August 2015 Barry & Cathy Beck Photographic Safari to East Africa

East Africa Photographic Safari

A private Frontiers departure Escorted by Barry & Cathy Beck August 4 - 16, 2015

Tuesday, August 4th Arrive Nairobi

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our local representative and privately transferred by road to Palacina Suites. Relax and enjoy your one night stay in Nairobi. Accommodation is on a Bed & Breakfast basis.

Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, offers bustling markets, an interesting history and numerous attractions. Named after a Maasai watering hole, “enkare nyarobi,” which means “place of cool waters,” Nairobi is known for its leafy streets and parks. The skyline, with towering skyscrapers and imposing architecture, also draws the attention of every arrival to the city. Not-to-bemissed is a visit to the city’s beautiful Uhuru Park.

The elegant Palacina Suites is tucked away in the tranquil gardens of the State House Valley within the vibrant city of Nairobi. The suites include a comfortable sitting room, lovely ensuite bathroom and private balcony.

Guests can enjoy delicious Kenyan fare at the award-winning Moonflower Restaurant, indulge in refreshing drinks and delicious tapas-style dishes at the Moonflower Bar or delight in hearty breakfasts on the terrace of the cheerful Breakfast Room. The Palacina also boasts a well-equipped fitness room, charming spa room and sparkling swimming pool.

Palacina Suites at a glance . . .

The Moonflower Restaurant has some of the finest Kenyan cuisine.

Spoil yourself with a bottle of bubbly and unwind in your private jacuzzi tub.

Indulge in a soul-soothing treatment in the spa room.

Meaning “head of the elephant” in Kiswahili, Kichwa Tembo is located on private land leased from Maasai landlords in the remote western Mara – almost exclusively explored by fly-in guests. In addition to the excellent concentration of animals, Kichwa Tembo lies directly in the path of Africa’s spectacular Great Migration.

Wednesday - Friday, August 5th - 7th &Beyond Kichwa Tembo Masai Mara Tented Camp

You will be met at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and driven to Manyara Airstrip (drive time is approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes) for your Tanganyika Flying Company flight departing at 12:15 PM and arriving at Kilimanjaro Airport at 12:40 PM. Here you will connect with your SafariLink Aviation flight at 1:50 PM, arriving at Wilson Airport at 2:45 PM where you will connect onwards with your SafariLink flight at 3:15 PM. At 4:15 PM you will arrive at Kichwa Airstrip.

You will be met on arrival at the airstrip and driven with fellow guests to &Beyond Kichwa Tembo Masai Mara Tented Camp. Experience 3 nights at &Beyond Kichwa Tembo Masai Mara Tented Camp in a luxury safari tent with ensuite bathroom (shower only). Your stay includes accommodation, three meals daily, bottled water, teas and coffees, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, two scheduled game drives per day, transfers to & from Kichwa Tembo airstrip and emergency medical evacuation insurance. &Beyond Kichwa Tembo Masai Mara Tented Camp is known as Kenya’s best loved safari camp. Forty spacious Hemingway-style safari tents (28 classic safari tents and 12 luxury tents) with ensuite bathrooms and private verandas afford views over either the magnificent grasslands or the Sabaringo River.

There is a generously-sized swimming pool from which guests can watch game while cooling off. Guest areas include a bar and dining room, and a wellstocked Safari Shop. Kichwa Tembo is renowned for its gracious teams of Kenyan staff whose warm welcome, charming service and effortless energy delight guests from all over the world.

Buffet tables groaning with delicious Pan African dishes and salads freshly picked from the camp’s shamba (traditional vegetable garden) greet guests at every meal. Blessed with an astounding year-round concentration of animals and the climax of the Great Migration, Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve provides an unsurpassed wildlife experience. Covering an area of 585 square miles, the Masai Mara is a land of breathtaking vistas, abundant wildlife and endless plains. The reserve is a photographer’s and naturalist’s paradise with abundant elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion and cheetah along with the migratory wildebeest and zebra.

Leopards are frequently encountered, endangered black rhino find retreat in dense thickets, and large rafts of hippo and enormous crocodiles are found in the Mara River. The Mara is also home to over 450 bird species. Situated in the &Beyond Kichwa Tembo Private Concession, which neighbors the Masai Mara, &Beyond Kichwa Tembo Masai Mara Tented Camp offers world-class accommodation in the African bush.

