Black Friday – 25% off 7N Calving Season Migration Safari

November 22, 2018Posted in Great-Migration-Camps, NewsWritten by Leave a comment

You’ve seen the videos, images and heard the incredible first-hand stories of encounters of wildlife in the bush. Although all this digital content at the touch of a fingertip is fantastic, none of it comes close to actually being there yourself; and its easier than you might think – especially with this BLACK FRIDAY 2018 DEALS.

Calving season is when almost 2 million wildebeest gather to synchonrize birthing. Approximately half a million wildebeest are born within a 2-3 week period. With so many wildebeest, their goal is protection by numbers… but try convincing the hungry lions and cheetahs that have been waiting all year for their annual buffet. It’s time for predator and prey. Calving Season 2019 coming soon to the Serengeti… will you join us?

Black Friday Calving Season Safari Deal: 25% off

What: 7 Night Migration Calving Season Safari
Must book between: 23 – 30 November 2018
Travel Dates: 25 January – 25 March 2019

25 Jan – 25 Mar 2019	Adult (16+)	Child 0-5	Child 5 – 12	Child 12 – 16
25% BLACK FRIDAY DEAL	$3,000	Free (Flights: $440)	$1,500	$2,250
Normal Rate	$4,000	Free (Flights: $440)	$2,000	$3,000

Includes: Return Domestic Flights: Arusha (ARK) – Serengeti; 7Nights GMC Mobile Game Package – tented accommodation, shared ablutions; Meals: Three meals daily, teas & coffees, drinking water; Unlimited Game Drives with English speaking professional driver/guide; All Park and Concession Fees, All Taxes/VAT; Emergency Evacuation Cover (Flying Doctor)

Excludes: International Flights, Visas & Travel insurance, Accommodation before or after your safari, Alcoholic beverages & sodas (cash bar), Gratuities, Any meals not stipulated, All items of a personal nature (toiletries, souvenirs etc), Additional Safari Activities, Tours or Accommodation. Government taxes and/or park fees are subject to change

Child Policy: CHILDREN ARE WELCOME
Under 16 of years of age, children to be accompanied by an adult. We recommend children should be able to sleep through the night. 0 – 5 years must sleep in adult tent. 6 -16 years may share with other children (up to 3 per tent)

How to book: Email your inquiry to info@greatmigrationcamps.com
Use the title: BLACK FRIDAY 7N CALVING SEASON ENQUIRY
Please provide your name, country, number of people travelling and preferred dates.

Terms and Conditions:

Applicable for all new bookings made between 23 and 30 Nov 2018
Deals not available with any other specials or offers or available to agents
30% non-refundable deposit holds the reservation – deposit due 5 Dec 2018
Balance due 60 days prior to departure
Price is per person unless otherwise specified and based on minimum 2 people travelling.
Price is subject to availability
GMC reserves the right to cancel the reservation if payment not received in time, in which case cancellation fees apply.

Black Friday – 20% off Serengeti 7N Family Package Safari

November 22, 2018Posted in Great-Migration-Camps, NewsWritten by Leave a comment

Get your kids outside and experience the sights, sounds and smells of the Serengeti and bring nature back to life. Encounter elephant, lion, cheetah, leopard, hippo, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, gazelles, primates, reptiles and of course the migrating wildebeest in a magnificent journey of discovery for young and old. This BLACK FRIDAY 2018 DEAL – will give you 20% off your 7 Night Family Safari in 2019. Book now

Black Friday Family Package Safari Deal: 20% off

What: 7 Night Family Package Safari
Must book between: 23 – 30 November 2018
Valid for Travel Dates:

16 March – 7 April 2019
15 June – 14 July 2019
21 Sept – 8 October 2019

16 March- 7 April; 15 June- 14 July; 21 Sept- 8 October 2019	2 Adults (16+) 2 Kids (0-5)	2 Adults (16+) 2 Kids (5 – 12)	2 Adults (16+) 2 Kids (12 -16)	2 Adults (16+) 1 Kid (12 -16) 1 Kid (5 -12)
20% BLACK FRIDAY DEAL	$6,080	$9,120	$10,240	$9,680
Normal Rate	$8,400	$11,400	$12,800	$12,100

How to book: Email your inquiry to info@greatmigrationcamps.com
Use the title: BLACK FRIDAY 7N FAMILY PACKAGE ENQUIRY
Please provide your name, country, number of people travelling and preferred dates.

