Kenya Great Migration Safari 2012 - Group Tours from The Earth Safari

The Great Migration is probably Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle and one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena. The vertiginous immensity of the event is overwhelming, numbers so large that they are hard to visualize. Migrants include 1,300,000 Wildebeest, 360,000 Thomson's Gazelle, 191,000 Zebra, and 12,000 Eland. They join the anyway-large resident populations of herbivores, that feature 95,000 Topi, 76,000 Impala, 46,000 African Buffalo, 26,000 Grant's Gazelle, 14,000 Kongoni, 9,000 Giraffe, 6,000 Warthog, 2,000 Waterbuck, and 2,000 Elephant. Predators like Lions, Cheetah, Leopard, Hyenas follow the Wildebeest Migration closely, waiting for an opportunity to strike weak prey as they make their way into different territories

This safari entails a visit to Amboseli National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park and the world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve! The ideal time to capture “the action” in the Masai Mara is from July to November annually when the Great Migration of wildebeest occurs. Thousands of wildebeest are crossing the Mara River, in pursuit of ferocious predators such as crocodiles and the “big cats”. You will witness this spectacle in a luxury safari vehicles with pop-up roof for game viewing.

 The Earth Safari announces group departure tours for Masai Mara, Kenya for the months of August and September 2012. Join in this amazing African Savannah race and witness the spectacle unfolds before you.


Kenya Migration Group Safari Fixed Date Departures

Groups	Tour Dates	Cost per Person in US$	Status
Group 1	14 Aug - 20 Aug 2012	US$ 2150	Available
Group 2	21 Aug - 27 Aug 2012	US$ 2150	Available
Group 3	17 Sept - 23 Sept 2012	US$ 2150	Available
Group 4	24 Sept - 30 Sept 2012	US$ 2150	Available

(Group Size is minimum 15 pax for each departure)




For booking email at safaris@theearthsafari.com or call us at +91 8447870008 / +91 11 40566338 or visit www.theearthsafari.com



Highlights of this Tour

Amboseli National Park is also known as Kilimanjaro's Royal Court.  The ecosystem mainly consists of savannah grassland spread across the Kenya-Tanzania border. The park is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants among other wildlife species. Other attractions of the park include opportunities to meet the Maasai and spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Activities available in this park include game viewing, camping, viewing Mt. Kilimanjaro, bird watching and photography. Attraction sites within the park include the big five, the observation hill which allows an overall view of the whole park especially the swamps and elephants, the swamp below observation hill hosts many elephants, buffaloes, hippos and a variety of water fowls like pelican, Egyptian goose as well as the contemporary Maasai culture and indigenous lifestyle.

Lake Nakuru National Park is a sea of flaming pink as far as the eye can see. These millions of flamingoes are always seeking for their food in the salty deep green waters of Lake Nakuru. The protected area is primarily for birds of which 400 to 500 species can be found here including cormorants and pelicans. Visitors to Lake Nakuru National Park are also sure to catch a glimpse of Thomson gazelles, impala, waterbucks, giraffes, and buffalos, white and black rhino as well as baboons.

Masai Mara is known as Africa's Greatest Wildlife Reserve famous for the abundance of the big five (lion, elephant, leopard, rhino and buffalo), the Great Wildebeest Migration and the colorful Masai people who are well known for their distinctive custom and dressing.  All these combined make Maasai Mara Africa's most famous safari destination.  The terrain of the reserve is mostly grassland and riverine forests with clumps of the distinctive acacia trees.  The park holds one of the highest lion densities in the world and this is where over 2 million Wildebeest, Zebra and Thompson Gazelle migrate annually from the Great Serengeti in Tanzania from July to October.  The major highlight of the migration is that the animals have to cross the Mara River alive where crocodiles will prey on them; not forgetting that other predators will hunt, stalk and run them down if they manage to escape the crocodiles.

Mammals easily spotted: Lion, elephant, leopard, rhino, buffalo, gazelle, spotted hyena, cheetah, wildebeest, hippo, zebra, Maasai giraffe, topi, bat eared fox, aardvark, baboon, bush baby, bushbuck, caracal, dik dik, duicker, impala, vervet monkey, mongoose and many others.

Birds easily spotted: Flamingos, Kori bustard, buttonquail, buzzard, pied crow, African cuckoo, dove, African black duck, African crake, boubou, bee-eater, bluebill, African citril, cormorant, canary, pied avocet and many others.

Reptiles easily spotted: Chameleon, crocodile, gecko, monitor lizard, tortoise etc.

Flora: Acacia, wastepaper flower, yellow fever tree and others.

