Where the wild things are

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of wildlife activity in the Masai Mara as the great wildebeest migration has been in full flow. And one camp whose location makes the most of this annual spectacle is Sala’s Camp. Even outside migration season this is a sensational spot for wildlife, with elephants, buffalo, giraffes and diverse birdlife on display in a remote and private setting. But when the wildebeest herds arrive, Sala’s explodes with life.

Dramatic river crossings can be witnessed from Sala's Camp

Sala’s Camp is located in the heart of the African wilderness, at the fringes of the Masai Mara and overlooking the Serengeti just over the border in Tanzania. What makes Sala’s particularly special during the migration is the camp’s proximity to where the Sand and the Keekorok rivers meet. This delivers the thrillingly dramatic sight of countless thousands of wildebeest and zebra making their life-or-death bid to swim the river whilst also evading eager attackers.

The camp is passed by the migration both on its way north into the Serengeti and on its way back south. It is the return journey that the camp has reported seeing over recent days. The unimaginable abundance of wildebeest in the region at this time has, as you would expect, attracted more than a little attention from predators. The area’s resident lions have been out in force, providing some intimate big cat sightings for the lucky recent guests at Sala’s.

A tented bedroom at Sala's Camp

But we love Sala’s Camp for more than just its amazing animals. It’s also a pleasure to take guests there because of its great hospitality and comfort. Wild it may be, but there’s no shortage of creature comforts to provide the luxury and relaxation that are crucial ingredients of every Africa House safari.

If you like the sound of Sala’s Camp, we’d love to take you there. Whether it’s timed to coincide with the migration and its incomparable drama, or at another time of the year, a safari at Sala’s guarantees an action-packed slice of Africa.

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.