Terms and Conditions:

Applicable for all new bookings made between 23 and 30 Nov 2018
Deals not available with any other specials or offers or available to agents
30% non-refundable deposit holds the reservation – deposit due 5 Dec 2018
Balance due 60 days prior to departure
Price is per person unless otherwise specified and based on minimum 2 people travelling.
Price is subject to availability
GMC reserves the right to cancel the reservation if payment not received in time, in which case cancellation fees apply.

The Great Migration Calving Season 2019

October 28, 2018Posted in Great-Migration-CampsWritten by Leave a comment

Migration Status

2018 has been an unusual crossing season, with very little “normal” behaviour or movement of the migration. There are still huge numbers of wildebeest and zebra on the Masai Mara side and big numbers have moved down from the northern Serengeti to the western Serengeti corridor, Grumeti River area. This is the complete opposite of what is suppose to happen if we look at traditional “migration maps”, like this one (courtesy of Scott Dunn) and has us wondering what will happen in Calving Season 2019.

Traditional-Great-Wildebeest-Migration-Map — Traditional Migration Map

The short rains have started and it is the end of October. There is moisture being pushed into East Africa (Lake Victoria depression) from two sides: From the east or coastal region, moisture is pushed in with the east winds blowing and more moisture is being pushed in from the great lakes regions, west of the Serengeti.

Possible Calving Season Scenarios

If we have lots of early rain which stops in January, February and March. This is the most likely scenario – there is only so much moisture that can fall! The moment the trade winds start blowing off the coast then we might have a fairly dry February/March 2019. This scenario will cause the migration to look for permanent water when the plains have dried out. Possible locations could be the Maswa Game Reserve / Kusini / Kakessio areas west of Lake Ndutu. Or movement to Seronera where there is permanent water in the Seronera valley river system.

The second scenario sees continuous rain from November to end May 2019. There are predictions of a very wet short rainy season, if this connects with the traditional long rains of April May then there would be a constant supply of water and grass on the southern Serengeti plains. This might cause the herds to be spread out from Kakessio in the west to Oldupai in the south to Goll kopjes and even Piyaya in the east.

How to plan your safari for the calving season and what to look out for

The border between the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Authority is an “imaginary line” which basically splits the southern plains in half. Many camps and lodges are either on the Serengeti side or the NCA side of the plains. Very few companies will pay double park fees to accommodate their tourists and give them access to both sides on the same day. This leaves clients with a 50/50 chance of being on the wrong side of the imaginary line.

How do I fix this and make sure I get to see the calving season from end January to end March 2019

Make sure you have park fees paid for both sides of the southern plains
Book your safari with Great Migration Camps – guaranteeing you will be with the herds

When to come on safari to witness the calving season

The calving season is a window between end January and end March. Gathering in massive numbers, the wildebeest synchronize their birthing, for safety reasons. Needless to say, there are very good animal interactions and predator activity throughout this time. February – March are the two ideal months to come to the Serengeti / NCA. It is a special season due to the sheer numbers and abundance of wildlife and activity.

Talk to us about the migration and where to go when!

GMC Mobile: Game Package Rates $330 and Full board Rates $230 (excludes Park Fees and getting there).

Contact: +255 686 493 065 | Email: info@greatmigrationcamps.com

Send us your #migrationupdates via Social Media

October 2018 – Migration Updates

October 10, 2018Posted in Great-Migration-CampsWritten by Leave a comment

Migration Updates – what happened in September 2018?

Wildebeest Whisperer, Carel Verhoef, reports back on an eventful month of the great migration – with a lot of confusion as the wildebeest moved back and forth across the Mara River.

