Tanzania Wildlife Safari - Serengeti and Singita

When Will suggested that I should head back to Tanzania in November 2007 to visit a few lodges in the Serengeti I was glad to be going back to my old stomping ground. He then mentioned; ‘may be it would be a good idea to check out the Singita Grumeti Reserves whilst you’re there’. I couldn’t agree more knowing that Singita ran the fabulous Ebony Lodge in the Sabi Sands Reserve, South Africa as well as a clutch of other distinguished lodges. I knew I might be in for a real treat.

Upon arriving in Arusha I headed for the Arusha Coffee Lodge, a delightful place set in, as its name suggests, the grounds of a coffee plantation (Tanzania’s largest) and conveniently close to the Arusha airstrip. After a restful night’s sleep in their luxuriant plantation cottage I set out to catch my early morning flight to the Sasakwa airstrip, right in the heart of the Singita Grumeti Reserves.

Now the Singita Grumeti Reserves are located adjacent to the famed Western Corridor of the Serengeti National Park. Bordering the Serengeti the Grumeti Reserves encompass and extensive area of ‘unrivalled wilderness’. For once the marketing blurb does not do it justice. This area also forms part of the celebrated migration route, which is traveled by hundreds of thousands of gallivanting wildebeest and zebra every year.

My flight from Arusha took me north for a brief touch down at the Klein’s Camp airstrip and then leaving the Lobo Hills behind flying right across the northern sector of the Serengeti National Park. It was here, or there about, that I got my first glimpse of what at first appeared to be a ribbon like procession of ants on the ground below. It was only after starring in awe for a few moments did it dawn that what was unfolding below was the wonder that is the annual migration as the herds headed south again. Just a taste of things to come.

After touching down at the Sasakwa airstrip I was picked up my guide and host, Abdulluah. We then set off game viewing on the way to Sabora Tented Camp, one of the three luxurious lodges that Singita have created and manage in the Grumeti Reserves. Sabora is like no other tented camp I know or have stayed at. This was my first brush with luxury for a man of ‘canvas and camp beds’. Situated in the heart the grass plains, Sabora and its 6 tents are discreetly dotted over a slight rise with a few scattered acacias to provide shade. Guests can gaze ‘cheetah’ like over the surrounding plains and marvel at the wildlife about them.

The tents themselves are paired with a library and sitting room in between them. The interiors are fitted out in regal campaign style of the early 1900’s with wooden campaign furniture, tribal rugs, scatter cushions and adorned with antique curios. Imagine Edward and Mrs. Simpson on safari and you are just about there. There’s a viewing deck with your own spotting scope (in fact all the Singita lodges provide guests with a Swarovski scope to use – no expense spared!) and there are day beds nestled under shady acacias. My personal favorites for flamboyant luxury were the discreetly screen out-door showers and the tennis court that, judging by its appearance, was more often used by the zebra as a dust bath.

For my first evenings game drive we set out on to the plains to see what we could find. The beauty of the Singita Game Reserves is that off road driving is permitted to get that bit closer to any ‘significant’ sightings. So within a few minutes (OK x10) I was just a few metres away from 2 young male lions relaxing in the evening sunlight. After leisurely watching them for a while Abdulluah decided it was time to head off in a different direction. I was curious as to why our next stop was in the middle of the plains with not much about. As he jumped out of our open-sided 4x4 my curiosity turned to concern. After rummaging in the back of the vehicle for a moment he promptly returned to setup a minibar, on a fold-down table complete with maasai tablecloth. What a way to end the day, with a cool beer in one hand and a bag of nibbles in the other.
After a mornings game drive to see a hyenas den that pulsated with action, youngsters squabbling over the remains of a ‘Tommy’ kill, I set off with Abdullah to my second night’s stop at Sasakwa Lodge. Like a laird over looking its realm, Sasakwa Lodge is perched on top of Sasakwa Hill commanding fine views over the plains below. The grand central manor house hosts the dinning room, drawing room and bar, billiards room, garden room and a games room for the kids which is conveniently tucked away. Wide verandahs give way to sweeping lawns and an infinity swimming pool. Any one for a game of croquet! With 7 suites, well cottages for those used to more compact abodes, that range in size from 1-4 bedrooms and all offer a sitting room, dressing room, fires to keep any chill at bay and your own plunge pool overlooking the plains. A long with tennis courts, a gymnasium, equestrian centre and archery; Sasakwa is a very grand and stylish country club located in the heart of the wilderness, as the lions roaring at night will certainly remind you. Quite surreal!

