Kamchatka

Wildlife Tour Packages

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Kamchatka Wildlife Tour Packages

In the back of beyond, there is a wilderness that made it to UNESCO’s books ahead of travel brochures and measures as much as four European countries.

It is a virginal valley composed by volcanic calderas, crater lakes, mineral springs and bears, and until 1990, if you weren’t a Russian national, you couldn’t even visit it. It is a lost world where ecstasy is found, and it appears a bit like the earth’s branch of the seventh heaven.

It is known as Kamchatka and it begs to be explored.

Quick Information

Best time to Visit:
Winter: July-September

Recommended min. duration:
7/8 days

Attractions:
Wildlife
Landscapes

Activities:
Hiking
Photography
Skiing

Nearest Airport:
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Our Kamchatka Tours

Upcoming Departures

Bear Feast in the Far East – 7N/8D

AUG 27 – 3 SEP 2024

Cost: Starting EUR 6460

Skipper: Jayanth Sharma

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Reviews by Tour Participants

We cater to 3 different kinds of Kamchatka travelers. Which one are you?

There are three different ways to explore Kamchatka. Depending on the kind of traveler you are, we welcome you to choose your preferred Kamchatka wildlife tour packages.

Kamchatka Photography Tours

Our team of ace photographers will guide you on a exciting Kamchatka Photography Tour to ensure you come back with not only great travel memories but also some stunning photographs.

Upcoming Departures

Kamchatka Culture or Wildlife Group Tours

Exploring the world with like-minded nature-lovers is surely an exciting human experience. Our fixed departure Kamchatka Group Tour Packages are a safe and fun way to travel for individuals or families alike.

Upcoming Departures

Kamchatka Customized Vacations

For families and individuals who want a tailor-made holiday to suit their personal needs, we invite you to explore our vast array of packages.

Get in touch with us to customise your departure!

How Is It?

Virtually untouched by human avarice, it is one of the most flourishing wilderness tracts in Russia.

In the far east of Russia, the Kamchatka Peninsula hangs down into the Pacific like some giant precinct. 

Virtually untouched by human avarice, it represents one of the most flourishing wilderness tracts in the country, spanning a galactic 472,300 km2.

Stunningly rich in natural resources and punctuated with glaciers and geysers, it is truly an ultimate retreat for the photographer whose itchy feet crave to tread off the beaten path and explore the extraordinary.

Flanked by the Okhotsk and Bering Seas and the Pacific Ocean, the peninsula is a flourishing hub of volcanism, seismology and floral and faunal abundance. As many as 28 active volcanoes brew in the eastern part while the number of wild animal species is close to three dozen.

With a mindboggling number of glaciers, rivers, springs and lakes big and small, the territory of Kamchatka, composed of magnificent valleys and sky-kissing snow-capped mountains overlooking Alpine meadows, can leave the awed visitor struggling to stifle a compulsively dropping jaw.

On the picturesque coasts, the lively sea and the quaint gulfs engage in interplay of serenity, and overlooked by the formidable ledges where eagles dare, dolphins and whales thrive in the waters that seem to have no horizon but an infinite depth.

Truly, Kamchatka is a place for those who ‘bear’ nothing less than the most idyllic.

What You can expect on a Kamchatka wildlife tour package:

Brown bears, whales, seals and many species of birds. Breathtaking geographical features.

Steller’s sea eagles on the hunt, brewing volcanoes, exquisite waterfallshot spring baths and boating excursions – Kamchatka offers exceptional versatility in things to see, photograph and experience. And you don’t have to take your pick, because you can do it all on this Expedition. But the crowning glory of Russia’s most precious wilderness is its bears.

A sub-species of the famous brown or grizzly bear, the Kamchatka brown bear hibernates in the harsh winter, when the landscape is frozen and the temperatures are negative. In April it rises from slumber and ventures into the woods looking for food.

During July, the sizeable salmon fish, which had gone away to the ocean earlier, rush back in large numbers to their exact birthplace in fresh water, to breed. And this triggers the marauding bears to go on a Salmon-hunting frenzy in around August each year, resulting in breathtaking scenes as they put on an action-packed show. And you can be a shutter-happy witness to it.

As the bears appear around the shallow waters of the mouths of small streams and rivers that offer the best hunting grounds, go on a clicking spree as a mother-bear fishes while her little teddies look on, a big male rears up comically on his hind legs looking for the next salmon to catch, or a female tucks into a sizeable pink catch and feasts on its tender flesh.

Regale yourself equally over the other terrestrial fauna of Kamchatka, which include wolfArctic foxwolverinelynxriver otter and many types of weasel. Marine attractions, which are very rich, come in the form of at least eight types of whales and six species of seals, while oceanic avifauna include kittiwakespuffinsfulmars and murres.

