Epic Kenya Photo Safari
From $17,450
12 Days
Kenya
Feb 2027
Kenya is home to some of the most iconic wildlife photography destinations none more so than Amboseli, Samburu and of course The Masai Mara. We believe that combining these three very different destinations will give you the most comprehensive itinerary especially when accompanied by the Pangolin Photo Hosts in custom vehicles with a maximum of three guests and one host in each!
Starting in Amboseli you will spend time photographing the animals (especially the elephants) traversing the reserve from the swamps to the woodlands hoping to frame them with the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. Next up is the drier northern Samburu reserve which is home to unique species you are unlikely to see elsewhere – specifically The Samburu Special 5! Last, but not least, you will end this safari exploring the wide open plains of the Masai Mara in search of the big cats, endless vistas and stunning sunsets.
Most international flights arrive in Nairobi in the late afternoon or early evening, so we will arrange for you to be met at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and taken to The Tamarind Hotel which is closer to Wilson Airport (domestic) – where we will depart from in the morning. The Tamarind Hotel is very clean and serves good food, hot showers and comfy beds. Most importantly it’s less than a 15 mins transfer the next morning to catch our flight to Amboseli.
On the first night, you will dine with your group at the Tamarind Hotel along with the Pangolin Photo Hosts where you will have the opportunity to ask any last-minute questions and meet your fellow adventurers. We have limited the group sizes to a maximum of 12 with 4 Pangolin Photo Hosts leading the trip.
Please note that we prefer the Amboseli – Samburu – Mara routing for this safari as it fits in better with the Air Kenya timetable and drastically cuts down travel time between the destinations.
The flight time to Amboseli from Wilson is around an hour. We have arranged with Air Kenya to allow us extra baggage, over and above our allotted 15kg, so you don’t need to worry about sacrificing clothing for camera gear. Our new total (including hand luggage/camera bag) is a generous 25kg!
When we land in Amboseli, we will be met by our expert guides and the game viewer vehicles (three guests per vehicle so plenty of room) which we will be using for the duration of our time here.
Wherever you are in Amboseli you will feel the presence of Mount Kilimanjaro which is such an iconic backdrop to your safari here. We have all seen images of large herds of elephants strolling across the plains in the foreground and that is certainly a shot you can hope to get here. Every day the larger mammals make their way back and forth across the plains between the marshlands (fed by water from the mountain) and the bushier areas where the food is more nutritious.
We can spend as much time as we need lining up that shot when the mountain is visible and for the rest of the time the reserve is ours to explore as we see fit.
We will be staying at Soroi Amboseli, a well-regarded lodge located in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. The lodge offers beautiful views of the surrounding landscape with Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop and provides excellent access to the park’s abundant wildlife. Depending on sightings and conditions, the Photo Hosts will decide if full-day (with packed lunch) or morning and afternoon drives are the best options. More often than not it’s the latter.
Amboseli is a collection of diverse ecosystems from dusty desert-like open areas to large lakes filled with waterbirds. Lions, cheetahs and hyenas are found in good numbers (leopards less so) and there is always the chance of seeing one of Amboseli’s famous “tuskers” if they are around. These huge male elephants have a vast range and are not resident but with more than 20 Tuskers in the region, the chances are pretty good that you will see one.
Check out Janine and Guts’ video report on Amboseli below:
To get to Samburu from Amboseli we will need to fly back to Wilson in the morning to get our connecting flight onwards to Samburu. Both flights are around an hour and even with the aircraft change the total travel time should be less than four hours getting us into Samburu in the early afternoon for a game drive.
Once again we will be met with the same style of vehicles as in Amboseli at the airstrip and your first impression will be just how different Samburu is from the grasslands of Amboseli. Samburu has harsher vegetation. More thorny and familiar to those who have been on safari in Southern Africa before. This difference in environment also means that the resident animals and birds are also different…and that is why we like to come and photograph here.
Samburu is home to the Samburu Tribe who are traditionally nomadic cattle farmers. They are also some of the proudest and most striking of all of Kenya’s tribes. The warriors are adorned with elaborate beadwork and headdresses and are incredibly impressive..not to mention photogenic!
The wildlife is no less captivating including some rarer species that you are unlikely to see elsewhere and especially not all of them in the same place. These are affectionally known as the Samburu Special Five – Grevy’s Zebra (only 3000 left in the wild), The Reticulated Giraffe, the bizarre-looking Gerenuk, Beisa Oryx and Somali Ostrich.
