Your Big Cat Photography Safari begins at approximately 7:30 AM with a pickup from your Nairobi hotel. Meet your safari representative and professional driver-guide for a short briefing before departing Nairobi.
Travel north along the Great North Road through Kenya’s scenic Central Highlands. Continue towards Nanyuki and stop at the Equator point for a brief visit. You can observe a local water demonstration showing the effects associated with the Equator and, if desired, receive an Equator certificate.
Continue to the nearby Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy, a large protected area located across the Laikipia plains. Arrive at your camp in time for check-in and lunch.
After lunch, enjoy some leisure time at the camp and make use of the available facilities, including the swimming pool. Later in the afternoon, head out for your first game-viewing drive in Ol Pejeta.
The conservancy provides opportunities to photograph a variety of wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, lions, and both black and white rhinos.
Return to camp in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Activities: Equator stop; Afternoon game drive
Accommodation: Maisha Sweetwaters Camp
Spend the entire day exploring Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy with morning and afternoon game drives.
The conservancy is home to the Big Five, including elephants, rhinos, lions, buffaloes, and leopards, making it an excellent setting for a Big Cat Photography Safari. Your professional guide will help you locate wildlife and position the vehicle for viewing and photography opportunities.
Ol Pejeta is also recognized for its conservation initiatives and provides a protected environment for several threatened and endangered species. The conservancy includes a significant black rhino sanctuary and is home to a chimpanzee sanctuary.
During the morning and afternoon drives, explore the different habitats of the conservancy while looking for predators, large mammals, and other wildlife. Take advantage of the changing light throughout the day for photography.
Return to Maisha Sweetwaters Camp in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Activities: Morning and afternoon game drives
Accommodation: Maisha Sweetwaters Camp
After breakfast, check out and depart Ol Pejeta towards Lake Naivasha. Travel through the Kenyan highlands and around the Aberdare ranges, with a stop at Thomson’s Falls near Nyahururu for photographs.
Continue towards Naivasha while enjoying views of the Great Rift Valley and its dramatic escarpments. Arrive at Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort for check-in and lunch.
In the afternoon, enjoy a relaxing boat cruise on Lake Naivasha. The freshwater lake is known for its hippos and diverse birdlife. During the boat ride, you may see fish eagles, kingfishers, herons, jacanas, and other waterbirds.
The lake is surrounded by scenic landscapes and vegetation, providing a peaceful contrast to the wildlife-focused game drives. You may also see animals along the shoreline, including giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, and other species.
After the boat excursion, return to the resort for dinner and overnight.
Activities: Thomson’s Falls stop; Lake Naivasha boat cruise
Accommodation: Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort
After breakfast, check out and begin your journey towards the Masai Mara National Reserve. Drive along the eastern side of the Great Rift Valley, with a stop at a scenic viewpoint where you can enjoy panoramic views of the escarpment and take photographs.
Continue towards the Masai Mara and arrive in the early afternoon. Check in at Zebra Plains Mara Camp and enjoy lunch.
Spend some time relaxing at the camp and enjoying its facilities before beginning your afternoon safari.
At approximately 4:00 PM, depart for an afternoon game drive in the Masai Mara. Explore the open savannah while searching for lions, elephants, buffaloes, cheetahs, leopards, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and other wildlife.
The Mara provides excellent opportunities for wildlife photography, particularly during the late afternoon when the softer light creates favorable conditions for capturing animals and landscapes.
Return to camp in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Activities: Scenic Rift Valley viewpoint; Afternoon game drive
Accommodation: Zebra Plains Mara Camp
Spend a full day exploring the Masai Mara National Reserve with morning and afternoon game drives.
The Mara’s open grasslands, riverine areas, forests, and seasonal wetlands provide diverse habitats for wildlife. During your Big Cat Photography Safari, spend time searching for lions, leopards, cheetahs, and other predators, while also photographing elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and other species.
The reserve forms part of the greater Serengeti ecosystem and is associated with the seasonal movement of wildebeest and zebras. Depending on the time of year, you may witness large herds moving through the Mara and predators following the migrating animals.
Return to camp for lunch and relaxation before continuing with your afternoon game drive.
An optional hot-air balloon safari can also be arranged at an additional cost. This experience provides an aerial perspective of the Mara’s savannah, riverine forests, and surrounding landscapes.
Return to Zebra Plains Mara Camp in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Activities: Morning and afternoon game drives; Optional hot-air balloon safari at extra cost
Accommodation: Zebra Plains Mara Camp
After breakfast, check out and begin your journey from the Masai Mara to Nairobi.
Travel through the Kenyan countryside and Great Rift Valley, arriving in Nairobi in time for a farewell lunch at Carnivore Restaurant, subject to your departure schedule.
After lunch, continue to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward flight.
If your flight schedule requires additional time in Nairobi, a day room can be arranged at an additional cost upon request.
Your Big Cat Photography Safari concludes after six days of wildlife viewing, photography opportunities, conservation experiences, scenic landscapes, and exploration of some of Kenya’s renowned safari destinations.
Main Destination: Nairobi
