Quintessential Tanzania. Story Land and Sea Presents

Transcription

1 THE WILD SOURCE th Street Golden, CO Story Land and Sea Presents Quintessential Tanzania

2 2 ITINERARY Sep 15 Arusha. The Arusha Hotel. Arrival into Kilimanjaro International Airport (flight not included). Met on arrival and transfer to The Arusha Hotel for overnight. Sep 16 Ngorongoro Crater. Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. Depart after breakfast for a 4-hour drive to the entrance of the iconic Ngorongoro Crater. Afternoon game drive in the Crater. Overnight Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. Sep 17 Central Serengeti. Sayansi Camp. Early morning game drive in the Crater. Following a picnic lunch, you have a two-hour drive to the Naabi Hill Entrance of the Serengeti. Along the way you will stop at a Maasai Boma for a cultural visit. Once entering the park, you will then game drive three hours to Sayansi Camp. Sep 18 Sep 19 Sep 20 Sep 21 Central Serengeti. Sayansi Camp. Central Serengeti. Sayansi Camp. Central Serengeti. Sayansi Camp. Northern Serengeti. Njozi Camp Today you depart with a picnic lunch as you have a six-hour game drive to the remote Northern Serengeti. Njozi Camp Sep 22 Sep 23 Sep 24 Sep 25 Northern Serengeti. Njozi Camp Northern Serengeti. Njozi Camp Northern Serengeti. Njozi Camp Departure. Morning game drive ending at airstrip for a 9:50 flight to Kilimanjaro Airport, arriving at 12:00. Take the shuttle to your dayroom at KIA Lodge where you can relax before returning to the airport for your flight home (flight not included).

3 3 SAFARI COSTS Safari Cost is $7,950 per person sharing. Single supplement of $1,500 Costs includes internal flight Kogatende-Kilimanjaro, accommodation, meals (except at KIA Lodge), drinks (except at the Arusha Hotel, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge and KIA Lodge), laundry (except at the Arusha Hotel, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge and KIA Lodge), park fees, and private guides/vehicles with unlimited mileage throughout. Not Included Out of Pocket Costs to Consider International flights into and out of Kilimanjaro International Airport Tips On safari I recommend $20 per person per day -- $10 to your guide, and $10 to the staff. Visa for Tanzania ($100 per person) Drinks or laundry at The Arusha Hotel, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge and KIA Lodge Meals at KIA Lodge Travel Insurance Health Preparations NOTE: Price quoted is a discounted pay by check or bank wire price. We can process credit cards but the cost is 4% more for all credit payments.

4 4 INTRODUCTION This safari has been custom designed to provide the quintessential Tanzania safari experience staying under canvas and traversing wide open plains teeming with animals in amazing quantities. The trip is focused on having the highest quality wildlife viewing, with top guiding and time to view the fascinating behavior of animals. The focus of the safari is in Tanzania s jewel, the Serengeti. Here we split time between the Central Serengeti and the Northern Serengeti to give you the best chance of tracking down some large herds of the great migration. At this time of year, the migration of more than 2 million animals is typically found in huge numbers in the Northern Serengeti. This is where we often witness the dramatic crossings of the Mara River that are featured in so many films. Both Serengeti areas are fantastic for big cats, among the best in all of Africa. You will see a full diversity of species, typically around 30 different species of mammals, and including the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo). In addition to the Serengeti you will begin your safari with two game drives inside the

5 5 DEO MAGOYE PRIVATE TANZANIAN GUIDE, THE WILD SOURCE Most companies will claim their guides are great but a quick look at Deo s history illustrates that he is a one-of-a-kind for this region. In 2008 Deo was featured as the Safari Guide and Bush Lore expert for the South African television show Voetspore: Journey from Gansbaai (South Africa) to Gabon, a 3 month expedition through rarely visited terrain. This was a follow up to his role on the same series when their expedition went from Cape Town to Cairo. Deo s guiding skills are well known, making him the guide selected by many film crews and professional photographers. He was the head guide for a National Geographic film crew for 4 months making a film of the Serengeti migration, and he has guided for BBC filmmakers as well. Legendary wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen was guided by Deo for his East Africa shoots, as were Boyd Norton and Joe McDonald who have contributed to the Audubon Field Guide for African Mammals as well as created their own books. While it is clear that Deo is the experts choice he is also perfect for anyone who is simply excited to go on safari. When preparing such a resume of highlights it was Deo who said it is hard to single anyone out because all my clients are VIP to me. The skills to find animals and position a vehicle are only a small part of what makes Deo a special guide. His laid back but confident manner and vivid personality make him a joy with whom to spend your time. With more than 25 years of guiding Deo knows Tanzania like few others. Deo is an owner and Managing Director of The Wild Source Tanzania.