All the big cats are found in good numbers including leopards, lions, cheetahs as well as some of the smaller predators like serval. There is a healthy population of elephants and prolific birdlife including highlights like Golden Starling, several large raptor species, Somali Bee-Eater and Vulturine Guinea Fowl.
Our camp of choice in Samburu is Larsen’s which has recently been refurbished. The spacious tents are placed along the river which fills after rains in the highlands around Mount Kenya. When it appears dry you can see herds of elephants digging down a few feet to get to the groundwater. Great to watch and photograph from your room. The camp is built under a forest of palm trees which keeps the rooms cool and there is an amazing pool to enjoy during the heat of the day.
Samburu is not a very large reserve so it’s more common to do early morning and late afternoon drives with a return to the camp during the day. Depending on wildlife sightings the Photo Hosts may decide to do a full-day game drive however and a packed lunch will be arranged.
An underground hide has been constructed at Larsen’s which everyone will have access to for one evening during our time here. The hide is accessible on foot from within the camp so you can stay as late as you like….all night if you are up for it!
Check out Toby’s video report from Samburu here.
The Air Kenya flight schedule means that the flight from Samburu to The Mara is usually direct and takes around two hours.
Once again when you land at the Ol Kiombo airstrip in the middle of the Masai Mara you will be met by our final group of expert guides and now familiar game viewers once more. We have allowed four nights in the Masai Mara as it is so much larger than Amboseli and Samburu and there is more ground to cover and explore. Please remember that as this is a bespoke safari we can increase the number of nights at any one of the destinations should you feel you need more time.
Our base will be Mara Bush Camp which is right in the middle of the reserve. We use Mara Bush Camp for all our Great Migration-hosted safaris in September and it’s a fantastic camp. Great rooms, attentive staff, delicious food and comfy beds….do you need any more?
During the day we have the freedom to explore The Masai Mara reserve as well as the Mara Triangle to the West. Our expert guide will have spent many many hours guiding here and will be up to date with the latest sightings and animal movements. They will coordinate the day with the Pangolin Photo Hosts to make sure we get to see and photograph as much as possible.
This safari is obviously outside of the Migration season and although you won’t see the huge herds of wildebeest and zebras it does mean that the predators tend to be more active as they have to work harder to find their prey. Expect to see plenty of big cats!
Recent changes in the rules about off-roading in the Masai Mara came into effect this year. It seems that we will be allowed to off-road at special sightings like big cats in certain areas of the park. It must be said that this is very much a new (very welcome) rule and how exactly this is going to work may well change as we go along. It is certainly good news for us photographers who often need to move a few meters off-road to get a great angle!
In The Mara, it’s always nice to position oneself at the end of the day on one of the lower slopes with the chance of finishing the day with some sunset silhouettes. The Mara’s open grasslands, excellent road network and gently rolling hills mean that finding a horizon with animals in silhouette is very easy indeed. Iconic Masai Mara photography!
On the final day, we will leave Mara Bush Camp after a hearty breakfast and take a circuitous route back to the airstrip for our mid-morning flight back to Wilson. We will be more than happy to suggest additions to this safari such as gorilla trekking in Uganda, additional Kenya destinations like Shompole and Lewa and perhaps even travelling to Botswana via Victoria Falls for an Ultimate Pan-Africa safari experience! We can design and arrange all of this for you. The possibilities are limitless.
Should you be travelling home instead we will get you to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport, via an Airport Hotel day room if you need a place to relax before a late evening flight.
01 – 12 February 2027
$17,450 per person sharing | $2,500 Single Supplement
Along with our Pangolin Photo Hosts, we will be joined by our East African Specialist Andreas Knausenberger. This departure will have room for a maximum of 12 guests thus a ratio of 3 guests per photo host in each vehicle. During the safari you will get to spend equal amounts of time with each of the attending photo hosts as they rotate through the vehicles.