If the refined photographic opportunities are fabulous, there won’t be a paucity of raw excitement either. With all the wildlife watching in Kamchatka always happening on foot, you can sometimes get as close as 15 to 20 feet to a hungry bear, who, absorbed by the eagerness to make the most of the marine feast, gives you a Nelson’s eye and continues to do its thing.

Out in the ocean, which is where we will stay for a whole night and two days, killer whales or orcas – apex predators of the underwater world, which can weigh up to a staggering eight tonnes – can set your pulses racing with acrobatic moves, while adorable seals adorning the rocks will invoke your soft corner with their cuddly looks.

This is wildlife photography as it was meant to be – wild, versatile, undiluted and exhilarating.

Interested? Make a Booking Enquiry

It’s easy. Call us on 1800 1200 901 (Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.) or simply fill this form, and we’ll get back to you like the whirring wind.

Enquiry Form

Frequently Asked Questions

We ensure maximum care and protection while traveling in the post-COVID scenario. We certainly think you have to be extra-careful and follow rules and regulations. Please consult your general physician or doctor before you make this decision.
That’s quite easy. It depends on what your interest is. If you are a photography enthuisast and would like our skipper’s guidance and tutelage, then Photo Tour. Else hop on to a group tour where photography isn’t the focus of the trip. Finally, we can tailor-make a vacation for you if you need to travel on your own date and style.

Unlike travel agents who plan your holiday from a remote destination to places they sometimes haven’t experienced themselves, Photo Tours offer a comprehensive toehold to experience a place through the guidance of a professional photographer. The common ingredients in all our Photo Tours are fun and a lot of learning and knowledge-sharing. Besides, most or all of our Tour participants are photography enthusiasts, which keeps the group in harmony and helps make your experience focused.

Absolutely everything! From booking the travel tickets and arranging for a comfortable stay to suggested itineraries and planning places of interest, Toehold takes care of all the details of your vacation.
You may certainly take your young child, but we don’t recommend taking infants and very small children on safari. Please talk to us for more information.
Certainly! We take care of the flight ticket bookings too for anyone who requires assistance.

Of course! Please talk to our capable Camera Rent team or mention what gear you’d like to hire while registering for the tour. Guess what? We offer you a 10% off on camera rent while on the tour.

Absolutely! This Tour is meant for fledgling as well as experienced photographers. Beginners get all the advantages of learning on and off the field from Toehold’s eminent Skippers. In fact if you are a newbie, you should jump on this terrific learning opportunity and sign up right away!

However, in order to make the most of the Tour photographically, we recommend that you be familiar with photography fundamentals. If you’re not, we suggest you join an Art and Science of Photography Workshop before the Tour.

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Bear Feast in the Far East: Kamchatka Wildlife Photography Tour

AUG 27 - SEP 3, 2024

Wildlife Photography Tour
Skipper: Jayanth Sharma

Tour Itinerary

Please note: The Tour begins and ends at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, but assistance and coordination will be provided for transfer from Moscow. For advice on flight options from your destination, please talk to us.

Participants arrive at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the capital town of Kamchatka, and are promptly transferred from the airport to a comfortable hotel. The day is spent adjusting to the weather and visiting the market to buy some essential gear like head-torches and gumboots at affordable prices which is essential for the rest of our expedition. Later in the evening, a welcome-dinner will ensue in the restaurant discussing the prospects of the Tour with Skipper Jayanth Sharma.

We take a boat from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky out of the Avacha Bay into the Pacific Ocean to see and photograph seals, Pacific gulls and, rather excitingly, killer whales.

These giant marine-emperors are rewarding photographic subjects, as they challenge your reflexes with their spectacular acrobatics above the water surface, ‘porpoising’, ‘breaching’ or ‘skyhopping’ in some sort of aquatic dance performance, holding you in a relentless grip of total enthrallment.

Equal to the allure of the orcas are the lower rungs of the food chain, the Steller’s sea lions, Northern fur seals, harbour seals and spotted seals, which often strut out in the open presenting themselves as sitting targets from atop the rocks.

Breaking away from the ship in small zodiac boats to feel the sea from closer quarters, we can get close enough to resting seals to get wide-angle perspectives and other creative opportunities.

Our tryst with the Kamchatka brown bears begins as we reach the Kurilskoye Lake by evening, and along the way, we’ll visit the following volcanoes.

Ksudach Volcano

The weather allowing, a morning helicopter-flight lasting an hour will take us to the Ksudach Volcano (in the event of inclement weather, a second attempt will be made to visit it on the fifth day while returning from Kurilskoye Lake).

After landing, we take a walk into the crater lake of Schtubelya, which is situated inside Ksudach Volcano, and then visit a beautiful waterfall where water pours out of the crater. Later, we visit a ‘hot beach’ – a site of hot springs on the shore of a lake, and then fly to the famous Kurilskoye Lake – an experience that will have uniqueness stamped all over it.

