The Best Game Parks of Kenya

A Special Safari for Photographers

Led by John and Barbara Gerlach

Note: We have lead 24 previous photo safaris to East Africa. We think Kenya offers the most wildlife photo opportunities available anywhere in the world. It's a wonderful trip. We hope you'll join us!

A Special Safari For Photographers

What to Expect

]An itinerary designed for Photographers

Early mornings and late afternoons for the best light and wildlife activity. Long days in the field. Excellent driver-guides who are sensitive to the needs of photographic groups. Time out of the vehicles, and great photographic opportunities with plenty of time for you to explore on your own.

]Land Transportation

Travel will be by Land Rover, equipped with roof hatches for game viewing. We put a maximum of only three guests in a vehicle, guaranteeing you plenty of space, something essential for photographers. The photo leaders may ride in front of one of the vehicles on a rotating basis.

]Accommodations and Food

You will stay in deluxe-tented camps, lodges and hotels. We much prefer tented camps wherever possible, as they offer the convenience of a lodge, but give you the feel of camping. Your tent is canvas, but has a thatched roof, a concrete floor with rugs and has electricity. The beds are very comfortable. Each tent has private facilities en-suite with cold and hot running water and flush toilets.

]Guides and Staff

In addition to John and Barb Gerlach, you will be accompanied by professional driver-guides, who know the best locations for wildlife and have experience with serious photographers. Tented camps and lodges have their own permanent staffs.

]Fitness and Health

The safari is not strenuous, and anyone who is reasonably fit and in good health should be able to participate. You, will, however, have long international flights and will be spending many hours in a vehicle on game drives. Land travel will sometimes be over very bumpy and dusty roads. The maximum altitude you will reach on this safari is about 8,000 feet above sea level. If you have any questions about your ability to participate in this trip, please contact International Expeditions, Inc. for more information.

]Pre-Departure Preparation

Extensive background readings and travel information will be sent to you upon your enrollment on this program.

International Expeditions, Inc.

2008 Kenya Photo Safari

With John & Barbara Gerlach

A Special 13 - Day Safari for Photographers

August 26 - September 7, 2008

$6798 For 11 Full Paying Guest

All - Inclusive From Nairobi

$7098 For 10 Full Paying Guest

All - Inclusive From Nairobi

Single Supplement - $1298

September 7 - 10, 2008

$2198 Optional 3 - Day Masai Mara Extension

Single Supplement - $398

September 10 - 14, 2008

$3998 Optional 5 - Day Rwanda Gorilla Trek

Single Supplement - $498

This trip is currently wait-listed. We do at times get cancellations - you can be placed on our wait-list. Call Kim Guth at International Expeditions to find out about availability. We are currently working on our 2010 dates. Please call Kim for details. Kim can be reached at 1-800-633-4734.

August 22 - September 3, 2007

Kenya is renowned for its unparalleled wildlife, habitat diversity and fascinating cultural heritage. A wide range of ecological zones--semi-arid plains and vast savannahs, tropical mountain forests, a rugged Northern Frontier, and the Great Rift Valley--provide for a tremendous array of fauna and flora. On our photo safari in Kenya we explore the best-known and most distinguished parks and reserves in East Africa, with a special emphasis on landscape as well as wildlife photography. We will have the opportunity to photograph Nature's Greatest Spectacle, The Great Migration, in Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve.

Day 1- Wednesday - August 22

Nairobi

Your safari begins when you arrive in Nairobi where we will be met at the airport and transferred to the Nairobi Safari Park Hotel for overnight. (Meals Aloft)

Day 2 -Thursday - August 23

Nairobi / Mount Kenya

Today we drive north toward Mount Kenya, past the town of Thika and then through heavily cultivated Kikuyu farmland. The Kikuyu people, the largest ethnic group in Kenya, inhabit some of the most fertile land, growing coffee, tea, sisal, pineapples, and vegetables as cash crops. We travel through several small towns and stop at an open-air market, where we see how the Kikuyu are blending traditional and modern ways.

