Masai Mara 2012
Wildebeest Crossing, an image taken from our camp site in the Masai Mara, September 2010.
- 26th July – 2nd August 2012
- 3rd August – 10th August 2012
- 11th August – 18th August 2012
Announcing Masai Mara Photographic tours for 2012 with 8, 16 and 24 day options.
With co-host Will Burrard-Lucas.
If you need to know more, or to reserve a place, don’t hesitate to email me at ofni.dyolldivadnull@sruot
About the tour
Join with us to photograph the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth, the annual migration in the Masai Mara in Kenya. We can photograph river crossings where crocodiles lie in wait for the wildebeest to cross, we will also see elephant, leopard, lion and cheetah and if we’re lucky, black rhino. We’ll stay in a private luxury mobile camp, set aside especially for our group in what just may be the best location in the Masai Mara.
The camp is set up directly in front of one of the main wildebeest crossing points on the Mara River. There’s every chance we’ll see a full crossing while we are in camp – we witnessed four in five days earlier this year. Here’s one example, taken last year.
This tour is for photographers of all levels, inexperienced and experienced alike. We also welcome non-photographing companions too. Our aim of this tour is to help people take better wildlife pictures. We provide tuition and tips, and aim to bring you to speed early on so that you’ll be taking better wildlife pictures long before the tour ends. We will also offer tuition to those wishing to learn about image processing using Photoshop or Lightroom on the three iMacs we will provide at camp.
We have a number of features on offer specifically for wildlife photography:
- Private camp – the camp to ourselves
- Hosted by myself with Will Burrard-Lucas – all with experience of the Masai Mara
- Prime location inside the reserve – close to the main wildebeest crossing points
- Two photographers per vehicle – or three per six seat vehicle
- Ground transportation for luggage – we alleviate your flight weight restriction worries
- iMac workstation access – we will have three iMacs at camp with preloaded software
About your hosts
Will Burrard-Lucas is widely known for his fresh innovative approach to wildlife photography. Alongside his brother Matt he has won many awards over the years, most recently a highly commended award in the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and they were the overall winners of the Moving Image Award at the Sony World Photography Awards earlier this year.
David has visited the Masai Mara several times a year for the last five, specialising in fine art photography with a biased towards black and white. David recently received a specially commended award in this years Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards, and his picture A Flick of a Tail graces the cover of this years portfolio edition.
Tour highlights
Location
Our camp is located inside the reserve, close to the action with quick access to the main river crossing points. In fact the camp is located right in front of one of the main crossing points, you can witness wildebeest crossings from the confines of camp and away from the other tourist traffic found elsewhere.
The Camp
Our mobile camp is eight large Meru style tents with full bathroom facilities and solar powered electricity. There is ample facility for charging batteries during the mealtimes and evenings. For more of the camp, you can visit their website here.
The Vehicles
For photography, we will provide a whole row of seats for each photographer, thus providing ample scope, space and flexibility for photography. For the 4x4s normally seating four people, we will seat only two per vehicle, and for the 4x4s seating six, we seat three. Beanbags are provided in each vehicle as is a provision to clamp tripod heads on the roof as well.
The Photography
There is no other place in Africa which boasts the density of wildlife than that of the Masai Mara. It is a photographers dream, and together with this, the peak of the migration season, we will be treated to the 1.5 million wildebeests, zebra, giraffe, and of course the Masai Mara’s big cats. Fingers’ crossed we’ll see a lion kill or cheetah chase or even black rhino. Unforgetable too is the sunrises and sunsets that the Mara is famous for. We will also visit the Marsh Pride of lions, made famous by the BBC’s Big Cat Diary.
iMac Workstation Access
We will have at camp three iMac workstations loaded with Photoshop and Lightroom. From there you can backup your images, make edits, and learn more about post-processing your images too.
