AMG.
Staff Emeritus
- 3,116
- NL, Leiden
- GTP_AMG
My earliest childhood memories (that I can recall) lie in Kenya. I revisited this lovely country in 1991 but wasnt really in to photography at the time. In Oct 2007 I went back for a week of photography.
I joined a group of 15 other photo enthusiasts and I first met them in the arrivals area at Jomo Kenyatta Intl airport. We left Amsterdam in the morning and arrived in Kenya around 19:00 hrs, an 8 hour flight.
An hour or so later, it was pitch black by then, we were taken to Karen Blixens lodge in Nairobi for an overnight stay. There was cricket match on TV so all of Nairobis expats were in the bar. We tried to get a drink before turning in early but that turned out to be quite a challenge.
The following morning, after a nice but served late
breakfast, we were taken to Wilson (domestic) airport for our transfer to the Masai Mara Nat. Reserve. The journey to Wilson took about half an hour and to my surprise we drove by the primary school I attended as a young boy.
The flight to the Masai Mara took half an hour. From there it was a 5 minute drive to Mara Intrepids camp. Max luggage allowance was 15kgs.
My equipment itself already measured 12kgs. Luckily no-one weighed our luggage.
Mara Intrepids camp:
http://lodges.safari.co.za/Premier_Safari_Lodges-travel/safari-lodge-mara-intrepids-lodge.html
This is quite a luxury (all inclusive except drinks) tented camp. The afternoon took us on our first game drive. Four landrovers & drivers. Each vehicle carried 4 persons, 3 photographers, each having a chair at both sides of the vehicle at their disposal and the fourth, non-photographer, sat next to the driver.
This allowed the shooters maximum access to take pics.
Game drives were scheduled for every morning (06:15 - 10:30) and afternoon (15:15 - 18:15). Every day early rising at 05:30 or so followed by a mug of coffee and a few biscuits. Breakfast at the camp ended by 10:00 so we always had a boxed breakfast with us instead so as to maximise our photography time.
Whilst we were there some of us also took the liberty of booking a champagne breakfast balloon trip. Id always wanted to do a balloon trip so I got myself on it too. It was quite commercial though so I dont think Id recommend it. A visit to a nearby Maasai village I let pass. Judging the pictures from those who went, darn I should have gone too.
Previous experience at a Maasai village (1991 - very commercial) had left a bad taste in my mouth.
Our main goal to visit the Mara was to watch the yearly crossing of the Mara river. This annual event takes place somewhere between as early as July and as late as October. The big herds of Wildebeest and zebras (etc.) consume large amounts of grass. This forces them to lead a nomadic existence. They will cross the Mara river to get to greener pastures and this event is a spectacle I had to see with my own eyes. October was late this instance but I did witness two crossings on different days involving hundreds of wildebeest and zebras.
Witnessing such a crossing requires a bit of luck. First of all the animals need to be close to the river and then it takes courage to make the crossing. On both occasions we were waiting for over two hours before one animal took the lead and plunged in to the river. All vehicles are required to keep a big distance from the gathering herds so as not to spook them. Of course theres the odd idiot tourist in their own (hire) car that doesnt obey this rule and scares them off.
Once the crossing actually takes place you are allowed to approach closer.
Our drivers were very knowledgeable
and also knew exactly how to position the car so as to maximise our picture taking opportunities. 
They would park the car square to the action. Other drivers we witnessed would always have the front of the car closest to the action, leaving the best seat for viewing the drivers seat.
Other spectacles we witnessed were seeing a leopard, a cheetah chase and subsequent kill and a pair of lions enjoying Zebra dinner. Its rare to see mating lions but apparently this was the right season to watch this. To be honest after witnessing it three times we told our driver to skip this event on the next (numerous) occasions.
I did also see one Zebra couple mating too!
After all these game drives we returned to Nairobi late in the morning. We had a day room available to us at Karen Blixen lodge and we left Nairobi for Amsterdam in the late evening. We arrived in the early morning and boy did I have to get used to the temperature again
For this trip I had calculated Id need 3 rolls of slide film per day and I had a backup digital camera with me with 6Gb storage. Boy was I wrong. The slide film had to be rationed and I quickly ran out of digital space too. Thankfully I was able to borrow a 4Gb CF card. I had not expected to take 1646 pics. On my next trip I will be bringing along a laptop to transfer and empty my CF cards every day.
It has taken me a couple of weeks to sort through these an catalogue them.
Equipment used: Canon 1Vhs (analog) with 170-500mm lens. Canon 1D Mk II (digital) with 140-400mm (x 1.3). A small pocket Sony cybershot for candids and recording small 15-30 sec. movies.
More Kenya safari pictures can be found on page 2 of my website http://robpelle.nl.
