Tanzania
Incredible Wildlife
July 29 to August 12, 2010

This exciting safari includes "The Great Migration" in Tanzania's northern Serengeti where conditions are right for the best wildlife action, especially Cheetah hunting the Thomson's Gazelles. Scenic kopjes (rocky outcroppings) harbor predators and are fascinating to explore when abundant herds are in the vicinity. Vast herds of Wildebeest and Zebra travel through as they migrate north to the Masai Mara. We will spend two days in the Ngorongoro Crater where lion prides, hyena clans, and jackal families, uninhibited by vehicles, carry on their interesting interactions. With both fresh and alkaline lakes in the crater, the water birds and land birds are very abundant. Ndutu, our most favorite place on the planet, is a less-traveled area with rare small mammals, such as Wildcat, Honey Badger, Bat-eared Fox, Side-striped Jackal, Serval, and even Caracal. We also visit Olduvai Gorge, in the impressive Rift Valley, where the Leakeys found the famous hominid remains.

We travel in stretch four-wheel drive Landcruisers with covered pop-tops. Even though the vehicles hold nine participants, we only take four, which provides plenty of space for observing and taking great photography. Lodges are in beautiful surroundings, with wonderful food, private baths and good laundry service.

At a Glance

Companion Safari: Extend your stay in Africa by adding Kenya, immediately following this safari.

Cost: $6,900 per person, double occupancy. Review cost details.

Leaders: Gail and Doug Cheeseman have been leading small group wildlife-intensive safaris to East, Central and Southern Africa since 1978.

Size: 18 plus Doug, Gail, and our knowledgeable drivers.

Days: 15

Conditions: A non-smoking safari for people who are very interested in wildlife (mammals, birds and reptiles) and spending the maximum time in the field.

Update: This itinerary was updated in June 2010. View the plain text version, great for printing!

Synopsis:

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Detailed Itinerary

July 29 - 30, Thursday - Friday Flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Tanzania
At the latest, depart from your home to arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, Tanzania, on the evening on July 30. Meet our host from Wildersun Safaris and drive the short distance to Mountain Village Lodge for overnight on July 30. Mountain Village Lodge is located twelve kilometers from Arusha and is beautifully located beside Lake Duluti. We will arrange any extra nights and transfers for you if you want to arrive early to sightsee or simply have time to recover from travel.
Lodging on July 30: Mountain Village Lodge

Colorful Sunset

July 31, Saturday: Lake Manyara National Park
Enjoy a short walk at dawn, a beautiful time of day, at Mountain Village Lodge, overlooking Lake Duluti. After breakfast, meet our wonderful Tanzanian drivers then head to Arusha for a stop at the Wildersun Safaris office where you may exchange money for Tanzanian Shillings and store any extra bags that are not needed on safari in Tanzania. Plan on bringing one soft-sided bag per person during the safari. There is plenty of space beside you inside the vehicle for your camera equipment and field guides.

We'll take a picnic lunch and drive west to Lake Manyara, 76 miles from Arusha. After lunch, enjoy a full afternoon of wildlife viewing at Lake Manyara, located at the base of the escarpment that is part of the great East African Rift Valley. Unique habitats include the alkaline lake, the escarpment dotted with Baobabs, the ground water forest, the meandering river, and the savanna. The source of water is the Ngorongoro Forest Reserve above the escarpment, where frequent precipitation percolates through the porous volcanic soil. When it hits the granitic basement rock at the bottom of the escarpment, it flows out of springs, providing enough moisture for figs and tamarind trees. Many land birds feed in the "ground water forest." Permanent water also means abundant wildlife. Manyara Serena Lodge sits atop the escarpment formed by the long rift zone that separates East Africa from the rest of the continent. The bird activity and the views from the lodge make this a wonderful site to spend the night.
Lodging: Manyara Serena Lodge

August 1 - 3, Sunday - Tuesday: Ndutu in the Serengeti Ecosystem, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
After breakfast drive to the Serengeti! We ascend an extensive and rich agricultural area between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater Rim before entering the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The main route to the Serengeti (a lovely dirt road) passes alongside the Crater Rim for our first view down to the crater floor. From a good viewpoint overlooking this ecosystem 2,000 feet below, a small speck is perhaps an elephant and the pink hue on the alkaline lake most certainly flamingos. Cross over from the highlands down to the short grass plains to the turnoff to Olduvai Gorge, still within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Drive slowly over the Serengeti Plains to Olduvai Gorge on the eastern boundary of the Serengeti Ecological Unit. This is where the Leakeys found the hominid remains "Zinjanthropus" Australopithecus, Homo habilis, and Homo erectus, plus many other fossils exhibited in the museum at Olduvai. Descend into the gorge and visit Bed I where Mary Leakey found the Australopithecine "Zinjanthropus." If you search the adjacent wash, you may find some fossil fragments. (Fossils must be left in the gorge for the benefit of future visitors to the site.) We will enjoy our picnic lunch at Olduvai.

