Safari photos - Lake Eyasi and Mwiba

We're home and clean again. Everything that was in the car (including us) was covered in a thick layer of dust by the time we got back - the perils of the dry season and a holey landrover.

Had a WONDERFUL time! So nice to get to bits of the bush that are not overpopulated with visitors (we were the only ones in Mwiba, joined for our last day by a friend from Arusha), and generally nice to get away from it all.

Here are some photos. We spent two nights with friends at Lake Eyasi. They run Kisima Ngeda tented camp which is a beautiful camp in an idyllic location. There is also a campsite, which we have used twice on previous trips, though this time we stayed in the owners' guest cottage. Thanks guys!

We then headed to Mwiba - a private game reserve in Serengeti, staying at Mwarabushu tented camp for four nights. Can't find a website for them, probably because they only opened to visitors a month ago. We thought we'd be roughing it (relatively speaking) in the conservation area manager's camp but ended up being lodged luxuriously in the visitor's camp itself, in the biggest bed we've ever seen (7-8 ft wide at a guess). Mr B was there to discuss burning plans with the manager, having made a previous visit in January, and we tagged along for the ride.

Swimming pool at Kisima Ngeda

Driving up the escarpment from Lake Eyasi to reach the Serengeti

Lunch stop

Kids playing in camp, happy to have reached Mwiba aka "The Scorpion Place"

Much clambering to reach a deep waterhole carved into rocks

Nowhere shallow enough to stand made catching the kids interesting...

Some of the local Manyati tribe were watering their cows at a nearby but lower pool. They were fascinated by our binoculars (and by us being able to swim!)

Also fascinated by the camera, and in hysterics when they saw themselves reproduced in the view finder. Some of them didn't want to be snapped but these young lads thought it was very entertaining.

Lots of game. With the visitors camp only opening last month they were still unused to vehicles and a bit skittish. Defiinitely our duty to help them accustomise to people watching them!

Lilac-breasted roller. These beautiful birds were very abundant.

Hartebeest

Plenty to be found when we went looking under stones, but none took us by surprise at any other point, thankfully!

Kitty the Klipspringer. We saw several of the real ones - a new mammal sighting for me! No good pics though.

Sundowners in the bush is one of my very favourite things...

Greater Kudu - another new mammal for Mama B!

Sundowners the next night. Beautiful setting but freeeezing cold! We were shivering in our sweaters and wishing we had hot chocolate with a wee dram of something in it rather than cold beer...

More rocks to scramble over - kids loved it

Eles appeared in camp as we had our lunch one day.

Swivel chair mounted in tree - what a great way to watch game coming to drink at the waterhole! Getting the Mancub up was a challenge but some great teamwork made it possible!

Roan antelope - the other of my three new mammals for the trip!

So, back home for 'normality' for the next ten days until Granny and Grandad, the first of a veritable rush of visitors, arrive. And then off to Zanzibar and lots more safariing - we're making excellent use of all of the free bed nights Mr B earned while training safari guides!