For my next day’s game drive I opted to go in search of the rather rare and definitely elusive Patas Monkey (Erythrocebus patas). Abdullah and I set off on to the plains northeast of Sasakwa, area fragmented by Whistling Thorn (Acacia drepanolobium) the preferred habitat of these fascinating monkeys. They are also known as the military, Hussar or Sergeant-Major monkeys due to their facial whiskers and erect posture. Some have also described them as the superlative monkey, as ‘just about everything about them is bigger, faster and defies adjectives’. It is reputedly the worlds fastest primate, running at speeds of up to 55 kph on the tips of its fingers (digitigrady, rather than on the palms of its hands, palmi-grady). They live fast and die young with research from Kenya suggesting that females are sexually mature at the age of 3 years and, on average, die at the age of 4 years surviving just long enough to produce only two offspring. Although widespread across Africa they are relatively scarce in Tanzania. Despite all our efforts to find them I never even caught a glimpse of them. Nevertheless our efforts were not in vain as we were rewarded with witnessing well over 1000 wildebeest gallop past us across the plains and through the Whistling Thorns. Listening to the sound of their gnu grunts and drumming hooves was a barrage on my senses.

To end my time in the Singita Grumeti Reserves I stayed at the Faru Faru Lodge, its name derived from the Kswahili word for rhino. Faru Faru is built on a gently sloping hill overlooking a waterhole and the Grumeti river. When building the lodge its creators discovered the ruins of a small stone built settlement. Incorporating these elements in to some of the main lodge this idea was also incorporated into the style of its canvas and reed tented suites! All 6 of its spacious suites mix urban and safari chic based on the concept of a 1950’s botanist who discovers an ancient human settlement and sets up camp. Light and airy the suites are fitted out with white-washed wood and metal furnishings along with sketch books and colouring pens, just in case you feel inspired. A remote controlled full length window opens out to give delightful views of the river area below. Imagine sitting in bed watching a herd of elephants wander past your window or, my highlight, taking a shower outside as waterbuck pass by. Guests also have the opportunity to go on guided walking safaris in the Grumeti River area, just another added bonus.

Visiting the Singita Grumeti Reserves was a real pleasure and I was pleasantly surprised. Yes the lodges are fantastic, the ultimate in safari indulgence were the ever attentive staff make every effort to make your stay a very special one. In a very genteel way every guest is a VIP. This aside, what struck me most was the quality of the wildlife viewing. When the Grumeti Reserves concessions were first leased in 2002, the game population was seriously depleted, largely as a result of poor wildlife management. The Grumeti Fund, the non-profit arm of the Grumeti Reserves lodge management has achieved much in this area and I can testify that the game sightings that I saw in my short time there were much, much better than I had expected. All the usual suspects of the Serengeti eco-system can be seen in healthy numbers but the real bonus is that you have the feeling of having the plains and bush to your self (game drives are carefully coordinated to ensure that vehicles setting out from the lodges don’t just tail each other). Being the only vehicle at a fresh zebra kill was a treat in deed.

After my stay in the Grumeti Reserves, I was off to the Serengeti. I caught a flight for the short hop to the central Seronera area, were I would base myself. This is where my hard work was to start! I had a list of lodges and tented camps to see as long as my arm and the vastness of the Serengeti to cover in a few short days. It seemed as if I was to cover all the four points of the compass rose as I headed from Kleins Camp to Migration Camp, to the Grumeti River Camp, to Serena Lodge and to Ndutu Wildlife Lodge to name just a few. As I roomed across the Serengeti, with my guide and driver Godbless, I was once again struck by the sheer diversity of the Serengeti and how you can visit this amazing national park again and again and each time encounter something new and exciting. Every corner of its varying terrain and its ever changing seasons are able to offer a different safari experience.

