4 - 10 November 2006
Up early and finished the final Packing for Safari before having breakfast. Mike had been ill overnight so for him it is not the best of starts! On time we are picked up by Charles, our driver and guide and the Land Rover is soon packed with our belongings. We are also on Safari with Ian and Renske who are from Northampton.
The journey to the first camp site is only a few hours. Our site is pitched and the Landrover is unloaded before we head off for our first part of the Safari which is to Lake Manyara National Park. Not far into the Park we start off seeing the wild life. I’ll leave it to the photo’s rather than list them all.
Warthog...
These lions just walked down the road in front of us then settled down beside the road...
Elephant...
Dik Dik...
Great Gizelle...
Velvet Monkeys...
The monkeys on alert as an eagle flew overhead...
Giraffe drinking...
Hippo...
Zebras...
Lake Manyara...
Very Small Elephant...
Another Dik Dik...
All to soon it was dusk and we were heading back to camp…
The next morning it was up early and heading off for the Serengeti. On route we passed Ngorongoro crater which will be our last park on the way back but here’s a taster!
Ngorongoro Crater...
The road to Serengeti where rough and although Charles did his best is was a rough ride. It didn’t help that the heavens opened and the roads were completely awash and the potholes filled to the brim.
Cleaning out the air filter...
Loading the 4 x 4...
Flooded road!...
Mud spray...
Rather wet animals...
Shots of the Serengeti...
Pretty much the whole day was travelling and we reached our campsite at about 4pm. This was our fist ’wild site’ in the Serengeti and once the tents were pitched and standing for a while watching Thompson Gazelles and wilder beast grazing just 100 metres plus away from where we were pitched with no ditches or fences in between!
Pitching up for the night...
We were loaded back into the Landrover and off animal spotting again (to darkfor photo's)….
The next morning I was up early as I had booked a balloon flight over the Serengeti. Mike had chosen not to do this trip so it was over to me for the photo’s for a change! The balloon was due to take off at sun rise so it was standing around for a while in the dark. I had flown in a balloon before but as there was a bit of wind this morning the basket was laid on it side and we took off lying on our backs!!!
Ballon Flight...
After the flight, successful landing, and the obligatory champagne it was off to breakfast which was included as part of the trip! It was sold as ‘Out of Africa’ style breakfast and it certainly matched up to this. We were filled up with much more champagne and a full cooked breakfast!!
Breakfast...
After this I caught up with Mike, Renske and Ian. Back together the Safari continued ….
After another great day we were back at camp and settled down for our second night in the Serengeti..
We were leaving the park next day for Ngorongo so we had a morning safari before returning to the campsite for lunch. Whilst we were out on safari in the morning the cook packed up the tents and after lunch we headed out of the park.
Cheeters...
Giraffe at Lunch...
On the way out Ian and Renske wanted to visit Olduvai Gorge. This was the site where the oldest footprints of a humanoid was found. From the foot prints it was decided that it was a foot print of a woman about 1m tall and archaeologist named her Lucy (The skeleton of a similar woman exist in Ethiopia).
Arriving on a wet afternoon at Olduvai Gorge...
The famous site ... in the rain...
Fossil of a pre-hostoric Rhino...
From there were taken to a maisai camp. After Mike negotiated the price with the ’chief’ we were taken around the camp and into a home before being taken to the market!!! This was great fun, negotiating prices for trinkets!
Mike concluding the final price...
The welcoming comittee...
The dancers... It takes me a few bevies to get going like this.....
The village...
And some villagers...
Masai House...
We left there and headed for our campsite on the night which was on the rim of the Ngorongoro crater . On the way up the cloud came in and the visibility disappeared and the driving became a joint venture between the cook and the driver. Both trying to keep us from dropping off the edge of crater!
We made the campsite but it was dark and starting to rain! We pitched the tents quickly and as we finished we heard a huge commotion from the kitchen area. On of the gas cylinders from another tour group had caught alight!! Someone somehow had pulled it clear of the wooden kitchen area. It lit up the campsite for a while before a fire extinguisher was found and it was put out!
Trouble in the kitchen...
Pitching in the mist...
Overnight there was a Belgian guy talking way into the small hours of the morning. I had slept through it but it had kept Mike awake and by 2 am he had had enough and went out to shut the guy up. He was joined by others and they got him to shut up!!!
The next day we went down to the floor of the crater. Because of the rim all around this park had become its own eco system but really condensed compared to other parks.
By early afternoon we had to leave as for us the safari was over and it was time to head back to Arusha….
