faster than human offspring.
Another aspect of the drama of life and death on the savannah, with so many wildebeest amassing, calves regularly get separated from their mothers. In an attempt to reunite, individuals will exit the herds and trot around the outside bleating at each other. While this may help reunite mother and calf, it also exposes them to predators seeking easy prey on lost calves.
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