Safari in National Parks in Tanzania: Arusha, Lake Manyara, Ngoro Ngoro and Tarangire, September 15 - 17, 2010
After my wonderful time visiting the Zanzibar Humpback Whale Project in Kizimkazi-Dimbani, meeting a new friend, Nell, in Stonetown and enjoying the diving and spices of Zanzibar I departed the Spice Island (see previous post) to go on a 3 day/2 night tented wildlife safari in Tanzania's National Parks Arusha, Tarangire, Ngoro Ngoro Crater Conservation Area and Lake Manyara. From Dar I took the long ~10 hour bus ride to Arusha in northern Tanzania, met with the tour company coordinator and checked into the basic but clean, local hotel.
The following morning I met with the safari guide and four other guests, we packed the Range Rover with our gear and started out for our first game drive in Arusha National Park. From the moment we entered the park we were seeing amazing animals including some of the 'Big Five' (Cape Buffalo, Lion, Elephant, Leopard and Rhino - given this title by hunters because these animals were especially difficult to hunt when on foot).
In 2006 I went on a safari in Kenya but remember I was disappointed with our guide at the time...he whistled and yelled at the lions and bragged the whole time that he was the best safari guide around. Fortunately for us, he was fired half way through our safari, and we were able to better enjoy the second half of the safari. On the other hand our guide this time was great, he was very quiet, drove slowly stopping nearly every two minutes to point out a bird, rodent, lion dozing in the grass and even small lizards on the side of the road! Not only did we see the large game but he showed us many wonderful birds and small animals including some of the 'Little Five'; these five little animals have names that just happen to correspond to the "Big Five" - Buffalo Weaver, Ant Lion, Elephant Shrew, Leopard Tortoise and Rhino Beetle!
Although this was a tented safari we were very comfortable when we returned to camp for dinner and rest after an exhausting day of game driving and taking in all the amazing wildlife! The camp's cook and assistant had the canvas tents up, the dinner table set and hot tea awaited. The food was delicious and plentiful and we slept well through the night. We were sleeping on the outskirts of the parks and we could hear the occasional hyena or other wildlife moving in the night but the campsites were well guarded and I slept soundly through the night until the early morning wake up call with hot tea and breakfast.
After visiting Arusha on day one we went to Tarangire National Park on day two and Ngoro ngoro Crater Conservation area and Lake Manyara on day three. The entire safari was amazing and I'll never forget the sights including, among others: hippo, giraffe and flamingo in Arusha, Wildebeest (Gnu) and elephants in Tarangire, the lions of Ngoro ngoro and a hornbill feeding it's young in Lake Manyara!
Young boy outside a shop on the way to Arusha National Park
Following photos: giraffe and zebra in Arusha National Park
Hippos in Arusha NP
These male giraffe were fighting by pushing and twisting their necks against each other
So many young giraffe :)
Young giraffe nursing
Flamingo at Big Momella Lake, Arusha NP
Breakfast on day 2, September 16
Setting up the second camp
Arriving at Tarangire NP...there was this HUGE Baobab (Adansonia digitata) tree at the parking lot! Can you see me at the base?
Elephant skull at the entrance to Tarangire NP
Dik Dik (Madoqua kirkii)
Wildebeest aka Gnu (Connochaetes taurinus)
The 'Circle of Life' - a giraffe carcass
One of the 'Little Five'...a buffalo weaver
Hundreds of zebra, wildebeest and other ungulates!
Warthogs! (Phacochoerus aethiopicus)
Drink time!
Oxpeckers (Buphagidae spp.) on a giraffe
Sometimes the predators are closer than you realize!
Entrance to Ngoro Ngoro Crater Conservation Area
Local Masai men...who'd just finished trying to sell us many trinkets!
View from the top of the crater
And from inside...with the clouds pouring down the sides, beautiful!
This young male passed right between our two vehicles and then sat next to the road beside us!
View of Lake Manyara after visiting Ngoro Ngoro Crater
After another long, exciting day of game drives...on the road to camp
Tents set up in camp on our second night
Maribou storks (Leptoptilos crumeniferus), also known as the undertaker bird, were nesting above us in this camp
Silvery Cheeked Hornbill (Ceratogymna brevis) feeding young in the tree, Lake Manyara
Gray-headed kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)
Great white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus)
We made it most of the way through the safari without drama but on the way back to Arusha we got a flat tire...
Fortunately, our guide was able to repair it and we were on the road once again!
While we were waiting for the flat tire repairs to be completed we observed this large dust devil in the distance...pretty cool!
Amazing pics! Thanks for sharing it all.
ReplyDeleteAnimal Safari