Blogs from Ngorongoro Conservation Area, North, Tanzania, Africa - page 3

We have seen Timon and Pumbaa! After we left Zanzibar we flew to the town Arusha in northern Tanzania. From Arusha it is a convenient distance to several important national parks which makes the town ideal for safaris. In the months before we went to Tanzania we tried to book a safari tour on the Internet through various booking sites. But the offers we found there were all really expensive. So we decided go to Arusha and try to make a reservation on location. We knew we had to be careful when booking directly with a company. In Arusha there are hundreds of tour companies arranging safari tours and as always when there is such a fierce competition there are various scams and trickeries going on. We asked around in two different companies and eventually decided ... read more

Wir wachen in der Früh auf und es regnet in Strömen. Eigentlich wollten wir in den Empakai Krater wandern gehen. Doch die Wege und Straße sind matschig und sehr rutschig. Wir beschließen zur nächsten, uns schon bekannten Lodge zu fahren. Dort angekommen relaxen, checken das Internet und lassen es uns einfach gut gehen.... read more

Ich bin seit 4:45 wach und kann nicht mehr einschlafen. Es stürmt und regnet. In der Früh ist das Wetter nicht viel besser. Trotzdem brechen wir nach dem Frühstück zum Ngorongoro Krater auf. Dort angekommen ist es Wolkenverhangen, kalt und sehr windig. Mama ist begeistert von ihren ersten Flamingos. Ich bin so müde, dass ich im Jeep nochmal kurz einschlafe. Nach einer Zeit bin ich wieder fit und sehe Ein Rudel Löwinen, Schakale und Kronenkraniche. Des Weiteren sehen wir noch verschiedene Vögel, Wasserbüffel, ein Rudel Löwen und natürlich wieder Zebras und unterschiedliche Antilopen. Zum Mittagessen machen wir beim Hippo-pool halt. Später stehen auf einmal14 Jeeps vor uns und alle blicken in eine Richtung. In weiter Entfernung soll sich ein Nashorn aufhalten. Nur so viel: Gesehen habe ich es sicher auch, nur wahrgenommen nicht ? Danach sehen ... read more

Down into Ngorogoro Crater today. 200 square mile collapsed volcanic crater with high concentration of animals. Hippos fighting, lions mating, millions of pink flamingos. Exciting drive 1000 ft down into crater. Later visited Masai village. Circular enclosure with central corral for livestock surrounded by multiple huts- one for each wife. 17 huts and 30 children in village we saw, father 77 years old- don't know how he does it. Huts made of acacia tree limbs and dried cow dung. Barely could fit through entrance into hut. Two sleeping areas and fire in center. No electricity or water. Husband rotates between huts. Visited school where children were learning Masai, Swahili and English. Children 5 - 6 years old spend days herding goats and cattle. They walk dozens on miles each day with shoes made from motorcycle tires ... read more

Following our wonderful stay at St. Jude's we had a rigorous ten day adventure planned. Though we normally prefer to travel independently, the safari circuit in northern Tanzania is best booked through a tour operator. After much research we found we could hire a local driver/guide for not much more than the cost of a group tour. There were many companies to choose from, but in the end we found Duma Explorer - an operator who was based in Arusha (meaning our payment would go into the local economy rather than overseas), treated their employees well, gave back to the local communities, and offered good service and a good price. We were also able to customize our itinerary rather than having to choose from a pre-packaged tour so it was a great way to still travel ... read more