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Kenya, North and South | Overseas | Masai Mara

Overseas: Kenya, North and South

©Pete Smart: 2006

£4,385.00

Venue:

Masai Mara (11 day)

Event Description:

This 11 day safari combines two contrasting regions of Kenya. We visit the Masai Mara at the most likely time to witness the amazing spectacle of the Wildebeest migration while Ol Pejeta Conservancy has many species not seen in the Mara, including Grevy’s Zebra and Reticulated Giraffe, and it also has good numbers of Black Rhinoceros. We will take night drives to search for Leopards and other nocturnal species, and also visit a Chimpanzee Sanctuary.

The safari starts with a morning flight from London Heathrow, arriving in Nairobi in the evening where we will spend the night. The following morning we take a short flight to Nanyuki, where we will be met and transferred to our camp in Ol Pejeta for the next four days. We then fly directly to the Masai Mara for a further six days during which we will venture to the Mara river which offers the opportunity to see river crossings. Each day we will usually take picnic breakfasts and lunch to truly experience life in the bush and appreciate all it has to offer.

In the Masai Mara we stay in a tented camp set up in a delightful forested location with comfortable, large, twin or double bedded tents each with en-suite bathroom facilities consisting of a basin, shower and a flush toilet. Tents are furnished with proper beds, and table and chairs are provided on a covered veranda. The camp has a secluded tented lounge with a selection of reference books and easy chairs - the perfect spot to relax in the heat of the day. Power for recharging batteries is available throughout the day. In Ol Pejeta we use a luxury tented camp established by the same team as the familiar camp we use in the Mara and with similar facilities. The camps are ideal for those wishing to experience the real African bush away from large, often noisy and impersonal lodges.

The size of each group is no more than 8 and each client will be guaranteed a window seat in the camp’s specially adapted four-wheel drive vehicles which are ideal for photography. The professional driver/guides who will remain with us throughout the tour know the area extremely well, are experts on the animals and birds, and understand the needs of photographers. Game viewing drives are taken on the plains each day and options are available for bush walks or a tour of a Masai village.

Peter Smart from Wild Arena will accompany you. Peter is a wildlife photographer, escorting tours to a variety of countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, India, Spitsbergen and the Galapagos Islands. Peter treats it as a genuine privilege to introduce people to the wildlife, landscapes and people of the countries he visits and his knowledge, organisational skills and sense of fun ensures that not only will you have excellent photographic and game-viewing opportunities but also a highly enjoyable holiday!

The safari is arranged by African specialists, Safari Consultants Ltd, a fully bonded UK tour operator; your financial protection when travelling with us. The price of the tour is fully inclusive of all international flights and transfers as well as photographic tuition from your Wild Arena guide. Safari Consultants can also arrange a customised extension to your safari which may be a further six nights in Masai Mara with Peter or a few days on the delightful Kenyan coast.

In addition to providing great photographic opportunities, Wild Arena’s safaris are designed to offer a wide appreciation of the natural beauty of Africa’s wildlife, people and the environment. The itinerary provides you with the maximum time in the field so we can offer you the best photographic opportunities, including giving help when it is needed. We aim to give you a highly enjoyable holiday and for you to feel that our knowledgeable guides have provided you with unique opportunities to view and capture images of the natural world. Wild Arena also offer a wide selection of photographic workshops in the UK which many of our delegates have found to be an ideal way to develop their photographic skills, try new equipment and ask questions before embarking on their safari.

This exciting safari offers wonderful and varied game viewing and the chance to witness one of the World’s greatest wildlife spectacles. The Masai Mara also has a large concentration of Lion, Leopard and Cheetah which justifiably makes the Park home to Big Cat Week. In addition, Ol Pejeta offers some different species, night drives and a visit to a Chimpanzee Sanctuary. View our exciting itinerary overleaf or visit our website to see more amazing images and reports from previous trips.

Please contact us regarding any questions you may still have or to discuss the possible extensions to this tour. You are advised to make your reservation immediately once you have decided to join us, as places are limited on this popular tour visiting Kenya: North and South.

Masai Mara:

In the Masai Mara we stay in a tented camp set up in a delightful forested location with comfortable, large, twin or double bedded tents each with en-suite bathroom facilities consisting of a basin, shower and a flush toilet. Tents are furnished with proper beds, and table and chairs are provided on a covered veranda. The camp has a secluded tented lounge with a selection of reference books and easy chairs - the perfect spot to relax in the heat of the day. Power for recharging batteries is available throughout the day. In Ol Pejeta we use a luxury tented camp established by the same team as the familiar camp we use in the Mara and with similar facilities. The camps are ideal for those wishing to experience the real African bush away from large, often noisy and impersonal lodges.

