Good morning from Arusha-Tanzania. This is ADS guide Raphael Mollel with my latest bush report. On this trip I enjoyed the company of two guests from North Carolina, USA named Jeff and Chris. We enjoyed 8 nights together staying at various camps and lodges in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro including Seronera Sametu Camp, Four Seasons Lodge, Lake Masek Camp and Ngorongoro Lions Paw Camp.

We started in Central Serengeti on the 7th of March and it was amazing because big herds of the migration were scattered throughout this area. We saw millions of wildebeest and zebras together. Both the Central and South Serengeti were great this time of year for all three species of big cats. We had numerous sightings of lions, cheetahs and leopards over the course of our adventure together. Another highlight of the trip were several large herds of elephants we encountered as well as 10 species of antelope including Grant’s Gazelle, Eland, Thomson’s Gazelle, Topi, Waterbuck, Dik-Dik, Hartebeest, Klipspringer, Reedbuck and Impala.

The Ndutu area of the South Serengeti was especially good on this safari for lions and cheetahs and even a rare rock python. In the Crater we saw lions hunting zebras, black rhinos and large tusker elephants. However, the highlight was spotting the extremely rare Caracal cat. Overall, the safari was fantastic. Below are some of the picture I would like to share with you:

A beautiful sunrise with a Giraffe on horizon in the Southwest Serengeti.

Wildebeest drinking water at Seronera Valley-Central Serengeti.

Some other ADS vehicles were out on overlapping safaris and we enjoyed some exciting game drives together.

This is a young male lion near Simba Kopjes.

Black rhino with wildebeest in the Ngorongoro Crater.

The rare Caracal cat – amazing! If I didn’t manage to take this picture, nobody would have believed me!

Mr. Jeff with Camels in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Wildebeest migrations at Moru Kopjes in the Southwestern part of the Serengeti.

A mother lion with her cubs at the Sametu Marsh.

A big male lion walking toward our vehicle. You can see the beautiful Sametu Kopjes in the background.

Marabou Stork with Catfish.

Two playful lions cubs.

Regards,

Raphael Mollel
ADS Driver-Guide

This is driver-guide Raphael with ADS and I would like to wish the entire ADS family a warm greeting from Tanzania. Follows is my latest bush report for my recent safari concluding on September 1, 2013.

I had the pleasure of welcoming my two guests named Robert and Judy from Baltimore, Maryland to the Serengeti on August 25, 2013.  My guests landed into the North Serengeti via the Kogatende Airstrip (also known as the Mara River airstrip since it is located very close to the river and, in fact, a famous crossing point).

We immediately departed for our 1st game drive. We drove along the river and we saw three crossing on that first day! The second day we drove around Mawe ya Nature and we saw lionesses lying on those Kopjes (granite outcroppings). Around Lemala camp we saw a mother cheetah with her cubs and she was satiety. We saw also two crossing and one crocodile killed three wildebeests because the crossing was so massive. We enjoyed 2 nights in the Mara river area before departing for 2 more nights at Buffalo camp. On the way to Buffalo camp we came across a leopard which was not skirting at all and we had a good time there.

The Loliondo game controlled area around Buffalo camp was fabulous because we visited the Maasai village and it was gorgeous. They danced so nicely and we climbed the nearby mountain to look for a pack of critically endangered wild dogs that had been spotted in the area. Thankfully we successfully saw them.

After spending 4 nights in the North Serengeti split between Lemala Kuria/Mara camps and Buffalo camp, we departed for the Central Serengeti for 2 nights at Mbuzi Mawe. This would allow us ample time to explore the famous Seronera River Valley. In the Central Serengeti we saw a pride of lions numbering sixteen (16) individuals around Sametu Kopjes. The Ngorongoro Crater where we spent our last night was also amazing.  W saw a black rhino and several big male lions. We ended our safari in Lake Manyara National Park, which I think made a nice and peaceful conclusion to our adventure.

