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Hello, From the Other Side

It may be the same river, but in some ways, it's very different as Adam discovered on the banks of the Mara River on the Tanzanian side
Above: The Mara River winding its way into Tanzania
Above: The Mara River winding its way into Tanzania

You could say that the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti are two sides of the same coin. Put your foot in the Serengeti and you are venturing into Tanzania. Explore the Maasai Mara, and though you are in the same ecosystem, you're in a different country: Kenya. I have spent a significantly larger portion of my time on the Kenyan side. After all, Angama Mara is home.

In Kenya, the twists and turns of the Mara River as seen from a Governors' hot-air balloon
In Kenya, the twists and turns of the Mara River as seen from a Governors' hot-air balloon
The Mara River in Tanzania flows both wider and straighter
The Mara River in Tanzania flows both wider and straighter
The river separates the Lamai Wedge from the main part of the Serengeti
The river separates the Lamai Wedge from the main part of the Serengeti

Some may not know that the Mara River is within both East African countries. It starts up north in the Mau Forest, a highland area to the north of the Maasai Mara. From here it twists and turns south, punctuated by oxbow lakes and meandering through thick riverine forests. Up in its northern segments, it is a fairly narrow, fast-flowing river with steep eroded banks. Working its way south through crocodile-infested waters and numerous deeper hippo pools, it starts to flatten out, widen and slow down. It crosses into Tanzania very close to the confluence with another smaller water body known as the Sand River. It is near here that you find Purungat Bridge, one of the few vehicle crossing points between the Mara Triangle and the Greater Mara. 

Crossing the wide riverbed in Tanzania is hard work
Crossing the wide riverbed in Tanzania is hard work

When it comes to animals, the boundary is completely porous. Wildlife moves freely between the two countries and this huge open system is a refreshing case study in effective border management. The Great Migration sees millions of animals – wildebeest, zebra, topi, elands and Thomson’s gazelle – move between Tanzania and Kenya running the gauntlet of the Mara River. 

Always keen to see cats, Adam captured this mating pair
Always keen to see cats, Adam captured this mating pair
An exemplary male lion in his prime seen in the Serengeti
An exemplary male lion in his prime seen in the Serengeti

Of course, the border is not porous when it comes to people, and wanting to cross the political boundary requires going through all the normal hoops required to travel internationally. For years, I had gazed south across the Tanzanian border and wondered what it would be like to explore a region known as the Lamai Wedge, to spend time with the lion and cheetah that call it home, and most importantly to drive along the banks of the southern sections of the Mara River. 

Views on all sides in the tents at Serian’s Serengeti Lamai
Views on all sides in the tents at Serian’s Serengeti Lamai
Both classical safari and African touches in the decor
Both classical safari and African touches in the decor

In mid-September, I finally got the opportunity. Thanks to Angama Safaris, I had the opportunity to visit Serian’s Serengeti Lamai – a mobile camp that essentially moves between the northern and southern Serengeti in sync with the movements of the mega wildebeest herds – and spend time with Alex Walker himself. Plotted on a map as the crow flies, I would only be travelling 30kms south from Angama Mara. But, in order to pass through customs and to spend some time in both Nairobi and Arusha, I had to spend the greater part of a day travelling. 

A new perspective: looking north towards the Inselbergs from Tanzania
A new perspective: looking north towards the Inselbergs from Tanzania

Landing in Lamai was a rather surreal experience. It had taken me a few hours of flying to get to a point from which I could take out a pair of binoculars and see Angama Mara perched on the escarpment in the distance to my north. Not too far away were the familiar Inselbergs dotted across the landscape. Except this time, instead of looking south towards them, I was looking north. It felt oddly familiar, but at the same time, completely new. 

The familiar rush of excitement in watching a crossing
The familiar rush of excitement in watching a crossing
An orderly queue formed for this crossing
An orderly queue formed for this crossing
Ok, now everybody out
Ok, now everybody out

Serian’s Serengeti Lamai is a delightful light footprint, mobile tented camp tucked into an acacia thicket on a crest overlooking one of the most famous, and productive, Mara River crossing points in the Serengeti. Crossing Point Number Four. I had heard about it on various guide WhatsApp chats, I had read about it in books and seen photographs of it on Instagram. At last, I had the chance to see it for myself and I was not disappointed. During my four nights at the northern tip of the Serengeti, I watched three river crossings, two of which were large and dramatic, full of life and action. I leapt at the opportunity to capture intense moments and a different take on the river crossing theme. 

Exploring the river with Alex Walker was a highlight of the trip
Exploring the river with Alex Walker was a highlight of the trip
No two stretches in this river are the same...
No two stretches in this river are the same...
...from the pace of the flow to the geography of the banks
...from the pace of the flow to the geography of the banks

However, the real joy was spending time with Alex exploring the river. We drove up towards the confluence of the Sand and Mara Rivers and from there we slowly followed the riverbank downstream. I was amazed to see how the river changed in appearance. It became extremely rocky in places, and the banks were often more gradual and shallower. The river was wide and slow-flowing and along the course of the river were palm trees. Instead of the fast-paced twists and turns that we see upstream, it was sluggish and gently curved its way across the countryside.

Sometimes you have to dive in head first
Sometimes you have to dive in head first

The surrounding vegetation was also a marked change. Up north, in Kenya, our most famous crossing points are in an area known as ‘Lookout’. There are sheer drops and the river is just a few metres wide. Away from the river, you find predominately small thickets of crotons, but mostly open grasslands. Downstream, the banks here are much more vegetated, the grasslands shorter and replaced with more bushes and trees. I was also surprised by the temperatures. It was substantially warmer just a few degrees south, apparent by the change in many of the bird species encountered. I was seeing birds that were not found just five kilometres to the north. 

The winding Mara River and the ‘U’ Crossing Point in Kenya
The winding Mara River and the ‘U’ Crossing Point in Kenya
The vastly different landscape and wider river bends of Tanzania
The vastly different landscape and wider river bends of Tanzania

In essence, the northern Serengeti and the Maasai Mara may indeed be two sides of the same ecological coin, but there is certainly enough variation in experiences to warrant both being included on a longer more in-depth safari. Each has unique features, beautiful scenery, different park management styles and most interestingly, both set the scene for two completely different wildlife experiences. 

Notes from the Editor:

Our warmest thanks to Alex Walker’s Serian for graciously hosting Adam. We are proud to call them both friends and partners. 
 

Filed under: East Africa Travel

Tagged with:

Angama Travel , Safari Photography , Tanzania

About: Adam Bannister

A South African-trained biologist, safari guide, author, filmmaker and photographer, Adam is, above all else, a gifted storyteller. After spending the past 10 years working in some of the world’s most beautiful wild places – the Sabi Sand Game Reserve in South Africa, Rajasthan in India, Brazil’s Pantanal, and the rainforests of Manu National Park in Peru – he is delighted to share his stories of one of the loveliest game reserves of them all, the Maasai Mara.

Browse all articles by Adam Bannister Meet the angama team

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