Itinerary

1st Sep 2010 8:00: Day 1

Morning departure from London’s Heathrow airport for the flight to Nairobi, Kenya. We arrive in the evening and are transferred to a hotel where we spend the night

2nd Sep 2010 8:00: Day 2

The following morning we will be transferred to Wilson Airport and fly to Nanyuki. Arriving late morning, we are met and transferred to our camp in Pejeta and after lunch we will take our first game drive in the Conservancy.

3rd Sep 2010 8:00: Days 3 and 4

Two full days game-viewing concentrating on the northern species such as Grevy’s Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk and also Black Rhino for which the area is a major stronghold. There will also be the opportunity to visit a Chimpanzee sanctuary as well as undertaking night drives in search of Leopards and nocturnal species such as porcupine.

5th Sep 2010 8:00: Day 5

Morning transfer back to the airstrip where we take a flight directly to the Masai Mara. Arriving late morning, we are met andtransferred to the camp and are game-viewing on the way! After lunch we will take our first full game drive on the local plainsbefore returning to camp for dinner and an evening around the camp fire.

6th Sep 2010 8:00: Days 6 to 9

Four full days of game-viewing and photography. Each morning we will leave camp before sunrise and, after a couple of hoursgame-viewing, we will stop on the plains for our picnic breakfast with the wildlife all around us. After breakfast we will continue our game-drive and return to camp for lunch and a short break in the middle of the day. We then return to the plains in the afternoon which finishes with us stopping at a picturesque location to enjoy a sundowner drink as we watch and photograph the setting sun. On some days we will plan a longer itinerary and take a picnic lunch and rest under a tree during the heat of the middle of the day. During our time we will visit the Mara River for the opportunity to witness the annual spectacle of vast herds of migrating Wildebeest, Zebra and Gazelles arriving from Tanzania. In addition we will aim to catch up with some of the stars of the BBC’s Big Cat Week as well as more general game viewing and photography on the local plains near to our camp. The diverse habitat enables many different species to co-exist including Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Serval, Caracal, Elephant, Black Rhinoceros, Masai Giraffe, Cape Buffalo, Eland, Burchell’s Zebra, Topi, Coke’s Hartebeest, Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Impala, Thomson’s Gazelle, Reedbuck, Hyena, Jackal, Hippopotamus, Crocodile, Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Warthog, Mongoose and many more. In addition over 500 birds species have been recorded in the area of which 50 are birds of prey. During our stay there will be the opportunity to learn more about the people and culture of the area. Optional visits may bearranged to a Masai village, a local school we have been supporting and the local town on market day. It is also possible to take a nature walk with an experienced guide to learn more about the plant and insect life of the area, and gain a wider appreciation of the habitat. These options are generally arranged outside prime game-viewing time, and there will always be the option of continued game viewing or an earlier return to camp for some relaxation or to review photographs. Although we will often be out all day, on those days we return to camp for lunch there will be the opportunity for informal tutorials on various aspects of photographic technique and equipment to supplement the guidance provided by your Tour Leader in the vehicle.

10th Sep 2010 8:00: Day 10

On the final morning we will have a game drive and picnic breakfast as usual. After lunch we transfer back to the airstrip and take the short return flight to Nairobi. On arrival we will be taken to a restaurant for dinner and then later transferred to the international airport to board the overnight flight to London.

11th Sep 2010 8:00: Day 11

Early morning arrival into London Heathrow

Tutors

Gallery:

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Itinerary:

Day 1
Morning departure from London’s Heathrow airport for the flight to Nairobi, Kenya. We arrive in the evening and are transferred to a hotel where we spend the night

Day 2
The following morning we will be transferred to Wilson Airport and fly to Nanyuki. Arriving late morning, we are met and transferred to our camp in Pejeta and after lunch we will take our first game drive in the Conservancy.

Days 3 and 4
Two full days game-viewing concentrating on the northern species such as Grevy’s Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk and also Black Rhino for which the area is a major stronghold. There will also be the opportunity to visit a Chimpanzee sanctuary as well as undertaking night drives in search of Leopards and nocturnal species such as porcupine.

Day 5
Morning transfer back to the airstrip where we take a flight directly to the Masai Mara. Arriving late morning, we are met andtransferred to the camp and are game-viewing on the way! After lunch we will take our first full game drive on the local plainsbefore returning to camp for dinner and an evening around the camp fire.

