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.

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...