Ruaha

In my first couple of weeks back in Arusha, I was invited on a special safari down to Southern Tanzania. Our destination was driving to Ruaha National Park. For connoissuers, this park is one of the best in the world. Ruaha is the second largest conservation area in Tanzania and areas are still being discovered. This lack of game driving and supervision has led to an increase in poaching. Issues that the local park authorities and lodge owners are working out. Ruaha is in the south-west region of the country and sprawled along the Great Rift Valley, where the southern and eastern fauna meet. The scenery changes dramatically. Most of the wildlife drinks from the Great Ruaha River, which during the rains sends plenty of water throughout the park. As the season gets drier, watering holes with pools are scattered throughout the park, where game surrounds to drink and the river bed is dried up.
Ruaha contains some of the largest pride of lion, numbering in 20 plus each. In addition, there are packs of African wild dogs, which often times are extremely rare to spot, but nonetheless they survive in Ruaha- perhaps one of the only places to see them in Tanzania besides the Selous Game Reserve. You can find the Big Five in Ruaha and there is limited amounts of vehicles in the park. It is quite a long journey to get to the gates of Ruaha, so most guests fly in. The Southern circuit is often times a charter flight, park to park experience.

We headed off at 6am for Dar es Salaam from Arusha. Most of the drive was smooth sailing, one Landcruiser following one Landrover, each matching in army green - a true safari caravan. In Chalinze, about an hour away from Dar es Salaam, the Landrover broke down. The radiator hose and cylinder gasket had burst. We bought a tow-pole and the Landcruiser pulled the Landrover into peak time traffic in Dar es Salaam. After a quick inspection, the fundis decided we were going to have to leave the car in Dar. We went to the Kempinski Hotel to meet Kyle's father and proceeded to get some sushi and white wine.
An early wake up call and we were off out of Dar, the fundis would take care of the car for a couple of days. We drove out in peak morning traffic and eventually made our way out of town, into Mikumi National Park. The main road goes through the game park that borders the Selous Game Reserve. We did not see any game and continued to make our long journey, through Morogoro and finally 6 hours later, Iringa. It was now that we began to see turn signs for Ruaha National Park. From these signs we still had another 2.5 hours to the park gate. We traveled along the never ending road as it is called and forged ahead until we made it to the gate.
Our first evening game drive we followed the roads along the Great Ruaha River, the river circuits. Often times you may find herds of game drinking by the river. However, as the day approaches dusk, many herds scatter as they know that many predators come to the river to find food. Even large mammals cannot fend off the huge 20 plus prides of lion. We would stay at Mwagusi Safari Camp in luxury tented ensuite accommodations. The owner Chris Fox was a friend of the group and is a great host. Mwagusi Safari Camp is an extremely intimate camp along a dried up riverbed. All the rooms are equipped with ensuite shower and toilets and are surrounded by canvas. The outside verandas are sand pits with comfortable couches. During the morning or afternoon hours game can be seen coming into the riverbed.
Mornings, are tea or coffee by the fire as the staff prepares breakfast. Everyone eats together, family style, a great way to get to interact with other guests. After a leisurely breakfast, open Landcruisers are waiting for you, ready for the morning game drive. The guides are great and amazingly friendly. Our first day we encountered a couple of prides of lion laying lazily along the riverbed. We had passed a giraffe carcass and assumed that they had had a meal during the night. These lions would be moving anytime soon.


