Our 2024 Festival of Wildlife will be held in the vast wildlife-filled plains of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, on the edge of the Southern Serengeti - one of the finest wildlife watching destinations in the world.
In true Festival fashion we have exclusive use of the Ndutu Safari Lodge and we will be joined by a team of photographers, sculptors and artists - Chris Breen, Nick Garbutt, Jonathan Truss, Nick Mackman, Bret Charman & Emma Healey. They will be offering a comprehensive programme of workshops, talks and tutorials alongside the usual morning, afternoon and evening game drives.
The trip operates in April, when over two million migratory animals made up of several species of wildebeest, zebra, eland and Thomson's gazelle will gradually be easing westwards, following the rains and the new grass it brings. At this time, it is anticipated that the great herds will still be within striking distance of the lodge, allowing us to enjoy this magnificent spectacle, but significantly also leaving behind areas void of the easy pickings of migration and therefore forcing the resident predators, of which there are many, to work harder for their meals.
The timing represents a period of transition, not only for the wildlife, but also for visiting tourists, as the mobile camps relocate north, reducing the tourist pressure in the area and making for a far more exclusive experience.
In addition to our stay at Ndutu Safari Lodge, we will also be offering a pre-tour extension to the world famous Ngorongoro Crater, a lost world of Eden that provides refuge to the Big Five, alongside a wealth of ungulates and vibrant flamingo-filled lakes. Our base will be the superb Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, the only lodge on the Eastern Rim blessed with breath-taking views out over the crater.
Post tour, there will be the option to join a 3-night walking safari in a remote camp before continuing on to the diverse habitats of Tarangire National Park for 2-nights, offering a completely contrasting experience to our time in Ndutu. For those with a passion for primates, we will also be offering the opportunity to travel to neighbouring Uganda to visit sites for both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees.
Typical Itinerary
Day1: Depart UK
Day2: Arrive Kilimanjaro and transfer to Arusha
On arrival in Tanzania, we are met at the airport and transferred a short 45-minute drive to Arusha and our first night's accommodation. Here we have the day to recover from our journey, spending the day at leisure before gathering together for a welcome dinner.
This morning, after breakfast, we transfer the short distance to Arusha airstrip for our charter flight to Ndutu. As we approach the airstrip, we begin to see some of the region's famed wildlife on the plains below and after being met on arrival in Ndutu we are transferred the short distance to the lodge, our base for the next seven nights.
After being welcomed into Ndutu Safari Lodge we have the opportunity to settle into our cottages and their surroundings before enjoying a delicious lunch, prior to our first safari of the festival later this afternoon.
Accommodation: Ndutu Safari Lodge, 7-nights
Days4-9: Safaris, presentations and workshops
Over the course of the next six full days, we enjoy a programme of game drives, workshops and presentations from our expert Festival Team.
Travelling in mid-April the short grass plains of Ndutu are lush with new growth, the life-giving rains having transformed the landscape into a vibrant green swathe, rich in nutrients and supporting an incredible diversity of life. Great herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle are constantly on the move, with young in tow, following the localised rains in search of the most nutritious grazing.
We follow their movements with excursions that may take us as far afield as the Engusoro Plains to the south, or Lemuta and Nasera Rock to the north-east. The density of carnivores in the area is very high with several established prides of lion in the Ndutu area alone. A depression area known a ‘Long Gully’, is one of the most productive areas for seeing one of the prides and it is also a gathering area for numerous other species. We are likely to encounter smaller carnivores too, like bat-eared foxes, serval and perhaps honey badger. Even caracals are seen from time to time.
The adjacent plains and sparse acacia woodland offer perhaps the best habitat in East Africa to see cheetah, and on previous Wildlife Worldwide trips numerous individuals have been encountered. During April the females often have cubs, which means they are constantly on the lookout for hunting opportunities. One of the advantages of the Ndutu area is the option to drive ‘off road’ and go where you please in the bush. This allows us to keep pace with specific animals for extended periods and through the course of a day it is not unusual for cheetah to make several hunting attempts.
In addition to the mammals, an exciting range of birds are possible with endemic species including rufous-tailed weaver, Fischer’s lovebird and grey-breasted spurfowl likely, alongside more widespread species such as Kori bustard, Masai ostrich and secretary bird. The high density of mammals inevitably results in a number of mortalities both through predation and disease, and this subsequently attracts large numbers of scavenging species such as white-backed, white-headed, lappet-faced and Ruppell’s vultures.
If you are interested in photography Nick Garbutt and Bret Charman will be on hand to offer advice and guidance, both in the field and back at the lodge, helping you to develop your skills and experiment with your cameras and the various settings. They will also be available to talk you through the intricacies of digital processing techniques.
More creative opportunities can be explored under the guidance of international wildlife artist Jonathan Truss and renowned wildlife sculptor Nick Mackman. Sketching and observation in the field will be an important part of these activities as well as the lodge-based workshops. It is important to observe your subject and environment intimately, gathering information to put into your sketches or sculpture and thereby creating a unique and personal memento from your safari. Through talks and demonstrations, Jonathan and Nick will help further inspire your creativity and using their knowledge and experience, will impart practical advice and handy tips, while casting a constructively critical eye that will bring your artwork to life. As the week progresses and your skills develop, you will experience the thrill of creating your own animals on canvas and in three dimensions.
