As if there were no time but the present, they hurriedly made their way along the trail towards the Villas. Scrounging for space and chatting noisily, the troop of about 30 baboons gathered on the huge rock outcropping for a superior vantage point. Whilst the youngsters occupied themselves with frolicking in the foliage, the elders simply sat together captivated in silence. Facing west and immersed in the endless plains of the Serengeti, the clouds parted to reveal the heavens painted a palette of deep reds and light pinks.  The setting sun – an orange orb, sank into the horizon leaving all but dusk to acknowledge itself with pleasing pastel hues.

Evoking the same feelings of gratification it appears primates appreciate the beauty of the sunset much the same as we humans get out of life’s simple pleasures… It would seem we are not that different after all.  The culmination of anticipation, the sunset in all its glory and a special moment shared with loved ones is the perfect ending to the perfect day in one of Africa’s last untamed wilderness.

01

My teeth are bigger than yours

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Stop showing off

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She loves me, she loves me not

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Don't worry darling, we're going soon

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Are you ready?

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Where are they going?

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Oh, they're going to the rock

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Got to get down quick!

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I'm first!

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Come! Hurry everyone

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Home at last

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Do you see it?

Declared World Heritage Site in 1979, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area borders the Serengeti National Park in the north and a few hours drive to the west is the town of Arusha at the foot of Mount Meru within view of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The crater itself is nestled within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and is inhabited by 30, 000 animals covering an area of more than 8,000 km2 encompassing the Northern Highlands, extinct and active volcanoes, and the Olduvai Gorge where evacuated fossils show that the area is one of the oldest sites of hominoid habitation in the world.

The Crater floor is a natural sanctuary for thousands of animals and many species of insects and birds including resident zebra, wildebeest, Grants and Thomson’s gazelle, while Tanzania’s few remaining black rhino are protected and regularly sighted in the crater, as are large herds of buffalo. Huge tusked elephants, black-maned lions, cheetah and spotted hyena are also found, as well as thousands of Lesser and Greater flamingos in the soda lake.

Lush highlands surround the Crater, falling away to the tawny plains and the alkaline lakes of the Great Rift Valley 2,286 meters above sea level, where you can drive almost all the way around the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken caldera in the world. Its steep walls rise from the crater floor, covering an area of about 260 km2, not restricting the continual movement of animals that utilize the different habitats of the crater.

01

View point at the Ngorongoro Crater

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Salt Lake of the Ngorongoro Crater

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Early morning at the Crater's rim

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Promises of a sun filled day

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Soda Lake filled with Greater and Lesser flamingoes

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Game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater

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Thousands of Greater and Lesser pink flamingoes

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Round table

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You watch my back - I watch yours...

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Lioness surveying the plains

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Male Ostrich in the Crater

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Picnic spot at the Hippo pool

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View from the North West of the Crater's rim

In pursuit of food and water, over a million wildebeest and half a million zebra and antelope migrate north from the Serengeti to the adjoining Masai Mara, forming massive columns which stretch for miles. Only those herbivores which can do without surface water for long periods of time and who live on poor forage can remain during the dry season. Lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas follow closely, wile the crocodiles wait hungrily in the rivers; the journey is punctuated with drama.

Every year, the short November rains signal the beginning of the most amazing wildlife spectacles. This impressive phenomenon is determined by the availability of grazing, which in turn is dependent on rainfall.
Grasslands in the north are depleted and once the rains resume in the south, the army of animals surge back to the renewed pastures to mate and calve. Only through migration can these herds use the widespread resources of the ecosystem to build such numbers.

The migration is rarely ever the same in terms of precise timing and direction as local conditions influence grass growth however; it does follow a relatively predictable cycle.

December through March

This is the birthing season and the period when the herds start preparing the trek north, it is in the south of the Serengeti that all the action takes place. Over 8,000 calves are born, yet less than half make it to their first year.

