The Masai Mara is of course most famous for the river crossings of the wildebeest across the Mara. However, what many people don’t realise is that this is the predator capital of Africa. No where else is the lion density higher or the cheetah numbers higher. 4 Resident leopard are known to reside within 10 minutes from our camp and of course the hyenas in the Mara are famous for their clean up acts. And why February for the predator tour? Well, its just after the short rains and the grass is nice and green but still short; most of the predators have young now, which allows for some intimate images of cubs and pups and of course quite importantly, there is very little tourist traffic around. So we will have much of the area to ourselves. The beauty of this tour is that we will be using our well-known Masai guides who have worked with C4 for the last 10 years and know the area and predators intimately. You will be guided by the C4 Guides who has excellent knowledge of the Masai Mara and the big cats. Once again C4 Photo Safaris offers you the opportunity to experience the best of Africa’s wildlife so that you can take the best images available. We will once again be staying at our resident Entim Main Camp, situated right in the heart of the reserve, and in the heart of the action.
Key Points:
The camp is inside the Masai Mara reserve with a view of the main crossing point.
The position of the camp is within the two main rivers - the Talek and Mara rivers, meaning easy and fast access to the most productive game viewing areas.
You will be personally guided and driven by professional wildlife photographers who know the Masai Mara eco system exceptionally well.
No gate restrictions or racing for the gate during the best hours of light. (All gates close at 18h30, and as most camps are outside the reserve, vehicles must leave the reserve) we are inside the Mara, thus can stay till dark.
We will have 3 x long wheelbase Land cruisers for our use. There will be max 3 photographers per vehicle.
Non-photographers can share the same bench as the photographer, or sit in the front seat. Each photographer will have a whole row as well as a roof hatch. 9 Pax maximum per tour.
We will have the whole camp to ourselves.
The camp is a permanent tent camp - tents have flush toilets and hot bucket showers.
There is a battery bank and silent generator for charging batteries and laptops.
Notes:
For each tour, we have organised a minibus that will take our cargo luggage from the Serena hotel to the Camp and back again upon return.
The entire weight limit for the internal flight is 15kg. This is strictly enforced by SafariLink.
We have provided the transport for the cargo luggage for your cargo luggage. It is up to you to ensure you are within the limits for the internal flights. You will be liable for any excess weight.
There are Bean bags in the camp. These are filled with beans. If you would like to bring your own bag to fill with rice or sand, we will provide rice.
For those not arriving from South Africa, we will have separate airport transfers to meet you. All transfers for single arrivals will have Surname typed on a name board that the driver will hold up.
It is very important to get your yellow fever injection and certificate. It should be done no later then 2 weeks before your trip. It is valid for 10 years, so if you have had one done, you should just remember to bring the certificate.
On all our tours we may ask participants to rotate seats in the vehicles, taking it in turn to sit in the more popular seats in the front and the less popular ones in the rear. This requirement applies to everyone. If there is some reason why you can’t take your turn in the back of a vehicle (e.g. a bad back or travel sickness) please inform our office at the time of booking to see if we can accommodate you. We regret that anyone failing to inform us of such limitations before the tour will be expected to rotate seats in the same way as everyone else.
André grew up in the African bush with literally one hand on his binoculars and the other hand on the camera. An avid birdwatcher at that young age, he was given his first SLR in 1990. The passion of birding turned into one of photography and in 2004 Andre co-founded C4 Photo Safaris with Shem Compion.
Isak was born to be a photographer, but before he discovered this, he became an engineer. Once he picked up a camera, his engineering career came to an end and Isak has now established himself as one of the top bird photographers in Africa. The benefit of his engineering training is his flawless technical knowledge of camera systems and the post processing software that accompanies them.
Arrive in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya in the early afternoon. A 45-minute road transfer will take you to the African elegance of the Serena hotel. You will spend the evening in the lush and open grounds of the Serena Hotel. One of Nairobi’s original hotels, this hotel has all the comforts of the past with the convenience of the modern era: The perfect place to relax for the evening.
Arrive in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya in the early afternoon. A 45-minute road
transfer will take you to the African elegance of the Serena hotel. You will spend the evening in the lush
and open grounds of the Radison Blue Hotel. The perfect place to relax for the evening.
