And then back to the East side for the building project.

The pictures by the way are Janelles, not mine

And also, there is always time to find some wildlife

Of one sort or another

We dont all like reptiles

But for those who dont, theres the sea

So here are a few photos of the Ker and Downey Tanzania camps just for you to see what the accomodations and living areas, and views are like.

Remember all the camps pictured here are private i.e just for your party.

The Chilling Tent - Mobile Camp

Tandala Camp; Sleeping Tent - Maasailand, Natron Game Controlled Area

Tandala - Mess Tent

Tandala Camp - Natron Game Controlled Area - Maasailand

Tandala - Mess Tent - Lounge and Dining area

Tent Interior

Sleeping Tent

Natron Campfire (photo Dom Lever)

This of course meant kilograms of paperwork need to be obtained: film permits; offroad driving permits; walking permits etc etc. But it was all achieved and we spent many days creeping back and forth through the riverine bush along the river bumping into hippos and sneaking up on sleeping crocodiles. It was a lot of fun and Shiro, Tsuzumi and Hideo were wonderful people to work with in every way.

There was one major highlight of the trip.

Well perhaps it was not such a high point for the crew.

It started when Tsuzumi proudly produced a large aluminium box, unlocked it and opened it with a great sense of ceremony. This was the unveiling of the HMS Grumeti and there she lay nestling  her box amid shaped foam padding. The  boat was about 36 inches long and custom made by a professional racing-boat maker in Japan. It was radio controlled  and all the machinery was hidden inside the body.

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Their was a special mounting bracket for a small but very professional high definition camera in a waterproof case. There was another segment for counterbalance weights to be added to compensate for the weight of the camera and to allow for the lense angle to be adjusted. Their were antennae, foam inserts and a number of other professional looking pieces of kit.

Oh, it is also imortant to know that the propeller was cut right down. The makers boats are designed for racing so this one would previously only go fast …. too fast. So thats why they cut the propeller way back and slowed its top speed down dramatically.

So sure enough we took it down to the river early one morning and found ourselves a large, murky, isolated pool. Surely there would be a nice big croc in here.

Out of its case it came and the process of assembling all the important parts started with Shiro doing all the work and the rest of us looking on. This was a well made piece of kit.

Down to the waters edge. Into the water (gingerly). away from the water and its huge crocodiles (hurriedly). And then a small trial run with camera whirring at just above water level. These were going to be awesome shots for sure. Eye level with the water – moving slowly; seeing just what a crocodile would see. We brought it back and checked. Yes perfect. So out it went again for the real thing.

Along the far bank, filming the dense green over hang. Back towards us and across the middle of the pool.

And then he came. A huge crocodile, fast and scary, with a small efficient bow wave in front of him. He hesitated for a second and then decided that our boat really looked tasty while our brave little camera filmed away seemingly unaware of what was about to happen to it.

“Is it going to eat our camera?????”

“Yes.”

“get it out of there … faster …. faster man!”

“Thats as fast as it can go.”

And SMACK. Bits of fibreglass, foam, counterweights, camera and electric motor flew and that was the end of that. Wouldnt it have been interesting if we could have retrieved the camera and seen its last footage.

Of course the main camera on land was back in the vehicle so the whole disaster could not be filmed. These photos were used in the documentary though. It was a great success with over a million viewers and a replay due to popular demand.

Quite how Im going to keep up with all those  – things – pages – social media goodies, Im not sure.

Anyway I plan to write on the blog as often as possible and really just use the facebook and twitter to alert people to new postings on the blog. During the busy months from June to November Im sure these blog postings will be rare but hopefully during the rest of the year ….

It also takes a lot of getting used to, this blogging thing. So this, the first attempt is bound to have a lot of mistakes – upside down photos, large spaces of nothing etc. Do not adjust your sets … its reality thats gone wrong.

