NPA Kenya Safari - 2012

Nature's Photo Adventures Kenya Safari

DATES: Aug 14 - August 24th, 2012 
Workshop Leader: Megan Lorenz

Join us at the best areas of Kenya for the greatest variety of wildlife with visits to Lake Nakuru and the Maasai Mara.  We don't want to rush you from one location to the next...missing all the action to travel time. 

This adventure offers unlimited game drives, enabling us to stay out all day if the sightings and weather conditions are optimal.  Each participant will have a full row in our specially designed Toyota 4x4 Landcruisers giving you much needed space and the freedom to photograph from either side of the vehicle or out the top.  The small group sizes also afford you individual attention and a comfortable environment to learn.  Each vehicle will have a Nature's Photo Adventures professional photographer ready to share techniques and answer any questions you may have.

Lake Nakuru National Park is renowned as a bird sanctuary with over 400 bird species including huge flocks of flamingos.  The park is situated in the Great Rift Valley and there are areas of the park where we will get out of the vehicles to capture the action.  It's a paradise for mammals including endangered black rhinos, white rhinos, two species of waterbuck and it's also one of the only places to see the highly endangered Rothschild Giraffe which only has a few hundred members left in the wild.  The park has a healthy population of predators: Lions, Leopard, Cheetah, Hyena and Jackals and there's lots of action at this time of year. 

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is where you will witness one of the greatest wildlife spectacles of the world, the Great Migration.  Nowhere in the world is there a movement of animals as immense as the wildebeest migration where over two million animals migrate from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the greener pastures of the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.  We have timed this safari to arrive for the peak of migration activity as well as the large number of predators which are drawn to the area because of the abundant prey.   The lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs and lesser predators await the migration with eager anticipation and the chances of seeing predators hunting is excellent. 

Watch the large number of Wildebeest and other vegetarians cross the Mara river, the frantic crossings are filled with danger as crocodiles lurk in the water.  In the Maasai Mara they will be stalked, hunted and run down by the larger carnivores.  The Mara has one of the largest densities of lion in the world and it's no wonder this is the home of the BBC Big Cat Diary.  The Mara is split between two districts - Narok on the eastside of the river which is managed by the KWS and the TransMara on the western side managed by the Mara Conservancy.  To take advantage of everything this park has to offer including vastly different landscapes, we will be staying on both sides during our visit.

Included: All accommodation and meals, bottled water. Private transport in a luxury 4x4 safari vehicle (3 photographers per vehicle) Unlimited game drives. All national park, reserve, and conservation fees, All transportation including airport transfers. Complimentary enrolment in www.amref.org emergency air evacuation service. Services of an English speaking driver/guide, cook and porters. Beanbag Filler, Wifi  internet.

Not Included: International flights ,Visas, Driver/guide/cook/porter gratuities.   Dinner on first and last night in Nairobi. Telephone bills, laundry, and any items of a personal nature. Travel insurance

Workshop Overview Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi and your driver/guide will be there to transfer you to the Fairview Hotel where you will spend your first night.  This beautiful hotel sits on five acres of landscaped gardens unmatched by any other Nairobi city hotel and the comfortable rooms offer every modern facility, including high speed wi-fi.  There are 5 restaurants on site, a huge garden with numerous natural rock waterfalls, a large pool and walkways.  Spend your time photographing the birds and roaming the grounds before we meet for an informal orientation dinner as the light fades.

Day 2:  After an early breakfast, depart for a scenic drive down into the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park, a bird and rhino sanctuary and also a World Heritage site. Stop enroute at the Great Rift Valley for the stunning views.  After a game drive in the park we will arrive at our accommodations to check-in.  This small and exclusive camp is nestled between the “honeymoon hills” and set in beautifully landscaped grounds with natural foliage. The tents are furnished with understated luxury and are decorated in calming safari tones, natural woods, wrought iron and crisp cottons.  All tents have the following facilities: four poster beds & mosquito nets, en-suite with shower and flush toilets, hot and cold running water, writing desk, a private veranda overlooking the plains and voltage at 240 volts.  Have lunch before heading out for an afternoon game drive to spot the unrivalled wildlife in the park. Dinner and overnight in our luxury tented camp and fall asleep to the haunting sounds of the night.