The landscape of Ruaha is breathtaking, rolling hills, the Great river, mini forests, dry savannahs, acacias and baobab trees. Most driving circuits are quite intimate, rummaging through plants and tight corners. After a couple of hours driving, we would return back to Mwagusi for lunch. We were greeted with juice and then served an exquisite assortment of food buffet style. After lunch its hard to not take a siesta, read a book for a while, and then wake up for tea time. At around 4pm, tea or coffee is served with a bit of something sweet and then another game drive is arranged. In the evening, we encountered a leopard cub, shy and quick, as it jumped up onto a rock. We would drive off track to follow it for a while, however, they are extremely clever and made its way into thick bush. Nonetheless, a lucky sighting for us. In the evening the sunsets are gorgeous, deep tones of bright colors behind the outlines of dark limbs of baobabs.
Dinner, we walk down to the dried up river bed beside a camp fire. We are asked if we want any drinks and then sit in a semi-circle asking other guests how their day was. The group eats in the bush on a long table together. We are served soup first with rolls. An assortment of food is spread nicely on some rocks and taken buffet style. Laterns dimly lit on cliffs and rocks adds a nice intimate touch. Most people have a couple of drinks, but the nights end early, as the next day is another early wake up call and more game driving. There is no internet and only stars in the sky and sounds from the bush. An ultimate sanctity away from any hussle and bussle of the city.
Our days would mesh into a week of tea, coffee, eating, game driving, siestas, and more eating and more game driving- leisure...
We encountered elephants, massive herds of buffalo, impala, kudu, waterbuck, giraffe, zebra, hippos, and a variety of birds. I finally got a great shot of a giraffe drinking water. They do a fascinating 'spreading the legs' maneuver to get close enough to drink water. In the afternoon, we encountered two juvenile cheetahs. They looked hungry, but they were not hunting, they would walk some distance and then lie in the shade together.
Animals feel comfortable to come into the camp. So comfortable that often times elephants are found behind a bush near the main dining area. Staff escorts everybody, just in case such an encounter occurs. Elephants do not mean harm, however, they hate to be startled especially if they are with their young. We spent our days in the midst of Ruaha, relaxed. We needed to get our car back, so we got a lift to Iringa and then took a bus to Dar es Salaam. In Dar we found our fundis and the fixed car. After another night in Dar, we were off for Arusha once again, the journey back.
Ruaha is a wonderful place, full of mystery, familiar faces of Tanzanian history, and timeless. I am ever more curious now about the Selous Game Reserve, the Southern circuit differing from the Northern circuit. Hopefully, more trips to come, always new places to discover.
What seems like an endless Tanzania and East Africa...

Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater

Seth and Carmen came into town and we all decided to go on safari. If I were to pick a quick 2-day northern circuit safari, my choice would be Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. If you have more time, then definitely get into the Serengeti. This trip was extremely photographic and exciting because we got to see a pride of tree-climbing lions.
The previous day we had given our driver 'Stavros' some money to fill the TANAPA card with park fees. In case you have no idea what that is: TANAPA is the Tanzania National Parks. Every park has an office where guests check in and pay fees. Fees include residents or foreigners, cars, drivers, staff, and/or campsite. In effect, tourism helps fund conserving the parks, however, tourism can also have a lot of impact. Hence, the goal of ecotourism in making minimal impact to the environment.
We ran around town to get supplies for picnic lunches in both Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. A local wholesaler provided chocolate, bread, cheese, packets of cold meat, and peanuts. The local market had plenty of produce, tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, bananas, and oranges. And then our last stop was getting beers for our cooler.... The essential survival necessities for bush picnics on a budget.



