LEMALA NDUTU
Wildlife haven in Ndutu
Perched on the edge of a
permanent marsh, Lemala Ndutu is the ultimate amphitheater for the
wildebeest migration between December and April. 8 luxury tents and 1
family tent of a very high specification
are relocated from the Mara area of Northern Serengeti to this stunning Ndutu site between Dec and
mid-April purely to capture the
boundless drama that accompanies the migration. The migrating herds of
over 1.5 million wildebeest and zebra begin to arrive in December and
throughout February and March the calving and rutting season takes
place.
The camp is
situated inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area along the border of
Southern Serengeti in what is perhaps the finest location in the whole
of Ndutu. Tucked away under huge umbrella thorn acacias, Lemala Ndutu
offers fantastic views of the marsh which attracts a large number of
plains game and predators. The camp enjoys regular
visits from the resident wildlife ranging from lions, leopards,
cheetah and hyena to elephant and giraffe.
Lion hunts
close to the camp are not uncommon.
Another
major advantage of the area is the ability to do off-road game
viewing. Lemala's open 4x4 vehicles are specially designed with
charging units and a large refrigerator so that guests can enjoy full
day game drives with great picnic breakfasts and lunches organized by
the kitchen. The camp also offer optional walks along the marsh with
an armed ranger for closer encounters with the wildlife.
Each spacious tent is very comfortable and
outfitted with a large single or king-size beds with warm
duvets,
wooden flooring with rugs, 24-hr solar lighting, and
en-suite bathrooms with a dressing area, flush toilet and a great safari
shower.
The mess tent is beautifully furnished in contemporary style with
comfortable sofas, lamps, book and
corner cabinets, chests and rugs. In the evening,
guests gather around the campfire for sundowners
before retiring for dinner under chandeliers hosted by the camp manager.
House alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are included at meal time.
Superb tents and
hosting, alfresco meals, fireside discussions and sundowners,
spectacular views and sunsets, prime migration viewing and optional
walks all add to one of the best under canvas safari experiences in
Tanzania.
For a complete Serengeti experience, combine your stay
at Ndutu with at
least 2 nights at Lemala Ewanjan Seronera Valley (3-hr drive). Lemala
Ndutu can be booked on an exclusive basis.
OPEN: 15 Nov to 15 April
SIZE: 8 Luxury tents and 1 family tent. Each luxury tent can accommodate
triple. The family tent can accommodate 2 adults and 2 to 3 children.
OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
Game
walk
Private bush breakfast or lunch - min 4pax
LOCATION: Ndutu Extra
NEAREST AIRSTRIP: Ndutu
APPROX. DRIVING TIMES:
From
Manyara airstrip - 4hrs
From
Lemala Ngorongoro - 3.5hrs
From
Lemala Tarangire - 6.5hrs
From
Lemala Ewanjan Seronera Valley - 3hrs
From
Seronera - 3hrs
From
Arusha - 7hrs
RATES: Available on game package or drive-in rates. Children rate
applies for 6-16 yrs. For complete inclusions and exclusions please see
the rate sheet.
MIN
AGE - 6 Yrs
About Serengeti
George Adamson, co-raiser of Elsa the lioness, and husband of "Born
Free" author Joy Adamson, visited the Serengeti in the early sixties
and describes the experience in "Pride and Joy", his autobiography.
At this time he considered it probably the greatest of all game
reserves in Africa and one man was mainly responsible - Bernhardt
Grzimek, Director of Frankfurt Zoo. The Serengeti had suffered
terribly from over-zealous hunting in the 1930's and from
large-scale killing of game during the war. Grzimek applied himself
to the tensions between Maasai need for grazing and the indigenous
wildlife. He and his son carried out a massive survey, using planes
to quantify the game, and identifying and logging the plantlife. He
used his best-seller "Serengeti Shall Not Die" to raise funds and
publicise the exercise. Thanks to the Grzimeks, and to John Owen who
established a renowned scientific research establishment there, the
Serengeti still has an amazing concentration of wildlife.
The 14,763 square kilometres of the Serengeti are probably most famous
for being the southern end of the Great Migration. Every year over 1.5
million animals, mostly wildebeest but also zebra and Thompson's
gazelle, follow their instincts and move through the western corridor
on their 1000 kilometre journey to the fresh grazing of the Masai
Mara. Predators pick off the weak, the laggardly and the young and
crocodiles feast as the vast herd crosses the rivers but they continue
their trek, as they have done since time immemorial. This is one of
the earth's great sights - but it is by no means all the Serengeti has
to offer.
The vast, flat central plains, made fertile by the ashes of the none
volcanos of the Ngongoro highlands, are places of huge skies, of
shimmering heat hazes, yet also of delicate wild flowers blooming
after the rains. The savannah, sprinkled with Acacia Tortilis, has
majestic termite mounds and rock formations called kopjes which make
great vantage points for predators. The lion are abundant, the leopard
are plentiful (yet still secretive) and black rhino and cheetah both
breed here. There are more than 500 species of bird and,
interestingly, 100 sub-species of dung beetle - a sign of a varied
animal population! Ndutu, in the south, has small lakes where you may
see hippo and water birds. Perhaps one of the best ways to see the
Serengeti is a hot air balloon ride when, in the cool of the early
morning, you may admire the grandeur, the vastness and the stunning
landscape.