Mutnovsky Volcano

Going by helicopter, we disembark just below the 20000-year-old volcanic hills of Skalisty and Dvugorby, to climb up a foot-trail past steam springs, from where the trio of volcanoes of Asacha, Opala and Gorely are seen. The route then traverses by the hillside, crossing three snow-fields, before a final rise to the mouth of the caldera exit gorge.

Climbing the slopes of the glacial till, we descend slightly to the snout of the western glacier, slicing straight through fumaroles and mud pools, watching streams emerging from the snow and ice fields, and flowing back under the glacier toe.

Taking a recess after the helicopter ride at 1540m, we continue to explore the area close to the active crater from where the fumaroles can be seen on the crater floor, which is about 350m across, and its walls drop nearly vertically for over 100m.

Weather Conditions: Helicopter rides are subject to weather conditions. We will make every effort to adhere to the primary plan, but extempore modifications to the expedition itinerary may be inevitable under prevailing conditions. If we cannot visit these volcanoes on this day as scheduled, we will make another attempt later. No refunds will be made if weather disrupts landings on the volcanoes.

Kurilskoye Lake

Following this excursion in the afternoon, we arrive at our lodge at Grassy Point, a small and cozy wooden affair, which affords a magnificent view of Kurilskoye Lake and the surrounding mountains – a setup very similar to having a giant wallpaper outside your balcony. While we put our feet up and relax, we look out for bears that are often seen fishing along the lakeshore from the lodge. Afterwards, we venture onto the lake’s pumice rock beach and receive our in-camp instructions for the rest of the Tour.

For the next two days, Kamchatka’s wildlife takes centre-stage, as we visit salmon-spawning places to pursue brown bears. We enjoy a walking excursion with local wardens to a nearby bear-viewing platform that is not far from the lodge and is located at the mouth of the several rivers that drain into Kurilskoye Lake. Here we have a good chance of making excellent, close-up images of bears fishing for migrating salmon, which stay briefly in the lake before moving on to the streams where they ‘spawn’. The bears’ opportunism will be matched by ours, as we seek to capture this unique phenomenon in all its extravagance.

We will also undertake longer walking excursions to a large meadow where bears feed on wild berries and visit other spawning streams farther from the lodge. Along these streams we are likely to see salmon and consequently bears fishing just a few yards away as we walk along the stream banks.

Khodutka

We start day five with another walk to the bear viewing platform and later in the evening, a helicopter will fly us to the Khodutka River for a blissful bath in Kamchatka’s largest natural hot spring. The water sprouts from a section of tundra just below the Khodutka Volcano, forming a stream. Further downstream, the water gradually cools and we can find a section of the stream which is at just the right temperature for a dip of hedonism.

Following this sensual experience, we board the helicopter again, which takes us to the Ksudach and Mutnovsky Volcano plateau all the way up to the caldera if we failed to do this earlier due to weather conditions.

At the end of day 7, we return to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and stay over for the night.

Participants not availing of the optional extension check out after breakfast and are transferred to the airport for their departure for Moscow and thence home.

OPTIONAL EXTENSION: 1 NIGHT/2 DAYS

Please Note : Participants who wish to take optional extension are to arrive a day earlier.

This day we highly recommend our participants to travel by helicopter to the amazing Valley of Geysers and the Uzon Volcano at an additional cost of EUR 800 or use the day to visit the Avacha Volcano close to town. Your skipper will accompany guests who choose to opt out of the Valley of Geysers tour on a drive to the Avacha Volcano. This day can also be used to swim and rest if you are not interested in either the Geysers or the Volcano. The following are the details of the options.

GEYSERS VALLEY AND UZON VOLCANO OPTIONAL TOUR

Additional EUR 800

Post-breakfast, participants wishing to visit the lovely Geysers Valley and Uzon Volcano at additional cost will leave their things in their rooms, deck themselves up in boots, add rain gear to the sack, and leave in a bus on a 45-minute drive to the heliport at Yelisovo and fly to the Valley of Geysers in about 75 minutes. This takes you to the east of the Zhupanovsky Volcano, with the low flight affording spectacular views of the taiga landscape home to brown bears, which are nearly sure of being spotted during the flight.

The cluster of geysers, fumaroles and hot springs in the Valley of Geysers, discovered in 1941, lies above the Uzon Caldera. A few large-but-brief periodic eruptions are seen in the valley, and there are many perennial hot water spouts.

Our helicopter lands in front of a timber lodge, whence we take a trail into The Valley of Geysers in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve.

The walk shows us a magnificent overview of the landscape, punctuated as it is with cliffs of tuffs, eroded into earth pillars. Down in the valley below, the vegetation is mostly lush. Ahead, the Bolshoi and Maly Geysers form major attractions, the former especially interesting for the water it throws about 10m high!