(Recommended reading: Facing Mount Kenya by Jomo Kenyatta, and The Flame Trees of Thika by Elspeth Huxley)

Our destination is Mountain Lodge, located high on the slopes of 17,000-foot Mount Kenya. Its water hold is floodlit by artificial moonlight for night viewing. If you want to see a particular animal during the night, you can ask to be awakened should it appear. Here we can see a wide variety of forest animals, including elephants, Buffalo, giant forest hogs (one of the last of the world's largest mammals to be discovered by scientists--in 1904), genet cats, the white-tailed mongoose, and the elusive leopard. Overnight -Mountain Lodge. (B,L,D)

Day 3- 5-Friday- Sunday - August 24-26

Mount Kenya / Samburu Game Reserve

After breakfast, we travel to Samburu Game Reserve, located in Kenya's Northern Frontier District. We enjoy the magnificent scenery of this region, exploring the area for wildlife characteristically found here. Grevy's Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk, Olive Baboon, Guenther's Dik-dik and Reticulated Giraffe thrive in this harsh but picturesque landscape. This is the land of the Samburu tribesmen, a pastoral people related to the Masai. The women wear layers of beads in choker fashion around their necks, and the men are famous for their colorful adornment and high-jumping dances. Morning and afternoon game drives allow ample time to explore this unique area and observe its abundant wildlife. We spend the three nights at Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp. (B,L,D Daily)

Day 6 --8- Monday -Wednesday - August 27 -29

Lake Nakuru National Park

We leave Samburu today and drive south into the Great Rift Valley, an immense geological fault in the earth's surface that stretches from Jordan to southern Africa. Morning and afternoon game drives allow us the opportunity to explore Lake Nakuru National Park, described by Roger Tory Peterson as the greatest ornithological spectacle in the world. Certainly, the thousands of pink flamingos and fishing fleets of white pelicans are testament to his claim. Although birds are a major attraction--over 400 species have been recorded here--we also expect to see Rothschild's Giraffe (rarely seen elsewhere), both Grant's and Thomson's Gazelles, Impala, Common Zebra, African Buffalo, Eland, Waterbuck and several other species of plains game, as well as Leopard. Recently declared a rhino sanctuary, Lake Nakuru is one of the best places in Africa to observe critically endangered Black and White Rhinos. We overnight at Lion Hill Lodge. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 9 - 12 -Thursday- Sunday - August 30- September 2

Masai Mara Game Reserve

We depart early this morning for our exciting journey to Masai Mara, one of Africa's best game reserves. This northern extension of the Serengeti ecosystem, one of the world's most rewarding wildlife observation sites, virtually throbs with life. The rich savannah is famous for its concentration of plains game and their predators, including Leopard, Cheetah and hyena. We drive through the Great Rift Valley, past the extinct volcanoes of Mount Longonot and Mount Suswa. We will begin to see Masai herding their cattle, and will arrive at Narok, an administrative and trading center for the Masai. The Masai, perhaps the best-known and most colorful African group, still follow their traditional ways as semi-nomadic pastoralists. Young warriors carry spears and decorate themselves with red ochre, and the women wear elaborate and beautiful beadwork. The social life of the Masai makes them a fascinating and special people, and we shall see their herds and villages among the plains animals through much of our journey. (Recommended reading: The Maasai by Carol Beckwith and Tepilit ole Saitoti.)

From Narok, we take an all-weather dirt road to the Masai Mara Game Reserve. Our next four days will include both morning and afternoon game drives. You may decide to skip one of the morning game drives and take an optional hot-air balloon safari over the Masai Mara. In the evenings, we enjoy dinner beneath the star-studded African sky. We overnight at the Mara Intrepids Club. (B,LD, Daily)

Day 13- Monday - September 3

Masai Mara Game Reserve / Nairobi/ En-route

All participants, except those staying on for the Mara extension will leave late in the morning on a short flight back to Nairobi. Upon arrival in Nairobi we transfer to the Safari Park Hotel. This evening we join our safari guides for a farewell dinner at Nyama Choma Ranch before our transfer to the airport. (B,L,D)

B-Breakfast; L-Lunch; D-Dinner

Optional Balloon Safari from the Masai Mara

During our stay at the Masai Mara Game Reserve, we offer the option of a Hot-air Balloon Safari ($395 subject to change). The balloon safari includes a champagne breakfast, as well as a game drive back to camp. Space is limited, so it is essential to book in advance.

