Duration & Fees
Please note: The currency conversion is an estimate based on today's exchange rates and is to be used as a guide only. All payments to Amanzi Travel have to be made in Pounds Sterling (GBP)
Start Dates
1 Feb – 28 Feb 2020 (Mara Training Centre)
2 Nov – 29 Nov 2020 (Mara Training Centre)
Payment
30% of course fee is required as a deposit at time of booking – the balance is due 12 weeks before departure
What's Included
- Accommodation (sharing)
- Meals
- Tea, coffee and cordials
- Instruction and Training
- Game Walks
- Open vehicle game drives and specialist trainers
- KPSGA Qualification Fee
What's not included
- Transfers/transport to and from the camp, before and after the course
- Travel insurance to cover the period of the course (to include cover for repatriation)
- Tourist visas
- Any accommodation before and after the course
- Beverages (beer, ciders, bottled water)
- Personal items, clothes, travel goods etc
- Spending money – for drinks etc
Whether you’ve chosen a professional career linked to wildlife or nature, have just finished school and are on your gap year, if you’ve possibly taken a career break or are a regular traveller to the bush, this course is for you. It is structured to maximise the practical experience of our learners in the bush.
Each day allows for hours of time spent in the field interpreting the ecology and enjoying a wildlife experience.
WHAT WE COVER
- Field guiding as a profession
- Basic 4×4 driving
- Navigation and orientation
- Radio procedures
- Ecology
- Reptiles
- Geology and soil
- Amphibians
- Fish
- Mammals
- Weather and climate
- Anticipating animal behaviour
Mara Training Centre, Kenya
Located on the banks of the Mara river, the centre is nestled between communities and the wildlife conservancies. The courses provide insight into the issues of cohabitation and conflict between the community herdsmen with their livestock and crops and the wildlife.
The Mara Training centre evolved from informal community meetings under an acacia tree within the Enonkishu Conservancy to what it has become today.
Enonkishu was founded in 2009 by Tarquin and Philippa Wood, whom together with their neighbours established a community to work together to protect the fragile northeastern boundary of the Mara Serengeti ecosystem. The aim is to improve livelihoods and maintain heritage through wildlife compatible land uses such as ecotourism and improved livestock production in the region.
Enonkishu was established and today secures 6000 acres of wildlife grazing rangelands, owned by the resident community on the edge of the Greater Mara Ecosystem. It has become a world-class wildlife viewing conservancy.
Traversing is not limited to Enonkishu alone, we also have access to two other conservancies in close proximity. Ol Choro Oiroua Conservancy covers 17,000 acres of a group ranch in the most northern section of Masai Mara wilderness. The conservancy logistics and land are managed by Seiya Limited under the guardianship of Fairmont Kenya, and the Fairmont airstrip is also the closest air link to our camp.
Lemek Conservancy is another of Kenya’s wildlife management success stories though with a twist. Most part of Lemek-Koiyaki has now merged with the adjoining Mara North thus reducing Lemek’s size to around 19000 acres. The land was once privately owned by the Maasai communities before being transitioned to the Koyaiki Group Ranch and Lemek Group Ranch. The group ranches became key partners in the introduction of the conservancy. Measures are taken to set aside areas of the conservancy that served as valuable habitats for flora and fauna. Guest accommodations and activity services are provided to generate revenue to operate the conservancy, as well as benefit local communities. The result is a relatively small conservancy with few visitors, good wildlife viewing and pleasant scenery.
Animals
Wildebeest, topi, zebra, and Thomson’s gazelle migrate into and occupy the Masai Mara National Reserve, from the Serengeti plains to the south and Loita Plains in the pastoral ranches to the north-east, from July to October or later. Herds of all three species are also resident in the reserve.
All members of the “Big Five” (lion, leopard, African elephant, cape buffalo, and black rhinoceros) are found in the Masai Mara. Hippopotami and crocodiles are found in large groups in the Mara and Talek rivers. Leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, jackals, and bat-eared foxes can also be found in the reserve.The plains between the Mara River and the Esoit Siria Escarpment are probably the best area for game viewing, in particular regarding lion and cheetah.
Weather
The climate is pleasantly warm, with cool nights, all year round. The area is located just south of the Equator, but at an altitude between 1,500 and 1,900 metres. The temperatures are slightly higher from October to March, while they are slightly cooler from June to August. At night it can be a little cold, and the temperature can drop below 10 °C, especially from June to August.
Certification and Accreditation
If several written tests, oral presentations and practical assessment are successfully completed, you will be awarded an certificate upon completion as well as the KPSGA Bronze level qualification. Please note that the KPSGA Qualification is optional and it is important to inform the office upon registration whether you want to do the KPSGA Bronze qualification assessment. The exam is an hour-long multiple-choice paper of 100 questions.
The Mara Training Centre has very comfortable accommodation overlooking the Mara River, including the recently completed student accommodation called the “Eco Camp”
The sleeping arrangements at the camp consist of two people sharing per unit, if you are a couple or friends who would like to share please do let Amanzi Travel know upon booking. Women and men do not share tents unless booked as a couple.
All meals are included as deteiled below:
Early morning wake-up` (tea, coffee, biscuits, fresh fruit and cereal)
Brunch after activity (cooked breakfast and fruit salad)
Afternoon tea (light lunch/ sandwiches)
Dinner (balanced, warm plated meal with meat, vegetables and salad)
Kenya - Make Your Dreams Come True With Amanzi Travel
Why visit Kenya
For a country of its size, Kenya really does pack a lot in: mountains and deserts, colourful tribal culture, beaches and coral reefs and some of Africa’s best wildlife attractions. Stunning landscapes set the scene, from Kakamega’s rainforests to Indian Ocean beaches and idyllic islands such as Lamu, by way of Mount Kenya National Park, the rolling grasslands of the Masai Mara to searing deserts on the shores of the Jade Sea; with the Rift Valley, home to millions of breeding flamingos on Lake Nakuru and spectacular birdlife and hippo families on Lake Naivasha, cleaving a massive gash through it all.
Wildlife safaris have been hugely popular in Kenya for decades, with legendary personalities such Ernest Hemingway and Karen Blixen highlighting their appeal, and films such as Out of Africa and Born Free portraying the romance, thrill and excitement of the country. Kenya has over twelve national wildlife parks, being among the best places in Africa to see lions, elephants, leopards and the famous wildebeest migration. The Masai Mara is famous for its annual Great Migration of more than two million wildebeest and thousands of Thomson's gazelle, zebra and impala. Aside from the Migration, game-viewing is excellent throughout the year. Large herds of elephant are common sights in the dry, ancient lakebed of Amboseli National Park, as are buffalo, gazelle, giraffe and zebra. In addition to the wildlife in Tsavo National Park, the Mzima Springs are popular, where millions of litres of cool, crystal-clear water flow out of the ground through porous volcanic rocks. The Samburu Game Park is a narrow plain giving way to rocky hillsides which are home to leopard. A highlight of these Parks is watching large numbers of elephant bathing in the Ewaso Nyiro River. The possibilities of trekking the glacial ridges of Mount Kenya, ballooning over the Masai Mara, snorkelling at the Marine National Park in Malindi on the Indian Ocean are all very real in Kenya.
Highlights of Kenya
- Kenya immortalised the safari with legendary personalities such as Ernest Hemingway and Karen Blixen, and films such as Out of Africa and Born Free.
- Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve is renowned for the annual Great Migration of millions of herbivores – one of the seven new wonders of the world.
- Masai and Samburu tribes-people live and tend their livestock alongside the resident wildlife.
- The country abounds in diverse landscapes, including the spectacular Great Rift Valley.
- It is one of the best countries in Africa for seeing large concentrations of animals throughout the year.
- Kenya is a birdwatcher's dream destination, with more than 1,000 species recorded.
- Lake Nakuru is a breeding ground for flamingo - up to two million birds can be found, and greater and lesser flamingos also migrate along Lakes Magadi, Elmenteita, Bogoria and Turkana.
- Mount Kenya is the second highest mountain in Africa and features a number of permanent glaciers. The best view of Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro is from Kenya's Amboseli National Park.
- The coastline is beautiful, particularly the Lamu Archipelago, featuring the islands of Lamu, Manda and Pate. Old Lamu Town is a World Heritage Site.
Climate
| Seasons | Max | Min |
| Summer (September - April) |
34 °C |
20 °C |
| Winter (May - August) |
25 °C |
11 °C |
| Rainfall: April - June (long rains), October - Mid December (short rains) |
Kenya is divided by the Equator and its diverse geography means that temperature, rainfall and humidity vary widely. However, there are effectively four distinct zones:
The hot, rainy plateau of western Kenya has rainfall throughout the year, the heaviest usually during April when as much as 200mm may be recorded, and the lowest in January, with an average of 40mm. Temperatures range from a minimum of 14°C to a maximum of 36°C throughout the year.
The temperate Rift Valley and Central Highlands have perhaps the most agreeable climate in the country. Average temperatures vary from a minimum of 10°C to a maximum of 28°C. Rainfall varies from a minimum of 20mm in July to 200mm in April, falling in essentially two seasons – March to the beginning of June (the ‘long rains’) and October to the end of November (the ‘short rains’). Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Range are the country’s main water catchments, with falls of up to 3000mm per year recorded in these places.
In the semi-arid bush-lands of northern and eastern Kenya temperatures vary from highs of up to 40°C during the day to less than 20°C at night. Rainfall in this area is sparse and, when it does occur, is often in the form of violent storms. July is usually the driest month and November the wettest.
The consistently average temperatures of the humid coast region vary little during the year, ranging from 22°C to 30°C. Rainfall is dependent on the monsoon, which blows from the north-east from October to April and from the south-west for the rest of the year. Its rainfall averages from 20mm in February to around 300mm in May.
Depending on when the rains come, the Great Migration normally reaches Kenya around July. Hundreds of thousands of herbivores then disperse onto the plains of the Masai Mara for the next couple of months.
Key Facts
Population – 39 million
Capital - Nairobi
Currency – Kenya shilling
Language – Kiswahili, English, tribal languages
Nairobi, from the Masaai "enkare nyarobi" means "Place of Cool Waters"
“jambo rafiki” – hello friend
Time difference – GMT +3 hours
Telephone – country code 254, international code 00
I am in the process of using Amanzi travel for a course in Africa. Not only is the service top notch and offers a variety of courses & projects but also all the communication with Gemma has been outstanding so far. She is very quick in getting back with information and answering all our questions. A true gem. Having such great correspondence and help makes the whole process much easier! Barbara
Barbara, UK