Whoops

It was a busy year. A wonderfully busy year with  164 safari days in the bush. As usual Ker & Downey Tz managed to get everything to flow smoothly in this rather challenging environment! Oh there was the one time that we landed at the wrong airstrip, in the middle of the bush, with nothing but bush for milesin any direction - but that was taken as just another of the many adventures.

The two private concessions of Natron and Mwiba have proved to be real winners. There really isnt anything else like it. Grant and Beezie who  manage Mwiba have so much energy that we get whisked away on a full and busy whirlwind ride from the time we arrive. They have built a platform over a water hole. We take wine up at sundowner time and watch the elephants drinking below us. Oh, and an entire herd of buffalo on two occasions. They have also built what can only be described as a mini stone fortress in amongst some water holes. Through the slits one could reach out and touch the elephants on occasions. We also have the freedom to walk as far or short as we wish, whenever we wish.

We have sundowners in the bush and even lavish champagne breakfasts out on a Kopje. And then of course the night drives with a spotlight to find those elusive nocturnal animals. And all of this in complete privacy – no-one else in camp; no-one else in the entire concession.

Elephant near camp - Mwiba

Natron is still also a favorite of mine and I always try to do a few days there on evey safari. The camp was refurbished before the start of this year with the tents high up in the Kopje on large wooden decks. The views are among the most inspiring Ive seen anywhere.

Big country - north Natron

Its also great to be able to walk and see all those unusual Somali Biome desert species – Fringe Eared Oryx, Gerenuk, Lesser Kudu and others. Again, in complete privacy; and this concession is 3000 square kilometers. Try to figure out how big that is. With not another tourist in the entire area. This means that the Maasai bomas that we visit are totally unaffected by tourism. We are the only people that go there.

The Maasai Boma

The Freedom to Walk Forever

We also spent some time on the Malagarasi River in the Moyowosi swamps and the river offered hours and hours of entertainment. Although one does have to wonder how many people it takes to catch a tiger fish:

Perhaps the extra effort was to impress the audience:

Our Mobile Camp near the Mara River also worked well this year. It rained all through the year so it stayed wonderfully green throughout, allowing us photos of migration and other wildlife against an emerald backdrop.

The Luxuriant Green of the Hills (thanks Karen Blixen)

Even the small streams were flowing

Of course the wildebeest river crossings were business as usual and accompanied by the crocodile carnage that weve come to expect.

About to plunge headlong into the Mara River

And those gorillas. They are every bit as awe inspiring as their ‘cousins’ the Chimpanzees which we love to visit so much on Lake Tanganyika. Perhaps even more awe inspiring because they are so huge, and they look at you in that way while picking at something stuck in their teeth with a dirty finger nail.

Its the way they look at you ...

 I think the next blog will have to be given exclusively to the gorillas.

So that was a bit about the season we’ve just had. There will be more to follow in more detail about specific places and exciting things that happened – but for now thats enough for a first blog.

I will be in the USA from about 20 January 2012 until about mid February – so if anyone would like to meet to discuss possible safaris please let me know and we can arrange a visit. Also please all remember to ‘like’ my Facebook page, or blog or whatever its called and also tell ALL your friends about the safaris weve done together.

LATEST NEWS AND HAPPENINGS FROM 2010

Another year gone and the temptation is to wail and moan at the fact that 2010 seemed to only be 6 months instead of the normal 12 months. But that would the same as making old peoples groans each time you get out of a car, or climb out of a chair. The best, they say, is to take life by the horns and fill it with safaris of one kind or another.

That is certainly the way Julie Kirby plans things. We had been on a previous safari together and Julie knew she could tweek it here and there and put together a group of nine of the coolest cowgirls in California for a horseback safari in Maasailand (Northern Tanzania). We spent a couple of days riding out, and back to our main tented camp; and then we had our staff go ahead of us in lorries and put up lightweight fly camps. We would arrive in the evenings to the fire lit and ice cold G&T’s held out as we climbed stiffly off the horses. The safari was such a success that we are working on ways to get another group together for something similar. We thought the next one should include husbands and birdshooting. That way some people could be riding and others birdshooting. Francolin breasts wrapped in bacon with a slice of Jalapeno inside are the perfect accompaniment to a sundown Gin & Tonic.