Continuing on the path upstream, we then descend to a bridge over the Geysernaya River. The river reaches a temperature of 26°C in the summer; while in the winter, it drops to about 16°C. Water from the springs and geysers varies from 35°C to a literally boiling 100°C. A little upstream of the bridge, the Schell Geyser, which erupts every 35 minutes, will make things very interesting indeed.

The walk ends with a view of the Velikan, a giant geyser on the far bank, which throws water to about 25m for around a minute each time. A trail on the terrace above the valley floor affords splendid views of the Fountain Platform, and goes by various hot pools. A hot lunch at the Valley of Geysers Lodge rounds up the morning’s trip.

We then visit the Uzon Caldera, which is bordered by steep caldera walls and shows features of three collapses and lake remnants on marshy ground sediments. The lake, which is about 30m deep, is a pool of liquid sulphur at a balmy 140°C.

To the east, we plough through the alder bushes up the Belaya Dome, adjacent to which there are two small acid lakes. To the north, we explore Lake Dalneye, which is nearly a kilometre across and was produced by the steam explosions from the caldera floor.

Following an utterly fascinating day of exploration and learning, we return by helicopter to Yelisovo and by bus to the Petropavlovsk Hotel, dine and retire for the day.

AVACHA VOLCANO EXCURSION

Additional EUR 200

In order to make the most of the Tour, we recommend participants to avail of the Geysers Valley Tour, but as an alternative, you may opt to visit the Avacha Volcano instead. Talk to us to find out more about the Geysers Tour and why you should avail of it.

Cost & Terms

Individuals

EUR 6460
  • Per Person on twin Shared Accommodation

Couples

EUR 12620
  • Per Couple on Twin Shared Accommodation

Toehold Patrons

EUR 6260
  • Per Person on Twin Shared Accommodation

What’s Included?

What’s Not Included?

Payment Terms

All figures per person.

Cancellation Fees

All figures per person.

Please note: The date of written (email) communication of intent to cancel is the date considered for calculation of the cancellation fees.

Interested? Make a Booking Enquiry

It’s easy. Call us on 1800 1200 901 (Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.) or simply fill this form, and we’ll get back to you like the whirring wind.

Enquiry Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Apart from interest, a valid visa and related documents, and a minimum level of fitness are essential. Visa assistance will be provided.

Absolutely! This Tour is meant for fledgling as well as experienced photographers. Beginners get all the advantages of learning on and off the field from Toehold’s eminent Skippers. In fact if you are a newbie, you should jump on this terrific learning opportunity and sign up right away! However, in order to make the most of the Tour photographically, we recommend that you be familiar with photography fundamentals. Please sign up for an Art and Science of Photography Workshop before the Tour.
Although grading the difficulty of walks is difficult due to the subjectivity of each individual’s threshold, the walks on this Tour may be approximately generalized to be of Grade B and C, with the definitions as follows.
Grade B: Moderately easy for those of any fitness level and who are able to traverse moderately hilly terrain.
Grade C: Strenuous and requires a higher level of physical fitness. However, no special physical preparations are needed.

Due to the remoteness of the region, accommodation at all the campsites will be basic and comfortable but not luxurious. Owing to the limitation of available space and the eco-friendliness of the camps, lodging is in bunkers that accommodate five people, with non-attached common lavatories outside.

For bears and orcas, a telephoto zoom lens in the range of 100 to 400mm or 70-300mm works very well. A wide-angle or normal zoom to capture landscapes and volcanoes or creative perspectives of wildlife is highly recommended. However, if you do not have appropriate equipment, there is no need to fret. Toehold offers an exhaustive array of cameras and lenses on rent, so you can always hire what you need. Visit our Rental Store to see what we offer. If you are not a keen photographer, you may bring a compact digital camera if you have one, or even just a pair of binoculars.

Considering the meticulous attention to timing we pay while scheduling Tours and the local expertise we leverage, we believe that it would be extremely unfortunate if our sightings and photography were unsatisfactory. The Kamchatka peninsula is a fabulous place to photograph brown bears, especially in August. However, since we will be in an uncontrolled environment, we do not guarantee sightings.

Unlike travel agents who plan your holiday from a remote destination to places they sometimes haven’t experienced themselves, Photo Tours offer a comprehensive toehold to experience a place through the guidance of a professional photographer. The common ingredients in all our Photo Tours are fun and a lot of learning and knowledge-sharing. Besides, most or all of our Tour participants are photography enthusiasts, which keeps the group in harmony and helps make your experience focussed.

The Great Migration: Kenya Wildlife Group Tour

SEP 9-16, 2024

Wildlife Group Tour

Tour Itinerary (7N/8D)

Day 1 : Nairobi

Since participants of this Tour travel from various destinations in India and abroad, Please arrive on 09 September 2024 any time (Accommodation is not included in the Tour cost)

Please note: This is not a photography tour and we would have 6 People in a LandCruiser. If you wish to join our Photography Tour with only 3 People in a LandCruiser guided by our ace photographers please consider the Photo Tour.