Towards the end of August there was significant rainfall (50 mm!) on the Serengeti side from the central Seronera and eastern Barafu Kopjes to Kogatende in the northern part of the Serengeti. Lots of rain on areas that had been burnt earlier in August. This caused the herds to start moving from north to south, and some concern that the herds would not move north to Kenya at all. Big herd numbers were gathered around the Sand River. The rain seemed to split the herds into a northern and southern group, with some large numbers in Kenya from earlier crossings and many wildebeest wandering south – making it as far as Mbuzi Mawe!

To cross of not to cross — This image by Brendan Allen sums up the season – to cross or not to cross? #Zebra

The Kenyans burnt a large area in the Masai Mara from Talek to Lookout Hill on 6 September. Not long after this there was another shift at the wildebeest headed north again arriving in Kenya and the Mara Triangle towards the end of September. There were some big crossings at the Sand River into the Mara Reserve with large numbers arriving in the Mara North Conservancies.

At the moment the herds are scattered with some as far north as the Mara Triangle and southern conservancies, some around Kogatende and as far south as Lobo on the Serengeti Side. Mara River crossings are happening on both the Kenyan and Tanzanian sides.

Migration Predictions

The big question is when the short rains will start as this will impact on the movement of the herds. If there is no rain, the herds should stay up north in both the Serengeti and Masai Mara as there is permanent water and some good springs. Great Migration Camps suggests this is the likely scenario for the next couple of weeks at least.

If the rain comes, the area of rainfall will help make the decision for the wildebeest herds. Rain further south means the herds could move towards Kleins Gate and Lobo sooner rather than later.

Of course all these micro-movements have us here at Great Migration Camps asking the question about where calving season will be? Potentially the herds may not move all the way south to the Ndutu and southern Serengeti plains… but have no fear, Great Migration Camps will still be there – wherever they may be! Calving season bookings are open.

Migration Update 28 August

Huge crossings of the Mara River on the Serengeti side from north to south. Update from Danny Akiyoo – guide at Asilia Africa. Watch the video here.

Migration Update 02 Sept

Lenny Koshal with news of wildebeest herds crossing the Sand River north to south update. Take a look at this crossing!

Migration Update 04 Sept

Great crossing Serengeti side at Makutano north to south again. Update from Asilia Africa guide Elia Edward

Migration Update 18 Sept

Zebra Crossing! It’s not just the wildebeest who migrate or cross rivers – look at this huge Zebra crossing on the sand river near Sala’s Camp moving south to the Serengeti.

Migration Update 20 Sept

Frank Gabriel, from Lemala Camps and lodges, always sends fabulous updates like this huge herd crossing the Mara River on the Serengeti side – headed south!

Migration Update 21 Sept

Ainslee Wilson from Alex Walker’s Serien reported a big wildebeest crossing at No 7 headed from north to south.

Migration Update 22 Sept

In mid-September there was still movement of the herds from north to south – crossing the Mara River on the Serengeti. Update from Asilia

Migration Update 25 Sept

Huge herds near Nomad in the Serengeti – 20 km south of the Mara River, doing some wildebeest stuff.

Migration Update 28 Sept

Mashine (Joseph Swai) sent footage of a massive crossing on the Serengeti Side at No 4 headed north. Watch the video.

Migration Update 30 Sept

Herds cross the Mara River at Lookout Hill from east to west in Kenya. Update from GMC-mobile and a great thunderous dusty crossing.

Migration Update 7 Oct

Northern end of the migration in the Kenyan Conservancies – Mara North and Olare Motorogi. Crossings headed north across the Mara River – update from Baraka Willium

Migration Update 9 Oct

Governor’s Camp collection reporting from Mara Triangle, huge herds around Little Governor’s Camp. What happens next is anyone’s guess…. watch this space or follow us on Facebook for the latest updates about the movement of the wildebeest from the field.

Calving Season

Where will the herds be when the wildebeest drop their calves en masse come February? Traditionally the herds gather on the Southern Serengeti Plains near Ndutu for calving season. Will they be there at the start of 2019 or will the wildebeest keep us all guessing. One thing we know for certain, is that where ever the herds go, so will GMC Mobile! Book now for calving season and be sure you are in the right place at the right time.

Game Package Rates $330 and Full board Rates $230 (excludes Park Fees and getting there).

