Cats, calves and coffee boys

When we’re not arranging safaris for our guests, we love to take the opportunity to explore the wonders of East Africa for ourselves. We did just that last month as friends from the UK joined us on safari in Ndutu, located in the southern part of Tanzania’s renowned Serengeti National Park. Around January, this corner of the Serengeti becomes an epicentre of wildlife activity, with game gathering and alternating between long and short grass plains – so we were hopeful about the prospect of witnessing some dramatic action. Fortunately, we were treated to precisely that, as a variety of Africa’s most mesmerising natural spectacles played out before us.

The 'Coffee Boys' after taking
down a wildebeest

The region provided a generous display of big cat activity. Huge prides of lions paraded the plains, combining with the landscape to create a very iconic African scene. And we were lucky to see often-elusive cheetahs going about their business. We came upon the ‘coffee boys’ known in this region – three cheetah brothers who have been named Mocha, Latte and Espresso. We watched the group for a whole morning as they killed a wildebeest then two tore into the carcass while the third kept watch for intruders who might be curious about their catch.

Ndutu is also the perfect place to see wildebeest at the start of the year. As part of their perpetual migration around the Serengeti-Masai Mara ecosystem, many of the animals are concentrated here in January. And what makes this stage of the migration special is the onset of calving season – with 80% of wildebeest being born from January to mid-March. We were lucky to see a newly born wildebeest calf. Witnessing the tender moment between mother and child revealed a rare personal aspect to a species which usually summons up images of vast herds traversing the savannah in unison – a spectacular but contrasting sight which can be seen later in the season.

A baby wildebeest with its mother

The Serengeti also hosts a staggering abundance and variety of bird life, evidence of which is especially apparent during this season. A definite ornithological highlight for us was seeing a huge group of white storks gathered on the plains. These unmistakable birds, with their long beaks and hulking forms, had flown in from Europe. They spend winter in Africa before returning north later where they take a break from delivering babies to human mums and settle to raise their own young!

On top of our amazing wildlife experiences in Ndutu, the safari was enhanced further by the quality of our accommodation at Lake Masek Tented Camp. Understated rustic simplicity provided the ideal complement to the sublime wilderness surrounding the camp. Raised on wooden platforms, each tent comes with a veranda, taking full opportunity of the momentous views. Comfortable beds in generous bedroom spaces, plentiful hot water and outdoor showers provided all the comfort we needed. And that all-important element of great service was also present here – our friendly, attentive hosts ensured that we were well looked after, and even went as far as offering to re-stitch a damaged beanbag we use as a camera support in our vehicle. Extra care like that is something which you don’t expect.

White storks arriving from Europe

Witnessing the theatre of the Serengeti at an active moment while also experiencing fine African hospitality, our holiday amounted to being in the right place at the right time. For our companions and us, this trip was a great example of what safari is all about – fun, drama and luxury.