Ngorogoro National Park

Fideli came to fetch us and we piled our luggage into the landrover and crammed in for the ride into the park.

Driving along the rim of the crater is so beautiful. Thick green jungle. I just love it - only comparison I've seen is the jungle in Borneo.

Maretha and I were being dropped at Dr Ingela's house, the beautiful Lion researcher from Kope Lion.

Our first animal sighting :)

Ingela was still out getting soaked in the rain up the mountains but we offloaded what wasn't going to the lodge and couldn't resist having a photo session with the magnificent crater in the background.

Fideli

Emma

I got the best room in the house with a view into the crater.

Ingela soon got home and we drank wine and chatted before making dinner. The tree hyrax were singing for us while we ate dinner.

It rained heavily in the night - a lovely sound made loud by the roof.

Tuesday 28 April 2026

Had a lovely slow morning in this magical spot. Ingela worked on lion identication while Maretha and I chilled.

We walked to the cafe and bought some konyagi.

Local shop

Visited the Kope Lion office.

Back home Ingela's vehicle was being fixed.

Ingela had made bread. It was delicious!

The view changes all the time here.

We went for sundowners at the lodge next door. Ngorogoro lodge, the first and oldest lodge here.

Wow. Just wow. The photos do not do it justice. The hotel was quiet so we were shown some rooms before our drinks.

We checked out the deck area.

Oh the view!

Moquito, Pina Colada and something dry

Paintings in the hotel.

We had left overs for dinner. I heard my first hyena 💙 and it rained again once I was in bed.

Wednesday 29th April 2026

We woke to an overcast day, no crater visible. Friends of Ingelas helped sing happy birthday to her parents.

We aimed to leave at 10ish but was closer to about 11:30 when we left for Ndutu Safari Lodge.

A truck was a bit stuck but we managed to pass it.

The roads were flooded the entire 3 hour rainy journey.

We passed Masai and their animals quite a lot.

Twiga (giraffe)

Delighted to see elephants

Lion, I called. In the tree. LOL, it was a leopard.

So lucky to see leopard but I got teased about the spotted lion for the rest of the trip.

We passed another vehicle and we told them about the leopard and they advised there were two lions in a tree close by.

Can you see her?

The obligatory lions in a tree selfie

Bum shot

We arrived at Ndutu Safari Lodge in the evening.

Ndutu Safari Lodge

So great to be back.

Thursday 30 April 2026 - Cheetah research day.

Cherif, the Cheetah research guy said I could join him and Zawadi for the day. We left at about 7:30 and went looking for cheetah.

I love this picture

Photos above taken while at the lodge waiting to leave.

We went in search of cheetah.

Cherif checked the location where a Cheetah was last logged and we headed there. He got the antenna out and soon Zawadi located her.

We had lunch.

It was heartbreaking seeing a hyena with a broken leg or hip and Zawadi was sure he wouldn't survive. I was too sad to take a photo.

We never found the other cheetahs but we found some lovely herds of wildebeest and lions!

There is a horrible disease that the Eland get from flies which makes them blind. We saw two like this and Zawadi called the vet who's currently in Uganda, but he said he'd let the vet in Ngorogoro know about it. Also very sad.

Poor blind Eland

It was a slippery ride home.

Back at the lodge I startled a beautiful impala.

Ingela wanted to see the lions so I joined her.

We had a little picnic while documenting the lions

Vultures at the prey

It was a fun drive home in the dark, the mud really slippery and the headlights were only working if the lever was held. Ingela was impressive doing this all while holding the GPS and keeping the conversation going. Master of multitasking!!

Friday 1 May 2026

An early start, Ingela, Patrick, Maretha and myself got our breakfast packs and left for Hidden Valley.

You only see the valleys as you get there. They really are hidden from sight.

We soon found a male lion asleep in the valley.

There is also a yellow invasive plant in proliferation, like the purple kolifolio, very beautiful.

We saw warthog.

One of the other guides showed us where a Mom and her cubs were hiding. We would never had known!

Patrick was attracting the bees.

We drove along the border to the Serengeti so I stood in the Serengeti for a photo.

We found two male lions in one of the hidden valleys.

We had to wait for a long line of wildebeest to pass us.

Ndutu is so beautiful

Saturday 2 May 2026

It was Patrick's birthday and I gave him some shaving cream. He made us laugh when he thought it was perfume and sprayed his top.

I loved this bird.

White crowned shrike

I planned to go out with Sherif but since Ingela was going to find some lions so I decided to go with her rather.

We found the two Moms, the older one of about 12 years and probably her last cubs (she had three) and the younger one with two cubs. But where were the cubs? Didn't seem they made it.

And then one appeared out of nowhere..

All 5 cubs were sleeping in this little tree and we'd driven right past them and not noticed.

We reversed to get a better view of the tree and the car cut out. Oops. It wouldn't start. We decided to wait a while. It still wouldn't start. Now what. Ingela had said these lions were scared of cars and it was really good that they were getting used to us. Now we'd have to ruin that by banging on the car to scare them away. She would probably not be able to ID the three cubs which she didn't yet have. Damn.

There didn't seem to be reception so we couldn't call for help.

And then I heard her phone ping!! Hastily she sent our coordinates and let Steven know our car won't start.

We waited a bit longer, glad that Ndutu had sent food with us, and finally, in the rain the cubs came down.

Ingela was able to document them.

Their cards, not yet updated

Notes. They are Identified by their top row of whiskers.

After the smaller 3 did a bit of suckling on the old Mom the lions all wandered off and we were able to open the bonnet and have a look.

Ingela had identified the problem as being with the fuel injector but couldn't find a way to fix it.

She realised that Fideli wouldn't be able to find us as he doesn't have GPS, so she walked to the road to look for him. Umbrella for protection from the lions.

It was quite lovely being alone in the bush, but of course there was a risk something could happen to Ingela.

But soon Fideli and his colleague arrived to save us - which they wouldn't have if Ingela hadn't walked to the road.

Fideli is amazing and had a temporary fix it place within 5 minutes.

We were happy to get home safely and we said goodbye to Ingela who was heading back to her crater rim home.

With the help of ChatGPT, we made a no smoking sign.

These guys were in a standoff on my patio and it turned into a nasty brawl which I had to break up.

And then finally I got to see the resident genet.

Sunday 3 May - Lodge day

I think this is the rufus-tailed weaver that you only get around here.

How many people have done a game drive in a Porsch? Well, I have!!!

Fideli drove fast!

After the joyride I helped with a few things at the lodge and then got my hair done as well as a 90 minute massage. Absolute luxury.

This tree at the lodge is just magnificent.

Maretha took a car and we went out for sundowners.

Lots of giraffe

We saw a buffalo herd going for a drink.

I counted 14 giraffe in view

I loved watching two jackal cross the mud plains.

And finaly the lions we saw on our first day.

Was a lovely final evening drive in Ndutu.

We went back to sit around the fire and have dinner.

Monday 4 May - Karatu

The plan was to leave at 6 and after our goodbyes we were not too late and had a beautiful sunrise. Fideli drives fast! Although he's an excellent driver I was still a bit nervous