Tour Leader: Malav Shah a Naturalist and Explorer will be your Tour Leader / Guide accompanying you on the safari. He has been passionately working since many years on Africa as a safari destination and has escorted many groups to East Africa in recent past with excellent feedback / testimonials to his credit. He will be taking care of your special requirements while on tour, with communicative vocabulary of local language (Swahili), culinary to your comforts and added skills of First Aid to your safety, he adds loads of value to your itinerary giving a complete memorable & exhilarated solution.

 

Detailed Itinerary

Tour Start in: Nairobi (Departure from Nairobi at 8:00AM)
Tour Ends in: Nairobi (Arrival in Nairobi 1:00PM)

Day 1, Arrival Nairobi – Drive to Amboseli National Park

 

Meet and greet on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by your Tour Leader. Thereafter receive a short briefing about your safari which gives you a clear idea on the places you are going to visit as well as the accommodation arrangements. After the briefing, depart to Amboseli arriving at the foothill of the majestic Kilimanjaro in time for lunch. After lunch, depart for a rewarding afternoon game drive till evening.

Lunch, Dinner and overnight at the Lodge
Amboseli Sopa Lodge
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Amboseli Sentrim Camp
Kibo Safari Camp
Or Similar


Day 2: Amboseli National Park

Spend a full day within this beautiful reserve viewing wildlife, birds and enjoying the natural ecosystem that exists within this park as you view and photograph the scenic landscape which characterizes this park. Cultural visits to Maasai villages can also be organized at an extra cost.

All meals and overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge
Amboseli Sopa Lodge
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Amboseli Sentrim Camp
Kibo Safari Camp
Or Similar


Day 3: Amboseli to Lake Nakuru National Park
 
After breakfast, you will depart from the Amboseli and be driven to the most famous bird watcher’s paradise; Lake Nakuru. En route, you will visit the famous Thompson falls, which is a scenic picnic and photographic spot that drains into the Aberdare Ranges. You will enjoy a short walk in the beautiful nature trail located at the base of the falls. Afterwards, proceed to Lake Nakuru arriving for lunch and afterwards, an afternoon game drive.

Lunch, dinner and overnight at the Lodge
Lake Nakuru Lodge
Sarova Lion Hill Lodge
Flamingo Hill Camp
Or Similar


Day 4: Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara National Park
 

Enjoy early morning pre breakfast game drives within Lake Nakuru, which is home to the endangered black rhino, white rhino, giraffe, zebra, warthog, buffalo and other plains game. You will also visit the shores of the lake for a brisk walking safari. You will see numerous flamingo and pelicans wading in the lake. After breakfast, you will depart to Maasai Mara, which is the home of the big five. Arrive at the Mara in time for lunch before departing for an afternoon game drive till evening. There is a chance of spotting the big five animals (the Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Buffalo and the elusive leopard) during this day.  Everything in this reserve looks outstanding and the open savannah grassland ensures animals are never out of sight.

Lunch, dinner and overnight at the Lodge
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Sarova Mara Game Camp
David Livingstone Safari Lodge
Ashnil Mara Camp
Mara Leisure Camp
Or Similar


Day 5: Masai Mara National Park

Full day at leisure with unlimited morning and afternoon game viewing drives with the reserve and lucky is the factor to witness the great migration spread all around the savannahs of Masai Mara. This reserve is exception during the wildebeest migration period which normally occurs during the month of July and October.

The Mara birds come in every size and color including common but beautiful ones like the lilac breasted roller and plenty of large species like eagles, vultures and storks. There are 53 different birds of prey.

Today you will visit a Masai Village to see lifestyle and culture of the Masai warriors. Lunch and evening game viewing drive in the reserve.

All meals and overnight at the Lodge
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Sarova Mara Game Camp
David Livingstone Safari Lodge
Ashnil Mara Camp
Mara Leisure Camp
Or Similar


Day 6: Masai Mara National Park
 

There is an option of taking a balloon ride in the morning at an extra cost. Every July (or sometimes August), the wildebeest travel over 600 miles (960km) from Tanzania's Serengeti plains, northwards to the Masai Mara and the Mara River is the final obstacle.

Full day at leisure with unlimited morning and afternoon game viewing drives with the reserve and luck is the factor to witness the great migration when crossing the Mara River. This reserve is exception during the wildebeest migration period which normally occurs during the month of July and October. Once they have feasted and the grass has all but gone, they turn around and go back the other way.