Contact: +255 686 493 065 | Email: info@greatmigrationcamps.com

Send us your #migrationupdates via Social Media

Residents Special – Great Migration Camps August 2018

July 18, 2018Posted in Great-Migration-CampsWritten by Leave a comment

Residents Special: August and September 2018*

Join Great Migration Camps for a residents special this migration season

Full Board Accommodation: Adults $120 per day | Children (5-16 years) $80 per day
Game Package and FB accommodation: Adults $200 per day | Children (5 – 16 years) $145 per day
excludes TANAPA / KWS fees, domestic flights, transfers, gratuities
Min 2 Night stay, proof of residence required.

Moving with the Migration

Everyday is migration day at Great Migration Camps mobile. We don’t wait for the migrating herds to come to us, we follow them. We’ll be located in the Northern Serengeti during August and will head to the Masai Mara in Kenya this September and invite residents of both countries to take advantage of the residents special.

Great Migration Camps Mobile Safari Camp

At Great Migration Camps, we have drawn inspiration from the pioneering safari days of old to recreate an experience that gets you right into the very heart of the incredible bio-diversity that exists there in the Serengeti.

Set against the backdrop of the great wildebeest migration, our completely mobile, self-sufficient and environmentally-friendly camp can travel anywhere in the Serengeti depending on the time of year and the stage and location of the migration, giving you a front row set to one of Mother Nature’s greatest events. It was scientist Anthony R. E. Sinclair who described the Serengeti as “the world’s greatest wildlife region” and Great Migration Camps is expertly positioned to take you right into the heart of it.

Tented Accommodation

GMC mobile comprises rip-stop dome canvas tents, offering double or twin occupancy up to a maximum group of 10 clients. Each tent is 2.5m x 2.5m and 2.1m height – tall enough to stand upright in. Each tent has high-quality durable bedding and memory-foam mattresses and pillows. Solar lantern lighting provided. (Own head light recommended & stretchers/camp cot available on request.)

Tented Accommodation

Food and Beverage

Great Migration Camps Mobile provides 3 meals per day. Main course for dinners usually comprise of meat barbequed over an open fire, a starch or grain & vegetables and/or salad. Bread is baked daily. We provide clean filtered water and there is a cash bar for alcoholic beverages and sodas. Special dietary requirements can be catered for on request if notified in advance.

GMC Mobile Bush Lunch GMC_Camp_Imagery_Kitchen

Facilities

In addition to your private tents there is a Bedouin-style stretch tent which provides shade from the African sun and if needs be, protection from the elements. Underneath are tables for dining, complete with camp chairs which can be moved around the camp fire for sundowners and fireside stories of an evening.

Moving Around

Supporting the camp throughout your safari is a rugged all-terrain, 4×4 off-road vehicle that transports everything you need during your time in the bush. Pulling a unique, custom designed and built trailer complete with solar-powered refrigeration and freezer space, mobile kitchen and gas hobs for cooking. We also have a camp oven to compliment the food we freshly prepare and cook for you every evening on an open fire.

Enquire Now for

August availability at the Mara River, Serengeti NP, Tanzania
September availability in the Masai Mara, Kenya

Contact

Great Migration Camps +255 686 493 065 | Email: info@greatmigrationcamps.com

GMCmobile Wildebeest BrendanAllenSoundcloud

Easter Kids Safari, Serengeti – space available for a family of 4

March 6, 2018Posted in Great-Migration-CampsWritten by Leave a comment

Spend Easter Weekend with the kids on a safari in the Serengeti with Great Migration Camps mobile.

Dates 30 March – 6 April 2018.

We’re taking our kids on safari this Easter and have space in camp for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids).

Rates for Easter Kids Safari

$170 Adults Full Board per day
$50 Kids Full Board per day

Included: Tented Accommodation, three meals daily, teas and coffees, laundry, communal ablutions, National Park
Camping Fees, VAT

Excluded: Gratuities, Alcoholic beverages & sodas, National Park Fees, all transfers, all items of a personal nature, flights, all safari activities.

