Authentic Africa – Wildlife and Tribes

Itinerary

Day 1 – June 2, 2024

Upon your arrival at the international airport in Nairobi, Kenya, you are met by a member of our ground team and transferred by private vehicle to the historical and tranquil area of Karen.  Built in the architecture of the “Out of Africa” era, Macushla house will make you feel as though you are more than a guest, but at home in Africa; the perfect place to unwind after your long journey.

Day 2– June 3, 2024 – B, L, D

Today you will awake in a magical new world with the aroma of Kenyan coffee brewing. We will meet at breakfast for a safari briefing before we head out to Wilson Airport and catch our private charter to the Samburu game reserve.

Our luxury tented camp sits along the Ewaso Nyiro River. The friendly, traditional Samburu tribe staff will greet us and provide us with a full briefing about the camp and the area. As the name implies, the elephants stroll through the camp and in between the luxury tents. During midday, relax in the private plunge pool, on the deck of your tent, with a cold drink, and let the wildlife come to you. In the early afternoon, we will head out on our first game drive to explore this spectacular reserve.

Day 3&4 – June 4-5 2024 – B, L, D

We will spend the next two days on safari, driving through this stunning African landscape seeking out the leopards, Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, gerenuk, Oryx, common waterbuck, kudu, the unique mane-less lions, and the “red” elephants.  The elephants exhibit a special red color from rolling in the mud of the river and dusting themselves with the rich, red soil, making for extraordinary images in golden light.

We will also spend an incredible evening, on the top of the hills, with the warriors of the Samburu Tribe. Originally part of the Maasai tribe when they first came down the Nile River, the Samburu split off when the Maasai continued their journey south to Tanzania. The Samburu name means the butterfly people; they not only flew off from their original tribe, but they became more colorful in their traditional dress. This will be a very special evening where you will not only havethe opportunity to create extraordinary images but also have a unique experience that few others will ever have.

Day 5– June 6, 2024 – B, L , D

We will visit one of my favorite Samburu villages at sunrise, creating a great opportunity to silhouette the warriors against the dramatic African landscape. You will have time in the village to enjoy a more intimate experience, where you will also be able to photograph their daily life and create some beautiful portraits.

We will return to our luxury camp for breakfast and then head out on a stunning drive through the Northern Kenyan landscape to Lake Turkana; the largest desert lake in the world. Known as the Jade Sea, your first glimpse of Lake Turkana is breathtaking. The Turkana Basin is one of the richest tribal regions in Africa. You will feel as though you have been transported back to an authentic Africa of bygone days. In the remote lakeside town of Loiyangalani, four tribes live side-by-side: Randille, Turkana, Samburu, and El Molo.

After checking into our simple lodge, we will head out to the shores of the lake to visit the El Molo, the smallest tribe in Africa. They are keen fishermen and crocodile hunters. The women are decorated with beautiful beadwork and are masters of weaving.

Day 6&7– June 7-8, 2024 – B, L, D

We will rise before dawn and drive out to one of the more nomadic and authentic Turkana villages. In this village, it will seem as though time has stood still and the progress of the modern world has not yet reached this area. In the evening, we will meet my Turkana friends for dancing and beautiful portraits at sunset along the shores of the lake.

Day 8– June 9, 2024 – B, L, D

We will rise early with packed breakfast for a special visit and sunrise shoot with the Rendille tribe.  We will then drive to the private airstrip to board our private charter aircraft to Amboseli National Park.

As we arrive in Amboseli, take a moment to catch your breath in this magical environment as we drive across the open plains to our beautiful Lodge. During lunch, we will relax and share stories of our amazing adventure as the wildlife roams freely in the background. After lunch, continue to relax around the pool with a cold drink or browse through all of the stunning images you have captured during the past week.

We will head out on our first game drive in the early afternoon.

Day 9 & 10– June 10-11, 2024 – B, L, D

We will spend the next two days out on safari, in this incredible ecosystem that lies at the foothills of Kilimanjaro. In the morning, the herds of Elephants, Zebras, and Wildebeests slowly begin to come down from the foothills. Then, they cross the plains of Amboseli on their way to the marshes which are centrally located in the national park. The bird life along all the marshes and wetlands is superb.

We will also spend an incredible evening at a traditional Maasai manyatta; the iconic tribe of Kenya. The big African rains should have just passed, bringing about plentiful grasslands. This means that the warriors, with their authentic long braided ocher hair and decorated bodies, will be in the village and not in faraway lands with their livestock. The Maasai in the Amboseli area are unique because the men mark their high cheeks with a circular tattoo scarring. We will have an evening of dancing, feasting, capturing stunning portraits and learning about their struggles of living in harmony with and protecting the wildlife.

Day 11– June 12, 2024 – B

We will head out for one last magical game drive in this surreal setting. After a scrumptious breakfast, we will check out, then transfer to the airstrip for your flight back to Nairobi.

Upon arrival, you will be transported to the Four Points hotel at the airport, where you will have dayrooms. You can enjoy a leisurely afternoon reflecting on the amazing experience you had, take a nap, enjoy delicious meal, relax at the rooftop pool and bar, and have time to clean up before your flight back home later in the evening. In the evening, you will be transported to the international airport to catch your flight home.

Please book outgoing international flights on June 12 after 9:00PM.

Is this trip for you?

This photographic safari is for anyone who wants to experience and photograph Kenya’s most exotic tribes and wildlife. This itinerary is designed to give you incredible opportunities to produce high quality images of extraordinary subjects so we will be rising very early in the morning for the best light. This safari mixes luxury camps in pristine wildlife reserves with a remote tribal area where the accommodations are basic. This itinerary was created for photographers of ALL levels.

If you have not had much experience photographing tribes or indigenous cultures this is the perfect introductory trip for you. Some experience working with basic fill flash is recommended.

During our wildlife safaris we will see a variety of exotic wildlife, however some special subjects may require spending time watching their behavior and waiting for those special moments. This is when patience pays off, rewarding you with extraordinary photographs. We will spend a great deal of time and effort in the field—unless it is quiet and the light is too harsh—and we will return to our camp/lodge for the midday break. This means there may be several mornings and some lunches that will involve box meals that we take with us, rather than eating at camp or the lodge. We will be back at our camp/lodge for a nice dinner and drinks around the fire every night.

Since this itinerary is built to spend most of our time in the field, this is not a formal workshop. As we need to be flexible around the action in the field, there will not be any “planned” lectures, slide shows, or formal instruction, but Piper will give photographic advice throughout the safari. She is there to assist you and is available for questions on all photographic topics including business questions on marketing, branding, and creating a niche. When there is an afternoon break, she will be happy to review your images, portfolios, or give an impromptu slide show or talk. This is largely why the group sizes are kept small: so that he can assist you when needed and spend quality time with you in an amazing location.

Piper Mackay Photography is dedicated to helping the people and wildlife that have inspired us and enriched our lives.  We donate a small supply of food to each village we visit. We are mindful to select items that will have sustainability in the harsh environments where they live and are items the women use daily to feed their families such as cooking oil, ugali, maze, beans, etc We build strong relationships with these local communities to ensure our visit generates meaningful contributions to the local economies, especially those helping to protect wildlife, and to ensure a unique cultural exchange for both host and guest.