The Great Migration (Luxury Safari in Kenya) 10 day Safari

The primary focus of this safari is to photograph the world’s greatest wildlife spectacle - the 1.5 million animal wildebeest migration. From the vast Serengeti plains to the champagne colored hills of Kenya’s Masai Mara, over 1.4 million wildebeest along with 200,000 zebra and gazelle are relentlessly tracked by Africa’s great predators, migrate in a clockwise fashion over 1,800 miles each year in search of rain ripened grass. This trip will spend 10 days in luxury amongst the most populated plains of Masai Mara and is designed for photographers to get some award winning photographs to add to their collections.

Highlights
• 12 day premiere Safari in Kenya’s Masai Mara during the peak of the wildebeest migration
• 21 Game drives in 4x4 Land Cruisers with pop-up roofs for photography
• World-class safari guides with at least 10 years experience.
• 1 hot air balloon safaris to experience the vast Masai Mara from above without the noise and distractions of a motorized aircraft
• Luxurious accommodations at the lodges voted best in Kenya
• Optional visit to authentic Masai village to photograph an entire village in their own hand-crafted homes

Ratings
Wildlife: Outstanding (5 stars)
Landscape: Outstanding (5 stars)
Accomodactions: Luxurious (5 stars)
Cultural Experience: Moderate (2 stars)
Difficulty: Easy – 1 star

Day 1
You will be met at the Jomo Kenyatta International airport by Jon Moyer and our ground team. You will then spend the rest of the day relaxing and exploring the grounds of the Safari Park Hotel were you will spend your first night in Kenya. An oasis of tranquility in the heart of Nairobi, the Safari Park Hotel blends stylish elegant architecture, supremely luxurious accommodation, sparkling water gardens, an inland beach, beautifully landscaped gardens and a wide choice of international restaurants.

After a delicious dinner at one of the Safari Park's seven restaurants, we will enjoy some drinks around the campfire and have our first team meeting to prepare for our extraordinary safari.

Day 2
After a full nights rest our ground crew will transfer us to Wilson Airport, where we will catch our 45-minute flight into Masai Mara. We will fly into Masai Mara during the peak of the wildebeest migration, so have your cameras ready! Right in the middle of 1,510 sq km Mara paradise, directly in the path of the annual migration of wildebeest and zebra, lies Governor’s Camp. It is here where Animal Planet’s “Big Cat Diary” was filmed and is home to the largest prides of lions in the Mara. The setting is so magical that almost a century ago it was reserved, exclusively, for Kenya’s colonial Governors. Governor’s Camp nestles in the forest along the winding banks of the Mara River, its waters teeming with bird-life, hippos and crocodiles.

Day 3
Early morning is the best time to see the big cats of Masai Mara and the lighting is perfect for photographs. Our early morning game drive will surely result in some world-class photographs. We will return to the lodge for a breakfast buffet. After breakfast it’s back out onto the plains to capture all of the action of the biggest wildlife spectacle on Earth, the wildebeest migration. We will return to the lodge for lunch and enjoy a couple hours relaxing around the ldoge and watching the wildlife from the banks of the river. We will then go out for another afternoon game drive and return to the lodge for dinner and an evening around the camp fire.

Day 4
This morning we will explore the vast plains from above.  Hot air balloons are the perfect way to experience the endless plains of the Masai Mara. We will float silently above the wilderness and most of the animals do not even know that we are there. We will then enjoy a bush Champaign breakfast that you will never forget. For those that do not care for hot air balloons, our ground crew can take you out for more incredible morning photos from the ground. After lunch we will have another afternoon game drive and return to the lodge for dinner and a relaxing evening around the campfire.

Day 5, 6 and 7
Today we will transfer to the central part of the Mara to Little Governors Camp. Nestled deep within the Masai Mara National Reserve, little Governors Camp is the ultimate safari destination. Little Governors’ is intimate in character, with just 17 luxury
en-suite tents tucked around a large watering hole that teems with both birds and wildlife. The camp is approached by a boat ride across the Mara River, then an escorted walk through the riverine forest. Vehicles are left on the far river bank, and the camp is therefore quiet and undisturbed. The guest tents at Little Governors’ have recently been renovated and now have great wooden decks with large verandahs for guests to enjoy the constant game activity that takes place around the watering hole at the camp. We will enjoy three game drives per day and some of the best hospitality in Africa.

Day 8, 9 and 10
Of course we have to save the best for last. Today we transfer to Governor’s Il Moran Camp, the ultimate in luxury and in the rich northwestern region of the Mara. By this point in our safari we are well informed of the game reports in the area and we are in the perfect position for the migration and the big cats of the Mara that make such incredible photographs. The most difficult cat to see is the illusive leopard and we will have a much better chance of seeing them since we will be there for 10 days. One thing that is certain is that very few people will have experienced the Masai Mara like you have. After 10 magnificent days in the richest plains in Africa we return to Nairobi and have one last campfire following a relaxing afternoon and dinner at the Safari Park Hotel.

Day 11
Today we say goodbye to our ground crew and friends that we have met along the way and head back to the Airport to return home to share our amazing photos.

Reserve your space on this trip by emailing reservations@kenyajon.com