Julian W. Wildlife Awards 2011
Who is the most ferocious of them all?
Tanzania Travel Journal - 10th July to 21st July 2011
A wildlife safari is always regarded as a big trip for everyone, and for some, it may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Therefore, if you’re planning for a dedicated photo safari trip, and in particular for one in Tanzania, I hope my personal field journal here will help you in your planning.
Together with a small group of 2 other participants, I am fresh from a great safari from the famous wildlife country. It was nothing short of a most wonderful trip, with rare fantastic sightings and great creature comforts. In order to ensure that all in well in the field, there are quite a bit of preparation work that I have undertaken to live through it happily.
My intention is to share this information in an unbiased way, and I would like to state that it is based on my personal experience and may not be relevant to some people. I hope you can pick up some useful, practical tips that I have complied below for your reference.
Much research and information was gathered over a two-year period to ensure that we will be prepared to the fullest. One of the factors of course, is to determine the right time to go. Tanzania has two distinct periods when the tourists “migrate” as much as the animals – December to around March (Wet Season) and May – August (Dry Season). I chose to run this trip in July as the grass in the plains are short at this time of the year, the nights are cool (sometimes chilling), the animals are near the limited water sources, and of course the famous Great Migration is taking place along the Mara River.
Working with my local agency in Tanzania, we crafted a dedicated (and did I forget to mention – “punishing” and photography-overdossy) itinerary that will lead us from Tarangire National Park to Ngorongoro Crater, the world-renowned Serengeti then to a private game controlled section called Loliondo. We spent a total of 12 days on safari.
9th July 2011 (Singapore to Amsterdam)
Before we can even get to see the Great Migration, we need to cross our first major hurdle.
As there are no direct flights from my home country Singapore to Tanzania, we have to settle for the next possible option. Well, there are more than a dozen different ways and options to get there:
Option A – Singapore to Bangkok, Bangkok to Kenya, Kenya to Kilimanjaro
Option B – Singapore to Qatar, Qatar to Dar Es Salam, Dar Es Salam to Kilimanjaro
Option C – Singapore to South Africa, South Africa to Kenya, Kenya to Kilimanjaro
Option D – Singapore to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro
Option E – Many, Many others, but each with 2 international transfer stops
Ultimately, our group decided to choose Option D, which happens to be a longer and slightly more expensive way to get there. But why? I’m sure you’ll ask.
You see, all of us are heavily armed with a load of equipment which needs to be carried onboard. Any additional stops or transfer would be need lots of efforts to transport them and it is no less than a chore. Imagine lunging around about 23kgs of equipment per person, going through all the extra security checks, extra walking distances between boarding gates and at the same time, battling with transfer timings between airlines. Furthermore, we took into consideration that Singapore Airlines and KLM International are 2 of the most reliable airlines around. Can’t imagine the dire consequences if we are delayed in any way. Wow, there are simply too much to even start imagining. We chose the easy way out.
Therefore, Option D it shall be and off we go! 12 hours 30 mins to fly from Singapore to Amsterdam wait 3 hours at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, and then another 8 hours flight to get to Kilimanjaro. Crazy it may seem to spend around 23 hours to get to the destination, but at least we can get there with the minimum hassle.
Since we are on the topic of airlines, I have often been asked about the challenges that photographers faced when they need to travel with all their stash. Indeed, it remains a big issue and I do not foresee that it will be solved anytime in the near future. As a wildlife photographer, it is not uncommon that I have to carry 25kg of gear onboard, hand luggage-style. Going through customs without any problems require expert planning, and I’m glad to offer some tips as follow:
1. Check in really early or really late – Choose one of the options depending on what time you will arrive at the departure gate. If you’re there early, the security folks are often more relaxed and will allow you to get pass them more easily. Similarly, if you timed your boarding towards the last few, chances are they have already encountered many chances of oversized and overweight bags during the clearing and would be accustomed to yours. Furthermore, as the plane would be leaving soon, it gives you a little more leeway that things will be promptly and efficiently cleared to prevent delays.
2. Wear that extra vest or jacket (with lots of pockets!) – Hey, disclaimer first. I’m not trying to teach you the twisted alternative, but just sharing with you on how things can be managed. What you can do is to wear an extra vest or jacket, one with lots of pockets, and fill them up with your heavy stuffs like lenses, portable storage devices, chargers, etc. Apparently the jacket is not weigh separately, so you have some room to play there. Remember though, it is better to have those with zippers, just in case the equipment decides to take a dive!
3. Wear a pouch – Again, this gives you extra room and space. A pouch is good to hold some lenses, perhaps a camera body, your passport and money. In my case, I also installed a side pouch to hold a compact camera and my handycam, probably shedding a couple of kilos off my camera backpack.
