[balenopower]

fantastic write up, brilliant images.

[SJM1214]

Yes, we have seen these on Nat Geo, Animal Planet and Discovery channels. But believe me, watching these photographs through the lens of one of our own BHPian is thrilling.

Thank you very much for sharing this amazing travelogue with excellent photographs. Rated Five stars.

[vsathyap]

Simha finally got to meet Simhas! What a wonderful travelogue! I was just wondering when we could probably plan our next trip to Kabini and here you are - with a massive, mind boggling set of images from the Mara! Brilliant pictures, lovely narration and superb one liners!

Now, you've made me sit up and take notice of the Mara and I'm wary of how addictive (and expensive) these trips can be - we both know how JLR Kabini is! I'm still wondering how/ why you missed a regular range lens like the 24-120 or even the 18-140. Anyways, you've captured the animals really r-e-a-l-l-y well and more importantly, put that thought in my head that the Mara is worth visiting! Rated a well deserved 5 stars! (I'd give this one a 6 if that option was there somewhere!)

[nekfar]

Jaisimha, thanks for the visual treat of the Masai Mara triangle.
You have indeed given us a splendid coverage of the wildlife in Africa.

[sgiitk]

Absolutely fantastic set of pics. You are tempting me to do the same. Let us see how things go. I am sure you will bring out a travelogue in a book /CD form.

[iVento]

Awesome travelogue Stryker.
Well narrated. Beautiful photos too.
Enjoyed it like watching an Attenborough documentary.
You were very lucky to have experienced (almost) everything a safari has to offer: the big five, great migration, cheetah & croc hunt, black rhino..
Thanks for sharing with us.

PS: For wildlife lovers, checkout the channel called SafariLive on Youtube which broadcasts live (morning and evening) safaris from major African national parks including Masai Mara, Kruger.

[nvldvr]

Wow. Amazing pics and narration. I almost felt I was there in the Mara.

Many thanks for sharing.

[VeeEight]

Great Travelogue - The pictures and narrative were top class that made me feel of being in there live.

Many Thanks for sharing.

[bigron]

Brilliant, just brilliant.
Being a natural park aficionado myself, Masai Mara and Serengeti in particular and Africa in general has been on the to do list for the longest time.
Came very close to booking back in 2015 but the amount of shots that had to be undertaken put me off. What all did you get other than one for yellow fever and Hepatitis?

[Stryker]

Thanks to everyone who has liked and commented in this thread. I feel humbled by all the appreciation you people have expressed towards my photos and narration. Really inspires me to go visit Mara again

Originally Posted by Sunrock

How different was this experience from the Indian Safari's.

Firstly, all Indian parks are forests, almost without exception. The Mara is very different right away since it is open grassland. No forest at all. I had always heard about how big the sky looks in Africa and I finally understood what it means. Man, that sky is really endless out there! Even the African elephant looks really tiny when you spot it from far away. That possibility doesn't exist here, since the trees will always mean that any sighting of any animal is almost always close up. Mara is so open that sometimes you can see for kilometers in all directions.

Secondly, the crowd is much larger in Mara. As I mentioned somewhere above most Indian parks place restrictions on the number of vehicles that can enter the park at one time. There is no such restriction in the Mara. This means that sometimes the number of vehicles that can congregate at a sighting will restrict photo opportunities and there is a lot of maneuvering required to get the right angle, by which time the action might have been missed.

As far as crowd behaviour is concerned, it is about the same. There will always be idiots. This is a world wide truism.

Originally Posted by Joxster

My apologies for pointing this out, but Pumba is from The Lion King, not Madagascar.

I stand corrected sir. Thanks for pointing it out. I somehow got confused in my mind about those two great movies!

Originally Posted by vsathyap

I'm still wondering how/ why you missed a regular range lens like the 24-120 or even the 18-140.

Vishwas, believe me, I'm really kicking myself for not taking a 24-120. I started the self flagellation ten minutes into the first safari! My tour skipper did tell me to get a lens in this range, but I thought the 11-16 can do a good job. Next time, I'll make sure I take one. And yes, I'm also sure that there will be a next time. Cost be damned!

Originally Posted by sgiitk

I am sure you will bring out a travelogue in a book /CD form.

LOL, I'm certainly planning on one to keep on the coffee table in my home! I'll let you know how that turns out.

[naveenroy]

JS - thanks for the amazing writeup. The pictures were well....so so. So amazing!! Your narration was just the right amount - matter of fact. But the pictures did all the talking. You took me there man! I am sitting in office on a lazy Friday afternoon and it was transformed to the Mara.

Like others have posted, I've only seen these in NatGeo and Discovery. I did go on a safari long back but I was a kid then. Don't remember it.

But I agree about the part where you can see for miles at a stretch. That is Africa. I remember that well though - lived in Africa for 7 years. Thanks for bringing back some hidden memories.

And yes, I did spot the lone giraffe.

[dhanushmenon]

What an awesome travelogue brother! Wonderful narration and jaw dropping captures. I lapped up each an every snap in that in full earnest. Of course I am jealous and envious; I shamelessly submit.
Mara joins the bucket list. The only problem is that my bucket is only getting deeper and deeper

[arunrajk81]

Great Narration and wonderful pics. Could you please add some info regarding the tour package/Company you choose ?

[Gildarts]

Absolutely delightful photographs and write up. Feeling envious indeed. Hopefully the sanctity of the plains is preserved for future. Going through your travelog made me open up quite a few wikipedia pages to get to know these magnificent animals better.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

You took me there man! I am sitting in office on a lazy Friday afternoon and it was transformed to the Mara.

Thanks, Naveenroy. I totally understand what you mean when you say your office was transformed. I have had the same feeling when I read some of the brilliant travelogues people post here.

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

Mara joins the bucket list. The only problem is that my bucket is only getting deeper and deeper

Thanks, dhanushmenon. I've been reading your superlative travelogue about Kochi to Bhutan. I drive an XUV500 W8 too and a long, long drive like that is in my ever growing bucket list. Hope I get to do it sometime.

Originally Posted by arunrajk81

Could you please add some info regarding the tour package/Company you choose ?

Thanks, arunrajk81. As I mentioned in the first post, I went with a company specialising in wildlife photography tours called Toehold here in Bengaluru. They are also having offices in Pune and Mumbai I think. I chose them because I've been a long time patron and they are probably the best in India at what they do. There are quite a few companies now, organising such tours with varying budgets.

Originally Posted by Gildarts

Going through your travelog made me open up quite a few wikipedia pages to get to know these magnificent animals better.

Thanks, Gildarts. I've also learnt a lot about these beautiful animals from Wikipedia, but you should hear it from the local drivers. They have such a huge store of knowledge and stories.