Kenya Photo Safari 2022 - Back at home.

On my way back to Nairobi from Masai Mara, the road through Narok was full of people going about their daily chores: the vegetable stands, the welding shop, the butchery and the motorcycle “carwash” were all in sight. I started to think on how privileged I am to be able to visit this wonderful country with not one, but two excellent groups of travelers. The images we captured and the time spent together were priceless. The excitement of Sandy’s close encounter with the giraffe in Crescent Island, or Debbie’s wonder when using my 200-600mm lens, after her 300mm died, were some of the highlights of this adventure.

I have to admit, both sessions were really lucky. On session one, we were able to closely follow a female leopard in Samburu and enjoy a family of cheetahs in Masai Mara. But perhaps my most iconic moment was on day one, when I put in a request for an iconic image. I wanted three giraffes walking in front of the Nairobi skyline. I asked Mathew if that was possible, but he didn’t sound too convinced. But not even 30 minutes into our venture in the Nairobi National Park, the dream came true; not bad for the first safari. Then, on the second session, we were greeted by a pride of lions, including an old male mating with a gorgeous lioness. The show went on for almost an hour. Unfortunately for the old guy, he was wearing the scars of previous fights and one of his eyes was very badly injured. I did help him a bit in Photoshop to recover the eye.

Solio Ranch provided some of the best opportunities to photograph White Rhinos and some of our best Secretary bird shots. On the second session, we hit the jackpot when we found a single Saddle-billed stork.

Samburu was perhaps my favorite place, despite the medical emergency at 4am. Luckily, Sandy recovered and the adventure continued. These are the little things that bring extra excitement to the trip. Who can say they were escorted by an armed game warden (who we never saw his face) out of the park in the darkness of the night? Amazingly, I came across the guard on the second session while on safari and I really wanted to personally thank him and give him a token of appreciation, beer money. These guys do an amazing job patrolling the parks day and night to prevent poaching and wildlife harassment from unscrupulous safari operators. We also have the chance to visit to different Samburu tribes and dropped some food supplies. The Samburus are very welcoming people living on a harsh environment and with limited resources. Our exchange was priceless, we learned about their culture and their daily life.

Lake Nakuru gave us great opportunities to photograph a variety of wildlife, but two made my day. On session one, we were able to capture some human-like behaviors from the Olive Baboons and on the second session, we struck gold when we found a flock of Southern Ground Hornbills. I never thought they were that big, almost the size of a young turkey. We also captured zebras crossing the water, rhinos playing in the dirt, and plenty of Nubian giraffes. This place never ceases to amaze me.

Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island produced some great images of fish eagles and close up opportunities with zebras and waterbucks that grazed around the lodge. What a beautiful place!!! I could have stayed there for the whole duration of the trip. Meeting the hyraxes at Hell’s Gate National Park was another highlight. We never thought they were so friendly. On the first session, we experience their curiosity as they fed on the grass around Fischer’s Tower, and on the second, they introduced us to their new generation. At least five babies were seen playing between the rocks, providing us with ample opportunities for family shots.

Finally, the Mara, the most iconic safari destination in Kenya, and perhaps one of the busiest. On arrival day, we experienced lions mating, cheetahs hunting and a plethora of migrating ungulates. Elephants and giraffes also dotted the landscape with intermittent appearances. This place is a dream location for predators like leopards, lions, cheetahs and hyenas, but it’s also home to other interesting characters like the jackals, the banded mongooses and a variety of vultures.

Finally, as we approached the busy roads of Nairobi, I could only think on how many Kenyans get to experience what we just did? The answer is, not many. Count your blessings and live every day as if it was your last.

Again, thanks for joining me on this great adventure.