BEST of KENYA photo safari TRIP REPORT Nov 2017
Posted by Wild4 Photo Safaris on 28th Nov 2017
Unfortunately I was late in joining this photo safari due to my back giving out at the 10 pin bowling alley on Molly's 9th Birthday !! , I don't think I will be bowling again soon.
However the team headed on to Samburu without me and were very well looked after by Julius and ably supported by his team mates, James and Tim.
The short rains had begun early this year and Samburu was very wet and muddy, adding some extra excitement to the game drives. The Ewaso Nyiro River was flowing fast and had burst its banks just a few weeks before the trip started. There were still good sightings but due to all the rain water lying around in puddles, there was not the usual gathering of animals to drink at the river.
Next stop was Lake Nakuru, the water level was down a bit from last year and so the access point to the flamingos was a bit closer, but still not as close as it used to be in the past. Nakuru has other things to photograph and the team was kept busy with the Rothschild Giraffe, Rhino and a good variety of birds.
Finally the group ended up in the Maasai Mara which never dissapoints, and I managed to catch up with the team for the last few days, which offered a number of great opportunities, including fantastic Giraffe at sunrise, lots of Lions, a beautiful female Leopard and on our final morning, Malaika the female Cheetah and her two large cubs chased two male Topis that were so busy with their own dispute that they did not even notice three Cheetah running in on them. The pure speed of a Cheetah is something to behold and they caught up with the Topi in no time at all and even ran past them, but the size of the Topi put them off and the Cheetah gave up.. what a fantastic final morning game drive !!
Many thanks to Julius for leading the team in my absence and also to James and Tim for guiding their respective clients.
I also wanted to thank everyone for joining this Kenya Photo Safari, Linda, Raj, Peter, Jody, Jim, Lesley and Steve. Thanks so much again for all your understanding, I wish I could have been with you for the entire trip.
Please enjoy a selection of photos from the trip, most taken by the clients and a few by myself.
Best wishes
Stu
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For thirty-five years I had dreamed of going on a photographic safari in South Africa. This year I finally realized that dream and it is fair to say that my hopes and expectations were surpassed in every way.
I had done extensive research on African photographic safaris on the Internet before settling on Wild 4 photo safaris. What an inspired choice that turned out to be! This family company run by Stu Porter and his wife, Justyna, and aided by Stu’s parents, John and Ann, provides the perfect safari experience for photographers of every skill level.
Stu is one South Africa’s finest wild-life photographers and a first-class teacher into the bargain. His knowledge of the habitat and habits of the animals and birds to be found in Kruger National Park is simply encyclopaedic. I was accompanied on the trip by my 25 year-old daughter, Amy, and we eagerly adapted to the early morning wake-up call to go off into the wilds in one of Stu’s specially fitted jeeps to photograph animals at sunrise.
Every day brought its special moments whether the spectacle of lions mating just a few metres from the jeep, or leopards lying lazily in the grass digesting a meal, or elephants and hippos frolicking in a river. The days sped by and we returned home with thousands of photographs of birds and animals to sort through and cherish for the memories they bring back.
A safari with Wild 4 is more than a photographic experience with a master photographer: it is an initiation into the wonders of South Africa – its wild-life and spectacular landscapes - and, above all, an experience of friendship as everyone aboard the jeep bond in common purpose.
Everything about Wild 4 is first class: organization is superb, accommodations excellent, choices of locale perfect. Our safari with Stu and Wild4 was truly the experience of a life-time.
Andrew Oliver, CANADA
Bastian and I enjoyed the Migration photo safari very much. We realize that we have been very fortunate to see so many crossings and animals in such a short period of time.
The safari was well organized, all accomondations were first class and the food certainly a nice surprise. One could not have expected such good food in the wilderness! James and Julius took good care of us and were one reason that we saw so much different and exciting wildlife. You picked a great support team for this safari!
Bastian and I learned a lot of new photo techniques from you, which we will use in the future to improve our photographic results. Bastian for sure got hooked on time lapse, I'm sure he will be back in touch with you, sharing some of the work I expect he will create soon. Thanks to you and all your preparation, your guidance and support, this was a once in a life time experience. We will never forget these fantastic sights and animals and our photographs will always remind us of you and the great time we spent together.
Now we have the difficult task to sort through thousands of images. One day it will be done and I hope my DVD will do justice reflecting the beauty of Masai Mara. Not an easy task but a welcomed challenge.
Bastian & Matthias Freund, USA