I’ve just returned from another research safari to Tanzania!  The purpose of my trip was two-fold.  First of all, I was in Tanzania with one of my co-workers for obvious business reasons… to visit our office in Arusha, meet with lodge managers, scout out new properties, inspect old properties, and take photos and notes to document any changes or renovations.  But I think it is equally important to mention that we were also in Tanzania to actually be “on safari”, as each experience “in the bush” strengthens our ability and resolve to help our clients experience this place firsthand.  For those of you that might be interested, I have attached a few favorite photos from this trip and included a brief account below!  A safari to this place, no matter how many times I visit, is nothing short of a magical experience.  I find that immersing oneself into the rhythms of nature in a place like the Serengeti has a purifying effect on the soul, and worries or problems that may have burdened the mind at home seem to dissolve effortlessly into the seemingly endless supply of space and time here. Once again, I am humbled by the very greatness of this wilderness.  It’s a feeling that transcends description, and once again I find myself tapping my fingers on my desk looking in vain for the right words to try.   In addition to finding peace of spirit here, there’s also the excitement of true adventure and the heart pounding anticipation of unknown events about to unfold!  What’s around the next corner?  A herd of charging elephants?  A family of tiny cheetah cubs?  A pride of hunting lions?  No need to tune in to the TV for the next National Geographic show, because a new wildlife documentary is unfolding right before your very eyes, and ANYTHING can happen!  The 2009 dry season had been a harsh one with very little rainfall, and prior to my arrival I had heard reports about how the landscape had become so very dry and tawny.  But as our plane skidded to a stop on the dirt runway of the Northern SerengetiI found a different scenario altogether.  Yes!  The rains had come!  Instead of the dusty lunar-like landscape I was expecting, I found the Serengeti washed in various shades of the color green and bursting with new life!  The air was brimming with the clean smell of damp earth.  The sun was shining but low tones of thunder still rumbled softly in distant thunderheads, heralding the official end of the dry season and the beginning of a time of plenty for the wildlife. We found our Tanzanian driver-guide waiting for us as we exited the plane sporting a huge smile and open arms, brimming with the very graciousness that is seemingly inherent to all Tanzanian people.  His vehicle was parked just a few meters away from the airstrip; suitcases in, top down, hop in!  We set off with the sun on our faces and smiles beaming, looking for our first adventure!  It didn’t take long!  Within 10 minutes of landing at the airstrip we found a pride of thirteen lions resting together in the cool morning air. Welcome to the Serengeti!  We were the only vehicle around.  The lions paused for a few moments as if posing for a family portrait, and no one in the vehicle spoke for fear of disturbing the pristine stillness of the moment; the only sound to be heard was the soft clicking of our cameras. This particular grouping was a motley crew of idle youngsters, most of them adolescents, with a few young males sporting the beginning scruffs of a mane.  We watched them gather together, rubbing shoulders in kinship, and amble off together in a loose grouping, undoubtedly looking for some form of cat-like mischief.  And the safari continued with a menagerie of highlights throughout the next several days, all special but far too numerous to mention them all here!  We had several leopard, lion and cheetah sightings on various occasions, along with countless encounters with the multitude of other wildlife that resides in countless numbers here including elephant, giraffe, zebra, hippos, gazelle, monkeys, hyena, Cape buffalo, and hundreds of birds. We saw the Great Migration on their southward journey, thousands of look-a-like wildebeest lined up in single file, marching from the woodlands to the plains in a series of long columns that stretched for miles.  Some of the migration stagnated in the greenest valleys, pooling into dense grazing herds that blackened the plains.  There are a few specific animal sightings that stand out in my mind, including a mother and father ostrich escorting their teeming family of tiny chicks along the road, a cape buffalo flushing out a leopard from his hiding place in the grass and running him up a tree, and a waterbuck chasing a cheetah (yes, in an ironic turn of events the waterbuck was indeed the one doing the chasing!)  One special evening in the Serengeti we found, not one, but TWO leopards in a tree; the setting was gorgeous as the sky was all purple twilight and a huge herd of migration were milling right below the tree where the leopards were perched.  Another special moment was during our last day in the Serengeti, when we drove out to Sametu Kopjes and found a pride of 20 lions, including the “Greek gods,” a famous coalition of 4 huge beautiful male lions in their prime, all golden and magnificent and just exuding royalty.  But my favorite moment of the safari was the evening we found a mother cheetah and her family of 4 tiny cubs; the mother had just killed a Thompson gazelle and was just starting to eat her dinner but the cubs were still too young to participate in the meal.  I felt privileged as the cheetah mother allowed us to share these intimate moments with her family, the tiny cubs crouching and pouncing in play among the frayed Serengeti grasses until their fringes gleamed gold in the dying light of sunset, and we were eventually forced to depart the scene to ensure we would make it to the lodge before dark.  Magical.  So now I’ve returned to the United States and I’m back to my beautiful job where I am privileged to help other people have this type of experience on their own safari – the only thing better than experiencing it for myself.  One thing is for sure, and it is the common denominator among all our staff and all our returning clients:  once you’ve gone to a place like Tanzania you will never be the same.  I truly feel a safari to this place is nothing short of a magical journey, and something that simply has to be experienced to be understood.  You’ll see!