4. Prepare large recyclable, non-woven bags in your carry-on: If you’re stopped by the authorities due to weight restrictions and they request that you check in your equipment, here’s a suggestion on how to wiggle out of the situation. It has happened to me before and therefore I thought of sharing this with you. See as follow.
If faced with this situation, I would suggest to the officer that I’ll put some of the equipment in my non-woven bags, and carry these by hand on board.
You see, these guys are concerned that a bag can drop down anytime from the overhead compartment and hit somebody during turbulence, and an overweight one can probably break somebody’s neck. Now, after removing some stuffs and the weight is within limits, the officer will most likely accede to your request.
One very important thing to note though, be super nice and polite to the officer involved and you should be able to pass through really quickly. Else, trust me, these guys really got a lot of time to play.
10th July 2011 (Amsterdam – Arusha, Tanzania)
By the time we arrive at the Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, Tanzania, it was already 1930 hrs on the 10th July 2011. I made an arrangement for a VIP meet-and-greet service, which helps to ensure that we get through the Tanzanian customs with the minimum of fuss. Although this is outrageously overpriced for a real simple arrangement, I would still go for it even if I need to do the same trip again. This is because at least I know I will be saved of any possible custom challenges, especially in developing countries. At the same time, we can also avoid the long queues with the visa clearance, and a local custom officer at hand to resolve any issues.
After clearing immigration, we proceed on to our accommodation, Mt Meru Hotel. “Jambo! Karibu Sana!” We were greeted with a warm welcome the Tanzanian way. Being a luxury safari, our group was booked at this 5-star hotel to ensure that we have a good start to the itinerary.
If you’re starting your safari in Arusha, I would greatly recommend this hotel. It comes with a top quality room, excellent service and not forgetting a great wireless connection by local standards. Reply all your last minute emails here if you need, because once you gets in the bush, this becomes a real challenge!
Room in Mount Meru Hotel
As part of formality, we were given a pre-trip briefing and it etched strongly in my mind that tap water in Tanzania is not portable. I’ve heard reports that some people has encountered travellers’ diarrhea just by brushing their teeth with the raw tap water, and they probably contracted the disease by accidently ingesting some water during brushing. Therefore, always use bottled water to do oral hygiene. It is always good to be safe than sorry.
An often-overlooked item to pack into your bags is your medicine pouch. Although it would vary from person to person, I would generally advise you to pack the following for your East African Safari.
1. Paracetamol – General painkiller for headaches and fever
2. Medication for gastritis (just in case) and stomach disorders
3. Medication for skin irritation
4. Medication for insect bites (just in case)
5. Protection from the sun
6. Moisturising products – to keep you skin and face healthy due to the dry climate
7. Any other personal medication prescribed by your doctor
Kindly note that the above is only a suggestion. Do consult your physician before the trip so that you will be advised accordingly.
Had our late dinner and we then spent the night at Mount Meru Hotel, Arusha.
11th July 2011 (Arusha – Tarangire National Park)
First day on Safari
The “punishing” itinerary starts here. We were greeted by our local guide Ellson, at 6am sharp. Took our breakfast and set on a 2 hour drive to Tarangire National Park. Considering this park with similar terrains like Kruger, I plotted this in as I know it would be a good place to start “warming up” the photography.
Tarangire National Park - Home of the Giants
Tarangire National Park is the home of the Giants – Baobabs and pachyderms. All thanks to the Tarangire River, life is teeming here in the dry season. You can expect to get good shots of baobab trees, elephants, buffalos and impalas. However, even though I noticed the abundance of herbivores in the Park, I was puzzled by the seemingly lack of predators. Checking with Ellson, he confirms that the Park is situated very close to human settlements, and predators are put down when their cattle and livestock are threatened.
It is never easy to balance wildlife preservation and human development. Tanzania is a developing country but she is totally committed to protect its nature heritage. Be prepared that this is a not a cheap travel destination, as tourism here is generally more costly in order to deter large numbers of tourists (to prevent too much disturbance). This simply means that it is more exclusive, evident by the small size and the minimum number of lodges which are dotted around the safari circuits.
Other than in private game-controlled areas, doing a safari in Tanzania requires the vehicle to stay on the well-defined tracks. That means it is more difficult for photographers unless you have a good long range lenses like the 300mm and longer. Generally, my recommendation is that the longer lens, the better. Remember that you should never ask your safari driver/guide to steer off-track just to get close for a shot. Doing so could easily cost him a hefty fine and a lengthy suspension.
If you are not visiting a private game-controlled area, all the safari activities will be conducted from the safari vehicle. There are two types of safari vehicles here – the open-top ones and the open vehicles. Basically this actually means if you will be shooting from the roof of the vehicle (open-top) or from the sides (open).
The open vehicle & the open-top ones
Our group used the open-top ones as I feel that it is generally more suitable for East African safaris. These offer more protection from the wildlife and from the merciless rays of the sun. In addition, photographers can also shoot from the sides. The open ones can only shoot from the sides and not through the roof.