It is always good to get old friends back on safari and it was this way with Sissy Lavigne (with Daryll, Ellen and Zoomboy), Rick Russell (with Jim and family) and Ken Coe who all came on long safaris of one kind or another. Ken traveled with David Banks and Matt Brown of the Nature Conservancy who have just opened an Africa Office and it was a pleasure to be able to travel and spend time with three such great conservationists.

Then these old friends and safari companions always tell their friends to come on safari and so it was that I was able to do safaris with the Sandefers, the Penns, The Davis’s, The Bridges, the Georges and the Shannons.

Since it never pays to sit still, the Ker & Downey Tz people have been working hard to stay ahead of what other operators can offer. For me as a guide this means I get to stay ahead of the curve and what other independent guides can offer.

MWIBA is a new conservation area that Ker & Downey Tz has just developed. It borders on both the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation area. Since it belongs to K&D, we get complete freedom to do whatever we please while on safari in the area. We can walk, do night drives, camp out and climb kopjes. And like our Maasailand Block (Natron), Ugalla, or Moyowosi, your safari has total and exclusive use of the block. There can be very few other safaris that offer an entire area of several hundred square miles for just your group on safari.

Most people find it difficult to understand two concepts when I explain why my safaris are different to others.

The first is the size of our concessions. We have private access to areas of, on average,  1000 sq kilometers. According to a conversion chart I just looked up, that is 247,000 acres for just your safari. And to make it even more amazing, these areas border on other wild areas, National Parks or hunting blocks. So the size of the wild country surrounding us on safari is immense.

The second is that people often do not fully understand what an exclusive safari is (unless they have REALLY been on one). And if someone has not been on safari at all, it is difficult to explain to them how different it is to be on safari with ONLY your group of friends or family. That means it is possible to stay an entire safari in private camps; it means you never have to share a safari vehicle with strangers; and it means you get the guide for just your group. People often believe they have been on an exclusive safari when in fact they shared camps and often even shared vehicles with other parties.

Having said this, I do like to mix this privacy with a visit to Ngorongoro Crater or the Serengeti National Park, how can one come all the way to Africa’s prime safari destination and miss these iconic locations.

Of course my safari highlight was my trip to Mexico which I have just come back from. Plans are already well under way to get back to Alamos for an extended period when things are quiet this side of the ocean.

The safari season this year is busy but I still have space:

In the first two weeks of July – this is a popular time because of school holidays in USA and has come available due to a cancellation.

In the second half of September until 10 October.

So till we meet again, take care

Craig

Photos of this year’s safaris

Below are a few photos from some of the year’s safaris. Pls click on images to view enlargements:

News from the 2009 Safari Year

I really am no longer going to call it the “Safari season”. I’ve been losing out by encouraging people to travel only during the traditional safari season, while a couple of friends in the guiding business are doing safaris right through March, April and May. Then in November they carry on right up to Christmas. Mind you, on the other hand it is a treat to be able to spend some time at home. Just got to get the balance right.

The 2009 season … year … was an excellent one for safaris, well it was excellent all round really. We are finally getting some rain which is hopefully going to break this drought. Hopefully Maasailand will now be awash with water for a while, instead of awash with dead Maasai cattle. The Maasai moved all of their cattle out of Northern Maasailand by July or so and I actually missed the sound of the wooden cattle bells over the hills.

I started with three great safaris in February which always keeps the wolf from the door during those lean wet months that follow. The Chapin group was a big one, three jeeps, twelve people. We somehow became spectacularly stuck in the middle of the short grass plains of the Southern Serengeti …. all three vehicles … and not a tree around to winch off. And, whoops, we were somehow miles from any road, how did that happen. It was a sea of black mud and very short grass and bemused wildebeest. It took us several hours to become unstuck and involved winching one vehicle against another. And then the third vehicle against the other two. It was well into night when we reached camp wet and bedraggled and someone realized they had left their underwear out on the plains – now how does that happen? I never saw anyone running around naked, what kind of safaris are these?

