South Kenya Special: Tusks, Dust and Twilight – Africa – 2027

Day 1: We will look to arrive in Nairobi in the early evening after our international flights and will then transfer to an airport hotel for the night.

Day 2: In the morning, we will head to Wilson airport for our private charter to Amboseli National Park to the south. On arrival we will head to our base for the next 4 nights which is the very comfortable Ol Tukai Lodge. After lunch we will head out for our first afternoon game drive in the park with a full row of seats for each guest to allow full flexibility photographically. After our first drive we will return to the comfort of the Lodge and dinner before settling into the pattern of the next few very full days here.

Days 3 – 5: We will be out for sunrise every morning with a mid-day break when the light gets too harsh before returning out later in the afternoon through until sunset. The Amboseli ecosystem has one of the highest densities of elephant anywhere in Africa with huge herds of over 100 individuals so these will be our focus during our time here, especially given the dramatic settings of the dry and dusty Amboseli pan and equally dramatic backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro. The dusty conditions throughout our time here will create dynamic photo opportunities for the full array of wildlife including lions, zebra, and buffalo all of which can look stunning in these circumstances. With the possibility of some of the last remaining large tuskers to be found in Kenya a very real possibility here too, we can be sure of a full and exciting number of days of photography.

Day 6: We will have time for a short drive on our final morning here before our private charter into the heart of the Great Rift Valley, southwest of the city and our base for the next 4 nights at Shompole Wilderness Camp. We should arrive in time for lunch and to get ourselves ready for our first of 4 overnight hide sessions in the different hides they have for our exclusive use. The hides attract wildlife as dusk approaches for beautifully lit subjects and then once the dark falls the amazing array of lighting options they provide takes things to another level: fully flexible front, side and back lighting offer an array of styles and creativity to every visiting species.

Days 7 – 9: We will look to spend the next 3 days and nights in a similar pattern of returning to camp first thing to freshen up, have brunch and catch up on some sleep/rest before heading out towards the end of the afternoon to resume our night-time sessions. It is worth noting that there can be an option to cut the overnight session short on a planned and daily basis should you choose. The camp is also situated near to Lake Magadi which at this time of year is home to large numbers of Lesser Flamingos and on one morning after returning to camp we have scheduled a low-level door-off helicopter flight for everyone which will allow for some amazing top down vistas and images of them as they feed and fly across the impressive patterned lake and its surrounding shores. This will be an amazing few days in a true wilderness location and we will have sole exclusive use of the camp allowing for some great encounters, experiences, and images.

Day 10: After a final night and morning of activities we will head back to Nairobi where we will have the chance to refresh at an airport hotel (day rooms available on request) before our evening international flights home.

Day 11: Arrive home in the morning after our overnight flights.