Days 6 to 9
Four full days of game-viewing and photography. Each morning we will leave camp before sunrise and, after a couple of hoursgame-viewing, we will stop on the plains for our picnic breakfast with the wildlife all around us. After breakfast we will continue our game-drive and return to camp for lunch and a short break in the middle of the day. We then return to the plains in the afternoon which finishes with us stopping at a picturesque location to enjoy a sundowner drink as we watch and photograph the setting sun. On some days we will plan a longer itinerary and take a picnic lunch and rest under a tree during the heat of the middle of the day. During our time we will visit the Mara River for the opportunity to witness the annual spectacle of vast herds of migrating Wildebeest, Zebra and Gazelles arriving from Tanzania. In addition we will aim to catch up with some of the stars of the BBC’s Big Cat Week as well as more general game viewing and photography on the local plains near to our camp. The diverse habitat enables many different species to co-exist including Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Serval, Caracal, Elephant, Black Rhinoceros, Masai Giraffe, Cape Buffalo, Eland, Burchell’s Zebra, Topi, Coke’s Hartebeest, Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Impala, Thomson’s Gazelle, Reedbuck, Hyena, Jackal, Hippopotamus, Crocodile, Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Warthog, Mongoose and many more. In addition over 500 birds species have been recorded in the area of which 50 are birds of prey. During our stay there will be the opportunity to learn more about the people and culture of the area. Optional visits may bearranged to a Masai village, a local school we have been supporting and the local town on market day. It is also possible to take a nature walk with an experienced guide to learn more about the plant and insect life of the area, and gain a wider appreciation of the habitat. These options are generally arranged outside prime game-viewing time, and there will always be the option of continued game viewing or an earlier return to camp for some relaxation or to review photographs. Although we will often be out all day, on those days we return to camp for lunch there will be the opportunity for informal tutorials on various aspects of photographic technique and equipment to supplement the guidance provided by your Tour Leader in the vehicle.

Day 10
On the final morning we will have a game drive and picnic breakfast as usual. After lunch we transfer back to the airstrip and take the short return flight to Nairobi. On arrival we will be taken to a restaurant for dinner and then later transferred to the international airport to board the overnight flight to London.

Day 11
Early morning arrival into London Heathrow

Summary:

Duration 11 days

Single supplement Subject to availability. If you are a single person booking this holiday you do not have to pay single supplements,
if you are happy to share. If you are travelling by yourself you will be paired with another single client of the same gender. However your booking is accepted only on the nderstanding that if no roommate is available then you accept a single supplement will be levied. Single supplements are payable if you specifically request to have a room to yourself. If you have requested single accommodation we will do our best to secure this although this may not always be possible.

Deposit £400 per person required to confirm booking With 6 night extension in Masai Mara, add £200 per person

Travel insurance You must be covered by insurance, which must include adequate cover for baggage, medical expenses and the
cost of repatriation should you become too ill to continue, including air ambulance. Details of an appropriate insurance scheme will be supplied on request.

Group size 4 to 8 (specially adapted four-wheel drive vehicles, window seat guaranteed)

Cost includes International flights from the UK, airport taxes, hotel/lodge accommodation on a twin share basis (unless single has been requested) on a full board basis, all drinks, mineral water, laundry, transfers for group departures using our chosen airline, all internal flights and transport as per the itinerary, sightseeing tours where specified, entry fees to the national parks, all wildlife activities escorted by English speaking driver/guides, services of Wild Arena photographic guide throughout the tour

Cost excludes Transfers for Land Only packages and group tours when choosing your own flight arrangements, visa fees, medical examination (if required) & vaccination costs, personal expenditure, dinner on last evening in Nairobi, telephone calls, etc, porters, guides & other tips, meals not specified, personal clothing & equipment, travel insurance, optional trips, increases in park fees and taxes levied by the Government on the tourism sector, fuel surcharges, charges incurred as a result of delays beyond Safari Consultants control, anything not specified in the Cost Includes.

Wild Arena African photographic tours are organised through Safari Consultants Limited, a fully bonded UK tour operator holding ATOL licence 3783. Also bonded through AITO Trust (No. 1091) and holding an IATA licence. Your financial protection when travelling with us.
All clients will be required to complete a Safari Consultants Limited Booking Form which supersedes any information presented on Wild Arena’s web site or other Wild Arena promotional literature. Bookings will be subject to acceptance of Safari Consultants’ Terms and Conditions and the following will also apply for this tour:

1. Safari Consultants reserve the right to cancel the tour if the minimum numbers specified is not reached at least 45 days prior to the departure. In this event, you will be offered the chance to travel individually or to receive your deposit back in full
2. In the unlikely event that Peter Smart is unable to join the tour, Safari Consultants reserve the right to send a suitable replacement if available. In such circumstances, the tour will not be cancelled and no compensation will be paid
3. The tour is based on shared accommodation but a single supplement may be paid for single accommodation, subject to availability If you would like to request a copy of Safari Consultants Ltd booklet providing General Information, Terms and Conditions and Booking Form or you have any questions regarding any of our tours or workshops then please don’t hesitate to get in touch