Ndutu, is a paradise for nature lovers and wildlife photographers.
Perhaps Ndutu is not a location you are all too familiar with? Well, what about the Serengeti? Or the Ngorongoro Crater? I am sure you’ve heard about these epic wildlife destinations! Well, Ndutu finds itself right between these two reserves, an absolute haven for wildlife!
I recently returned from one of our annual Serengeti Ndutu safari experiences and would love to share some amazing images with you, all taken during our stay in Ndutu, and the Ngorongoro Crater. All of these images were captured during this stay and this goes to show just how incredibly productive this particular safari experience can be. I can honestly say that there are very few moments where there’s nothing going on. There’s just about always an animal in view, even if sometimes it’s only a gazelle.
What did I use to capture the images? I try to keep my camera setup uncomplicated. This allows me to be faster to react, with less time spent on trying to choose which lens to use.
Camera Gear:
Sony A1 – 2 camera bodies
Sony 400 f2.8 GM Lens
Sony 70 – 200 f2.8 GM mark 2 Lens
Sony 16 – 35 f2.8 GM Lens
I find this to be a great setup for Ndutu. Should you travel further North into the actual Serengeti where you can’t offroad to follow animals, I would have taken my Sony 600 f4 GM lens for a little additional reach.
The Ngorongoro Crater
I always enjoy visiting the Ngorongoro Crater. It’s one of the most dramatic, most visually pleasing nature destinations you can visit, especially in Africa. Just a bucketlist place, through and through.
I love the photography here. The landscape is perfect for shots that are not too right, and it gives you chance to use your 70-200 lens, or to zoom out a little on the zoom-telephoto lenses.
Ndutu’s open grasslands
Something very few people know about Ndutu, is that is has a wide variety of habitats. I believe this is the reason that the game viewing is so very good! It’s not just the classic open grasslands, the first thing you think of when the Serengeti comes to mind. There’s so much more to it than that.
Below, I’ll share some photos depicting the different terrains you may encounter. Again, all of these pictures were taken during my trip a few months ago. It shows off just how much variety there is, and how interesting your portfolio of images can be after a week in Ndutu.
I loved the shot above, with the Zebras and the Wattled Starlings. This year we saw many large flocks of starling, more than usual. They would locate the larger herds of zebra and wildebeest. They then walk at the feet of the large animals, waiting for insects to be disturbed as the animals walk through the grass. It’s a fantastic hunting technique. What is really great, is when the starlings all fly up together. Although the colour looked great, I loved the way it looked in black and white.
Ndutu’s Marshlands
Yes, you read that correctly. There are wetlands or marshes, right in the heart of Ndutu. In fact, our tented camp is no more than 8 minutes away from the “little marsh”, and not that far away from the “big” marsh either.
These marshes are home to the Ndutu pride of lions. Let me tell you something. I think that after 10 years of visiting Ndutu, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve driven through the marshes in the morning, and NOT seen lions. It’s unbelievable. They love the area so much, and they are simply always around. It’s a very good place for mother lions to keep their cubs. The marshes are dense and once the cubs are hidden within, it’s tough for anything from the outside to spot them, or to disturb them. I’ve witnessed some incredible cub sightings here over the years, including the one below of the 2 cubs, and the mother keeping guard.
Ndutu’s Scenic Lakes – Ndutu & Masek
Would you believe me when I tell you that not only is our camp within 8 minutes of the marshes, or 20 minutes of the open shortgrass plains, but also within 10 minutes of a large body of water called Lake Ndutu! Unreal!
I love driving along the edge of Lake Ndutu. I’ve enjoyed some crazy good sightings there. Just a couple of years ago, along with 3 of my guests, we watches as a caracal caught and killed a flamingo on the shores of the lake. I’ve watched lions walk through, and much more. It’s such a productive area.
On this past safari, we found 4 male lions lounging around close to the lake. As the sun giot closer to the horizon, the lions walked across and lay down right on the edge of the lake. It was very windy and what looks like snow in the picture below, was in fact foam from the saline lake, created by the hefty winds. It was such a stunning sight to see, a moment I sure will remember!
On top of that, we had the rising full moon as well as the Ngorongoro Crater as our backdrop!
On our final morning we encountered a clan of almost 20 hyenas at the edge of the lake. They were feeding on the remains of wildebeest. They would venture into the lake to feed and once full, come out to the land to sleep it off. One hyena decided that he wanted to move the head of a wildebeest closer to the shore, and I managed to catch the moment as it happened.
Ndutu’s Incredible Woodlands
At the heart of Ndutu sits a scenic woodland, incredibly beautiful and home to many animals that simply don’t like to venture into the open grassy plains where they’ll feel too exposed and vulnerable.
The woodland offers water, shade and protection. This can sometimes draw in large herds of animals, as can be seen below. As the great migration occupies Ndutu from January to April each year, the woodland will see many large herds pass through underneath the canopy of old Umbrella Acacias.
We got particularly lucky to see a number of leopards on this past safari. Now leopard numbers are good in Ndutu, but finding them is not always an easy task. Add to that the fact that many leopards are not always habituated. So, seeing a leopard in Ndutu is fantastic and what’s more, is that we had 6 sightings in total!
The female below was a looker! She was close to our camp and had an impala kill. We would visit her in the mornings and evenings when the light was best, and she did not let us down, providing my guests with incredible images!
On one evening as we drove back to camp through the scenic woodland, we found a family of lions lying next to a stream that runs from the marshes into Lake Ndutu. With the full moon rising in the back, it was a photo that truly would stand out. I loved taking this, very unique and special.
As you can see, Ndutu in the southern reaches of the Serengeti is a place you’ll not easily forget! There’s so much to see here, so much life, so much variety! The different landscapes never let you feel like you are spending too much time in Ndutu. It’s ever-changing and keeps it fresh and exciting. Due to the variety in habitats, you end up seeing many different animals without the need to drive all that far.
If you’d love to join me and Tanda Afrika in Ndutu in 2025 or 2026, simply connect with us via email. We’d love to hear from you and would love to show you this beautiful landscape in person – there’s no better way to see it afterall.