Then came another big safari led by the Gruens’ – Houstonites and fun times. We went back to the same area and didn’t get stuck. My father in law’s saying was stuck well in my head “Anyone can make a mistake but only a fool makes the same mistake twice”.

And finally in February my friend and inspiration Ken Coe came out with some more wonderful people and we did some wonderful things – one of my favourites is visiting the volcano at Natron, and we got to see wild dog. Another highlight was our afternoon drinking hot beer at the weekly Maasai market in Orkijoloongishu, watching the world go by.

Then the long break to prepare for more Houstonites. Lynn Smith put together the ultimate ‘Wild Bunch’ for ten days of partying and game viewing in June. There were discos in our camp most evenings complete with flashing disco lights. When there was no disco there was great guitar around the fire … oh and games. The quote of the safari must have been the one Mini made when he won a long involved game of chance and skill: “WHOSE YOURE DADDY”.

Ned Holmes came back next with his extended family and we went from one great location to the next. We spent several wonderful days in the Moyowosi swamps which included Tiger fishing on the river … oh yes and we cant forget the Maasai wedding.

Then more good friends when the Hobby family came in July. We planted trees at rural schools ….. hundreds of them. Then just when our backs were really aching from digging holes, we climbed Kilimanjaro. Up the famous Western Breach we went, no easy route for us. Just when we were wondering if a helicopter could get up that high to fetch us … there we were at the summit, the highest point on the continent, and I believe, the closest point to the sun on earth. And finally off to Ugalla Game Reserve for some R & R.

The Collins family from Connecticut came out next and more friendships were made. Maasailand horseriding and the ever entertaining Mara River in the Northern Serengeti.

Tom and Ed Meredith came next, on their third safari, and we spent 16 days in Natron and Ugalla – walking walking walking tracking all sorts of animals.

Then the Carlsons on their fourth safari. Ken is a wildlife artist and we spent hours watching how the light changes on a buffalo bull, or a sleeping pride of lions. We also saw seven leopards in the 16 day safari. A record for me I think.

Tom Camp rounded up the season … year … and with his group we saw two cheetah kills. Surely another record. At the final kill we found ourselves watching two lions asleep under a tree. The lioness looked up at something a few hundred yards away. We followed her gaze and saw a cheetah stalking three reedbuck. The cheetah chased the reedbuck, caught it and was holding it down when the lioness decided she wanted it. The lioness swaggered over, frightened the cheetah off and took over the reedbuck which was still very much alive. The lioness then spent ten minutes playing with the reedbuck before killing it.

Now it doesn’t get much better than that!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. And I will be seeing some of you in January in the US. Once again thank you all for your support and for coming back on safari with me and Ker & Downey Tz

Craig Doria

Photos of this year’s safaris

Below are a few photos from some of the year’s safaris. Pls click on images to view enlargements:

Highlights of the last season 2008

So … another year has gone. How is it that they go so fast? Whoosh … and here I am ready to start the next year’s safaris. Even Christmas holidays have already been done, so now it’s the US trip departing in about four days time. I will be seeing many of you there.

The year was fantastic and busy, the wildlife was spectacular and I think it’s safe to say that we all had fun on safari. The best news of all is that despite the world’s economic woes 2009 is fully booked. Right now I have ten days free in June and another ten days somewhere in late September. If those days stay unbooked then that’s fine, we all need a break! I could do with one more safari in November or early December if any of you have any plans.

Here is some  news from the year that’s just whisked by at such breakneck speed. Claudia Guy and Terri Richardson came out in April. Claudia did it by mistake really. Although she was expecting something completely different, safari life worked its magic on her and before long both her and Terri were enjoying things tremendously. We landed right in the middle of the migration on the short grass plains and spent hours driving slowly through mile after mile of wildebeest. The private camp was superb and the rainy season afternoon sky made for some great photos. We did some walking and horseriding and even jogging in Maasailand which is as always a treat.

