Exclusive 8-Day Photo Tour to Kenya’s Masai Mara
(3 – 10 and 11 – 18 feb 2023, fully booked)

Would you like to photograph wildlife in a phenomenal place and learn more about it? Together with photographer Evert Doorn I am organizing a wonderful guided photo trip to the Masaai Mara in collaboration with WOW Safaris from Kenya: 6 full days of shooting in one of the most fantastic places on earth.

(klik hier voor Nederlands)

The Masai Mara

The landscape of the Masai Mara is like many people imagine Africa: vast grasslands with the occasional tree, usually an acacia. This iconic reserve, located in the south west of the country, is set at an altitude of 1500 to 2100 meters. It is intersected by two major rivers, the Talek and the Mara. It is part of the Serengeti eco-system, which being over 30,000 square kilometers is one of the largest nature reserves in Africa.

Animals

The three big cats (lion, leopard and cheetah) are everyone’s favourite and often seen but of course many other animals can be found such as elephants, giraffes, many bird species, other predators such as hyenas and jackals, various types of antelopes and gazelles and even black rhino.

November to February is less busy than the high season and therefore ideal for photography. The typical and very recognizable open savanna landscape (with gently sloping hills and the occasional acacia tree) in the Mara offers great opportunities to take sunset and silhouette shots.

Guides

On this trip two highly specialized and experienced guides will take us on the journey of a lifetime: a safari! The focus is the game drives in our semi-open Landcruisers but optional guided bush walks, a visit to a local Masai village or even a hot air balloon ride can also be part of your experience. This is the perfect opportunity for exciting encounters and great photography!

Everyone is welcome

This trip is for anyone who loves nature, enjoys taking pictures and has the patience to observe quietly and wait for that one great moment! Although it is a photo tour, you really don’t have to be a professional photographer or a very experienced safari traveller.

We simply want you to fully enjoy all that Africa has to offer. And we want to give you plenty of opportunities to take great photos, at any level. Photographing wildlife sometimes requires some different skills than what you may be used to, but we can definitely help you with that.

There is only room for 6 people per trip, so don’t wait too long – this is really a great offer for a super cool and exclusive safari!

“Thanks to the very experinced guides and all of Simone’s knowledge of the African bush we saw a lot and learned even more.  I came home with lots of fantastic photographs!”. (Wim Blom)

a selection of my ‘best of’ images from Africa

Details

Overnight stays

The first night you’ll sleep in a hotel near the airport of the capital Nairobi. Early next morning we’ll meet our guides and start with the 4 to 5 hour drive to the Masai Mara where we should arrive around lunchtime.

We stay in a small-scale camp on the outskirts of Mara: Zebra Plains Mara Camp. The accommodation consists of luxury tents on a platform, each with their own ensuite bathroom. You have your own shower, toilet and sink. The tents have WiFi and are equipped with comfortable beds with a mosquito net.

Sleeping in a tent may sound a bit adventurous, but the animals absolutely respect it. And it’s great to listen in your bed at night to the sound of the cicadas and a hyena in the distance!

The camp also has lounge areas, a fire pit, a bar and even a spa. It is run by local Masai and the food is delicious. Of course, not everything is possible in terms of dietery requirements so far away from an urban environment, but vegetarian or lactose-free food is no problem. And the beer is always cold!

Our safari vehicles

We go out on a drive twice a day in the reserve: early morning and in the afternoon. We use semi-open 4×4 safari Landcruisers: the perfect way to see animals and take pictures!

Six people normally fit in such a vehicle, but because we want to give you the best opportunity to take beautiful pictures, we will never be in the car with more than four people (including us, who will sit in the front seat next to our guide – in the back there’s three rows of seats, so a full row available to every guest). This way, everyone has enough space for their camera equipment and you can easily shoot from both sides of the car. In addition, the roof can also be opened, so you can also photograph from a higher vantage point (ideal when the grass is a bit higher).

Your guides and tour hosts

Two experienced guides will accompany you from WOW Safaris who will drive the cars, manage the communication via radio and telephone (with which we are in contact with other cars in the area) and who have the final responsibility. They are guides who are also used to working with (professional) photographers or film crews, which means that they know how to position the car ideally for photography and how you can play with the light as a photographer or videographer. And of course, they are know everything about animal behaviour and their movements.

In addition, we will accompany you as a photographer. That means we can teach you a lot about wildlife photography. Think of the right camera settings (which are very different for wildlife than, for example, portrait photography or weddings), how you can make optimal use of the light, and how you can create creative wildlife images with special techniques. We do this during the drives, but also in camp where we can help you with tips for selecting or post-processing your photos in Lightroom.

