Wildlife Hides & Safaris of Kenya - £3999 per participant
- When
- 19th - 25th October 2022
- Cost
- £3999 per participant
- Availability
- places available.
2022 – Wildlife Hides & Safaris of Kenya Photography Holiday
October 19 - October 25
£3999
Join NaturesLens, in Nairobi, then transfer to our exclusive lodge for this 9-night photography trip to Kenya. After spending your first night in Nairobi, you will spend 6 nights in the camp, taking photo opportunities with aardwolf, spoonbill, dik-dik, elephant, genet, giraffe, gazelle, flamingo, honey badger, impala, kudu, leopard, lion, martial eagle, mongoose, ostrich, pelican, porcupine, secretary bird, hyena, wild cat & more.
The lodge that is the cornerstone for our Wildlife Hides & Safaris of Kenya photography holiday is family-owned & operates in the heart of the Kenyan wilderness on land responsibly leased from the local Maasai community. It is owned by people who have a love for wildlife & wilderness areas, who wanted to protect it, & then share it with the world.
The conservancy that we will be located in, is 25,000 hectares & shares a border with another conservancy which is 60,000 hectares. The lodge we are using is the ONLY lodge in the area & from there, we will have exclusive access to both conservancies. With such a large area to roam, it is rare to come across any other car on a game drive.
The lodge that is the cornerstone for our Wildlife Hides & Safaris of Kenya photography holiday is family-owned & operates in the heart of the Kenyan wilderness on land responsibly leased from the local Maasai community. It is owned by people who have a love for wildlife & wilderness areas, who wanted to protect it, & then share it with the world.
The conservancy that we will be located in, is 25,000 hectares & shares a border with another conservancy which is 60,000 hectares. The lodge we are using is the ONLY lodge in the area & from there, we will have exclusive access to both conservancies. With such a large area to roam, it is rare to come across any other car on a game drive.
The area is a wildlife paradise with impala, dik-dik, kudu, Grants gazelle, giraffe, elephant, lions, leopards, cheetah, aardwolf, striped & spotted hyena, colobus monkey, vervet monkeys, genet, wild cat, bush babies, porcupine, honey badgers & various mongoose. The list does go on with the only significant species you will not find in the conservancy is the rhino.
The neighbouring river is stunning for evening sundowners or just an afternoon with chairs in the river reading a book or watching the wildlife come to drink at various points.
We have also planned to take a trip to a Fig tree forest with huge tree canopies inhabited by Colobus Monkey families.
Unlike other areas around Africa, the night drives are incredibly productive, & because the lodge is located in a generally warmer area, the night drives are undertaken in a comfortable temperature, with guests going out in shorts & not feeling cold, adding a different dynamic to the safari experience.
There will also be the option (at additional cost) to do some aerial photography from a helicopter. There really is nothing is as remarkable as seeing the area from the skies in a helicopter due to the incredible patterns & colours on the nearby lakes. The lakes are like paintings & to appreciate them truly you need to get above them into the skies.
During the dry season, the hide is guaranteed daily action with visits from large herds of zebra, impala, vervet monkeys & baboon troops in the mornings & afternoons.
The waterhole & hide are the high point of this Kenyan photographic experience in our opinion. It is an experience that requires patience to camp out in the hide & wait, but the results are worth it when the animals do visit. The best part about this 8-night trip is that you will have 4 nights overlooking the waterhole from the hide!
Photographable Species: aardwolf, african spoonbill, bush baby, cheetah, colobus monkey, dik dik, elephant, genet, giraffe, grants gazelle, greater flamingo, honey badger, impala, kudu, leopard, lesser flamingo, lion, martial eagle, mongoose, ostrich, pelican, porcupine, secretary bird, spotted hyena, striped hyena, vervet monkey, wild cat
Jeffrey Wu kindly provided all images on this page, view more of his images on his web site.
Birdlife at the lodge is excellent. The lodge has had a guest record of over 110 species of birds in three days whilst in camp from martial eagles, ostrich & secretary birds to greater & lesser flamingo, African spoonbills & pelicans in the lakes to the smaller weavers & sunbirds.