I then went away for a while to build a tented camp in Monduli and to open up the roads for the concession. As always that was a real treat. Day after day spent out on the roads cutting away the overgrown parts and filling in potholes. Or to be more honest the staff do that while I look for lesser kudu and interesting birds and snakes. We only saw one black mamba.

Another memorable safari in June was with the David and Janet Lionberger. It was a grand affair which started of at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and then on to Kusini in the southern Serengeti. After a few days of that we did a long drive to Maswa Game Reserve where we spent ten days on a good buffalo hunt.

The Keens and Garcias also had a memorable safari, the highlight of which, for me was the little camp we set up in the western corridor of the Serengeti. We also rode horses and hiked in the Natron area of Maasailand.

What I remember most from the Perusquias safari (aside from what a wonderful family they are of course) was the elephant disaster on the road. We were driving at a reasonable speed in order to get to our new lodge before dark. We were able to stop to look at a few animals but really did not want to spend too much time on the road. And then of course ….. the road wound its way through a very long thicket and there in the middle was a small breeding group of elephants. We had to stop … no way passed. We watched as two teenager elephants started playing something very similar to football with a baby elephant. They kicked it back and forth a few times until it collapsed on the ground. The mother ran back trumpeting and chasing the teenagers a short way off. But the baby was in bad shape. She tried using her trunk and her tusks to pick it up but it could no longer stand. The teenagers returned and assisted her by picking it up. It just kept collapsing though. Finally it fell one last time and died. The mourning was a bit intense needless to say … both in our car and among the elephants. And we could noy get passed. We tried alternative roads, we tried bush bashing but there just didn’t seem another way to camp. We were flummoxed. It was getting dark and we still had some way to go and we were sitting wondering how on earth we were going to get passed the elephant funeral on the road. Suddenly a small white car with a group of missionaries chugged up from the other side. Without a moments hesitation it nudged its way through the group of elephants and drove passed us, its occupants waving happily. I’m not sure if it was a case of ignorance is bliss or perhaps the driver was a world authority on elephant behaviour! Whatever the case we did exactly the same thing.

The biggest safari this year was with the Mc Reynolds and the Josephs. We started of doing a bird shoot and then the younger generations of both families joined for a Ngorongoro and Serengeti trip. When in full swing we had 13 people so each dinner was a full dinner party with great fun had by all.

My friend Robert Maxted returned again with his daughter Tsiana and the highlight of that trip was exploring the Natron area around the lake. Ker & Downey has put up a wonderful tented camp on a ridge overlooking the lake. In the past we  have had to drive quite a distance to get to the lake but now we overlook it. The views are spectacular and the country is huge and wild. We found a large flowing river on the northern most point of the lake and even went for a swim in it. I wonder now if there are any crocodiles in it! I did look but could not see any signs of them.

Tom and Ruth Ann also returned this year and we were once again able to explore the Lake Natron area on foot and by vehicle. It is truly spectacular and I am very lucky to have private access to a place like this. Ruth Ann became more involved with the local maasai than I’ve seen on any safari. One day she took the car and went with a few Maasai ladies to a market in a distant village. She returned tired but having had a great look into maasai life. The next day she went off to the Maasai boma and spent the whole day there learning beadwork!

Charles and Pat Mc Mahen came out in October and again we started with a bird shoot and then moved into a photographic safari. For some reason this year the wildebeest migration seemed to hang out around the Mara river for several months. How we manged to predict that I will never know but I had five safaris go there and we all saw great wildebeest crossing of the Mara river. On two occasions we saw crocodiles catch wildebeest. The crossings are spectacular as thousands of wildebeest leap through the dust into the churning water. The only problem is that I took so many photographs that it is impossible to sort through them to find the good ones – there are several hundred that look just like the one before, and the one after!