I would appreciate it if you would not ask for wallpapers.
AMG.
I joined a group of 15 other photo enthusiasts and I first met them in the arrivals area at Jomo Kenyatta Intl airport. We left Amsterdam in the morning and arrived in Kenya around 19:00 hrs, an 8 hour flight.
An hour or so later, it was pitch black by then, we were taken to Karen Blixens lodge in Nairobi for an overnight stay. There was cricket match on TV so all of Nairobis expats were in the bar. We tried to get a drink before turning in early but that turned out to be quite a challenge.
The following morning, after a nice but served late
breakfast, we were taken to Wilson (domestic) airport for our transfer to the Masai Mara Nat. Reserve. The journey to Wilson took about half an hour and to my surprise we drove by the primary school I attended as a young boy.The flight to the Masai Mara took half an hour. From there it was a 5 minute drive to Mara Intrepids camp. Max luggage allowance was 15kgs.
My equipment itself already measured 12kgs. Luckily no-one weighed our luggage.Mara Intrepids camp:
http://lodges.safari.co.za/Premier_Safari_Lodges-travel/safari-lodge-mara-intrepids-lodge.html
This is quite a luxury (all inclusive except drinks) tented camp. The afternoon took us on our first game drive. Four landrovers & drivers. Each vehicle carried 4 persons, 3 photographers, each having a chair at both sides of the vehicle at their disposal and the fourth, non-photographer, sat next to the driver.
This allowed the shooters maximum access to take pics.
Game drives were scheduled for every morning (06:15 - 10:30) and afternoon (15:15 - 18:15). Every day early rising at 05:30 or so followed by a mug of coffee and a few biscuits. Breakfast at the camp ended by 10:00 so we always had a boxed breakfast with us instead so as to maximise our photography time.
Whilst we were there some of us also took the liberty of booking a champagne breakfast balloon trip. Id always wanted to do a balloon trip so I got myself on it too. It was quite commercial though so I dont think Id recommend it. A visit to a nearby Maasai village I let pass. Judging the pictures from those who went, darn I should have gone too.
Previous experience at a Maasai village (1991 - very commercial) had left a bad taste in my mouth. Our main goal to visit the Mara was to watch the yearly crossing of the Mara river. This annual event takes place somewhere between as early as July and as late as October. The big herds of Wildebeest and zebras (etc.) consume large amounts of grass. This forces them to lead a nomadic existence. They will cross the Mara river to get to greener pastures and this event is a spectacle I had to see with my own eyes. October was late this instance but I did witness two crossings on different days involving hundreds of wildebeest and zebras.
Witnessing such a crossing requires a bit of luck. First of all the animals need to be close to the river and then it takes courage to make the crossing. On both occasions we were waiting for over two hours before one animal took the lead and plunged in to the river. All vehicles are required to keep a big distance from the gathering herds so as not to spook them. Of course theres the odd idiot tourist in their own (hire) car that doesnt obey this rule and scares them off.
Once the crossing actually takes place you are allowed to approach closer.Our drivers were very knowledgeable
and also knew exactly how to position the car so as to maximise our picture taking opportunities. They would park the car square to the action. Other drivers we witnessed would always have the front of the car closest to the action, leaving the best seat for viewing the drivers seat. Other spectacles we witnessed were seeing a leopard, a cheetah chase and subsequent kill and a pair of lions enjoying Zebra dinner. Its rare to see mating lions but apparently this was the right season to watch this. To be honest after witnessing it three times we told our driver to skip this event on the next (numerous) occasions.
I did also see one Zebra couple mating too!
After all these game drives we returned to Nairobi late in the morning. We had a day room available to us at Karen Blixen lodge and we left Nairobi for Amsterdam in the late evening. We arrived in the early morning and boy did I have to get used to the temperature again
For this trip I had calculated Id need 3 rolls of slide film per day and I had a backup digital camera with me with 6Gb storage. Boy was I wrong. The slide film had to be rationed and I quickly ran out of digital space too. Thankfully I was able to borrow a 4Gb CF card. I had not expected to take 1646 pics. On my next trip I will be bringing along a laptop to transfer and empty my CF cards every day.
It has taken me a couple of weeks to sort through these an catalogue them.
Equipment used: Canon 1Vhs (analog) with 170-500mm lens. Canon 1D Mk II (digital) with 140-400mm (x 1.3). A small pocket Sony cybershot for candids and recording small 15-30 sec. movies.
More Kenya safari pictures can be found on page 2 of my website http://robpelle.nl.
I would appreciate it if you would not ask for wallpapers.
AMG.
), but I am a bit curious as you mentioned your first childhood memories were actually in Kenya? I assume that your parents must have been doing some type of work down there?
)
