Call me on 0449 689 447 or contact Ucango Travel on 07 5451 8600 and ask for Peter. Or drop me an email. peter.emery@ucango.com.au

Queensland Registered Travel Agent Licence No 3181 385

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Greatest Show On Earth

 THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH SAFARI
29 January - 14 February 2014

Please join me for an incredible wildlife safari in Tanzania. I will be escorting a small group (maximum 10 passengers) to witness a very special annual event that takes place in the Southern Serengeti.  All your comforts and safety is taken care of and I personally escort the group from Brisbane.

At last. Everything is confirmed and I have ten front row seats at one of the most amazing natural wonders this planet has to offer. I am talking about the mass birthing of wildebeest calves in Tanzania's Southern Serengeti.  The great wildebeest migration reaches the Ndutu area in January and February and here they give birth to their offspring who will quickly grow strong on the lush grass before their migration back towards the north continues.  These huge herds of animals are attended by the predators of the plains, lions, cheetahs and hyenas. This is something everyone should witness at least once in their lives.

The Ndutu region of the Serengeti is the climax of this amazing small group safari, but we will be visiting other great wildlife viewing areas and witnessing some of Africa's most beautiful scenery before having a few relaxing days on the spice island of Zanzibar.  Accommodation is in four to five star hotels, lodges and tented camps with en-suite facilities.  The safari vehicles are two 4WD specially adapted vehicles. Each passenger will have a window seat and the vehicle's roof opens for the best possible game viewing experience. Each vehicle is driven by a professional driver/guide.


 Here is a run down of the basic itinerary.

29 January 2014
Qantas flight QF505                            Depart Brisbane 6am       Arrive Sydney 8.35am
South African Airlines flight SA7701 Depart Sydney 10.35am   Arrive Johannesburg 3.35pm
Transfer to Peermont Mondior Hotel for 1 night accommodation including breakfast.

30 January 2014
Transfer to Johannesburg Airport.
South African Airlines flight SA186  Depart Johannesburg 9.30am   Arrive Dar es Salaam 2pm
Regional Air flight                              Depart Dar es Salaam 4.30pm  Arrive Arusha 5.50pm
Transfer to Hatari Lodge for a pre-safari briefing and 2 nights at the lodge including all meals, game drives in Arusha National Park and a short walk to the waterfall.

Hatari Lodge

01 February 2014
We depart for Tanangire National Park for 2 nights at Balloon Camp including all meals and game drives.
Balloon Camp

03 February 2014
Today we drive to the rim of Ngorongoro Crater - another of the great natural wonders of Africa. Here we stay for 3 nights at the Sopa Lodged perched on the rim with stunning views of the crater itself. We will have 2 six hour game drives in the crater and all meals are included.

 Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge

06 February 2014
We drive to the Ndutu region of the Serengeti National Park to spend 3 nights at Nasikia Camp with game drives to see the great herds of wildebeest giving birth to their young, the predators and all the other wonderful general game. All meals are included.

A cheetah thinking about lunch 

09 February 2014
We have a final game drive to the airstrip.
Regional Air flight                             Depart Ndutu 11.35am   Arrive Zanzibar 2.35pm
Transfer to the Zanzibar Serena Inn for 3 nights accommodation including breakfast, a morning historical walking tour of Stone Town and an afternoon Spice Tour.

The Serena Zanzibar Inn

12 February 2014
Transfer to Zanzibar Airport.
Coastal Airlines flight                        Depart Zanzibar 1pm   Arrive Dar es Salaam 1.20pm
Transfer to Southern Sun Dar es Salaam.
1 night at Southern Sun Hotel Dar es Salaam including breakfast,

13 February 2014
Transfer from hotel to airport.
 South African Airlines flight SA189  Depart Dar es Salaam 6.45am
Arrive Johannesburg 9.25am
South African Airlines flight  SA7700 Depart Johannesburg 5.50pm

14 February 2014
Arrive Sydney 2.45pm
Qantas flight QF540                             Depart Sydney 5.05pm    Arrive Brisbane 5.35pm

(Please note that the flights from Sydney to Johannesburg and back are code share flights operated by Qantas aircraft and crew.)

Total cost for all of the above is $11470.00 per person twin share.