$220 Adults Game Package per day
$75 Kids Game Package per day

Included: Tented Accommodation, three meals daily, teas and coffees, laundry, communal ablutions, National Park
Camping Fees, unlimited game viewing drives, transfers from airstrip, VAT

Excluded: Gratuities, Alcoholic beverages & sodas, National Park Fees, all items of a personal nature, flights.

TANAPA Serengeti NP fees

$24 Children 5 – 15 years
$71 Adults 16+ years
$35.40 East Africa Residents – Adults
$11.80 East Africa Residents – Kids 16+ years

Kids on Safari – What you need to know

We welcome children on safari – it is an incredible experience for children to connect with nature and learn respect for their surroundings. They are enthralled and stimulated, they play and make lists, count different species and notice the big creatures and the small. Their inquisitive minds can’t ask enough questions, they eat well and they collapse at night to sleep well.

All children coming on safari need to have completed a signed indemnity form and be accompanied by at least one adult. Throughout their time in the bush children will be under the supervision of at least one adult. We recommend that children should be able to sleep through the night. Children under the age of 5 must sleep in a tent with an adult. Children between 6 and 16 may not sleep alone but may share with other children.

Children are safe provided they follow safari and camp protocol.

Don’t walk alone at night – always walk in two’s and wear shoes.
No running at night & use a light
No food allowed in the tents
Tent zips to be closed always
No screaming
Respect for nature.

We prefer children not to bring any electronic devices, but pen, papers & crayons; cards & books are welcome. Meals are simple: cereals for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch; and dinners are fish & chips; spaghetti bolognaise; hotdogs/boerewors rolls; chicken. Fruit or vegetables will be provided at every meal.

Enquire for Easter Kids Safari

TEL +255 686 493 065
EMAIL info@greatmigrationcamps.com

GMC Live Reviews at Ilboru Safari Lodge

March 6, 2018Posted in Great-Migration-SafarisWritten by Leave a comment

Join us for our next Live Review at Ilboru Safari Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania on Wednesday afternoon through to Thursday morning the 7th and 8th of March 2018. We will show you what this Arusha property, on the slopes of Mt Meru is all about. Our reviews will cover the lodge, its rooms, activities, meals and what Ilboru has to offer, we will as always also focus on the people behind the scenes and the “Ilboru Safari Lodge story” with owner and hands-on manager Annelies Metili. Ilboru Safari Lodge, Arusha

Ilboru Safari Lodge in Arusha has been welcoming guests to Tanzania for seventeen years. Annelies Metili, current owner, manages the lodge with a hand’s on approach that has been a huge success with guests. Annelies brings her sense of style and many years of experience in the Tanzanian hospitality industry to every aspect of the lodge.

Born in Holland, Annelies was a successful International entrepreneur when fate stepped in and she was given the opportunity to assist legendary wildlife documentary cinematographers Anton van Munster and Hugo van Lawick in Serengeti National Park in the early years of this century. This serendipitous encounter changed her life forever; Africa became home and she went on to create a life of safari, adventure, wonder and excitement.

After several ventures including helping build one of the most prestigious lodges in Africa, team member for other successful safari lodges, opening a raw food emporium and creating her own fine line of designer bags, she came to roost along with her two children on the slopes of Mt Meru in Arusha, taking over management of Ilboru Safari Lodge in early 2014.

LIVE REVIEW SCHEDULE: ILBORU SAFARI LODGE

Wednesday 7 March 2018

1500 Experience Review – Arrival Ilboru Safari Lodge
1530 Room Review Ilboru – Safari Lodge room review 1
1540 Room Review Ilboru – Safari Lodge room review 2
1630 Sustainability Review – Ilboru environmental worriers – reforestation project
1730 Experience Review – What to do at Ilboru
1800 People Review – Dinner preparation with Chef
1830 Main Lodge Review – Main review of Ilboru with Annelies Metili
1900 People Review- The Ilboru Safari Lodge Story with Annelies Metili
2000 Experience Review – Dinner at Ilboru Safari Lodge
2100 Experience Review – Soak up the atmosphere at Ilboru – poolside at night

Thursday 8 March 2018

0630 Experience Review – Wake up at Ilboru Safari Lodge
0730 Experience Review – Ilboru Safari Lodge breakfast
0830 People Review – People behind Ilboru with Annelies Metili
0900 Experience Review – Thank you and enjoy your safari.

