TSAVO - KENYA scouting trip JUNE 2017
Posted by Wild4 Photo Safaris on 11th Jun 2017
In June I went on a scouting trip to check out both East & West Tsavo National Parks in Kenya.
These are just some of my thoughts on the two locations, and some photographs. I also stoppd at Amboseli for a couple of nights, staying at Amboseli Serena Lodge.
Firstly Tsavo East - this I found to be a great park and I did get some great images here. It is very quiet on the tourist side so it has a wonderfu atmosphere of true adventure. We stuck to the rivers a lot as there are not that many game drive roads. All the general game species are there, but a great find was the Lesser Kudu which are common in Tsavo and I think one of the most beautiful of the African Antelopes. We were lucky to find Lions too. It is good for bird life and the “Red ELEPHANTS” are spectacular to see. It seems like a place that can surprise you, you just do not know what is around the next corner. I would go back, but it is not a park I would visit on my one and only to trip to Africa. It is different to other parks so I weould visit it if you wanted to see something different and had already been on other safaris before.
Tsavo West was completely different to East as far as the terrain goes, very hilly and higher in altitude with some spectacular views from “Roaring Rocks” and “Poachers Lookout” (what great names too ) Tsavo West also have the very visible Lava Fields that only flowed around 200 years ago, and it has Mzima Springs, the clear water spring , famous for its underwater hide where you can be lucky to see Hippos and Crocodiles beneath the surface. On my visit there were a lot of fish and a Crocodile.. I also saw the Fringe Eared Oryx for the first time, and Tsavo is very good for birds, there were a number of species that you also find in Samburu, including one of my favourites, the Golden Breasted Starling, a stunning bird and common in Tsavo.
I think Tsavo West is perhaps a tiny bit more interesting due to is terrain.
We will be running a new trip in June 2018 to Tsavo, Amboseli and the Mara.. doing a combination of these three parks will offer a different experieince and different photo opportunities.
Enjoy some photos from the trip.
Kind regards
Stu
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I just returned from the 2017 'Birds of Kruger' safari, and it was a delight. This was by no means my first trip to Kruger, but I don't recall ever sighting so many birds - or other animals - in a single trip. Stefan's ability to spot, track and anticipate the movement of animals is superb - from the smallest LBJ to the Big 5. This allowed him to place the vehicle in the best spot for photography and I can rightly say that this trip produced more 'keepers' than any other safari I have been on. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone interested in birding or bird photography. Stefan and Sandrine were great company and everything about the safari was well organized and ran smoothly: from the initial contact with Justyna, who answered my emails promptly and made all the arrangements (down to my favourite SA snacks - thanks!), to Sandrine's excellent coffee every morning before sunrise, and Stefan's patience and good humour that never wavered. I am already planning my next trip with WILD4 and would highly recommend them for an unforgettable African experience.
Annari, Canada
We couldn’t have enjoyed our trip with Wild 4 more. We were made to feel extremely welcome right from our very first e-mail contact, something which continued throughout our trip and beyond. We’d like to thank Stu, Justyna, Ann, & John for being such wonderful and enthusiastic hosts. Being looked after by such a friendly and caring family was a delight and we were very reluctant to leave after two weeks.
Stu is a very knowledgeable, hard-working and helpful guide, always on hand with useful pointers and offering us plenty of encouragement to experiment with our photography. Having a whole row each of a specially adapted safari vehicle was a real find, ensuring we didn’t miss out on any of the action. Being able to stay out in the bush all day was also a real bonus. While many other vehicles drove off after only a few minutes, we were able to spend hours observing groups of lions and other wildlife.
As this was our first African safari, Stu suggested we spend the first few nights at the Big Cats reserve and this proved to be a magical experience, with some great close-up action that resulted in some beautiful shots. It is a great place to hone your existing skills & learn some new ones.
Given the opportunity we would go again tomorrow without any hesitation. Simply perfect!
Arnoud & Lynsey Van Foreest, NETHERLANDS