Please enjoy my photos below. The photos include:

011-Wildebeests crossing Mara river.
020/022-Captured picture when wildebeest jumping into the water.
026-I was holding a skull of a buffalo head.
035-Crossing of wildebeest.
057-A visible cheetah picture in a tree twig.
062-A crocodile getting a baby wildebeest.
065/067-Kogatende leopard cleaning himself.
072-Lion cubs drinking water.
076-A mother cheetah with her cub yawning.
084-Gong rock at Moru Kopjes.

Thanks,
Raphael Mollel,
ADS Guide.

Greetings from Tanzania. It is your friendly driver-guides Raphael Mollel and Francis Peter from Africa Dream Safaris reporting after the conclusion of another successful safari to the famous safari circuits of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Ecosystems. This time we guided a family of seven persons from Pelham, New York. This family included three generations with the grandparents Brian and Barbara, parents Greg and Lara and the kids named Marnie, Ian and Clare who ranged in age from 8 years to 14 years old. We utilized 2 vehicles to give our guests the most flexibility on their game drives and activities.

We started in the North Serengeti on August 2nd, 2013 when we picked up the guests at the Mara River Kogatende Airstrip. The North Serengeti is where the great migration is currently located and we saw the wildebeests and zebras crossing the Mara River. Apart from the migration we saw a lot of other animals including buffaloes, topi, elands, cheetahs, hartebeests, thomson gazelles, hyenas etc. Also, we saw three cheetah cubs of about 6 months old hunting a baby impala and they succeeded. What we believe is that probably their mother died or she came into estrus and abandoned them, though it was not a right time as cheetah cubs dont usually come into independence until they are about 18 months old.

In the Loliondo game reserve, which is adjacent to the Serengeti, we visited a Maasai village and we enjoyed very much seeing their culture. The dancing was amazing and the Maasai warriors were jumping very high and we tried it, but we didn’t succeed. Around the nearby Lobo Valley circuit we saw a leopard on the rock and he was surprisingly not skittish. Also, we saw three cheetah brothers along the road and their stomach were full (they had eaten recently).

In the central part of Serengeti, especially retima hippo pool, there were a lot of hippos (more than 200), as well dozens of lions around the Seronera valley. In the Ngorongoro crater we saw 6 big male lions and a couple of lions mating.

Lake Manyara National Park has an abundance of primates including troops of baboons, blue monkeys, black faced vervet monkeys and other animals like giraffes, elephants, impala etc. Also, the park is famous for its diversity of birds inlcuding white pelicans, Egyptian gooses, Africa jakana etc.

Tarangire National Park was fabulous because it’s a park with a higher concentration of elephants than any other park in Tanzania, especially in the dry season when a mini-migration takes place. Silale Swamp was especially good as it was full of elephants drinking and bathing.

The following are some of the photos taken during our trip with this family from August 2nd to August 12th, 2013.

Thanks,

Raphael Mollel and Francis Peter
ADS Guides.

A male lion in the crater stopping to itch the ADS lion logo on the spare tires (we see this behavior frequently as the lions appear attracted to our company logo)

This reflection of a hyena was taken in north Serengeti.

The hunting dog (wild dog) around buffalo camp, North Serengeti

This male cheetah was enjoying the late afternoon sun

A lion cub on a log in the Central Serengeti

Zebras in the crater were scratching but they looked like they were listening to something. It was very amusing!

Teenager bull elephants playing in Silale Swamp, Tarangire National Park

Jambo! My name is Raphael, a guide with ADS, and I have just finished my safari ending July 27, 2013 with 2 guests from California named Pamela and Vernon. It was a superb itinerary as we spent a total of 13 nights together out on safari including 3 nights in the North Serengeti at Lemala Camp, 2 nights in Northeastern Serengeti/Loliondo Game Reserve at Buffalo Camp, 3 nights in the Central Serengeti at the Four Seasons Bilila Lodge, 2 nights in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area at Lion’s Paw Camp, 1 night near Lake Manyara at the Manor Lodge and our final 2 nights at Swala Camp in Tarangire National Park.

