点评:I wanted a custom, solo safari trip where I could do wildlife photography and not have to climb over people to get photos. Access2Tanzania was recommended.
I started planning with safari consultant Casey about 10 months before my trip. Casey helped me narrow down when to go and how many parks I could reasonably fit in for the length of my trip and my budget. I wanted to see the migration, but not the peak season crowds. After a few discussions and itinerary drafts, I settled on one with Lake Manyara, the Ngorogoro Crater, the Lake Ndutu, and the Central Serengeti in early March for the end of wildebeest birthing season. Great timing and locations for lots of animal babies.
The mid-range tented camps and lodges Casey selected were well-suited for me. Little more glamping than my normal camping in the US, but all with great service, comfortable beds, ensuite bathrooms, and good food. The locations in the parks and on the crater rim made it easy to get early starts for game drives.
Other than the wildlife, what really made the trip perfect was my guide, Danny. Very professional and personable with a good sense of humor. I didn’t mention that my preference was to start the day early and keep moving until almost sunset, but he seemed to know that’s what I wanted.
Except for when he got word of a particular animal in an area, Danny’s preference (and mine, although again I didn’t say it) was to avoid more crowded areas and take the roads less traveled in the parks. When we stopped for vultures and storks flying in to feast at a kill, no one else was around. He setup our table for lunch one day where we were surrounded, not too closely, by a herd of wildebeests and zebras, but no other people. It was an incredible experience.
Danny made sure I saw the cheetahs and baby elephants I really hoped to see and so much more. Did I mention baby animals? There were lots, including babies of all the Big 5, a caracal kitten, gray-crowned crane colts, and an adolescent cheetah.
Danny explained animal behavior, especially with lions and cubs, which were plentiful. His knowledge of animal behavior allowed him to anticipate animal movement and position the Land Cruiser for me to get good photos. Thanks to Danny, I got some of the best wildlife photos I’ve ever taken. (At the time of this writing, I'm still going through the thousands of photos.)
Danny managed the chaotic traffic of Arusha and the rough roads in the national parks with skills to rival a New York cabbie. He was equally good with off-roading where that was permitted.
He was quick to address issues that came up. When the night game drive tour operator failed to pick me up, he found a solution to connect me with the tour so I did not miss that experience. When my sound recorder’s battery charger stopped working, he went in search of back-up batteries for me and arranged for me to do a walking tour of Mto wa Mbu while he was getting them. This unplanned cultural activity was one of many highlights of my trip.
I would use Access2Tanzania again and hope to in a few years. I want a return visit to see some of the parks I couldn’t get to this time.
翻译:我想要一次定制的单人狩猎之旅,这样我就可以拍摄野生动物,而不必爬过人群去拍照。他们推荐了 Access2Tanzania。
我在旅行前大约 10 个月就开始和狩猎顾问 Casey 一起计划。Casey 帮我缩小了旅行时间,以及在我的旅行时间和预算范围内可以合理安排多少个公园。我想看大迁徙,但不想看到旺季的人群。经过几次讨论和行程草稿,我决定在 3 月初去曼雅拉湖、恩戈罗戈罗火山口、恩杜图湖和塞伦盖蒂中部,因为那时是角马产仔季节的结束。这是许多动物宝宝的绝佳时间和地点。
Casey 选择的中档帐篷营地和小屋非常适合我。比我在美国通常的露营稍微豪华一点,但都提供优质的服务、舒适的床、套间浴室和美味的食物。公园和火山口边缘的位置使得早点出发进行狩猎变得容易。
除了野生动物,真正让这次旅行变得完美的是我的导游丹尼。他非常专业、亲切,而且很有幽默感。我没有提到我喜欢早点出发,一直走到日落,但他似乎知道这就是我想要的。
除了他听说某个地区有某种动物时,丹尼的偏好(也是我的偏好,虽然我再次没有说出来)是避开人多的地方,走公园里人迹罕至的道路。当我们停下来观看秃鹫和鹳飞来猎食猎物时,周围没有其他人。有一天,他为我们摆好了午餐桌,我们被一群角马和斑马包围着,但距离不是很近,没有其他人。这是一次不可思议的经历。
丹尼确保我看到了我真正希望看到的猎豹和小象,还有更多。我有没有提到小动物?有很多,包括所有五大动物的幼崽、一只狞猫幼崽、灰冠鹤幼崽和一只青春期猎豹。
丹尼解释了动物行为,尤其是狮子和幼崽,它们数量很多。他对动物行为的了解使他能够预测动物的运动,并调整陆地巡洋舰的位置,以便我拍摄到好照片。多亏了丹尼,我拍到了一些我拍过的最好的野生动物照片。(在写这篇文章的时候,我还在浏览成千上万张照片。)
丹尼驾驭着阿鲁沙混乱的交通和国家公园崎岖的道路,他的技术堪比纽约的出租车司机。在允许越野的地方,他同样擅长越野。
他很快就解决了出现的问题。当夜间游猎旅行社没有来接我时,他找到了一个解决方案,让我参加了这次旅行,这样我就不会错过那次经历。当我的录音机的电池充电器停止工作时,他帮我寻找备用电池,并安排我在他寻找电池期间徒步游览 Mto wa Mbu。这项计划外的文化活动是我此行的众多亮点之一。
我会再次使用 Access2Tanzania,希望几年后还能继续使用。我想再去看看这次没能去的一些公园。