Please also note that flight costs are not included in the Tour fee

Talek River Area, Masai Mara

Checking out from our Nairobi hotel after an early breakfast, we pick up the participants arriving this morning (if any) and make our way to the heart of the Migration action, the legendary Masai Mara, which we reach by afternoon.

After lunch close to the entrance of the Mara, we start our first game drive en route to our first destination around the lodge area.

The transitory herds may be seen very close to the lodge and sometimes a little further away but there is no chance of missing them. Feeling our way around, we will understand the current state of the Migration.

After the drive, we check in to exclusive and cosy tents at the first camp of the Tour, the lodge. Once fresh, we exchange notes about our initial observations and experiences, and hear insights from other participants before dining and retreating to our rooms to tuck in for the night.

The lodge is a lovely property located stunningly, right near the Talek River, which is one of the two rivers (the other being the Mara River itself) which the migratory herds cross. Ergo, this property has been deliberately and carefully chosen to give us quick and easy access to all the action.

We spend the whole day looking for crossings as well as predator and other action, while the Guide takes a call on returning to the lodge for lunch based on the prevailing situation.

In the evening  you enjoy a scrumptious supper and retire for the night.

Mara Triangle, Masai Mara

Having explored the Talek River side, it’s now time to proceed to the celebrated Mara Triangle area and look for action around the Mara River, so after a morning drive around the Talek, we cross over to the Triangle and check in to the delightful lodge.

After lunch we enjoy an introductory ride in the area before returning to the lodge for another interactive session, we call ChitraTantra, before supper and sleep.

We enjoy the next three days in the very heart of the Migration around Serena and the Mara River, leveraging the Guide’s rich experience to get to the right places and make memorable moments to capture the scale and wonder of the dramas unfolding before us.

Every morning we start at 06:30 a.m. after an early breakfast and hope to catch action in the quintessentially spectacular savannah light and after the post-lunch afternoon safari, return after sunset to unwind.

In the evening  you enjoy a scrumptious supper and retire for the night.

After having spent a hopefully eventful time photographing the Migration in the Mara, we check out after breakfast and return to Nairobi by lunch, whence we take the departing flights for our abodes, where a wealth of images will be processed and many captivating stories told to our families.

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Cost & Terms

Individuals

USD 4990
  • Per Person on twin Shared Accommodation

Couples

USD 9600
  • Per Couple on Twin Shared Accommodation

Toehold Patrons

USD 4890
  • Per Person on Twin Shared Accommodation

What’s Included?

What’s Not Included?

Payment Terms

Cancellation Fees

Please note: The date of written (email) communication of intent to cancel is the date considered for calculation of the cancellation fees.

Interested? Make a Booking Enquiry

It’s easy. Call us on 1800 1200 901 (Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.) or simply fill this form, and we’ll get back to you like the whirring wind.

Enquiry Form

Frequently Asked Questions

This Tour is open to everybody of a minimum age of 18 (unless accompanied by a guardian), and anybody enthusiastic about wildlife and/or photography will enjoy it. Apart from interest, fitness, a valid passport, valid yellow fever vaccination card and proof of polio vaccination, there are no other requirements. However, in order to make the most of the Tour photographically, we recommend you be familiar with at least the basics of photography. If you’re not, we suggest you join an Art and Science of Photography Workshop before the Tour.

Yes; vaccination against polio and yellow fever is mandatory in many countries including India. Please talk to us for advice on how to get one.

Yellow fever vaccination is valid for a period of 10 years from the date of administration, and polio vaccination is valid for a year. Please check your vaccination cards to verify validity. Please note that the vaccination must be valid as on the date of your return to your country after the Tour.
Considering the meticulous attention to timing we pay while scheduling Tour and the local expertise we leverage, we believe that it would be extremely unfortunate if our sightings and photography were unsatisfactory. Also, the exhaustive itinerary should offer ample opportunities for a productive time. However, since we will be in an uncontrolled environment, we stop just short of claiming that sightings are guaranteed.
A wide-angle or normal zoom is a staple for landscape and general photography. For birds and mammals, a focal length of at least 300mm is usually necessary. An additional 100mm often proves very effective especially for birds. However, if you do not have appropriate equipment, there is no need to fret. Toehold offers an exhaustive array of cameras and lenses for hire, so you can always hire what you need. What’s more, you enjoy a 10% discount on any equipment you hire for the Tour. Visit our Rental Store to see what we offer.

Unlike travel agents who plan your holiday from a remote destination to places they sometimes haven’t experienced themselves, Photo Tours offer a comprehensive toehold to experience a place through the guidance of a professional photographer. The common ingredients in all our Photo Tours are fun and a lot of learning and knowledge-sharing. Besides, most or all of our Tour participants are photography enthusiasts, which keeps the group in harmony and helps make your experience focussed.