I have just returned from my most recent safari in Tanzania!  Re-energized and re-inspired by the abundant life and vibrant energy of the Serengeti, my head is still spinning with the vivid sights and sounds that rendered me breathless while I was there.  The purpose of my trip was two-fold.  First of all, I was in Tanzania for several business reasons.  But I think it is equally important to mention that I was also in Tanzania to actually be “on safari” and reconnect with my passion, the same passion that initially inspired me to embrace my current vocation with Africa Dream Safaris.  Each experience “in the bush” strengthens my ability and resolve to help my clients experience firsthand the magic that resides in this place.  After having been on safari several times now, the Serengeti has now become familiar to me.  Not in a boring or predictable way – quite the opposite, really.  The air is always loaded with excitement and anticipation of unknown events about to unfold!  But when I arrive to see the open Serengeti grasslands glittering in the sunlit breeze and feel the brilliance of the African sun against my face, there is a comfort that envelopes me, and it truly feels like coming home.  My morning arrival into the Serengeti airstrip was a smooth one.  As the small plane skidded to a stop on the dirt runway I could see a large herd of startled impala leaping gracefully in the opposite direction.  It was immediately obvious the rains had finally arrived in Seronera as indicated by the brilliant green carpet laid out before me.  Thank goodness the drought that had plagued the area for several weeks had finally come to an end, and the entire eco system seemed to be breathing a sigh of relief.  A kaleidoscope of different birdsongs sparkled in the air, as if to celebrate the new abundance of color and life. The green plains were peppered with trillions of white flowers and glinted with pools of rainwater that had collected from a shower the night before.  Everything was washed clean and seemed to be glistening with dew and sun.  Although it had obviously rained the night before, at that point there wasn’t a cloud left in that cornflower-blue sky.  My driver guide was there to meet me, and after exchanging warm greetings, we were off into the wilderness for our first game drive!  Less than ten minutes after leaving the airstrip, we found a female leopard in the grass.  The first glance of her spotted coat moving towards us through the grass could have easily been shadows and sunbeams playing tricks on our eyes.  But there was no denying this leopard’s presence as she leapt into plain sight in the middle of the road in front of us!  In one graceful bound she was off again, definitely moving with purpose.  We watched her trot silently into the distance, speechless at the sudden presence of such a graceful and powerful animal that had just been a few feet away.  The spell of the moment was broken when my guide suddenly exclaimed “Oh Dawn!  There’s another one!”  It couldn’t be.  Really?  My heart was pounding as I turned to see a massive male leopard striding confidently through the grass towards our vehicle, seeming to follow the tracks of the first.  This leopard seemed much larger than the first – he had a husky, muscular build and his neck seemed twice as thick and burly.  Instead of passing in front of our vehicle, this one passed just behind us.  It was mating season, and he was obviously in hot pursuit of the female we had just seen.  We took off to intersect the path of the two leopards where they were headed to cross a bend in the road.  We watched the female jump into a tree less than 15 feet from the road, and the male followed her, trapping her in the high branches of the tree with no escape route.  Teeth flashed and claws were unsheathed as the fur began to fly!  