An Auction for Wildlife
On our final evening, as is customary at the Festival of Wildlife, there will be a gala dinner followed by an auction, the proceeds of which will go directly to a local wildlife charity. In this case we will be supporting Kope Lion, Serengeti Cheetah Project and a community project that supports the local Endulen Hospital and Makao School.
Day10: Fly to Arusha and on to UK
After breakfast, we must sadly bid farewell to the team at Ndutu, transferring to the airstrip for our journey back to Arusha. Here we can relax and use the rooms and facilities at Rivertrees Country Inn, prior to transferring to the airport for our afternoon flight home.
Day11: Arrive UK
Key info
Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 11 daysfrom £5,995 pp
Duration and price excluding international flights: 10 daysfrom £5,495 pp
Single supplement:
From £495
Trip type:
Group Tour
Group size: 30-40
When to go: Apr
Group Departures: We are currently finalising future dates for this tour. Please contact us for further details.
Chris studied Geographical Sciences in Plymouth, however his first encounter with the wider world was in 1983, when he headed off to Zambia.
Under the tutelage of the late Norman Carr, the pioneer of walking safaris, he worked as a wildlife guide and managed a wilderness camp. On his return to the UK, he had a spell at a major tour operator before setting up Wildlife Worldwide in 1992.
Since then he has travelled the world in search of first-class wildlife experiences. He devised the Festival of Wildlife concept, which has spawned the Festival of Bears. An ardent conservationist, Chris has co-led each of these since their inception. He dedicates several weeks each year to communicating his irrepressible passion for nature to those who travel with him.
An award-winning photographer and author, with a background in zoology, Nick has forged a career by combining these skills with leading tours and lecturing.
Nick has written and photographed several critically acclaimed books, including: ‘100 Animals to See Before They Die’, ‘Mammals of Madagascar: A Complete Guide’, ‘Wild Borneo’, and ‘Chameleons’. He is a regular contributor to international magazines such as National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Africa Geographic and Geographical.
Nick has twice been a winner in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. In 2000, he won the prestigious Gerald Durrell Award for Endangered Wildlife. His photographs appear widely in books, calendars and other publications worldwide. He is a Special Lecturer on the MSc course in the Wildlife Photography and Imaging at Nottingham University, where he studied.
Jonathan is a wildlife artist ‘extraordinaire’ with an exceptional eye for detail and a passion for wildlife and the natural world.
‘JT’ has joined us on a number of early Festivals of Wildlife as one of our experts, and was also a keen participant at Festival of Whales in Mexico’s San Ignacio Lagoon. JT has moved on from his early career as a cabaret artist, comedian, impersonator and guitarist (with a mere 1,500 gigs under his belt!) to spend his life concentrating on painting and has been guest artist aboard many cruise ships. His work is in high demand worldwide.
Nick is an award-winning ceramic sculptor, who gains inspiration from the animal kingdom. The majority of her pieces are based on observations of animals in the field.
Many of her subjects are highly endangered and, in depicting them, she seeks to enlighten the viewer to their beauty, humour and tenderness. She aims to get under the skin of the animal, giving each sculpture its own personality.
Her work is widely exhibited in international collections, and in 2010 she won the Wildlife Artist of the Year Open Category. In 2012 was again a category winner and overall runner-up. Each year she makes the trophies for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. In 2015 she won the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation 2015 Artist of the Year award with her fantastic collection of ceramic warthogs.
Bret is an award-winning wildlife photographer with a background in the wildlife travel and safari industry, with a particular interest in African and Australian wildlife.
After spending a year in Australia to pursue wildlife photography, he was rewarded with success at the prestigious Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition, as well as winning the Birds in Flight category in Bird Photographer of the Year. Bret has experience leading groups in Europe, the Americas and in Africa.
Emma is a popular and experienced wildlife photographer and tour guide, whose images have been printed in wildlife photography magazines.
Emma has led workshops on camera settings, getting the best shots in the field as well as post production, to making sure clients can achieve their best images. Having had a passion for all things nature since she was very young, Emma travels across the globe to capture the wildlife in each area, and often supplies international agencies with photographs. With a love for primates, she is captivated by any living things from large mammals to tiny insects and macro photography.
Arusha National Park is the gem in Tanzania’s ’Northern Safari Circuit’. The park consists of lush swamps of the Ngurdodo Crater, the changing colours of Momela Lakes and the rugged alpine peaks of Mt Meru. Its habitat sustains an array of wildlife including the black-and-white colobus monkey.
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Where: Northern Tanzania
Ideal for viewing: black and white colobus monkey, bohor reedbuck, bushbuck, Kirk’s dik dik, olive baboon
Consisting of vast sweeping grasslands, the Ndutu area in the northern part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area adjoins the Serengeti National Park. As such, it forms part of the annual migratory route of hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra and antelope (and their predators).
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Where: Northern Tanzania
Ideal for viewing: cheetah, lion, wildebeest, masai giraffe, caracal
Situated in the south-eastern part of the Serengeti ecosystem, this lodge is shaded by majestic acacia trees, and surrounded by plants that attract a host of birds and mammals. Each of the 34 cottages, built of stone and other local materials, has a private verandah facing Lake Ndutu.
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Located to the north of Tanzania on the outskirts of Arusha, Rivertrees Country Inn boasts spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro and is set within 4 hectares of lush green surroundings. The inn features four room types including houses, cottages and garden view rooms.
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