&Beyond Kichwa Tembo Masai Mara Tented Camp at a glance . . .

Fresh foods! All vegetables and herbs are plucked straight from the lodge’s magnificent organic, vegetable garden – literally a few hours before lunch and dinner are prepared (provided the elephants haven’t gotten there first)!

After an exhilarating day of game viewing, ask your hosts to serve your dinner on the lawns and unwind under a star-strewn sky.

Join a Maasai warrior under a tree and listen to his mesmerizing stories of the Maasai culture. You will have the option of participating in a hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara at an additional cost of $480.00 per person.

Saturday - Monday, August 8th - 10th You will be transferred to the airstrip for the SafariLink Aviation flight departing at 11:30 AM to Migori Airstrip (flight duration is approximately 30 minutes). You will be met and transferred by road to Tarime Airstrip (drive time is approximately 1 hour). En route to Tarime, a stop for clearing customs and immigration services will occur. Upon arrival of Tarime Airstrip, depart on your Coastal Aviation flight at 1:50 PM to Kogatende Airstrip.

Upon arrival of Kogatende Airstrip at 2:45 PM, you will be met and escorted to camp.

Experience 3 nights at &Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas in a Bedouin style tent with ensuite bathroom and outside bucket shower. Your stay includes three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, scheduled safari activities, refreshments on game drives and laundry. &Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas reaches far beyond the bounds of the traditional Tanzanian safari – the luxurious tented, seasonal camps move around the Serengeti year round, bringing guests within range of the Great Migration. When the Migration crosses over into Kenya, the camps remain in the remote, beautiful corners of the Serengeti, renowned for excellent resident game. The two intimate camps feature just eight ensuite safari tents each, carefully positioned in exclusive semi-permanent campsites in the Serengeti National Park.

Booked on a nightly basis, each luxury ensuite mobile tent boasts a comfortable double bed, ensuite bathroom, separate water closet and bucket shower – this is the ultimate in luxury camping. The guest areas comprise comfortable tents for dining, meeting for a pre-dinner drink, or just for whiling the time away between safaris – complete with private butler service, delicious homebaked meals, and traditional bush dinners served under the stars.

Famed for its vast treeless grasslands and excellent wildlife sightings, the endless open plains of Tanzania’s magnificent Serengeti National Park boast 35 species of plains-dwelling game and prolific birdlife. The annual movement of wildebeest and other herbivores across East Africa’s Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is one of the greatest spectacles in the natural world. Over two million animals participate in this great migration, with some 200,000 zebra ahead of and 500,000 Thomson’s gazelle behind the main players – one and a half million wildebeest. The wildebeest spend the wet season on the south eastern Tanzanian plains and the Serengeti’s dry season on the plains of Kenya’s Masai Mara. The &Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas camps follow the Great Migration, bringing guests as close as possible to all the action. &Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas at a glance . . .

Have a private dinner in your tent — the peace of the Serengeti can’t be beaten!

Ask your ranger to tell you a local story around the camp fire — he’ll have you spellbound.

Tuesday - Wednesday, August 11th - 12th

You will be transferred to the airstrip for your Tanganyika Flying Company flight departing at 10:30 AM, arriving Manyara Airstrip at 12:15 PM. You will be met and driven with fellow guests to Lake Manyara Tree Lodge (drive time is approximately 3 hours, 30 minutes with a game drive enroute).

Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania offers a wilderness experience in diverse habitats, from its Rift Valley soda lake to dense woodlands and steep mountainsides. Here, the Great Rift Valley is at its most impressive, with the escarpment dropping some 1500 feet down to the lakeshore.

Put your feet up at &Beyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge for 2 nights in an elegant stilted treehouse with an ensuite bathroom (including bath and outdoor shower) and a viewing deck. Your stay includes three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, scheduled safari activities, refreshments on game drives and laundry.

Apart from a spectacular setting, the park is famous for its unusual tree-climbing lions and the vast elephant herds it was established to protect.

Set in the heart of a mahogany forest, &Beyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is the only lodge in Lake Manyara National Park. The Lodge, which was designed to exert minimal impact on the environment, is situated in the remote southwestern region of the Park. Cradled in the boughs of ancient mahogany trees, ten stilted treehouse suites are a sophisticated blend of intimacy and romance, offering privacy and exclusivity.