In my view the Serengeti is a year round destination its just a matter of knowing what to expect and where to go. OK April and May can be a wash out! – although in 2007 by all accounts it just kept on raining after the so called ‘short rains’ in Nov/Dec and continued right on through from January until April time. To make the most of your time in the Serengeti should at least visit a couple of different areas to get the feel for this remarkable national park.

In the south, bordering the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are the short-grass plains. This area comes into its own in the ‘green season’ from January to March, just after the short rains (Nov/Dec). This is when the vast herds of wildebeest and zebra gather on the rich and fertile grasslands to feast on a crop of lush fresh growth. This is also when the wildebeest synchronize their birthing and up to 8000 wildebeest calves are born very morning during a 3 week spell in February. At this time of year Ndutu Lodge is an ideal base to set in to the short-grass plains.

Moving northwards you come to the long-grass plains with its kopjes scattered over the otherwise featureless expanse. With evocative names such as Simba, Gol and Moru kopjes, these rounded rocky outcrops are prominent island habits that provide convenient lookout posts for resident cheetah, lion and leopard, as well as a place to rest-up during the day. At the start of the dry season in May or June the long-grass plains become the assembling point for the great trek north of the migrating herds. Huge columns of wildebeest will gather and in single file to head north through the woodlands of the northern and western Serengeti and on to the Maasai Mara. The long-grass plains are also one of the best places to see cheetah particularly around the Gol kopjes area. This area is well serviced by a number of semi-nomadic camps and its also within stricking distance of the central Seronera region, so there are no shortage of quality lodges and camps to stay at; including the Serengeti Safari Camp, the Serena Lodge, the Serengeti Wilderness and a host of others.

The Western Corridor is the long arm of the Serengeti that stretches out towards Lake Victoria. This is an area of open plains, ranges of hills, patches of woodland and the Grumeti River which runs along the length of this corridor. The remote and secluded area is good for game viewing all year but between May and June the Western Corridor plays host to vast herd of wildebeest and zebra as they graze their way northwards on their annual migration. It is the famed crossing of the Grumeti River as the wildebeest run the gauntlet of snapping crocodiles that draws many people to the area. Sadly most are disappointed and don’t get to see this spectacle because the timing of any crossing is hugely unpredictable. This is no reason not to visit the Western Corridor as there is resident game all year round and a number of very good lodges to stay at, including the Grumeti River Camp, Kirawira Camp, Mbalageti and a host of other tented camps.

My stay in the Serengeti, was made very comfortable and the long hours on the road bearable by being able to return each night to the welcoming Serengeti Wilderness Camp. This ‘seasonal’ camp located in the heart of the Serengeti National Park is not pretentious but is a classic tented camp that offers simple comforts and pleasures. What more do you need than a comfy bed with fresh linen and a hot bush-shower to rinse away the Serengeti dust - I think I may have a thing about showers! To recount my adventures with the Godbless, Rajon and the other camp crew around the glowing embers of the fire was a delightful way to finish my Serengeti odyssey.

My thanks to Abdullah, Bjorn, Russel, Michelle, Steve, Olly, Godbless, Rajon, Alain and all staff at the Singita Grumeti Reserve Lodges and the Serengeti Wilderness Camp for making my stay in the Serengeti such an enjoyable one.