Best of Kenya: Wildlife Group Tour

22-30 MAY 2024

Kenya Group Tour

Tour Itinerary (8N/9D)

Day 1 : Nairobi

Since participants of this Tour travel from various destinations in India and abroad, Please arrive on 22 May 2024 any time (Accommodation is not included in the Tour cost)  Please also note that flight costs are not included in the Tour fee.

Please note: This is not a photography tour and we would have 6 People in a LandCruiser. If you wish to join our Photography Tour with only 3 People in a LandCruiser guided by our ace photographers please consider the Photo Tour.

Amboseli National Park

Our fleet of safari vehicles carrying the park guide will pick participants who have landed in the morning from the Nairobi Airport, and participants who have arrived a day earlier from their hotels, at around 06:30 a.m. Once everybody is on board, we undertake a four-hour drive to Amboseli National Park. A mutual introduction session and a brief by the guide to set basic expectations for the tour will be followed by lunch.

After lunch will ensue our first safari of the tour – recipe for a memorable moment for any first-time Africa visitor and something that, even after all these visits, gets the skipper’s adrenaline pumping. Driving through the park will acquaint you with the African landscape and give you but a glimpse of the exciting time ahead.

An entire memorable day will be spent out in the picturesque expanses of Amboseli, where views of elephants with the magnificent Kilimanjaro in the backdrop have been specially designed by nature to enthrall. Apart from the pachyderms, we are likely to photograph ostriches, hyaenas, lions, cheetahs and a whole lot of attractive wildlife.

In the evening  you enjoy a scrumptious supper and retire for the night.

Lake Nakuru National Park

After breakfast, we depart for Nakuru. Arriving just before lunch, we embrace our home for the next two days overlooking the beautiful Lake Nakuru. Following a scrumptious lunch, we embark on the afternoon safari, seeking the chief spectacle of the flamingo congregation and over 400 other species of birds found here.

In the evening we enjoy a tribal dance and celebration before an appetizing supper, and retire for the day.

Setting off after breakfast, we spend as much time in the park as we can in order to sight the plentiful wildlife of Nakuru. The early morning drive will be followed by lunch and an evening safari.

This being an excellent location to see the elusive leopard, we take our chances to spot the spotted beauty of Nakuru. Efforts will also be made to photograph white rhinos and black rhinos.

Between the rides, we meet at the picturesque Baboon Hill overlooking the lake and its flamingo formations, and discuss various topics of nature photography and the natural history of Africa. Meanwhile, here, ultra wide-angle perspectives of baboons, a fixture atop the hill, are a distinct prospect.

For participants who want to relax and take the afternoon easy, the beautiful lodge with plenty of trees and a great restaurant is a fabulous place to rest.

In the evening  you enjoy a scrumptious supper and retire for the night.

Masai Mara Game Reserve

After breakfast, a pleasant drive across the dramatic Great Rift Valley brings you through the Narok Township, a major Maasai administrative centre, to Kenya’s most precious wildlife sanctuary, Masai Mara Game Reserve.

Masai Mara is home to the colorful Maasai tribe, who may be seen around the borders of the park, with Morans (‘warriors’) loping across the plains, young boys herding goats, or elders grouped under a tree discussing the matters of the day.

Wildlife viewing is never dull in the Mara, and patience is often rewarded with unique sightings. By now hopefully the group will have been acquainted with the African bush, so we seek to make the most of the bounty on offer.

Staying inside the park will ensure a great experience and early access to photography hotspots, so we may catch a lion pride gearing up for a hunt or a solitary leopard retrieving its kill from the high branches of an Acacia tree merely a few hundred metres from the camp.

Every morning while at Masai Mara, we start our day with packed breakfast at 06:30 a.m. and venture into the bush. For participants who are agreeable to spending the entire day in the field, packed lunch boxes will be provided to keep us going the whole day, thereby maximizing wildlife viewing and photography opportunities.

An occasional afternoon shower may be encountered but this will in no way mean a dampener, for the animals continue to be seen and what’s more, it will open up the prospect of making evocative images of wildlife in the rain. And when the clouds have passed, the light that illuminates the scene can serve to illustrate the meaning of the word ‘ethereal’ better than any lexicon in the world.

Meeting at specific points in the savannah, we learn and discuss various topics on photography and natural history of Africa and the Mara in general. These two days are tipped to be the highlight of the Tour with plenty of wildlife on show.

In the evening  you enjoy a scrumptious supper and retire for the night.

Maasai Village Optional Tour

While at Masai Mara, based on the group’s inclination, the Guide  can plan a visit to a local Maasai Village for a few hours in the day to learn and understand the Maasai culture, their way of life and their interesting community living. This optional Tour costs an additional USD 30 per person.