Talking about shooting from the vehicle, the beanbag is a necessary tool, not an accessory. Bean bags are required to stabilise your equipment while shooting and acts like your tripod on safari. Photographers generally bring their empty bean bags along and good safari operators can generally help you to prepare the beans in advance and you can filled it before you start the tour. In this way, you need not take up precious luggage weight during your flight in.
Great start to the safari, and we headed back to our accommodation after a full day drive. Kikoti Tented Camp is our next stop, which is a small exclusive property located just outside the gates of the Park.
Good food, hot showers and a nature symphony are a guarantee on luxury safaris, but you must generally like western meals (bread, sandwiches, spaghettis, meats, etc) to enjoy it immensely. Hmm..In a nutshell, not a fussy varied eater.
12th July 2011 (Tarangire National Park)
Second day on Safari
Earlier, I mentioned about the “punishing” itinerary which is specially designed for photographers. AS you are probably aware, photography is about chasing great lighting and therefore this being a photo safari trip, we have to bid adieus to our beds in order to be out there once God turns on the lights. Our daily routine wakes us up at 5am and normally by 6am, we hit the roads.
For waking up so early, we were rewarded with a bonus of male impalas who was having their morning breakfast and exercise. We managed to spend some exclusive moments with them and good interaction shots as they tried to hone their skills against each other.
Be prepared for the same food…again and again :P
Food on safari is always about packed breakfast and lunch. I know this is nothing to shout about, and I can promise you that you’ll get tired about it from the 3rd day onwards. However, this is the best possible arrangement. This is to ensure that we are out there for the action the whole time, and not worry about heading back to camp for meals.
Some safari companies insist otherwise, but trust me when I say that it would waste tremendous time to do this. These would probably start the day with a 1.5 hours game drive, then head back for breakfast and then do another 1 hour drive before lunch. Game drives will start again at probably 3-ish to 4 and then another 2 hours before heading back for dinner. Because of this arrangement, it does not allow a vehicle to wander too far from the camp, resulting in limited sighting opportunities. It can never be an option for photographic safaris, so just imagine you’re having a 5-course meal and you’ll be absolutely happy about the offerings.
Today, we celebrated Birds Day. We saw and photographed more than 10 species today including ostrich, bee-eater, barbet, tawny and bateleur eagles, hammerkop, ground hornbills, etc. Saw our first pack of lions lying down near the river, and even with a 600mm this was still too far away. The majestic cats got the other animals totally skittish over their presence, while the supreme predators simply chose to laze their afternoon away.
Stayed our second night at Kikoti Tented Camp.
My verdict for Kikoti is that although it is a comfortable camp with great food, there are still some little inconveniences experienced. In particular, the tickling flow of the hot water showers and the limited charging time of the camera batteries can be tricky for some. Note that this camp offers a centralized charging station instead of having electrical outlets in each room. However, strips of power-points are offered, so it should not pose too big a challenge to get your cams charged.
Pics taken at Kikoti Tented Camp
When shooting in Africa (especially), I would always recommend bringing along spare batteries and memory cards. You never know when would be the day when you cannot charge your equipment, or simply there are so many things to shoot that you wish you had that extra card. A good guide is to take double the amount of what you think you would need.
13th July 2011 (Tarangire – Ngorongoro Crater)
The largest caldera in the world, a World Heritage site – The Ngorongoro Crater
Third Day on Safari
For a nice little change, we had breakfast at the camp before setting off a wee bit later for Ngorongoro Crater.
The lazy morning started with a cloudy sky and a slow drive around Tarangire before proceeding to planned exit gate. As though Nature wanted to setup a scene for us, the cloudy sky means a soft morning light which was decorated by a slush of morning mist. This sets the perfect backdrop when we came across a huge herd of buffalo, and gleefully took advantage of this to snap away furiously away.
After leaving the park, we took a scenic route around the borders of Manyara National Park before arriving at the Crater around 2:30pm. This is the world largest Caldera, crafted off an extinct volcanic eruption that happened eons ago.
Our first experience at the Crater floor introduced us to ostriches, a herd of zebras and wildebeests – all close-ups. This was topped with a rare black rhino, a lone Bull elephant and a family of hyenas. Interestingly, although this Crater floor is not very big (only 20km wide), it is probably one of the best places in the wild to see the black rhinoceros. There are only about 20 of this magnificent beast left in the Crater and amazingly, it is quite an easy feat to see them here.
The critically-endangered black rhinoceros
The Crater is absolutely a magical place for photographers. The surprising thing is that the animals here in the Crater are not a tad afraid of the safari vehicles, and because of this, we manage to get up really close beside the animals for wonderful opportunities.
