Kenya wildlife photography safari
| country: | Kenya |
| location: | Masai Mara |
| departures: | The itinerary below is an example of what we can offer. However, the trip can be also be arranged on a tailor-made basis for 2 or more people and altered to suit your requirements |
| price: | From £2150 (10 days) excluding flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This photo safari is designed for the serious photographer interested in producing top quality images of African wildlife. Join Gustav W. Verderber, a professional nature photographer with credits that include the cover of Natural History and The Audubon Society Calendar. Learn the field techniques of professional wildlife photography and produce gallery-quality photographs of African wildlife. Focusing on the abundant wildlife in Kenya's Masai Mara, this ten-day safari will take you through the undulating plains of the Mara savanna, up to the hilltops of the Loita Hills and into the riverbank forest depths. In each location, you'll seek out the hidden leopard or feeding elephant as you practice your wildlife photography techniques with Gustav. The safari is also scheduled to coincide with the Masai Mara's magnificent spectacle of the annual Wildebeest Migration. Your safari actually begins well before you board your plane to Africa. Gustav will outline a course of instruction that starts with photo projects you will be asked to complete before your departure.
This will enable Gustav to gauge your expertise and to focus his instruction on your personal strengths and abilities without wasting time on skills you already posses so that you receive the best possible instruction while on the safari itself. With photography game drives and game walks in the cooler mornings and evenings, your afternoons will be spent with photography technique lectures and training, as well as catching up on the odd bit of sleep! Don't forget to spend time with your camp crew, learning about Kenya's tribal cultures as well as the animals, birds and plants!
This will enable Gustav to gauge your expertise and to focus his instruction on your personal strengths and abilities without wasting time on skills you already posses so that you receive the best possible instruction while on the safari itself. With photography game drives and game walks in the cooler mornings and evenings, your afternoons will be spent with photography technique lectures and training, as well as catching up on the odd bit of sleep! Don't forget to spend time with your camp crew, learning about Kenya's tribal cultures as well as the animals, birds and plants!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | You’ll be met on arrival and transferred to your Nairobi Hotel. Meet Gustav, your instructor and the other participants before enjoying dinner and overnight in Nairobi. |
| Day 2: | We pass through the Great Rift Valley, into the Maasai Mara, an area that forms part of the huge Serengeti eco-system. The Mara is host to the spectacular Wildebeest Migration, an endless stream of Wildebeest stretch from horizon to horizon. The movement of this vast herd is fascinating in itself, but it is seldom that a day goes by without the added bonus of watching the predators that follow the herd; Lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dogs. Spotting one of these magnificent predators is more or less guaranteed at this time. |
| Day 3: | With a population estimated at around 1.5 million animals the Wildebeest traverse a circular long route in search of green pastures. The herd helps to protect their young from the following host of predators.Lunch at the campsite, lectures in the afternoon and then a game walk in the evening to search out photo opportunities on the ground. |
| Day 4: | A full day in the Loita Hills practicing your techniques. All meals and overnight at the campsite |
| Day 5: | Your camp crew will pack up camp today as you game drive enroute to the Mara Simba Lodge inside the Masai Mara Reserve itself. The Lodge is large and comfortable with lovely views of the river, friendly, helpful staff, good food and comfortable rooms. |
| Day 6: | The Mara blessed with a stunning landscape and its animal diversity is one of the greatest in Africa. The Mara is a sanctuary for all of the "Big Five" animals: lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. The sweet grasses and abundant water ensure a full compliment of plains game such as the Impala and Thompsons gazelle, which are of course, closely followed by lion, leopard and cheetah. The deep river pools provide homes for hippo and crocodiles. Camp inside the Mara Reserve. All meals and overnight at the campsite. |
| Day 7: | Today we explore the rivers of the Mara and the wildebeest crossings if possible. When crossing the Serengeti, into the Mara, the wildebeest must cross many large rivers; the spectacular river crossings are a highlight of many safaris. |
| Day 8: | Game driving through the Mara, you head up to the black cotton soil area of the northern triangle and your final night here at Governor's Camp. Dinner and overnight at Governor's Camp. |
| Day 9: | One final game drive before heading back to Nairobi in the afternoon. You'll spend the evening going over all that you have learned during your safari. Dinner and overnight at your Nairobi Hotel. |
| Day 10: | Depending upon your flight departure time, spend the day exploring Nairobi or head straight out to the International Airport for your departure. |
tailor made holiday
This trip can be tailormade to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more luxurious trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments before relaxing in comfort in some of the best and most characterful local accommodation! Quality and value are the hallmark of these trips.how this holiday makes a difference
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Animals and people both need land. Ecotourism provides an alternative income for the people, leaving space for the migratory animals. We actively support the villages and projects that are protecting East Africa's environment and culture. We develop self-help eco-projects, which promote wildlife conservation. We also educate both our consumers and our partner camps with two free ezines. We use renewable energy products, reduce paper and plastic consumption in our office and have left the natural vegetation unscathed, resulting in duiker and monitor lizards visiting the office!
We donate 10% of all post-tax profits to fund community and/or conservation projects. Community projects are operated with the local villagers as the operators and managers; We provide advice and guidance when requested, but abides by local beliefs and traditions. Our current projects include: The Children of the Rising Sun Orphanage, which provides accommodation, meals, medicine and schooling for 28 street-children. Our goal is to have a vocational job-training center operational at the home, for the kids and local villagers. The Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve, the last remaining tract of coastal lowland forest in Kenya, which provides the only refuge for several endemic birds and mammals, such as the golden-rumped elephant shrew and the Sokoke Pippet. Designated as one of Conservation International's 26 global bio-diversity hotspots (www.conservation.org) and surrounded on all sides by an ever increasing human population, the Forest is in danger of disappearing as trees are cut for carvings, land cleared for subsistence farming and animals trapped for food. We hope to ensure that the local villagers become the greatest supporters of the Forest. One of the many projects in the Forest trains the local villagers to breed forest butterfly species for export to the live butterfly market. With two local butterfly farms already in operation, over 400 people in the area bordering the Forest now have an income that relies upon the continued health of the Forest. Our goal is to employ another 100 people. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |