Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Arusha National Park (TANZANIA), added to which was the Masai Mara (KENYA).

21/5/2016 to 1/6/2016, and 1/6/2016 to 5/6/2016, respectively.

We again visited Tanzania at the same time of year and, once again, the parks were very different. On this occasion a reasonably good rainy season meant that there was plenty of food and water for the Wildebeest, and the massive herds had already formed up and were well into their migration. A portion of the herd had moved to the western corridor and had already passed through the Grumeti River on their route north. We caught up with the balance of the migration herd which had moved north of Lobo, some 30 Kilometers from the Kenyan Border, and were lucky to see spectacular numbers of Wildebeest spread over a large expanse of the countryside which, although broken, enabled us to marvel at the size of this amazing phenomenon. We subsequently heard they only crossed the border with Kenya in mid July.

This Safari was undoubtedly the Safari for Leopards. We were extremely lucky to have eleven sightings of these beautiful cats and saw nine different animals. We saw them on rocks, in trees, and on the ground - amazing. On one occasion we watched one large male challenging a Hyena for a very smelly piece of kill. Cheetah were not as plentiful as they have been in the past, but we had six good sightings in the Serengeti, and another two in the Masai Mara. They are always a delight to see. Lions were again plentiful. At a conservative estimate we saw in excess of a hundred, and as with the Leopards, this year we were lucky to see them in trees, on rocks and on the ground. It was wonderful to see these beautiful cats in such good condition.

We saw Serval cats, a small spotted Genet cat and we also had two sightings of Caracal. One of these was in the Mara and consisted of a mother and two half grown cubs, seen very briefly. All three of these species of cats are very difficult to find and we were exceptionally lucky. Among sighting of numerous other animals, we had very good sightings of Banded Mongoose, Dwarf Mongoose and Bat Eared Fox.

The Ngorongoro Crater showed us a unique sighting of a mother Rhino with her own half grown calf and also a half grown adopted calf. We also saw six Black Rhino in the Masai Mara. The collective animal species tally over the course of the safari was around fifty. The bird life too was exceptional and we saw 333 different types, with special sightings of Crowned Eagle, a Verreaux's Eagle Owl trying to eat a small Leopard tortoise, Malachite Kingfishers, a Giant Kingfisher, a good selection of sun birds and an amazing sighting of a Lanner Falcon perched on a rock by the side of the road, in no rush to move off.

The Lodges we stayed in were again excellent, and staff really went out of their way to make sure that we enjoyed our Safari. The Guides also were exceptional, as was Easy Travel. This Safari was truly one of the very best that we have undertaken. The Masai Mara was good to see, but I believe that a month later in the year would be a better time to be there as the grass was on the long side and there was little to be seen. Once the Migration herd arrives, I am sure the situation changes.

SPECIAL NOTE

We had a small group who went on to see the Gorillas in Rwanda and also in Uganda. They found it hard work but really worth while, and they were very pleased that they had made the effort. It is an expensive few days but evidently a unique experience. We arranged this extra for them through the usual channels.