The boundless opportunities saw our data bank swelling rapidly. While on safari, our group all used a Colorspace UDMA portable storage device to save our images. Not kidding, this is probably the best and fastest out there available, with good battery life (ability to transfer about 90GBs) and can transfer a 16GB card in about 7 minutes. I shall talk more about this in a later section in this journal.
This evening, we checked in at the Crater Sopa Lodge, which is the largest property with about 90 rooms. This is located on the eastern rim of the Crater and offers a panoramic view from the top. However, the overall room condition feels a tad aged, although the rooms are big. It is still comfortable though, and each comes with 2 double beds.
Room in Crater Sopa Lodge
If you’re visiting the Crater, take note that the easy photo opportunities come with a heavy tag. To visit this area, the prices for both the lodges and the permits are really on the high side. However, in order to limit the number of visitors here, I feel that this is a good move. Let’s hope most of the funds collected are channeled towards the conservation of this World Heritage site.
14th July 2011 (Ngorongoro Crater)
Fourth Day on Safari
The stage was set this morning for a pride of lions. We set off at the usual time to scout for subjects and came across them after a while. There must be around 10 of them hiding in the bush, waiting intently by the lake waiting for the zebras and wildebeests to take their drink. However, all these effort do not pay off ultimately, as the prey managed to squeeze a narrow escape.
However as luck would have it, there was another lioness just 500 metres away with the kill of a baby buffalo. She is busy feasting away and there were no other lions in sight to share her meal. The other folks did not pick up the scent of blood due to the direction of the wind and the contour of the terrain. Obviously, our cameras went firing like a machine gun as she works systematically on her unfortunate victim.
In the afternoon, we moved around the crater spotting and photographing secretary birds, lions, cheetahs, lesser flamingoes and of course the zebras and wildebeests.
Highlight of the day will go to the spotting and photographing of a serval cat hunting right beside the road. She must be really hungry to be out hunting in the hot afternoon. These are nocturnal cats and accordingly to Albert, our driver, he has not seen a serval cat around for the past 2 years! We were really lucky to get shots of her elegant and witness the process of her striking at a mouse, and finally got the mouse in her mouth.
As the sun kissed the horizon, we headed back to our lodge for dinner. This is winter time in Tanzania, and the nights can be chilly, especially in Ngorongoro. Remember your warm sweater and extra insulations like pairs of thick socks and possibly gloves.
We stayed our second night at the Crater Sopa Lodge.
15th July 2011 (Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti)
Fifth Day on Safari
With the success of the previous day, we were inspired to get out there as early as possible for more photo opportunities. By 6:15am, we were down at our “playground”, even before the first light peeps into the crater. Early bird always gets the worm, and we were greeted almost immediately with a majestic male lion walking past us!
We do not have to wait for long to come across a large herd of buffalos. I noticed that each of the buffalos have distinct faces (just like humans). They are really easy photographic subjects and they tend to spend long moments just staring in our direction. I was able to make multiple portrait pictures of them.
The many different faces of the African Buffalo
Soon after our picnic breakfast, we embarked on our way to the Serengeti. The journey there was really an experience! If you are looking for an authentic “road massage” the African way, this is the route that you must take. In Tanzania, the roads are generally gravel ones, and it is nicely packaged with a generous load of fine dust.
Talking about dust, it is never a friend of camera equipment and hence I recommend that the equipment is covered up as much as possible.
In order to break up the journey, we took a small detour to visit Olduvpai Gorge, also known as the Cradle of Mankind. This is supposedly the place where evidence of the oldest mankind was found.
In July, the Southern Serengeti is really eerily quiet at this time of the year. The massive herds had already moved on, and they generally gathered in the Northern part of the National Park. Endless views of the plains greeted us, and not too much wildlife was in sight. It took Ellson and Albert, our guide and driver respectively, to locate a pride of lions. The animals looked amazingly relaxed at our arrival, and this offers us unparalleled privilege to share some moments with them. Great shots coupled with golden lighting was served to us on a platter, but it was most unfortunate that we have to leave soon after as the Sun was setting.
We raced towards the Central Serengeti and reached our camp around 7:30pm. Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp will be our home for the next two nights. Personally, I like this camp very much as the rooms are extremely cozy, and they are intricately designed to offer maximum comfort in the bush. Being a computer freak, I was thrilled that in such a remote location, I could still enjoy wireless high-speed wireless internet access without stepping out from my tent!
16th July 2011 (Central Serengeti)
Sixth Day on Safari
Just out of curiosity, did anybody inform you that being a wildlife photographer is tough? Well, a typical day would involve about 11-13 hours of shooting. And I guess for most people it can also mean about the challenges of waking up early and battling against the various elements.
The day moved on slowly and we did not spot anything significant till the late morning. A drama was unfolding on the plains, and our driver soon got a tip that about 15 vehicles are at a nearby area. We raced towards to the site to discover leopards – and a rare sight of three..yes, THREE leopards together! A mummy cat there with its two young adult cubs was playing around the sausage tree.
