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  5. Kenya Photographic Tour

This is safari. It's where the whole idea of big game hunting trips was invented well over 100 years ago. And while cameras have replaced rifles, Kenya's as good as ever in terms of wildlife. 

Big game doesn't come any bigger with over 1672 sqkm of unspoilt wilderness and the best game and bird-viewing not only in Kenya, but anywhere in Africa. The views across the rolling golden grasslands studded with acacia trees, rivers and forests are dazzling, and the sense of space overwhelming. Throughout the year the Masaai Mara is a place of natural drama, a kaleidoscope of colour and life, and staying at Little Governors' Camp puts you right in the heart of the action, and closer to its incredible sights and sounds than anyone else.​

Departure date: 22 January 2017

Current tour status: Places available​


Your Itinerary at a Glance

22 January 2017 / Fly overnight from London Heathrow to Nairobi (other international departures available)

23 January 2017 / Arrive into Nairobi. Transfer to overnight accommodation.

24 January 2017 / Group charter flight from Nairobi Wilson Airport to the Masaai Mara Airstrip. Stay 7 nights in tented accommodation at Little Governors Camp.

24-31 January 2017 / Masaai Mara exploration.

1 February 2017 / Transfer to Masaai Mara Airstrip for onward group charter flight to Nairobi Wilson Airport.​

Prices:

From £5995 per person (single travellers)

From £5495 per person (based on two adults sharing)

​Prices include:

  • Fully escorted tour of the Masaai Mara by Colin Prior.
  • All photography workshops.
  • 7 nights' accommodation at Little Governors Camp in the Masaai Mara, including all meals.
  • Charter flights Nairobi – Masaai Mara – Nairobi.
  • Private vehicles for the group.
  • One night's overnight accommodation on arrival in Nairobi.

Prices exclude:

  • International flights (guide price for round-trip international economy class flights UK–Nairobi–UK is £800 per person). Please speak to your Travel Director regarding all international flight arrangements.
  • Balloon safari (available at additional local cost, subject to weather conditions and group activities).
  • All other items not mentioned above.
  • Alternative flight arrangements and flight upgrades will be subject to availability and may have a supplementary cost.

Please note:

Charter flights may be either on scheduled services or on a private basis subject to the numbers on the tour. ​

Baggage allowance on the charter flights is 22 kilos in soft bags including hand luggage.

​
​Masaai Mara
Days 1-7​
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​​Touching down into the Maasai Mara Airstrip, you'll be picked up by the team from Little Governors Camp and transferred there for check-in.​

​With your base at Little Governors Camp, a flexible itinerary for your week here will allow the group to explore the many different areas of the Masaai Mara. With private vehicles available for the group throughout your stay, Colin and your guides will determine the best day-to-day itinerary based on the movements of the wildlife as well as the weather conditions. 

Here's a taster of what you may experience during your time in the Mara.

The plains of the Mara and the Mara River are right on the doorstep of Little Governors Camp. You'll have the chance to try some slow speed shots when animals are running past the vehicle and pan with the action to create blur and emotion/atmosphere. Time may also be spent with herds of buffalo to photograph egrets and oxpeckers.

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The Marsh – a unique area of the Mara – is a renowned watering hole frequented by the Marsh pride of lions - some 30 individuals made famous by the BBC Big Cat Diary series. If it's rained at night or during the late afternoon and clears up by first thing in the morning, there may be some mist around the Marsh making for very atmospheric images. Look out for shots of cobwebs and back or side-lit images of buffalo or lions with their breath all misty. The Marsh is great for bird photography too – best in the early morning or late evening when the colours are soft and warm.

The Mara River itself is a major water source for all the mammals in this area, so it's always a great place to spend some time. Set up your camera on a tripod or bean bag and shoot some slow shutter speeds so the water goes all 'fluid' and 'crystal-like'. Take shots of the hippos and crocodiles static in the water but make the water looks more alive with slow speeds.



Photographic Highlights

  • Musiara Marsh: water birds and fish eagles, saddle-bill storks and kingfishers.

  • Riverine Forest: baboons, elephants emerging from the forest.

  • Big Cat Camp: elephants crossing the Mara River.

  • Rhino Ridge: Landscape, large trees.

  • River Crossings: any time of day – even in January (zebras and topi cross at times).

  • Open Plains: Cheetahs hunting, plains game: zebras and wildebeest – try panning shots at slow speeds of running.

  • Talek River: Beautiful fig trees and scenic river banks – good for leopard and lions.​

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A balloon safari provides an incredible elevated view of the Mara, its river, riverine forest and the savanna plains – the inhabitants, landscapes and shadows all looking completely different from the air.

Starting just before dawn, the balloon will leave from just behind Little Governors' Camp. 		​

Watch the flames from the hot air balloon burners light the darkness as the crews inflate their craft. The first, pink tongues of sunlight flicker across the skies as the hot air balloon fills, then rises suspending you in a basket beneath the rainbow-coloured canopy.
​​​Just outside the Masaai Mara National Reserve is a traditional Masaai community called Mara Rianda with a traditional Masaai homestead or Manyatta which consists of 48 traditional houses surrounding a cattle enclosure. 

During your stay, you'll be able to visit this manyatta if you have an interest in Masaai culture and would like to experience a way of life unchanged for centuries. See the unique life of the Masaai herdsmen and the part they play in this ecosystem, visit the school and biogas project and try out all your lenses - wide angles, low angle shots.

Little Governors' Camp itself is a luxury safari camp located on the edge of the Masaai Mara National Reserve. The camp is intimate in character, with just 17 luxury en-suite tents tucked around a large watering hole that teems with both birds and wildlife. 



Approached by a boat ride across the Mara River, and an escorted walk through the riverine forest, the camp is quiet and undisturbed and there are wooden decks throughout the camp with large verandas so you can enjoy the constant game activity taking place around this natural watering hole. The camp is unfenced, so you may need to make way for elephants which sometimes visit the camp at lunch time, and there's a resident family of warthogs that wander freely through camp. 




Photographic Tips

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​The first hour of the morning and the last hour of the afternoon are the golden hours when on safari – the light is at its softest and the colours at their most saturated so this is the time to concentrate on taking back-lit and side-lit images. 

To get the benefit of this you'll often be leaving camp at least 30 minutes before sunrise and perhaps after a break during the day, staying out until the sun has set. But believe us, every second is absolutely worth it! ​


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​Call your Travel Director on
01244 567 000 
to book, or for further information
​​

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