Mahale Chimpanzee Safari

Tanzania is blessed with an abundance of wildlife and host of national parks that draws visitors from around the globe to marvel at its spectacular showcase of living creatures. Visitors are spoilt for choice with evocative names such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Selous, Ruaha and so on. Yet on its western boundary there is an enchanting range of forested hills that descend down to the 600km ribbon of water, known as Lake Tangyika. The Mahale Mountains are a spectacular backdrop to the lake but aside from their imposing beauty it is home, like its fabled sister park Gombe Stream, to some truly remarkable beings and our closest relatives the chimpanzees.Back in November 2007 I had, much to Will’s envy, the pleasure of paying a visit to this out of the way corner of Tanzania which only receives a few keen visitors every year who come to see its habituated chimpanzees. As I would later reflect Mahale National Park is, in my view at least, a castaway paradise with the ultimate wildlife experience – close encounters of the ape kind (but I would say that!) Why more visitors don’t strike out this way I can’t fathom but for now for those lucky few who do it is a paradise to share with our cousins the chimpanzees of Mahale.My journey to Mahale started by boarding a Cessna Caravan at the Arusha airstrip. As we trundled down the bare earth runway and left the towering peak of Mount Meru behind I was Mahale bound but as I soon discovered from the pilot by a rather curious route. First stop Kleins Camp in the Northern Serengeti, then it was down to Tabora (central Tanzania) to refuel, next stop Katavi before finally heading northwest again for Lake Tanganyika and the Mahale Mountains National Park. No wonder it took 5 hours but I was travelling in the ‘green season’ when there are only a handful of travellers and it makes sense for charter flights to combine as many pick-ups and drop-offs as they can. Normally it’s a straight flight there with an exciting bush landing at Katavi to break the journey.My first glimpse of the Mahale Range was through broken cloud and I hardly had time to admire its green cloaked mountains before we started our descent to an unseen airstrip. As Lake Tanganiyka loomed ever larger directly in front of us we swooped over a few shambas (small farm holdings) before touching down just short of the shoreline. There had obviously been a recent down pour as the airstrip was somewhat water logged, so for a moment I thought I might end up having an early bath!My home for the next few days was to be Nomad’s intriguingly named ‘Greystoke’ Camp. After a warm welcome by some of the camp crew we set off by dhow on the final leg of this odyssey. Gliding over the clear waters of Lake Tangayika we headed south along its eastern shore, the dark forested and mysterious shoreline of the incongruously named Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) peering on the not so distant horizon to the west. Passing the last village before the park a silver sheen carpeted its beach in patches. As I wondered what on earth it was Kabeth, our guide, explained that it was the sardine-sized fish locally known as Daga that the villagers had left out to dry. More like rot, by the smell of it, in this hot and humid air. Cruising ever southwards as I gazed in awe at the lush green hills that rose to jutting peaks (which I gather in the dry season take on more brown hues) I got a sense of why ‘Greystoke’ was so named. As after rounding a headland the camps grand and exotic castaway lodge came in to view. Then I was reminded of childhood memories of a certain British film, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel Tarzan of the Apes. Well that’s my theory anyway.The Greystoke Camp is a barefoot luxury lodge perched on a white sandy beach with its curious dhow-wood bandas stretched in amongst the tree line. With the forested slopes of the Mahale Mountains rising behind it and Lake Tanganyika stretching out in front words can not really convey the magic and enchantment of the place. You just have to be there. There are other options for a very comfortable stay in the area but Greystoke does offer an easy going and very special castaway experience with the added bonus of being able to see Mahale’s famed chimpanzees.Mahale is about 200km south of Gombe the world renowned site of Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking research in to chimpanzees. Not long after she started her research at Gombe Prof. Toshisada Nishida from the Kyoto University in Japan came in 1965 to study the chimpanzees of Mahale. His legacy is the habituated and much researched (still on-going) group of eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii - recently re-classified as Pan t. marungensis).There are estimated to be over 1000 chimpanzees living wild in Mahale but it is the habituated ‘M group’ of almost 60 individual chimps that visitors have the privilege of coming to see. Each day the lucky few set out in the morning to trek and find the roving chimps. Guided in by experienced trackers who set out beforehand you will hear them long before you see them. I certainly did. Hearing their hoots, screams, grunts and other vocalisations quickens your pace and the chase is one of eager excitement. I was fortunate to track them twice during my stay in Mahale and my second encounter was an experience I will cherish forever.My first sighting of the day was of Orion a 16 year old adult male wandering by himself before he selected a suitable tree to swiftly shimmy up. Sitting on a branch surrounded