April to May

The adults and surviving young journey towards the Serengeti’s western corridor.

June

The millions of grazers are forced to cross the Grumeti River. There is usually a waiting period of one to two weeks as the animals prepare for this life threatening crossing.

July

From here the attention shifts north as the migration enters the Grumeti Reserve with a portion splitting off and heading northeast, to the Lobo area.

August

The best time to see the migration is usually in this June to August period. In August the migration reaches the far northern area.

September

The animals cross the Sand River and head into the Masai Mara where they will remain until the short rains beckon once more.

October

The thunder clouds start to form as a sign of the impending rain. The wildebeest start moving south along the eastern region of the Serengeti in anticipation of the new season’s rains.

November

Thousands of large herds migrate to the Serengeti’s southern plains and to the Ngorongoro Highlands where the short rains have started and new grass covers the Serengeti plains

Follow the Migration

October 1, 2009 - Scattered along the north-western corridor, the Wildebeest are making their way into Kenya’s Masai Mara. Travellers in both Tanzania and Kenya are witnessing the spectacular crossing of the Mara River!

Due to Bilila Lodge Kempinski’s central location within the Serengeti National Park, it is possible to follow the migration which depending on the period of the cycle can either be a 15 minute to 4 hour drive away, throughout the year.

01

The Great Annual Migration Circle

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My stripes are better than yours

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Give me a break

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Just a few of us

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A private Wildebeest get-together

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Do you think I'm pretty?

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Smells like rain

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Wildebeest and Zebra pre-migration briefing

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Zebra family day

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Queuing up for some action

Collage of Impressions

Follow us on regular expeditions through the awe-inspiring landscapes of Tanzania including a journey through the Animal Kingdom and encounters with the famous Big Five (Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo and Leopard).

Cross the countries startling array of terrain; from dense forests and endless plains, to craters and mountain pinnacles rising far above the clouds, to the tropical shores of Zanzibar with its dazzling pearly white beaches, turquoise water and swaying palms.

01

Male Elephant at Lake Manyara National Park

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Baboon longing for company

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Sporty Impalas

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Giraffe's sweet talking

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What are you waiting for...

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Millions of wildebeest in the Serengeti National Park

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What a view...

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Enough rest... Going for a hunt now

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This is my pool

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What beautiful scenery

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Maasai village

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Maasai friend

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Endless view

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God's window

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Sunshine in Zanzibar

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Anchoring on Zanzibar

Just three months after the successful opening of the Bilila Lodge Kempinski we were fortunate enough to have had the first group visit of another kind!

Over the past month several animals, such as giraffe, waterbuck and impala started appearing at the waterhole in front of the Lodge’s main infinity swimming pool. What seemed to have been just a small stop over for the inquisitive has now led to it being a popular gathering place among the wildlife. Steadily encouraging many other species to visit, including buffalo, zebra and wildebeest to drink, last week’s appearance exceeded everyone’s expectations with the arrival of a herd of more than 30 elephants (one of the famous BIG Five).

To the delight of both guests and staff alike, for most part of an hour during lunch time, the calves were all too eager to play, bathing in the water all the while splashing and spraying one another much to the relief of the watchful mothers. The waterhole proved to be a relaxing spot where they could remain, quenching their thirst and occasionally dipping in to escape the heat and cover themselves in the mud… Sounds very much like the mommy’s in the city taking their children out for a relaxing day followed by a nourishing spa treatment to round off the afternoon.

A big thank you to those who shared this amazing experience with us on film. They have given us the opportunity to fully appreciate the splendid gifts of nature in the heart of the African wilderness.

*If you have any similar unforgettable lodge stories which you think others would  like to hear about, please feel free to share them with us.

01

Bilila Lodge Kempinski welcomes the resident Elephants.