The female vocalized her disapproval with snarls and growls that would have intimidated the mightiest of beasts, and she held the male at bay.  After the drama played out for a while, the male finally seemed to give up and simply sprawled out on a high branch for a nap.  The female slunk down to a branch below the male.  She had escaped his trap and was finally free to go!  I expected her to immediately bound away and disappear.  But interestingly enough she didn’t take the opportunity.  Instead she settled onto a branch below the male and gazed up at him as if to say “aren’t you going to chase me now?”  It turns out she was just playing hard to get all along!  It was a comedic moment in the bush I will never forget.What a grand welcome to the Serengeti!  The rest of my safari was no less awesome or dramatic!  I witnessed thick herds of wildebeest and their tiny calves stampeding over the plains, noses pointed towards the billowing thunderheads that brewed a promise of more rain in the distance.  I saw two lionesses hunting, stalking low in the grass against a stream of approaching wildebeest, and then bringing down an individual animal with a sudden and effortless display of proficiency and grace.  I watched herds of zebra frolic in joyful abandon underneath piles of purple storm clouds, galloping away in mock fright at the low rumbles of thunder and flashes of light.  I held my breath as a “gang” of lions, over 16 individuals strong, padded confidently towards us in the middle of road, passing so closely that the tips of a few tails touched the side of our vehicle.  I felt my pulse quicken as an extremely defensive Cape buffalo bull mock-charged our vehicle from the distance, tossing his horns and snorting at us in defiance.  And there were the quiet moments too, equally as stunning.  Tiny lion cubs playing in the ethereal glow of morning sunlight.  Cheetahs gracefully stretching and grooming in the cool green grass.  Hundreds of zebra mares quietly tending to their young foals in the silence early morning.  An elephant family softly munching on acacia trees in the hushed twilight of evening.  A mother lion gently lifting her small cub by the nape of the neck to carry it safely through the rain.  Since I was camping, each night I was also able to listen to the sounds of the African night unfolding in the blackness outside my tent.  On my first night in the Serengeti, as well as several subsequent nights, I was privileged to hear the deep and throaty sonata of lions roaring in the distance (sometimes not all that distant!)  Other nights I listened breathless to the unsettling cackles and screams of hyenas milling in the darkness, right outside my tent!  And on one special night in particular, my tent was surrounded by the Great Migration, and I laid awake all night listening to the grunts and brays from a million individual wildebeest and zebra.  In spite of my certain lack of sleep from all the racket that particular night, I never once felt tired the next day!  The energy of the Serengeti kept me on a constant high and seemed to compensate any such fatigue.  On my way home from Tanzania I also got to stop by DeWildt, a cheetah rehabilitation, breeding and outreach/ public education facility.  Since cheetahs are my FAVORITE animal, this was quite a treat!  I also stopped by an elephant sanctuary and then also a breeding facility for white lions.  Being up close and personal with such beautiful animals was truly an amazing experience.  Now I’m back home, and anxious to get back into my work, which I also love.  I have decided that the only thing better than going on safari myself is the satisfaction I receive from helping other people have the experience.  To hear my clients’ stories and see their pictures when they return from a safari inTanzaniais a joy I don’t quite know how to describe.  With that being said, I look forward to hearing YOUR safari story – coming soon!

