Rwanda - land of a thousand hills

The land of a thousand hills

The Rwanda story has to start with the horrible events of 1994 but I leave you to read the various reads on this subject, without which one can never really understand the Rwanda story but all I can say is never again! What is relevant is to focus on what Rwanda is today and just how far this small little country has got to since those dark days of 1994. In a relatively short period of time Rwanda is today one of the great success stories of Africa.

Goodbye Tanzania, thanks for the memories!

Storm clouds gather over the plains in our favorite place in Tanzania....

After nearly 7 years it is time for us to leave Tanzania. The Tanzanian journey has been an amazing adventure for us. In a country that is not the easiest for self drivers, we have experienced the best wild life on earth on our terms. From pushing a broken down 4x4 on the main Dar - Arusha highway to negotiating black cotton in the Selous to surviving the bone crunching Ngorongoro - Serengeti road, Tanzania has been a tough destination. 

The wildlife has been nothing short of sensational with the migration crossing the Mara River being the highlight without a shadow of a doubt. We were able to positively identify 334 of Tanzania's over 1,300 bird count. We have also been able to share the Tanzania experience with both sets of our parents who caught the migration in the Serengeti. After arriving in Tanzania via the Tunduma border where it took us 24 hours to clear, we leave via air headed to Kigali in Rwanda in search of the next adventure.  

Kwa heri Tanzania!

Mikumi NP: January 2017

Us and our road block

Ten days after spending New Year ’s Eve at Mikumi and opening our 2017 shooting with Super Sub on the road, we were back at Mikumi. It was the first long weekend of the year and last one before the April holiday season so we were back looking for shooting opportunities. The rains were late and except for the odd spot of green, the landscape was still waiting for the rains in January. Metres from the gate there was a fresh buffalo carcass by the side of the road and the hope was the lions were in the vicinity.

Ruaha National Park - December 2016

Ruaha National Park

One year after we broke the timing belt en route to Ruaha which led to a string of expensive repairs and after fixing a new clutch and four new heavy duty shocks after our last Serengeti trip earlier this year, we were finally heading to Ruaha National Park in the Southwest of Tanzania.

Mikumi NP, December 2016

Hippo Pools was the only water for miles.

With no long weekends in November, two public holidays early in December was an opportunity to check out Mikumi for the last time of the year. The usual early morning start and we were on the road this time with 4 new heavy duty shocks a new clutch plate. The check in at the gate was surprisingly quick for a long weekend. The lion report was the Hippo pools pride was last seen near the water holes two days ago.

Mikumi NP, October 2016

Dry season at Jacana pool.

A long weekend a couple of weeks after returning from the Serengeti saw us packed up and on the road early morning to Mikumi. We were still driving on standard shocks which was a concern but given we had driven from Moshi to Dar on them, it shouldn’t be an issue. 

Serengeti NP Day 6: A last gift on the long road back

Young male lion in morning light

This was our final morning in the Serengeti, and knowing how long the drive back would be, we were up again early with a plan to have a morning game drive before heading out to Naabi Hill gate.

Serengeti NP Day 5: Chasing after cheetahs

Cheetah cubs in a row

While we’d had nice sighting of lions and fantastic sightings of leopard, our cheetah sightings had been limited to a few long range sightings, and we’d hardly taken a photo of one.  So it was back to chasing cheetahs again.  Along with the information about the cheetah family at Mawe Meupe, we also had a lead on a family between Maasai and Boma Kopjes, so the plan was to head out to that area.

Serengeti NP Day 4: A day of spots

Up again at the crack of dawn, we were ready to go at 6am even though it was still dark.  But it was an hour’s drive to the leopard, so we left in the dark hoping to be one of the first at the leopard.  In the end, we were the second car to be on the scene, the other being a guided tour vehicle with one guy with a massive lens – he no doubt had the same idea as us.

Serengeti NP Day 3: A day of wrong decisions

Just chilling...

Before we had come to the Serengeti, we’d contacted the Serengeti Cheetah Project team to see if they would give us any information on the location of a cheetah mom and 5 cubs that they’d been tracking.  They’d been very helpful and had given us 2 different areas to keep an eye out for cheetah cubs, which we were hoping to catch on this trip.  So the plan was to focus on cheetahs for the day.