Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania. This is the honeymoon cake that was given as a gift for us. So thoughtful...there was one problem however...you can see it in the video linked above. =)

Bathroom at Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania.

The sleeping are in Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania. Notice the mosquito nets that are required to be drawn at night time. There is also a ceiling fan that cannot be seen in this picture. A hairdryer is provided (located in the drawer underneath the mirror on the far wall.

Hats that were given as a gift by our meet and greet staff Emmanuel "Immy"

Heidi in front of the main building on the way to our first dinner.

Lobby at Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania.

Check-in desk at Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania.

Study and computer room at Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania.

Heidi at front door leading to lobby at Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania.

Heidi and Shane about to cut our wedding cake provided by Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania.

View of the way the rooms are situated at Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania. There are a number of groups like these along the path.

View of the walkwaya from rooms to the lobby and eating area at Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania. Taken in the morning on the way to breakfast.

Heidi at breakfast. The time is 5:30AM and she's trying out an African Doughnut.

View of main building at Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania.

From Mountain Village Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania we were driven by Immy to Arusha airport (45 minutes away). We had to pass through the Mountain Village to get to the main road.

6AM life in Mountain Village.

Mountain Village shoe market. Shoes are brought in from Europe and India for sale to locals.

Mountain Village shoe market. Shoes are brought in from Europe and India for sale to locals. I think I see a pair of Nike's...

Children walking to school in the morning on the roadsides. The vehicles on the right are mini-buses that act like public transit here.

Mt Meru. The 5th highest mountain in Africa. Found in Arusha National Park

Morning traffic on the way to downtown Arusha.

Local Lumbar Store/Furniture/Couch Store?

At Arusha Airport. Now boarding....us? Walk this way please....please mind the planes taking off and landing...

Our Air Excel Plane. Hmmm...that looks like of small doesn't it?

Yup, that's pretty small...Heidi, Me, some other African dude and the pilot. Wait where's the co-pilot? "Don't worry...I don't need a co-pilot..."

Flight was 55 minutes. Pretty smooth. This was some mountain we passed on the way into the Serengeti.

This was literally the first shot I took after getting off the plane. Welcome to Serengeti National Park.

Heidi in our PRIVATE Land Cruiser. Seats 7. Equipped with long range radio. Refrigerator/cooler in the back seat for drinks. Canvas roof opens up completely; or may be closed half-way when it's sunny. Binoculars and bean bags provided. Wildlife books for reference available. NO A/C.

Baboon tracks on the left, lion tracks in the middle, some from of antelope on the right.

Topi have elongated heads, a distinct hump at the base of the neck, and reddish brown bodies. They range in mass from 75 to 160 kg and in height from 100 to 130 cm at the shoulder.

When pressed they have been known to reach speeds in excess of 70 km/h although they typically travel at a jog. The topi also join the Serengeti migration with the wildebeest, zebra, and Thompson's gazelle. [wiki]

Giraffe seen in the Lobo Hills Region of the Serengeti (North East Region)

Impala in the Lobo Hills Region.

Male Impala: Lobo Region, Serengeti National Park.

Impalas range between 73 and 92 cm (29 and 36 in) tall. Average mass for a male impala is 46 to 76 kg (100 to 170 lb), while females weigh about 37 to 50 kg (82 to 110 lb). They are normally reddish-brown in color (hence the Afrikaans name of "Rooibok"), have lighter flanks and white underbellies with a characteristic "M" marking on the rear. Males, referred to as rams, have lyre-shaped horns, which can reach up to 90 centimeters in length. Females, referred to as ewes, have no horns. [wiki]

Young giraffe in the Lobo Region of Serengeti National Park.

Lobo Region in the Serengeti National Park: Dry Season (early October)

Lunch time picnic on a hill in the Lobo Region on the Serengeti National Park.

Our first spotting of lions. These 3 females are resting under the shade of a tree.

Two giraffes at the local salt lick in the Lobo Region of Serengeti National Park.

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant. It's name is derived from "camel and leopard"

The average mass for an adult male giraffe is 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb) while the average mass for an adult female is 830 kilograms (1,800 lb). It is approximately 4.3 metres (14 ft) to 5.2 metres (17 ft) tall, although the tallest male recorded stood almost 6 metres (20 ft). [wiki]

Maasai Giraffe or Kilimanjaro Giraffe (G. c. tippelskirchi) – jagged-edged, vine-leaf shaped spots of dark chocolate on a yellowish background. Range: central and southern Kenya, Tanzania.

Giraffes and other animals come to this area to lick the salt deposits contained in the soil during the dry season.

You can tell this a male Giraffe from the ossicles on the top of this head being bare. This is from butting heads with other males.

This Giraffe was drinking from the water and trying to spray us with water. Giraffe's are most vulnerable while their front legs are spread in order to drink. Don't be fooled; 1 well placed front leg kick can kill even a lion.