Lunch, dinner and overnight at the Lodge
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Sarova Mara Game Camp
David Livingstone Safari Lodge
Ashnil Mara Camp
Mara Leisure Camp
Or Similar

Day 7: Masai Mara to Nairobi / Departure

Enjoy the last safari breakfast and drive for Nairobi with some enroute stop overs along the way.  On arrival in Nairobi you will be taken to a city restaurant. Enjoy your farewell Lunch and get transferred to the International Airport in time to connect with the international Flight back home.

Breakfast

 

End of services

Price include:

• Airport meet and briefing services + Group transfers.
• Transportation in a safari minivan with photographic hatch roof.
• Guaranteed window seat in the safari minivan (Maximum 6 Pax per Vehicle)
• Park entrance fees per person and for the vehicle and the drive guide.
• Services of an experienced Tour Leader throughout the trip
• Accommodation as per the program.
• Game drives as per the Itinerary
• All meals per day. (Vegetarian Meals Available)
• Farewell Lunch in a Nairobi restaurant on Day 7
• Cultural Visit to a Masai Village in Masai Mara
• Services of an English speaking Guide.
• 1 litre of bottled mineral water per person per day.

Price exclude:

• International Flights.
• Personal travel insurance cover.
• Visa fees (US$ 50 per person)
• Yellow Fever Vaccination fees (This is a prerequisite to travel to East Africa)
• Laundry services.
• All items of personal nature.
• Tipping
• Souvenirs.
• Accommodation in Nairobi.
• Any other activity not mention in the itinerary

Note:

1. Above prices are per person on double sharing basis.
2. Children below 3yrs – Free of charge when sharing room with adults
3. Children 3-12yrs – 60% of per adult charge while sharing with adults and 75% of adult charge if using room exclusively.
4. Any person wishing to use own single room will pay a supplement of US$660.
5. In case of unavailability of rooms in the hotels mentioned above, The Earth Safari reserves the discretion of changing the hotels and offering alternate similar category hotels to the traveling guests.

Payment Terms: 
August Departures: 50% deposit to be paid to at the time of booking by 30^th June. Balance 1 Month prior to the travel date.

September Departures: 50% deposit to be paid to at the time of booking by 31^st July. Balance 1 Month prior to the travel date


Cancellation policy: 
Cancellation fee from 60 – 30 days - 100%
 deposit amount will be forfeited

Cancellation fee from 30 – 00 days - 100% Tour Cost will be forfeited


For booking email at safaris@theearthsafari.com or call us at +91 8447870008 / +91 11 40566338 or visit www.theearthsafari.com

Migration Update 15/07/2011

The migration of wildebeests from the Great Serengeti to the Mara has started in earnest. The huge population of wildebeests, moved into the Mara, and crossed the river at paradise crossing point one week ago into the Mara triangle. Over the past few days, many wildebeest took the plunge and crossed the Mara River at the Sand River area of the Mara. The zebras are also never left behind. Grazing in the horizon is a herd of large elephants and their calves grazing within the marshes and riverine woodlands of the Mara River. The swamp is a perfect location to spot grazing and bathing elephants. However, as the migration moves further into the Mara Reserve, the elephants are expected to move away into more quieter locations.

Various predators of the savannah are also never left behind as they follow their prey in hot pursiut. These include the lion, cheetah, wild dog, jackal, hyena, and vultures. Spotted hyena are frequently seen around lion kills, waiting for the slightest opportunity to pounce on unattended meals. During game drives on the Paradise plains, as many as 40 hyenas can be spotted at a time, out numbering the lion family and putting it in great risk, as the two compete strongly for food.

A large herd of about 500 cape bufallo can be seen in the eastern horizon, where grasses are abit longer and well suited for them. For smaller herbivores, these prefer staying in the short grassy areas of the plains where the grass is greener and the space is open enough for them to see approaching predators. It is also easy to spot the warthog with their piglets roaming all over the short grassy plains; if lucky one can spot one being chased into their holes by lion, cheetah, leopard or the hyena, with a few being dug out and eaten. The woodlands are home to giraffe, black rhino, hartebeest and zebra. It may be impossible to prepare the first time visitor for the great number of animals they may see because the scenario is pleasantly overwhelming.

Every once in a while, you will see a Maasai Moran walking across the plains majestically "heading home" after a long day's work in the park. As a game reserve, the local people are permitted to co-exist with wild animals and as a result, both parties have to learn how to live peacefully and in companionship with each other for centuries. Both people and wild animals are wary about crossing each other's paths. Visitors are encouraged to visit Maasai homesteads through the cultural tour, to learn more about this rare kind of relationship which exists between the two parties.

Interested in attending the Great Annual Migration 2011? Hurry, contact safaris@theearthsafari.com or visit http://www.theearthsafari.com/ now.