Capturing the Moment

 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...