6 6 FADHIL MAGOYE PRIVATE TANZANIAN GUIDE, THE WILD SOURCE Fadhil is Deo s son and was fortunate to learn about the natural world and guiding from a master throughout his childhood. Fadhil grew up loving wildlife and fascinated by the secrets of nature. He had a vision of becoming one of the people that will conserve natural habitats within Tanzania and beyond. This led to college studies on wildlife. With guiding Fadhil is able to combine his wildlife and conservation interests. Amazingly Fadhil s first guiding job was with Asilia Africa as a resident guide at Olakira Camp. The annual hiring process starts with 150 applicants invited in, that narrows to 30 candidates for a 3 day intensive testing process resulting in just 10 guides being selected for an impressive 6 week training session. Fadhil served as a resident guide at Olakira for 2 ½ years learning both the Ndutu and Northern Serengeti areas intimately to the point of having remarkable knowledge of individual big cats and the events in their lives. In addition to guiding Fadhil is putting his wildlife studies to work as he heading up our Serengeti big cat research project.

7 7 SOSY MAIRA BIG CAT RESEARCHER, THE WILD SOURCE Sosy Maria was hired to be The Wild Source camp based staff wildlife biologist in January Sosy is a graduate from the College of African Wildlife Management in the Arusha area, which is the premier Institue of higher learning for wildlife research and management in the region. The curriculum focused on practical education with time spent out in the field learning wildlife research techniques and participating in on-going research projects. Sosy has been the principal investigator of The Wild Source big cat research in the Ndutu/Serengeti region. He has been working to identify individual cheetah, leopard, and prides of lions. By determining how to identify indivduals within the population we are able to provide the reference identifications for testing an identification software program that is being developed. Sosy is recording locations and tracking movements for each cat to map their ranges. He is also observing behaviors such as hunting and collecting data to see if tourism is having any impacts on hunting success. Through his daily studies of the cats in the region Sosy has an unmatched knowledge of many of the individual cats that we encounter on safari.

8 8 iconic Ngorongoro Crater, one of the natural wonders of the world.

9 9 ARUSHA HOTEL ARUSHA, TANZANIA 1 NIGHT Built in 1894 and recently renovated to become the only five-star hotel in Arusha Town the hotel is a classic landmark. Set in beautifully landscaped gardens with all the amenities needed for a great first night of sleeping off jetlag. Conveniently located for a morning flight out of Arusha Airport this is a great place to begin. The hotel has 86 rooms that are elegantly furnished with en-suite bathrooms equipped with bathroom amenities and tea and coffee making facilities. Each room is fitted with satellite television with a selection of channels, hair dryer and an electronic safe. Rooms also have direct dial phones, wireless internet (chargeable) and air-conditioning. Buffet style breakfast and dinners with appetizing contemporary modern cuisine is prepared from the freshest produces, flavored and garnished using only the highest quality. A classic meeting spot is Harari s Tavern (named after John Wayne s movie made in 1962). John Wayne and the rest of the cast were frequent visitors to the hotel. Harari s has a large television screen to watch the latest sporting events and news made complete with the relaxed informal and comfortable surroundings.

10 10 NGORONGORO SOPA LODGE NGORONGORO CRATER, TANZANIA 1 NIGHT The Ngorongoro Crater is often called the 8 th Wonder of the World. The crater was formed when a volcano collapsed creating the largest unbroken caldera on earth, almost 2,000 feet deep and 21 kilometers wide. Nearly 25,000 large mammals reside within the crater including some of Africa s highest densities of lions and spotted hyenas. This is the best location in Tanzania to spot the highly endangered black rhino. Elephant, buffalo, zebra, and wildebeest are all common and within this confined habitat very close up viewing is often possible. The Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge has an ideal location, as the only hotel on the east rim of the Crater it has commanding views into the Crater and is the only lodge situated to witness sunset across the Crater. Best of all it is perched by one of the only two access roads into the Crater and this road is used by only about 5% of the Crater traffic. This means you can take a picnic breakfast and be amongst the first to enter allowing you to get in faster and get more space away from the crowds for the prime early hours of the day. The hotel is comfortable and a good value for its outstanding location.

11 11 SAYANSI CAMP CENTRAL SERENGETI, TANZANIA 4 NIGHTS The Central Serengeti is an expansive valley that contains several rivers supporting the parks greatest density of year round resident animals. The area is especially famed for lions, with a dozen or so prides within the region. While the heart of the Central Serengeti can be crowded, Sayansi Camp is in a remote location more than an hour to the East. This location is close to the Namiri Plains, an area that was closed for 20 years for cheetah research. Today the area has a reputation for exceptional big cats, including one of the highest desities of cheetah in all of Africa. The spring-fed Ngarenyuki River draws wildlife, and camp is close to the game rich Sametu Marsh, Barafu Kopjes, and Research Kopjes. This location provides stunning opportunities for game viewing, including a rare large area of Serengeti where off road driving is allowed, which often leads to a private wilderness adventure.