The guineafowl (sometimes called guineahen) are a family of birds in the Galliformes order, although some authorities (for example the American Ornithologists' Union) include the guineafowl as a subfamily, Numidinae, of the family Phasianidae. The guineafowl are native to Africa, but the Helmeted Guineafowl has been domesticated and both feral and wild-type birds have been introduced elsewhere. [wiki]

Family of Elephants found in the Lobo Region of Serengeti National Park.

African Bush Elephant: Elephants are the largest land animals now living. The elephant's gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal. At birth it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 120 kilograms (260 lb). They typically live for 50 to 70 years. The largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1956. This male weighed about 24,000 lb (11,000 kg), with a shoulder height of 3.96 metres (13.0 ft), a metre (yard) taller than the average male African elephant. [wiki]

Red-Necked Spurfowl?

Please comment or email me for proper identification of this bird.

More Giraffe in the Lobo Region of Serengeti National Park.

The Lilac-Breasted Roller, Coracias caudatus, is a member of the roller family of birds. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, preferring open woodland and savanna; it is largely absent from treeless places. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level. [wiki]

Plain's Zebra:
Zebras are African equids best known for their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals and can be seen in small harems to large herds. Unlike their closest relatives, horses and asses, zebras have never been truly domesticated. [wiki]

Male Agama:

The Mwanza Flat-headed Agama or Mwanza Flat-headed Rock Agama (Agama mwanzae) is a species of lizard from the Agamidae family, found in most of sub-Saharan Africa.

It can often be seen in the heat of the day basking on rocks or kopjes. The male's head, neck and shoulders are bright red or violet, while the body dark blue. The female is mostly brown and is difficult to distinguish from other female agamas. [wiki]

Pleas help identifying this bird. Found in the Lobo Region of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Zebra with new-born.

Thompson Gazelle grazing in the Serengeti Woodlands with the Lobo Hills in the backgound.

Lone Thompson Gazelle.

Baby Hyena near the Togora Plains in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Blacked-Back Jackal:
The most lightly-built jackal, this is considered to be the oldest living member of the genus Canis. It is the most aggressive of the jackals, having been known to attack animal prey many times its own weight, and it has more quarrelsome intra-pack relationships [wiki]

Blacked-Back Jackal, Togora Plains, Serengeti National Park.

Sunset over Pombofu Hills, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Sunset over Pombofu Hills, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Tent Number 12 at Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Scenically located in a glade, known as ‘the place of the klipspringer' (mbuzi mawe), and guarded by three million year-old granite towers, this luxury tented-camp is unique.

Just 16 widely spaced luxury ensuite tents.
Each tent has its own ensuite bathroom with flushed WCs and showers.

Hot running water 24 hours a day.

Opening off the spacious bedroom, is a tented bathroom, which features twin basins, shower and flushed WC.

This bottle of wine was given as a Honeymoon Gift.

There is also a seating area with stylish lamps and easy chairs. Fresh fruit was left on the table nightly.

Sunrise over Lobo Hills looking towards Lolliondo.

Sunrise over Lobo Hills looking towards Lolliondo. In October, the sun was up by 6:15 AM.

Two young male Thompson Gazelle butting heads at sunrise in the Serengeti.

Sunrise over the Western Corridor of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Hyena at sunrise. From my notes: there are over 9000 hyenas in the Serengeti compared to 2000 lions.

Zebra at sunrise. Zebras communicate with each other with high pitched barks and whinnying. A zebra’s ears signify its mood. When a zebra is in a calm, tense or friendly mood, its ears stand erect. When it is frightened, its ears are pushed forward. When angry, the ears are pulled backward.

Male lion seen at sunrise marking its territory. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

The lion (Panthera leo) is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight,it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger. [wiki]

Male lion walking towards our Land Cruiser in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

This male lion had a brother right across the street. Morning yawn.

Male lion at sunrise in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Harem of female lions of the 2 above mentioned male lions.

Herd of Common Eland, Western Corridor of Serengeti National Park.

The Common Eland is considered the largest species of "antelope", though in many respects the Elands are quite bovine. Females weigh 300–600 kg (660–1,300 lb), measure 200–280 cm (79–110 in) from the snout to the base of the tail and stand 125–153 cm (49–60 in) at the shoulder. Bulls weigh 400–1,000 kg (880–2,200 lb), are 240–345 cm (94–136 in) from the snout to the base of the tail and stand 150–183 cm (59–72 in) at the shoulder. Females have a tan coat, while males have a darker tan coat with a blueish-grey tinge. Males have dense fur on their foreheads and a large dewlap. Both sexes have horns, about 65 cm (26 in) long and with a steady spiral ridge. The female's horns are wider set and thinner than the male's.