Meet and Greet at Jomo Kenyatta Airport
1 night Tamarind Hotel (Bed and Breakfast included)
All domestic flights (Wilson-Amboseli-Samburu-Mara-Wilson)
Extra luggage allowance up to 25kgs total (normally 15kgs)
3 nights Soroi Amboseli (All meals & selected drinks)
3 nights Soroi Larsen’s Camp Samburu (All meals & selected drinks)
4 nights Soroi Mara Bush Camp (All meals & non-alcoholic drinks)
Laundry at Soroi Amboseli & Soroi Larsen’s Camp
Custom game viewers (3 guests max)
All park fees and conservation levies
Airport transfer to Jomo Kenyatta at end
Pangolin Photo Hosts throughout (3:1 Guest to Host ratio)
Afternoon and evening hide session at Soroi Larsen’s Samburu
Visas if applicable
Gratuities
Laundry at Tamarind Hotel & Soroi Mara Bush Camp
Alcoholic drinks at Tamarind Hotel & Soroi Mara Bush Camp
All International flights
Suggested Add-ons to The Ultimate Kenya Safari
Please chat to your safari planner if any of these add-ons appeal to you.
Uganda for Gorillas, Chimps and Shoebills
Uganda is a wonderful country that is one of the best places in the world for primate encounters, namely gorillas and chimpanzees. There is spectacular birdlife too as well as the chance to see the incredible shoebill stork.
Come to Botswana
Kenya Airways has daily flights from Nairobi to Victoria Falls which is only two hours away from The Chobe. You can come to do some photography from our photo boats and then head further south to the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari.
Adding Cape Town is an Option
The same flight that goes from Nairobi to Victoria Falls continues to Cape Town which means you will arrive there just after lunch and just in time to check into a hotel and head out to wonder at Table Mountain while enjoying a refreshing “sundowner”.
The Beach in Kenya
Kenya has some amazing beaches along its Indian Ocean coastline with some amazing hotels should you want some post safari downtime (or get started on the editing!). Lamu on the north coast is a fascinating destination with stunning architecture, ancient cobbled streets, narrow alleyways and great sea from hotels.
With the extra baggage allowance that we have negotiated for you on this safari, combined with the fact that you will have your own private vehicle, there is really no need to deliberate over what photo gear to leave behind. What a lovely problem to have, eh?
One thing you wont need to bring is bean bags or any type of gimbal mount. The private game viewer that you will be in has a pop up roof lined with plenty of beanbags along the edges. There are also smaller beanbags in the cabin to rest your lenses on when shooting lower through the windows.
Please watch the video made by Charl and Sabine on the lenses they bring to the Masai Mara for the migration as their advice will apply to all three destinations in this Ultimate Kenyan Safari. Click here to watch.
EXCELLENTVerified Simply the very very best This was a one month, multi faceted, trip to Southern Africa. Whilst not all of it was with Pangolin, it was all organised by their outstanding Safari Planner Daniella Bruwer. We began our planning with a call with Daniella, where she discussed our aims for the trip and outlined our options. Although this was our first safari, from the beginning it was clear we were in extremely safe hands. Our trip covered 4 distinct phases: CAPE TOWN Our first 3 nights, staying in the very impressive Victoria and Alfred Hotel, were just what we needed to start the holiday well. Cape Town is a lovely city, the people were friendly and extremely welcoming. We visited Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope. MADIKWE GAME RESERVE Our next stop was in north east SA (on the border with Botswana) at Madikwe Game Reserve. We spent 6 nights at the gorgeous Last Word Madikwe where we were treated like royalty. We’d paid extra for a private game vehicle, this was a really good investment as it allowed us to dictate our own pace around the park (particularly helpful given we’re both photographers). Our guide, St John Gunn, was simply outstanding. Hugely knowledgeable and worked extremely hard to ensure we got the most out of our visit. Whilst not chasing any specific species or targets, we did see the ‘Big 5’ as well as many many other species. PANGOLIN PHOTO SAFARIS CHOBE Our next stop was Kasane where we undertook Pangolin’s ‘Best of the Chobe’ trip. This consisted of 3 days onboard the Pangolin Voyager houseboat and 3 in the equally impressive Pangolin Hotel. Each day consisted of two 3-4 hour game drives, mostly by boat but we did have 3 land based drives in Chobe. We had extremely high expectations of this part of our trip and Pangolin exceeded them. From our photo host, Walter Aaron, to our drivers (Ray and Richard), to the manager of the Voyager (Nickita) to every single member of staff, we have never been so well looked after. This part of the trip involved some photo tuition with Walter, we consider ourselves to be reasonable photographers but improved considerably due to Walter’s patience, know how and sense of humour. Highlight of the trip (difficult to pick amongst the Lion’s, Cheetah’s and Jacana’s) was an interaction with a bull Elephant that approached our boat