Some highlights

  • 7 days in the Masai Mara – the classic safari destination. In the Masai Mara we live in a tented camp that is completely focused on nature photographers. We have custom built Toyota Landcrusiers so we can shoot from lower angles. The camp is about 5 minutes by jeep from the Maasai Mara National reserve
  • We have focus on the great migration and all that it can offer in large herds of wildebeest and zebra and other animals
  • We will be at the Mara’s rivers trying to photograph the herds crossing the rivers
  • The big cats – lion, leopard and cheetah are abundant in the area
  • Masai Mara always has large numbers of animals – everything from zebras, giraffes and elephants to antelopes and gazelles
  • Full-day game drives in the Masai Mara to be able to follow all conceivable situations without having to think about the time. During the 2019 tour we followed 5 cheetahs for almost 6 hours as they hunted wildebeest
  • We have off-road permits in the Masai Mara which allows our vehicles to go places other vehicles cannot
  • Maximum four photographers in each jeep
  • Opportunities to photograph the Masai Mara’s animals from low angles
  • Local Maasai guides who have very good local knowledge and understanding of photography

The sun sets on the horizon and the sky turns orange. A group of antelopes and zebras wanders across the large wide grass savannah, we have positioned ourselves so that we can photograph the migrating animals in silhouette against the glowing African evening sky. Slowly a giraffe moves towards an acacia tree and when it stops to graze we have the picture ready and in unison we let our cameras immortalize this classic African motif.

Later at dinner in our tent camp, we can hear Masai Mara lions roaring in the dark night in the distance. Expectations for the morning’s game drive are rising, what will we experience and photograph. If we perhaps find the lion or the more shy leopard lying in a tree, regardless of this, we know that the Masai Mara will also offer us unforgettable photo opportunities of both animals, birds and landscapes tomorrow.

MASAI MARA
The Masai Mara is located in southwestern Kenya and is one of the best areas in all of Africa for viewing and photographing African wildlife. Together with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, the Masai Mara forms one of the world’s most spectacular ecosystems with perhaps the largest concentration of animals in the entire world. The ongoing migration of wildebeest and other grazing animals such as zebras and antelopes usually comes to the Masai Mara during the month of July and then the savanna is filled with millions of animals. To get to the grasslands of the Masai Mara, the animals have to cross the Mara River and this phenomenon has become one of the truly great nature experiences in the world and something that as a nature photographer and nature enthusiast you just have to experience at some point in your life. When the animals cross the river to get to new pastures, they expose themselves to great danger as the river is “full” of crocodiles who are happy to take advantage of this opportunity. To reduce the risk of becoming a crocodile’s prey, the animals gather in large herds and the hesitation can be long before venturing into the river. Finally, someone ventures out and is immediately followed by the herd. In order to get across the river as quickly as possible, the animals sometimes throw themselves out of the bank and land on their relatives.

On the tour will we of course try to get good pictures when the wildebeest and the other grazers cross the river but we will not forget everything else that is around. The animals are literally everywhere and of course the large amounts of grazing animals attract many predators, so we have very good chances of experiencing unique encounters with the big cats.

Giraff i soluppgång i Masai Mara, Kenya. Fotoresa med Wild Nature fotoresor.

Dagsprogram

Day 1 20/7 (Lunch – Dinner)
Transport by bus from Nairobi to Aitong in the morning where we are met by our Masai guides for further transport to our tent camp. After arriving at our tent camp, will we get lunch and then get ready for our first game drive. Back in the tent camp after dark.

Day 2–6  21/7 – 25/7 (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
During the days in Masai Mara will we do a full-day game drives (breakfast and lunch are eaten outside in the park). We travel by jeep in the Masai Mara and are constantly looking for motifs. We have permits to drive off-road to increase our photo opportunities.

Day 7  26/7  (Breakfast – Lunch)
Morning game drive in the same way as before. After lunch will we drive to Aitong for further transport by bus Nairobi. The tour ends at Jomo Kenyatta Airport.

More information

  • GAME DRIVES
    On the trip we will have daily game drives. Days 2-6 we will have full-day game drives in the Masai Mara, this to increase our chances for good pictures. We have an off-road permit, which means we can drive off-road. Our game drives take place with open Toyota Landcrusiers that are specially built so that you can take photos from lower angles than is normally the case in a vehicle of this type. We have no restrictions on how many kilometers we can drive each day.