Maasai Mara Game Reserve

3-Day Extension September 3-6, 2007

Day 13-15-Monday- Wednesday - SEPTEMBER 3 - 5

Maasai Mara Game Reserve / NAIROBI/ En-route

We have three additional days to photograph the magnificent Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Overnights are at the Mara Intrepids Camp. (B,L,D Daily)

Day 16-Thursday - September 6

Maasai Mara Game Reserve / Nairobi / en-route

Our morning game drive provides a final opportunity to spend time among the wild herds of this wonderful park. Afterward, we transfer to the nearby airstrip for our short flight to Nairobi. We check into our dayrooms at the Safari Park Hotel. This evening we join our safari guides for a farewell dinner at Nyama Choma Ranch before our transfer to the airport. (B,L,D)

Rwanda Gorilla Trek

5-Day Extension September 6- 10, 2007

A Mountain Gorilla Safari is the pinnacle of all the wildlife experiences available in Africa and nowhere is the gorilla viewing better than in the Virunga Volcanoes of Rwanda.

Rwanda lies in central Africa between latitudes 1 and 3 south and longitudes 29 and 31 east. Totally landlocked, it is bounded in the north by Uganda and in the south by Burundi. Tanzania lies to the east, while Zaire to the west completes the encirclement. About six million people live in Rwanda's 26,388 square kilometers (10,288 square miles), giving an average of over 200 inhabitants per square kilometer, the highest in all Africa.

Volcanoes National Park, situated in the northwest of the country, spanning the borders of Zaire and Uganda, these magnificent mountains are one of the last refuges of the Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla berengei). There are no more than 668 Mountain Gorillas remaining in the world today, of which 355 live in the Virunga Volcanoes. In the past, poaching and habitat destruction have been the main cause for concern. However, with recent publicity, tourism and education regarding the plight of the Mountain Gorilla, the government has been able to halt this rapid decline. There are four groups of these incredible primates that have been habituated over the last decade and can be visited with unparalled viewing opportunities.

The park supports several vegetation zones from lowland forest to luxuriant mountain forest to Afro-alpine. The park receives a high amount of rainfall, averaging 40 inches per year. Daytime temperatures average about 50 degrees.

Day 16-Thursday - September 6

Maasai Mara Game Reserve / Nairobi

Our morning game drive provides a final opportunity to spend time among the wild herds of this wonderful park. Afterward, we transfer to the nearby airstrip for our short flight to Nairobi. We check into the Safari Park Hotel. This evening we join our safari guides for a farewell dinner at Nyama Choma Ranch. Overnight Nairobi Safari Park Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 17-Friday - September 7

Nairobi / Kigali / Parc National Des Volcans

After breakfast depart on an early morning flight to Kigali, Rwanda. On arrival, tour Kigali and learn about what took place 10 years ago and what Rwandans are doing to rebuild. After lunch we drive to Ruhengeri. We spend the next two nights at the Gorilla Nest Lodge. (B,L,D)

Day 18-Saturday - September 8

Parc National Des Volcans / Gorilla Trek

Morning trek in search of gorillas (1 hour visit). Seeing them is bound to be thrilling. Overnight Gorilla Nest Lodge. (B,L,D)

Day 19-Sunday - September 9

Parc National Des Volcans / Gorilla Trek / Kigali

We take our last morning gorilla trek (1 hours visit) before a late afternoon drive to Kigali. We spend the night at Kigali Novotel Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 20-Monday - September 10

Kigali / Nairobi / En-Route

Take an afternoon flight to Nairobi and connect with returning flights home. The VIP departure lounge is available while in transit. (B, Meals Aloft)

B-Breakfast; L-Lunch; D-Dinner

What to Expect in Rwanda

GORILLA TREKKING:

Visits to observe this extremely endangered species are strictly regulated. Traveling in small groups, participants enter the Park Forest and are expertly guided to family groups habituated to human visits. The trek to find gorillas can be quite short, but on most days an hour or two of rough hiking is necessary. The climb begins through the lush, terraced farmland of the lower volcanic slopes. As the slopes become steeper and rockier, the vegetation becomes thick and tangled. Huge trees, clinging vines and undergrowth add to the challenge of swift streams and slippery red mud underfoot.

