Departing from Ngorongoro after an incredible start to our 7-day safari, we set off in pursuit of the most anticipated aspect of our trip – The Great Wildebeest Migration – A term used to define the largest mammal migration in the world, whereby over 2 million wildebeest, zebra & gazelle follow a “thousand year-old path” in the African savannah in pursuit of land on which to graze, birth calves & generally attempt to avoid their dedicated “fan club” of life-ending predators (and yes, I did plagiarize myself from a slightly-more informative prior post) With both “migration trackers” and weather forecasts aligning quite well in our favor (animals = present, rain = absent), the only thing standing in our path with the “Greatest Show on Earth” was a short 2-3 hour drive. One that, despite being relatively brief in length (i.e. only 2-3 hours of “are we there yets”), was unfortunately along the unavoidable, and arguably, most notorious stretch of road in all of Africa. Officially designated B144, the 70km stretch from Ngorongoro to the entrance to the Serengeti is more commonly referred to as “The Road From Hell.” A seemingly-endless dirt road expanse that, while free of gaping pot holes and muddy tracks, earns its well-known reputation for the “corrugations” which comprise its entirety. An infinite “row of ruts,” that provide “visitors” an experience resembling that of riding inside a Shake Weight, on an unbalanced washing machine, during an earthquake (or also this). At several points during the bone-rattling journey, we had to pull over and rest, as the physical strain on our bodies was almost too much to handle. So, to say the least, the boys loved it. After what felt like an eternity, and with our Land Cruiser miraculously in one piece (albeit covered in a very solid layer of dust), we arrived at the temporary home to The Great Migration – Ndutu (pronounced, In-Doo-Two, and not "Nuh-Duh-Tuh"... cough Julie cough). Comprising a relatively small slice of the greater Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Ndutu alongside its namesake lake are tucked away on a modest plot of land, partially surrounded by the fenceless border of the Southern Serengeti. And despite possessing legendary status amongst safari circles, Ndutu itself receives almost no attention from the greater public (Google search results = 400K – Vs Serengeti = 19.8M). Even though it plays host to millions of migrating animals wandering through its unmarked borders every December to April, in addition to the dedicated “feline fanclub” traveling in tow. Yet, those factors alone do not cement Ndutu’s cultish following, as the true highlight for visitors of this small corner of East Africa is the opportunity to witness the wildlife here "up close and personal." Since, unlike almost every other game reserve in the world, there are no off-road restrictions in Ndutu. Thus, 4x4s are free to venture off the well-worn gravel roads, and experience one of the many “off-road alternatives” offered throughout the park. Perfect for those over-confident self-drivers with almost no experience whatsoever in such uncertain conditions:
Overall, due to the unique driving conditions of Ndutu, and with no detailed map to direct one from point A to point B, we were forced to come up with a plan that not only provided us with great game-viewing opportunities, but also prevented the experience of finding ourselves miles from other human beings, stuck in the mud/water for the unforeseeable future, with no cell phone reception to call for help. Basically, the scenario that would make the aforementioned 14-day quarantine in a Tanzania government-run hotel seem like, well, paradise? I digress, onto our "plan":
After 2 days of following the above playbook (i.e. 70% following, 30% self-exploring), we experienced 2 lifetimes worth of safari memories. Literally checking off every "wish list" encounter one could imagine for a once-in-a-lifetime African safari expedition:
And of course, it’s not an official Not Another Damn Travel Blog post, without some cynically-driven lowlights as well:
And with that, onto the pics (AND videos): And more videos!
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PRIOR BLOG POSTS: Year Abroad Intro: • Welcome to our Newest Blog! Again! • The Move - Dissected, Probed and Then Probed Some More • The Voyage (Part 1) - If At First You Don't Succeed, Trying Again Won't Work Either • The Voyage (Part 2) - The Layover to Rule All Other Layovers • A Personal Life Update - Establishing Our Shallow Roots A Guide to South Africa: • How to be an Expat When You Aren't Technically an Expat (Part 1 - Bank Accounts) • How to be an Expat, When You Aren't Technically an Expat (Part 2 - Health Insurance) • Load Shedding - Keeping the Lights Off in South Africa Since 2007 • 195 Ways to Fight a Pandemic - The South Africa Edition • Halloween in South Africa - Playing Catch-Up Since 2016 • SnapScan - South Africa's Glimpse into America's Future • Thanksgiving in South Africa - Where My Turkeys Be At? • Life at the Epicenter of Omicron - A Different Type of Cancel Culture • Playgrounds - The Starbucks of South Africa • Cost of Living in South Africa - An Exploratory Journey of Everyday Expenses Trips: • Namibia Roadtrip (1 of 3) - Driving a Shake Weight to Sossusvlei • Namibia Roadtrip (2 of 3) - Searching for Souls in Swakopmund • Namibia Roadtrip (3 of 3) - Getting our Safari on at Etosha National Park • Weekend Getaway in Robertson - A Trip Down Pleasantville Lane • Summer Holiday Trip (1 of 3) - Glamping Without the Glam in the Drakensberg Mountains • Summer Holiday Trip (2 of 3) - The Historical Chronicles of Kruger National Park • Summer Holiday Trip (3 of 3) - Searching for Whales and Spare Tires in the Overberg • Visitors Round 1 - The Woodmans - An Expedited Exploration of Everything • The Great Wildebeest Migration - 15 Years of Waiting Decided in 15 Minutes • Ngorongoro Crater - A Pre-Migration Layover Inside an Inverted Volcano • Ndutu - The Safari to Rule All Other Safaris • Serengeti National Park - Seeking Out Simba at an Abandoned Pride Rock • Zanzibar - The Island of Sugar, Spice and Most Things Nice • Visitors Round 2 - Let's Ignore Our Sanity & Do All The Things • Wild Coast - A Little Tatse of the O.G. South Africa Cape Towning: • Spring Break in September - Just as Strange as it Sounds • A Day in the Life of a South African Expat - The Visual Edition • A Wrinkle in Our Spare Time • Our Final Week in South Africa - A Bittersweet Symphony of Bucket Lists The Other Stuff: • This is 40: The South Africa Version |