Northern Tanzania July/August???

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Roger Clark

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Hi,

Some guides have suggested I do a trip to northern Tanzania around the end of July to early August on the Tanzania side to watch the migration cross the Mara river. I have been to the southern Serengeti several times, including Ndutu and Serengeti Serena regions, but not further north. I see Todd Gustafson leads a photo trip to this area at that time of year. Has anyone here done this, and if so how was the experience? The photography? Besides the usual animals, I'm interesting in seeing the migration cross the river, and the scenery (I love foggy mornings on the Serengeti).

Roger
 
Hi Roger, I haven't visited this area yet but I normally stay in the Mara at Alex Walker's Serian camp, and he has set up a seasonal camp in the north of the Serengeti for the migration. From what he has told me he gets some great river crossings, no crowds but the downsides were fewer predators compared to the Mara and not many roads yet and no off roading. The area will develop no doubt, but then it will lose the isolated feel. I am off to spend a week in his Southern Serengeti seasonal camp in January, but his concession there allows walking and off roading so it will be quite interesting and very different to the north. I believe the scenery is interesting in the Northern Serengeti but can't give recommendations until I've been. You may struggle to find many people who have visited the area and of course, the danger with focussing on river crossings is that you can miss out altogether, nature being nature and designed to frustrate us! :bg3:

My plan (after discussions with Alex) is to combine a Masai Mara and Northern Serengeti trip during the migration as then you would get a combo of great predator viewing along with more chances of river crossings depending where the herds had moved to and of course, some more wild and isolated country. I think you go via Lake Victoria rather than back through Nairobi and Namanga. His company organises this sort of thing over about 10 days but it does come at a price. Love to know what you decide.
 
Have a thumbs up from my wife to put something together in Tanzania and/or Kenya. We usually take 2-3 nice trips a year....May not make it to Africa again in our lifetime due to size of our bucket list... so plan to spend lots of time there when we go....

We have done South Africa around Kruger at the Sabi Sabi Bush and the Tinga Lodge..Really loved it...have been to Zimbabwe and deep into rural Mozambique .....went with a pretty large group to South Africa/Zimbabwe (first class).....Unguided to Mozambique(primitive)....plan is to find something in between which might include a guided private safari.

Definitely want to see/have the best chance to see the migration..big crocs, lion prides, cheetahs and other predators and babies (not necessarily the order that my wife wants ;=})..also seeing the natives population is appealing ...in fact that is precisely what made Mozambique so wonderful..

Have pretty good flexibility around schedule.....want to see all that differentiates this area from what we have already seen...Interviewing a few companies that set these up...Roger has also been a big help....time to rock n roll so any suggestions are indeed welcome.....


Outfitters, can't miss items and etc....

also interested in maybe a side trip to the Gorillas in Rwanda but not sure if it is worth it with the 1 hr restriction...
 
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The triangle of open country that is north of the Mara River and extends to the escarpment in Kenya is one of my favourate areas in the Serengeti. To the East it borders the Masai Mara and to the West it narrows joining farm land that extends to Lake Victoria. I normally visit the Serengeti out of season in February when the rains have begun, everything is green and the birds are about. The only camp open at that time of year in this area is the Sayari Mara Camp, part of the Asilia group. In the busy season from July to September you have a choice of a number of other seasonal camps (Serengeti Mara, Nomad Lamai, Serian Serengeti and Olakira Mara). Most of the Serengeti's wildlife are resident here supplemented by the yearly migration if and when it rains. The area contains some very large herds of Eland which you will not see further South. I have not seen many predators here. To get to it you have to ford the Mara River which at times can prove difficult during the rains but from July to September this should not be a problem. There is an airstrip with, I believe, a scheduled weekly flight otherwise its a two day slog from Arusha. A good over night stop would be Migration Camp. You can cross over from the Masai Mara and possibly sign up at the Park Gate just south of the river if you start in Kenya but check this out before you leave as I have not done this. If you want Africa to yourself with no other vehicle in sight, particularly in the off-season, this is one of the places to go.
 

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