Balloon Safari Optional Tour

A ride in a hot-air balloon over the endless expanses of the savannah is an ultimate safari experience. We leave the lodge before dawn, when the sky is clear, the air brisk and the conditions perfect. As the sun rises over the Mara plains, our balloon lifts off – a bright splash of colour rising gracefully into the infinite blue. A stunning panorama unfolds below us and the balloon basket becomes our lookout post for a bird’s-eye view of the Mara’s magnificence. We float silently just a few hundred feet above large herds of wild animals. Upon landing, we celebrate the flight with a glass of champagne, after which the retrieval safari cruisers take us back to our driver. This optional ride costs an additional USD 450 per person.

After a scrumptious breakfast, we drive out making sure we arrive by lunchtime at an Indian restaurant in Nairobi. After lunch, we are transferred to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for our home-bound flights.

The Tour ends but your love affair with African wildlife has just begun.

OPTIONAL EXTENSION AT MASAI MARA

Participants who feel the need to stretch their Tour are welcome to stay back on the following nights, to experience two more full days at the Mara at their own pace. The schedule for the two days will remain the same while we venture to deeper areas of the Mara on the full-day game drives, maximizing our chances of bringing back stunning photographs. This extension will be charged additionally. Please express your interest in the extension while booking the Tour to know more.

With the extension having come to an end, following an early breakfast, we drive out making sure we arrive by lunchtime at an Indian restaurant in Nairobi. After lunch, we are transferred to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for our home-bound flights.

Cost & Terms

Child Cost (Below 18 Years)

USD 1990
  • Per Person on twin Shared Accommodation

Family Cost (1Child and 1 Individual)

USD 4600
  • Per Person on twin Shared Accommodation

Individual Cost

USD 2990
  • Per Person on twin Shared Accommodation

What’s Included?

What’s Not Included?

Payment Terms

All figures per person.

Payments may be made in equal monthly installments so long as the above schedule is adhered to. Please talk to us for more details.

Cancellation Fees

All figures per person.

Please note: The date of written (email) communication of intent to cancel is the date considered for calculation of the cancellation fees.

Interested? Make a Booking Enquiry

It’s easy. Call us on 1800 1200 901 (Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.) or simply fill this form, and we’ll get back to you like the whirring wind.

Enquiry Form

Frequently Asked Questions

This Tour is open to everybody of a minimum age of 18 (unless accompanied by a guardian), and anybody enthusiastic about wildlife and/or photography will enjoy it. Apart from interest, fitness, a valid passport and yellow-fever and polio vaccination cards, there are no other requirements.
Absolutely! This Tour is meant for fledgling as well as experienced photographers. Beginners get all the advantages of learning on and off the field from Toehold’s eminent Skippers. In fact if you are a newbie, you should jump on this terrific learning opportunity and sign up right away! However, in order to make the most of the Tour photographically, we recommend that you be familiar with photography fundamentals. If you’re not, we suggest you join an Art and Science of Photography Workshop before the Tour.
Yes; the vaccination is mandatory in many countries including India. Once you sign up we’ll be happy to advise you on how to get one.
You’ll need a Kenyan visa, which is applied for and issued online. More information will be shared, and assistance provided, when you sign up.
Yellow fever vaccination is valid for a period of 10 years from the date of administration, but polio vaccination is valid for only a year. Please check your vaccination card to verify validity. Please note that the vaccination must be valid as on the date of your return to your country after the Tour.
Our Photography Tour is designed to offer participants an excellent balance between photography convenience and economy. We’ll be using four-wheel-driven safari vehicles which have large windows and a thatched roof that opens up to give a 360-degree panoramic view for convenient wildlife-viewing and photography. Each vehicle will be shared by only three participants, or three participants and the Skipper, to ensure everybody has ample space to move around and shoot comfortably.
Considering the meticulous attention to timing we pay while scheduling Tours and the local expertise we leverage, we believe that it would be extremely unfortunate if our sightings and photography were unsatisfactory. Also, the exhaustive itinerary should offer ample opportunities for a productive time. However, since we will be in an uncontrolled environment, we stop just short of claiming that sightings are guaranteed.
A wide-angle or normal zoom is a staple for landscape and general photography. For birds and mammals, a focal length of at least 300mm is usually necessary. An additional 100mm often proves very effective especially for birds. However, if you do not have appropriate equipment, there is no need to fret. Toehold offers an exhaustive array of cameras and lenses for hire, so you can always hire what you need. What’s more, you enjoy a 10% discount on any equipment you hire for the Tour. Visit our Rental Store to see what we offer.
Unlike travel agents who plan your holiday from a remote destination to places they sometimes haven’t experienced themselves, Photo Tours offer a comprehensive toehold to experience a place through the guidance of a professional photographer. The common ingredients in all our Photo Tours are fun and a lot of learning and knowledge-sharing. Besides, most or all of our Tour participants are photography enthusiasts, which keeps the group in harmony and helps make your experience focussed.

