Kilimanjaro: Martin & Team Visit the Ngorongoro Crater
Posted by: Jeff Martin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Hello from the Plantation Lodge,
The Ngorongoro Crater did not disappoint today. In fact, it was a five star day! We started off early so we could spend the whole day down in the Crater. The first sighting was a big bull elephant, followed by seeing 5 black rhinos, a pride of 7 lions, a lone male lion, many hippos including a hippo out if the water and three hippos that were 15' away from us at our lunch spot. Hyenas, baby jackals, and Grant and Thompson Gazelles, plus all the other animals we saw yesterday, but in even greater numbers.
The grass in the Crater is really green because of the recent rains, and the animals were everywhere. After we were almost cross-eyed from looking at all the animals, we headed up to the rim of the crater and went to a Maasai Village. The Massai are a tribe of 70 different clans, totaling almost 55,000 people. They inhabit the land around Ngorongoro and to the north into Kenya. They are trying hard to live in their traditional ways but still exist in a modern world. This was our opportunity to see first hand how they are doing it.
It was definitely a very full day. Now we are back at the lodge, just finished dinner and making our plans for tomorrow. We'll head south to Tarangire National Park for our final two days of safari. Still on the list of animals to see - a leopard.
Best regards,
RMI Guide Jeff Martin & Team
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Comments (1)
Wow! Sounds like a fabulous day on safari. It’s great to hear that all of the rain we witnessed has been so good for the Tanzanian flora and fauna.
35 hours after leaving the Dik Dik I arrived home, safe and sound with all of my luggage in tow. Dang the air is thick and heavy here at sea level! I think about you guys all the time and I can’t wait to see your animal photos.
Hugs,
Sarah
Posted by: Sarah on