Overview
The Great Migration – A Wildlife Viewer and Photographer’s Delight:
The Great African Migration is much more than the simple river crossing which you are visualizing. Here are a few numbers to sweep you off your feat! The true spectacle of the migration is 1,245,000 wildebeest, 200,000 Burchell's zebra, 18,000 eland and 500,000 Thomson's gazelle filling the entire stretch of Mara landscape.
When the Savannah turns golden red in the month of July, and the zebra start pouring in across the river, the first herds of the wildebeest arrive and the feasting for the Mara's predators and scavengers, begins.
The African Lion is the supreme predator of the Mara landscape and is a treat watch during the migration time as with a sizeable prey base spread across the Mara, the lion prides hunt strategically in the early morning or late noon hours giving you the chance to photograph these rare moments from close quarters in great light.
Often regarded as a shy, nocturnal animal, sightings of leopard in the Mara can occur even in the middle of the day and last for several minutes.
Although not as muscular as the leopard, the cheetah is built for sheer speed and is the world's fastest land mammal and has been timed at 110 kilometers per hour. The Mara is one of the best places in the world to shoot a cheetah in full action as they often seek a vantage point on a fallen tree, termite mound or even car bonnet, to look out across the Savannah for their next prey.
When the Savannah turns golden red in the month of July, and the zebra start pouring in across the river, the first herds of the wildebeest arrive and the feasting for the Mara's predators and scavengers, begins.
The African Lion is the supreme predator of the Mara landscape and is a treat watch during the migration time as with a sizeable prey base spread across the Mara, the lion prides hunt strategically in the early morning or late noon hours giving you the chance to photograph these rare moments from close quarters in great light.
Often regarded as a shy, nocturnal animal, sightings of leopard in the Mara can occur even in the middle of the day and last for several minutes.
Although not as muscular as the leopard, the cheetah is built for sheer speed and is the world's fastest land mammal and has been timed at 110 kilometers per hour. The Mara is one of the best places in the world to shoot a cheetah in full action as they often seek a vantage point on a fallen tree, termite mound or even car bonnet, to look out across the Savannah for their next prey.
Accommodation Amidst Action:
The Mara expanse is beyond imagination and in the vast terrain, the river crossing and migratory trend of wildebeest is mostly towards the Mara river in an area known as the Mara Triangle. Covering these massive distances can be a challenge in Mara if you have not chosen the apt location to stay in this huge forest. The astounding wildlife moments people photograph in Masai Mara is because of the right camping site in Mara… a site which was not loaded but overloaded with wild action. When the location is perfect one indulges in quite a bit of ‘arm-chair’ photography right from the campsite.
With the crack of dawn, with all photographic ammunition loaded and the best of the guides and drivers at your service, you are right at the action point within seconds as your stay is being organized in bush camps right at the Mara river. Choose your preferred vantage point and shoot at will! During the migration this is an ideal location as the traffic density here is thinner than rest of the reserve and the real action is very close by. The most spectacular pictures of the “river crossing” have been taken around the campsites.
With the crack of dawn, with all photographic ammunition loaded and the best of the guides and drivers at your service, you are right at the action point within seconds as your stay is being organized in bush camps right at the Mara river. Choose your preferred vantage point and shoot at will! During the migration this is an ideal location as the traffic density here is thinner than rest of the reserve and the real action is very close by. The most spectacular pictures of the “river crossing” have been taken around the campsites.
ITINERARY
Mara Migration Expedition 2022
Day 1 - Arrive in Nairobi |
On arrival of Nairobi airport you will be transferred to hotel 4 points. Today the day is free at leisure. Today you have to enjoy this beautiful Capital city by your own. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Departure from Nairobi early in the morning. The drive from the airport to Masai Mara takes 6 hours and goes through some very scenic parts of Kenya, including the rift valley. Check into the camp and leave for the safari right after lunch. Our team of guides are well trained and have a great eye for the wildlife of Masai Mara. They have worked with photographers and are experts in tracking and vehicles positioning so that you can get the best shots.
Safari will be in best-in-class side and top open vehicles (Land cruisers) which are perfect for photography and wildlife viewing. Depending on the group dynamics, 4 to 5 participants will be allocated 1 vehicle so that you have ample amount of space to shoot from the window and from the top. All vehicles will be using wireless radio devices for inter-vehicle connectivity in order to ensure that you are right at the action point as it happens. Return by sunset, dinner and overnight at Olive Bush Camp.
After an early breakfast (or packed breakfast) leave for your Masai Mara game drives. Picnic lunch will be provided if you plan to go for full day safaris and do not wish to return to the camp for lunch in case there are sighting reports from locations away from the camp. Since the camp is centrally located, you would have easy access to all areas of the park including river crossings. Overnight at Olive Bush Camp.