Lion cub crossing the road in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Lion cub in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Lion cub in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Male Lion in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. (DAD)

Female Lion in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. (MOM)

Lion cub in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Baby Baboon in tree, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Picnic Breakfast near Bologonja Gate in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Typical Breakfast Picnic Lunchbox.

Heidi and Shane in the Africa Dream Safari Land Cruiser.

Driving towards the Bologonja Gate. Wilfred was our guide and driver.

Bologonja Gate, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Heidi and Shane at Bologonja Gate, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Shane at Bologonja Gate, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Above him, 2 Buffalo skulls. Behind him, Elephant Skull.

Shane shooting out of the roof of the Africa Dream Safari Land Cruiser. He was shooting with a Canon 1DIII with a 100-400L, and a Canon 5D with a 17-40L and 35mm 1.4L

Herd of Wildebeest. The border to Kenya can be seen in the background.

The metallic base of these leaves acts like a fire-resistant. That's all I know.

Wilfred showing Shane the true name of the above leaves. I still don't know what they are called.

Marker showing the border between T - Tanzania, and K - Kenya. Meaning of numbers unknown.

Wildebeest running in front of our Land Cruiser. Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Scattered Wildebeest Migration in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Scattered Wildebeest Migration in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Scattered Wildebeest Migration in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Shane standing in moving Land Cruiser in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Shane and Heidi in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Shane and Heidi in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Shane and Heidi in the Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Wildebeest and Zebra Migration by the Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Wildebeest and Zebra Migration by the Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Herd of Wildebeest climb down escarpment at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Herd of Wildebeest climb down escarpment at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Herd of Wildebeest following leader at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Herd of Wildebeest climb down escarpment at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Other vehicles anxiously await Mara River crossing.

Wildebeest Migration at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Herd of Wildebeestwiating for leader to make the first crossing at Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

It doesn't look good and the herd climb back up the escarpment.

It doesn't look good and the herd climb back up the escarpment.

2 hours later, the herd finally decide to cross the Mara River.

Wildebeest herd crossing the Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Wildebeest herd crossing the Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Wildebeest herd crossing the Mara River, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania. Current is so strong, the herd get washed down stream.

Guess who is waiting for them on the other side...

NIie Crocodile moves in...

Close call....

A young Wildebeest gets swept away from the herd downstream...not looking good...

Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.

Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.

Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.

Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.

Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.

Highlight of the trip...Nile Crocodile attacks Wildebeest in the Mara River.

Another Nile Crocodile comes from the front...

So powerful...

This thing is huge...

My heart was beating so fast...

It literally picks it out of the water...

It's over in a flash...

Look how long this crocodile is...must be 12-15 feet long.

Crocs 1, Wildebeest 0.

Mother and baby Rhino, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania. VERY RARE to see these. Our guide reports it was only his third sighting in 9 years!

Baby Black Rhino. The rhinoceros family is characterized by its large size (one of the largest remaining megafauna), with all of the species able to reach one tonne or more in weight; an herbivorous diet; and a thick protective skin, 1.5–5 cm thick, formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure; relatively small brains for mammals this size (400–600 g); and a large horn. [wiki]

Baby Black Rhino. They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter, if necessary. Unlike other perissodactyls, the African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths, relying instead on their powerful premolar and molar teeth to grind up plant food. [wiki]

Baby Black Rhinoceros, Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.

Hippopotamus, Mara River, Serengeti, Tanzania.

Family of Steenbok. Their pelage (coat) is any shade from fawn to rufous, typically rather orange. The underside, including chin and throat, is white, as is the ring around the eye. Ears are large with "finger-marks" on the inside. Males carry straight, smooth, parallel horns 7–19 cm long. [wiki]

The White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)

Spotted Hyena feeding on carcass. Spotted hyenas are better equipped for scavenging than other African predators: not only are they able to splinter and eat the largest ungulate bones, they are also able to digest them completely. Spotted hyenas can digest all organic components in bones, not just the marrow. Any inorganic material is excreted with the faeces, which consist almost entirely of a white powder with few hairs. [wiki]

Our private Sundowner surprise set up by the staff of Mbuzi Mawe.

Shane and Heidi at a private sundowner. Soda, alcoholic drinks, mixed drinks and a variety of finger foods were provided by the staff of Mbuzi Mawe.

Heidi, Wilfred, and Shane at the surprise private sundowner.

Mbuzi Mawe chefs, Heidi, Wilfred and Shane. Boy, those Tanzanians are tall!!

Sunset by Mbuzi Mawe Sundowner.

Our armed security guard at the Sundowner. I think it's real...

Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp

Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp

Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp

Front of Tent #12 Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp

Outside of our tent #12 Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp

Heidi in front of main lobby and eating area Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp

Inside dining and breakfast area Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp

Outside dining/breakfast area Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp