We were delighted to the response to the safaris we hosted in 2009 - we will be repeating our two photographic workshops in the Mara in 2011 and also will be doing another Tigers and Temples safari to India in 2011- we would love to hear from anyone interested in traveling with us to these two destinations - the numbers are kept small on these trips and fill fast so do let us know.

MASAI MARA SAFARIS
FEBURARY & OCTOBER 2011

For the third year running we are delighted to be able to offer two week-long safaris to the Masai Mara in Kenya in association with Rekero Camp, one of our favourite locations in the Mara. The two trips will run from the 13 to 20 February 2011 and from the 10 to 17 October 2011. Rekero is situated on the Talek River inside the Game Reserve and is a prime leopard location and one of the places where we film Big Cat Diary. It is also within easy reach of the Marsh Pride of lions, is an excellent area for cheetahs as well as having its own lion pride. February is not the time when the wildebeest migration is in the Mara - not the Serengeti migration at least, but we still often have wildebeest and zebras in and around the Reserve. These animals are part of Kenya's Loita Plains population. February is normally a beautiful time of the year to be in the Mara and the landscape generally looks greener than later in the year. This is a great time to be on safari as the grass is not too long making it easier to find big cats. If you specifically wanted to see the migration and the chance of photographing river crossings then the October trip would be the safari to select, though the Reserve may be more crowded than in February.
 
Our safaris are open to everyone - but if you are interested in photography then of course this will be a great opportunity to hone your camera skills as both Angie and I are professional photographers and part of the Canon Ambassadors Programme (but you don't have to have a Canon camera to join us!!). Our good friend Warren Samuels will be with us again - he our specialist wildlife cameraman on the cheetah team for Big Cat Diary and is currently filming with me on our new television series for the BBC called Lions: The Truth which will be on air early next year. With Warren accompanying us this is your chance to improve your video skills with one of the best wildlife cameramen in the world. Warren is also a first class guide and was the Head Game Ranger at Londolozi Private Game Reserve in South Africa for a number of years though his home is Kenya. The three of us will be giving workshops on various aspects of photography and will be available for one-on-one critiques of your work - though I think you will find that most of the time you will want to be out in the field with the animals!
 
I hope this gives you some background information on what to expect. Rekero is a very comfortable camp and the food is excellent – no chance of dieting on this trip. We are hoping to have 16 people join us for each safari which will ensure that we will have exclusive use of the camp, with 4 visitors per vehicle. The response to these trips in the past has been wonderful and they are normally oversubscribed – so if you are interested don't hesitate to let us know early.
 
Please fell free to contact us - or Chris Flatt at Bush and Beyond who is co-ordinating the trip for us and is our point of contact for bookings.
 
We look forward to welcoming you to the Mara.

Best regards,
 Jonathan and Angie Scott