Christina and John recently returned from their biannual trip to Africa! Every year, they escort a small group of clients through countries from Kenya and Tanzania to Namibia and South Africa.
From two spectacular safari days in Ngorongoro Crater, the group continues on to the Serengeti with Unique Safaris. A few days of game drives take them to Central and Southern Serengeti.
Central Serengeti
After a final early game drive through the Crater, the group cut through on the Western Rim Road to Serengeti National Park. They spend a few days getting to know the central Serengeti. They visit the Sametu Kopjes, the Maasai, Simba and Moru Kopjes as well as the Seronera River Valley.
Unique Safaris carefully arranges trips to coincide with the wildebeest calving season and herds that follow the rain clouds. The grasslands also attract zebras, elephants and antelopes – and with them, the predators.
Central Serengeti is a protected area of around 12K sq mi, renowned for its wildlife. Around 70 large mammal and 500 bird species live in its diverse swamps, kopjes, grasslands, and woodlands. It’s also renowned as a being the home to the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, Cape buffalo and black rhino.
Christina and John’s game drive started from the main ranger gate through the various kopjes to Sametu Camp arriving in the late afternoon at Sametu Camp. Their drivers hug the backroads so as to avoid most of the vehicles and glimpse more wildlife!
Southern Serengeti
The South part of Serengeti is a fragile grass habitat attracting pregnant females, Thomson gazelles and cheetah who love to prey on gazelles. The grass is rich in calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, all essential nutrients for pregnant wildebeest.
This time of year, it’s common to see around 750,000 pregnant females-a swarm migration that welcomes 10,000 births per day and 6 weeks of calving.
This area is a bit less restrictive with off-road driving, so there is some flexibility to follow interesting wildlife. During these next two days we will have a chance to visit a number of key areas in the southern plains, including Lake Ndutu, Lake Masek, the Kusini Plains, the Moru Kopjes, and possibly Hidden Valley.
Lake Manyara
As the group left Serengeti, the drive paid a visit to the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, stopping along the way to visit Olduvai Gorge, the site of Louis and Mary Leakey’s famous archaeological discoveries.
At the end of the journey awaits Lake Manyara, the 7th largest body of water in Tanzania. This soda alkaline lake in the East African Rift is often populated with healthy flocks of flamingos.
Next time: TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