A rare sight!
That’s right, if you ask around you will realise that it is extremely rare to spot 3 leopards together. Of course this would provide wonderful photo opportunities, but regrettably, the 3 cats are never together at the same time and I missed out on this scene. After a while, they came down from the tree and moved into the bush, gradually moving out of our sight.
After our usual lunch (with the expected food, haha), we roam around and saw a crowd of vehicles building up in the distance. Sensing that there must be some action, Albert stepped on the accelerator to lead us there. Apparently, a cheetah has just killed a Thomson’s gazelle some moments ago and was hastily feasting away. Blessed with their excellent eyesight, the vultures quickly spotted this and gathered at the site. As the numbers of the birds build up, the cheetah got uncomfortable with all the oogling and promptly moved off, paving the way for the vultures.
At this site alone, I managed to photograph the various species of vultures, namely the lappet-faced, the Griffon, the white-backed and the small of them all, the rare white-headed vulture. This highlight capped off what happened to be a wonderful day, with sightings of black-backed jackals, rock hyraxes, brown snake eagles, baboons, velvet monkeys, lions, hippos and all other common species.
Again, we camp together at my favourite accommodation, Mbuzi Mawe.
Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp
17th July 2011 (Northern Serengeti)
Seventh Day on Safari
Just like the nomadic lifestyle of the Maasais, today we move on again in search of new areas and new photo opportunities.
This morning we proceed north, where we understand that The Great River Crossing is currently taking place. This is truly the Greatest Wildlife Show on the planet, and the very reason why all wildlife aficionados should experience it for themselves. My adrenaline pumped up at the prospect of seeing this drama with my very eyes.
It was not too long before we saw a pair of mating lions, and there appears to be a relatively new kill of a wildebeest just nearby. The perpetrators have moved on and as expected, the vultures were happily treating themselves to the all the scraps and shreds that they can pull off.
Further down the road, we saw another pair of lions mating in the open plains under a tree. This time round, we took many shots as the lions are at IT after an interval of every 10 mins!
We spend the rest of the afternoon with the pair before we proceed on to our private camp, located at one of the camp sites in the Park itself.
Action. Action. More Action!
This is a special bush camp set up just for the three of us, and we are thoroughly pampered by the 6 staff in attendance. In fact, we had our best meals of the trip in this camp, and I would strongly recommend folks to try it out if you are heading this way. It’s a unique, real bush experience that you will probably experience only in this part of the world.
18th July 2011 (Northern Serengeti)
Eighth Day on Safari
Today we are all set to comb along the Mara River to look for traces of the Great Crossing. It seems that the zebra herds have already crossed over to the Masaai Mara National Park, but the wildebeests are still around, waiting for the right opportunity to cross.
I call this “Zebra Crossing!”
There must at least 100,000 of the animals all around the plains here, and they all looked desperate enough to want to attempt the cross any moment. However, wildlife being wildlife, things doesn’t happen the way you like it especially in safari. We did not manage to see the Great Crossing today although the wildebeests did try a couple of times, always discouraged at the last moment either by Mr. Crocodile on the bank or the occasional jeep that zooms past.
Since we didn’t manage to see the Crossing today, we refocused our attention to shoot stuffs that we can find. I managed to get numerous panning shots of the wildebeests running, and also some of the other wildlife that provides a supporting cast to this greatest wildlife show on the planet.
Everyone, photographers included, must realise that there is no guarantee to wildlife viewing, the animals are wild and therefore they are free to roam wherever they want. Of course, it is especially hard when you hear people said they have seen this and seen that, and you haven’t encountered the same. Well, Lady Luck plays a big part in this and you have to pray that she’s smiling at you.
To make up the difference, we did have a most hearty meal at the end of the day. The super-duper nice people on the mobile safari prepared a most memorable meal, completed with a dance and the famous song of “Jambo Buana!”. This was topped up with a bottle of nice champagne and a specially-baked chocolate cake to sign off the final night at this mobile camp.
Tomorrow, the staff would have to take on the arduous task of breaking camp, packing and removing everything right after our departure.
A Really unique experience in the bush!
19th July 2011 (North Serengeti to Loliondo)
Ninth Day on Safari
Had an eventful today, and basically we did not manage to do any shooting. The safari vehicle was damaged from fuel contamination (due to inferior fuel purchased), and it was losing power gradually. Due to this, we could not continue our safari drive and had to crawl on to our new lodging while waiting for the reinforcement vehicle to arrive from Arusha.
By the time the backup vehicle arrived, it was already about 2pm in the afternoon. We transferred to this vehicle and proceed straight on to our new lodging, the Buffalo Luxury Camp in Loliondo.
