What is it with wildebeest? They must be one of the most ugly antelope out there, but they are such characters. They have such joie de vivre, such spirit! Yes, they are not very intelligent, but they don't seem to mind. In fact, I am convinced that they see themselves ...
We had just had a wonderful day in Ngorongoro Crater, having seen mating lions, hyenas, golden and black-backed jackals, fantastic birdlife, and stunning numbers of plains game (especially Thomson's gazelle, wildebeest and zebra). I was with an active cheerful group of three families from San Francisco, who had arrived in ...
I have not written anything recently because I have been on safari since the beginning of July. During this time I visited various parts of East Africa and have had all kinds of different experiences, including a Kilimanjaro climb immediately followed by a Mount Meru climb. Soon after these climbs ...
Ten days ago, over a weekend, we drove a couple of hours south of Arusha to an area where much of the migratory game we encounter in Tarangire national park in the dry season spend the wetter green season. We drove through vast areas of bush and grassland, passing the ...
It is astonishing what you can see in the equivalent of a weekend! I was on safari for three nights - really two full days, as the days either end were "travelling" days. We stayed in two camps both on the northern edge of the Serengeti Plains - Suyan camp ...
In Arusha national park Dave and our guests canoed around Momella lake during the afternoon, sneaking up to buffaloes, and watching crowned cranes in their courtship rituals. On our way back to camp at dusk we encountered three young hyenas lying in the road. They looked very endearing as they ...
The Western Breach Route on Mount Kilimanjaro was closed by Kilimanjaro National Park authorities following a rock fall which killed three climbers and injured others on 4th January 2006. Since then the park authorities have conducted several reconnaissance trips to the Western Breach to determine if and how the route ...
In 1989 and 1990 African wild dogs were seen quite frequently in the Serengeti Plains during the rains and short dry season (December - April). Then sometime in 1990 they disappeared. I think the last time I saw three individuals was in 1991 near the Ndutu woodland. This was very ...
Sometimes sightings are too numerous and too astounding to allow me to begin the recount them in a blog. It would result in a long list which certainly to me would sound nearly impossible to view in a two week period (my last safari). I have decided to mention the ...
What a beautiful huge tusker! Sadly an animal like this is a rare thing to encounter these days. We saw this fellow in February 2007. Justin.
My ten year old son Laurence has recently become interested in mountains and climbing them. He had no experience climbing, or even hiking very far, so I was initially a bit skeptical. However his frequent requests to climb a mountain led me to suggest Mount Meru after the New Year. ...
This December's (2006) safari reminded me of what the "Short rains" used to be like in the 90s. While marvelling at the lush green landscapes and the frollicking antelope, my mind would switch to logistical preoccupations: "Can we cross the river?", "Will we get to camp?", "Which track should I ...