I’m back! Back from my most recent research safari in Tanzania. And what a fantastic journey it has been! Of course each research safari to Tanzania has the traditional “work stuff” one might expect with work related travel, such as inspecting properties, meeting with property managers, taking notes, etc. But it is also an opportunity to reconnect with the wilderness that fuels my passion for this incredible country and my desire to share it with other people. I always come back from Tanzania brimming with new stories and images that I could never have conjured up on my own, chatting away about it all non-stop to anyone willing to listen! On that happy note, I’ve included a few brief highlights of my trip below to share with you! My first stop in Tanzania was none other than the magnificent Serengeti. I could barely contain my excitement as our plane descended through the cloud cover that separated the views of the blue sky above from the magnificent wilderness below. As we descended through the clouds the ground opened up beneath us, and I could see long columns of wildebeest threading their way through the varied patchwork of trees and plains below that make up the Northern extension. The aircraft soared low, banking right over the Mara River which contained a large group of hippos, the tops of their wet bodies glinting in the morning sunlight. After the plane landed I stepped out and inhaled the smell of earth and grass. There was a familiar comfort that enveloped me immediately, like coming home.  In spite of it being the “dry season”, the landscape was still quite green here in the North Serengeti. We started our first game drive immediately, and right from the beginning it was non-stop action! As our vehicle meandered through the woodlands, large herds of impala exploded like tawny fireworks from hidden thickets and handfuls of wildebeest galloped past us on their way to join the big group near the river. Within 10 minutes of landing we were greeted by a massive bull elephant on the far bank of the Mara river, as well as a myriad of other animals including giraffe, hippo, and crocodile.    Eventually our guide pointed out a large cloud of dust on the distant horizon… “the herd is on the move” we heard him say, and within the sentence we were down the road at top speed. An endless stream of wildebeest started crossing the Mara river and we were right in the middle of it!   The scene that played out before us was simply astonishing. Thousands upon thousands of animals plunged their bodies into the river, fighting through the river current, and each other, in a desperate attempt to reach the other side before crocodiles arrived. It was almost like each wildebeest had temporarily ceased being an individual and instead had joined forces with a single living mass of pure energy that poured itself across the river. The sound of chaotic bleating, the vibration of the thundering hooves, and the haze of choking dust overwhelmed the senses. Amazingly, a second stream of animals broke away from the masses behind us and started to pour into the river on the opposite side of our vehicle. We were truly surrounded now! It seemed like hours, but the whole event was probably over within 30 minutes. It was something I will never forget. During the crossing we saw a giant crocodile take down one of the wildebeest! This crocodile looked like an unearthly monster, he was so grotesquely huge in size. He latched onto the wildebeest with his enormous jaws, and over the course of a full hour we watched the two animals embraced in a life and death struggle. Just when we were sure the crocodile had triumphed over his prey, he settled into a complacent grip. The wildebeest gained footing on the riverbed and surged to freedom. However, the poor animal was so badly injured that I doubt he could have survived. We left the scene emotionally drained, quietly acknowledging that we must accept Mother Nature in her entirety, even though at times she seems as harsh as she is beautiful.  The rest of the trip was no less spectacular.  In addition to visiting the magnificent Serengeti we also visited the Ngorongoro Crater, LakeManyara, and Tarangire. I could go on and on about all the wildlife sightings, but I’ll condense it to a few safari highlights which include spotting a leopard less than 10 meters away from the vehicle, witnessing 2 cheetah brothers defending a kill against a second coalition of 3 cheetah brothers, watching elephants drinking and playing in the river, listening to lions roaring in the night, seeing hippos fight, watching lion cubs play, and observing a “giraffe nursery” of young giraffe being guarded by a single giraffe “babysitter”. On one occasion we watched breathless as a pride of lions stalked a herd of topi that were coming to drink at a nearby waterhole, although the topi caught wind of the lions just in time and ran away before the hunt could begin. We also had the opportunity to watch a leopard stalking an impala; although this hunt was also unsuccessful it was still a joy to watch this supple cat in action. In total we saw 111 lions, 4 leopards, 16 cheetahs, and a rhino. We also saw countless elephants, gazelle, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, hyenas, birds, jackals, crocodiles, hippos, buffalo, monkeys and other animals. Whew!