Great lodging..Great luxury. Buffalo Luxury Camp in Loliondo.
Buffalo Luxury Camp is located in Maasai Land, where this posh tented camp employs mainly the Maasai folks. As society progresses, many tribes like the Maasai and Hazabes lag behind due to their primitive way of life, and find much difficulty in catching up with the times.
Therefore in my humble opinion, I feel this is a good initiative to get the Maasai people involved, by offering them a chance to understand the new society. With a lodge like Buffalo Camp, they are offered jobs, and this provides them a chance to communicate with people all around.
The Maasai folks working at Buffalo Luxury Camp.
20th July 2011 (Loliondo)
Tenth Day on Safari
Not daunted by the slight hiccup the previous day, I decided to make the most of today since it is our last full day on safari. I hope to embark on an extremely important mission – we are going to try and get pics of the Great Crossing for that very last time.
After discussing with the group, we agreed to head back to the Mara River in order to catch up with the loss of opportunity for what happened the previous day. So, harbouring that “never say die” attitude, we head towards the Mara River, which is now about 90km away from where we are.
I am so, so glad that I made the decision to proceed. While on the way there, we encountered 3 cheetahs, I nicknamed them “The Blood Brothers”. All three of them are cool and do not even budge when we get really close to them beside the road. They simply do their cheetah stuffs and totally ignore our presence. Needless to say, we can refuse the invitation to be so close with them and the cameras clicked for countless times.
What a privilege to be with them exclusively! We were the only vehicle around!
It must be 15 minutes later when Big Brother got up and started to move away, followed by his two other siblings. We also decided that it will be better to leave them at that, and proceeded on to catch our version of the Great Crossing.
God must have heard our prayers and he conjured a little appetiser of about 150 wildebeests to cross the river for us. We took circle seat of the action and it was over in less than 2 minutes. There are no crocs and no drowning, nothing very dramatic but we are already so elated to witness it. Perhaps it is planned this way, so that we will decide to come back soon enough to try again. J
The famous Mara river crossing
After our picnic lunch, we try to push our luck a little by heading back to the River, but just as expected, we did not witness any more crossing. Happy with what we already have, we linger that a bit before heading back to our camp at Buffalo. Just 5 kilometres from our home, we came across the “Plains” pride, a huge clan of about 30 lions blocking our only passage. It seems that they’re there to bid us farewell, knowing that we will be leaving the country soon. It took us (and them) about an additional hour before they (very reluctantly) allowed us to go gome.
Stayed our second night at Buffalo Luxury Camp.
21st July 2011 (Loliondo to Arusha to Amsterdam)
Eleventh Day on Safari
Somehow, a visit to Tanzania cannot be considered complete without a visit to one of the 120 tribes here. With the early morning at our disposal before our flight to Arusha, we give our cameras a last workout at a Maasai Village.
The Maasai way of life
It gives us an intimate glimpse into the lives of the Maasai, which will not be even remotely possible if not for the arrangement of our friends at Buffalo Camp.
Soon, it was time to leave our footprints behind and we arrived at the airstrip. Our scheduled plane is a small 14-seater and I’m sure you can imagine how much concern the pilot is showing for overweight baggage. It’s quite scary to see him going around and using a weighting hook to check the weights of all the bags…yes you guessed it right, and that includes our carry-on hand luggages which contained our cameras. He’s sure got us hooked on tenterhooks!
The small 14-seater plane
On a small plane like this, it can almost be considered an art to try to bring all our gears aboard. Like what I mentioned before, you can pack some of the heavier lenses or accessories into your pouch or jacket, or carry it with you. This apparently cut down the weight of your luggages and is often allowed. In all circumstances, be polite to the pilot and I’m sure he will be happy to assist you in loading. Note that he can refuse to carry the load and of course, refuse any uncooperative passengers on his plane.
Back in Arusha, we had our lunch at the Cultural Heritage Centre, before heading back to Mt Meru Hotel for our dayroom and dinner. We were well-received by our local agency and they pull all plugs to ensure that we are comfortable by arranging the dayroom, and the meals and transfer.
By 7pm we are at Kilimanjaro International Airport, checking in to get ready for our flight to Amsterdam, with a brief stop-over at Dar Es Salam. This would take us already 11 hours. Therefore, my recommendation is to break up your return journey, as jetlag on the return trip is reportedly more pronounced.
In our case, we break for a night at the Dutch capital, where I chose Dorint Hotel Amsterdam Airport for our transit. Again I would strongly recommend this hotel – the staff is friendly, arranged for early check-in for us and it is equipped with free super high speed internet access too!
Now a very important issue to raise. We realised that all three of our check-in luggage was tempered with and both of the Samsonite ones have been ransacked. They couldn’t get at mine as I’m using a zip-based one with an additional lock. It seems that the culprits ran through the entire operation hastily, and they are specifically looking at Samsonite ones. Perhaps it is easier to break in? Nevertheless, it must have greatly disappointed the perpetrators that only soiled clothes are found, and there’s nothing significant to reward them of their efforts.