Ground Transportation
Because the internal flights into the Mara are on smaller aircraft (seating up to 37) there is a strict weight restriction on luggage of only 15kg. Photographers typically carry weights far in access of this, so we’re providing transportation of all or some of your luggage to the camp by road as well as on the aircraft. This normally takes 4-6 hours but it will arrive at camp by the time we set out for the first afternoon drive.
Optional Excursions
We offer two additional excursions which are optional: enjoy a balloon ride at sunrise with a champagne breakfast over the plains of the Masai Mara or visit a nearby Maasai village (both optional, costs extra).
Itinerary
Day 1: We are picked up from Nairobi Airport on arrival by our driver and onto the Nairobi Serena Hotel where we will all meet and introduce ourselves.
Day 2: At 10:00am we transfer to Wilson Airport some fifteen minutes away to where we take a 45 minute a flight to our camp in the Masai Mara. We will arrive in time for a camp welcome and introduction, lunch and embark on our first afternoon drive at 3:30. At about 6:00 we return to camp to relax in front of the boma (camp fire) and dinner afterwards at about 7:30-8:00.
Day 3: This is our first full day in the Mara. Morning drives begin at 6:00 am and continue until about midday or longer, depending on animal activity that day. This will include a break for some 45 minutes for a light breakfast and refreshment. Then it’s back to camp for lunch, rest, or to spend a little time at the iMac workstations. Then at 3:30 we head out for a late afternoon drive returning at sunset at about 6:00. That evening we can relax in front of the boma (camp fire) with dinner afterwards at about 7:30-8:00.
Day 4: As day 3.
Day 5: As day 3.
Day 6: As day 3.
Day 7: As day 3.
Day 8: We have time for a three hour morning drive before returning to camp at 9:00 for breakfast then at 11:00 am we’ll catch our return flight to Nairobi. For the remainder of that afternoon and evening we can just relax at the Serena Hotel by the pool or at the bar before transfer to Nairobi Airport for our international flights home.
16 and 24 day options
The 16 day and 24 day options are any of the dates above stitched together. You do not return to Nairobi Serena during the changeover from one week to the next, but spend that time in the Mara instead. A 16 day tour gives 13 successive full days in the Mara (in addition to the initial afternoon and final morning) and the 24 day tour gives 22 full days.
Costs
- £3,360 – eight days
- £6,160 – sixteen days
- £8,460 – twenty four days
Cost includes
- Nairobi Serena Hotel stay,
- Flights to and from the Masai Mara from Wilson airport
- All airport transfers
- Ground transportation of luggage
- Accommodation and all meals at Entim Camp
- Hire of vehicles and guides for game drives and park fees
- Local alcoholic beverages at camp
Cost does not include
- International flights from UK
- Kenya visa ($50)
- Alcoholic beverages at Serena, and non-local alcoholic beverages at camp
- Tips and gratuities for camp staff and guides
Costs are per person sharing. A single supplement option is available at 20% extra. A deposit, a third of the tour cost, is required at the time of booking, with the balance being required six weeks before.
Recommendations
While the camp provides beanbags – they are good – but I prefer my own and bring my own. The camp is quite happy to fill the refillable beanbags on arrival. I have no use for a tripod in the Mara, they are not vehicle compatible and have never bothered to bring one or want one. Lenses of up to 400mm (on full frame) should suffice for 90% of your needs, the animals can get quite close, but it depends on your kind of photography obviously. A 600mm would be quite necessary for birds however.
Flights out of Wilson Airport to the Mara have a strict weight policy of 15kg, that’s clothes, personal items, laptop, cameras, lenses, everything. That’s why we’re providing the option to transport your luggage or camera bag by road.
Malaria tablets are recommended, there are several kinds, some better than others.
Tips are optional, but I can never leave without giving some sort of extra reward. As a guide, about $10-15 a day per person to your driver/guide is a good start.
If you need to know more, don’t hesitate to email me at ofni.dyolldivadnull@sruot
