 We recently chose to take
an Abercrombie and Kent Safari, "Wings Over The Migration" to
Tanzania and Kenya in East Africa. We flew to Arusha, Tanzania, where we were met by our
guides. The next day we were flown by small plane over the "Great Rift
Valley" to a lodge in the Serengeti National Park. After three days in the
Park we drove by Land Rover to the Ngorongoro Crater for several more days of game
viewing. We next flew via Nairobi, Kenya, to the
Samburu National Reserve for more of game viewing. Then we took a short drive to overnight
at the Mt. Kenya Safari Club before flying to the Masai Mara National Reserve. While in
the Mara, we flew to Lake Victoria for game fishing and a visit to fishing villages of the
Luo tribesmen.
 We had talked about an African Safari for
many years, but for one reason or another had put it off. We did expect that the trip
would be arduous, but were resolved to minimize this factor. This Safari accomplished that
by flying the group from game preserve to game preserve, with Land Rovers only used for
game viewing. Our Safari had three Rovers each carrying two to four passengers and a
guide, providing ample room for game viewing and photography. The accommodations in the
lodges and tented camps, were by African standards, luxurious, and were sufficiently
exotic to provide a feeling of adventure without hardship.
The "Migration" is the continuous movement of
hundreds of thousand of animals from Tanzania's Serengeti Plains to Kenya's Masai Mara and
back each year in search of grazing, as the wet season turns to the dry season. Crossing
the Plains in search of the animals is like crossing an ocean where the waving grass can
be likened to the rolling ocean swells. The bulk of the animals in the migration consist
of Wildebeests, Zebras and Gazelles of all types with Lions, Jackals, Cheetahs, Leopards
and other predators in their midst.
 
 Larger animals such as Elephants, Giraffes, Rhinos and Hippopotamus
are also found in the Parks and Game Preserves. After a day of game viewing, we were
returning in our Land Rover to our Lodge on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, when an
elephant emerged from the bush just behind our Rover. He started to follow us. Our guide
told the driver to step on the gas but he stalled the car instead. The elephant, just as
startled as we were, came within two feet of us as I took a quick snap shot. Fortunately,
he stopped and trotted off into the bush.
  We have many
memories of the animals, "up close and personal." Some of the most poignant of
these are of the animal young. Several times we saw Gazelles and Zebras just moments after
their birth, struggling to their feet, and on wobbly legs following their mothers. We were
very fortunate to see a mother lioness under a solitary Gardenia bush with two cubs that
had been born within the past few hours. As we watched a third cub was born. We maintained
a vigil for several hours as picture after picture was taken.
 In addition to memories of the animals, we have many memories of the
people. The Masai tribesmen are basically herders, moving from spot to spot to graze their
cattle and goats. They live in small villages surrounded by thorn bush fences constructed
to keep out predators, such as Lions and Leopards and Cheetahs. When we visited their
villages they dressed in their brightly colored native costumes. The Luo tribesmen, on the
other hand, live by fishing the waters of Lake Victoria in lateen rigged sailboats
patterned after Arab slavers who once raided about the lake.
East Africa has been the traditional area for Safari
Vacations. In recent years Southern Africa has opened some excellent areas to Safari.
These include Botswana and Zimbabwe with its Victoria Falls. Distances are great, and
although we looked at combining a trip to Victoria Falls with our East African trip we
were pleased that we did not, when all was said and done. That's a trip we may take
another time.
As with other trips of this type picking the area to visit,
considering add ons, and above all picking the Tour Company is all-important. If you would
like to discuss our research and thoughts on these matters, send us an email or contact
a Uniglobe travel specialist.
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