Each visit is limited to 1 hour so as not to unduly impose upon the Gorillas daily routine and natural behaviors.

PLEASE NOTE: No one under 15 years of age is permitted to trek Gorillas.

It is estimated that there are about 170 gorillas in the park. They are very sociable animals, living in groups of three to thirty. Being sedentary, they are continually looking for food in a living space that is comparatively restricted. They are active only during the daytime and build nests in which they pass the night. The nests built in trees are occupied by the females and young ones, while the males seem to prefer nests on the ground. Their food consists mainly of leaves, buds, tubers and sorts of wild celery from the umbelliferous family.

Our accommodations at the Gorilla Nest Lodge are located in a lovely rural setting amidst tall eucalyptus trees and ideally situated adjacent to the park headquarters for each morning's registration process. There is no electricity in Kingi, so the lodge operates on a generator. The construction is of Rwandanese style. Each room is fully furnished with solid beds, mattresses, sheets, pillows, and blankets. All bathroom facilities are en suite with hot-water showers and flush toilets. Please note these accommodations are rustic but the best available in the area.

INTERNATIONAL EXPEDITIONS, INC.

One Environs Park 

Helena, Alabama 35080

Phone: 800-633-4734 or Fax: 205-428-1714

e-mail: nature@ietravel.com

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

Services of International Expeditions, Inc., for complete pre-departure information, including a booklet on Kenya, a checklist of what to bring, bird and mammal checklists, luggage tags, and a passport holder

All land and air transportation within Kenya as specified in the itinerary

Accommodations in the finest lodges and tented camps, all with en suite facilities

4 X 4 Land Rovers- maximum of 3 participants per vehicle

All meals; tea; coffee; bottled water while on game drives

All transfers, hotel, lodge and tented camp service charges, taxes, porterage and national park fees

In addition to John and Barbara Gerlach, you will be accompanied by expert naturalist guides

Membership in the Flying Doctors program

NOT INCLUDED: 

Round-trip international air transportation. on Northwest/KLM Airlines from New York. Special add-on fares from your hometown or other KLM gateways are available (Please contact our full service air department for assistance with your airline arrangements)

Passport and visa fees; U.S. and foreign departure taxes; tips to drivers and guides

Items of a personal nature, such as laundry, phone calls, beverages, etc.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: A U.S. passport valid six months beyond your anticipated date of return to the U.S. is required. A visa is required to enter Kenya which can be obtained from Zierer Visa Service (Telephone: 202-265-3007), The Embassy of Kenya (Telephone: 202-387-6101) or upon arrival.

GROUP SIZE: Safari costs are based on a minimum of 10 guests.  The extension costs are based on a minimum of 5 guests each.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: Additional: $950 for Kenya, $325 for the Masai Mara and $295 for the Rwanda extension.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS: Precautions against malaria, Hepatitis A, and Tetanus are highly recommended. Yellow Fever is REQUIRED for Rwanda. Please consult your physician, public health/travel clinic, or Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta for more information.

CLIMATE: Kenya's climate is ideal, with temperatures averaging 70 to 90 F by day, and rarely below 55 F in the evening. If traveling from June to September temperatures could range between 40 and 80 F.

INSURANCE: Comprehensive travel insurance has been specifically designed for International Expeditions, Inc., by BerkelyCare, Ltd., through National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a member of the American International Group of Insurance Companies. Please note: For further details concerning coverage, limitations, provisions, exclusions and pre-existing conditions, please refer to the enclosed Description of Coverage which fully details the insurance offered. Since your personal insurance policies may contain certain limitations, we strongly recommend that you insure yourself and your property while traveling. All passengers are responsible for their personal effects, personal accident, medical and emergency travel expenses, cancellations and curtailment. PLEASE NOTE: Payment for insurance is non-refundable.

HOW TO ENROLL

Please contact our tour packager, International Expeditions / One Environs Park/Helena, AL 35080. Call Kim Guth at (800) 633-4734  or fax (205) 428-1714. Our contact at IE is Kim Guth. You can reach her at kimg@parkeast.com  You may also call our office at (208) 652-4444 or E-mail michele@gerlachnaturephoto.com