Come and join me, Roger "Mzungu" Moore, on this special invitational photo safari exploring the Predators & Prey of Tanzania.

This safari has been designed to give you a total immersion into the cultures of the Maasai tribe of Tanzania, and to take you directly through the breath-taking beauty of the famous Serengeti, into the incredible Ngorongoro Crater, where you will be surrounded by predators and prey executing their daily rituals of survival.

My personal experience in these regions allows me to design an extraordinary itinerary especially for photographers -- both amateur and professional. Instead of 'puddle-hopping' in small planes across Africa like a tourist, we will be escorted by professional native safari driver/guides in our own 4x4 Land Cruisers, which have been customized for photographers.

Driving is far superior because we want to be up-close-and-personal with all the action. Everything looks the same from an airplane, but on the ground we will be surrounded, day and night, by natural beauty, tribal cultures, and animals of every size. From the excitement of the hunt to the calm of a camp dinner, your senses will sizzle with sights, sounds, and smells of Africa. You will feel her heartbeat.
More importantly, you may learn to make the most stunningly beautiful photographs of your life. My personal commitment is to help you learn how to see through the eyes of an artist.

You will learn how to use your digital camera equipment in new and different ways. You will come home with new knowledge, new photographic skills and the very finest photographs you have ever made. You will have earned your bragging rights.

The Serengeti of Tanzania is known for its acacia-dotted savannahs, teeming with hundreds of species of wildlife. Under a limitless multi-colored sky you will experience the adventure. Elephant, giraffe, rhino, baboon, zebra, leopard, lion, cape buffalo and cheetah have evolved and adapted through the cycle of life in this ancient landscape, alongside more than one thousand colorful bird species and a multitude of other life forms.

You will experience the adventure of morning, afternoon Game Drives in the reserves of Tarangire National Park and in the heart of the Ngorongoro Crater, as well as in the Serengeti. An optional Hot Air Balloon Safari over the Serengeti is yours for the asking.

You will have the opportunity to see the Big Five animals of Africa (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino), as well as hundreds of other species of mammals, birds, reptiles and plants of breathtaking beauty. Experience the Adventure as you experience the adventure in Tanzania. Along with our carefully selected local professional safari guides, I will serve as your personal photographic guide, your mentor, and photographic tutor.

US $8,600 per person*

Plus International Air from your home to Arusha, Tanzania.
Prices & Terms subject to change without prior written notice.
*Double occupancy. Single supplement is US$990 per person.

A Maximum of 12 Explorers (minimum of 4),
which means plenty of personal attention

A Guarantee of no more than 4 photographers per vehicle,
which means plenty of room for you and your equipment and
the ability to move around to compose the best images

DATES

Safaris in 2010:
May 9 - 20
May 20 - 31

NOTE:  THESE SAFARIS FILL FAST
GUARANTEE YOUR BOOKING,
CONTACT Mzungu NOW

WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?

Step 1 Get all your questions answered now before all the spaces are taken. Simply contact me, Mzungu at:  roger@rogermoorephotography.com or call me at 972-333-6482.

For question regarding travel arrangements, contact  David Nguro with
Maniago Safaris, Nairobi Kenya at:  info@maniagotravel.com

Step 2  Complete this Reservation Application form (one per person please)

Submit the completed form to me in one of three ways:

1. The easiest - You can simply fill it out online (it is a fillable PDF Document) and email it to me.
2. Or, if you prefer to fill it out offline, just print the Registration Application form, fill it out and fax it to me at:  214-485-3310.
3. Or you can mail the fully executed form to me at:
   

ITINERARY

12-Day Invitational Photo Safari

Day 1: Journey to your new adventure
Depart from your home and begin the first leg of your adventure

Day 2
Arrive Arusha – Kilimanjaro International Airport, Clear Customs and Immigration formalities, and thereafter, proceed to the International arrival lounge where our Tanzania airport representative and driver guides will be waiting for you. They will then transfer you and the explorer’s Arusha Coffee Lodge. Here, you will be assisted with check-in, formalities.