Since we will be staying in a private conservancy, our group will have full rights to drive off the road with no time limits on return to camp, allowing complete freedom to the wilderness at all times.
The neighbouring river is stunning for evening sundowners or just an afternoon with chairs in the river reading a book or watching the wildlife come to drink at various points.
We will be taking trips away from the conservancy to visit the nearby salt lakes, virtually guaranteeing Flamingo photography opportunities & lots of other salt lake birds.
We have also planned to take a trip to a Fig tree forest with huge tree canopies inhabited by Colobus Monkey families.
Unlike other areas around Africa, the night drives are incredibly productive, & because the lodge is located in a generally warmer area, the night drives are undertaken in a comfortable temperature, with guests going out in shorts & not feeling cold, adding a different dynamic to the safari experience.
There will also be the option (at additional cost) to do some aerial photography from a helicopter. There really is nothing is as remarkable as seeing the area from the skies in a helicopter due to the incredible patterns & colours on the nearby lakes. The lakes are like paintings & to appreciate them truly you need to get above them into the skies.
The crowning glory for the lodge, & indeed our Wildlife Hides & Safaris of Kenya photography holiday, is the underground photographic hide located in front of a waterhole. The lodge has had a waterhole in front of the camp from inception & the photographic hide has recently undergone some upgrades to make it even more comfortable. This hide will be used throughout the week for both day & night photography sessions.
The waterhole & underground photographic hide comprises of a 20 foot, air-conditioned container, complete with bar, fridge, library & wine rack! A lot of thought has gone into it, including carpeting the floors for soundproofing noise. The external lights can be controlled individually from within the hide, the lip of the waterhole has been remodelled to look natural as has the approach so that photographers can see the entire animal as it approaches & drinks from the pool. Being air-conditioned, it is very comfortable for photography, but also just for sitting & watching animals in the comfort of camp.
During the dry season, the hide is guaranteed daily action with visits from large herds of zebra, impala, vervet monkeys & baboon troops in the mornings & afternoons.
On almost every evening, the waterhole is active with guests having dinner & experiencing everything from lion, spotted & striped hyena, buffalo, aardwolf, leopard, giraffe, genets, & even on the auspicious occasion – porcupine! cheetah has been spotted at the waterhole during the late afternoon however this is rare & more commonly found on the plains. During 2020, wild dog have infrequently been observed coming through the area but this occurrence is becoming more frequent.
The waterhole & hide are the high point of this Kenyan photographic experience in our opinion. It is an experience that requires patience to camp out in the hide & wait, but the results are worth it when the animals do visit. The best part about this 8-night trip is that you will have 4 nights overlooking the waterhole from the hide!
Our Wildlife Hides & Safaris of Kenya photography holiday is an opportunity to undertake a genuinely exclusive experience, in an exclusive conservancy & lodge. Our trip is inclusive of a well-stocked bar, with top-shelf vodkas, gins, whiskies, rums, wines etc. all included in the rate.
Photographable Species: aardwolf, african spoonbill, bush baby, cheetah, colobus monkey, dik dik, elephant, genet, giraffe, grants gazelle, greater flamingo, honey badger, impala, kudu, leopard, lesser flamingo, lion, martial eagle, mongoose, ostrich, pelican, porcupine, secretary bird, spotted hyena, striped hyena, vervet monkey, wild cat
Wildlife Hides & Safaris of Kenya Photography Holiday Itinerary
day 1
flight from home location - overnight in nairobi
day 2
transfer to our exclusive lodge - photography from hides in our exclusive lodge - overnight at our exclusive lodge
day 3
morning & afternoon game drives in our exclusive lodge - overnight at our exclusive lodge
day 4
photography from hides in our exclusive lodge - overnight at our exclusive lodge
day 5
morning & afternoon game drives in our exclusive lodge - overnight at our exclusive lodge
day 6
photography from hides in our exclusive lodge - overnight at our exclusive lodge
day 7
morning game drive in our exclusive lodge - return to nairobi for flight to home location
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