2019 / 2020 Ontario Council of Camera Clubs - Photo Tours

Kenya & Tanzania Photo Tour - "Photographing the wild side of Africa"

Kenya & Tanzania Photo Tour - Tanzania is recognized, world-wide, for its breathtaking beauty, natural wonders and spectacular wildlife and one of the most popular African countries for travellers from all over the world. Home to Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorogoro Crater, Serengeti, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Arusha National Parks. Tanzania is home to over 350 species of wildlife.

The primary focus of all adventure travel in Kenya is the wildlife, and like Tanzania is one of the finest destinations in the world for Safari’s. Kenya has no single prominent culture that it identifies with. Instead, it consists of various cultures practiced by the countries different communities.

James Cowie

Kenya and Tanzania Photo Tour Itinerary - October 8th to 22th, 2020

Day One: Thursday October 8th, 2020 Our motor coach departs London early Thursday morning for Pearson International airport offer guest pick-ups along the 401 corridor. Guests departing from the Toronto region will meet the group at Pearson International. Our flight departs for Kenya via Addis Ababa at 11:00 a.m.

Day Two: Friday October 9th, 2020 Our flight arrives into Nairobi, Kenya at 10:00 a.m. JAMBO - KARIBU!! (Hello and Welcome). We will meet our guides with a traditional, unique & special welcome with bubbly, hot/cold towels and presentation of authentic safari hat and essentials. We will transfer to our hotel for time to settle in and relax. Lunch/dinner on own arrangements. Overnight Sarova Panafric Hotel. (B)

Day Three: Saturday October 10th, 2020 After breakfast check-out and drive to Masai Mara Game Reserve, we will have a welcome lunch then head out for our afternoon game viewing drive in search of the 'big five’. Masai Mara is the northern most extension of the Serengeti Plains and one of the richest wildlife Game Reserves. It is home to the awesome black-maned lion, the elusive leopard, stately giraffes, vast herds of elephants, rhino, thundering herds of zebra, migrating wildebeest and numerous other plains game. At sunset return to our lodge for dinner and overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge (B)(L)(D)

Day Four: Sunday October 11th, 2020 Masai Mara Game Reserve a full day in Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game viewing drives in search of the 'big five'. Masai Mara is the northern most extension of the Serengeti Plains and one of the richest wildlife Game Reserves. It is home to the awesome black-maned lion, the elusive leopard, stately giraffes, vast herds of elephants, rhino, thundering herds of zebra, migrating wildebeest and numerous other plains game. A sunset return to our lodge for time to relax, dinner and overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge (B)(L)(D)

Day Five: Monday October 12th, 2020 After breakfast another full day at Masai Mara Game Reserve including a visit to a traditional Masai Manyatta. Experience the culture of this world famous community - the Maasai still live as they did for centuries; interact with these nomadic people and experience their way of life as you learn about their customs and traditions. Continue with our afternoon game viewing drive before returning to our lodge for dinner. Optional Dawn Hot Air Balloon Ride over the Masai Mara ending with a champagne breakfast. You may select this option when registering. overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge (B)(L)(D)

Day Six: Tuesday October 13th, 2020 Masai Mara Game Reserve - Serengeti National Park. Up early this morning, breakfast and we have arranged for a picnic lunch to take with us. We will be heading south towards Isebania and Sirare, the border towns of Kenya and Tanzania. After going through the immigration procedures at the border our guide drivers from Tanzania will take over from our guide driver from Maasai Mara we will then proceed to Serengeti National Park. Enroute we will have a brief stop to enjoy our picnic lunch. Continue with game-viewing drive en-route to our lodge check-in in the late evening. Dinner overnight at Serengeti Sopa Lodge (B)(L)(D)

Day Seven: Wednesday October 14th, 2020 Serengeti National Park offers up a beautiful landscape and is home to the black-maned lion, the savannah elephant, cape buffalo, wildebeests, the leopard, cheetah, the spotted & stripped hyena, the rhino, topi, burchelle’s zebra, and Maisi giraffe. One is spoiled by the variety of bird and wildlife species in this reserve.Overnight Serengeti Sopa. (B)(L)(D)

