blackcat

Bill,

How did you experience the 2 camps (Mara Intrepids and Kichwa Tembo)you visited in January? We would like to go to these camps in september.

Do you recommend any tent at Kichwa Tembo?

If you could buy (only) 1 safari lens, which one would be your choice? We were thinking of a 100-400 L IS or a 70-200 2.8 L IS + 1.4 ext. We have a Canon 30D and a sigma 18-55 2.8.

Thanks Steve

Bill_H

Steve, we had asked to be placed in camps or lodges that were best for wildlife viewing/photography and Intrepids and KT were what the outfitter suggested.

Intrepids was our favorite camp, probably the best one we've stayed in (we are usually in mid-range lodges, like Serenas, which suit us fine). We had a short drive each morning to find lions or cheetahs (if lucky) or, twice, leopards. Lot of serious photographers go here so the animals are used to being photographed (a Big Cat Diary photographer was at Intrepids two nights while we were there).

Only thing we didn't like was that you can hear people in nearby tents, but we had a lot of rain so the river was drowning out much of this. Still, my wife was awoken twice late at by people in other tents returning from the bar, something we haven't experienced in lodges.

Anyway Intrepids gets my vote and I would enjoy staying there again.

KT was not that good for wildlife viewing, I think they didn't have as much rain in the area so many antelope had moved on and so we saw zero cheetahs there (vs nine at MI), fewer lions and only one shy leopard (vs two well-habituated ones at MI). So a nice place but at least for us not as much game, though the guide assured me that normally there are more cats. We did get nice serval cat shots here. If returning to Kenya (which is not likely) I'd go back here and give it another shot.

<b>Do you recommend any tent at Kichwa Tembo?</b>

We were in 38, which was about 1/4 mile from the central area and the very last tent (again, you could hear people in the adjacent tent though). Ask for that one if you don't mind the walk. One to avoid is # 22, I can't believe the lack of privacy with this one since the main walkway runs about 5 ft behind its back wall, then about 2 ft beside the length of the right-side wall. None of the other tents were positioned anywhere near this bad.

<b>If you could buy (only) 1 safari lens, which one would be your choice? We were thinking of a 100-400 L IS or a 70-200 2.8 L IS + 1.4 ext. </b>

Hard choice ... the 70-200 is a better quality lens that will give you sharper images up to 200 mm and even with the 1.4x it's sharper than the 100-400 at 280 mm (I have both of these and have tested them for resolution), but the 100-400 at 400 is sharper than the 70-200 with the 2x.

So it sort of boils down to whether you are OK with just going to 280 mm, and on safari I think you're better off with a longer focal length, so for that reason I'd recommend the 100-400 for you.

If you decide instead to get the 70-200 then I'd recommend the 70-200 f/4 L IS because it's about half as heavy and more compact, so easier to travel with, and the optics are equal to the f/2.8 version. This assumes you won't use the 2x converter with it because you would lose autofocus with your camera and the 2x with an f/4 lens, but with the f/2.8 version you would still keep AF with the 2x.

Bill

HariS

Hi Bill,

What is your opinion of the Nikkor 70-300VR lens?

DanaPhx

I have stayed at Kichwa Tembo since 2003 and I recommend tents #4,5,6,7. These are not in the &quot;new&quot; section where Bill stayed. Those tents where he stayed are quite a distance from the dining room and in the dark can be a little rough walking on the paths with the dim walkway lighting.

The tents 4-7 look directly onto the plains with no unobstructed views and are are very close to the dining room and the main drive where you get into your safari vehicle for your game drives, but not too close as to hear noise from the bar area/dining room. I always stay in Tent #4. The tents are fairly close together (but not on top of each other), but I am SO tired at bedtime that any talking doesn't bother me.

As far as not seeing game, I always visit in early September and have seen lions, cheetah's, and occasionally leopard when we are lucky.

Have never stayed at Mara Intrepids myself.

Bill_H

Hari, I'm not familiar with that lens (or most Nikon lenses) but 70-300 should be fine. If you can handle traveling with the extra bulk and weight and the price doesn't scare you off then the Nikon 200-400 f/4 is a really great safari lens though.

Steve, Dana obviously knows KT much better than I do since she has been there often. Tent 38 had thick forest on one side and from the front looked out onto a wire fence and heavy brush, so getting one of the sites she mentions with a view of the plains would no doubt be less claustrophobic.

Bill

HariS

Thanks, Bill ...... will keep a look out for that one!

atravelynn

Since we're asking Bill questions, here's one:

I asked this elsewhere too in some form. Is timing the wildebeest birthing any easier in the Mara than in the Serengeti? Or is it even less predictable? Any comments or insights into a Feb Mara visit with hope of wilde babies? Thanks.

safarimama

The wildies don't give birth in the Mara. They do that only in the Serengeti. By February the migration has all arrived in the Serengeti to feed and give birth on the short grass plains, rains permitting. This is what all the fizz is about: where and when to be there exactly.

safarimama

Sorry, I should have said the migration. Of course the resident wildies give birth in the Mara. But that too depends on the rains. I saw a topi give birth in early December in the Mara and numerous antelope newborn calves including wildies, but that was after the rains had begun. You won't see any big herds of wildies at that time in the Mara though. The birthing seem to follow the same schedule in all of East Africa generally speaking.
I don't think I answered your question.

atravelynn

It was the resident wildes I was wondering about in the Mara. So they seem to follow the same schedule as the ones in Tanzania?

divewop

Lynn-
When I was in the Mara, end of Feb of '05, there were lots of wildebeest &quot;tykes&quot; running around. In '07 there weren't as many but this recent trip, (in '08), there were quite a few &quot;young uns&quot; as well. Not as many wildebeest but quite a few baby topis, tommies, impalas and grants.

In the Serengeti, there were quite a few and so many zebra foals, too.

barefootbeach

Atravelynn,
Just got back from our Kenya/Tanzania trip and saw many, many wildebeest babies from Feb 5-8th...near Kusini Camp in the South Serengeti. Camp mgrs. said they came a couple of weeks early this year, because they had rain earlier...usually they birth around their in mid-Feb.
They were quite adorable as they raced after and surppassed our Land Cruiser, but apparently they thought we were their mothers. Sad to see so many lost in the middle of nowhere knowing they would be kill soon. Saw lots of that and satiated lionesses....many hyena.

blackcat

Thanks Bill and thanks Dana,

Your answers are very helpful.

You both mentioned that the tents at KW are fairly close together. This is what worries me most, since we would like to take our 2 year old son with us.
Obviously we don't want to disturb anybody.

Mara Intrepids seems to have family tents. Has anyone any comments on those tents?

We do have a private vehicle.

Steve

PS Bill your pictures are outstanding!

sandi

blackcat -

The Family tents at Mara Intrepids consist of 2 similar tents connected by a screened breezeway. These are ideal for a family with two older children (from age 4 &amp; up), where parents can be in one tent, the children the other. Or one parents/one child.

If only with a 2/yr old, you'd probably do well with a regular tent, which are a nice size, and a crib or small day-bed, surrounded by mossie nets.

blackcat

Thanks Sandi

philw

You should see yound wildebeest in the mara in february. I've just got back and saw one giving birth and many other heavily pregnant females.

Phil

atravelynn

Thanks Philw. I think I asked you something about that over on your report thread.