Do a morning round of the reserve and return to the camp for breakfast. After a quick breakfast and some packed lunch leave for the International airport (6 hours drive) to catch your return international flight.
Costing:
Inclusions:
Exclusions:
Notes:
Day 2 - Depart to Masai Mara (Olive Bush Camp) |
Departure from Nairobi early in the morning. The drive from the airport to Masai Mara takes 6 hours and goes through some very scenic parts of Kenya, including the rift valley. Check into the camp and leave for the safari right after lunch. Our team of guides are well trained and have a great eye for the wildlife of Masai Mara. They have worked with photographers and are experts in tracking and vehicles positioning so that you can get the best shots.
Safari will be in best-in-class side and top open vehicles (Land cruisers) which are perfect for photography and wildlife viewing. Depending on the group dynamics, 4 to 5 participants will be allocated 1 vehicle so that you have ample amount of space to shoot from the window and from the top. All vehicles will be using wireless radio devices for inter-vehicle connectivity in order to ensure that you are right at the action point as it happens. Return by sunset, dinner and overnight at Olive Bush Camp.
Day 3 to 6 - Masai Mara Game Drive |
After an early breakfast (or packed breakfast) leave for your Masai Mara game drives. Picnic lunch will be provided if you plan to go for full day safaris and do not wish to return to the camp for lunch in case there are sighting reports from locations away from the camp. Since the camp is centrally located, you would have easy access to all areas of the park including river crossings. Overnight at Olive Bush Camp.
Day 7 - Departure |
Do a morning round of the reserve and return to the camp for breakfast. After a quick breakfast and some packed lunch leave for the International airport (6 hours drive) to catch your return international flight.
Costing:
- 6-10 Pax Per Pax Cost: INR 199,500 plus 5.0% GST
- Single Room Supplement: INR 60,000 plus 5.0% GST
- One way flight supplement – Masai Mara to Nairobi – INR 19,500 plus 5.0% GST
- Two-way flight supplement – Nairobi – Masai Mara – Nairobi – INR 31,500 plus 5.0% GST
Inclusions:
- 1 Night stay in 4 Point at Nairobi
- 5 Nights stay at Masai Mara
- Two-way Surface Transfer from Nairobi to Masai Mara
- All Meals
- 4X4 Landcruiser Safaries as per itinerary
- Expert Jehan Numa Expedition Naturalist
Exclusions:
- Flights international or domestic
- Things which are not mentioned in the itinerary
- Gratuity
- Travel Insurance is mandatory but not included
- Alcohol
- Laundry
- Any food & Beverages other than mentioned above
Notes:
- Although August and September are the best months to see the famous river crossings, there is a fair bit of luck involved in seeing this fascinating phenomena
- Predators like lion, leopard and cheetah are highly likely to be seen and apart from the crossings we will also focus on tracking these predators
- A return flight from Masai Mara to Nairobi on 15 September is highly recommend, please check with us to book in advance
- Hot air balloon safaris are available at extra cost, please check with us to pre-book
- Weather will be moderate during this time with minimum temperatures going down to 15 degrees Celsius and maximum being 28 degrees Celsius. A light wind cheater will be sufficient to keep you warm early mornings and late evenings
- Please carry clothing apt for safari, with muted color tones
- We recommend duffel bags for luggage especially if you are opting for a fly in or fly out option within Kenya. It is mandatory in these flights to have luggage that weighs less that 15 kg
Expedition leaders:
Aly Rashid – 9 September to 15 September 2022
Wildlife and the wilderness has been a passion for Aly ever since childhood. This passion for wildlife inspired him to work with his family to set up and run Reni Pani Jungle Lodge, one of the finest wilderness camps in India. At Reni Pani Aly has been heading the naturalist team for over 7 years and in this time his passion for wildlife has been instilled in the ethos of the lodge atmosphere. A trained naturalist and ornithologist, he has travelled across the country and has been involved with wildlife in various localities. His deep involvement with Satpura since his childhood has been a motivation to protect and conserve wildlife in this landscape. Aly inspired Reni Pani’s camera trap studies in the reserve forest area outside the park that revealed breeding population of several large carnivores like leopards, wild dogs and sloth bear and also the presence of a young male tiger. His passion for research and conservation has also taken him to Panna National Park where he worked with renowned small cat expert and scientist Shekhar Kolipaka for the Caracal Research and Conservation Project in 2014. Aly is also involved in leading wildlife expeditions both within India and abroad.
DEPARTURE DATES