Verdant Haven - Kabini Photo Tour Schedules

JUN 27-30 2024
OPEN

Wildlife Photography Bootcamp

Skipper: Jayanth

Tour Itinerary (4N/5D)

The Tour commences and ends at Kabini (Karapura). Travel from or via Bengaluru and back will be by sharing participants’ private cars or shared cabs at extra actual cost. Assistance in the way of coordination and arrangements will be provided but please talk to us for additional help or special needs. 

After a 4.5-hour-drive from Bengaluru, participants reach Kabini by noon. Following a leisurely lunch and a round of introduction to understand one another better, we mull on what’s in store for the next two days and embark on our first safari by 03:30 p.m. Navigating through the excellent network of roads in the Nagarahole jungle, we enjoy an inaugural taste of the wild, keeping our eyes peeled for action on the ground, the air and the canopy.

After hopefully an eventful ride, we return to camp at 06:30 p.m. and relax over tea, following which a ChaayaaChitra session will ensue, in which we discuss photography techniques. Later, we enjoy a scrumptious supper and retire for the night.
An early morning wake-up call and tea will set the tone for the morning safari at 06:30 a.m. Cutting through the freshness of the morning, we pursue materialization of wildlife and very possibly try some of the tips and techniques discussed in the ChaayaaChitra session the previous night.

Upon our return from the excursion at 09:30 a.m., a hot breakfast will await us, and after satiating our hunger we retreat to our rooms to refresh and rest awhile, meeting again at noon for ChitraTantra, another informative session full of interaction and fun.
After lunch, perhaps a brief nap and tea, we reenter the forest with more hope for cat luck, let our hair down and make a lot of images of the sights we encounter.

Having spent a cumulative five hours in the wild for the day, we walk into camp a happy bunch and relate our tales over tea, following which a session of CharchaaLoka will unfold.

We tuck in for the night after enjoying an appetizing dinner.
Hoping for a fitting climax to a great Tour, we embark on the last safari at the usual hour in the morning. And since cat activity is at its peak during the early hours of the day, there is every possibility of the Tour ending on a high note.

After the safari and breakfast we gather for a final rendezvous before checking out at 11:00 a.m. and setting off for our respective abodes where our families wait to hear our tales.

Cost & Terms

Individuals

INR 79,000
  • Per Person on Twin Share Accommodation

Couples

INR 1,54,000
  • Per Couple on Twin Share Accommodation

Toehold Patrons

INR 78,000
  • Per Person on Twin Share Accommodation

What’s Included?

What’s Not Included?

Payment Terms

Cancellation Fees

Please note: The date of written (email) communication of intent to cancel is the date considered for calculation of the cancellation fees.

NO Refunds.
Due to the pandemic the travel industry is at an all time low-cashflow situation. So we wouldn’t be able to do refunds but only issue Credit Notes for any cancellation from your side or due to COVID related lockdowns and closures.

Interested? Make a Booking Enquiry

It’s easy. Call us on 1800 1200 901 (Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.) or simply fill this form, and we’ll get back to you like the whirring wind.

Enquiry Form

Frequently Asked Questions

We ensure maximum care and protection while traveling in the post-COVID scenario. We certainly think you have to be extra-careful and follow rules and regulations. Please consult your general physician or doctor before you make this decision.

That’s quite easy. It depends on what your interest is. If you are a photography enthusiast and would like our skipper’s guidance and tutelage, then Photo Tour. Else hope on to a group tour where photography isn’t the focus of the trip. Finally, we can tailor-make a vacation for you if you need to travel on your own date and style.

You may certainly take your young child, but we don’t recommend taking infants and very small children on safari. Please talk to us for more information.
Certainly! We take care of the flight ticket bookings too for anyone who requires assistance.
Absolutely everything! From booking the travel tickets and arranging for a comfortable stay to suggested itineraries and planning places of interest, Toehold takes care of all the details of your vacation.
Ofcourse, yes. Please talk to our capable Camera Rent team or mention what gear you’d like to hire while registering for the tour. Guess what? We offer you a 10% off on camera rent while on the tour.

Unlike travel agents who plan your holiday from a remote destination to places they sometimes haven’t experienced themselves, Photo Tours offer a comprehensive toehold to experience a place through the guidance of a professional photographer. The common ingredients in all our Photo Tours are fun and a lot of learning and knowledge-sharing. Besides, most or all of our Tour participants are photography enthusiasts, which keeps the group in harmony and helps make your experience focused.

Absolutely! This Tour is meant for fledgling as well as experienced photographers. Beginners get all the advantages of learning on and off the field from Toehold’s eminent Skippers. In fact if you are a newbie, you should jump on this terrific learning opportunity and sign up right away!

However, in order to make the most of the Tour photographically, we recommend that you be familiar with photography fundamentals. If you’re not, we suggest you join an Art and Science of Photography Workshop before the Tour.