NDUTU & THE SERENGETI

Still, we had to be moving onwards, our trip into the magical caldera was only a short one, as we had many kilometres to cover to reach Ndutu before the end of the day. The road down to the lodge can be very muddy after rain and we wanted to be sure we were travelling along it while daylight lasted.

Ndutu, on the shores of the lake that bears the same name, is at the very southern end of the plain of the Serengeti where the grasslands give way to acacia forests and the hills of the crater highlands. The lake, along with the neighbouring Lake Masek, are situated in a slight valley with some swampy areas and broken woodland. Our journey from the rim of Ngorongoro would take us about 80km, much of it downhill through the crater highlands, around the side of Mount Lemagrut, another extinct (or maybe just dormant) – but unexploded – volcano and past the Olduvai Gorge scientific site.

It is indeed getting dark as we approach the lodge, and there is little to be seen of the wildlife. There have, however, been tantalising hints of the numbers to come. There were thousands of wildebeest and zebra in moderate groups as we came down out of the mountains.

For somewhere so far from civilisation, Ndutu Safari Lodge is an oasis of luxury and sophistication in the heart of a vast wilderness. The chalets are comfortable with good facilities and the food and service are excellent. Once you get used to having a family of genets looking down on you as you eat, everything is top notch. We are here for a full week, giving us plenty of time to explore and also a chance to head into the heart of the Serengeti National Park and visit Seronera.

Our time of arrival is not an accident. The annual migration across the plains of East Africa, from the Masai Mara into the Serengeti and back again is one of the wildlife wonders of the world. By the start of January, the rains have passed through the southern edge of the Serengeti plains and the wildebeest, zebra and gazelles have followed the fresh grass to end up around Ndutu. They come here to feed up and the wildebeest time the birth of their calves to coincide with this arrival.

You simply cannot exaggerate the numbers involved here. As many as two million large mammals are moving south to the area and settling in to enjoy the lush grasses springing up around them. During the first couple of days, I tried my hardest to take a photograph that would help to convey the sheer numbers all around you, but it is a very difficult thing to do when there are herds of wildebeest as far as the eye can see in all directions. You find yourself looking at a group nearby and then your eye is drawn through the trees to a hillside in the distance that is likewise covered in thousands more.

Of course, where there are herbivores, there are also carnivores and this is especially true around Ndutu. Finally, I can see some of the big cats that have mostly eluded my gaze up to this point. The Marsh Pride is huge, one male with four lionesses and about a dozen cubs are enjoying the fact that there’s far more meet on the hoof than they could ever eat.

There is also a lone male with the end of his tail missing who tends to stick to the plains south of the camp. He looks well fed and healthy enough though.

We also meet a family of cheetahs, three brothers who live and hunt together. When we first encounter them, they are relaxing under a shady tree, rolling on their backs like kittens and attracting quite a crowd of safari vehicles – including us. They are not the only cheetahs that we see, catching a fine view of a female prowling down through the marshes and a tantalizing glimpse of a female with a couple of cubs deep in the marshy undergrowth.

Of course, they area has other predators too, spotted hyena are seen a few times, we catch sight of an African wildcat in the late evening, obviously off on a hunting trip and even a momentary glimpse of a caracal which leaps out of sight the instant is sees our approach.

There are thousands of zebras and Thompson’s gazelle in addition to the wildebeest, as well as a scattering of impala and giraffe. The birdlife is no less varied and numerous. There are hundreds of vultures, congregating in great numbers on any kill. There are eagles, falcons, harriers, kites, goshawks, herons, cranes, storks, flamingos and water birds galore. There are parrots, love birds, tiny finches and the odd owl.

As a group, we have often talked about the element of luck involved in being on a safari. You have to be “lucky” to see a leopard or a lion, you need “luck” to catch a glimpse of Kilimanjaro without clouds obscuring your view and so forth. While there is indeed an element of good fortune and good timing in these sightings and events, there is only so much that luck can do and you have to help in any way you can.

So, to this end, we tend to stay in a location for a few days, long enough to let luck give us a helping hand and plenty of time for us to explore the location and seek out whatever there is to be seen.

I’m never going to suggest that there’s no luck involved, but I’m certain that good planning, longer stays and a great guide who knows the country well is much more important than being lucky. I’m still sure we get at least one moment of pure “luck” on each trip, but much of the things I’ve been fortunate enough to see and experience are not lucky at all.