LEMALA CAMPS - June 2010

LEMALA AWARDS, CAMP NEWS, MIGRATION UPDATE

25 June 2010

LEMALA NDUTU – VOTED RUNNER-UP BEST NEW SAFARI PROPERTY IN AFRICA BY THE GOOD SAFARI GUIDE
Lemala Ndutu is that quintessential safari camp – offering just the right level of luxury while focusing mainly on providing a great bush encounter. We dedicate this award to the staff who have consistently delivered to a high standard.

LEMALA EWANJAN SERONERA VALLEY
The camp in now open and has a beautiful, secluded location in Central Serengeti with sweeping views of the Serengeti grasslands. The camp offers easy access to the game-rich Seronera Valley, Moru Kopjes, Musabi Plains and Grumeti areas. Balloon Safaris are also easily accessible. New photos of the camp and tents are now on www.lemalacamp.com.

HOT NEWS!
Last night guests at the camp witnessed two lionesses kill a thompson's gazelle which was then promptly grabbed by a male lion who took it to a nearby tree and proceeded to eat it while guests watched from the tent.

LEMALA TARANGIRE
The camp is now open inside Central Tarangire National Park in a superb secluded location with easy access to the Tarangire River (a few hundred meters from the camp) and Silale and Gursi wetland areas. Scheduled walks from the camp to the Tarangire River and night game drives will be introduced shortly. New photos of the camp and tents are now on the web site

LEMALA MARA
This season Lemala Mara, which becomes Lemala Ndutu between December and April, is located near the Mara River. New photos are now available on the web site.

LEMALA NGORONGORO
Lemala Ngorongoro is the best gateway to the crater floor. Guests do not have to queue at gates to enter the crater floor and are able to go down as early as 6.15am or exit as late as 6.00pm ensuring they enjoy quiet game drives and best light conditions for photography. We are happy to provide packed breakfast, lunches and snacks for the day.

FOOTBALL FEVER
All our camps are showing live football matches in the staff area and many of the guests have been watching the games. It seems we need a few more England supporters!

SERENGETI MIGRATION
The migration pattern has been unusual this June with herds spread over Western, Central and Eastern areas of the Serengeti.

Lemala Ewanjan Seronera Valley which opened just over 2 weeks has been running at full steam. Ewanjan guests have been able to witness the tail-end of the migration near the camp as well as big herds near Ft Ikoma and Musabi Plains. Predator sightings around the Seronera Valley have been superb with several prides of lions dominating the area. Leopard and cheetah sightings have been prolific too. The mating season is in full swing with guests having witnessed leopards, lions, elephants, plains game as well as birds in courtship.

Last week guests staying at Lemala Mara were transferred to Lemala Ewanjan while the Mara awaited the migration. The good news is that some herds have just reached the Mara area and crossings should start taking place in good numbers soon. It remains to be seen how soon the herds on the western side of the Serengeti will arrive at the Mara River but due to split migration we expect a continuous flow of migration through the Lemala Mara area until October. The Lamai triangle was inaccessible last week due to high water levels but we should be able to access it soon as the water level drops.

This year Lemala Mara is located near the river. This proximity combined with the Mara River being significantly higher than last year and the possibility of off-road game viewing in secluded areas should provide a Vintage migration year for Lemala clients.

TARANGIRE MIGRATION
Several big herds of elephants and buffalo have already arrived into Central Tarangire and more are arriving from surrounding areas. We have been seeing over 500 elephants daily, some in long lines along the Silale swamp. The Gursi swamp on the other hand has very little game at the moment. Predator sightings have been difficult due to long grass but we have spotted a pride of mating lions and a group of cheetahs. The game viewing will get better when the dry season sets in and the grass is shorter. Raptors seem to be having a boom with several sightings of Fish, Crested and Martial eagles. The birdlife has been terrific around the park. It is amazing how many birds there are and the park never seems to stop singing during the day!

Asante Sana
Lemala Camps