Day Eight: Thursday October 15th, 2020 Serengeti National Park - After breakfast we depart to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, proceeding towards the rim of the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater stopping occasionally to admire and photograph the breath-taking vista unfolding before us. Arrive for check in, after lunch. This afternoon we will have time to relax and enjoy the panoramic views of the crater. The Ngorongoro crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. It has been described as one of the great natural wonders of the world. Eight million years ago, the Ngorongoro Crater was an active volcano but its cone collapsed, forming the crater that is 610 meters deep, 20 kilometres in diameter, and covers an area of 311 sq. km. Spectacular as it is, the crater accounts for just a tenth of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The crater is home to many species of wild game and birds. With the exception of impala and topi (due to fierce competition with the wildebeest) and the giraffe (because there is not much to eat at tree level), almost every species of African plains mammal lives in the crater, including the endangered black rhino, and the densest population of predators in Africa. A strange thing is that the crater elephants are mainly bulls! The birdlife, which includes the flamingo, is mainly seasonal, and is also affected by the ratio of soda to fresh water in Lake Magadi on the crater floor. NOTE: Warm jacket/or sweater is highly recommended as the temperature change in the evenings. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge (B)(L)(D)

Day Nine: Friday October 16th, 2020 Ngorongoro Conservation Area. After breakfast we descend some 600 metres into the crater, which is home to an abundance of wildlife and a photographic paradise, for a full day of game-viewing drive with picnic lunch at a private scenic site. Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact caldera in the world teams with an abundance of wildlife permanently resident on the crater floor. Prides of lions, herds of cape buffalo, impala, Thompson gazelles, rhino, giraffes, golden & black-backed jackal, zebra, cheetah, leopard and the spotted hyena. Unmatched for its natural variety & breath-taking beauty, there are few places on earth where such a tremendous diversity of landscapes exist inside a region this size. Apart from its wildlife, the crater is also of great archaeological importance, with the remains of some of mankind’s earliest ancestors discovered in the area, also a home to hundreds of bird species, refreshing in the small lakes in the crater floor. Return for dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge (B)(L)(D)

Day Ten: Saturday October 17th, 2020 Ngorongoro Conservation Area - Tarangire National Park. After breakfast we will drive to Tarangire National Park; which of all Tanzania parks boasts of the largest number of savannah elephants. Herds of up to 300 elephants scratch the dry Tarangire river bed for underground streams, while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. It's the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem - a smorgasbord for predators – and the one place in Tanzania where dry-country antelope such as the stately fringe-eared oryx and peculiar long-necked gerenuk are regularly observed. The swamps, tinged green year round, are the focus for 550 bird varieties, the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world. On drier ground you may find the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird; the stocking-thighed ostrich, the world's largest bird; and small parties of ground hornbills blustering like turkeys. Other birds include the yellow-collared lovebird, drabber rufous-tailed weaver and the ashy starling – all endemic to the dry savannah of north-central Tanzania. Tarangire's lions climb trees, lounging in the branches where the fruit of the sausage tree disguises the twitch of a tail. Lunch followed by afternoon game drive in this area dotted with majestic baobab trees, the eland antelopes are among other game we will be photographing during todays game drive. Dinner and overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge (B)(L)(D)

Day Eleven: Sunday October 18th, 2020 Tarangire National Park - Amboseli National Park. A full day at Tarangire national park. Get ready to explore the undiscovered Africa. After breakfast, we set out for our morning game viewing drive and look out for the wonderful game including elephants (the largest population in Tanzania), lions, 550 species of birds, tree climbing pythons among other animals. Lunch will be in a cool picnic site, then later carry on with our game drive. We’ll return to our lodge in the evening for dinner. Overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge (B)(L)(D)

Day Twelve: Monday October 19th, 2020 Tarangire National Park - Amboseli National Park an early breakfast we depart towards Namanga (the border town between Kenya and Tanzania). After clearing the immigration formalities, we’ll continue our journey to Amboseli National Park, which provides the classic Hollywood image of Africa. Set in rolling savannah scenery, it is dwarfed by the presence of the pink-tinged, snowcapped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing volcanic mountain in the world and topped by one fifth of all the ice in Africa. Against this magnificent backdrop roam vast herds of 'giant' elephants accompanied by a kaleidoscope of other fabulous beasts - lion, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, baboon, gazelle hippo and wildebeest. Amboseli National Park is also an ornithological paradise with over 400 species of birds, all manner of reptilian, flora and fauna and some of the most soul-searing views in Africa. Arrive at our lodge for check in and lunch. Enjoy an afternoon game viewing drive in search of the 'big five' among other animals. Here breath-taking scenery - one of the best places for a photographic view of Mount Kilimanjaro; weather permitting is next to none. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge (B)(L)(D)