Cheetah

During the drive to Ndutu, we will watch for mammals and birds resident on these plains. We may find Spotted Hyenas, Golden and Silver-backed jackals, Kori Bustards, and gazelles. We stay for three nights at wonderful Ndutu Safari Lodge, one of our favorite places in East Africa. During this time of year in the dry season, it is definitely off the beaten track, but Ndutu is fantastic all year round! It's one place where we have a good chance of seeing rare, small mammals, such as Ratel (Honey Badger), Serval, Wild Cat, Side-striped Jackal, and even Caracal! Many Fisher's Lovebirds, doves, and other species of birds come in near the camp to roost and drink. Sunsets are wonderful at Ndutu, located on the shores of alkaline Lake Legaja, also called Lake Ndutu. The night sounds at Ndutu are intriguing, a true feeling of the "bush" in East Africa. Take a short evening walk after dinner around the lodge grounds if you would like to nightspot for nocturnal mammals and birds.

Each day at Ndutu we'll head for the plains at dawn, taking hot cereal ("Uji" in Swahili), coffee, tea, and muffins, for a delicious breakfast later in the morning on the Serengeti Plains. We'll search for Bat-eared Fox and Cheetah out hunting, possibly Honey Badger (Ratel) still foraging, as the mornings are very cool at this season and nocturnal mammals are sometimes still about, and even African Wild Cat, though the latter two are extremely shy. This is an excellent area for Cheetah, which feed mainly on gazelles and hares. Grant's Gazelles stay here year round. Thomson's Gazelle is the last of the three major antelopes to migrate out of the Ndutu short grass plains. Most of the Burchell's Zebra and Wildebeest have migrated and we will see them in the Lobo Lodge area in the northeast end of the Serengeti at this season. Return to Ndutu for lunch both days. The afternoon game drives will be full of action as well, and we will enjoy the spectacular late afternoon light as we drive along the shores of the alkaline lake where flamingos are feeding at the edges. Steinbuck (Steinbok), Grey-breasted Spurfowl, and Chestnut-banded Sand Plover are some of the specialties of the Ndutu area.
Lodging: Ndutu Safari Lodge

August 4 - 5, Wednesday - Thursday: Northern Serengeti National Park
Depart after breakfast and search the area around Naabi Hill for elusive species, especially big cats and other predators. The behavior of every species is fascinating, as they go about their daily survival strategies in the different habitats that sustain them. The great ungulate herds will be scattered between the Western Corridor and the Kenya border. Drive over the short grass plains through the kopjes (pronounced "copies"). Kopjes, meaning "big heads" from the Dutch word "kop" for head, are ancient, granitic boulder outcroppings. They harbor predators and are fascinating to explore when abundant herds are present in the vicinity. Stop for a picnic and a walk at the kopje where the Seronera Museum is located, an oasis for many birds, hyrax, and lizards.

On Wednesday afternoon, drive to Lobo Wildlife Lodge, which is our favorite lodge in the northern Serengeti. The long awaited remodeling is now complete. The location is atop one of the most beautiful kopjes (huge granitic outcropping) in the Serengeti, so we are very excited to go back to this location. Vast herds of Wildebeest and Zebra travel through this area as they migrate north to the Masai Mara. The Great Migration includes more Wildebeest and Burchell's Zebra than we can possibly estimate. Very few people visit this northern Serengeti area. If the migration is congregating in the area, we will drive to the Mara River on the Tanzania side of the ecosystem, close to the Kenya border. It is a miracle that the Serengeti ecosystem still exists intact and it is thanks to two or three people with the foresight to take measures to save it in its natural state, a true conservation success story. Serengeti Home by Kay Turner conveys how so few people accomplished so much. Doug calls the Serengeti the "glory of the Pleistocene" with so many species of mammals still surviving. We'll see many species of mammals and birds in this very rich wildlife area.
Lodging: Lobo Wildlife Lodge