Well I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I look forward to seeing some of you in the US in a few days and others of you back out here in Tanzania during the course of the year. This year will be a personal record for me – I have 7 out of 10 safaris with people who have been before with me. Of these 7, five have been more than once! And 2 safaris are to be with people who were referred by old safari guests.

That is a great mark of success in my books. So thank you all for coming and thank you all for coming again … and again.

Craig Doria

Photos of this year’s safaris

Below are a few photos from some of the year’s safaris. Pls click on images to view enlargements:

Highlights of the season 2007

Well once again the year has left us gasping and wondering where it went! One looks at the bookings at the beginning of each year and thinks ‘well December is ages away and so many safaris away — so much can happen between now and then.’ And indeed so much does happen, and so fast.

Safaris are finished for the year. The rest of November will be spent chatting to old travellers and potential new travelers. Then off to the beach for December – fishing, diving and more fishing. January will be spent in the USA as usual doing the rounds visiting people who are interested in safaris. And finally …. safaris start again next February.

Janelle has been dealing with enquiries coming off the website so some of you know her through the countless e-mails that are needed to build up your safaris. We are currently working with our web designer to build the website into the most comprehensive site for all who love to travel to Africa. It is going to be filled with tons of interesting information including book reviews, blog site, chatroom, on-line albums, articles and you tube postings. There will also be links to many useful sites to help you prepare for your safaris and just to keep up to date on whats going on. For example we will have a link to camera suppliers complete with a wishlist of what we recommend you bring. You will be able to click onto local conservation organizations that are working hard to keep the wild places wild. This is really exciting for us and we hope that it will generate even more business!

The safaris this year were all successful. Perhaps the most exciting moment was when we were standing on a hill with the Dingus family and the world started to shake – literally. We stood in awe looking at each other as it continued for a minute or two. As the shaking stopped, Bill immediately reached for a satellite phone and called a friend in Houston with orders to find out what had just happened in Northern Tanzania. Ten minutes later his call was returned and we were told the epicenter was x kilometers north of Arusha, y kilometers below the earth’s surface and it had measured 6.1 on the Richter scale. So down the hill we rushed back to camp and a map. We found that the great shaking was indeed coming out of Oldonyo Lengai just north of where we were. The wonders of modern technology.

There were several more earthquakes in the next few days and the volcano has continued to smoke and belch spectacularly ever since. We fly over it regularly in our Northern Air Charters and I have managed to get quite a good selection of photos.

We also got some rain … finally! With the Thiers we somehow became very stuck in the Ngorongoro Crater. Evening approached and as a huge black storm cloud towered over us it became apparent that we were not going to be able to get the vehicle out. Finally a Wildlife Department Landrover happened along. After another hour of pushing and pulling and cajoling we abandoned our vehicle and the rangers very kindly gave us a lift out of the crater floor in the back of their open landrover in the pouring rain. By the time we reached the top our Arusha office had arranged for a vehicle from Ngorongoro Crater Lodge to come and collect us. We trundled wet and cold into the amazing luxury of Crater Lodge and great hospitality of Francis and his staff. That night six safari vehicles without access to the kind of backup support that we have slept down in the crater! Thank you to the Thiers who took this little adventure so in their stride!

As usual the forests, chimpanzees and clear waters of Lake Tanganyika continue to be a favourite. We used the second camp in Mahale this year with the Duncan family and it worked out really well. So it is good to know that we have two camps to use in this fantastic location. The fishing was good and the sushi was better. The chimps were healthy and the photos came out well.

Griff and Lisa’s honeymoon was another highlight providing us all with some magical photos in the old car on the Sabora plains. Lisa’s grasp of the Swahili language was, I’m sure Griff will agree, phenomenal.

Ker & Downey\s own concessions once again made the most special part of many trips. We used our Monduli concession in Northern Maasailand this year and it proved particularly good for walking. The wildlife is unusual and one often sees gerenuk, oryx, and lesser kudu. Maswa Game Reserve is great wild country and Ugalla was again good for walking and seeing Roan and Sable antelope. There are not many safari destinations where you can stalk up on these two species to get better pictures.