and just hung out for 10 minutes. It was close, intimate and extremely moving (my wife wasn’t the only one in tears). VICTORIA FALLS This could have been an anticlimax after Chobe, but Daniella chose a stunning hotel (The Palm River Hotel) and booked us a helicopter flight over the falls. A wonderful end to our best holiday ever. So, thanks to everyone at Pangolin and Madikwe. One more huge shoutout to Daniella, St John and Walter. Would we do it again? Well, we’ve already booked two more trips with Pangolin and are actively planning a return to Madikwe and Chobe.Posted onVerified Wonderful Safari Product! Another great visit! Staying at Pangolin Hotel in Kasane is a great way for my groups to start their safaris. We stay at Pangolin for three nights, Pangolin lends cameras and lenses to my guests and the photo hosts help with settings. After lunch we have a session in the editing room, further teaching inpsiring photographers how to improve their photography skills. It is brilliant.Posted onVerified Pangolin provided a "one of a kind" India experience beyond just tigers I just returned from the Pangolin India Tiger Safari. It was an amazing experience. Before the trip Daniella at the office was very helpful and answered any email question promptly. The tour Hosts, Sabine and Charls, are very knowledgable regarding wildlife photography, both how to properly photograph the animal and then processing techniques. This old curmudgeon was able to learn and retain a couple of new techniques from them. The lodges are some of the nicest that I have stayed in. They were Bagh Tola, Pench Tree Lodge, and the Bori Safari Lodge. The were Bandhavgarh NP, Pench NP, and the Bori Wildlife Sanctuary at Stapura NP. I liked the first and last parks the best, but had incredible Wile Dog sitings at Pench. One important items that I learned is that unlike some lodges in other locations that allow you to include gratuities on your credit card in India that was not possible and currency exchange outside of the airport or ATM use was not convenient. The local "handler", and lodge owner of Bagh Tola, Jason Fernandes, was an extremely gracious and made the trip one of a kind by providing a life altering experience during the "Holi" holiday. Almost all of the naturalists/drivers were great, but my personal favorite was TK at Bori Safari Lodge.Posted onVerified Professional, Luxurious, Safe High quality experience that left me wanting to experience Botswana again. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable about both the wildlife and photography. Hands on experience was next level as they guided us on how to use camera equipment properly and capture the best shots. I’m profoundly grateful for my time there and will return with more friends/family. We were treated with respect, and our group felt very safe.Posted onVerified Experience of a Lifetime for everyone - Must do for Photographers Booking: My wife and I went on the Pangolin Chobe, Delta, Kalahari (CDK) photo safari in September 2025. The best way to describe the experience is SURREAL! I am a nature photographer and visiting Africa and photographing the wildlife was a bucket list trip for me and my wife. I have followed Pangolin photo safaris through their YouTube channel and website for a few years. When we decided to go on this trip, I filled out the form and Samantha McDonald, a lovely agent contacted me via email. After several weeks of email & phone conversations wit Sam, I booked us for the 10 day CDK safari experience a full year in advance! Sam was an amazing resource of knowledge, tips and patiently answered all our questions for the next whole year and throughout the trip! I highly recommend her! Experience: Pangolin is a first class operation. It is run by photographers for photographers. If you are a photographer, don't think twice - Book this trip now before they fill out for 2027. If you are not a photographer, don't worry. Just simply watching these animals and birds in their natural habitat is breathtaking. Their goal is to send us home with world class wildlife photos which your family and friends will think are worthy of being in magazines! To that end, they have an experienced Canon photographer with us offering excellent coaching on exposure, shutter speed and angles to get the best shots for that particular scenario. They give everyone interested a professional camera (Canon R6 MKII in 2025) and a great lens (Canon RF 100-500 in 2025) and abundant training. Our coach Sara Jenner was amazing and her energy and enthusiasm was infectious. Accommodations: The places where we stayed were 5*! The new Pangolin Voyager houseboat, The luxurious and spacious tents at Shinde Footsteps and Dinaka camp were incredibly well appointed for a place in the middle of wilderness! The food was amazing with a lot of local fare and it catered to everyone's needs, which included some Indian curry for me and many dishes for the guests who were vegetarians. Wildlife: The guides at Chobe, Delta and Kalahari were amazing! They knew where the animals and birds were and what the best locations for getting the best photos! They are expert trackers and follow footprints to locate the wildlife! We got to