TANZANIA NATURE AND PHOTO TOUR 2027

02/10/2026

SAFARI TANZANIA – NDUTU (SECRET SERENGETI), NGORONGORO AND TARANGIRE

PHOTOGRAPHY AND NATURE TOUR TO UNIQUE NDUTU, NGORONGORO CRATER AND TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK …

In March, the savanna teems with wildebeest – calves with their mothers everywhere – alongside herds of zebras and gazelles. The young wildebeest are born in late January and early February, and more than a million of them are present in and around Ndutu. The Ndutu Conservation Area is a wedge-shaped territory situated on the border between the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the southwestern part of Serengeti National Park.

The nature and photography trip in March 2026 was a great success. In addition to hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, we spotted several cheetahs and leopards, prides of lions, and a serval. In the Ngorongoro Crater, we saw several black rhinos, albeit from a distance.

What makes Ndutu so unique? Unlike the Serengeti, where 4×4 vehicles must stick to the tracks, off-road driving is permitted in Ndutu. This guarantees close encounters with wildlife: you can carefully drive up to a leopard, or enjoy watching wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, elephants, lion cubs, or cheetahs at close range.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest volcanic caldera and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Tens of thousands of large animals inhabit the area year-round, and it boasts the highest density of lions and black rhinos. Our safari in the crater begins early in the morning and ends in the late afternoon; we enjoy both breakfast and lunch at an idyllic picnic spot overlooking the hippos.

Tarangire National Park has the highest density of elephants in Tanzania, thanks in part to the Tarangire River, which ensures a year-round water supply. The landscape is gently undulating and dotted with massive baobab trees. From the lodge, we have the best possible view of the river below.

… WITH PRO PHOTOGRAPHER AND BIOLOGIST MARTIN VAN LOKVEN …

Photographer and biologist Martin van Lokven has been visiting Tanzania since the late 1990s, having made 14 trips to the country. In 2006, he spent three consecutive weeks in Serengeti National Park—staying with his wife in Seronera, in the central part of the Serengeti. That was also the year he first discovered Ndutu, a location that has since become a focal point of every trip he takes.

Martin has produced features for National Geographic, ANWB, and other clients worldwide, covering destinations such as Antarctica, Tanzania, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Australia. See also WORK (NL) and PUBLICATIONS (NL).

… AND TOP SAFARI / TOUR OPERATOR AND DRIVER/GUIDES

For the best possible safari experience, you want your trip to be in the best hands. Since 2015, I have been working with a top-tier safari operator—one of the best in Tanzania—featuring guides who know the challenging terrain of Ndutu like no other. It guarantees an unforgettable journey and the best of memories.

THERMAL VIEWER

In March 2026, I was able to borrow a thermal imager from Transcontinenta B.V.. It proved to be a great success. A leopard we had observed and photographed earlier in the morning moved away and disappeared from sight. We went looking for the animal again in the afternoon; thanks to the thermal imager, we managed to locate it and enjoy a close-up view—an unforgettable experience.

This thermal imager will be coming along again in March 2027.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

In 2015, commissioned by National Geographic Netherlands for Traveler magazine, Martin spent two weeks working in Tanzania—nine of which were in Ndutu—on a feature about the Ndutu region as experienced by the world-renowned filmmaker and photographer Hugo van Lawick. Van Lawick created films such as Serengeti Symphony and The Leopard Son and maintained a camp a short distance from the Ndutu Safari Lodge for thirty years. During the 1960s and early 1970s, he was married to Jane Goodall, and together they worked on features, films, and books in Tanzania.

My story—featuring both text and photography—was published in the 2/2016 issue of National Geographic Traveler. Read and view “Tanzania, the Wild Paradise” on the Dutch NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC website.