Masai Mara Photographic Safari - Itinerary

Transcription

1 Masai Mara Photographic Safari - Itinerary Our photographic workshops give you the opportunity to learn more about photography with instruction from a professional photographer whilst on safari with a qualified professional guide, in the most beautiful safari venues imaginable. With your professional photography instructor on hand at all times you will learn more about various photographic techniques commensurate with your level of experience and how to more fully utilise your camera equipment. By limiting the number of people on the course to six we are able to offer highly personalised attention from the photographic instructor, both at camp and out on game viewing activities. Christopher Scott holds a Batchelor of Journalism (BJourn) degree specialising in Photographic Journalism as well as a Post Diploma in Media Management (PDMM) from Rhodes University. His love of his profession, for Africa and for wildlife have seen him working as a freelance Photojournalist throughout southern Africa and his articles have been published in a wide range of magazines, newspapers and websites. Christopher has won a number of awards for his photography including most recently the Photographer of the Year in the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards for Itinerary in brief: Day 1; Transfer from Nairobi s Wilson airport to the Masai Mara and into camp Day 2; Activities around Naboisho conservancy Day 3; Up early and into the Masai Mara Reserve to see the bulk of the migration and hopefully a river crossing. Day 4 & 5; Continue to explore the rich wildlife around the Naboisho conservancy Day 6; After breakfast we say goodbye to Encounter Mara and fly back to Nairobi's Wilson Airport

2 Itinerary in full: Day 1; Fly from Wilson airport in Nairobi (flight is approx 45 minutes) where we will be met on arrival in the Mara by Encounter Mara staff. We will have a leisurely drive into camp so you can get a feel fro the conservancy, stopping in the shade of a typical Bossia tree for a mid day picnic. Once in camp you will be welcomed, briefed and settled into your respective rooms where you can catch a few winks if necessary! Later in the afternoon when it has cooled down we will do our first activity, usually a game drive so you can start to see the wonderful wildlife in the conservancy. Chris will constantly be on hand throughout the activities helping to hone your photographic skills and knowledge! Day 2; Up early for the good light and to continue exploring the conservancy which during the migration harbors huge numbers of migratory Wildebeest and Zebra, there are also myriad of antelope and bird species to see and photograph as well as a large number of predators! We will return to camp in the mid morning to avoid the heat of the day a well as to discuss any photographic theory or practical issues that cropped up during the drive. We will take a well deserved break after lunch during the heat of the day and regroup for tea as it starts to cool. We will then do another drive which will culminate under the Mara s iconic Bossia tree from which we will enjoy one of the Mara s spectacular sunsets. Day 3: Up early again as we head for the Masai Mara National Reserve where we will see unbeleviably larger herds of migratory wildebeest and hopefully a dramatic river crossing! We will spend the bulk of the day photographing the wildlife in the reserve and will have packed lunch and refreshments with us. We will return to camp in the late afternoon to be back before dark. Day 4 and 5: We will roughly follow the same programme as day 2 as we continue to eek out magnificent sightings on the conservancy. Guided walks are a good way of leaving the confines of the vehicle and stretching our legs! An additional visit to the Reserve as well as a dramatic balloon flight can be arranged at an extra cost. Day 6: After breakfast we bid farewell to Encounter Mara and its staff and head back to the airstrip for our transfer back to Nairobi. About the Masai Mara National Reserve: Throughout the year, the Masai Mara ecosystem undergoes several transformations, changing the nature of the game-viewing experience and the beauty of the landscape. Each phase of this constant metamorphosis has an appeal in it s own right, attracting different species and providing new opportunities for great photography. Perhaps one of the best times of the year to visit the Mara is in June. June is the beginning of the season for tourism in the Mara as the grasslands dry up after the long rains of April

