AIR ZOOM FLIGHT PREMIUM

Wildebeest location updates (see below) and a month by month guide to lodges and camps giving you the best opportunity to witness the east Africa’s wildebeest migration.
Wildebeest Migration

The endless plains of east Africa are the setting for the world’s greatest wildlife spectacle – the 1.5 million animal ungulate (wildebeest) migration. From the vast Serengeti plains to the champagne colored hills of Kenya’s Masai Mara over 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra and gazelle, relentlessly tracked by Africa’s great predators, migrate in a clockwise fashion over 1,800 miles each year in search of rain ripened grass.

There is no real beginning or end to a wildebeest’s journey. Its life is an endless pilgrimage, a constant search for food and water. The only beginning is at the moment of birth. An estimated 400,000 wildebeest calves are born during a six week period early each year – usually between late January and mid-March.

The Migratory Path
December, January, Feburary, March: The Serengeti National Park / Ngorongoro Conservation Area is arguably the most impressive wildlife sanctuary in the world. During the months December through March the seemingly unending plains of the southern Serengeti and the Conservation Area are inhabited by enormous herds of wildebeest and zebra. The great herds graze on rain ripened grass.This is the best time to visit the Serengeti.

In the calving season (late January through mid March when over 80% of the wildebeest give birth over a period of a few weeks) the herds concentrate at the Ndutu and Salei plains (Southern Serengeti / Ngorongoro Conservation Area) attracting the attention of predators like lion, cheetah and hyena.
During this period the migration is best observed from a luxury mobile camp in the Ndutu / Naabi area or from Ndutu Safari Lodge.

April, May: During the months April and May the depleted plains are unable to sustain the endless herds. The migration, sweeping west and north, moves from the short grass plains of the southern Serengeti / Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the long grass plains and woodland of the Serengeti’s western Corridor, almost to Lake Victoria.

This period is during the long rains and is considered off season for wildlife viewing in east Africa as roads are often impassable. Ndutu Safari Lodge, Kusini Camp and the Serengeti Serena Lodge are fine for wildlife viewing during this time. So are campsites in the Ndutu/Naabi area.

June: By the end of May the wildebeest have exhausted the Western Corridor’s best pastures and the herds must move further north. Entering the Lamai Wedge and the Mara Triangle breeding occurs May through June.

This is a transitional period between the rains and the dry season. Faru Faru River Lodge, Sasakwa Hill Lodge, Sabora Plains Tented Camp, Grumeti River Camp, Migration Camp, and Kirawira Camp are good options for viewing the migration at this time. Seronera and Moru area campsites are best..

July, August, September, October: By July the countless herds have amassed along the swollen Mara River – a final barrier from the short sweet grasses of the Masai Mara. Sometimes the crossing place they have chosen is shallow allowing the majority of animals to pass safely. In other areas the waters boil with drowning wildebeest and slashing crocodiles. Please note that the vast majority of travelers do not witness the wildebeest crossing of the Mara as the timing and duration varies widely each year – in years of little rain very few wildebeest cross the Mara River into Kenya.

Between July and October the wildebeest reside in the Mara. We recommend Governor’s Il Moran Tented Camp as the leading safari camp in the Masai Mara. Other tented camps include Governor’s Main Camp, Little Governor’s Camp, and Bataluer Camp. Tanzanian lodges recommended during this time include Faru Faru River Lodge, Sasakwa Hill Lodge, Sabora Plains Tented Camp, Grumeti River Camp, Migration Camp and Kirawira Camp. Kirawira and Moru area campsites are best.

November: The arrival of the short rains call the migration southward. During the short rains of November the wildebeest migration is best viewed from Klein’s Camp. Campsites in the Lobo area are best..

As November ends the migration is making its way back to the southern Serengeti and early in the year they once again give birth. The circle of life is complete.

*Note – the migration is a natural event and the timing varies month by month; year by year.

Maasai Mara and Serengeti and the wildebeest migration has lately been declared the 7Th (seventh) New wonder of the world by ABC.This has been decided by a panel of experts which included an oceanographer- M/s silvia Earlier,range and wildlife management expert,astrophysicist-Neil de Grasse Tyson and a tour expert invited by ABC after six days rigorous selection and classification exercise which ended on 17th November 2006 with a breakfast TV show “Good Morning America” televising a live interview with the Kenya wildlife dire

These two went on a serious hobo mission, rather than link to a place without a permalink available, I'm just gonna copy & paste Mikes words below:

Entry #1:
6/19/2007

Hey dudes, Here's an update. First off, hopping freights can be really awesome.