Dinner & Overnight – Arusha Coffee Lodge

ARUSHA COFFEE LODGE
The Lodge is set amidst coffee trees and tall wind-break trees, creating an ambience of a country house, and has 21 rooms, all with en suite bathrooms, mini bar, tea & coffee making facilities, ceiling fans, fireplaces, telephones and hair dryers. It is designed around the original plantation house giving one the feel of the long bygone days.

   

The lounge has a warm area with comfortable leather sofas, elegantly furnished, dim lights, with brick walls and wooden floors, with a fire place to keep you warm. The reception is furnished with comfortable leather chairs and a desk, in an airy open area with coffee trees clustered all around, while the drive way has lavender bushes giving a lovely fragrance.

Day 3: Tarangire National Park

We begin the day with breakfast and an orientation meeting where your cultural guide will review the upcoming safari, and I will present "Learning to See," a lecture and slide show to help prepare you for the photographic experience of your life. I will help you to understand that good photographs are made in your head and in your heart -- the camera only records them. And I will arm you with tested and proven fine art compositional concepts which you will learn to apply over the course of your safari. You should return home with the very finest photographs you have ever made in your entire life. A bold statement, eh? If you are like the vast majority of my past explorers, you look back on this safari experience and you will agree with that bold statement 100%. I give you my African Guarantee -- "I absolutely Guarantee that it might happen."

Then we "head 'um up, and move 'um out", as Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood) used to say on the TV series, Raw Hide. We board our private Land Cruisers and charge into the African bush, through scenic country, periodically stopping en-route to photograph lush foliage and undulating hills on our way to Tarangire National Park.

 

Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park lies 120 km south of Arusha, along The Great North Road highway, and is very popular for day trips from the town. Tarangire offers a wide variety of wildlife in its area of 2,600 sq. km. As in all ecosystems, the vegetation and the types of animals you find are closely correlated. The principal features of the park are the flood plains and the grassland, mainly comprising of various types of acacia trees, and a few scattered baobabs, tamarind and the sausage trees. The Tarangire River, after which the park is named, provides the only permanent water for wildlife in the area.

When the Maasai Steppes dry up with the end of the long rains in June, migratory animals return to the Tarangire River, making Tarangire National Park second only to Ngorongoro in the concentration of wildlife. This period stretches between June and November and it is the best season for game viewing in Tarangire.

The most common animals found in the park include zebras, wildebeest, lions, leopards, waterbucks, giraffe, elephants, gazelles, impala, gerenuk, lesser kudu and the beautiful fringe-eared oryx. You may be lucky to spot the tree-climbing python for which the park is famous, or the kudu and the roan antelope which are rare species in Northern Tanzania. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded in the Park.

Before the rains, droves of gazelle, wildebeest, zebra, and giraffes migrate to Tarangire National Park’s scrub plains where the last grazing land still remains. Tarangire offers unparalleled game viewing, and during the dry season elephants abound. Families of the pachyderms play around the ancient trunks of baobab trees and strip acacia bark from the thorn trees for their afternoon meal. Breathtaking views of the Maasai Steppe and the mountains to the south make a stop at Tarangire a memorable experience.

Arrive at Tarangire Sopa Lodge for check-in and lunch. This will be followed by an afternoon game drive.

A MAP OF TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

Dinner & Overnight – Tarangire Sopa Lodge
Nestling amongst the baobab trees in Tarangire National Park, Tarangire Sopa Lodge comprises of 75 suites, each with spacious bathrooms, private 6 lounges with mini-bar and balconies overlooking one of Tanzania’s finest National Parks. Features of the main areas include marble floors, fountains and waterfalls, with magnificent views through double-storey windows. Al fresco dining on the raised barbecue terrace of this lodge. The Lodge has a swimming pool.

Day 4 - Tarangire National Park

Full day in Tarangire National Park enjoying game viewing drive. All three meals include.

Overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge

Day 5 – Ngorongoro Conservation Area
This morning, depart and drive to Karatu Area. Visit a Maasai ‘Cultural’ village and thereafter, proceed to Gibb’s Farm for lunch. This will be followed by a tour of the Coffee Farm, a visit to the Iraqw en-route to Ngorongoro. Dinner & Overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge.

Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
Strung around the crater rim, each with its own rock-enclosed balcony, the rooms feature brass lamps, embossed leather headboards, wildwood mirrors, Maasai carvings and flamboyant prehistoric wall motifs depicting fleeing giraffes, stylized gazelle and plunging buffalo. Each room draws on a cavegrey, indigo-blue and jasper-red colour- scheme, is fully air-conditioned and enjoys uninterrupted views over the Crater's unmatched splendour. At the end of an action- packed day, guests can also follow a gentle nature trail that loops around the Lodge through moss-hung glades and plunging ravines, take a guided walk to the Crater's rim, relax with a herbal massage, or watch as the burning sun sinks behind the mountains from a unique vantage point on the craggy heights of the Crater's rim

A UNESCO protected World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is situated some 190 km. west of Arusha, between Lake Manyara and Serengeti National Parks. Covering approximately 8,288 square km, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area consists of the Ngorongoro Crater itself, the Olduvai Gorge and Ndutu, the Empakai crater and the Oldonyo Lengai Mountain. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a pioneering experiment in multipurpose land use where people (the Maasai), their livestock and wildlife coexist and share the same protected habitat.

Wild animals are protected as in the National Parks. The craters of Ngorongoro and Empakai are reserved exclusively for wildlife, while the rest of the Conservation Area is shared by wildlife, people and livestock. The Maasai, the main residents of Ngorongoro, are pastoralists who move widely with their herds of cattle, sheep, goat and donkeys in search of pasture and water. In recent years the Maasai have been encouraged to work on the land and supplement their traditional diet of milk, blood and meat. The Ngorongoro Crater, which is the central attraction in the area, is the largest Caldera in the world that has its walls intact. The Ngorongoro Crater floor, a sheer drop of 610 metres below the crater rim, has an area of 265 sq. km, with a diameter of 19 km. The sight of the Ngorongoro Crater is simply stunning. “There is nothing with which to compare. It is one of the wonders of the world....” once wrote Professor Bernard Grzimek. The crater floor is covered with plains animals, including wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, elands, rhino, and a large predator population of lions, hyena and jackal which can all be viewed at close quarters. Cheetah and leopard can also be seen here. The rainy season is between November and May. The altitude at the crater rim is about 2286 metres above sea level, and temperatures can get quite chilly in the evening.

Days 6: Ngorongoro
Immediately after breakfast, descend into the crater floor for a half day crater tour. Ngorongoro - Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. A World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 km wide, 610-760m deep and covering a total area of 264 sq km).

And due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing opportunities and striking scenery it is also Tanzania’s most visited destination. Quite apart from the ‘big five’ (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo), all of whom can often be spotted in a morning, the Crater also hosts up to 25,000 large mammals. Most are grazers, of which zebra and wildebeest comprise almost half, the rest being gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and warthog. As a result of these extraordinarily large numbers 10 of herbivores, the crater also numbers one of the densest predator populations in Africa, most of which are lion and spotted hyena.

The crater supports a large elephant population, most of which are bulls due to the relative paucity of food for the breeding herds, whilst certain animals such as giraffe, topi and impala, are notable by their absence.

Afternoon, ascend back to your lodge for lunch. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner & Overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

Day 7 – Central Serengeti National Park
This morning depart & drive to Olduvai Gorge for a short visit en-route to Serengeti National Park where you will have an opportunity to participate in an afternoon game viewing drive Olduvai Gorge.

The Olduvai Gorge, popularly referred to as “The Cradle of Humankind”, is the site where in 1959 Dr. Louis Leakey discovered the skull of Zinjanthropus or “Nutcracker Man” believed to have lived 1.75 million years ago. Later reclassified as Australopithecus boisei, this creature had a massive skull though small brained (500 cc) with huge teeth. Several months later Dr. Leakey found another fossil hominid in the same layer of excavation, called Homo habilis or “handy man”, smaller than the “Nutcracker Man” but with a larger brain (600 cc) and capable of making simple stone tools.