So once again thank you all for coming on safari and making the year so spectacular. I will be seeing some of you in January in the USA. And now of to the beach for three glorious weeks.

Photos of this year’s safaris

Below are a few photos from some of the year’s safaris. Pls click on images to view enlargements:

Highlights of the last season 2006

Over the last couple of years, as more and more people wish to come on safari, we have noticed that I am unable to work on itineraries because I am in the bush too much. In order to fix this problem, my wife Janelle has resigned from her job and joined me. So while I am away on safari she will work on itineraries with you. She and I will be in comms each evening so that we can work together on itineraries and logistics. Janelle has been in the business all her life and arranges the most wonderful and imaginative safari itineraries. She started out managing camps in Zambia where she was also a safari guide and recently finished up building exclusive safaris for independent guides from Kenya and Tanzania. She still has a special interest in Zambia and would love to work out safaris that take in both Tanzania and Zambia (the Luangwa Valley, Victoria Falls etc). She is also working on historic routes that follow the likes of Livingstone, Von Lettow Vorbeck, Staley, Burton, Speke.

Maswa Game Reserve – wildebeest

The first year of safaris in the private TGT concessions went off extremely well. In the earlier part of the year we did some great walking in Maswa Game Reserve. The first of these safaris saw a lot of wildebeest although the main body of the migration never did enter the reserve. Maybe early in 2007 they will get back to their “normal” route and enter the game reserve. It is really amazing to be able to walk among thousands of wildebeest.

Lake Natron area

Natron was, as always, wonderful. We had some fun horse rides and some great adventures. The heavy rain in February proved to be a bit of a challenge when trying to get out of the area. It took several hours sliding sideways and into ditches with the land cruisers. A lot of fun all round. The big plains were particularly productive this year with fringe eared oryx to be seen in herds of around thirty animals. We also saw a lot of East African Eland and one herd with 76 animals. We camped up on Gelai Mountain at about 9,000 feet and it was freezing but with crisp clear days. We found the mountain top to be crawling with buffalo, bushbuck and bushpig (See picture of tent in the mountain). The flamingos were in Lake Natron and some great pictures came out of wading way into the lake to get the shots (see pictures of flamingos below). The whole area is really photogenic and offers up the most classic East African scenery (see pictures of giraffe in front of volcano). Oldonyo lengai, the volcano in the pictures, erupted over easter, and we could hear it from the Gol Mountains! The next day as we were driving across the short grass plains we heard pattering on the vehicle and stopped to see bits of volcanic ash raining down all around us.

Ugalia Game Reserve

Perhaps the greatest find for me was Ugalla Game Reserve late in the year. I was lucky enough to take two safaris there in October and November. The water in the back country had dried up and all the game was concentrated around the river. Where else can one go to stalk up on Sable Antelope and Roan Antelope on foot and get amazing pictures of these very cool animals. On one long morning drive we found wilddog (see pictures of wilddog), Sable Antelope and Shoebill Storks. Very little is known about the shoebill which is rare and extremely vulnerable (see picture of stork in reed).  And to have totally exclusive use of the WHOLE 1,000 sq km game reserve is awesome!

Chimpanzees, crocodiles and private camping in the Serengeti

The chimping in the Mahale mountains on lake Tanganyika was fantastic this year and the sushi from our own fishing was tops. On one safari the chimps came in through the camp. (see pix of chimps and pic of dinner table set out on beach with sunset)

Katavi National Park was also very unusual. We hit it just before the rains at the end of a very long dry season. Crocodiles were to be seen creeping up dry river beds into dry caves. Along the edge of a dried swamp we found about seven kilometers of thicket. We were driving along the edge of this thicket and peering into the deep shadow – slowly as our eyes became accustomed we noticed hundreds of hippos all lying up in the shade waiting for the rain.

