This is ADS guide Francis Peter with a quick bush report. My safari was with a couple from California named John and Glenda. We started the safari on October 5, 2013 when I welcomed my guests to the Mara River airstrip. The first destination on our adventure was the Northern Serengeti and the Mara River area before we drove to our accommodations at Lemala Mara River Camp.

The weather was warm and there had been some recent rain showers. The entire area was very green and the water level of the Mara River seemed to be very high as it was hard to even to cross to the other side. The wildebeest migration had already crossed the Mara River and moved through the Nyamalumbwa plains on the way towards the Lobo and Banagi areas of the North Serengeti.

After exploring the Mara River area we extended our safari to Buffalo Camp for two nights. On our way we witnessed the beautiful scenery of the Serengeti and many difference species of animals. The whole area was covered by thousands of zebras, who are usually the first to lead the wildebeest in the great migration. We also saw large family groups of elephants with babies and a huge herd of African cape buffaloes.

The Central Serengeti was sunny and warm and landscape was considerably drier then the Northern areas we had just visited. There were lots of Thomson Gazelles and other plains antelopes grazing the grasslands. Near the Kopjes we found several lions including a lioness with tiny cubs. Another highlight was a leopard that crossed the road just 2 meters from our vehicle.

After spending one night at Sametu Camp in the Central Serengeti we concluded our safari with two nights at the famous Ngorongoro Crater at Sopa Lodge. It made for a great ending to our trip.

Here are three photos from my safari:

– In the plains just to the southeast of Central Serengeti, we found this lioness with her cubs of about two weeks old.

– Male and female ostrich with chicks near the Mara River.

– A fantastic sight of a giraffe family on the Bologonja circuit in the North Serengeti.

Thanks,
Francis Peter.

This is Peter Huka, a driver guide with Africa Dream Safari. My latest safari started in the Central Serengeti at 09:30am on June 27th as I drove to pick up my new guests named David and Ronale from the Seronera Airstrip. We did a game drive along the Seronera river where we saw a pride of lions (about twenty in total including cubs). While we were watching this pride, a lioness moved and began stalking a zebra. The hunt was unsuccessful but it was exciting to watch. After that we continued with a game drive around Maasai Kopjes where we saw elephants, giraffes and hyenas before heading to our first camp on the safari called Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp. During the night lions came near the camp and I could heard them roaring not too far away.

The following day we started the game drive early in the morning from Mbuzi Mawe and were able to watch a sunrise which was nice. Afterwards, we headed towards the retima hippo pool. We had breakfast on the picnic site with hippos which is one of my favorite picnic areas. Afterwards, we went around Makoma hill, Maasai Kopjes where we saw the lions and a herd of buffalos.

On our last day before departing the Central Serengeti for the Western Serengeti we were able to see three cheetahs (a mother with two cubs). Along the way to the western corridor of the Serengeti we saw herds of migration scattered throughout. On our full day game drive in the West Serengeti in the Grumeti plains we saw a pride of fourteen lions with cubs and along the Grumeti river we also saw colobus monkey, crocodiles and hippos.

After spending two nights in the West Serengeti, we headed for the Ngorongoro Crater. We passed through Seronera Valley enroute and were able to see a leopard in a tree watching for prey. We concluded our safari with two nights in the Ngorongoro Crater area with one night at Crater Lode and one night at the Manor. It was a great way to finish the safari!

Please enjoy the following pictures.

Thank you,

Peter Huka
ADS Driver-Guide

Jambo from Tanzania. My name is Francis Peter, driver-guide with ADS, and I have yet another bush report to share with you. I just returned home from my most recent safari. This time I traveled with 2 honeymooners from New York, USA named Brian and Stacey. We had an incredible experience while on safari and saw all the main wildlife viewing highlights. It was quite an impressive itinerary with 3 nights luxury camping on the Serengeti Plains at Naabi Hill, 2 nights at Lake Masek Lodge, 2 nights at the ultra luxurious Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and 1 night at the Manor Lodge. It was a very nice safari itinerary for the end of the green season and especially good since we had some late rains this year, which kept many of the migratory animals out on the southern and eastern Serengeti plains.

One of the highlights of the safari was witnessing two male cheethas hunt and chase down a wildebeest in the Gol Kopjes area of the East Serengeti. These two cheetahs are brothers and they have formed a coalition. Many people think of cheetahs as solitary animals but related males do join together while it is the females of the species that lead solitary lives.

Nothing is wasted here on the Serengeti Plains.

