Good news for those who missed out on our 2025 Maasai Mara dates — Pui Hang will be leading a revamped African wildlife photography holiday in the Maasai Mara in 2026.
The trip includes a stay at the Tembo by Jackson bush camp, which offers an intimate, well-positioned base deep in the Mara. We’re also returning in 2026 to the Shompole Wilderness Camp & Hide, giving you the chance to photograph diverse wildlife in the Great Rift Valley.
Better still, these two trips run back to back, so you can combine them into one extended Kenyan photography holiday.
Why the Maasai Mara Works So Well for Photographers
The Mara’s open savannah provides clean backgrounds & long sightlines — ideal conditions for wildlife photography. The Big Five are all present, & the density of predator activity means you rarely have a quiet game drive. The landscape itself shifts from sweeping grassland to acacia-dotted plains, giving you a range of backdrops without needing to travel far.
The Mara’s varied terrain — from grasslands to river crossings — keeps the photographic opportunities fresh throughout the trip.
Here’s what our Maasai Mara trip includes:
Full-day game drives timed around the best light, using specially modified vehicles designed for low-angle photography. You’ll be based in safari tents with ensuite facilities, with Pui Hang leading the group throughout. The itinerary is built around peak season timing, & there’s scope to engage with Maasai culture along the way. Expect close encounters with the Big Five & the kind of predator behaviour the Mara is known for.
Why the Shompole Wilderness?
The Shompole Wilderness Camp sits in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya — a quieter, more remote location that rewards patient photographers. The camp is surrounded by open bush, volcanic ridges & expansive valley views, offering a very different feel to the Mara. Wildlife moves freely through camp, & the light over the Rift Valley at dawn & dusk is consistently excellent. The Maasai communities here are less visited, which makes for more authentic cultural photography too.
Accommodation is in eco-friendly tented suites, & meals use fresh, locally sourced ingredients. A second hide is being built to expand the range of images you can capture from the camp. The setting is well suited to both wildlife & landscape work, with strong compositions available throughout the day.
Whether you’re an experienced wildlife photographer or still building your field skills, both trips are designed to give you strong images & practical learning in some of Kenya’s finest wildlife country.
Book your place now & start planning your 2026 Kenyan photography trip. If you book both trips, as an incentive, NaturesLens will pay for the intervening nights between the trips in Nairobi.
- NaturesLens wildlife photography holidays are structured around photographic opportunity — every schedule decision is made around light, behaviour, & access.
- Small groups of 4–8 photographers ensure unhurried positions & individual guidance.
- Single occupancy accommodation is included as standard across the majority of our trips.
