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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This was my first photography trip to Africa after a lot of research. Although I spent over 30 days in Africa, my Botswana component was among the most productive and is my favorite country visited. I must say Stu and Justyna's planning and direction for our entire trip is unparalleled and can't thank them enough. Our guides were incredible and the crew that helped us were indispensable. The food during our photo safari was the best for all of the places visited including South Africa. I still don't know how Pula managed to make his wonderful cuisine with so little resources! Our camp crew, Philemon and Ghoms were delightful and truly made me feel cared for and welcome. I have learned much from Stu and only wish I could have had more time learning from him in the field. Stu made our photo safari fun by pairing us with Mark, a like minded gentleman who was a joy to photograph with and talented. The entire experience was amazing with many high quality photo opportunities and think I have captured some magical moments and truly feel enriched by the experience. Thank you so much Stu, Justyna and all involved and I will try to one day do another marvelous adventure with Wild4 African Photographic Safaris !.
Georges McNeil, USA
We were very lucky to have found the Wild 4 Team when we were able to take a short photographic safari as part of a business trip to Cape Town. So when we could plan a photography trip overseas, naturally we contacted Stu and Justyna. We brought along a good friend who wanted to do her first photo safari. To say the three of us had a blast would be to underestimate the experience.
I wonder how many other photographers have been a few feet from a cheetah taking down an impala only to share the kill with a caracal. Other highlights included a rare king cheetah, mating leopards, a den of wild dogs with their pups, photographing and touching a boomslang, green mamba and black mamba, and being surrounded by a herd of elephants.
But perhaps the best part of all was being back with friends whom we know and trust. We know a good thing when we experience it. When we are ready for our next African adventure, you can bet we will contact the Wild 4 Team.
Michael & Toni Anderson, USA