12 12 Sayansi is Swahili for science, and uniquely the camp has a Tanzanian wildlife biologist on staff to study the big cats in the area. A stay in our camp contributes to supporting this wildlife biologist, helping to develop biologists field skills but also critical interpersonal skills. We are testing a wildlife identification software program and collecting longterm monitoring data on big cats that can assist with their conservation. In exchange guests receive a much deeper wildlife safari experience than the typical safari and can depart with the satisfaction that they have helped train the wildlife biologists needed to conserve this magnificent heritage far into the future. The philosophy of the camp is to provide comfort for our guests while the staff works hard behind the scenes to allow full flexibility with meal times and service, including packing meals to go to the bush. This way our guides are able to deliver the superior game viewing experience for which The Wild Source is known.

13 13 Sayansi is a small and intimate camp with just four tents, making it possibly the smallest in the Serengeti. The tents are spacious and inviting with lovely carpets and stylish wrought-iron beds decked out with high quality linens and duvets. There is a bedroom/living area, a dressing area with a sink that has running water and a small wardrobe, and then separate private shower and toilet areas. The showers are the typical bucket shower set up found throughout the Serengeti area where the staff will deliver hot water that is hoisted above your tent to allow for a delivery through a normal shower head in the privacy of your own tent. An inverter system provides electricity for tent lighting and the charging of batteries and electronic devices. Each tent has a small veranda with safari chairs to enjoy the outdoor environment. The camp is set next to a small kopje (granite outcroppings) where we can have stunning sundowner drinks on the rocks. The central area of camp includes a mess tent with veranda area for relaxed hanging out, as well as the essential camp fire area. There is a lounge tent with wildlife books and a battery charging station. A well-stocked bar and fantastic meals are included to round out your safari experience.

14 14 NJOZI CAMP NORTH NORTHERN SERENGETI, TANZANIA 4 NIGHTS Njozi Camp is tucked away in a beautiful forested area that has a premier location for wildlife viewing. Located within easy striking distance of the famed Mara River, convenient crossing points 0-4 (there are 10 Crossing Points). Njozi Camp is not just exceptional for the location, but for how the camp flexibly caters to support each guests schedule around the natural rhythms of the game viewing. With the Mara River providing a reliable permanent water source game is always rich here and the river is loaded with hippos and crocodiles. This is one of the best areas of the Serengeti for viewing elephants and it is excellent big cat country with leopards and lion tucking into the rock kopjes and cheetah working the open plains. The area is best known for one of nature s dramatic spectacles as the great migration herds of wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara River on a near daily basis. The crossings typically occur from mid-july through mid-october.

15 15 Uniquely, Njozi Camp employs a full-time wildlife biologist who is studying the big cats in the area. A stay in our camp contributes to supporting this wildlife biologist, helping to develop biologists field skills but also critical interpersonal skills. We are testing a wildlife identification software program and collecting long-term monitoring data on big cats that can assist with their conservation. In exchange guests receive a much deeper wildlife safari experience than the typical safari and can depart with the satisfaction that they have helped train the wildlife biologists needed to conserve this magnificent heritage far into the future. The philosophy of the camp is to provide comfort for our guests while the staff works hard behind the scenes to allow full flexibility with meal times and service, including packing meals to go to the bush. This way our guides are able to deliver the superior game viewing experience for which The Wild Source is known. The Njozi Camp staff creates a soulful atmosphere that makes guests feel welcome. Camp manager Peter Mushi has a wonderful laid back, but efficient style that keeps everything running smooth. We are blessed that a number of the staff grew up together in the Tanga area, where music is a way of life. They have brought this musical passion to the bush, and the camp is often entertained by the Moto Moto (Hot Hot!) Band, likely the Serengeti s most talented musical group. Our chef team of Emmanuel, Israeli and Paulo also draw rave reviews. The chefs are skilled and produce outstanding meals including catering for the full range of dietary requirements. Especially popular are our Swahili nights, when guests are treated to some fantastic local flavors.

16 16 Njozi is a small and intimate camp with just six tents, making it one of the smallest in the Serengeti. The tents are spacious and inviting with lovely carpets and stylish wrought-iron beds decked out with high quality linens and duvets. There is a bedroom/living area, a dressing area with a sink that has running water and a small wardrobe, and then separate private shower and toilet areas. The showers are the typical bucket shower set up found throughout the Serengeti area where the staff will deliver hot water that is hoisted above your tent to allow for a delivery through a normal shower head in the privacy of your own tent. A solar power inverter system provides electricity for tent lighting and the charging of batteries and electronic devices. Each tent has a small veranda with safari chairs to enjoy the outdoor environment. The central area of camp includes a mess tent with veranda area for relaxed hanging out, as well as the essential camp fire area. There is a lounge tent with wildlife books and a battery charging station. A wellstocked bar and fantastic meals are included to round out your safari experience.