So I have returned from another trip to Africa! What a journey it was – new adventures that have created what feels like a LIFETIME of memories, even though the actual trip was just a few weeks long. Once again I am inspired and humbled by a wilderness that is bigger and grander and more magnificent than anything I’ve ever experienced anywhere else in the world, and I’m reminded how Africa truly is a place like no other – full of raw beauty and authentic wilderness. The hot colors and cool breezes stimulate the senses; the tranquil beauty is nourishment to the soul. The animals are amazing to watch as they move about in their daily rhythms, and it is an honor to share a slice of their lives, if only for a short time. There is great joy in the excitement of not knowing WHAT will happen next – each moment carries something new, brilliant, or unexpected – or all of the above! I will share just a few highlights of my safari below.

My first few days on safari were spent in Tarangire National Park. The landscape was green and the Tarangire river swelled with water. We saw many elephants here, flapping their ears underneath the massive baobab trees. I was thrilled to see many giraffe at this park –they coolly gazed at me in a nonchalant manner and blinked their long eyelashes as if to say – “Well it’s about time you came back to Africa!” We saw many impala and other herbivores as well. The key memory that I will take away from Tarangire was when we were charged by an angry matriarch elephant! My heart was racing and I held my breath as she came thrashing through the bushes with her tail high in the air, trumpeting loudly with ears forward. Of course my driver knew exactly how to handle the situation – he turned on the engine and blasted past her – she pursued us for just a few steps and then, satisfied she had won the little battle, she rejoined her herd.

Lake Manyara was quite beautiful as well. We saw many elephants browsing the lush foliage in the heavy forested area of the park. We saw hippos spouting in the lake and a menagerie of different animals (impala, giraffe, zebra, elephant) frolicking on the treeless, grassy shoreline. Some zebra stallions were feeling frisky in the cool morning and playfully jousted for my camera.However, the highlight of the entire day was spotting a beautiful male leopard in a tree less than 15 meters from the road! He seemed to be posing in the dappled sunlight for my camera as I clicked away in delight.I had never seen a leopard so closely and clearly before, and I feel lucky to see one in Lake Manyara. He was stunning.

We also visited the Ndutu area, a wooded landscape that was colored bright with yellow wildflowers that seemed to be thriving in this green season. I got chills each morning as I could always hear lions roaring in distance from my balcony. I was especially awed one morning as we witnessed a giant herd of the wildebeest migration cross Lake Masek. The event was incredible – as morning sunlight streamed through the swirling clouds of dust, hundreds of wildebeest and their calves plunged into the cold salt water to swim across and join the growing numbers of wildebeest on the other side. It was dramatic and humbling to see such huge numbers of animals pulsing through the glittering water The rest our stay was beautiful, and well marked with sightings of many animals – lions, several elephants, impala, giraffe, and monkeys. I will always remember my first cheetah sighting of the trip that occurred in Gol Kopjes – two large cheetah brothers walking towards us together in the middle of the road. Their fur was backlit by the golden light of sunrise, and they looked like a vision.

Near that area we also saw an entire family of lions lounging in the grass not far from the road– two huge male lions, one female and her two young cubs. We watched them romp and play in the cool morning sunshine. At a large granite outcrop of kopjes further up the road, we were delighted to find a mother lion and her three adorable, tiny cubs – they were absolutely exquisite. We watched them play together like ornery kittens– tumbling and biting and scrambling over each other in ornery kitten style. I was honored that the mother lion trusted us enough to let us share this special time with her and her tiny babies. I didn’t know how it could possibly get any better, but shortly thereafter we were able to see a mother cheetah and her two tiny cheetah cubs! The cheetah cubs were impossibly cute, with a crop of long unruly fur cresting the nape of their necks and set below their fuzzy little ears. We watched them play hide and seek in the grass before the mother cheetah finally decided it was time to move on. She left with her two little cubs trailing gracefully behind her. Just moments later we came upon an impossibly adorable Thompson’s gazelle baby, which had just been born within minutes of our arrival. We then went to Barafu Kopjes, and I was mesmerized by the vast open spaces, the endless sea of tawny grasses and the sense of freedom they both inspired in this place. We went back to Gol Kopjes to visit the resident lion pride several times over the next few days, and I never got tired of watching those baby cubs! Throughout our safari, and in various places, we found large migratory herds of wildebeest and zebra. It was magical to be in the middle of them, watch them interact, and listen to their noises. All the wildebeest mothers had little tan baby calves at their side, and the zebra mares had many young foals as well. One day we drove to Simba Kopjes, and saw 18 lions before breakfast! Some posing on kopjes, some were protecting a kill they had just made, others were just relaxing. We also saw a long column of wildebeest and zebra crossing the river – I can still hear their noisy braying and grunting as made their way to join the rest of the migration near Moru Kopjes. Since we saw the direction they were headed, we too went to Moru Kopjes to see the rest of the massive herds. We were rewarded with being able to view thousands and thousands of animals – all gathered together as if conducting some big pre-arranged convention. The sights and sounds of the migration were mesmerizing. We also saw a leopard lounging lazily in a tree, not far from the road. He was further away from our vehicle than the leopard in Lake Manyara was, but he was still very impressive – posing on the limb of a large acacia tree in plain sight.

