News from Alex in the Serengeti

Wow! Been here a month already.

Mega herds moving everywhere, north to the mara, south across the river, west back across the river!

Wildebeest more wildebeest and yet more wildebeest! Current estimates put the migratory herds at 2,500,000 head, I think they have all been past us twice! Crossings have been happening nearly every day here in this wilder part of the Mara River. We were lucky enough o be relocated to the river just west of Kogatende and in easy striking distance of the bridge to the Lamai wedge.

The geography here is consistent with parts of the masai mara but the river is just totally

different. A far greater concentration of crocodile here, hundreds of hippo and Elephant herds are all over. We regularly have four or five different families through at night, munching on the acacia woodland we have hidden ourselves away in.

The camp fire set under a canopy of stars, the skies here are clearer at night and lion and leopard saw cough and roar their way through the night. We have permission to lead walking safaris here now and the wilderness zone to our west is devoid of vehicle traffic and the perfect place for great walks with overnight stops.

The ideal use of this varied environment is to spend at least five nights if not a week here. A couple of days exploring by vehicle waiting for the perfect crossing, meandering across the plains infested with hundreds of thousands of animals. Interspersed with picnics an ideal lead into a little “bimble through the bush”!

You don’t have to hike to make the most of what is a unique experience. Very few people have ever had the chance to witness a crossing on foot or the wilderness zones of the Serengeti. Kick off by reading the “morning papers” tracks tell you wht is happening in the area and then just allow the day to come to you. Walk a little stop and listen, use that sense of smell and differentiate the sounds. You can spend hours sneaking up on a herd of zebra from less than 500 metres away, crawl up to the bank and watch a herd of elephant as they take a bath! Or if you are lucky enough sneak into watch a herd of wildebeest career across the river!

The idea is you book into camp for a week and you don’t give up your room (only 6 tents) now you have the choice to stay all week in the main camp mixing up drives and

walks

or you can cruise off and enjoy the bush and stay out in our sexy little fly camp

s sleeping on the floor and cooking over the open fire. Mix this with Zanzibar or the more remote Mafia Island and you have a perfect safari.

The Magical Migration

A million Serengeti wildebeest... each one driven by the same ancient rhythm, fulfilling its instinctive role in the inescapable cycle of life: a frenzied three-week bout of territorial conquests and mating; survival of the fittest as 40km (25 mile) long columns plunge through crocodile-infested waters on the annual exodus north; replenishing the species in a brief population explosion that produces more than 8,000 calves daily before the 1,000 km (600 mile) pilgrimage begins again.

Serengeti Tanzania's oldest and most popular national park, the Serengeti is famed for its annual migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson's gazelle join the wildebeest’s trek for fresh grazing.

Yet even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa: great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle.

Serengeti The spectacle of predator versus prey dominates Tanzania’s greatest park. Golden-maned lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowls the southeastern plains.

Almost uniquely, all three African jackal species occur here, alongside the spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators, ranging from the insectivorous aardwolf to the beautiful serval cat.

More from the Migration

More from this incredible wilderness a cross between Maswa and the mara. In 5 days of viewing we have bumped into only 4 cars and then they were all together for 10 minutes.

You need to spend a minimum of 4 nights here really 6 is better!