Photography with Todd Gustafson
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August 9-24
$12,999 per person, based on double occupancy.
Single rooms are available for an additional $1,800.
International flights not included.
The wildlife-rich Serengeti ecosystem is one of the most amazing natural spectacles on earth. For generations it has offered exhilarating photographic and wildlife watching opportunities. We will spend time at Tarangire with its teeming bird life and big game animals. There are leopards, elephant, Maasai giraffe, zebras, and wildebeest, as well as large prides of lions. In August, an estimated three million wildebeest and zebra make their way to Tanzania’s northern Serengeti in anticipation of the river crossing season. The Serengeti has a magnificent variety of animals and habitats. It is the best place on our trip to photograph leopard. The Seronera Lodge is in the middle of all the action. There are resident prides of lions and is a great place for big cat photography. From there we begin at our Intimate Mobile Tented Camp experience in the extreme northern Serengeti, located where ever the herds are. Our objective is to see the big herds gather before the final push to the Masai Mara and view river crossings on the Serengeti stretch of the Mara River. Our final destination is the famed Ngorongoro Crater. One of the natural wonders of the world, Ngorongoro Crater is a sunken caldera with the world’s largest intact volcanic rim. Our lodge is located on the rim at 9,000 feet above sea level. We will descend to the crater floor (at 7000 feet) for unbelievable game viewing and photography. In the Crater are forests, plains, hills, rivers, and lakes, all of which are home to elephants, buffalo, zebras, lions, cheetahs, leopards, flamingos and much, much more.
Itinerary
We meet in Amsterdam where our flight to Kilimanjaro Airport departs midmorning. The flight lands at 8:30 PM, and we transfer to the our hotel for a good night’s sleep.
Day 1 August 11 Arusha to Tarangire
We wake up to a great breakfast provided by the staff of the African Tulip Hotel. After breakfast we meet our expert drivers, visit the bank to exchange money and drive though Tanzania’s rural landscape to Tarangire. After checking in at the Tarangire Safari Lodge we will have lunch and proceed to Tarangire National Park for an afternoon game drive. Our lodgings are at the Tarangire Safari Lodge, situated on the escarpment overlooking the Tarangire River Valley where herds of elephant come for an afternoon drink.
Days 2 August 12 Tarangire National Park
We continue our photographic game drives through Tarangire’s varied habitats which include the river valley, rolling hills, acacia woodland and dramatic stands of enormous baobab trees. The search for the perfect tree on the valley rim for a spectacular sunset shot is always worth the effort! Specialties of the park include the abundant bird life with the largest population of raptors in the world at this time of year. Big game animals including lion, leopard, giraffe, zebra and large herds of elephant.
Day 3-5 August 13-14 Seronera Wildlife Lodge- Serengeti
After an early morning game drive we transfer to Seronera Safari Lodge, deep in the Serengeti ecosystem. Here we search for lions, cheetah and especially leopards that inhabit the Seronera River Valley and the surrounding savannah. There are a wealth of different habitats to explore. The rivers and watering holes support a huge variety of bird life as well as providing water for all the animals in the area. Some years large prides have as many as 25 members including newborn cubs and their mothers, older juveniles, and big males. Cheetahs are abundant in the plains, and the wooded ridges are always productive. We will be ranging far afield in this area, so we usually bring a bush breakfast that allows us to photograph into the late morning. Afternoon game drives start late when the animals become more active as the day cools down. Leopards often hunt in the afternoon, adding lots of excitement to a game drive.
Day 6-9 August 16-19 Exclusive Mobile Tented Camp-Serengeti
We leave Seronera in the early morning as we game drive to the extreme northern Serengeti where the herds are concentrated before the final journey into the Masai Mara. The time of year is such that we hope to see the wildebeest crossing the Mara river as it winds through the Serengeti. Our base of operations will be an Intimate Mobile Tented Camp that follows the herds through the migration cycle. There are no lodges in this area and few other people will be able to witness the natural history events that we will see. When we walk out of our tents we will be in the wilds of the Serengeti with its stunning landscape as backdrop to all we see and photograph.
Day 10 August 20 Seronera
We leave our Intimate Mobile Tented Camp and game drive to Seronera for an overnight before we continue on to the Ngorongoro Crater the next day. We will be able to revisit our favorite locations in this dramatic, wildlife-filled region of the Serengeti
Days 11-13 August 21-23 Ngorongoro Crater
We check out of the lodge early and embark on a game drive. Our morning ends at Nabi Hill where we say goodbye to the Serengeti. We continue on to the Ngorongoro Crater rim. Lunch is served as we enjoy a spectacular view of the crater below. For our afternoon game drive we will descend 2000 feet to the crater floor. We conclude our drive by winding our way up the other side of the crater to the Sopa Lodge just in time for a cool drink on the veranda as the sun sets. We start the game drives early to capture the peak action of the day.
The Ngorongoro Crater has it all! This natural wonder supports its own resident herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebra. Bull elephants come to Ngorongoro Crater for peace and quiet. Hippos inhabit the lakes and pools, while lions prowl the long grass. Crowned cranes and kori bustards are common here, as are huge eland and buffalo. This is a place where it is possible to see the Big Five –lion, leopard, cape buffalo, elephant, and rhino– all in one game park.
Day 14 August 24 Arusha
We descend for a last morning game drive. There’s no telling what we will see on the last game drive! We return to Arusha for shopping at the African Cultural Center. Carvings, artifacts and Tanzanite gems are all specialties here. At our day rooms in Arusha, we freshen up for the flight home.
The Fine Print
Price includes all transportation within Tanzania, accommodations, meals, activities and excursions mentioned in the itinerary, bottled water during the program including lunch and dinners, English speaking guide throughout the program.
Price does not include international airfare, visa fees, any beverages throughout the trip (except for bottled water), and any personal extras such as phone calls, minibar, and laundry.
A $1,000 per person non-refundable deposit is necessary to confirm a booking. Final payments are due no later than 95 days prior to departure. Cancellations received less than 95 days prior to departure are not refundable.
Travel/trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended. For more information call Travel Insured at 800-243-3174 or visitwww.travelinsured.com. Holbrook Travel’s agency number is 15849.
Highlights of Tanzania Dry Season Photo Gallery
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