Evert Doorn

Evert did an overland trip of seven months from the UK to Cape Stap almost twenty years ago with his wife Dieuwke. After that he returned many times to Africa. He learned a lot from various, very experienced wildlife photographers. He has photographed in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, India and especially Kenya. The big cats are definitely his favorite, but he also finds the small animals and landscapes interesting. In the Netherlands he has been a professional photographer for weddings and business assignments for many years. He is also a photography teacher at the Gooische Fotoschool. You can find his current wildlife work on Instagram: @thewildsite

Simone Janssen

I have worked as a (camping) tour guide in Southern Africa from 2004 to 2007. During that period I did a full-time one month course at Eco Training to learn more about the bush: its animals, trees, tracks and everything else that is part of the great African circle of life. In addition, I have worked as a trainer and coach for seven years in the Netherlands. Back home, I am a very experienced professional photographer, especially for weddings, but as soon as I have the opportunity, I will travel to Africa again! My work can be found on Instagram: @simone_afrika

Equipment

It is recommended that you bring a camera that you are familiar with. If you have a second camera, be sure to take it with you as a backup or to quickly change swap to another lens. We recommend a wide-angle lens to take beautiful landscape photos and a telephoto (zoom) lens to bring animals closer. Think of a lens that can go up to 400, 500 or even 600 mm. Bean bags to support your lens are provided in the cars. An extender is certainly useful, although you will probably want to remove it in the evening to make your lens a bit brighter. Renting equipment is also an option! If you are not sure about your gear, please contact us. Finally, don’t forget your phone as an option to take photos or videos up close.

Extras

We offer this photo tour with an overnight stay in Nairobi (most flights from the Netherlands or other places arrive late at night), transfer from the airport to the hotel and transfer forth and back to the Masai Mara. If you want to extend your holiday with a visit to one of the other reserves in Kenya, a stay on the coast, or if you want to fly on to Southern Africa, that is of course possible. We have contacts in both Kenya and Southern Africa who can help you with this, but of course you can also make further arrangements yourself.

What does a safari day look like?

• early wake up call around 5am, some coffee or tea and departure just before sunrise: off we go!
• during the morning game drive we stop at a safe place for a bush breakfast, with coffee and tea and the opportunity to stretch our legs
• after returning to camp (usually late in the morning), some time to rest and then an extensive lunch 
• free time to sleep, read, take a shower or take a look at your images from the morning
• in the afternoon the second game drive, with possibly a sun downer (drink at sunset) on the way
• and finally dinner, and sharing the best stories of the day at the campfire

Why is this specifically a photo tour?

• we have plenty of space in the cars, nobody has to sit in the middle
• the local guides also photograph or film hemselves and can therefore help us find the right angle or the best light – and of course they are very knowledgeable about the animals and their behavior
• as wildlife photographers we can help you take the best photo (and also tell you something about most animals)
• there is no rush to find the next animal and check off a list; we take pictures as long as we want and no one asks ‘are you ready yet?’ – you’re with like-minded people!
• back at camp there is plenty of time to view and edit photos, learn from each other and talk about photography for hours!

The practical stuff

Travel dates: both trips are sold out at the moment, but we’re busy making new plans!

Cost: to be added

The total costs are based on a double tent, with a 20% deposit at the time of booking. Would you rather not share a tent? That is of course also possible. A single supplement for your private tent will cost extra. The payment and price is in US dollars because you book directly with WOW safaris which is located in Kenya.

Program: 

Day 1: arrival in Nairobi at Four Points Sheraton hotel, first meeting
Day 2: meet and greet with our guides and early transfer from Nairobi to Zebra Plains Mara Camp; lunch and afternoon game drive
Day 3: overnight Zebra Plains, two game drives
Day 4: overnight Zebra Plains, two game drives
Day 5: overnight Zebra Plains, two game drives
Day 6: overnight Zebra Plains, two game drives
Day 7: overnight Zebra Plains, two game drives
Day 8: morning game drive, then transfer to Nairobi, arrival late afternoon

What is included?

• transfer on day 1 from the airport to the hotel
• 1 night in Nairobi Four Points Sheraton hotel
• transfer to and from the Masai Mara (about 275 km one way) with our own cars
• 6 nights accommodation at Zebra Plains Mara Camp
• all game drives with our own private cars (max 4 people per car) and each with a qualified guide and photographer
• entrance fee Masai Mara (conservation levy)
• all meals (except lunch and dinner on day 1 (air travel) and dinner on day 8)
• coffee, tea and water

What’s not included?

• your flight to and from Kenya
• visa costs (currently $51, available online from the official website of the Kenyan government)
• any travel vaccinations and personal travel insurance
• soft drinks and alcoholic drinks
• tip and souvenirs