Panthera Pardus

The granite kopjes that dot the northern Serengeti plains provide real havens for this truly wonderful cat. Up to 28 inches on the shoulder and around 140 pounds, they are cunning and stealthy hunters. Unlike other cats, the leopard will kill prey even when it is not hungry - stocking it up trees for days in a row.

Elusive and shy it is a real treat to find cat this close. Just around the corner of Lamai Serengeti, this area once more proves to be a true haven for wildlife!

The allure of rains

Spectacular thunderstorms over the past 14 days have changed the Lamai Wedge and most of the northern Serengeti into solid green pastures. Unusual for the time of year, the rainfall and lightning has been so bountiful that it hasn’t gone unnoticed to the wildebeests that are close to the area.

Attracted by the promise of green grass the herds residing in the Masai Mara are now returning by the thousands. Adding more to their already vast numbers, they cross the Mara River in dramatic amounts, creating crossing so spectacular you will not believe! 

So when Anicet, Jim & Barb drove out on their third full day game drive from Lamai Serengeti they were hoping but not expecting anything like this. Probably our most fortunate guests so far, they viewed a total of three massive crossings.   

And with the numbers of animals heading for the greens, there might be a lot more to expected!

Photo’s courtesy of Anicet Philip and Jim & Barb Enarson

Good Morning Serengeti

Few things in the world can beat our bush breakfast in the Serengeti plains. Imagine golden rays of morning sun, delicious fresh coffee, warm bread and spectacular noises. Together with the animals this is a breakfast you will never forget. And if that isn’t enough, we love doing it too! 

So make sure you don’t miss out on this great opportunity at Lamai Serengeti!

A swarm of wildebeest

Early yesterday afternoon this beautiful herd of wildebeests passed in front of our mess. Loudly ‘gnuing’, they attracted the attention of our guests even well before they came into sight.

 

  

And although wildebeests often get looked upon as clownish and dumb creatures, they dominate and shape the very ecosystem that is the Serengeti. Reaching an estimated 1,5 to 1,6 million individuals this year, wildebeests continue to survive pressure from predators, droughts, human settlement and  diseases. So it seems safe to say that they have what it takes to survive. Maybe not as sexy – but certainly successful!

Serengeti River Drama

As the new day comes, thousands of wildebeests line up at the Mara river side. When the herds thicken, the tension rises. When will they decide to pass the treacherous river? Who will take the lead? Where will the first one cross? And who will make it and who not? 

In all honesty, there are very few things in nature that rival the drama of the wildebeest migration. 

With this spectacle happening all around Lamai Serengeti, we keep discovering new faces of our kopje and its inhabitants. 

What a place!

Pictures courtesy of Scott Thomas McKenney

A good chance for sure...

When guests come to Lamai Serengeti they often ask whether they stand a good chance to spot cats. In particular leopard and lion seem to be on their most wanted list. 

And a good chance they have.

Where sightings of any animals are always based on luck and coincidence, we can’t deny that there is some incredible cat activity right around Lamai Serengeti  and in the plains. With the vast herds of wildebeests right on our doorstep, cats enjoy the season that brings them life. 

Hence these beautiful shots! 

What makes us tick

At Lamai Serengeti we really feel this family team feeling. All of us try to pursue the same and that is  everything being just spot on this beautiful kopie. Throwing in heaps of enthusiasm, the whole team walks up and down our private hill throughout the day. And with that a giant appetite is created... 

Utterly concerned with this appetite is one person in particular, and that is our wonderful staff chef cook Ibrahim.

Voted one of the best staff cooks by members of our team that have travelled to various other camps, Ibrahim takes no prisoners if it comes to making sure people enjoy what they eat. 

Fighting appetite and pleasing taste buds with truly Tanzanian recipes, it is the golden glory of the morning that makes the staff team tick here at Lamai. 

So let Ibrahim introduce you to the world of the Lamai Mandazi. Served crispy and warm a better start of the day is hard to think of...

Lamai Mandazi 

-          2 cups of warm water

-          2 tsp baking powder

-          4 cups of flour

-          ½ cup of sugar

-          2 tablespoons of butter

-          Salt

-          Oil for deep frying

Fat Cat

With the season of plentiful getting up to steam now, cat life at Lamai Serengeti is getting seriously spectacular. Stocking up on food, this beautiful adult leopard took two wildebeest calves up his tree before he even started his meal. 

With his tree only a 10 minute drive out of Lamai Serengeti, on the banks of the Mara river, this was  one out of a million shot!