Spend six glorious days in the best of Tanzanias Parks, home to what is considered the 'Greatest wildlife spectacle on Earth'. Nothing can prepare you for this- Millions of animals spread out over plains stretching to the horizon and beyond. This is the calving season and the plains ring out with the bleats of newborn wildebeest calves. It's a time of new life, lots of action and stunning scenery on the classic African plains. This Photo Safari is designed to catch up with the annual migration as the wildebeest return to the plains surrounding Lake Ndutu. The rains have fallen; causing the grasslands to flush green and the plains, littered with close to a million maternal beasts, give off a sense of blissful calm. Yet amongst all the grazing mothers and young lurk the predators. The calves and ewes attract a host of predators; from the cunning Jackal to the swift cheetah and, of course lion.
This is probably one of the best times to view predator prey interactions in the Serengeti and C4 Images and Safaris have ensured that you will have front row seats on these scenes as we cover the plains of this fascinating wonderland.
Wildlife photographers and guides Andre Cloete and Greg du Toit will guide this tour, unless otherwise indicated. You can see more about Andre and Greg here.
Price: USD $3 150.00 per person sharing (Current Rand Equivalent - R 32 500.00pps) Local currencies be charged according to the USD Single Supplement: USD $450 per person All-inclusive photo safari: includes international flights from South Africa, internal flight transfer, all accommodation, meals, entrance fees and 2 game drives/day.
Highlights to and what to photograph:
The plains of the Serengeti offer almost unlimited opportunity for photography. It is a photographic nirvana that ensures cameras constantly trained on something exciting.. Some of the major highlights are: - Endless plains scattered with the odd umbrella thorn tree, creating the quintessential African scenes. - This is the place to see millions of animals crossing endless plains - The birthing of the wildebeest calves- a serene scene to say the least - Unparalleled sightings of Lion and Cheetah - Good leopard sightings - Brilliant interaction between predators and prey- the new born calves attract predators large and small - Excellent birding- From small sparrows to large raptors - The attraction of smaller predators - Beautiful African sunsets over the Serengeti plains - Elephants, Giraffe and other large mammals - Water holes filled to the brim with snorting and fighting Hippopotamus
Itinerary:
Day 1 Depart Johannesburg for Moshi- Kilimanjaro Airport. From here you will transfer to the Impala Hotel where you will overnight.
Day 2 Accommodation Lake Manyara serena lodge An early morning departure sees us head towards Lake Manyara National Park. This park is famous for its tree climbing lions, but it also offers a diversity of habitats that you wont see again on this safari.Nestled in the rift valley, the reserve has a beautiful lake shore,incredible forests and dense thickets where buffalo and elephant like to relax in the heat of the day. Lions also relax in the heat of the day- and famously, they can be found reclining in fever trees to getaway form the heat. But the reserve is not only about big game- the bird life here is prolific and the water birds such as storks and herons are exceptionally well represented. The reserve boasts a bird list of 372 birds, which for a small conservation area, is quite phenomenal.
Day 3 Accommodation Ngorongoro This morning we head to the crater into which we descend at around mid day until the afternoon. (Ngorongoro only offers half-day permits into the crater. Afternoons are often better than mornings, as it gets very cloudy in the mornings). The crater needs no introduction: it is a concentration of animals like no other in the world. The entire big 5 are often seen in one day as well as excellent predator interactions.Throw in a lake filled with flamingos and the crater walls ascending as a perfect backdrop and you have a scene made for an artist and camera.It really is a sight to behold. You will spend the night in the Ngorongoro crater lodge, perched perfectly on the rim of the crater with views over the whole caldera.
Day 4-6 Ndutu Lodge A morning drive takes us to Lake Ndutu lodge. The lodge is a firm favorite for visitors for its stunning surrounds and we will be here for the next three nights. We wont be staying for the lodge comforts though, as the plains around Ndutu at this time of year are literally filled with animals. The Wildebeest move south to these wide open plains for two reasons: They are attracted by the short, fresh, sweet grass to graze on, and they can see potential predators from a fair distance away. So it is here that the animals drop their calves by the millions. Of course the predators are never far off as they are always nearby for an opportunistic meal. Sightings of cheetah, lion and black backed jackal are all common relatively common and there is a strong possibility of seeing a hunt or even a kill.
Day 7 Serengeti Sopa Lodge You move from Ndutu to the central plains, where many of the wildebeest will be. This is classic Serengeti, with its rocky kopjes and lonely trees on the plains. Sopa Lodge is in the middle of the rocky Kopjes area and shows off the Serengeti in its grandness. Just sitting on the deck one can see for miles and miles.
Day 8 After a morning breakfast at the lodge, you catch the transfer flight back to Arusha, from here you transfer to Moshi and catch the international flight home. This is unfortunately the end of the safari.
Order of safari:
The Serengeti offers a variety of options to the nature photographer. - We will employ the technique of early mornings and late afternoons in which to drive out on the plains. These hours are the most productive for animal and predator movement and also for photography. - As is often the case in East Africa, all day game drives are a common.Some days might be all day affairs- with packed lunches, of course. - Midday hours of the day are generally used to rest, talk about various sightings, behavioural theories and photographic techniques. - Your hosts will also conduct informal discussions on a few of the evenings, using previous images and images taken on the trip to discuss various techniques and results. - There will be opportunity for feedback and technical discussions whilst back at camp.
We will be combining all these methods throughout the Safari to enable us to achieve maximum results from our time there.
Due to the nature of the rains, the exact time and of the Migration cannot be predicted. We have planned your tour to co-incide within the most opportune time for the migration; however, we cannot guarantee all the action on the plains. What you can be sure of though, is that there will be hundreds of thousands of beasts on the plains. Witnessing this spectacle will leave you spellbound. It literally is a 'feast for the senses'.
What our Safari includes: The above costs include: - Pickup and transport for the entire Safari and drop off at your destination. - Entrance and accommodation (2 persons per room/tent) to all reserves. - All meals - Game activities, drives and walks. - The services of our guides.
Costs not included: - Gratuities to staff and guides. - Alcoholic and soft drink beverages. - Extra activities not included. - Personal expenses - Travel insurance - Travel visas.
What to bring along: - A range of warm and light clothes. The Serengeti is at a relatively high altitude (1500 m above sea level), so nights are cool. The days are warm, but the mornings relatively cool. - Blower brushes for your cameras - Hats and caps. The weather may be cool, but the sun is still very harsh. - Sunscreen. African Sun is always a threat to the skin. - Cameras and lenses. - Binoculars. - Lots of Film.
Upon deciding to book a Safari with us, you need to contact us via telephone, facsimile or e-mail. We will then send you a booking form,which needs be completed and returned to us. We will then invoice you for the deposit (40% of the total cost). Final payment is due four weeks before the Safari.