August 6, Friday: The Seronera Area of Serengeti National Park
We'll have another full day in Serengeti National Park visiting areas where conditions are right for the best wildlife action, especially for observing Cheetah hunting for Thomson's Gazelles. Herds are covering great distances every day to drink and congregate at the rivers and springs where they can find good water supplies. Stay tonight at the beautiful Serengeti Sopa Lodge in the central part of the Serengeti and not far from the amazing Seronera River.
Lodging: Serengeti Sopa Lodge

Black-maned Lion in Ngorongoro Crater

August 7 - 8, Saturday - Sunday: Ngorongoro Crater
Saturday morning, as we return south to Naabi Hill, we travel through an exciting area of the Serengeti where the Cheetah population is doing well. Arrive in the late afternoon at the spectacular Ngorongoro Serena Lodge situated on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater at approximately 7,500 feet. This lodge is truly a five-star accommodation with views into the crater from every room. On both days, we'll take a picnic lunch and descend into the Crater. This crater is one of the great wonders of the natural world, covering 110 square miles. It is almost a perfect caldera ten to eleven miles across. Black Rhinos are regularly seen here, especially near the acacia woodlands in the marshy plains. With both fresh and alkaline lakes, the water birds and land birds are very abundant. The lion prides, hyena clans, and jackal families, uninhibited by vehicles, carry on their interesting interactions. Male lions of Ngorongoro, famous for their black manes, are habituated to the presence of vehicles and are frequently found in consort with a lioness in estrous. In the Crater, even in the daytime, we can sometimes hear lions roar and hyenas call. We may stay in the crater until the gates close at 6:00 pm, although you may choose to return earlier to relax at our beautiful lodge on the rim of the crater. Forest birds are all around the lodge, including sunbirds, canaries, weavers, and many others.
Lodging: Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

August 9 - 10, Monday - Tuesday: Tarangire National Park
On Monday, with our packed bags in our vehicles, we'll descend into the crater for the morning and enjoy our picnic lunch there. Then drive to Tarangire National Park, arriving in time for a late afternoon game drive. Tarangire National Park is home to several species not found in the parks to the north. We can thank the Tsetse Fly for saving this area from cattle and "sloats" (sheep and goats). The flies have been controlled, and the land is now protected as a national park. There is a chance of seeing Fringe-eared Oryx, Lesser Kudu, and Leopard. Yellow Baboons, African Elephants, the endemic Ashy Starlings, and several species of hornbills, kingfishers, waxbills, and many others are abundant.
Lodging: Tarangire Sopa Lodge

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August 11 - 12, Wednesday - Thursday: Arusha and homeward or join us on safari in Kenya!
Head back to Arusha this morning and stop briefly at a craft shop to give you a quick opportunity to shop before lunch. Keep in mind, however, that you may not want to wait until the last day to buy gifts or crafts. If something catches your eye in one of the lodge gift shops, it may be difficult to find again.

If you are traveling homeward, drive to Kea Lodge this afternoon, located only one-half mile from Kilimanjaro International Airport, to freshen up in dayrooms. The Kea Lodge provides a shuttle to the airport with plenty of time to check in for your evening flight home. You will arrive home on August 12, depending on flight schedules. We would be happy to arrange hotel nights and airport transfers if you would like to extend your stay in Tanzania.
Lodging: Dayrooms at Kea Lodge

If you are continuing with us on our Kenya Migration Safari, the perfect companion safari to this one, we'll drive together in a Wildersun Safaris transfer bus to the Kenyan border at Namanga and then on to Nairobi. On the way, we pass through the Athi Plains that are "owned" by the Masai. Some of their land is now being leased or sold for farming purposes, such as the Ostrich farm that belongs to former President Moi. The Athi Plains is a peneplain that stretches from Nairobi at 5,500 feet south to the coast. It was formed by the massive amounts of volcanic lava, which flowed from the Kenya Highlands to the coast. Most of Kenya and Tanzania's rich wildlife areas are at altitudes above 4,500 feet and have very comfortable climates. Say "kwaheri" to our Tanzanian driver on arrival at the Mayfair Court Hotel (now a Holiday Inn) in Nairobi. Dinner on your own this evening.
Lodging: Mayfair Court (included in cost of the Kenya safari)

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Costs

Payments and Cancellations: All reservations require a deposit due at the time of making the reservation. Once we receive your deposit, we will send trip materials and travel insurance information. Until the final payment date, payments are refundable except for a cancellation fee of $150 per person. This fee may go toward another tour if reserved within six months of the departure date of the cancelled trip. There are no refunds given after the final payment due date. We reserve the right to charge for cost increases that occur between now and the date of travel.