We look forward to sharing this property with you. Join us on 7 and 8 March 2018.

Click here for more information about live reviews

What is a Live Review?

Imagine a visual online review forum that showcases the very best of your property and location recorded live and broadcast over the Internet for people to watch around the world. That is the essence of our LiveReview platform, a broad-spectrum content sharing website whose central focus is on the camps and lodges located along the path of the great wildebeest migration of east Africa. Through reviewing and showcasing every aspect of coming to visit and witness one of nature’s greatest events we utilise the latest online technology of live streaming in the form of our LiveReviews of lodges, camps and properties, as well as live experience reviews of game drives and sightings direct from remote locations in the bush.

7 Summits Africa 2018 Expedition dates released

March 6, 2018Posted in 7 Summits AfricaWritten by Leave a comment

7 Summits Africa 2018 Expedition dates released in preparation of the Brand Africa endorsed Pan-Africa Everest 2020 expedition, lead by African mountaineer Sibusiso Vilane.

7 Summits Africa released the dates of their 2018 #7SummitsAfrica Expedition in Nairobi, Kenya. This follows the hugely successful inaugural 2017 expedition that conquered 7 African Mountain peaks in 7 weeks during November / December 2017 – www.7summitsafrica.com. The 7 Summits Africa 2018 Expedition will take place between 25 October and 7 December 2018 and be led by Sibusiso Vilane.

The 2018 and 2019 #7SummitsAfrica Expeditions will be utilized for selecting and training an African team for the 2020 Mt Everest attempt, sponsored by Brand Africa. The next two Expeditions will not only prepare our African mountaineering team for the highest point on the planet, but it will again showcase the beauty and the bogs, the granite and the glaciers of the seven African peaks that make up the 7 Summits Africa Expeditions.

The expedition will lead the mountaineers to some of the best wildlife encounters in East Africa. For the first time, there is an opportunity for mountaineers from the global community to join the 2018 expedition. Limited spaces are available for individuals to join the entire expedition or part thereof as per the below dates:

25 October – 2 November 2018 – Mt Nyiragongo and Mt Karisimbi

2 – 15 November 2018 – The Rwenzoris, Mt Stanley and Baker

15 – 23 November 2018 – Mt Kenya

23 November – 7 December 2018 – Mt Meru and Kilimanjaro

7 Summits Africa is a marketing brand that promotes conservation through tourism on the African continent, destination marketing and new tourism product development to stimulate economic growth near marginalized National Parks and Reserves throughout Africa.

Carel Verhoef, founder of 7 Summits Africa, opened entries to the 2018 expedition on Monday 25 February, “It is a wonderful chance to be actively part of conservation, whilst having an incredible African adventure. The 2018 itinerary is fantastic, with mountaineers able to join the entire 44-day expedition or to achieve their goal over a longer period of time by climbing one mountain (or more). The mountaineering will again be combined with Africa’s best wildlife experiences; Mountain Gorilla trekking in Virunga and Volcanoes National Parks as well as Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; the great wildebeest migration in the Serengeti and encounters with rhino and big cats in Ol Pejeta Conservancy at the foot of Mt Kenya,” Verhoef said.

7 Summits Africa 2018 will support the NGO PAMS Foundation www.pamsfoundation.org in memory of founder Wayne Lotter who gave his life for conservation of Africa’s National Parks and Reserves.

Applications are open: Email sally@7summitsafrica.com

4 epic mountaineering moments in Africa

November 23, 2017Posted in NewsWritten by Leave a comment

By Rebekah Funk

We’ve all heard stories of infamous and death-defying ascents on well-known peaks such as Nepal’s Mount Everest. Yet, as these stories prove, Africa’s highest mountains have played host to some of its own courageous (and outrageous!) journeys.

The amputee who bear crawled Africa’s highest mountain

While he didn’t “defy death”, there are few more inspiring mountaineering tales than that of Kyle Maynard, a 27-year-old American quadruple amputee who scaled Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 2012 without prosthetics.