Serengeti National Park
Serengeti is easily Tanzania’s most famous national park, and it’s also the largest, at 14,763 square kilometres of protected area that borders Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Park. Its far-reaching plains of endless grass, tinged with the twisted shadows of acacia trees, have made it the quintessential image of a wild and untarnished Africa. Its large stone kopjes are home to rich Ecosystems, and the sheer magnitude and scale of life that the plains support are staggering. Large prides of lions laze easily in the long grasses. Plentiful families of elephants feed on acacia bark and trump to each other across the plains, and giraffes, gazelles, monkeys, eland, and the whole range of African wildlife is in awe-inspiring numbers.

   

The spectacle of predator versus prey dominates Tanzania’s greatest park. Golden-maned lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowls the southeastern plains. Almost uniquely, all three African jackal species occur here, alongside the spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators, ranging from the insectivorous aardwolf to the beautiful serval cat.

The rains are ending and the dry season is approaching. This is one of the best times to be in the Serengeti as the migration is crossing the Grumeti River into the Grumeti Game Reserve. The Grumeti crocodiles lie in wait to enjoy their annual feast.

Covering an area of 14,763 sq. km, Serengeti National Park is the largest National Park in Tanzania. The park is located some 320 km to the northwest of Arusha, lying in a high plateau between the Ngorongoro highlands and the Kenya/ Tanzania border, and extending almost to Lake Victoria to the west. Aptly named “endless plains” by the Maasai people, you immediately experience this vastness as you enter the southeastern plains of the park from Ngorongoro.

Declared a protected area in 1921 and gazetted as a National park in 1951, Serengeti is the oldest National Park in Tanzania and undoubtedly one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the world. The principal features of the Serengeti are the short and long grass plains in the south and east, the acacia Savannah in the central areas, the hilly and densely wooded areas in the north and the extensive woodland in the west.

The Seronera valley in central Serengeti endowed with permanent surface water attract a large concentration of wildlife throughout the year. Common animals that can be seen here are lions, buffaloes, impalas, hippos, waterbucks, elephants, cheetahs and the leopard.

Between May and July, when drought sets in, Serengeti is the site of one of the most breathtaking events in the animal kingdom - the migration of thousands of wildebeest heading southwest, north or west in search of water and greener pastures. Serengeti provides sanctuary to the highest concentration of plains animals in the world. Survey estimates indicate an animal population of about 4 million including 3000 lions, 1600000 wildebeests, 300000 Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, 500000 zebras. There are over 400 species of birds in the Serengeti.

Overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge (B,L,D)
Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge is situated on a hill, deep in the heart of Central Serengeti. Designed in a rugged, rustic carved wood and stone style, it follows the age old African theme of thatched circular huts set out as a village. Local materials are used throughout, and all 66 bedrooms have stunning views of the Serengeti wilderness. The lodge has a swimming pool.

Day 8, 9, & 10 - Western Serengeti National Park
Three full days spent at Western Serengeti National Park enjoying game viewing drives. Overnight at Kirawira Camp (B,L,D) KIRAWIRA CAMP - WESTERN SERENGETI Located on the far end of Western Serengeti, atop a hill with sweeping views of the surrounding plains, Kirawira Camp is a unique blend of Victorian and African craftsmanship, combining the adventure and the excitement of the pioneering African with the essential luxuries required by today’s discerning traveler. With only 25 double tents, it is an exclusive experience. The Camp has a swimming pool.

 

Day 11 – Arusha + depart
This morning, fly schedule flight to Arusha Airport. Met and transfer to Arusha Coffee Lodge for day rooms. Lunch is included. Afternoon at leisure to relax in your rooms. Early evening, transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your international outbound departure flight.

Day 12: Sweet Journey Home
This is your day of travel as you relax and re-experience in your memory, the unique and special adventure you have just had.  And my guess is that you will be thinking of all your new friends and wonderful photographs you have made.