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Quenching their thirst at the waterhole

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A stroll along the water's shore

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Learning life lessons from the elders

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Basking in the sunshine

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Sharing secrets

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Nurturing her young

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A rejuvenating day out

“KARIBU”

and the winner of the Discovering Tanzania Grand Prize Draw is:

Ms. Deborah Hyte, Los Angeles, USA

We would like to thank the hundreds of participants who took part in the competition. We will keep you informed of the upcoming features on www.Discovering-Tanzania.com.

The Details of the Grand Prize

Complimentary 7 nights stay in Tanzania including:

* 2 nights stay at Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski, Dar es Salaam
* 2 nights stay at Bilila Lodge Kempinski, Serengeti
* 3 nights stay at Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski, Zanzibar
* All including breakfast, taxes and service charges

Not including extra services, flights, park fees, etc.

Disclaimer

The winner will be contacted directly within 24 hours.  In case the winner does not reply within one week, the Grand Prize Draw will be repeated on Friday, July 24, 2009.

An opening like no other…

Overwhelmed by the anticipation of what surprises the day had in store for me, I woke up before my alarm clock went off… 5:00 am and so the bustle began……

Follow a visit to the Grand Opening of Bilila Lodge Kempinski, Serengeti featured next on www.Discovering-Tanzania.com

Today I arrived back at the Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski in Dar es Salaam. Here I started my trip through wonderful Tanzania three weeks ago. Three weeks full of adventure, excitement and also luxury and relaxation.

Looking back

I am now looking back at all the great things I did. The expedition in the 4WD through the mountains near Lushoto and to Moshi, the “Kilimanjaro Town”. Arriving in lively Arusha and meeting the Maasai for the first time on a bumpy camel ride. The first game drives in the gorgeous environment of Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater. Arriving in the Serengeti National Park and discovering luxury in the wild - the Bilila Lodge Kempinski. My great time there including the balloon safari, a trip to the local markets and farms and of course spotting all these wild animals and the unbelievable annual migration of the wildebeest; my time on the splendid Zanzibar Archipelago with its mystical history and the enormous white-sanded beaches and the green-blue water of the Indian Ocean. The five star Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski with its lovely Zamani Beach Club. The sandbar picnic, the rich natural environment with amazing medical insights, the dhow yard, stone town and the spice tour.

And most important of all: all the gorgeous people I met on the trip and all of you following the blog and supporting me with your friendly comments.

All this adds up to an unbelievable experience I will definitely never ever forget. It seems to me like I did the perfect Tanzania trip – but maybe I will be back one day discovering even more unparalleled places and people.

Thanks and Bye

I’m now sitting in the Level 8 bar of the Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski, where the whole story started. Again enjoying the harbour view and having one of the nice local beers.

Nothing else remains to be done but call a big “Thanks” to you and all the people and companies who made this trip possible. I hope to meet you one day in Tanzania!

Bye-bye, take care
Jan

Grand Prize Draw

Of course there are still some things left to mention: Thanks to all of you who participated in the Grand Prize Draw. We will announce the winner here on the 17th of July.

Discovering Tanzania Continues!

My trip ended but this website will continue. In a few weeks you will find new photos, adventures and insights about Tanzania on this website. And I can tell you that it will be definitely worth a visit! If you like you can register here and we will inform you as soon as new amazing Tanzania content is ready!

Meanwhile I was able to gather some stunning photos from the Bilila Lodge Kempinski, taken some days ago. The animals seem to like the waterholes directly at the Lodge and you can watch them from the rooms. See for yourself on Flickr!

Even though today was my last day on Zanzibar that couldn’t stop us discovering another fine part of this Archipelago. On Day 17 we had a fantastic sail on the nice traditional fishing boats. Today we explored the making of these boats.

Ruins

On our way to the yard we can’t resist stopping off at some ruins that are located in the deep woods. Once upon a time these buildings were mighty palaces inhabited by sultans. The guide told of former times when these buildings were full of glamorous life and riches. Now there are only a few walls left and you need not a little imagination to visualise the bygone opulence. But nevertheless you can feel a special atmosphere of fading history here - it is very impressive to see how the hugeness of nature is recapturing the place.

