 |
|
| » |
|
| » |
|
| - | | | - | | | - | | | - | | | - | | | - | | | - | | | - | | | |
|
| » |
|
| » |
|
| » |
|
| » |
|
| » |
|
| » |
|
| » |
|
| » |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Home > Destinations > Africa > Tanzania > Life on the Savannah: Photo Safari with Lorne Sulcas
Life on the Savannah: Photo Safari with Lorne Sulcas
Join Lorne Sulcas, master naturalist safari guide, wildlife photographer and former game ranger, on this adventure for novice and experienced photo enthusiasts. Photograph the best game parks of Tanzania including the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Tarangire. Scheduled in February 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 showers with 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. Optional extensions to the spice island of Zanzibar or additional safari in Kenya are available.
DAY 1 : ARRIVAL
Upon arrival into Arusha you will be met and transferred to overnight at Olasiti Lodge. [Meals on your own]
DAY 2 : TARANGIRE
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 Maramboi Tented Camp. [BLD]
DAY 3 : TARANGIRE TO NGORONGORO CRATER
We depart Tarangire after a morning game drive this morning for the hour drive to the Ngorongoro Highlands where we will overnight at the Ngorongoro Sopa. [BLD]
DAYS 4-5 : NGORONGORO
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 wildebeest, zebra, elephants, hippo and hyena, the most important predator within the crater. You can often find flocks of flamingoes on the soda lake, as well other species of water and plains birds. We'll spend two days game driving in the Crater. Overnights at Ngorongoro Sopa. [BLD]
DAYS 6-9 : SERENGETI
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 Lake Masek Tented Camp. [BLD]
DAY 10 : DEPART
Return overland today to Arusha, arriving in time for your evening flight. Alternatively 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. [BL]
| - Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services - |
Days: 12 | Grade: I-II, Rough Roads, comfortable accommodations (click for grades definition) | | | | | 2012 Departure Dates | 2013 Departure Dates | | | (Please call for availability) | (Please call for availability) |
|
| | | Included: All guided tours and excursions, Professional guiding services of Lorne Sulcas, Local English-speaking naturalist guide, Airport-hotel transfers, 9 nights lodge and camp accommodation as indicated, Safari transport on specially outfitted 4 WD safari vehicle , Meals as indicated [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner], Bottled water in the safari vehicle, Drinks with meals including local beer and wine at the Lake Masek Tented Camp
Park entrance & camping fees, Wildland Adventures travel consultation and pre-departure services
| | | Not Included: International airfare to/from Kilimanjaro International Airport, Tips and gratuities, Visas, Airport departure taxes, Drinks, alcoholic beverages, and meals other than listed above, Personal expenses for extra services, optional activities, or changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control, Travel insurance for trip cancellation, medical services, or evacuation, Any other items not mentioned above
| | | 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.
| |
|