  • PHOTO EQUIPMENT
    As we will be photographing many different types of subjects, everything from landscapes with and without animals to portraits of mammals and birds, it is advisable to bring everything from wide-angle lenses to telephoto lenses. On jeep safaris, lenses such as a zoom 80/100-400mm or 500mm are excellent. A 70-200 mm zoom should be supplemented with a longer focal length or 2x teleconverter. To increase the focal length, teleconverters should be used in certain situations. A crop-format body ostensibly turns 400mm into 600 or 640mm. With a full-frame body, you should have a 1.4x converter with you if the longest lens has a focal length of 400 mm. If you have access to two camera bodies, it is good to have both and have slightly different focal lengths on the bodies. This is to avoid having to change lenses if there is a lot of dust. Tripods are difficult to use in the jeeps, but can be useful when shooting on foot. Tripods can also be good if the opportunity arises for night photography.
  • CLOTHING
    Mornings can be a bit cool when traveling in the jeep, so it is good to bring a long-sleeved shirt or a jacket. A cap or hat can be good as protection from the sun. A pair of thicker trainers is the best choice for the feet. Comfortable field clothing with both long and short arms and legs is the best choice.
    There may be rain showers as we are traveling just before the “little rainy season”, so it is good to bring e.g. a rain poncho.
  • ACCOMMODATION
    We will stay in a tented camp of mid range standard. All tents have their own showers and toilets. Our meals are eaten in a “dinner tent”. Single rooms are limited in the tented camp.
    Contact us for more information about availability and price.
    WiFi is available in the camp.
  • ACCESSIBILITY
    The accommodation has no restrictions in terms of accessibility. The safari vehicles we use may mean a slightly reduced accessibility in case of reduced mobility.

  • INCLUDED IN THE PRICE
    Share in double room/tent, meals according to itinerary, transport by bus to/from Nairobi – Masai Mara.
    Full day game drives with local guides, Off-road permits, entrance fees and other fees related to the national park, photo guiding, photography workshops.

  • NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE
    Round-trip flights to Nairobi, Kenya, tips, alcoholic beverages, visas, possible vaccinations and medical tests, insurance and other things of a personal nature.

    If you want to arrive in Nairobi the day before the tour starts, we can coordinate the booking of a hotel night at a hotel near the meeting point. Make a note in the booking form when booking if you are interested in an extra hotel night. We will of course get back with a price proposal before definitively booking a hotel night.

  • MEETING POINT
    The tour starts and ends in Nairobi, exact time location to be announced later. If you arrive the day before and have booked room and transport through us, we will of course meet you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

  • PAYMENT TERMS
    The registration fee shall be paid after an invoice from us, right after your booking. The remaining amount shall be paid no later than 30 days before the trip. Payment will be in Swedish crowns (SEK). Amount in Euro and US dollars mentioned above are just reference amounts.

  • INSURANCE
    Contact your insurance company about travel insurance and cancellation insurance. We always recommend travel insurance that covers medical transports both at the destination and for transport home.
  • HEALTH AND VACCINATIONS
    Contact your doctor for advice on vaccinations. Also check any requirements for medical tests for entry into the country.

  • THE GROUP AND LANGUAGE
    Our tours are open to all nationalities, which means that the group can be international.
    The tour guides on our trips speak Swedish and English.

  • TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    Terms and conditions

Photographic leader

Henrik Karlsson, born in 1968, is a photographer, writer and conservation biologist.
He is ambassador for OM SYSTEM and has been appointed as a National Geographic Explorer. He is also a member of the Swedish Nature Photographers Association (Naturfotograferna/N) as well as PhotoNatura. In 2003 he was awarded Naturfotografernas/N and Kodak’s scholarship. Henrik has also won awards in several European photo competitions.

Henrik has a wide selection when it comes to subjects to take images of and tell stories about. He will be more than happy to photograph everything from insects to the orchids in the forest or the great wild animals around the world. He has the whole world as his photographic field but is more and more drawn to Africas beauty and wildness.

Previously, Henrik worked as a guide in several Swedish Nature Reserves and National Parks. He is a frequent lecturer and an appreciated guide on photo courses and workshops. He also leads photo tours all over the world.

In 2011 Henrik self-published the book ”Mångfaldens ö – bilder och tankar från Ölands natur”, and the book ”Vilda Norden” was published in 2017. 2020 he published the book Ölands orkidéer and in 2021 Orkidéer på Gotland.

www.hknaturfoto.se

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    The great migration in Masai Mara, Kenya 20-26 July 2024/h3>
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