The northern region of the Serengeti National Park was really amazing on this safari. We saw all the big five (rhino, elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard) in one day. It is very rare to see all these species of animals in a single day as their behavior and preferred habitats do not frequently overlap. Apart from the big five, we saw the wildebeest migration crossing the Sand River, three cheetahs together, antelopes, giraffes, eland, ostriches, hyrax etc.

While staying at Buffalo Camp in the Loliondo Game Reserve, we visited a Maasai Village and were lucky that it happened to be the day one warrior was getting married. We witnessed a Maasai wedding ceremony which was really beautiful. They sang several songs and the warriors were jumping very high as if they were competing, but it was Furaha tu.

The central part of the Serengeti was attractive because we saw a mother cheetah with two cubs hunting a baby Thomson Gazelle and she successful caught it. Amazingly, she didn’t kill the gazelle but brought it back to her cubs and then released it. We then realized that she was teaching her cubs hunting techniques. Also in the central Serengeti, we saw two male elephants fighting around Seronera Valley probably for females or rank. Retima hippo pool was amazing as well due to the many hippos we found there.

Our descent into the Ngorongoro crater early one morning at 6.00am paid off as we came across four lionesses killing a buffalo right in the middle of water (Munge river). This was another highlight of the safari.

Lake Manyara National Park was beautiful, as well. The underground water forest was very green and we spotted several species of primates including baboons and both blue and vervet monkeys.

Amonng the highlights in Tarangire National Park was spotting a leopard close by and watching a herd of elephants bathing in Silale Swamp. The Tarangire migration of wildebeest and zebra (separate to the more famous Serengeti migration) was located in the central areas of the Tarangire Ecosystem. I have included several pictures I took while on safari including:

A beautiful leopard with it’s kill (baby wildebeest) in a tree (North Serengeti).

This mark in the North Serengeti marks the border between Tanzania and Kenya.

This is a picture of a leopard yawning on top of a rock in north Serengeti.

This giraffe is licking salt in order to replace lacking minerals in his body.

A female lion urinating very close to a male trying to show him that she is in heat.

Wildebeest migration crossing sand river.

Maasai warrior at Loliondo jumping very high when one of them got married.

It was in the Central Serengeti (Seronera Valley) that these male elephants were fighting.

In the Munge river of the Ngorongoro Crater we saw these four lionesses kill a buffalo.

This male lion was marking his territory on our car (Ngorongoro Crater).

A beautiful picture of wildebeest horns.

This is the nest of a Hammerkop bird. It is a very tiny bird that builds unusually large nests with different raw materials like nails, metals, woods, nylons, plastics, etc. That’s why it is known a superstitious bird.

Thanks,
Raphael Mollel
ADS Guide

Jambo! My name is Raphael, a guide with ADS, and I have just finished my safari ending June 16, 2013 with 2 guests from California, USA. It was an amazing safari because we started in the Western Corridor of the Serengeti where the migration was located. We saw masses of wildebeests together with zebras. If that was not enough, we saw them crossing the Grumeti River and witnessed one wildebeest taken by a crocodile. In the Western Serengeti we also saw a pride of lions hunting multiple wildebeests. They were making successful hunts and then leaving them without eating. In the West Serengeti, we also saw a beautiful white and black colobus monkey and monitor lizard along the grumeti river.

In the central part of the Serengeti (SERONERA VALLEY) we saw a mother leopard with her two cubs enjoying two kills (both thomson gazelles) in a tree. The mother leopard was having a difficult time dragging the prey up the tree as the cubs kept pushing it back to the ground. They did this four times but it was enjoyable for my guests and I to watch.