Each treehouse suite features generous decks suspended above the forest floor and large windows to invite the lush forest inside. The bathrooms have freestanding baths with a forest view and an outdoor shower.

Overlooking a forest boma (outdoor dining area), guest areas are characterized by soaring spaces.

An interactive kitchen allows guests to observe the preparation of delicious Pan African food that is enjoyed in the boma, on dining decks or on private viewing decks. Breakfasts and picnics are also served on the lakeshore.

The shores of the lake, encrusted with pink flamingo, attract more than 400 species of birds, many of them waterfowl or migrants. Large herds of buffalo, cheetah, Masai giraffe and impala roam the lake shores and the forested valley slopes.

Troops of several hundred olive baboons appear alongside Sykes monkey and short-eared galago.

Cape clawless otter, Egyptian mongoose, hippo and klipspringer are other park residents. &Beyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge at a glance...

Before entering Lake Manyara National Park, be sure to stop at the Rift Valley viewpoint. Here, you can enjoy a picture-perfect view of Lake Manyara and the surrounding escarpment.

Ask your guide to take you to the Maji Moto springs (Maji Moto means ‘hot water’ in Kiswahili). These hot water springs are a unique geological feature found nowhere else in Tanzania, and it is said that the water will boil an egg in 30 minutes!

Spend some quality time with a Maasai warrior who will teach you how to build a fire using two sticks, and challenge you to a jumping and spear throwing competition!

You will be met at Lake Manyara Tree Lodge and driven with fellow guests to Manyara Airstrip (approx. 3 hours, 30 minute road transfer), where you will transfer vehicles and drive with fellow guests to the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (approx. 1 hour, 30 minute road transfer).

This evening enjoy sundowner cocktails and delicious snacks while being treated to an awe-inspiring view of the Ngorongoro Crater on the one side and the Serengeti plains on the other. Twenty Maasai warriors will be entertaining guests.

Perched on the edge of the crater rim, &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge’s sumptuous safari suites present breathtaking views onto the crater floor. Inspired in design by the Maasai mud and stick manyatta (homestead), this is without doubt one of the most architecturally spectacular safari lodges in Africa.

Three separate and intimate camps are reminiscent of a bygone era totaling just 30 suites in all. Steeped in romance, each stilted, handcrafted mud and thatch suite is adorned with graceful antiques and grand chandeliers.

The bedroom, sitting room and ensuite bathroom boast floor-to-ceiling glass windows, overlooking the magnificent Crater below. Ensuite bathrooms, with a centerpiece of red roses, feature huge showers and chandelier-lit bathtubs. Personal butlers discreetly tend to guests’ every need, bringing tea in bed, stoking fireplaces and drawing luxurious baths. Described

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge at a glance . . .

Spend an afternoon learning how to create beautiful Maasai beadwork with Papai, one of our Maasai Mamas.

Witness the resident zebra drinking from the water tap outside of the Safari Shop – they have taught themselves to open the tap independently!

You absolutely have to try the Lodge’s famous fudge (their chefs will share the recipe if you like!).

Thursday - August 13th

Indulge at &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge for 2 nights in a suite with ensuite bathroom (including bath and shower). Your stay includes three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, scheduled safari activities, refreshments on game drives and laundry.

as “Maasai meets Versailles,” each camp has its own guest sitting and dining areas and viewing decks. The domed dining room, with its grand fireplace, turns every meal into a special occasion.

Friday - August 14th The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest intact caldera. This magnificent natural feature shelters one of Africa’s most beautiful wildlife havens.

A permanent population of more than 30,000 animals inhabit a mere 100 square miles in the 2,000-foot deep crater, making this one of the few places in Africa where guests stand a great chance of seeing the entire Big Five in the course of a single game drive.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) and UNESCO World Heritage Site is an extensive highland area along the eastern arm of the Rift Valley, with the world-renowned Ngorongoro Crater as its focal point.

It is not a national park in the strict sense of the word, but the NCA Authority does serve wildlife and natural resource conservation.

It also safeguards the interests of indigenous people and promotes tourism. Thus, guests on safari have the unique opportunity to see Maasai herdsmen and their cattle, which graze side by side with the area’s tremendous variety of wildlife.

