12 Day Photo Safari to Kenya, East Africa Friday, February 18, 2011 A safari to the North via the high shoulder of Mount Kenya to the Game Reserve of Samburu, the world famous Bird Sanctuaries of the Great Rift Valley Lakes Baringo, Bogoria and Nakuru, then south over the Mau Escarpment to Kenya's greatest concentration of game - the Maasai Mara. The trip is led by Professional Photographer Jeff Donald and his wife Theresa. They will escort the photographers on this 12 day adventure to Kenya, East Africa. Jeff lead dozens of tours to Kenya in the '80's and early '90's and is thrilled to once again be sharing his knowledge of the wildlife and how best to photograph the many amazing sites Kenya has to offer. Theresa, an accomplished photographer in her own right, is also a nurse. Jeff has hand picked the Parks and Reserves we'll be visiting for unique photographic opportunities and their opportunities to photograph some of Africa's rarest and most unique wildlife. Samburu National Reserve is home to all three big cats, Lions, Cheetahs and Leopards. Elephants, hippos and buffalo will also be seen within the Reserve as well as a dozen other large mammals including Gerenuk, Grant's Gazelle, Kirk's Dik-dik, Impala, Waterbuck, Grevy's Zebra, Beisa Oryx and Reticulated Giraffe. Over 350 birds occur with in the Reserve including Somali Ostrich, Kingfisher, Sunbird, Bee-eater, Marabou Stork, Tawny Eagle, Bateleur, Guinea fowl and Vultures. After 2 days in Samburu we'll depart for Sweetwaters Deluxe tented camp to observe Kenya's only chimp sanctuary. Visitors can enjoy the unique opportunity of observing the chimps by boat on the Ewaso Nyiro. The riverside forest and the grassland that make up the sanctuary are home to 26-orphaned chimpanzees varying in age from 2-15years. Also found at Sweet waters is Morani - the tame black rhino born in 1974 who was brought here after poachers killed his mother. Dinner and overnight in a lodge. Our next stop is Lake Nakuru, known for its thousands, sometimes millions of flamingos nesting along the shores. When Jeff was last here in the early '90's the water levels were very low and the bird populations dwindled. However, water levels have return to their normal historic levels and the birds are now numbering in the hundreds of thousands again. We'll overnight near the lake and depart the next morning for Masai Mara. Our next two days are spent in Masai Mara Reserve, the northern extension of the Mara-Serengetti ecosystem. The Big Five (Lion, Elephant, Cape buffalo, Leopard and Rhino) can all be seen in a day. Rhino are present, however, the Black Rhino is extremely endangered and numbers less than 50 in the park. Hippos can be seen in large numbers along the Mara River, separating Kenya from Tanzania. Numerous antelopes call the Mara their home including Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, Impalas, Topis and Coke's Hartebeests. Several large herds of Zebra's can also be observed and many will have young foal near their mothers. We'll return to the capitol, Nairobi for some street photography and a chance to get a little rest, relaxation and shopping before returning to the wilds. The photo safari will start to wind down with our departure for Amboseli. Amboseli is best know for it's dramatic scenic views with Mt. Kilimanjaro (world's largest free standing mountain) in the background. Again, the Big Five can easily be seen and photographed in a single day. Amboseli is also know for it's elephants that frequently allow for very close encounters. We'll also have an opportunity to visit a Masai village to catch a glimpse of their way of life. After two days in the park we'll return to Nairobi for an overnight, then our return flight to Europe and the US. Following are the URLs for the lodges: Samburu Sopa and Mara Sopa Lodges – www.sopalodges.co/kenya Oltukai Lodge [ Amboseli ]- www.oltukailodge.com Panafric Hotel Nairobi – www.sarovahotels.com/panafric Sweetwaters tented Lodge – www.serenahotels.com/sweetwaters Lake Nakuru Lodge – www.lakenakurulodge.com Cost per Person $4995 including all domestic and international airfare, all meals, not including alcoholic beverages and some beverages on the flights. Some shorter flights may not serve meals and meals/snacks in airports are not included. Single Room Supplement $900 Requires a $2,500 deposit