Day 3: Full day to explore Lake Nakuru National Park photographing the wildlife, practising in-flight shooting of the various waterbirds and visiting Lion Hill, Baboon Cliff and Out of Africa lookouts for the spectacular scenery.  Dinner and overnight in our luxury tented camp.

Day 4: Early morning we leave Lake Nakuru and drive to the Maasai Mara stopping for any photo opportunities along the way and arriving for check-in and lunch at our new camp.  This Camp is well positioned to enjoy the migration and the rolling plains around the camp are teeming with wildebeest, gazelles and zebras.  We'll be situated right in the center of their migration path!  The Camp is uniquely laid out over the sprawling grounds that include rolling manicured greens, a virtual mini forest of indigenous shrubs and exotic trees, a large pond stocked with fish, mini bird sanctuary, inviting pool area with bar and an authentic Maasai Village adjoining the camp. All tents are large and comfortable, tastefully furnished with double and twin beds, wardrobes, writing desk and safari chairs. They are also equipped with ensuite bathrooms with permanent showers and flush toilets, hot & cold water running water and 240W voltage. You may not want to leave - but right after lunch we will depart on our afternoon game drive returning to the camp at dusk for dinner and image review. 

Day 5 & 6: Full days focusing on predators and migration crossings.  Since we don't change camps on these days, our schedule is completely flexible and we'll make the most of the sightings and light.  Dinner and overnight at our luxury tented camp.

Day 7: Check-out of our tented camp first thing in the morning and after a full morning’s game drive we reach our lodge in the Trans-Mara where you check in and have a couple of hours to enjoy lunch and relax during the hottest part of the day, when animals are generally less active and hiding from the midday sun.  The lodge is located at the very centre of the famous ‘Mara Triangle' of the world-renowned Maasai Mara National Reserve.  Set high on a bush-cloaked hill with long views over the savannah and down to the winding coils of the hippo-filled Mara River.  The lodge blends international sophistication with raw African beauty. The central bar and dining areas enjoy spectacular views, as does the rock-surround swimming pool.  Each luxurious room has uninterrupted views, private balcony, full washrooms, wifi, 240 voltage and a spacious seating area.  We will depart for next drive early in the afternoon and will return to camp once the light fades so you can have a well-deserved dinner, sit by the pool and explore the lodge grounds.

Day 8,9,10: Full days in the Mara Triangle.  Since we don't change camps on these days, our schedule is completely flexible and we'll make the most of the sightings and light.  Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 11 After our last game drive we will depart the Maasai Mara early in the afternoon and return to the Fairview Hotel where you will want to relax, have a farewell dinner and pack for tomorrow's departure.

Day 12: Breakfast, checkout of the Fairview Hotel and visit the Nairobi National Park and the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage for a unique experience after which you will be transferred to the airport to depart Kenya.

After dinner each night if you still have any energy, join Megan to review your images from the day , go over Photoshop techniques, workflow or photography instruction.

Key Learning Objectives:

Light: Learn about the different types of light and the pros and cons of each.  Proper exposure of your subject in diverse lighting conditions.

Apertures & Shutter Speeds: Here you are taught about the different modes on your camera and the effect your aperture setting has on your images.

Composition: Learn how to improve your photography by applying simple ‘rules’ of composition.

Autofocus & Techniques: Here you learn how to keep the focus on your subject whether taking a portrait or photographing action!

Additional Options:

-sunrise balloon and champagne breakfast

-night drives within the Maasai Mara

-cultural visit to a Maasai Village

-trip extensions to Samburu or Amboseli

Please read our refund policy. Deposits are non-refundable.