[vikrantj]

Originally Posted by A M

Nice short trip you had.
Nice photos of the wildlife but none of the ride?
BTW, did you find the source of the Nile?

Well got so busy with the animals that I forgot about my ride..

Originally Posted by sach.sri

It will really help if you could share your logistical details/planning/agents used together with the costing.

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Can you please share the details of the cost of the trip incurred by you? Mainly the flight, accomodation & other rates like transportation. Also did you anytime felt a fear / risk that is normally associated while visiting African countries?

Thanks,

Originally Posted by BurningHeart

Can you PM me the details too? Lovely photos.

I have PMed all of you the details of my tour organizer along with the cost incurred. Don't have the break-up of the cost as to hotel and vehicle. The flight costed me 32000Rs per person.Well about the security concerns I have heard various incidents of mugging and robbery in Nairobi so to be on safer side I did not spend time in Nairobi. Out in Maara it is very safe no issues

[padikpanther]

Superb photos and nice short trip. You helped me refresh my visit to Ngorongoro and I was lucky to be there during the peak season. Thanks

[GTO]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Can you PM me your agent and other details?

Originally Posted by vikrantj

I have PMed you the info.

Originally Posted by BurningHeart

Can you PM me the details too?

PM = Helps 1 Person.

Sharing on the Forum = Helps 100X more people.

Exchanging useful information via PM defeats the purpose of an open community. Please put up the information here on the thread, so that other folk benefit from it too.

Thanks!

[girishglg]

A refreshingly different destination and some nice spotting of animals indeed. Also good to know that this destination has visa on arrival.

On the stay front can you throw some more light on short review of the resort you were put up in and other details associated with the trip (food, hospitality etc).

[vikrantj]

Here is the information on the travel and stay. This trip was arranged by Mr Kedar Gogate of Green Earth Adventures . His contact details can be found on this website http://www.greenearthadventures.com/

As for the cost, it was about 85-90K per person which includes flight , visa fees, hotel charges (this includes food) , jeep (from-to Nairobi airport) , guide-cum-driver charges and entrance fee to the reserves.

I stayed in Sarova Lion Hill Lodge in Nakuru and Mara Sopa Lodge in Masai Mara.

[Wireless]

Wonderful pictures..
Through some light on your photography gear too.
Also i was wondering how did you take the first picture of giraffe? How did you manage to get that angle?

[vikrantj]

Originally Posted by Wireless

Wonderful pictures..
Through some light on your photography gear too.
Also i was wondering how did you take the first picture of giraffe? How did you manage to get that angle?

I used canon 1000d slr with 55-250 mm lens. The animals are near to you hence you can get those shots with a little patience.

[BurningHeart]

Originally Posted by GTO

PM = Helps 1 Person.

Sharing on the Forum = Helps 100X more people.

Exchanging useful information via PM defeats the purpose of an open community. Please put up the information here on the thread, so that other folk benefit from it too.

Thanks!

GTO, that is simple but I thought sharing these tour operators' information etc. will be construed by you as commercial promotion. And I have seen that being enforced in a few instances here. So I didn't know we were that open.

But I agree, it definitely helps.

[vikrantj]

Cormorant Colony



Flamingo colony



Impala : Male



Toupee



Water Bucks



Weaver Bird



Sarova Lion Hill Lodge



Some random shots at the lodge



Our Driver -cum - guide Simon



Our ride :



An interesting fact about drivers-cum-guide in Kenya. They have to take up a 2 year course which encompasses various subjects like zoology , geology , geography of Kenya in specific. Then they have to pass a written exam before they can operate as a tour guide.

[nitinbose]

Kenya JUU! I'm proud to be a Kenyan! Indeed Kenya is one of the most beautiful places in the world. You could also have visited Mount Kenya, Amboselli National Park - with a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Kenya coast!

This would be one of the most memorable holidays in your life!

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by vikrantj

An interesting fact about drivers-cum-guide in Kenya. They have to take up a 2 year course which encompasses various subjects like zoology , geology , geography of Kenya in specific. Then they have to pass a written exam before they can operate as a tour guide.

Hello Vikrant,

Thank you for another set of wonderful pictures.

This is a interesting fact about drivers / guide in Kenya - They have to take a 2 year course which include subjects like Zoology, Geography, etc. Also they have to pass a written exam before working as a tour guide.

These little facts speak volumes about why a country is a famous tourist destination. Initiatives like these make local aware about treating / serving the tourists well which inturn calls even more tourists to a country.

Now, how many tourists places in India can boost of qualified drivers / guides like the onces in Kenya? Just go to any place (e.g. Taj Mahal) & you will lierally flocked by local tour guides just trying to make a quick money out of you.

Thanks,

[rulerofsun]

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Hello Vikrant,
These little facts speak volumes about why a country is a famous tourist destination. Initiatives like these make local aware about treating / serving the tourists well which inturn calls even more tourists to a country.

True. These intiatives bring in tourists

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Now, how many tourists places in India can boost of qualified drivers / guides like the onces in Kenya? Just go to any place (e.g. Taj Mahal) & you will lierally flocked by local tour guides just trying to make a quick money out of you.

Thanks,

http://www.up-tourism.com/guidelist.htm See this for UP

Not true. Though it may not be compulsory, there are guide training facilities over here and the Government has actually trained guides at most places.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiati...des-scuba-mtdc
http://articles.timesofindia.indiati...ides-mahakumbh

It is the tourist who wants to payless than the Govt approoved rates and hence the illegal ones exist.

[Thamizha]

Nice Pics. And awesome choice of destination. I have been dreaming to make it to this place, especially during the great migration period. Not sure when this dream will come true.

[vikrantj]

Originally Posted by girishglg

On the stay front can you throw some more light on short review of the resort you were put up in and other details associated with the trip (food, hospitality etc).

I lived in two lodges in Kenya

1. Sarova Lion Hill Lodge : Located inside Nakuru Lake Reserve.
2. Mara Sopa Lodge : Located inside Masai Mara Reserve.

Both the lodges were similar in terms of offerings so I will detail them out together.

Pros :
1. Inside the wildlife reserve. Therefore travel time into the Maraa is saved. We travelled for hardly 10mins (because of bad roads) to enter the grasslands.
2. Offer Indian vegetarian food. Although I prefer to eat local food (vegetarian ofcourse) so this might go against people who want to try out local cuisine.
3. Rooms were fantastic. They offered great view and even greater comfort. The room in Mara Sopa lodge was humogous and very well decorated and inviting.
4. Hygiene and cleanliness was excellent. This being a first priority being rainy season and unknown country.
5. No fans in rooms . Do not need it it gets really cold at night.

Cons
1. Costly
2. They were far away from the main gate of reserve. Mara Sopa Lodge was 18kms away from main gate.
3. Electricity is not available. So they run on generator. While I did not face issue in Nakuru, in Masai Mara electricity is not avaiable between 9am-12pm and 2pm to 5.30pm. But anyways you are on game drives this time so did not miss anything.
4. No TVs or wifi.

[rajwheelz]

Nice trip and photos Vikrant ! Cant wait to plan mine.

Would like to bother you with a couple of more questions.

1. International cards accepted? Or all cash transactions?
2. No photos of Nairobi city ? Didnt have time to stroll around?
3. What are the options to buy memorablia from maara ? How are the prices for tourists ?

How is the game ride usually done? Once an animal is spotted, he turns the engine off and gives you time to click ? Or is it rushed through ?