Great Migration Safari II, 2021

Itinerary

Day 1 August 06, 2021

We will greet you upon your arrival at the international airport in Nairobi, Kenya. You will be met with a smile from a member of our ground team and transferred to your hotel by private vehicle. Encompassed with beautiful gardens, traditional African décor, a swimming pool, and spa, the Serena is the perfect atmosphere to relax after your long journey and prepare for the most exciting safari in Africa. As this is a travel day and most flights arrive in the evening, we have not included any meals. There are several restaurants at the Serena, so you many dine at your leisure.

Accommodation: Serena Nairobi

Day 2 August 07, 2021
Today you will awake in a magical new world with the aroma of Kenyan coffee brewing. We will meet at breakfast for a safari briefing before driving to the local airport for our flight to the Maasai Mara. Excitement builds quickly as you fly over the Mara and begin seeing the wildlife below. We will have enough time to eat lunch and settle in before heading out on our first game drive to begin showing you the best of the Mara.

The adrenaline starts pumping when you see the herds line up and march towards the river, gathering along the banks in mass. The suspense begins as you watch the first wildebeest, zebra, topi, or gazel put in a hoof to test the waters. The drama unfolds as they are spooked and the mass herd runs back, leaving a thick cloud of dust, or they plunge into the croc infested waters in a mass stampede, risking injury or death, to reach the other side.

Our camp is positioned to blend unobtrusively into the surrounding vegetation and has an authentic safari feel of bygone days. There is no better way to experience Africa than by spending a few nights under canvas listening to zebras barking, hyenas crying, and possibly hearing the roar of a lion off in the distance. In the past few years, leopards have been regularly spotted wandering right though this camp.

Accommodation: Mara Bush Camp

Day 3-5 August 08 – 10, 2021
The Talak area is one of the richest predator areas of the Mara. Over the next 3 days, we will focus on the big cats, including the Marsh pride, made famous by the BBC’s series, “Big Cat Diary”, the double cross pride, and the Rekero pride, which is quickly becoming as powerful as the Marsh pride. This and the surrounding area’s are are also know for cheetah and leopards, but we will probably see elephants, hippos, Massai giraffes, common zebras, gnu, impalas, Thompson’s and grant’s gazelles, topi, hartebeest, black-backed jackals, spotted hyenas and more, as the Mara is one of the most lush reserves in Africa. On past safaris we have photographed black rhino in this area.

Our ground operator has a large fleet of vehicles, which will be scattered throughout the area. Our drivers will be in private communication with each other, giving us many eyes and ears across the entire Mara. We are close to the river; if we get word that the wildebeest are gathering, we will race off in hopes of capturing a large crossing.

In the late evening we will sit around the campfire as we excitedly share the events of that day. After a scrumptious diner, you will be escorted to your luxury canvas tents.

Accommodation: Mara Bush Camp

Day 6-7 August 11-12, 2021

After our early morning game drive and breakfast, we will game drive across the savanna, crossing over the Mara River, on the way to our next accommodation in the Mara Triangle. Our lodge sits high on the hill, overlooking the vast plains and the Mara River. You can sit in a lounge chair in front of the pool with a cold drink and watch the great herds of wildebeest and zebra gathering as they approach the river. At a moment’s notice, we can hop in the Land Cruisers and race down to the river!

We will keep an eye on the herds building up, but we will also take advantage of the dramatic landscape and uniqueness of the Mara Triangle managed by the Mara Conservancy.  The highest concentration of Balanites trees lies at the bottom of the dramatic Oldoinyioescarpmentthat marks the east side of the rift valley. Imagine photographing a herd of wildebeest or Zebra scattered among them in first or last light with the escarpment as the backdrop. The herds of elephants are also known to graze through the trees on their way to the swamps. The illusive endangered black Rhino is spotted more often in the triangle. Fewer vehicles are on this side of the river, and in the designated low zones, we can respectfully drive off the roads when sighting a “big cat.”

Accommodation: Mara Serena

Day 8-10 August 13-15, 2021

After our early morning game drive and breakfast, we will drive down to our last tented camp, in the heart of the Mara, that sits right along the Mara River overlooking one of the crossing points. This is our own private crossing point! We can sit in the lounge tent while watching the herds gather. With cameras in hand we can walk down to the edge of the river and photograph the crossing, at eye level! No other vehicles or tourist may enter this area; only the guest staying in this camp.

We are now in the part of the Mara, where the great herds first cross over from Tanzania. During this time these vast plains could be filled with the migration and all the superb predator action it brings. We will thoroughly cover this area right up to the southern boundary where you can look across to Tanzania. You will soon understand why the Maasai Mara is the wildlife mecca of the world.

Accommodation: Entim Camp

Day 11 August 16, 2021
We will rise early for one last amazing game drive. We will fly out from a dirt airstrip in the Mara directly into Wilson private airport in Nairobi.   You will be transported to the Ole Sereni, which sits along Nairobi National Park, where you will have dayrooms. You will be able to enjoy a leisurely afternoon around the pool, have lunch overlooking the park, rest, and be able to clean up before you flight back home later in the evening.

Day room: Four Points

Is this safari for you?

Photographers of ALL levels, who are passionate about wildlife and nature photography, are welcome. This safari is timed during the great migration and focuses on producing quality images. During this safari, we will see a vast variety of exotic wildlife; however, some special subjects may require watching their behavior and waiting for those special moments. This is when patience pays off, rewarding you with extraordinary photographs. If your objective is to capture the most images possible by rushing to every subject, taking a few quick shots and racing off to the animal, checking off a list, then this is probably not the right safari for you.

We will spend most of our time and effort in the field, unless it is quiet and the light is too harsh; most days we will return to our camp/lodge for a short midday break. If the herds are lining up and it looks like there could be a large crossing, we may sit by the river for several hours and be in the field most of the day. We will waken before sunrise each day to be in position for the best early morning light. Most mornings, we will bring a picnic breakfast with us, so we do not miss any photographic opportunities by having to go back to camp for breakfast. There may be days we take a box lunch with us if we anticipate being at the river waiting for a large crossing. We will be back at camp every evening for a scrumptious dinner and drinks around the fire.

Since this itinerary is built to spend most of our time in the field, this is not a formal workshop. As we need to be flexible around the action in the field, there will not be any “planned” lectures, or slide shows that would require us to return to camp, but Piper will give photographic advice throughout the safari. She is there to assist you and is available for questions on all photographic topics, including business questions on marketing, branding, and creating a niche. When there is an afternoon break, she will be happy to review your images, portfolios, or give an impromptu slide show or talk. This is largely why the group sizes are kept small, so she can assist you when you need help and spend quality time with you in an amazing location.