Handcrafted for wildlife photographers, this adventurous, 10-day Kenyan safari will give you the ultimate angles of wildlife photography encounters in two of the most wildlife prime reserves in Kenya. You will explore with specialist guides and on private game drives that venture off the trail to achieve the ultimate shots. Ease into Big Five photography in Laikipia, capture iconic scenes in the Maasai Mara. Expect to return home with eternal and ineffable photos of Africa’s icons.
Upon arrival you will be picked up by your safari guide and transferred to Emakoko. A small boutique lodge with only ten rooms and one private house, The Emakoko is uniquely positioned on the southern boundary of the Nairobi National Park. Home to, and hosted by Emma and Anthony Childs and their small family, it is the ideal place to start or end a safari within the wildlife environment that guests come on safari to experience. The drive time from both the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the domestic Wilson airport is only forty five minutes, the majority of which is spent game driving through Nairobi National Park. Within twenty minutes of clearing Customs and Immigration one can be game driving through Nairobi National Park to get to The Emakoko.
Kenya’s first and oldest National Park, Nairobi National Park is surprisingly deceptive. The Park is over 100 sq km in size and has one of East Africa’s most successful black rhino breeding population. A bird lovers paradise the Park has a spectacular abundance of fauna and flora and is home to four of the Big Five. The proximity of Nairobi, albeit on the other side of a National Park, gives The Emakoko’s guests an unrivaled flexibility in daily choices. Game drives in the Park are incredibly productive while excursions and forays into the Karen and Langata area to visit The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum and other local attractions are popular. The Emakoko can also take guests to nearby art galleries, local shops and cafes.
No photography experience can fully prepare you for taking photos in the Kenyan wilderness. There are unique challenges here, and you will discover them during this first day on safari. After flying directly to Laikipia, check in at Solio Lodge, you will spend today on a game drive with a photographer guide. Venturing off the trail is really important because it provides more angles and proximity. Stability will not be a challenge. Special clamps are fitted to the vehicle and can support the largest of lenses. You can also make use of beanbag-style supports, which are great for quick shots when you are on the move. You will never know exactly what you might encounter, and it is usually the unknown that leads to the most breathtaking photos.
These two days will be completely private and tailored around the photos that you want to take. Laikipia is a private conservancy, so you can drive off the trails. There will be nobody else in the vehicle, which means that you can spend as much time at specific scenes and capture wildlife from a complete variety of angles. Naturally, the game drives will maximize the best light at the beginning and end of the day. This is also when animals are most active. This is a fabulous destination for capturing photos of rhinos. Back and white rhinos live here in large numbers, and hopefully, you will be able to capture a shot of the two side by side. Big cat sightings are common with lions, leopards, and cheetahs being regularly spotted. Overall, these two days can revolve around any animals that you wish to photograph.
After breakfast, you will fly off to Maasai Mara. On arrival you will check in at the Ol Seki Hemingways Mara. You will not be allowed to drive off the trail in Maasai Mara National Reserve, but the reserve is far larger than the Laikipia wilderness, and you will be staying in the Mara Triangle, which is an area that sees far fewer vehicles because it is furthest from the area of budget accommodation. It is also the best location for balloon safaris. You can capture some wonderful photos while soaring above the Mara plains at dawn in a hot-air balloon. Another iconic Masai Mara photo will be of the Mara River, where crocodiles wait in the water, often revealing two rows of teeth. Many Mara species come here to drink, and you can probably photograph an assortment of different animals that are seeking safety in numbers.
Four days in Masai Mara National Reserve should provide you with the opportunity to capture many classic photos of Big cats, elephants, grasslands, large herds, and riverside scenes. A photographer guide will also join you for the first day of game drives. Here, you can travel off the trail, which is very important if you want to capture a wide range of animals and behaviors. All of the big cats flourish in Mara North, where there are fewer vehicles and plenty of prey. Leopards and cheetahs are solitary animals, but working in pairs means access to a larger range and bigger prey. As with your previous destinations, it will be important to always have your camera on hand.
Hemingways Ol Seki Mara is located in the heart of the Naboisho Conservancy which borders the Maasai Mara Reserve. This stunning private tented camp is your enclave of luxury in the wildest terrain of Kenya. 9 exclusive luxury tents with 270° panoramic views of the Mara plains. The name Ol Seki means ‘sandpaper tree’, a tree that symbolises peace and harmony for the Maasai people. And everything about the camp is intended to bring the same peace and harmony to travellers here! One of the most sophisticated camps in this part of Kenya, Ol Seki is highly recommended for travellers looking for a retreat-style property well away from large crowds. Accommodation is booked on an all-inclusive basis, featuring all meals, a selection of alcoholic and soft drinks, all scheduled activities, transfers between the camp and Ol Seki Naboisho airstrip, and Wi-Fi. The camp is open all year, apart from mid-April to end of May.
This morning will be flexible, so you can choose to go on a final game drive or hang out at the camp before your mid-morning flight to Nairobi. In the Kenyan capital, you will be transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your outbound flight.
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