3 and May. The long green grass has usually already attracted tens of thousands of wildebeest from the Loita plains to the North East, and often by the end of the month, many of the Serengeti wildebeest are making their way across the Sand River, into the Mara. Being low-season, the game densities are on the rise, but the tourist numbers are still low, allowing for great sightings without too many other vehicles around. From July to October (and sometimes into November), the Serengeti wildebeest dot the Masai Mara plains as far as the eye can see. With all the plains-game, comes many more predators as well. As the wildebeest trample and eat the long grass, finding wildlife becomes easier. It is, however, important to note that this is also high-tourism season in the mara, and higher densities of vehicles, especially in the Masai Mara National Reserve, can be expected. Historically, Kenya s short rainy season has taken place at the end of October and into November. If the long rains in April and May have been good, the wildebeest will often still be around at this time. However, from the second half of October until mid-december tourist numbers drop, as it is low season, and the quality of sightings, with less vehicles around, often benefits. Even when the main migration has begun making its way back to the short-grass plains of the Serengeti, the Loita wildebeest are often still around, enjoying the new growth in the Mara, knowing their Loita homeland is still dry. The high plains of Mara Naboisho afford guests great view of the entire Mara ecosystem, from the Oloololo Escarpment in the West to the Siana Hills in the East, all-the while surrounded by the grunting Loita gnus. By mid-december and into January, the rain has usually long gone, and the long grass begins to turn gold. As the areas outside Mara Naboisho dry up and the Maasai livestock grazes the grass short, the plains-game which had dispersed in times of plenty begins to return to the core area of the conservancy. One of the great attractions of coming to the Mara to see the wildebeest migration is heading down to the Mara river to watch hundreds, sometimes thousands, of wildebeest taking the plunge and crossing the river all at once for greener pas-tures on the other side. Encounter Mara offers full-day trips down into the reserve to observe this spectacle. Carrying a packed lunch from camp you ll be prepared for a full-on wildlife experience. The wildebeest are constantly moving in both directions across the river. There are some days, however, when crossings do not happen, but the constant hum of wildlife in all directions, as far as the ear can hear, will keep the filled with great sightings and new experiences. The movement of migration herds, including crossings, is completely dependent on rains, grazing and the mood of the beasts, so we can t promise where they will be or when! That being said, you can be sure that between July and October when the herds are in the Maasai Mara ecosystem, they will be within a day trip s reach of the camp, if they aren t stream-ing past the front of your tent! Generally, the wildebeest from Serengeti continue moving throughout the Mara ecosystem until early to mid-october. Lesser known to many is the Loita wildebeest migration, originating in the Loita Plains to the North East of Naboisho, an event that brings some 30-50,000 wildebeest into the Mara from their dry homeland in May. They will graze in Naboisho and the surrounding areas until the next big rains hit the Loita Plains, often keeping them here until March the following year! The Loita migration, and sometimes an early Serengeti migration, makes June one of the best time of the year to visit Mara Naboisho Conservancy. The grass is still green, the game is present en masse, there are hardly any other visitors around, and the prices are

4 low! You get the best of both worlds: low-season prices and tourist numbers, and highseason game-viewing. About the Naboisho Conservancy and Encounter Mara Camp; For Encounter Mara, being a part of the Mara Naboisho Conservancy s leadership in community-based conservation was a major motivation for the establishment of the camp. We believe that the best way for the truly sustainable conservation of Africa s wildlife is to work closely with local communities and ensure real benefits to those living in and around precious ecosystems, such as the Masai Mara. We are privileged to work alongside great visionaries in the Naboisho community who have led the way in preserving their own land for the future and providing a sus-tainable income for their families. We are committed to responsible low-impact tourism operations, creating em-ployment for local communities, and being part of creative solutions to the many problems facing surrounding communities and the conservation of the Masai Mara ecosystem, as well as Kenya s wider natural environment. We believe the time has come for true consultation with local communities and for partnerships that involve a different brand of tourism, which do not exploit or commercialize local cultures and communities. With Mara Naboisho Conservancy encompassing more than 500 individual Maasai landowners, the benefits accrued from the ecotourism in the conservancy are spread widely, helping a large number of families with a predictable, tangible income. This a major achievement in an area where communities have in the past been dangerously exposed with an over reliance on livestock, decreasing suitable grazing and increasing drought frequency. This innovative model has also secured the future of this precious piece of the Masai Mara ecosystem, including the great wildebeest migration channel and a stronghold of threatened species, such as elephants, cheetahs, and lions. What you ll need to bring: To ensure a trouble free and enjoyable safari it is imperative to have as much of the correct equipment as possible. Nothing ruins a good opportunity more than being unprepared and lacking vital equipment. Although this list is comprehensive not all items are critical and you could get along without them, consequently the list is ordered with the most important items at the top, decreasing accordingly. Camera (If you are using an SLR or DSLR then all the appropriate lenses to boot including wide angle, medium range and telephoto, with teleconverters if necessary). Your particular type of card if you re shooting digital e.g. CF, SD Micro drive etc. Bring as many as possible so as not to fill them up or a portable storage device to back them up onto. As many spare batteries as you can afford, there aren t any shops where we re going! Make sure you have all the relevant battery chargers where applicable. A reasonably waterproof/dustproof case/bag that is padded to protect your gear from the harsh elements and while travelling. Pelican and Storm offer indestructible cases at reasonable prices while Tamrac make excellent backpacks (expedition series) and shoulder bags. Some support in the form of a tripod or a monopod (easier to use and manoeuvre in a vehicle) if obtainable a fairly large bean bag will suffice in most instances. See Manfrotto for an excellent selection of support options.

5 An external flash, where applicable, as well as a flash extender if possible, for those more cloudy afternoons! Lots of batteries for the flash, several pairs of lithium rechargeables will negate having to carry around tonnes of nickel cadmiums! A pair of binoculars to spot and observe. Pads and pens to record your trip as well as take notes where appropriate.