Male lion at Gol Kopjes, East Serengeti.

Retired elephant bulls down in the Ngorongoro Crater.

Giraffes at Lake Ndutu.

Lions copulating in the Crater.

Elephants crossing the Crater floor with babies. This is an unusual sighting as young elephants are seldom seen for long in the Crater.

Elephants playing in the water at Lake Masek, South Serengeti.

Uncountable number of migrating wildebeest near Kusini and moving to Moru Kopjes.

A lion cub only a few weeks old greets his pride.

A lioness in the morning light stalking zebras in the Ndutu forest, South Serengeti.

This lioness has followed the migration and has succeeded in making a kill on the Matiti plains of the South Serengeti.

I hope you have enjoyed my photos.

Francis Peter
ADS Driver-Guide

Greetings from warm and sunny Arusha, Tanzania. My name is Francis Peter and I am a driver-guide with Africa Dream Safaris. Having just completed my most recent safari (March 18th to March 28th) , I can tell everyone that the wildlife viewing in the Serengeti especially for the big cats and also the great migration has been extraordinary this March. We have received a sufficient amount of rainfall lately, which has transformed the Serengeti plains into a lush green oasis. This has attracted many difference species of herbivores and likewise good concentrations of carnivores.

My guests this time were two couples from the United States named Susan and Jeff & Ruthanne and Kirk.  We enjoyed 10-nights on safari with 3 nights at Mbuzi Mawe in the Central Serengeti, 3 nights at Ndutu Lodge in the South Serengeit, 2 nights in the Crater at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge and 2 nights in Tarangire at Kikoti Tented Lodge. All the game viewing was great but nothing can compare to the Serengeti currently. Here are a few pictures I have taken.

Mating pair of lions on the shore around Lake Masek, South Serengeti.

The wildebeest Migration at Ndutu, South Serengeti.

Elephants in  Tarangire National Park. It is their breeding season.

Down by the big marsh at Ndutu we came across these two brothers.

Here is a cheetah who was chased up a dead tree by a group of wildebeests. This was in the Kusini Plain, Southwest Serengeti.

It was early morning on Kusini plains (southwest Serengeti) when this pregnant lioness hunted down the full grown wildebeest. It was amazing!

These giraffes seemed to be posing for a picture. This was on the outskirts of Moru Kopjes between Olubaye Mountains and Mbalageti river circuit in the Central Serengeti.

More giraffes near Rongai hills in the Central Serengeti.

A spotted hyena trying to drag the whole wildebeest column. This was in the Eastern Serengeti.

Buffalo in the Ngorongoro Crater.

The animals viewing in both the Eastern and Southern regions of the Serengeti National Park has recently been tremendous. The area called Barafu Valley is breathtaking and there are some good sightings to be had here. We saw some wildebeest coming down to drink from the small stream that flows through the heart of this valley as it is the only source of water for many kilometers. There is a large pride of lions in this area with many cubs of different ages near Barafu Kopjes and also good cheetah sightings. Here are some of my pictures.

This is Francis Peter from Tanzania. I have just finished another wonderful safari beginning on January 21st and ending on January 28th. We enjoyed 7 amazing nights in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.  The weather is beautiful at the moment.

I have two quick photos of the animals I would like to share. I think often about the beauty of nature and the various animals that inhabit the Serengeti and how they can take care of one another.  For example, look at this photo of two lions walking in a single file line I took at the Gol Kopjes in the Southeast Serengeti on January 24th.

At Ndutu in the South Serengeti along the border with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, we spotted two male giraffes that were sparring (a test of each others strength) on January 25th. Whoever wins gets the chance to mate with the nearby female. Unfortunately, they abruptly stopped sparring when we approached.

Click here to see my other recent blog posting.

Sincerely,

Francis Peter
ADS Driver-Guide
February 1, 2013

I am just back from the bush having completed a wonderful safari from October 8th to October 17th.  One of the highlights of the safari was seeing a mother cheetah with 3 cubs on October 9th. This was along North East of the Serengeti on the way to Kleins Gate at Buffalo Luxury Camp. The cheetahs were looking for shade beneath one of ADS vehicles soon after they consumed a Thomson Gazelle.

I also captured a couple good pictures of a large termite mound (approximately 18 feet tall) on October 16th in Tarangire National Park. It is not easy for them to get that high because of the natural forces like wind, rain, and some animals digging them for sheltering or to prey on termites…eg. Aardvark.