Capturing the Moment

  Wow. A stunning view of an early morning leopard. We only spotted her initially because a group of lions we were watching stood up and stared at a far off tree. Our guide Enoch noticed this behavior, looked down the hill and saw this leopard moving down. We sped off to try and find her in the tall grass. This photo was the only moment she paused in her stealthy advance through the grass and looked right at us. After witnessing a river crossing and a crocodile kill yesterday, we felt like anything we encounter today would be icing on the cake. The Serengeti is a massive national park here in Tanzania, and somehow, no matter how long you are here, or how many times you visit, you will always be surprised by what this place has to offer. It is the true definition of wild, and a world class safari destination. We set out early from our mobile tent camp, Under Canvas, into the beautiful sunrise over herds of migrating wildebeest.

  An action shot of a large crocodile tearing off a piece of zebra meet and sending it down its gullet. What a day! It was sad saying goodbye to all our new friends and fond memories at Kichwa Tembo in the Masai Mara, but after 4 nights there, it was time to move on to our next spot in Tanzania's famed Serengeti National Park. We took a couple of small bush planes and a quick transfer by van across the border into Tanzania. We were pleasantly surprised to have the entire 12 seater plane to ourselves as we entered the Serengeti. Our new guide from andBeyond Serengeti Under Canvas was there at the airport, ready to meet us, and he even had a table of drinks and cookies set up in the shade of an acacia tree for us. Enoch, our guide, knew we only had two nights here to explore the Serengeti, so he wasted no time in packing the safari vehicle up for a game drive on our way to camp. First stop... the Mara River.

 The Wonders of An African Safari Curated and Led by Dai Mar Tamarack      Africa can be a hard destination for even the most seasoned traveler to wrap their head around. It is so distant and exotic, yet so hard to know what to do, how to travel, distances, and logistics for planning the trip of a lifetime. To have someone like me, with years of local knowledge, contacts, planning, and leading experience can be invaluable in setting up a trip for a destination as big and vast as Africa.       While each trip I lead is different, since they are personalized for each group, I do always plan the trip in order to maximize our time with the animals out in the wilds of Africa. There are several ways to do this. I will sometimes rent a private safari vehicle with a driver so the only time constraints we are under are up to us and the closure times of the parks. I also work with certain lodges and local guides who really prioritize the guests experience. ...

 What a show! On our drive into the Mara on July 19th, we pulled into a river overlook to check on some hippo action. There were probably forty hippos in two groups hanging out in the river. That is when we noticed a small herd of wildebeest come to the edge of the cliff. Could we be so lucky as to see one of the famous crossings of the Great Migration? A large crocodile swimming silently in the murky water sure hoped so.    It looked like the wildebeest lacked the necessary bravery to attempt the crossing. Then a huge, loud fight broke out amongst the larger group of hippos. The water suddenly turned into a churning mass of whitewater and hippos running at and away from each other. Then, for some reason, the herd of wildebeest moved along the shoreline, much closer to the group of hippos, who were now quieting down again. Still looking like they needed an extra push, they got it when a second group of wildebeest came rushing over and down the cliff. This was the bravery ...

On the Great Migration Endless lines of wildebeest    This was our last day on safari and we were spending it at one of the most exciting parks in East Africa. Known as the jewel of Kenya, the Masai Mara National Reserve is the continuation of the Serengeti plains of Tanzania. It is also the home to the Great Migration. Its a tough, croc eat wildebeest world  This migration of millions of wildebeests, zebras, and antelope plays out in one of the most exotic ecosystems on earth. Seemingly endless lines of some of Africa's most resilient animals follow the rain and green grass in a treacherous circular route. Along the way they must sustain themselves, fend off attacks from Africa's biggest predators, and give birth to fuel future generations of migrators.   To see this natural phenomena is a bucket list item that everyone should have but relatively few get to experience. You have to time your trip to Africa, visit the right part of the Mara or Sere...