John
Up early and finished the final Packing for Safari before having breakfast. Mike had been ill overnight so for him it is not the best of starts! On time we are picked up by Charles, our driver and guide and the Land Rover is soon packed with our belongings. We are also on Safari with Ian and Renske who are from Northampton.
The journey to the first camp site is only a few hours. Our site is pitched and the Landrover is unloaded before we head off for our first part of the Safari which is to Lake Manyara National Park. Not far into the Park we start off seeing the wild life. I’ll leave it to the photo’s rather than list them all.
Warthog...
These lions just walked down the road in front of us then settled down beside the road...
Elephant...
Dik Dik...
Great Gizelle...
Velvet Monkeys...
The monkeys on alert as an eagle flew overhead...
Giraffe drinking...
Hippo...
Zebras...
Lake Manyara...
Very Small Elephant...
Another Dik Dik...
All to soon it was dusk and we were heading back to camp…
The next morning it was up early and heading off for the Serengeti. On route we passed Ngorongoro crater which will be our last park on the way back but here’s a taster!
Ngorongoro Crater...
The road to Serengeti where rough and although Charles did his best is was a rough ride. It didn’t help that the heavens opened and the roads were completely awash and the potholes filled to the brim.
Cleaning out the air filter...
Loading the 4 x 4...
Flooded road!...
Mud spray...
Rather wet animals...
Shots of the Serengeti...
Pretty much the whole day was travelling and we reached our campsite at about 4pm. This was our fist ’wild site’ in the Serengeti and once the tents were pitched and standing for a while watching Thompson Gazelles and wilder beast grazing just 100 metres plus away from where we were pitched with no ditches or fences in between!
Pitching up for the night...
We were loaded back into the Landrover and off animal spotting again (to darkfor photo's)….
The next morning I was up early as I had booked a balloon flight over the Serengeti. Mike had chosen not to do this trip so it was over to me for the photo’s for a change! The balloon was due to take off at sun rise so it was standing around for a while in the dark. I had flown in a balloon before but as there was a bit of wind this morning the basket was laid on it side and we took off lying on our backs!!!
Ballon Flight...
After the flight, successful landing, and the obligatory champagne it was off to breakfast which was included as part of the trip! It was sold as ‘Out of Africa’ style breakfast and it certainly matched up to this. We were filled up with much more champagne and a full cooked breakfast!!
Breakfast...
After this I caught up with Mike, Renske and Ian. Back together the Safari continued ….
After another great day we were back at camp and settled down for our second night in the Serengeti..
We were leaving the park next day for Ngorongo so we had a morning safari before returning to the campsite for lunch. Whilst we were out on safari in the morning the cook packed up the tents and after lunch we headed out of the park.
Cheeters...
Giraffe at Lunch...
On the way out Ian and Renske wanted to visit Olduvai Gorge. This was the site where the oldest footprints of a humanoid was found. From the foot prints it was decided that it was a foot print of a woman about 1m tall and archaeologist named her Lucy (The skeleton of a similar woman exist in Ethiopia).
Arriving on a wet afternoon at Olduvai Gorge...
The famous site ... in the rain...
Fossil of a pre-hostoric Rhino...
From there were taken to a maisai camp. After Mike negotiated the price with the ’chief’ we were taken around the camp and into a home before being taken to the market!!! This was great fun, negotiating prices for trinkets!
Mike concluding the final price...
The welcoming comittee...
The dancers... It takes me a few bevies to get going like this.....
The village...
And some villagers...
Masai House...
We left there and headed for our campsite on the night which was on the rim of the Ngorongoro crater . On the way up the cloud came in and the visibility disappeared and the driving became a joint venture between the cook and the driver. Both trying to keep us from dropping off the edge of crater!
We made the campsite but it was dark and starting to rain! We pitched the tents quickly and as we finished we heard a huge commotion from the kitchen area. On of the gas cylinders from another tour group had caught alight!! Someone somehow had pulled it clear of the wooden kitchen area. It lit up the campsite for a while before a fire extinguisher was found and it was put out!
Trouble in the kitchen...
Pitching in the mist...
Overnight there was a Belgian guy talking way into the small hours of the morning. I had slept through it but it had kept Mike awake and by 2 am he had had enough and went out to shut the guy up. He was joined by others and they got him to shut up!!!
The next day we went down to the floor of the crater. Because of the rim all around this park had become its own eco system but really condensed compared to other parks.
By early afternoon we had to leave as for us the safari was over and it was time to head back to Arusha….
John