Now here is the full accommodation list.
Peermont Mondior, Johannesburg.           
Hatari Lodge, Arusha.                      
Balloon Camp, Tanangire National Park.                     
Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro Crater.  
Nasikia Camp, Serengeti National Park.                     
Serena Zanzibar Inn, Zanzibar.           
Southern Sun Hotel, Dar es Salaam.  


For bookings or more information please call me - Peter Emery on 0449 689 447 or drop me an email. peter.emery@ucango.com.au



                      



Friday, September 6, 2013

Join Me In Tanzania In February

I've been back from Africa for about ten days now and I miss it already. I was there escorting a wonderful group of people on my annual "Great Migration Safari" through Tanzania and Kenya. It proved to be a huge success despite a rather inauspicious start when the arrivals terminal at Nairobi Airport caught fire just before we landed.  Our plane touched down smoothly and taxied off the runway only to stop in the taxi way.  The pilot's voice came over the intercom.

  "Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Nairobi. If you look out of the left side of the aircraft you will see that the terminal is on fire. We will just wait here until the fire service has put out the blaze, then air traffic control will tell us which gate we can use."

Four hours later we were finally allowed to leave the plane. The fire service were unable to control the blaze and the terminal was severely damaged. However, the Kenyan authorities did an amazing job under very difficult circumstances. They set up a temporary customs and immigration desk in the nearby cargo terminal and processed passengers there and within a couple of hours we were all at our Nairobi hotel sipping cold beers and having lunch. Imagine what would have happened at an airport in the USA, Britain or Australia. We'd still be there waiting for security clearance. As it happens we were rather lucky, being the last plane to land before the airport had to close. Subsequent inbound flights were diverted to various points around East Africa depending on the size of the aircraft. Some went to Mombasa, some to Entebbe, some to Kilimanjaro. What a nightmare that must have been for the passengers.

Anyway, things have settled down now and Nairobi Airport is functioning again. There is a new terminal being built in any case and they are trying to fast-track that. Meanwhile travelers flying in and out of Nairobi can, for the time being expect a few minor delays.

Once the safari was under way we saw some amazing things including a rarely sighted (if rather gruesome hyena kill. There were leopards, cheetahs, lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos and all manner of antelope and gazelle and vast herds of wildebeest in the Maasai Mara National Reserve - a truly awe inspiring sight.  Below are some of our photos.  The accommodation was excellent throughout and the food was of the highest quality. I can't wait for next year. In fact I am currently putting together a small group safari to visit the southern Serengeti in February when the massed herds of wildebeest will be calving. This is another great natural event attended by predators, and once again great game viewing is all but guaranteed. As soon as I have firm details I will post them on this blog.  Meanwhile, as promised here are a few images from this year's Great Migration Safari.

Dik dik antelope, Lake Manyara, Tanzania.

Olive baboons sharing an intimate moment in the middle of the road, Lake Manyara.

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.

Don't let anyone tell you that you don't get close to the animals on safari.
 Ngorongoro Crater.

Handsome fellow, Ngorongoro Crater.

Spectacular crowned cranes, Ngorongoro Crater.

Maasai village school between Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, Tanzania.

Great hairstyle. Serengeti, Tanzania.

Where's dinner Mum? Serengeti.

In a waterhole, Serengeti.

Leopard up a tree. Serengeti.

The Maasai Mara, Kenya.

Topi antelope, Maasai Mara.

Resting in the shade. Cheetah, Maasai Mara.

A minute part of the 2-3 million wildebeest spread out across the plain of the Maasai Mara.

Mother and calf, Amboseli, Kenya.

Mount Kilimanjaro from Amboseli National Park.

Finally, the obligatory African sunset shot. Amboseli National Park.

Now then, for those of you who for some inexplicable reason do not wish to visit Africa, here is a great special from Thai Airways for flights from Brisbane to Bangkok return. The cost is $892 per person including tax. It is a companion fare, so two people must travel together.  It is available for sale until October and seat availability is limited so be quick.
 
Please call me for bookings or further information.
 
PETER EMERY
Africa Travel Specialist & Home Based Travel Consultant
Mobile - 0449 689 447
Office - 07 5451 8600

 Qld registered travel agent licence number 3181 385