Arrive Arusha, Tanzania and drive overland to Nairobi

A shopping stop in Arusha at The Cultural Heritage Center

Darrell with guide - Davis Matafe

Cultural Heritage Center, Arusha, Tanzania

Today was a long drive and transition from the Serengeti via flight to Arusha then drive to Nairobi. 
We arrived back at the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi for our last night in Kenya.

Flight from Serengeti to Arusha, Tanzania - Darrell at the controls!

Our OAT group preparing to fly to Arusha, Tanzania from the Serengeti

 

Arrival in Arusha, Tanzania

Our capable co-pilot

 

As a long time pilot - Darrell enjoying seating at the airplane controls for the flight from the Serengeti to Asusha

 

Serengeti Simba Lodge - Ikoma Tribe dance

Members of the Ikoma tribe from the nearby village came to lodge to dance and share their culture

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Drums, shells and cadence calls created the music

Elaine gets to wear some of the ladies regalia

Serengeti Game Drive 11- animals seen in the west part of Serengeti

The elephant consumes a lot of food in a day and can create a wake of destruction along his path

A mother elephant protects her baby as a herd of water buffalo approach

Sky little dik dik

Elaine and Darrell in the safari vechicle

the giraffe towers above the acacia tree

what is he saying?

Serengeti Game Drive 10 - huge herd of water buffalo - near Kubu River in the Western Serengeti

Elephants near Kubu River in the west part of the Serengeti

Superb starling with that brilliant blue color

Verraux Eagle Owl

Beautifully shaped acacia tree in the bush near Kubu River

Banded Mongeese

Huge herd of water buffalo stir up the dust as they travel through the bush near Kubu River

Water Buffalo

The hillside is covered with water buffalo

Serengeti Game Drive 9 - A sea of Hippos

Serval cat - one quick little critter - my only photo is just a blur

Is that a smile?

This Nile Croc is just biding his time

Huge yawn and killer teeth!

A sea of Hippos - near Kuba River in the west part of the park

Elaine is Safari ready

Serengeti Game Drive 8 - more animals on the return to camp

Soren and Jayia, Arden and Ida, Darrell and Elaine, Steve and Patricia, Cheryl and Rich.
Our fearless OAT group in the Serengeti

We stopped at "Mawe Maupe" (White Rocks) for a picnic lunch

Darrell and Elaine with views of the Serengeti Plains

Yes - Pringles are everywhere - even in the middle of the Serengeti

spotted hyaena

lioness

Clear blue skies and an endless vista on the Serengeti Plains

ox pecker birds on the hippos

Male lion napping under tree

Seremgeti Game Drive 7 - a few more animals

Serengeti National Park has over 5700 square miles.  The terrain is divided into 3 parts:
Plains or Savannah, Riverine Bush, and Acacia Woodland (Riparian)

Black headed heron

Spotted Hyaena

Lioness

Serengeti Game Drive 6 - Lions and more

A Secretary bird and baby in the nest

Lioness

Saddle bill stork

So much fun to watch this lioness come closer

She climbed up on a small mound just in front of our truck and posed

We are so close - maybe 10-15 feet.  Really cool

Our sister truck