ON SAFARI WITH GARY KNIGHT & GUILLAUME BONN with Nigel Archer
Gary Knight & GUILLAUME BONN offer an exquisite one week guided Safari in Kenya's Masai Mara blending the ultimate in luxury safari and photography.
A unique blend of luxury tented Safari, learning photography with two of the worlds leading photographers, and an epic vacation. Our Safari is based in a private tented camp built especially for us. This is luxury fly camping in the manner of the very earliest Safaris and located in the best position to view wildlife. The camp will be erected a few days before we arrive and removed when we depart, leaving the natural environment intact. Designed from decades of experience the camp by Nigel Archer Safaris provides the ultimate in luxurious exclusivity whilst allowing for an intimate wildlife experience. A full crew of exceptional safari staff are there to look after your every need. Whether it is preparing a beautifully laid dinner under the stars or a hot shower upon return from your afternoon’s adventures.
Schedule
Day 1: 5th November. Arrive at Kenyatta Airport and transfer to the legendary Fairview Hotel in Nairobi. Rendezvous at dinner where we will all meet and introduce ourselves.
Day 2: 6th November. A day in Nairobi. Taking advantage of our connections in the Kenyan community we will provide a flexible itinerary for you to visit art galleries, outfitters and designers, museums and some of the more interesting local cultural attractions including Karen Blixen's museum. We have strong connections with local NGO's who work with under privileged communities in the city who can introduce you to a world you are unlikely to find by yourself. You can also sit by the pool and relax if you don't want to stray too far. At midday heavy bags (over 15kg) will be collected by our vehicle for road transport to the Masai Mara.
Day 3: 7th November. Early morning transfer from the Hotel to Wilson Airport for a one hour chartered flight to our camp in the Masai Mara. Settle into your tents and reunite with your heavy bags, introduction from the guides, lunch and embark on our first afternoon game drive. Return to camp to download your files, edit and critique your images and study camera technique with Gary and Guillaume, or just relax and dine.
Day 4, 5, 6, and 7: 8th to 11th November. Morning game drives at daybreak. We will have a light breakfast in the field and continue the game drive until lunch. The afternoon game drive will depart after 3.00 returning at sunset at about 6:00. During the game drive you will be able to work on your wildlife, nature and landscape photography, or a more documentary orientated Safari photography. Return to camp where you can download your files, edit and critique your images and study landscape, portraiture and documentary photography technique with Gary and Guillaume. If you prefer you can just sit by the fireside, chat, relax and dine.
In addition to the game drives Gary will set up a unique 'bush photography studio' so you can practice portraiture - of our Masai guides or of each other - and studio still life photography in the camp. Every evening we will project a classic Safari movie or documentary in the mess tent for those who wish to indulge.
Day 8: 12th November. Aerial Photography. After breakfast and a briefing on aerial photography you will leave the camp by helicopter for a sensational full day of aerial safari over the Masai Mara. You will cross to the epic Great Rift Valley, fly to the waterfalls of the Ewaso Nyiro River, then fly across the Nguruman escarpment and back to Wilson Airport in Nairobi where you will transfer to your onward flight or hotel.
The Safari fee is $12,400
The fee includes
- Two nights at the Fairview Hotel in Nairobi on arrival.
- Flights to and from the Masai Mara from Wilson airport
- All airport transfers
- Ground transportation of luggage
- Accommodation and all meals at the Camp
- Hire of vehicles and guides for game drives and park fees
- Helicopter for aerial photography on day 8
- Photography fees
The fee does not include
- International flights
- Kenyan visa
- Travel or medical insurance
- Meals and drinks at the Fairview Hotel in Nairobi
- Tips and gratuities for camp staff and guides
Fee is per person in a shared tent with one other person. A single supplement option is available at $1000 extra per person. A deposit of $3000 is required at the time of booking, with the balance due by September 1st.
We can accommodate up to 10 guests. The minimum number of guests to conduct this workshop is 8.
Contact: gmk@garyknight.org
Guillaume Bonn
Bonn is the third generation of his family born in Africa and is a long time habituè of the Masai Mara where he has guided several photographic safaris over the last decade. He is the author of two photography monographs on the continent, Mosquito Coast published in 2015 and Le Mal d’Afrique: A Journey into Old and New Africa. Bonn was nominated for the prestigious Prix Pictet Prize in 2012 , 2014 and 2015.
Guillaume has directed a number of documentaries on Africa, including Peter Beard: Scrapbooks from Africa and Beyond on the American artist, which was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and shown on TV channels worldwide. Bonn also worked as a cameraman on Dying to Tell the Story, a ninety-minute CNN documentary nominated for an Emmy Award. He is a contributor to Vanity Fair magazine, covering a range of stories, including the conflict in North Uganda with the late Christopher Hitchens, the murder of conservationist Joan Root near Lake Naivasha, and “Agony and Ivory” on African elephants and the ivory trade. Bonn is a board member of the African Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) and a member of INSTITUTE Photo agency.
Gary Knight
Gary Knight is the founder and principle architect of the prestigious VII Photo Agency, founder and Director of the Program for Narrative & Documentary Practice at Tufts University, twice Chairman of the World Press Photo Award, co-founder of the GroundTruth Project and is one of the three founding photographers of the Canon Ambassador Program. He has managed and mentored dozens of masterclasses all over the world for the last 15 years. Knight has been on Safari all over Africa including with President Barack Obama in the Masai Mara. He is a serial explorer and adventurer and his work can be seen elsewhere on this website.
Nigel Archer
Nigel has spent a large part of his life on safari. His family are third generation Kenyan, his father Tony Archer took out his first safari in 1957. His private mobile camps are your homes in the bush. Just as Ernest Hemingway went on safari you will get the feeling of being totally infused into nature. Everything is set up for you personally prior to your arrival. Each en-suite spacious safari tent has its own private veranda with exclusive views overlooking the wild landscapes. Your accommodation is furnished with a cosy double or single beds, where crisp white linen & thick duvets await you. Hot safari style showers are available at anytime, adding to your comfort are flushing lavatories & solar lighting. You will dine in the mess tent, served with silverware & crystal glasses. Nigel's gifted cooks produce superb meals using the freshest & finest ingredients in our ‘bush kitchen’. The comfortable lounge overlooks beautiful views, with a well stocked bar, offering chilled alcoholic & soft drinks on ice. From one generation to the next, Nigel Archer Safaris provides excellence through experience, compassion & understanding.