East Africa's Great Migration is the movement of three species of herbivores through Tanzania's Serengeti National Park and Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve. The herbivores are following the rains and, in turn, the soft green grass that they eat. The Migration, which is comprised of 200,000 zebra, 500,000 Thomson's gazelle and 1.5 million wildebeest leading the show! It is truly a sight to behold!
This time of the year, the Migration can be found in the Southern and Central Serengeti NP in Tanzania. As of this month, the largest concentrations of herds can be found just north of the Ndutu region near the Kusini area and Kusini Camp - just inside the park boundaries. Sightings of massive herds of zebra and wildebeest have been reported, and with the migrating herds come incredible predator sightings. With the rains approaching, the migration will continue into the Central Serengeti and will soon be found in the Seronera area.
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK is the most famous wildlife park in Tanzania and is contiguous with the Masai Mara National Reserve in neighboring Kenya. There are literally millions of hoofed animals on the endless plains of the Serengeti. The wildebeest is the chief herbivore of the Serengeti and also the main prey of large carnivores such as lions and hyenas. Some of our favorite camps in the Serengeti include Mbalageti Camp, Kirawira Tented Camp, Mbuzi Mawe and Migration Camp - depending on the time of year, each camp can be ideal for viewing the migrating herds. Our Tanzania & Zanzibar Safari is an excellent option for great game viewing in Tanzania!
Africa Easy's Nadia Eckhardt just returned from an expedition cruise to West Africa! Read on for her highlights of the "Explorer's Africa Voyage aboard Prince Albert II from Cape Town to Dakar"
West Africa was magical and a real exploratory adventure! I loved every minute of it :) It is very hard to single out some of the highlights....but the Catamaran Cruise out of Swakopmund, Namibia was special...an abundance of Bird life (including some very friendly Pelicans!), lots of curious seals and dolphins. The weather was glorious, our guides excellent and the Oysters and Champers added a very special touch!
Cascata Sao Niocolau, or the St. Nicholas waterfall, located up high in the scenic mountainous region on the island of Sao Tome. Shortly after our visit to the waterfall we toured the Monte Cafe coffee plantation and the chocolate factory....a real treat!
It has been years since I set foot on Principe and once again I had the pleasure of visiting the remote and picturesque Bom Bom Island Resort. We spent a wonderful day, snorkeling, hiking, birding, swimming and kayaking and exploring the town of San Antonio on Principe.
A first for me.....we walked in on a traditional Vodoo Ceremony about an hour outside of Lome, Benin. It was fascinating watching this very traditional scene but best part of all for me was entertaining and playing with the Kids after the Ceremony. We met and spent time with so many warm and welcoming people throughout our voyage along the coast of West Africa.
We traveled in the lap of luxury while aboard Prince Albert II and once on shore we were taken care of by some very knowledgeable and experience guides including our team in The Gambia. Here we are just before our last Zodiac landing to St James Island.
Photos by Nadia Eckhardt.
Xugana Island Lodge, located in the Okavango Delta of Botswana, is one of Africa Easy's favorite spots and has recently been rebuilt and completely updated. The lodge is situated on the shaded fringe of the island, and accommodates just 16 guests in reed and thatch lagoon-facing en-suite chalets with private viewing decks. As a water camp, the traveler's experience requires additional love and attention from the staff. There is a very special team of Batswana working at Xugana – who love their newly rebuilt camp – and are excited to welcome and extend their hospitality to each and every guest.
At Xugana Island Lodge, travelers can either explore the delta by motorboat, mokoro, or take leisurely walks on surrounding islands in the concession. This provides the opportunity to experience a classic Okavango Delta safari. Birdwatching opportunities are outstanding, and fishing for bream and tigerfish is offered.
Our Best of Botswana Tour features the newly updated Xugana Island Lodge - come explore this Delta favorite with Africa Easy!
Botswana is famous for its amazing wildlife and limited numbers of travelers - and that's why it is one of our favorite safari destinations here at Africa Easy! While Botswana does have excellent national parks like Chobe National Park, there are also many private game reserves that carefully limit the number of travelers and keep the game viewing an intimate experience!
THE OKAVANGO DELTA is Botswana's premier attraction and an enormous oasis in the middle of the great Kalahari Desert. The Okavango River rises in central Angola, flows southeast across Namibia's Caprivi Strip before entering Botswana. The 'Delta' consists of roughly 6,000 square miles of intricate waterways and reed-lined channels interspersed with game-rich islands, creating a diverse ecosystem that supports the greatest concentration of game in Africa. In this desert country, the abundant water attracts vast quantities of wildlife, buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe, hippo, elephant, zebra, antelope and innumerable birds, which also provides largesse for the several groups that have fished and hunted here for centuries. The Okavango's islands are home to many of these private reserves and some of the best game viewing in Africa!
Our Best of Botswana tour visits several private reserves where Africa Easy travelers will be among just a handful of guests in the reserve. Game viewing in the private reserves is done by traditional mokoro or motor boats (if you are staying at a water camp), on foot and in 4x4 safari vehicles.
Outside of the Okavango there are other excellent game viewing opportunities that also allow travelers to stay away from the crowds and explore the wilderness in near solitude. One of our favorite camps in the Makgadikgadi region is Leroo La Tau. The camp offers just 12 rooms and is an ideal base for exploring the park, game viewing and enjoying night drives.
Contact Africa Easy for more information on planning a safari to Botswana's hidden gems!
Images courtesy Africa Easy and Leroo La Tau.
