Off-season in the Masai Mara - The fabulous Mara Plains Camp in the OMC.

[cheetah80]

Awesome photos @@madaboutcheetah! So nice to see Malaika & Narasha. Getting very encouraged by off-season sightings in the Mara.

[Game Warden]

As I look through this great selection MAC, one thing @@Safaridude and I were a little unlucky with in Mara North was the lighting, the cloudy conditions robbing us of the morning and evening hues. How did that affect your photography, if at all?

[madaboutcheetah]

GW, that was my situation when in the reserve at entim camp...... Cloudy skies etc etc.,

[Game Warden]

You obviously looked for and found other photographic opportunities.

[cheetah80]

As I look through this great selection MAC, one thing @@Safaridude and I were a little unlucky with in Mara North was the lighting, the cloudy conditions robbing us of the morning and evening hues. How did that affect your photography, if at all?

@@Game Warden I had the same problem in September!! I think that was my only "disappointment" - not being able to see proper sunrise & sunsets & very little photography with golden light. We only had a nice sunrise on one morning - every sunset was very cloudy. But then during the day it was sunny most of the time. But we did get to see some spectacular thunder shows at sunset - in Finland thunder is so rare that it is a treat for us to witness it. Although then we got a wee bit too much of it over 3.5 weeks in Madagascar in the same trip.

Edited April 15, 2014 by cheetah80

[madaboutcheetah]

@@cheetah80 - I hear Feb is a reliably dry month (without over crowding) ....... On that note, GW did travel in Feb... so all I can say, I got a lucky dry weather spell for a few days? It still did storm at night or did storm somewhere in the Greater Mara and you can always see the T'storms go off in the distance....

[loafer247]

Having been to the Mara c. 50 times in my life, I can make a few comments on the light. Last year I went there on 8 separate occasions (January, April, June, August, September, and 3 times in December) making a total of c. 30 nights in the Mara. I had good 'photography' light perhaps on 5 of those 30 days, and most of those were in December.

 

It is getting increasingly harder to predict the weather patterns in Kenya. For example, we are meant to be in the middle of the Long rains right now and it has barely rained.

 

What I will say is that outside of migration time, the Mara always delivers regardless of the weather if you have a good guide, are prepared to be patient, and don't set ridiculous expectations. I personally love December / January etc... as the days are longer (sunset at c. 7pm), the grass is short after the wildebeest have cropped it, and the reserve isn't busy.

 

I was there over Easter last year (smack bang in the middle of the so called 'long rains' season) and saw a leopard kill, lion kill and cheetah kill within 24 hours!

 

d

[SafariChick]

Great report Hari - wonderful photos - thanks for sharing! @@madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks - @@SafariChick ...... You are too kind!

[Atravelynn]

Don't let Game Warden know you've had 50 visits, @@loafer247 or the rest of your life will be spent writing trip reports. Interesting observations on timing and weather. Sun or clouds, you made the best of it Hari! The leopard cub certainly like the weather enough to venture out--very fortunate. Thanks Hari and Loafer.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Atravelynn

[FlyTraveler]

@@madaboutcheetah , great photography (too many good shots to list), thank you for sharing! I also enjoy your photos on 500px.com!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot, @@FlyTraveler

[johnkok]

Just caught up. Wonderful photos Hari. Now I've got to make a return trip to the Mara

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot, John. You must!

[africapurohit]

I have missed a lot! Another report chalked off my (long) reading list. Amazing photos @@madaboutcheetah and gives me food for thought regarding a family trip during the Easter holidays.

 

I had planned to get through most of the unread trip reports before the World Cup started but I am going to fail miserably (just over 4 hours to go!)

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks .... You must go to the Mara soon!

[PCNW]

Just getting to this party MAC. As usual, lovely images, the green grass adds so much. Mara Plains has been on my to do list for quite sometime and then I hear they renovated....really want to head that way. Thanks for sharing.

[Bush dog]

Better later than never, Hari. Excellent report and pics.

[madaboutcheetah]

Mike and @@PCNW - Thank You!!!!

[Morkel Erasmus]

@@madaboutcheetah great report and images Hari!

The Mara is special. I usually go to the Mara Triangle. We had loads of predators there now and there's a cheetah female with 5 cubs called Kakenya who provided great moments!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks so much morkel .....

[LouBNYC]

We were their a few weeks after.. Fantastic place !