Catching out of San Antonio was super mellow. It took a long time, though. It took us 13 hours. We met a legit pro-hobo (Alien Jack) who knows everything about hopping freights and everything about every yard. He rode with us to Houston. We separated but planned on meeting back up to catch out to Fort Worth, but he never showed at the yard. I think it was because the weather got so shitty. Alien is never in a hurry.

The Houston yard is mammoth and located in a desolate, degenerate area. We got soaked in Houston. We waited under a bridge for about 18 hours. Wet, swatting mosquitoes while trying to sleep on pavement next to two of the worst hobos in the world. This is how hopping freights can be really miserable. No trains were going our way the entire night. Maybe because we weren't in a good place to catch out. Also, because it was Sunday, the slowest day for trains. The two hobos, Junior and Echo, had been traveling for 14 days and they only got from Alabama to Houston...but their destination is Florida. They were total morons and it was clear why they had become homeless. At one point Junior tried to tell me directions: "That's east, and that's south (points in the opposite direction). Yes, that is how stupid they were. We'd be woken up by trains leaving the yard throughout the night and he'd say, quite confidently, that this was our train. Then it would rip by in the wrong direction. I can almost guarntee that they're still under that bridge, smoking cigarettes and swearing in really bad cajun accents.

So, we woke up in Houston, exhausted, filthy and with some strange foot rash. We tried to talk so some rail workers but they didn't provide any help. Then the rain came again as we walked from our spot to a different spot about 3 miles down a road. Soaked again and basically hopeless as far as leaving Houston by train. If you're taking small trains in between small towns it isn't very difficult. But trying to navigate very large distances takes a lot of experience and a shit ton of time.

Three phone calls later we were in a cab headed for a rental car service. We drove our red Chevy Cobalt (with a spoiler) out of TX, through Louisiana, up through Mississippi. We checked out sites and crashed in a motel. Credit cards are awesome. After stopping in Graceland and Nashville the next day, we landed in Cincinnati. I've got places to stay here. We're dropping the car off soon and catching out of here to Pittsburgh on Friday. Hopefully all goes well. So far my tips for hopping are: Give yourself unlimited time. I'd say the average time it would take to get across the country would be three weeks. You spend and lot of waiting around, you walk everywhere, and trains go surprisingly slow. It took us 9 hours to go the distance of a 5 hour car ride. Also, take very strong insect repellent. Maybe even a small tent. If Brandon and I don't have West Nile by now it's a miracle.

Another thing is don't rely on books or websites for information. They help a little, but they're nothing like the real thing. They can't equip you for this shit. Trains can speed up and slow down really fucking fast. I never read that once. Don't plan on hopping a freight unless it's stopped or has just begun to move out of a yard. Last, be prepared for mental torture and try to have fun. You will definitely go crazy very early on. Try to make the best of it. Go with a friend you love and enjoy the insanity.

Through all the shit so far it has actually been an awesome trip. Definitely a different side of life and it will give you a different perspective on society and basically everything else in life.

Well, I'll write again when we've moved on.

Best, Michael


Entry #2
6/26/2007

Back with more. The first day in the Natti Brandon and I were getting coffee and I saw some crusty punks in the back. Another tip: Crusty punks always know someone who jumps trains. I asked if they knew anything about catching out of Cincinnati and sure enough, one of them did. He even had a crew change guide which is really helpful. After a day of hanging out with him we copied the crew change and tried to head out.

We spent another night sleeping under a bridge in a shit part of town. The dirt was surprisingly soft and I slept like a rock. Unfortunately no trains were going out that night. It was a small yard. A couple tore through on the mainline, but none crew changed. Another tip: Crews rarely change on the mainline, or stop for any reason. Your best bet is to find a refueling station. Almost all trains stop there. When we woke up, Brandon's foot AIDS had spread up his body and was now taking over. He was an itchy, red, bumpy, miserable mess of a person. Got a car ride out of the Natt

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