One very special highlight of the trip was a beautiful leopard sighted near Lobo. I saw a spotted shadow shifting below the tall grasses. I was sure my eyes were playing tricks on me, but then I saw two yellow eyes peering from beneath the grasses at me! It was a leopard, and he was hiding – well camouflaged in the green-tinted but still tawny grasses. We would drive the land rover slowly towards him, and he would retreat several meters before settling down to watch us beneath the grasses again. We played this hide and seek game over and over again for several minutes before he finally graced us with a short appearance out of cover, just long enough for my camera to capture a few golden shots, before he melted again into the shifting grasses, flipping his white-tipped tail at us before finally disappearing out of reach and sight all-together. During the time we spent time in the Central Serengeti, and we were rewarded with sighting several lions – some were in trees and some were along the roadside or in the grass. In Sametu we found a especially beautiful pride of lions lounging on the kopjes. Each of the two large males – perched high on opposite kopjes – had a few lionesses with him. The males were actually roaring at one another and it seemed to vibrate all the way to my bones! It was a quite loud and dramatic show– I suppose they were just making it very clear to each other to stay away from their respective girlfriends! After leaving the Serengeti National Park, we still had more game drives to look forward to in the Crater. Leaving at 6am sharp, we were indeed the first vehicle in the Crater that last safari morning. Being completely alone in these early hours, we felt like the Crater was an amphitheatre and the animals were the stars of a spectacular show, staged just for us. The first big cat we saw in the Crater that morning was a cheetah! She was obviously pregnant, and although the early morning light was compromised by a filter of thick clouds, her color was quite beautiful . She rolled like a playful kitten in the wildflowers before disappearing out of sight into the long grasses further off the road. It was a moment that was very intimate and very special, as we had this beautiful sighting all to ourselves. The cheetah sighting was a good omen for more fantastic things to come, and we spent the rest of the morning reveling in the presence of many other wonderful animals, especially several lions that were very near the road. We had breakfast with the hippos, and then proceeded with our drive out of the crater. Some baboons decided to say goodbye to us before we left – my driver turned off the engine and it didn’t take long before a mob of baboons climbed onto the hood of our land rover! I turned around, and was a bit alarmed to see 7 more baboons peering at me from the top of the roof behind me! After our vehicle was officially confiscated by baboons, my driver turned the engine back on and the monkeys lost all confidence, clammering back to the safety of nearby bushes. At long last, my safari in Tanzania was officially over. We had seen the great wildebeest & zebra migration thundering through the Serengeti in full force. We had seen so many members of the cat family I lost count – several leopards, lots and LOTS of lions (including cubs!), some exceptionally beautiful cheetahs (including cubs!), and even a couple serval cats! We saw massive families of elephants, lots of giraffe, many MANY gazelle and antelope, funny little warthogs, hundreds of monkeys, and so many more wonderful, beautiful things I don’t have room to mention here. I was so sad to leave; however, I was not leaving empty handed! I had some INCREDIBLE adventures, photographs, and most significantly I had made memories I will treasure forever. Like coming to the end of a long meditation I always leave Africa understanding myself just a little better, and I know that I will certainly be returning to this magical place one day soon!