A one week safari in Kenya designed specially for photographers, staying six nights in Kenya’s finest wildlife area, the Mara ecosystem, and escorted by well-known wildlife Photographer Paolo Torchio. The safari spends time in two exclusive wildlife conservancies in the Mara eco-system: Ol Kinyei Conservancy and Olare Orok Conservancy as well as in the Mara Reserve.

Accommodation is at the Mara Porini Camp and Porini Lion Camp. These are small authentic bush camps with no more than 10 guest tents so that you will have just a few other like-minded people as company. The Porini Safari Camps offer visitors the experience of staying in small, high quality safari camps located in exclusive wildlife conservancies in some of the finest big game areas in Africa. Here you will escape from the crowds and experience the African wilderness without the presence of other tourist vehicles and with the personal attention of Paolo Torchio, your photographer escort. The advantage of being in the conservancies is the absence of other tourist vehicles with no minibuses to be seen.

Please note that the bush camps are traditional safari camps, which do not have permanent structures, restaurant or swimming pools. They provide an authentic safari experience with comfortable accommodations in spacious tents. The guest tent have en-suite bathrooms with proper flush toilets and safari showers which utilise canvas buckets filled with hot water piped to a normal shower head.  The camps have solar power and cameras can be recharged daily in the manager’s office.

Transport from Nairobi to the Mara is by scheduled flights to avoid a long journey over bumpy roads and to give more time to viewing the wildlife. From the camps, game drives are taken in open-sided 4×4 safari vehicles with experienced safari driver-guides.

Paolo Torchio was born in Turin, Italy, in 1961 and came to Kenya in 1990. A keen photographer since childhood, he was immediately captivated by the African wildlife and wilderness areas that he encountered, and quickly made the country his home.

Paolo's work has appeared in a host of other Kenyan wildlife and travel magazines, including Travel News, Kenya Birding, and About Kenya, as well as in some illustrious wildlife magazines elsewhere in the world. Paolo's photography has earned widespread acclaim. In 2006 he was declared Overall Winner of the East African Photographer of the Year Award.

His photographs and articles documenting aspects of the region's animal, bird and insect life have appeared regularly in Swara, the quarterly magazine of the East African Wild Life Society (EAWLS), where they are seen all over the world.

Masai Mara Photographic Workshop - Safari Itinerary:

Day 1 Arrive in Nairobi to be met and transferred to Fairview Hotel Nairobi for 1 night on B&B basis. On the fisrt day you will be met by Paolo Torchio for an initial briefing and welcome.

Day 2 and 3 Transfer to Wilson Airport for the 50 minute flight to the Mara, landing at Siana airfield from where you will be transferred to Mara Porini Camp (click for more pictures) for 2 nights. Game drives and walks will be taken in the Ol Kinyei Conservancy to photograph the wildlife for which the Mara is famous. Night game drives will also be taken.

Day 4 A full day is spent traversing the Mara Reserve from Ol Kinyei to Olare Orok, with a picnic lunch en route and plenty of time for game viewing in the Mara Reserve. Overnight at Porini Lion Camp (click for more pictures) where you will stay the next 4 nights.

Day 5, 6 and 7 A further 3 days in the Mara with game drives in the Olare Orok Conservancy and in the Mara Reserve depending on where you guide considers the best wildlife viewing to be available.

Day 8 Final early morning game drive and transfer to the Ol Kiombo airstrip in the Mara to fly back to Nairobi. Transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Nairobi for your flight home.

* Departure dates and special requests: Departure dates are not fixed and can be arranged at any time to suit your requirements. The safari itinerary can be amended to tie in with your international flight arrival and departure times or to reflect the best places for wildlife viewing in the Mara. It can also be extended if you have any special requests. We will be happy to discuss your requirements and to tailor a safari itinerary to suit you.

HOW TO BOOK

For more information, email Tasnim at Gamewatchers Safaris (tasnim@gamewatchers.co.ke) who will be glad to assist in booking the safari for you and who can provide further information.

Payment of deposit and balance: terms: 20% deposit per person at the time of booking. Balance due 6 weeks prior to commencement of safari.

Payments (deposit & final balance) may be made by credit card through our secure online payment system. Once your booking is confirmed we have emailed you the confirmation invoice, you will then receive a link that directs you to our secure online payment system, where you can enter your details and process your payment. No handling fee is added for payment by credit card.