Included:

• All meals from breakfast on July 31 through lunch on August 11.
• Lodging from the night of July 30 to dayrooms on August 11.
• Airport transfers on July 30 and August 11.
• All activities, and entrance fees to parks and reserves as described in the itinerary, unless listed as optional.

Not Included:

• Airfare. Approximately $1,950 from East Coast US, $2,200 from West Coast on KLM round trip to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania (quoted June 2009).
• Dinner on August 11. Food choices not on our standard menu.
• Bottled beverages - Each lodge provides half-liter bottle of drinking water per person in your room daily. Bottled water is an extra charge during meals.
• Personal expenses such as laundry services.
• Gratuities: Tipping is, of course, discretionary, however we suggest budgeting $12 to $15 per day per participant (a total of $144 to $180 per participant) to be distributed among all the resident naturalists and drivers. Doug and Gail also contribute their share. The gratuity will be collected at the end of the safari.

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Sign-up

To Make a Reservation: Please contact us to assure space availability and to let us answer your questions. Then, print our reservation form, fill it out, and post it to us in the mail with your deposit. Or fill out our handy online information request and we will send you more information.

Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris
20800 Kittredge Road
Saratoga, CA 95070

Toll Free: (800) 527-5330
Local: (408) 741-5330
Fax: (408) 741-0358
Email: info@cheesemans.com

Other Details

Gail and Doug Cheeseman

Leaders: Doug and Gail Cheeseman have found leading safaris to be a fresh way of blending a desire to observe nature with a wish to inspire travelers towards the values of conservation and education. Doug turned on biology majors with zoology and ecology at De Anza College in Cupertino, California during his long career. Gail is an avid birder and naturalist, plus a meticulous coordinator of trip logistics. Gail and Doug lead as many trips as their schedule can accommodate, including Antaractica, Africa, and Bhutan.

Travel Insurance: Emergency Medical Insurance is optional, but encouraged, for this tour. Read about travel insurance and our recommendations and requirements.

Outfitters and Lodging: Wildersun Safaris, Arusha, Tanzania. We travel in stretch four-wheel drive Landcruisers with covered pop-tops. Even though the vehicles hold nine participants, we only take four, which provides plenty of space for observing and taking great photography. Lodges are in beautiful surroundings, with wonderful food, private baths and good laundry service.

Non-smoking Policy: We have a strict non-smoking policy - smoking is not permitted at any time or any place during our tours.

Mailing List: If you would like to be on our mailing list or request information, please use our online information request form or contact us to give us your name, address, email address and phone number. Please note we will never share your personal information with anybody!

Responsibility: Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris, Saratoga, California, act only as agents and shall not be responsible or become liable for any delay incurred by any person in connection with any means of transportation, nor for the loss, damage, or injury to person or property by reason of any event beyond the control of the agency or default of such agency suppliers. We reserve the right to cancel the tour prior to departure in which case full refund will constitute full settlement to the passenger. No refund will be made for any unused portion of the tour unless arrangements are made at the time of booking. All rates are based on current tariffs, exchange rates and fuel prices and are subject to adjustment in the event of any change therein. By sending your initial deposit, you agree to accept our payment schedule as a contract. If payments are still outstanding two weeks after the due date, your space may be forfeited. Baggage is at the owner's risk.

Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris is registered as California Seller of Travel #2063050-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris is a participant in the Travel Consumer Restitution Corporation (TCRC). In event of a client canceling where a refund is applicable in accordance with the schedule above, or in the event that CES needs to cancel the trip, all payments for transportation or travel service not provided to the client shall be promptly refunded, unless the client instructs us otherwise in writing. All client payments are deposited into a trust account in accordance with California law. If for any reason a valid refund is not forthcoming, the client may request reimbursement from the TCRC within six months of the scheduled end of the tour. Please feel free to ask us for more information.

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All material © Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris.
All photos © Doug or Ted Cheeseman, unless otherwise credited.
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