However, this sets off a big alarm and I would like to forewarn all travellers who are passing by this route. Try not to check in your camera equipment, cash and other valuables by placing them in your luggage. It could turn out to be a disaster. Rather than not, have your valuables with you the entire journey, so as to prevent heartbreak later. Business class? I’ll tell you it will not work, cos we checked in via Business Class and encountered this. You never know, they might just be targeting all the business class baggages as they may seem to contain more valuables!
Anyway, thanks God that nothing was missing and this incident does not stain our overall trip in any way.
IMPORTANT NOTES, CONSIDERATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
In addition to the above journal, I would like to include the following notes, suggestions and tips for you in the hope that it will help you plan your trip better. If you happen to have a burning question, I will try my best to assist. Kindly email me at trips@julianw.com.
GUIDE and/or DRIVER
I hope you’ll pardon if I sounded too naggy, but I need to stress again and again on how important a good driver/guide is. Singlehandedly, he alone can dictates what you will ultimately see on safari. Well, I must admit that…
Luck still plays a role in wildlife sightings, but a great guide/driver can greatly boost your chance of snapping shots that you will be proud of. A very experienced guide will ensure your safety when on safari, attend to your every need, and he would be able to anticipate what the animal would possibly do. This will enable you to get ready for any impending action which may help you to create that timeless picture.
On the other hand, an excellent driver would know how to position the vehicle perfectly for your photography, and understand that he needs to switch off the engine every time you need to position your camera. Due to the winding roads and the uneven terrains, driving on safari would need a lot of concentration, sense of direction and precision control.
Gratefully, I must point out that our local agency had us in good hands. We had the privilege of having both a driver and a guide. This gives us an extra pair of eyes for wildlife spotting. The very experienced tag team of Ellson and Albert (with 30 years of experience between them) proved immaculate, and I am absolutely sure that will not have seen and photographed as much as we had without the two gentlemen!
If you are doing a dedicated photo safari, insist and work with your local ground agency to provide you with the best they could. After all, I believe they have every reason to accede as they hope you’ll revisit the country again and recommend to your friends. Tanzanians are a nice bunch of amicable people, and because business competition is very stiff here, the ground agency will assist with every reasonable request.
GEARS & OUTFIT
If you are considering visiting the safari locations in Tanzania, I have personally tested the following gears and outfit and hope it may provide useful information for your consideration.
1. 3 camera bodies would be optimum – This would be one of the soundest advices that I can provide for you. Safari in Tanzania is dusty, and we all know that dust can never make friends with the delicate camera equipment. Having 3 camera bodies help in minimising the changing of lens, and also helps to ensure that you are always ready for action with fumbling with lenses when any action takes place. On this safari, I used a Nikon D3s, D300 and D90 on this trip. The 600mm is paired with the D3s as the main gear, while the D300 is fixed with a 70-200mm F2.8VRII and a TC-14EII tele-converter. As for the D90, I installed it with my trusty 24-70mm, just in case I need to take a wider shot to showcase the environment with the subject(s).
2. Lenses – A 500mm or longer lens would be ideal for a serious photo-safari trip in Tanzania. Generally, the longer the better. In most areas of the National Parks, the jeeps have to stay on the main roads and therefore the longer lenses would have the distinct advantage. However, Tanzania is a unique wildlife heaven and I realised that many of the shots are made with the 70-200mm f2.8VRII, as the animals tend to come very near to the roads.
3. Tele-converter - A 1.4x tele-converter would be really useful to extend the range of your lens. I attached this at all times to the 70-200mm f.2.8VRII, giving me an effective range of 98-280mm. Personally, I do not recommend a 2x tele-converter as the quality of the images will be severely compromised.
Bean Bag – The bean bag replaces the tripod on a dedicated safari like this one, and it is important that you carry a good one with you. I used the Apex Bean Bag (www.essentialphotogear.com) as the main support for my cameras on the safari vehicle. You can bring along an empty bag but remember to make prior arrangements with the local contact to prepare the beans for you to fill when you are starting your safari.
The ultimate bug shirt – This shirt was ordered through the Net (www.bugshirt.com) and proved indispensable against the dreaded tsetse flies. The cool thing is that it is not warm to wear this at all, and all you need is to slip this over a tee. It helps to kill two birds with one stone - providing protection over the files and the sun.
Safari pants from Stealth Gear - Although it is heavy (around 1kg) in weight, this pants is also heavy in features! Built especially for photographers, it is cleverly designed with the following in mind – comfort, transport of equipment and protection. I find this has absolute protection against the tsetse flies and would strongly recommend if for safari usage. Only thing is that it may get a little warm inside, but guess it is a little price to pay in exchange for no bites.