The dhow yard

Leaving the ruins, we drove on to Nungwi, a large fishing village. What we found there on the shoreline next to the village obviously did not look like a shipyard at all. We felt more like arriving at the perfect holiday camp: a white sandy beach, blue-green water, palm trees and a few huts. But when coming closer we heard the sounds of hammers and spotted the dhows and the workers between the palms and bushes.

Building a dhow follows a hundreds of years old tradition. No written construction plan exists – all knowledge is “in here” as our guide Silima puts it, pointing to his head. The dhow builders pass the knowledge on from generation to generation.
To construct one of these fisher boats a bunch of components are necessary – all hand made, of course. The ships are made out of hard woods like mahogany or mninga (bread-fruit tree). The basis is the keel, to which they attach the inner skeleton. The individual pieces are formed slowly over an oil and charcoal fire. All nails that are used to connect the pieces are handmade at a nearby blacksmith. Later they add the outer sheeting. The complete ships body is then sealed with cotton strings soaked in coconut oil so that the boat stays perfectly leak-proof in the ocean. At last the mast and the sail are added. In the whole process only traditional tools are used – you won’t find any electric or motorized tools here.

So in the end building a dhow is hard work – even if the place of work seems like an idyllic vacation beach to us. I liked the atmosphere there: everybody is busy with his part of the work in order to complete a boat. But they do it in a non-hectic, sedate manner. Especially I envied their version of lunch break. One of them just climbs on a nearby palm tree and gets some coconuts down – you can’t get a fresh, tasty meal faster than that.

Mnarani Natural Aquarium

Around the corner of the yard lies a turtle aquarium. In fact this is a large salt-water lagoon with a connection to the sea, which is not passable for the resident turtles. In the aquarium live turtles that are accidentally caught by fisher nets or were injured. The people here nurse and study them and later release them into the open sea.

As we noticed on Day 17, time flows differently for turtles. As the local guide told me, the resident hawksbill sea turtles live for about 120 years. They can hold their breath under water up to two hours – I wish I could do this trick, too!

The rest of the day we lazed on tremendously pleasant beaches around Nungwi before we drove back to the Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski.

Goodbye Zanzibar

Sadly today was my last full day on Zanzibar. I really enjoyed my time on this beautiful island. As it turns out my first impressions about Zanzibar were absolutely right: it is a hard choice whether to venture through the deep jungle-like forests, see turtles, snakes and red colobus monkeys, experience fresh spices and fruits on the spice tour, walk through the amazing Stone Town – or just to relax on the gorgeous beaches beside the Indian Ocean on a sandbar picnic. My choice was to do it all and to just have a great time.

In addition I stayed in the wonderful luxury Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski. With its great restaurants, spa and of course the amazing Zamani Beach Club it made my stay extremely comfortable. The most friendly and helpful staff took care of me making for a pleasant stay.
So if you visit Tanzania it is definitively a good idea to round off your trip with a stay on the Zanzibar Archipelago!

My trip is leading me back to Dar es Salaam tomorrow – my last destination on my round Tanzania journey.

01

Cave with water from a underground spring

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Palace Ruin

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Part of a ruin

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Ruin

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Part of a ruin

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Dhow yard

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Wood for the dhows body

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Workers sealing a dhow

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Dhow body

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A worker is preparing wood for a dhow

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After cutting a palm leave down

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Lunch break

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Dhow yard

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Part of a fishing net

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Palm roots and fishing nets

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Fishing net at the dhow yard

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Hut at the dhow yard

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Dhows

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Wood used for dhow contruction

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Almost finished dhows

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Dhow at the beach

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Completed dhows

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Sea turtle gasping for breath

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Three sea turtles

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Turtle in a short rain

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Baby turtle

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Beach near Nungwi