The NCA is not just unmatched for its wildlife diversity and numbers, it is also of great archaeological importance, with the remains of some of mankind’s earliest ancestors having been discovered here.

After an early morning game drive, guests arrive at this exclusive site and are treated to a delicious lunch prepared on the spot by expert chefs. This is sheer decadence on the Crater floor: a grand dining table is set up in the most scenic of spots, amid a striking fever tree forest and under the blue African sky.

This lunch is complete with elegant chair covers, white tablecloth, crystal glasses, long-stemmed red roses, and a team of butlers to offer world-class service.

Saturday - Sunday, August 15th - 16th

You will be met at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and driven to Manyara Airstrip (drive time is approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes) for your Tanganyika Flying Company flight departing at 12:30 PM and arriving Kilimanjaro Airport at 1:35 PM. Connect with your SafariLink Aviation flight at 1:35 PM to Wilson Airport. Upon arrival of Wilson Airport at 2:45 PM, you will be met by our local representative and driven to the Palacina for an evening of relaxation.

Accommodations will be reserved on your behalf for 1 night at the Palacina Suites. Your stay includes bed and breakfast.

On Sunday, August 16th, at the appropriate time, you will be escorted to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, arriving in time to check-in for your international flight back home.

Palacina Suites at a glance . . .

The Moonflower Restaurant has some of the finest Kenyan cuisine.

Spoil yourself with a bottle of bubbly and unwind in your private jacuzzi tub.

Indulge in a soul-soothing treatment in the spa room.

Cost, Inclusions and Exclusions $15,535.00 per person based on double occupancy accommodation $

480.00 per person for hot air ballooning in the Masai Mara (Optional)

Rates and flight times are based on a party of 12 and subject to change and currency fluctuation for 2015.

Cost Includes Accommodation, Meals, drinks and laundry as specified in the itinerary, Emergency medical evacuation insurance, Flights as specified in the itinerary, Domestic & international departure tax, fuel and safety levies from airports and airstrips unless otherwise stipulated, Scheduled & private transfers as specified in the itinerary, Scheduled game viewing activities as specified in the itinerary, National parks and concession fees, Personalized Travel Journal.

Cost Excludes Meals, drinks and laundry not specified in the itinerary.

Premium brand drinks, champagne, cognacs, cellar, wines, cigars and cigarettes, Gratuities and any items of a personal nature, Sightseeing and excursions not specified in the itinerary, Flights and transfers not specified in the itinerary, National parks and concession fees not specified in the itinerary, Visa fees.

Visas Visas are required for entry into Kenya and Tanzania.

Health Information Tanzania and Kenya fall into the Yellow Fever region in Africa. It is imperative for all travelers to obtain a Yellow Fever vaccination no less than 10 days prior to travel. Your country of origin and other African countries like South Africa will also deny re-entry without the vaccination after having visited a country with Yellow Fever. Please obtain your vaccination prior to travel.

Baggage For East Africa, baggage allowance on all flights is restricted to 15 kg (33 pounds) per person in a soft bag. This weight allowance includes hand luggage. Any excess luggage may incur additional cost which must be settled direct.

Travel Insurance Please note that the emergency evacuation policy is valid for any person under 83 years of age. For travelers between 81 and 83 years, please note that a medical certificate is required. Please advise in advance in order to arrange coverage, subject to insurer’s approval. Travelers 83 years and older will need to arrange their own comprehensive travel insurance.

Deposit, Cancellation & Refund A 20 percent deposit is required to confirm a reservation. An additional 30 percent deposit will be due one year prior to departure. Final payment is due 90 days in advance of trip.

Cancellations received 120 days or more prior to departure will be subject to a 40 percent penalty. Cancellations received 90 days—60 days prior to departure will forfeit 60 percent of the tour cost; less than 60 days prior to departure will forfeit 100 percent of the tour cost.

About Barry & Cathy Beck Longtime Frontiers trip hosts and photographers, the Becks travel far and wide to follow their love for flyfishing and nature photography. Based in Pennsylvania, Barry and Cathy write books, lead African photo safaris, and operate a stock photography business.

The Becks are well-known in the fishing, photography, and travel industries, and possess a stellar reputation for their skill, knowledge, and expertise born out of a 20 year career.

Their many books include The Outdoor Photographer’s Handbook, Fly-Fishing the Flats, and Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon Fly Fishing Guide.