Around Sametu Kopjes in then Central-Eastern part of the Serengeti we saw a pride of lions eating a buffalo and there was a mother carrying a cub in her mouth not more then ten days old I would estimate.

We drove down into the crater very early in the morning (06:00am) and suddenly we met a black rhino on the road around Lerai forest. We also a saw a Zebra giving birth in the crater. Another very interesting sight was coming across puff adders mating in the middle of the road. Attached here are a few of my pictures.

Zebra being born in the Ngorongoro Crater

Wildebeest crossing the Grumeti River, West Serengeti (note the elephant in the background)

Red dragonfly near the Grumeti River, West Serengeti

A wonderful picture of a mother leopard dragging a Thomson Gazelle up a tree.

One of the leopard cubs is about to start eating the gazelle

A one-tusker elephant in the Ngorongoro Crater

White and Black colobus monkey

Two lions resting at Sametu Kopjes

Male lion with Buffalo kill at Sametu Marsh in Central Serengeti

Greetings from Tanzania. My name is Raphael and I have just finished my safari with my guests David and Margaret from Michigan, USA. It was a very adventurous safari as we spent 10 nights in the bush with 3 nights private camping at Naabi Hill campsite among the wildebeest migration and all the big carnivores. Here are my pictures of just a few of the highlights.

My guests were very excited to see this mother cheetah jump on the bonnet of our vehicle. We ended up having a mother cheetah with her three cubs. It was amazing! This occurred in the Ndutu area of the South Serengeti.

Interesting fact: The amount of light which white strips reflect is equal to the amount which the black stripes absorb!

Here is a Black Rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater marking his territory by using urine.

These two wildebeest are fighting over their territory.

This is a striking picture of mist shrouding the beautiful Rumbe Hills in the Ngorongoro Crater.

This is Oldupai Gorge, which is a famous archaeological site.

It was around small marsh at Ndutu in the South Serengeti / Ngorongoro Conservation Area that this young male lion was walking near the lake and the reflection made for an interesting photograph.

A nocturnal porcupine near our campsite at Naabi Hill # 2 in the South Serengeti.

My name is Raphael Mollel. I am a Maasai Warrior and love my culture!

One of the highlights from my recent safari was watching this pride of lions (pictured below) with their buffalo kill. This was in the central part of the Serengeti in the Seronera River Valley. The Seronera region is a good spot to see predation year round as there are several large prides of lions that are resident (i.e. they do not follow the wildebeest migration) and subsist off the resident herbivores including buffalo, warthog and several species of antelope.

Jambo from Arusha, Tanzania. My name is Raphael Mollel and I am a driver-guide with Africa Dream Safaris. I have just returned from my most recent safari beginning on January 31, 2013 and ending on February 6, 2013. We had many extraordinary wildlife sightings on this safari. One of the highlights occurred on February 3rd near the triangle on the Southern Plains of the Serengeti where we witnessed one of the most amazing wildlife spectacles of the world, the Great Migration. There was a never ending mass of wildebeests enjoying the green grasses, which are rich in macro nutrients like Calcium that are essential for their bodies. I managed to take a picture as shown above, but one needs to see and experience the sights and sounds of the great migration themselves to fully appreciate the magnitude of the event.

Sincerely,

Raphael Mollel
ADS Driver-Guide
February 8, 2013

I just finished a safari from October 25th to November 2nd. The wildlife viewing was amazing. One of the highlights was watching two cheetah brothers hunt a Thomson’s Gazelle in the Central Serengeti.

Jambo! My name is Raphael and I am a guide with Africa Dream Safaris. This is my first posting. I just finished a safari and one of the highlights was seeing the rare serval cat in the Ngorongoro Crater on October 9th.  It was seen crossing the Sopa Ascent Road on our way back to Lion’s Paw Camp, which is situated in an incredible location along the rim of the Crater.

I also took this picture of an elephant in the North Serengeti on October 3rd. You can see some of the wildebeest migration in the background.