The pants is available from online store www.stealth-gear.com (http://www.stealth-gear.com/products/photography-clothing/extreme-range/rural/trousers-2n.html).
Boots from Gore-Tex – My trusty Gore-Tex boots are waterproof at the way up above my angles and has served me well in numerous outdoor activities. Try to keep your shoes on as much as possible as your stealthy friend (the tsetse fly) like to sneak around smelly socks for a good site to get a meal.
That’s my full outfit on safari!
Skeetbeater (Insect Repellent) - this is an insect repellent that is supposedly useful against the dreaded and most irritating tsetse flies. I initially heard about this product from my ground agency in Tanzania, and decided to get a bottle upon their recommendation.
After testing this product extensively in the field, I can conclude that it does not work against the flies – at least for me. I’m not saying that this insect repellent does not work, and it probably will against mossies and other bugs. However, since I am testing this based on its effectiveness against tsetse, it certainly didn’t prove its worth.
Even after a fresh coat of the special concoction oil, I had a couple of them landing on me and 2 of them even managed to poke by landing directly on the application area. Perhaps my sweet blood is with daily doses of Coke are too great a temptation for them, or they rarely had exotic Asian palate which might be attractive as a delicacy to them.
Interestingly, one of my participants applied the “Banana Boat – Sport 50 spf” and he was not stung at the areas of the application. Well, I thought this might prove a useful clue for those planning their way to a Tanzanian Safari. If this really works, it might be the best solution ever, as you get protection not only from the little monsters, but also from the merciless sun.
In a nutshell, I still think the combination of the fox gloves, the ultimate bug shirt, the safari pants and a pair of covered shoes would be the most effective protection again them. If you hate the tsetse, consider my recommendations.
Colorspace UDMA (Portable Storage Device) – After using a couple of similar devices that can be used to store images while on a trip, I’m absolutely happy with the Colorspace UDMA portable device. This little guy comes packed with great features, which includes an image browser, disk utilities and direct connection via USB to a PC or Mac. The hard disk size can be customised accordingly to your budget, but I would recommend 750GB or 1TB available space as a guide.
Being the “kiasu” (a local word - to be doubly sure) animal which it comes to the backing up of images, I got 2 sets of this device just to make sure that my images arrived home safely. It’s an extra measure, but I strongly ad vise that it is necessary as I’ve encountered nasty experiences before. Imagine what a disaster and a total waste of effort it would be, if the single backup device is misplaced or damaged during the trip. Alternatively, you can bring along a small laptop, just to transfer the images over during the evening hours.
Whatever you do, I strongly recommend that you take a serious consideration in this area.
Artic Butterfly (Sensor Cleaner) - No, I’m sure you don’t need a butterfly from the Arctic for your safari. And anyway, there are no butterflies from that region too. This “Artic Butterfly” is actually a handy tool to bring along for any extended field trips, as its main duty is to help you maintain a clean sensor throughout your trip.
Dust particles, the bane of any digital DSLR cameras, can easily sneak its way into the sensitive area of your camera, especially if you tend to change lenses frequently.
To use this tool effectively, and to prevent any damages to your camera sensors, I would recommend only if the following conditions are met:
1. In a place where there are no moving wind or air, so that dust particles do not get into the sensor when you are cleaning it.
2. Under good lighting conditions, where you will have great visibility of the sensor for inspection of dust particles.
3. Ample time – Unless it is absolutely critical, try not to do the cleaning job in the field, as you would need quite a bit of time to ensure that it is done intricately.
In addition, a buddy tool that works hand in hand with the butterfly is the blub blower, which should be used first for any dust cleaning operations before attempting to use the Artic Butterfly.
Sunscreen protection – The sun in Tanzania can be merciless, and you can often feel the heating sensation on your skin. Of course it is bad for you, and therefore a sunscreen protection would be something you need to remember to pack. Perhaps you should go for the Banana Boat 50 SPF? Hmm…possible protection again the tsetse and the sun sound good right?
Lip Balm – The climate in Tanzania can be pretty dry. This is good for the camera but unfortunately, it can be bad for your lips. Cracked lips can easily take place, so remember to bring along your lip balm.
Face Spray – A face spray like those from Evian will be a refreshing welcome on safari, and using it regularly will make your face supple enough and kept it moist from the dry climate.
Hand Sanitiser – If you’re set about doing photo safaris, it is most likely that you have to spend most of your meals out there in the bush. This is when the hand sanitiser will come in most handy, and it is definitely a great idea to keep your hands clean before meals.
Whew! Didn’t realise that it was 23 pages already! I hope this journal gives you a very good feel of the proceedings, and I sincerely hope that all the embedded tips and suggestions will help you to plan that trip of your life!
Signing off,
Julian W.
Singapore