As always the Serengeti and Ngorongoro were wonderful wildlife spectacles. I still believe that one should always put a day or two in at the crater, especially on a first safari. The scenery and the wildlife take every ones breath away. Our private camping in the Serengeti is as always a great experience.

So that’s it for this year. I will be seeing some of you in January in the USA and others back in Tanzania in 2007 and some of you in both places!

Photos of this year’s safaris

Below are a few photos from some of the year’s safaris. Pls click on images to view enlargements:

Tribal Textiles is a business that works with local village people to produce fabric designs which link their cultures and western fashion. Visit www.tribaltextiles.co.zm to view some of the designs from Swahili Coast to Maasai to African Wildlife.

Ker & Downey – photographic safaris Well its finally happened, Ker & Downey Tanzania now has exclusive rights to use several game reserves for photographic safaris. Luxury tented camps have been put up in a couple of these areas and I will be doing the first of these safaris in February next year. Of particular interest is Maswa Game Reserve in February and March when the famous wildebeest migration of the Serengeti comes through the area. This means that you can see the migration in absolute privacy, no minibuses and no other tourists except your small camp of max ten people. It also means you have the freedom to walk among the animals and have meals in the bush. This is a first and must be one of the most amazing safari experiences available.

The Maasai in the Lake Natron area Another wonderful opportunity is to do exclusive safaris into the wild and remote Lake Natron area where you can have exclusive use of a 3000 square kilometer concession. It is a wonderful place to add a cultural side to your safari. The Maasai live in the area and through having worked with them for several years I have access to and insights into their way of living. An anthropologist is consulted to ensure sensitive interaction with the Maasai. Plans are now afoot to get this anthropologist to possibly accompany certain safaris.

Lesser Kudu, horse riding safaris and flamingos The Natron area is also fantastic for seeing lesser known arid and desert wildlife like the Fringe Eared Oryx, Lesser Kudu and Gerenuk; this in addition to the ‘normal’ stuff. One can also climb the active volcano Oldonyo Lengai. Horse riding is also available across the arid plains and up the other extinct volcano Gelai. The concession also borders the eastern side of lake Natron which is normally pink with thousands of flamingos.

Highlights of the last season

Since I was twelve years old and my mother bought me a famous, out of print book by Captain Charles Pitman called “Snakes of Uganda”, it has been a dream of mine to see a Storms Water Cobra. These amazing cobras are in fact not true cobras but are large and spread a hood. Well this dream came true with the Vickerys in Mahale on the chimp safari. We went snorkeling one afternoon near a rocky promontory in Lake Tanganyika. On one particularly short of breath dive I saw a water cobra gliding among the many cyclids but could just not hold my breath long enough. I shot to the surface with a gasp but by the time I had recovered and gone down again, he had disappeared. The next day, through begging and cajoling, I manipulated the whole party to go back snorkeling to the same spot again. Very soon I found the cobra again, he was coming out of the tumbling rocks that drop into the big deep blue water. I was able to swim just above him for at least five minutes as he swept slowly in among the rocks and fish. Finally he came up onto the shore and rested his head on a rock out of the water.

Another of the many remarkable safari happenings happened with the Carlsons in Ruaha. We were on the edge of the Ruaha river watching a herd of elephants about 100 yards away. One family group of about 10 animals moved off about 50 yards led by an obvious matriarch. She picked up the bottom jawbone from an old elephant carcass and hel it in her trunk for a couple of minutes. She then put it on the ground and gently rubbed first one foot then the other over the top of it. All the time she kept the other smaller elephants away from it. Once she was done, she stepped back and the rest of her extended family came to touch and rub the jawbone. This went on for about 10 minutes. Finally the whole group stood absolutely still in a tight huddle for a couple of minutes around the bones, then moved on business as usual. Explain that one – mourning? Paying respects to the dead? Curiosity?

Photos of this year’s safaris

Below are a few photos from some of the year’s safaris. Pls click on images to view enlargements: