Big Five & The Best Of Kenya - Ambosely, Nakuru & Masai Mara

A safari in Africa sits at the top of many travellers’ bucket lists. Coming face to face with the Big Five is an impressive and unforgettable experience. One of the best places for wildlife viewing, Kenya would offer you with unique nature and wildlife which is a dream for any wildlife photographer. It is a perfect destination to go on safari and spot the Big Five. Our photography tours are designed exclusively to give every wildlife photographer the opportunity to make images which would stand out amongst the best in the profession. In this guided tour our primary focus would be on the Big Five, namely elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion and rhino, and any actions surrounding them. We will also cover some of the most important and talked about species in all the three parks, thus covering the “Best of Kenya” in all three parks, Amboseli, Nakuru and Masai Mara. Kindly note that this is NOT a bird photography tour. However we will try and cover the important and most talked about bird species of Mara, like secretary birds, hornbills, crowned cranes, ostriches, depending upon our timings. Paying attention to composition and mood over just record shots would be our key intention.

We will begin our quest from Amboseli National Park, situated in the southern most part of Kenya. The park is famous for being the best place in the world to get close to free-ranging elephants. The park also has views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Undoubtedly it gives wildlife photographers the opportunity to make some of the most beautiful images of elephants with Mt. Kilimanjaro at the backdrop. 

In the next phase we will head to Lake Nakuru, one of the Rift Valley soda lakes at an elevation of 1,754 m (5,755 ft) above sea level. It lies to the south of Nakuru, in the rift valley of Kenya and is protected by Lake Nakuru National Park. Nakuru means “Dust or Dusty Place” in the Masai language. Established in 1961, It started off small, only encompassing the famous lake and the surrounding mountainous vicinity, but has since been extended to include a large part of the savannahs. It is best known for its thousands, sometimes millions of flamingos nesting along the shores. The area is used as a sanctuary to protect Rothschild’s giraffes, as well as both black and white rhinos.

We will continue with the last phase of our tour and head to Masai Mara which is considered as the World Cup of Wildlife. It is situated in south-west Kenya and is one of Africa’s Greatest Wildlife Reserves. Rightly called the Mecca of Wildlife, together with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania it forms Africa’s most diverse, incredible and most spectacular eco-systems and possibly the world’s top safari big game viewing eco-system offering wildlife photographers the images they have dreamed of.

Who can join this photography tour?

Like all our photography tours and expeditions, this exclusively guided tour is meant for those who would prefer making images rather than taking images. If you understand and respect the concept of making images rather than taking random shots, if you would like to pay attention to composition, frames, moods and story telling when it comes to wildlife photography, if you have the patience to wait to make that one image which would tell a thousand stories, if you understand and respect the difference between wildlife safari and wildlife photography safari then this tour is exactly what you are looking for.

Highlights

Optional Masai cultural program and village visit. (Not included in the package. Price to be paid directly at spot)

Africa is a home for the Big Five – Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Cape Buffalo. But when we talk about wildlife, Masai Mara houses a large group of other animals including cheetahs, hyenas, wildebeests, impalas, zebras, jackals, servals and bat-eared foxes. It is also home for a large species of birds, many of which are migrants: vultures, marabou storks, secretary birds, hornbills, crowned cranes, ostriches, long-crested eagles, African pygmy-falcons and the lilac-breasted roller, which is the national bird of Kenya.

Lake Nakuru is one of Kenya’s renowned soda lakes and is world-famous for attracting millions of flamingos to its alkaline shores. Another species for which Nakuru is famous for is black rhinos. The park hosts one of the highest concentrations of the black rhinoceros in the world. Other common wildlife sightings include the highly endangered Rothschild’s giraffe, as well as both the Kenyan waterbuck species. Leopards are also spotted regularly and they’re not the only big cat you might spot in the trees! The lions at Lake Nakuru have a knack for climbing and can sometimes be seen lounging along a tree branch.

Amboseli will offer you large elephant herds and views of immense Mount Kilimanjaro, across the border in Tanzania. Observation Hill offers panoramas of the peak and the park’s plains and swamps. Varied wildlife includes giraffes, zebras, cheetahs and hundreds of bird species.

 Day 1 : Pick up from Nairobi Hotel/Airport early morning around 8AM. Drive to Amboseli. The journey would take approximately 4 hours and we will reach before lunch. After lunch we will go for our first game drive. Night at AA Lodge. (Lunch/Dinner)

 Day 2 : After early breakfast we leave for a full day game drive with picnic lunch or we can choose to go for morning 6:30 am to 11am and then 3:30pm to 6:30pmy game drives. This small but unique park with its great diversity makes Amboseli a National Park in Kenya that is absolutely worth visiting. We will focus on making some beautiful elephant images with Mt. Kilimanjaro at the backdrop on a clear day. This park is also famous for some of its Lion prides, Cheetahs and Hippos in marshy areas. Night at Amboseli AA lodge. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

 Day 3 : Early morning after breakfast head to Lake Nakuru. It is almost a 6 and 1/2 hours drive. We will have lunch on the way or at Nakuru. After lunch we will go for an afternoon game drive. Night at Golden Palace/City Max. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

 Day 4 : After early breakfast at camp, we will spend the entire day with packed lunch at Lake Nakuru National Park. The park is an important stronghold for the rare Rothschild’s giraffe. Aside from the widespread Vervet monkey and Olive baboon, the beautiful Black-and-white Colobus monkey can sometimes be found in the acacia forest. Ready with your gears as you may witness something stranger than ever, the tree climbing lions. We will also focus on the white rhinos from our Big Five list, which are hard to find these days in Masai Mara. We might also get a chance to photograph the black rhinos for which the park is famous. Night at Golden Palace/City Max. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

 Day 5 : Early morning after breakfast head to Masai Mara. It would take approximately 5 hours to reach our camp. Lunch on the way or at the camp. After a quick lunch we will go for our first game drive at Masai Mara. Dinner and night at Lenchada Camp. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

 Day 6, 7 & 8 : For the next 3 days we will do full day game drives with packed lunch at Masai Mara. Our primary focus would be to capture the Big Five and various actions depending on opportunities. Our vehicles would be equipped with radio calling facilities and we would keep receiving information throughout the day for any actions. This is the place which would never disappoint any photographers because of its variety and density of animals. Throughout our game drives we would focus on making some unique compositions and utilize the early morning and late evening for silhouettes and golden light images. Night at Lenchda Camp. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

 Day 9 : Early morning after breakfast we will checkout at around 8AM and leave for Nairobi. The drive would be approximately of 5-6 hours depending on traffic. We will drop you at Hotel/Airport. (Breakfast)

Please note: Please book your flights keeping in mind the trip start time on Day 1 and end time on Day 9. In case you have to stay an extra day at Nairobi before or after the trip, the hotel booking has to be made by you. Some recommended hotels to stay are as below

To register for this photography tour you may send us your query/information through the ‘Contact Us’ tab or directly write to us at info@wildwondersexpeditions.com. We will revert soon with further details and the mode of payment. You may also give us a call at the below numbers.

+91 9874847774 / +91 7439705797