Day Thirteen: Tuesday October 20th, 2020 Amboseli National Park and begin our return drive to Nairobi. Once we have checked into the Sarova Panafric Hotel, lunch will be on your own. We will have some time this afternoon to relax and prepare for our journey home. Overnight Sarova Panafric Hotel (B)

Day Fourteen : Wednesday October 21st, 2020 Nairobi - Breakfast at our hotel then we will drive 8 KM’s out of the city to the Daphne Sheldrick Baby Elephant Orphanage. This will give us an opportunity to get up-close to these amazing animals. They vary in age from a few months old to 3 years old. Each orphaned elephant is assigned its own keeper, who acts as it’s mother and will stay with the elephant until it is re-introduced into the wild. We will also visit the Karen Blixen Centre at the foot of the Ngong Hills. This was the home of Karen Blixen who wrote Out of Africa. We will then visit the Giraffe Centre, were we will be able to see a herd of Rothschild’s Giraffe which are endangered species. Over the years the Rothschild Giraffe has been bred at the centre and released back into the wild. Some great up-close photo opportunities here. Later this afternoon we will transfer to the airport for our 7:15 p.m. return flight to Toronto. (B)

Day Fifteen: Thursday October 22nd, 2020 Arriving into Pearson International airport in Toronto 8:25 a.m. After clearing customs we will say farewell to our Toronto guests, then board our motor coach for the return drive along the 401 corridor, with any drop off points previously arranged. Arriving in London at approximately 12:00 noon in London at Staybridge Suites.

Kenya and Tanzania offer up some of the most spectacular photo opportunities African landscape has to offer. The temperatures in Kenya remain fairly constant year round with an average daily temperature of 25 C to 27 C with slightly cooler temperatures on the coast. Tanzania is very similar in temperature with the crater region getting cooler in the evenings. October sees very little rain.

The cost of our Kenya and Tanzania Photo Tour is $8,340.00 per person CAD based on double occupancy including air via Ethiopian Airlines, plus air taxes of $880.86 CAD and $16.77 HST. Single supplement is available for an additional $1175.00 CAD.

Your tour includes:

- Round trip motor coach via Cherrey Coach Lines to Pearson Airport, Toronto,
- Departures from London & Woodstock, other pick up points please inquire,
- Round Trip Airfare via Ethiopian Airlines,
- All airport and hotel transfers,
- Accommodations and meals during our tour, as specified in our itinerary,
- Private meet and greet in Jomo Kenyatta with traditional welcome,
- Private 4x4 safari land cruisers with guaranteed window seats for our photographers,
- All games drives as per itinerary,
- Lunch at Carnivore restaurant, 1 full day crater visit,
- Park entry fees,
- Unlimited bottled water supplied in your safari vehicle during game drives and transfers,
- Flying Doctor Medical Evacuation Services while in East Africa (does not cover Drs. fees, hospitalization, drugs, consultants fee, etc.)
- Tour hosted and escorted by photographer James Cowie
Excludes:
Alcoholic beverages, laundry and tips.
Tourist Visa Fees (we will assist with applications and processing)
Optional Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride and Champagne Breakfast (choose at signup)

A non refundable deposit of $775.00 CAD is required at time of booking. You may select one of two payment options, balance 60 days prior to departure or divide into 3 three equal payments. We recommend the purchase of travel and health insurance as this tour takes us out of the country.

Click here to register for Kenya and Tanzania Tour

If you have any other questions or require booking assistance please contact:

James Cowie at Photo Tour Trekkers / Tourcan Vacations

1-800-263-2995 ext 2688 or 416-391-0334 ext 2688

or by email james@tourcanvacations.com

Ofelia Cruz at Photo Tour Trekkers / Tourcan Vacations

1-800-263-2995 ext 2672 or 416-391-0334 ext 2672

or by email ofelia@tourcanvacations.com

Tourcan Vacations / Photo Tour Trekkers

245 Fairview Mall Drive, Suite 203

Toronto, Ont. M2J 4T1

www.Tourcanvacations.com

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