The migration is here

The migration is all around Lamai Serengeti and down towards the river; we took this crossing picture yesterday. The view from the main mess yesterday afternoon was amazing, wall to wall wildebeest stretching across in front of us. Of course this comes with lots of nocturnal noise and activity, predators are everywhere!

More rock lovers

We share Lamai Serengeti with lots of beautiful creatures. One of them is the marvellous coloured lizard known as the Rock Agama. Spending whole days on the top of our rocky boulders, it is the male Rock Agama’s that make sure they are seen!

Polygamous as they are, these guys have the commitment to continuously impress a high number of ladies, usually up to 7 or more! And how would you do that?

 

Well what seems to interest the Agama girls – and our guests - is the number of push ups the guys can make. And we are talking push ups in the whole day through, including the midday heat! As bountiful as they are, you are sure to meet these impressive reptiles when you come to Lamai Serengeti.

Season of plenty

With the first herds of wildebeests slowly moving into the Lamai area,  activity in the area will start peaking.

Just out of Lamai Serengeti our dear guest, Miss Gilbert, caught this cheetah noticing the vast herds of wildebeests that slowly move closer.

There is something very soothing in the cat’s glance...

The season of plenty has finally arrived.

Rocks that grow trees

Littered with huge granite boulders, there is something pretty special happening on our koppie. This time it’s not about animals or romance – it’s about trees that wrestle with boulders.

Whereas the Serengeti plains that lay downwind of our only active volcano in the area, are mostly barren and treeless, it's places like here, where tree roots find the little fertile ground they need to grow. Lacking the thick layers of volcanic ash of the plains that with the rains turn into rockhard cement, trees take their chance and grow their seeds especially around and under the ancient granite rocks. 

This is a place where trees take on massive stones that lay in their way. Having an argument over that the fertile earth that surrounds the rocks, the results are absolutely amazing. And there they grow – straight through, around or all over – headed for the sun!

Sunrise, Sunset

I’m afraid we want to talk romance again. 

Lamai is a place so huge and open, you couldn’t even imagine it could exist. We have dreamlike landscapes of gentle rolling green hills lined with far views that are barren and desert like. Here are fabulous mountain rangea and beautiful mesa’s. And all dot your horizon. This is where time stands still. This is the Northern Serengeti and this is our view from the veranda.

And if that isn’t all, then came the sun. As you sit with your morning coffee on the  veranda – or when you call it a day with a glass of champagne at one of our sundowner spots - the sun plays with colors and the landscapes become of another world.

What a sight!!

Some lovely guests who have  just been on safari with us at Lamai Serengeti, left us these fabulous pictures that they took.

Creatures of the night

We’d like to introduce a few of the “stars” of Lamai Serengeti. Meet Senet and Toroge – both Masaai and true people of this area. These very capable chaps – along with 4 other night guards – that look after our lodge and surrounds at night.

When all the guests have safely returned to their rooms, our night guards start their day. And what a shift! These heroes share the camp with the nocturnal mammals such as lion, hyena, leopard and everything else that wanders through.

Exciting morning stories are plentiful when they tell us about their nightly encounters; their stories get more enthusiastic with each telling.  On the first morning, they kept record of what they’d seen and heard:  they saw lion down on the plain in front of camp, stopping to sniff the air and call – we wondered if the guests heard the thrilling sound as well.

So here are our ‘ears and eyes’ at Lamai Serengeti.  They really make our day, or is that night!!

Wine, dine, moonlight, divine....

At Lamai Serengeti we are blessed with a stunning amount of opportunities to dine under the vast African night sky. The sky here is so brilliantly thick with stars that you would almost forget the lovely food on your plate as you sit next to the flickering fire. 

With the sounds of the bush all around, we explored a beautiful new dining setting next to Lamai’s infinity pool last night. True romance was everywhere. It is as they say - once Africa gets into your blood.

Lamai is truly that place of wild romance and adventure. 

What is 'lamai' ??

Lamai, or Lama, is the Maasai word for the sourplum or ximenia caffra shrub. It is often found growing in the Wogakuria area of the northern Serengeti and has been spotted right at the entrance of Lamai Serengeti, as well as areas all around camp.

We're happy to know that.

A good week in the Serengeti

It’s been a good week since the opening  of Lamai Serengeti , we seem to draw more as many four-legged visitors as our guests. Late this Monday afternoon we were visited by a beautiful herd of hartebeest. Somewhat interested in the people that gazed upon them on close distance, they graciously posed for us – and seemingly enjoyed what they were seeing ... Well done building team!!

With now all the work done at Lamai, animals come closer and closer to camp. The difference over the past weeks is really noticeable. Realizing that the migration is getting closer to the northern Serengeti, it shouldn’t be too long before the vast crowds of wildebeest conquer the area.

Right now in the Serengeti? This is the very best  place to be. 

 

Having the kopje all to ourselves...

Everyone out on a early morning game drive, so we stopped - for a moment - and had our morning coffee in the mess; no sound and the kopje felt totally deserted except for these long-necked guests who silently came to visit.

Lamai Serengeti - spot the camp!!

"This is the most beautiful and sensitive camp I have ever seen - I mean look how it blends in - who designed it? Can I shake their hand?"

- Tanapa Assistant Warden
29th June 2011