Dear Friends,

In this month’s newsletter, we head from Kenya into Tanzania’s southern Serengeti to meet the Great Migration during calving season in our new trip inspiration, and then we explain why we take a different view on the migration’s famous river crossings. We also share a firsthand account from Tanzania of private guiding, calving season, and time with the Hadzabe. Finally, we travel to Peru for a family adventure with something for every age.

Craig Beal

Owner/Operator

While every Travel Beyond itinerary is tailored to your interests, our newest trip inspiration, Great Migration Calving Season Safari, offers a glimpse into what a trip to Kenya and Tanzania could look like. 

Spend twelve days traveling from Kenya into Tanzania, ending among the herds of the Great Migration. Begin in Nairobi with visits to the Giraffe Centre and the elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, then fly north for three nights at Kifaru House in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. From there, spend three nights at Little Elephant Pepper in the Mara North Conservancy, where you’ll take a hot air balloon flight over the Mara one morning. The trip closes with three nights at Mwiba Plains in the southern Serengeti, where the wildebeest herds gather to give birth during calving season.

In recent years, many of the migration’s river crossing points have become heavily overcrowded, with dozens of vehicles funneling into the same narrow stretches of riverbank. We’ve seen herds hesitate for hours, split unnaturally, or rush crossings under stress, and in the worst cases, these disruptions have contributed to injuries and deaths that are completely preventable.

That’s why we only work with partners who do not guarantee river crossings and who do not chase them when conditions aren’t healthy for wildlife. Guides are given full authority to avoid congested riverbanks and leave crossings where animals are clearly under stress, protecting both place and experience: for the migration, for the ecosystem, and for our guests.

The Great Migration is about far more than river crossings. During calving season, thousands of wildebeest calves are born in a short time, drawing predators and creating wildlife viewing that’s raw, vibrant, and natural. Read about what you may discover instead of river crossings on our blog.

Welcome back to another edition of What in the World!

On the Serengeti plains, newborn wildebeest have to be quick on their feet. How soon after being born can a wildebeest calf typically walk?

Click on your selection to see if you’re correct!

In her latest blog, Kayla Hoyles returns to Tanzania after nearly 10 years, with part of her trip spent at Mwiba Plains, the same camp that closes our calving season trip inspiration above. With just nine canvas tents on the southern border of Serengeti National Park, it offers what she calls “a front-row seat to the migration during calving season,” and at one point a few hundred wildebeest grazed about 50 feet from her table. Read her full account on our blog. 

Ancient, natural, and wondrous, Peru offers history, culture, wildlife, and activity in a combination that will have the entire family enthralled. From exploring the Amazon Rainforest and Machu Picchu to learning traditional weaving and making chocolate, Family Adventure in Peru has something for everyone and will leave you with memories to last a lifetime. 

“What makes Peru so special for families is how hands-on it is. Kids aren’t just looking at ruins; they’re weaving on a waist loom, paddling Lake Piuray, hunting for clues in the jungle, and making their own chocolate bars. These are the moments they’ll talk about long after they’re home.” - Jennifer Gillmore, Product Manager, Latin America

Photo Credits:

• Header photo: Mwiba Plains
• Great Migration Calving Season Safari Trip Inspiration photo: Mwiba Plains

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