Day 2 - 8
Entim Camp, Kenya
We depart for the Masai Mara at 10am on a scheduled flight from Wilson Airport and touch down at Ol-Kiombo Airstrip after a short 1-hour flight. From there you will be transferred by road to the Entim Camp situated in the actual Mara itself. You will be staying in a classic East African style safari camp consisting of canvas tents, staffed by local Maasai. You will have en-suite bathrooms with flush loos, flowing water and hot showers. While traditional, the camp is comfortable with large beds and private verandah’s. That afternoon we will enter the reserve for the first time and sample one of Africa’s greatest ecosystems. For these six full days, we will focus on showing you the best of the Masai Mara. We will take you out each morning in the first light. We will have long wheel base vehicles with roof top hatches and large windows from which to photograph. Each person will have their own seat with window and hatch, ensuring that everyone has ample room to photograph from. Brackets, braces and clamps can be fixed onto the rails on the vehicles for tripod heads and flash brackets. Everything is designed to aid your photographic enjoyment.
Depending on how and where the action is, we might spend whole days in the reserve taking a picnic lunch along with us. We will search for as many predators as possible,including cheetah, as the great plains are home to these majestic cats. You will also enjoy unfamiliar sights of general game such as Topi standing aloft termite mounds and tiny shy dik diks going about their daily routine. The Mara also houses some of the largest buffalo bulls on the continent and a huge density of raptors. A special for birders, amongst others, is the large and relatively common rupell’s griffon.
Our time in the Masai Mara will not just be about the wildlife though. We will take you to seldom-visited parts of the ecosystem and indeed right up to the southern boundary where the Masai Mara and Serengeti adjoin. Here, there is little human traffic, and we will enjoy the peace and quiet of the great plains as well as some private game viewing. This element of our safari is unique as most safari operators concentrate all their efforts on the river but we feel that by combining superb game viewing with a wilderness experience, we will offer our guests the very best of the Masai Mara.
The evenings will be spent sitting around the camp fire where and dining on excellent camp cuisine. As the coals die down, the warm camp beds beckon and everyone retires to bed.
Day 8
International Flight
After a last morning drive, we return to camp for a hearty brunch before departing to the airstrip at 12h00 where we return to Nairobi. A transfer back to Jomo Kenyatta international Airport concludes the safari. Most of the international flights depart in the early evening and this fits with most connections. This is unfortunately the end of the tour and another special package from C4 Photo Safaris. C4 Photo Safaris look forward to hosting you in the Masai Mara for the greatest wildlife show on the planet.
Serena Hotel
Located just 20 minutes’ drive from both Nairobi National Park and the airport, the new Radisson Blu
Hotel in the heart of the fast-growing business district of Upper Hill is the perfect base for a Kenyan
safari or business trip. Discover Nairobi National Park—a well-known wildlife preserve with herds of
zebras, wildebeests and giraffes—right on your doorstep
Our 271 rooms and suites come complete with free Wi-Fi and a minibar, along with lovely city or park
views. Our nutritious breakfast buffet includes excellent hot and cold drinks, fresh baked goods, cereals,
an egg and pancake station, our signature “Morning Mary” and much more. It’s a great way to
kick start your day. Dine on international classics and Kenyan dishes all day in the Larder restaurant,
or savor haute cuisine at Chop House, its fine dining restaurant. You can also enjoy food and glass of
wine at the Humidor Bar & Cigar Lounge.
Justly famed for its exceptional standards of efficiency, service and five-star hospitality, the elegantly sophisticated Nairobi Serena is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World group and is consistently voted ‘Best Hotel in Nairobi’ by airlines and international travel magazines alike. Despite its pivotal central location, the Serena Nairobi hotel remains true to its title and offers an oasis of serenity amidst the bustle of one of Africa’s most vibrant capital cities.
The Nairobi Serena Hotel offers a number of dining experiences, and a selection of bars, coffee shops and café areas, both inside and out. The hotel also features a dedicated resident’s lounge: The Bambara Lounge, which offers a café service, newspapers and private seating throughout the day. Or try our restaurant in Nairobi, the Mandhari, renowned for the excellence of its seasonally inspired menu and extensive wine cellars. An internationally themed buffet breakfast and lunch are served in the Moroccan- styled Café Maghreb, which also features a table d’hôte dinner menu and 24-hour brasserie service.
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