About Serengeti National Park

A World Heritage Site, Serengeti National Park is undoubtedly one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the world. Covering an area of 14,763 sq km, it is the largest national park in Tanzania.

The Great Migration

The phenomenal display of The Great Migration occurs annually, when 2 million wildebeests, zebras and gazelles begin migrating in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of the southern Serengeti in Tanzania and loop through the Serengeti National Park and north towards the Masai Mara reserve in Kenya. This event is a natural phenomenon determined by the availability of grazing.

Between May and July, when drought sets in, Serengeti is the site of one of the most breathtaking events in the animal kingdom – the migration of thousands of wildebeest heading southwest, north or west in search of water and greener pastures. The Lobo area remains rich in wildlife during the dry months of August to November when most of the game has moved from the grass plains in the south. This is also true of the Western Corridor towards Lake Victoria when the migration usually lingers in the area between June and July.

Serengeti provides sanctuary to the highest concentration of plains animals in the world. Survey estimates indicate an animal population of over 4 million including 3,000 lions, 1,600,000 wildebeest, 300,000 Thomson‘s and Grant‘s gazelle, 500,000 zebras, not to mention over 400 species of birds in the Serengeti.

Crossing the great plains of The Serengeti allow you a chance to spy all big 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo as well as giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, warthog, topi, hartebeest, impala, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles, hyenas, jackals, serval, caracal, baboon, large cobras, monkey, eland, bushbuck, dik-dik, waterbuck, reedbuck, hippos, crocodiles, Patas monkey, turaco, antelope, oribi, grey bush duiker, black-and-white colobus, flamingos, Kori bustard, secretary bird, ostrich, and much more.

Click here for Tanzania Safaris

Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve is the perfect wildlife sanctuary with expansive savannah and unmatched wildlife. The greatest animal spectacle in the world is The Great Wildebeest Migration. It occurs every year when more than 2 million animals migrate from the adjoining Serengeti. July through October are typically the best times to witness the migration.

Wildlife

Besides the numerous zebras, wildebeests, and gazelles, elephants, buffaloes and hippos exist in large numbers. Lions are found in large prides everywhere in The Masai Mara. Leopards and cheetahs are less visible, but still fairly common. Thomson’s gazelle and Grant’s gazelle are the most prevalent of the antelopes, as well as large numbers of impala and topi.

The park hosts all of the big five (rhino, lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant) including the rare and elusive black rhino. Other wildlife to be found in the reserve are impala, giraffe, topi,  jackals, hyena, bat-eared fox,  450 species of birds including Verreaux’s eagle owl, ostrich, kori bustard, martial eagle and more.

People

Masai tribes people live peacefully in and around the park. Traditionally nomadic, Masai can be found herding cattle and goats. These days many Masai villages welcome visitors and take pride in explaining their way of life.

Safaris

Kenya safaris are customizable, and typically designed for 2 or more people. Masai (Maasai) Mara can be visited on safari from Nairobi. It is possible to fly from Nairobi, although most safaris include travel by road. Most safaris include other game parks as well.

Kenya Safaris here.

About Mount Kilimanjaro

Looming over the town of Moshi in northern Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro rises from the dry plains, through a wide belt of forest and high alpine heath to an almost bare desert and finally the snow-capped summit, Uhuru Peak. At just 3 degrees south of the Equator it is one of the world’s highest free standing mountains. Mt. Kilimanjaro is composed of three extinct volcanoes: Kibo 5895 m (19340 ft.), Mawenzi 5149 m (16896 ft.), and Shira 3962 m (13000 ft.). Almost every kind of ecological system is found on the mountain: cultivated land, rain forest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and an arctic summit.

“As wide as all the world, great, high and unbelievably white in the sun was the square top of Mount Kilimanjaro”, wrote Ernest Hemingway of this highest mountain in Africa rising to 5,895 metres above sea level.

Routes

A climb on Africa’s highest mountain leads you through magnificent forest terrain. The ascent of Kilimanjaro can be done from six routes: Mweka, Umbwe, Shira, Rongai, Machame, and the Marangu Route which is the easier and the most popular. Depending on which route one wants to use, the climb of Kilimanjaro can take between four nights to six nights on the mountain. The two most popular routes are Marangu and Machame. On the Marangu Route, accommodation is in alpine huts while on Machame Route it is camping throughout. While expert guides and porters will accompany you on your climb, no technical equipment is required.

