On Safari in Tanzania

Exploring the Serengeti.

Reuniting with friends again

A safari in Tanzania was just what was needed after the restrictions of the last two years, and to be able to travel freely again. Jacha and Gwyn’s first trip was to Tanzania to visit Shannon, a friend and fellow wildlife photographer.

Shannon, now based permanently in Tanzania invited Jacha and Gwyn to take a safari trip with herself, her friend Keith and guide Ally of Tanz-Africa Adventures. And what a trip it turned out to be! They had four weeks of expert guiding, beautiful scenery and of course magical wildlife sightings.

Moving through the Serengeti.

While in Tanzania, Jacha and Gwyn stayed in Nomad Tanzania camps.

Starting in the remote northern Serengeti they stayed at Nomad Lamai camp situated near the Mara river before moving east to Mawe camp. The north Serengeti is known for its rugged scenic landscape that borders the Mara river. It is extremely remote meaning very few vehicles – like having your own private Serengeti.

The east Serengeti was closed for many years as it served as a cheetah research area. It opened to the public in 2014, however due to the lack of camps is still an exclusive area where you rarely see other vehicles.

From the east they travelled to Ndutu which is part of the Ngorongoro conservancy, staying at Nomad’s migration camp. Between January to late February the area is occupied by thousands of wildebeest and zebra who use the area as their birthing grounds. From Ndutu they travelled to Tarangire National Park, staying at Tarangire wilderness lodge. This area is known for its large elephant herds and bird population.

Plastic waste awareness even when on safari in Tanzania

Jacha has been collaborating with I’m Not Plastic for around a year now. Read our previous blog post here for more information.

While in the Serengeti, Jacha and Gwyn collected up any plastic waste they found. They then made a short video to raise awareness.

Special first time sightings

A highlight for Jacha was experiencing sightings he’d not had on previous visits to Africa.

One of his favourite birds is the Ground Hornbill. On this trip he was lucky enough to sight one in its nest in a tree. He has seen them before in the wild but never in a nest.

Another special experience was the number of Cheetah sightings. One such one was a family group hunting and being successful in a kill. Although not pleasant to witness an animal killing, the sheer speed and power of a Cheetah kill is always breathtaking.

 Thinking of a safari in Tanzania?

If you like what you’ve read and want to follow in Jacha and Gwyn’s footprints, here are the details.

Flights: booked with The Flight Centre (we always go through Mark Schippers) flying from Manchester to Kilimanjaro with one transfer in Doha.

Camps: Nomad Tanzania

Safari Guide: Ally Waziri, CEO of Tanz-Africa Adventures.

Ally has a range of tours and vehicles on offer. If you are looking for a dedicated photography trip he is experienced in helping you get the best shots. The specialised vehicles he has for photography trips are perfect!

All photos in this post taken by Jacha Potgieter. His work is available to buy from the Platform Galeri. A percentage of the profits goes to ape charities: Ape Action Africa and Orangutan Appeal UK.