| Itinerary |
| Day 1 |
Arrive Nairobi, take private charter into the Mara. Overnight luxury tented camp. |
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| Days 2 - 6 |
On safari in the Mara. Overnight luxury tented camp. |
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| Day 7 |
Private charter flight to Nairobi to connect with international departure flights. |
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Mara migration one of nature's wonders...your entire vista is a wallpaper of migrating wildlife and you have to look heavenwards to give your eyes a rest! Simon Espley
| Dates: |
20-26 September 2010
27 September - 3 October 2010 |
| Price: |
US$ 4,505 per person sharing
US$ 5,120 per single |
Max Group Size: 10
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Itinerary information
A maximum of 10 guests will be able to participate in an exclusive wildebeest migration safari run especially for readers of Africa Geographic magazine, spending six nights in the heart of Kenya's famous Masai Mara National Reserve. Superb guides will be on hand to offer insights into this wildlife spectacle as well as specialist advice about how to take better photos of your safari-of-a-lifetime. The annual wildebeest migration, one of the natural wonders of the world, has been termed "the greatest show on earth."
An exclusive private tented camp will be erected solely for the use of this safari, at a private location in one of the best game viewing areas of the Masai Mara. The camp will feature spacious walk-in safari tents with private ablution facilities (private bucket showers in an enclosed cubicle under the stars, and a sanitary long-drop latrine for each tent), while meals will be taken under the stars or in a large, airy mess tent at linen-covered tables set with china and stemware. This is the way Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark experienced and wrote about Africa, and is the best way to avoid the over-crowding of the bigger commercial lodges.
Five full days will be spent exploring this, the northern-most limits of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem seeking the area's abundant wildlife - including the migrating herds of wildebeest and zebra that by this time of year will be massing for their return to the Serengeti in the south. We have timed this safari hopefully to coincide with the best possibilities of seeing the spectacular river crossings, when tens of thousands of wildebeest pour across the crocodile-infested Mara River.
Our daily schedule, which we can adjust and fine-tune according to the likes and wants of safari participants, usually involves a pre-dawn wake-up call with tea or coffee served in your tent followed by a light breakfast in the Mess before we head-out in search of the day's offerings. Each vehicle is equipped with a 'tea basket' for a mid-morning stop out in the wilds. We return to camp around 11am for a slap-up brunch, after which most safari-goers enjoy a well-earned shower and siesta. Afternoon tea is served at 3pm followed by the afternoon drive. Sundowners will be taken in the field, after which we return to camp for drinks at the fireside followed by a three-course dinner. Some days we may modify this schedule and take a picnic lunch with us, staying out all day as we explore further afield.
The Masai Mara is renowned for its predators, all attracted by the large numbers of herbivores, and is regarded as one of the best wildlife viewing destinations in Africa. The Mara is specifically featured in the BBC's acclaimed documentary series Big Cat Diary and we will hope to see many of the lions, leopard and cheetah that have become the stars of this TV series. Birding in the area is also excellent, and first-time visitors to the area are sure to tick off a number of "lifers". We will also offer walks for those who may be interested.
Transport will be in comfortable customised 4x4 Toyota Landcruiser vehicles with a maximum of five guests to a vehicle (as opposed to the East African safari norm of eight). Each person will have their own opening window as well as a large open roofhatch.
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