Wild encounters

Wild encounters

On the way through Ngorongoro Conservation to the Ndutu area, we drove through the edges of the great wildebeest and zebra migrations. It is greener than I've ever seen it and the herds are dropping thousands of babies.

At the lodge, in less than 24 hours, we had giraffe, hartebeest, zebras, wildebeest, elephant and Cape Buffalo come through camp, just to name a few! At night we heard lions defending their territories as well as hunting. Fortunately, we had very able Maasai who chased away two male lions when they killed a buffalo a bit too close for comfort.

Luxury Camp

Luxury Camp

As we settled into our luxury camp, a welcoming fire was tended by our Maasai protector. This camp was voted the highest ratings for excellence in food and service. We had two nights to enjoy the luxurious tents and proximity to the animals.

The following day, herds of zebras, wildebeest, giraffe and even these shy Hartebeest meandered grazing by our tents.

Luxury Camp 2

Ngorongoro Caldera

Ngorongoro Caldera

Ngorongoro Caldera and Conservation Area

Considered by many to be the 'Eighth Wonder of the World', we descended in our 4x4's for over twenty minutes along the escarpment wall to access the floor below. As we moved closer, all of the little black dots turned into living breathing herds teaming around us.

The scope and immensity is difficult to capture, so I chose the cute factor of this photo for today. We watched a family of Golden Jackals playing, two cubs and the parents. This cub was scared and went for the safety of the burrow. In the background are Grant's Gazelles, Wildebeest and an Abdim Stork. We also saw two rhino's off in the distance, completing the sightings of the Big Five.

Tomorrow we head off to remoter parts to visit a few tribes, one of which is the Hadzabe Bushmen. They are still hunter gatherers and one of the oldest original tribes on earth.

I'm currently taking reservations for the next safari... Will you join us?

Hadzabe Bushmen

Hadzabe Bushmen

We went for an early morning hunt with the Hadza men and they were successful! You just might have to come along on the next safari to find out more. Later, we took turns taking lessons and even our drivers had fun getting involved.

The Hadzabe are one of the earliest tribes in the world and have many similarities to the Kalahari bushmen, including hunting and gathering as well as their click language.

Sundowners!

Sundowners

In the evening, we headed up to the Kisima Ngeda overlook for drinks and a group photo. At the top, our guide Donatus, saw a striped hyena make her way off to hunt for food for her pup. They are both shy and nocturnal, so I missed the photo' op. It was a hazy day, but in the background, you can see the tip of Lake Eyasi on the left and the beginning of the Ngorongoro Highlands on the right.

The drinks were thirst quenching and the views exhilarating. Another eye opening/full experience day!