We set out in the morning for Lake Manyara, with chocolate croissants from the Patisserie and capuccinos from the Msumbe coffee shop in the Arusha Hotel in hand. After about an hour and a half we got to the gates of Lake Manyara. This was Seth and Carmen's first time in Tanzania, and we only had time to do 2 days before their hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro. The weather cleared and the lighting was great. The forest at the beginning of the park is always spectacular with underground springs and tons of hornbills and baboons. The baboons were in heat, the females having over-sized bottoms, bright red and purple... real sexy! The baboons gathered by the river shorelines, picking off lice from each other and being communal.
Soon we were coming out of the canopies of the forest into more open areas. Around some corners we saw giraffe walking with their unique stride and the lake in the back ground. At this time of the day, the light and the reflection of the water looked surreal. The mountains in the distance added to the tranquility of the scene. This was a moment where I remembered why I loved this park so much. The lake also had plenty of flamingoes, which created a nice contrasting pink tone. We moved on to the hippo pools where we found two males marking territory and opening their mouths towards each other to show dominance. In the foreground were some elephants bathing in the mud. It is at these pools that one gets a magnificent view of the cliffs that mark the meeting of the Great Rift Valley and Lake Manyara.
As we progressed into the park, the lake continued to hold a glassy look, a film of reflection. The scene was out of a movie with rock formations and colorful flamingoes about, alongside buffalo and zebra. We couldn't stop taking pictures, even if there were no animals, the park itself is beautiful. I often times find myself just taking endless photos of the landscape. After a bit more driving we headed to the picnic site near the lake. Our amenities came in handy at this point. Sandwiches and beers near the shore with some good friends.
After lunch we continued deeper into the park heading to the hot springs. It was during this stretch that we saw a pride of lions in a tree. The tree was full of rough foliage and looked nothing like what one would imagine a family of lions climbing in? Nonetheless, there they were, the tree-climbing Manyara lions. One cub stood extremely close to the edge of a tree and pondered the thought of jumping. I had my camera ready to get him in mid air, but he never went. Soon he became docile and sat idle looking out into the distance while his family struggled behind him to get out of the tree that was full of thorns. It was quite a sight to see these lions in the tree.
Soon we headed for the end of the park to the hot springs. At the end of the park are some sulfur hot springs that let out into the lake. As the hot water seeps into the lake, the path is etched with marvelous colors and heat. We stuck our hands in the springs and it was definitely hot. As the daylight was coming to an end, we drove out of the park. Making a left outside of the gate we drove up a hill and stopped at a wonderful view that presented the lake and the Great Rift Valley hills. The panoramic vista is special and cannot be missed.
Our overnight was at Kirurumu Tented Lodge, on the way to the Crater. Making a right off the road the path was deep clay red. Going back towards an escarpment we eventually got to the entrance. Kirurumu is set high on the edge of the Great Rift Valley with splendid panoramic views of Lake Manyara. From the bar, sundowners were amazing. The accommodations are tented rooms equipped with full ensuite bathroom and shower. We had some friends staying overnight as well and decided to have a nice big dinner.
After a good nights sleep and breakfast, we were off to Ngorongoro Crater..
After about 20 minutes, we got to the gates of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is the beginning of the protected Ngorongoro highlands where Maasai live alongside wildlife. Wild animals are protected and Maasai graze their cattle freely. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage site; a program that conserves sites of outstanding cultural and natural importance to the common heritage of humanity. The area is part of the Serengeti ecosystem which includes Serengeti National Park. The main highlight and considered to be the "8th wonder of the world" is Ngorongoro Crater.
Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest unbroken and unflooded volcanic caldera. There are about 25,000 species of animals inside the crater. The crater was formed by what was believed to be an 15-19,000 ft volcano which exploded and collapsed on itslef. The Crater is 2,000 ft deep and contains most species of animal found in East Africa except impala, topis, oribis, giraffe and crocodiles. Huge populations of wildebeest and zebra congregate, however, leave during the rainy season. Most animals are residents in this huge enclosure and do not leave. Thus, some lion populations are inbred and pass on genetic problems generation to generation because there are no new bloodlines of male lions. The crater contains the 'big five', lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino. The black rhinos seen in the crater are endangered and hard to see.
As soon as we drove down into the crater we saw two cheetah in the sun. They looked hungry but made no attempt to hunt. This was my first time seeing cheetah in the crater. The sight was a contrast from the plains, as the the great walls of the crater were in the distance. We continued on and found some lioness' in stalking position next to a large group of wildebeest. We were under the impression that they were hunting, waiting for the wind to be in their favor. So, we waited and decided to picnic on our car, in case there was going to be some action. After a good hour the lions kept getting closer and closer, and then one of the lions decided to start playing and the chase was off. Sometimes you just have to wait and see what happens.
As we made some more loops, we encountered some pools with large numbers of hippos. They would occasionally do some flips and stretch their legs into the air. Again, a great sight with the pools and the walls of the crater in the distance. We ventured closer to the lake inside the crater and saw a hyena walking towards the lake. At the lake shoreline was a brilliant scene of zebra and plenty of flamingoes flying and splashing about. Soon, we would have to start ascending the crater. My favorite area of the crater is the only wooded area of the crater floor, the Lerai Forest. This is where I feel like I will see a leopard, but I still haven't. On route we saw elephant eating from the trees. Their dark bodies only becoming the foreground for the dramatic crater walls.
There is only one road to descend the crater and one road to ascend the crater. So naturally, everyone leaves through the forest. The views backwards are breathtaking and on the way out we saw waterfalls along the walls of a dense forest patch on the steep exit. A couple last photos are taken and then its a good haul back to Arusha to get into town at dusk or a bit thereafter...