Weather

Snowfall can occur at any time of year but is mostly associated with northern Tanzania’s two rainy seasons. Precipitation in the summit area occurs principally as snow and graupel of 250 to 500 mm (9.8 to 19.7 in) per year and ablates within days or years.

The two rainy seasons last from March to May and another around the month of November. The northern slopes receive much less rainfall than the southern ones. The lower southern slope receives 800 to 900 mm (31 to 35 in) annually, rising to 1,500 to 2,000 mm (59 to 79 in) at 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) altitude and peaking “partly over” 3,000 mm (120 in) in the forest belt at 2,000 to 2,300 metres (6,600 to 7,500 ft). In the alpine zone, annual precipitation decreases to 200 mm (7.9 in).

The average temperature in the summit area is approximately −7 °C (19 °F). Nighttime surface temperatures on the Northern Ice Field (NIF) fall on average to −9 °C (16 °F) with an average daytime high of −4 °C (25 °F). It is possible for the NIF to cool to as low as −15 to −27 °C (5 to −17 °F).

Wildlife

Large animals are rare on Kilimanjaro and are more frequent in the forests and lower parts of the mountain. Elephants and Cape buffaloes are among the animals that can be potentially hazardous to trekkers. Bushbucks, chameleons, dik-diks, duikers, mongooses, sunbirds, and warthogs have also been reported. Zebras, leopards and hyenas have been observed sporadically on the Shira plateau. Specific species associated with the mountain include the Kilimanjaro shrew and the chameleon Kinyongia tavetana. There are several stupendous game parks in Tanzania and nearby Kenya.

Amboseli National Park

Amboseli, one of the oldest national parks across the border in Kenya. It is located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. The park is famous for its tranquil beauty and easily approachable animals, where the snows of Mount Kilimanjaro form a majestic backdrop to one of Kenya’s most spectacular displays of wildlife.

Due to the open nature of the park, lions are easily spotted, and can occasionally be watched stalking their prey. Zebra, giraffe and gazelles abound.  The elephant population of 1500 is one of the longest studied and best researched.  Buffalo, leopard, cheetah, wildebeests, hyenas, jackals, warthogs, and baboons are all present here.

All Kilimanjaro trekking routes

High Altitude Climbing and Altitude Sickness

Travel Morocco. Let the sights, sounds and tastes of Morocco envelop you. Morocco is becoming a hotspot for travellers as of late. Having just returned, I understand why. I was pleasantly surprised and my expectations were completely exceeded.

The country boasts a variety of terrains, culture and history. From 2000 year old roman ruins to Kasbahs to the Sahara sand dunes to bustling modern cities. It has been one of the most politically stable countries in North Africa,

Morocco is home to nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among them the Fez Medina, with over 9000 alleyways and considered one of the world’s largest pedestrian only zones. Fez also has the world’s oldest university.

Destinations

Marrakesh, the fourth largest city, is one of the busiest cities in Africa and serves as a major economic centre and tourist destination. The Marrakesh Medina is over 1100 acres in size and is also a UNESCO site. The city boasts beautiful gardens and investments in real estate have allowed the city to flourish as well as attract over 2 million tourists a year.

Ait Benhaddou is a fortified kasbah, using typical clay architecture, and is also a UNESCO site. It is situated along the former caravan route between the Sahara desert and Marrakesh. Many films have been made here using Ait Benhaddou in their sets.

Casablanca is Morocco’s chief port city and boasts the 5^th largest mosque in the world, Hassan II Mosque. A portion of the mosque projects out into the Atlantic Ocean and it has a retractable roof. It is a work of architectural genius and holds 25,000 worshippers.

A trip to Morocco is not complete without a camel ride into the desert, and a night in a Berber tent for a taste of Berber culture.

Tours

I have just completed this tour in November 2018, an 8 day fast paced spicy intro to a beautiful country. 8 days from $971 CAD On sale Jan 8 departure. https://benefactours.com/tour-detail/?tour=morocco-kasbahs-&-desert&id=22843

For a more upscale experience taking in more sites, here is Sahara and Beyond for 15 days from $3259 CAD.  https://benefactours.com/tour-detail/?tour=morocco:-sahara-&-beyond&id=23741

Discover the fresh cedar forests of the Atlas Mountains, meander the winding lanes of old Marrakech, and ride into the desert on a camel or a 4×4. Meet musicians, Berbers, and artisans, and soak up the exotic beauty of Morocco.