Back from the Serengeti

Back from the Serengeti

 

In October/November I spent 10 wonderful days in the Serengeti.  We spent 5 days in the Central Serengeti and another 5 in the Mara Serengeti (Kogatende) area.  My very first safari was in Tanzania, so I was very excited to make my long overdue return after 11 years.

The Serengeti blew me away, just like it did so many years ago.  From a purely safari destination standpoint the scenery is second to none – I love the open plains interspersed with trees, the kopjes, the rocks and the hills.  It might be only a stone’s throw away from the Mara, but the scenery is very different.  The wildlife was abundant, and I was delighted to see many big cats and many other animals and birds.

My favourite area was the Mara Serengeti: there was a lot of wildlife, beautiful sceneries and the speciality of this region, apart from the migration and river crossings, is photographing cats on rocks.  We weren’t lucky with crossings this time around – we were late in the season, and when one did happen we were busy with another sighting.  There must always be a reason to return!  This area is also slightly less crowded than the Central Serengeti, so there aren’t that many traffic jams.  However the Mara Serengeti area is not as quiet and exclusive as many operators lead you to believe, even in shoulder season – it was in the past, but not anymore.

October/November is the short rains season in both the Mara and Serengeti ecosystems – so we got pretty much everything as regards weather: thunderstorms, wind, sunshine … to me these are all great photo opportunities, and fun experiences!  The leopard photo for instance, was photographed at dusk.  It would normally have been the tail end of the “golden hour” but instead the overcast conditions turned it into “blue hour” – I think it makes the photo more ethereal and unique.  Each kind of weather is a new photographic opportunity so I am never put off from travelling in the rainy or shoulder seasons.

I hope you enjoy the 2 teaser images I am posting.  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more!

Zebras and impending storm - Lamai Wedge, Serengeti - Tanzania.

Zebras and impending storm – Lamai Wedge, Serengeti – Tanzania.