Rates include:

• Arrival & departure group airport transfers and if any of the ‘Explorer’s’ will arrive on separate transfers, individual transfer rates will apply and be charged separately.
• Ground transport on safari based on our photographic 4 x 4 group Landcruiser’s
• Services of our English speaking driver guides
• Bottled mineral water in our vehicle/s
• Accommodation in Arusha based on half board on day one & day room/lunch on the last day
• Full board accommodation on safari
• Drinks during lunch & dinner such as bottled mineral water, local beers, soda, house wines. remium drinks such as champagne, cellar wines, spirits, cognacs, e.t.c. are not included.
• One Maasai ‘Cultural’ Village visit
• Park entrances for mentioned National Parks
• And Tips/gratuities to airport/hotel porters, driver guides, hotel staff e.t.c. however, these are quoted separately.

Rrates exclude:

• International/Internal flights & their applicable departure taxes
• All travel, baggage and medical insurance cover (Highly recommended)
• Visa fees current rate US$100 per person & subject to change without notice
• All telecommunications, laundry & beverages not unless otherwise indicated
• All optional extras/other activities available

WHAT MAKES THIS SAFARI UNIQUE?

1. Professional Explorer & Photographer: I am the only photography guide, world-wide, who is a working professional photographer, executing international commissioned assignments, who is a flag-carrying member of The Explorers Club, who is also an active member of The Adventurers Club of Chicago, and who teaches fine art photography through expeditions, safaris, workshops and personal tutoring on a global basis.
   
   
2. One-on-One Personal Attention: On this safari, I will not only conduct educational sessions, but I will be available to each of you, as your personal photographic tutor, around-the-clock, to help you develop and refine your photographic skills. In each Game Drive, I will accompany a different group of explorers to maximize the personal attention that you will receive.
   
   
3. Guaranteed Publication of Your Photographs: Yes, I said guaranteed publication of your photographs. After completion of the safari, you will become a published photographer. I will design and publish a hard-back, coffee table book containing your photographs. After I have personally signed and dated each one, it will then be delivered to your door at no additional cost to you.
   
   
4. Special Itinerary Designed for Photographers: My world-wide experience as an explorer, a commissioned assignment photographer, and as a teacher of photography, has provided me with the knowledge and ability to clearly understand the essential elements necessary to custom design this itinerary so that you will receive a stimulating photographic experience.

WHO SHOULD GO ON THIS SAFARI?

This is a tremendously important question. This Special Invitational Safari is designed specifically for photographic education. If you don't have the desire to improve your photographic skills and abilities, then DO NOT sign up. That does not mean that you must aspire to become a professional photographer. Many of my explorers are people who have gotten new digital cameras (often just a simple point-and-shoot model) and they have discovered that they really like making photographs. But they continue to be disappointed in the results they are getting. They cannot figure out how to use the features and functions on their new digital equipment. Their goal is no more than the desire to learn how to make photographs they will be proud to show to family and friends. This person SHOULD  come on this safari.

If you do not have the patience of Job, and the persistence of a 3 year-old child, then DO NOT sign up for this safari. There will be many times when we may stalk an animal for long periods of time, then sit, and sit and sit, just waiting for some extraordinary event to occur (and the truth is, it may, or may not occur). This Special Invitational Safari is not for "click-and-Run" tourists.  I do not believe in drive-by-shootings.  On this safari, we are people who love to feel the excitement of "being there" when Mother Nature chooses to show off .

Non-Photographers.  Some non-photographers are welcome and should come.   I can think of one of my explorers who's spouse acts as her Sherpa.   He carries her photographic equipment and serves as her assistant.   To my knowledge, he has never clicked a shutter, but he has the patience of Job and the persistence of a 3 year-old child, and he loves the excitement of being there when Mother Nature bursts forth with some rare and amazing event.   In another one of my photo expeditions, I had several naturalists/bird watchers.   All they brought was their binoculars, but their intentions were the same as our photographers.  As  we were photographing those amazing events, there were watching and making field notes.   A non-photographer who clearly understands how we will be operating our safari and who wants to play by those rules -- I WELCOME YOU.