by lush vegetation he selected a croquet ball size fruit known locally as Isakama (Myrianthus arboreus). This was obviously a prised treat that he nosily munched on using his hands, teeth, lips, and feet to get at the juicy flesh underneath its pineapple like skin. After watching him for a while Sefu my guide tugged on my arm and said we should hurry to another part of the forest as he had just received news on the radio of a large gathering of chimps. As we scurried off to I could hear their ‘pant hoots’ and shrieks, tantalisingly close. Suddenly as we came to a small village green of a crossroad in the forest; there calmly grooming each other was a small knot of 3 chimpanzees.Pimu, Chritstina and Fanana who were soon joined by Alofu, Kalunde and Primus.As I watched in awe, Sefu quietly gave me a commentary on the names, status, relationships and characters of each of the chimps gathered before us. Pimu was the current alpha male. A brutish dictator by all accounts and he looked the part with a menacing and brooding look. Fanana was a previous alpha male who had recently return to the M community after a period of enforced exile. Christina a middle aged female was in oestrous and the cause of this gathering of powerful males. As I soon learnt Christina had been a favourite companion for Alofu, so was there still a special relationship between them? Although Alofu had been recently deposed as the alpha male by Pimu, he didn’t seem to submit to his authority in the customary manner by pant-hooting when they meet. Then in to the scene strolls Kalunde ‘The King-Maker’; always at the centre of chimpanzee politics and looking every bit the mandarin who is said to be ‘sharply intelligent, immoral but very successful’ in his Machiavellian style of making and break contenders and holders of the alpha male throne. Just sitting in the wings was Primus the young (only 16 years old) and popular (with other members of the M community) contender to the top spot. This calm and collected youngster didn’t even flinch when Pimu, in an outburst of rage, thrashed about the bushes threatening all around. Pimu’s display of raw aggression was certainly enough to trigger my flee response as I tried to remind myself that staying put and then backing away slowly was meant to be the best response! My time with the chimps of Mahale was over all too quickly but it was like being part of the audience for a trilling and dramatic TV Soap Opera, which left you longing to witness the next episode.There is a serious side to tracking the chimpanzees with strict rules and guidelines that visitors must follow. They have been devised to solely protect the chimpanzees, since the greatest threat to their health and existence is us! No more than 6 visitors are allowed to be in the vicinity of a group of chimpanzees at any onetime (a maximum of 3 groups of 6 people set out in to the forest in search of the chimps each day). The time spent with the chimps is also strictly limited to 1 hour, to minimise the impact on their normal daily behaviour. Visitors are also meant to keep at least 10 metres away from the chimps but seeing as the chimpanzees have previously been followed very closely (often in touching distance) this more difficult to adhere to. Yet it is this infringement of the 10m rule (a combination of researchers and visitors desire to get closer as well as the curious and confident nature the chimps themselves, especially young males) that potentially poses the greatest threat to their existence.Recent research has indicated that a series of increasingly frequent outbreaks of diseases in the chimp populations in both Gombe and Mahale may be the result of disease transmission between humans and the chimps. In June 2006 a respiratory disease affected the Mahale chimps and 13 died due to the disease which, most probably, came from people. These out breaks have tended to occur in June/July at the height of the visitor season it is believed that such outbreaks resulted in the M chimpanzee community decreasing from over 100 in 1988 to only 52 in 2006.Thankfully the park authorities in conjunction with the safari camps in Mahale are far more vigilant about human to chimp disease transmissions. As a result, along with more rigorous enforcement of the chimp viewing rules, visitors now have to wear face masks when they are near to the chimpanzees. Having donned my mask when I was trekking I hardly noticed it apart from my glasses steaming up every now and then – the excitement of it all! A small price to pay in my mind. I was also very encouraged to see that all the park guides, rangers and researchers were also all wearing masks. Hopefully such a simple precaution can help to ensure the survival of our forest cousins. The number of M group members is now back up to due to several recent births.My time in Mahale was brief but it really was a truly memorable experience. Aside from my close encounters with the chimps; Greystoke was a delightful place to unwind and relax. I even managed to squeeze in some snorkelling, kayaking and a spot of fishing. The thrill of reeling in your own catch of the day, even if it was just a tiddler which the camp crew then used to catch the big’uns, just added to the castaway feel. As I tasted our freshly catch kuhay (a local fish delicacy) prepared as the most delightful sashimi I had tasted I vowed to return.My heartfelt thanks must go to all the good people of Greystoke Camp and Mahale for such a memorable stay. In particular I would like to thank Doug, Magdalene, Jules, Safu (Safe), Kabeth and all the camp crew at Greystoke.Asante sana