see so many varieties of birds and mammal species. Every day we did two game drives that were 4 hours in duration. The day starts with a 5:30 am breakfast, 6:30 am game drive for 4 hours, 11:30 lunch, a short break, 3:30 tea, 4 pm game drive, 8 pm dinner. The days are jam packed with opportunities to see wildlife. We saw a leopard, cheetahs, a rhino, so many hippos, lions & cubs, Hyenas, the endangered wild dog, wildebeest, elephants, elephants and elephants, giraffe, baboons, and hippos to name a few. Cost: This Chobe, Delta, Kalahari trip is not inexpensive. At $13,500/person for this and the round trip airfare from the US costs a good chunk and required a lot of planning and saving. I thought that it was expensive. Having completed this trip, I will confidently say that the experience was worth every penny and you'll end up with amazing memories and so many awesome pictures. I am an extremely value conscious, comparison shopper and I highly recommend that you do your own research about these safaris. I did mine. There is NO ONE that provides such an exclusive small group 5* experience at this price. I found that even those through Costco (We travel a lot through them) were almost twice the cost for a similar length and those did not include such intensive game drives. We are looking forward to booking our next Pangolin Safari in 2027. Hope to see you there!Posted onVerified I cannot recommend more highly this wonderful week - immersed in the wildlife of Botswana. We had an incredible week on the Chobe river with Pangolin Photo Safari. The wildlife was astounding and we were given excellent instruction and detailed description of all the birds and animals we were seeing. The Riverboat was wonderful - so comfortable and quiet (all electric). We then moved to the Chobe Hotel, which was first class with excellent food and delightful staff. In fact the staff throughout the whole week were amazing - so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Thank you all for making my holiday such a happy and memorable one.Posted onVerified Pangolin Photo Safaris - the very best! An unforgettable experience. I recently completed the Chobe River/Okavango Delta/Kalahari with Pangolin. The trip exceeded my hopes and expectations. Excellent accommodations at every step. The brand new (July 2025) houseboat on the Chobe was extremely comfortable, and the staff/service was excellent. We saw an amazing amount of wildlife almost constantly, and the river guide, Laskey, was fantastic. The river experience was uncrowded and we were able to go where we wanted without having to compete with other tour boats The Ker & Downey camp on the Okavango was very comfortable, and again excellent staff/service/food. The drives through the delta were an unforgettable experience, with plentiful animal and bird life. A great guide again, Bobbie, who really added to the experience, and we saw a tremendous amount of wildlife throughout the visit The Kalahari visit was at another Ker & Downey camp, this time very luxurious and comfortable. The same excellent experience, plenty of wildlife, good food and service at the camp, all in all another great stay. Our local guide, KLB, was again absolutely first-rate. The overall trip management by Pangolin was first rate. They had people to help us at every stage on the tour, to ensure we had the best possible experience. Our trip host, Karolina, was fantastic - her friendly and positive approach contributed greatly to the group experience, and she gave all of the guests, regardless of experience level, really useful photography pointers. I can’t recommend Pangolin highly enough. If you are looking for a photo safari outfit, look no further!Posted onVerified Best Trip We've Ever Taken This trip, by far, was the best trip my wife and I have been on. Everything was top notch. From planning our trip with our Pangolin Safari Planner, to the photo host, guides, and staff on the Pangolin Voyager II and the Pangolin Hotel, everyone was friendly, courteous and helpful. We felt that an African Safari would be a once in a lifetime experience, but I'm already thinking about a return trip. Our photo host and guide worked to position us to get the best positioning for photo's, offered suggestions on composition, and assisted in whatever questions we had. Back at the Voyager II and hotel the food was great, and accommodations very comfortable. I highly recommend Pangolin Photo Safaris!Posted onVerified Fantastic Chobe, Delta and Kalahari Photo Safari Tour My husband and I utilized the services from Pangolin Photo Safaris who arranged the details for a pre-excursion visit to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwa and then joined our fabulous tour leader, Janine, and spent 10 days on their Chobe, Delta and Kalahari Photo Safari tour. Their attention to detail was fantastic. And Janine's guidance to hobbyist photographers on taking wildlife pictures was phenomenal. I know her voice will be in my mind whenever I look to take any fast action pictures to note the lighting, adjusting your exposure, and always remembering to check my ISO. Thanks Janine! Needless to say, I would highly recommend Pangolin for your future wildlife photo trips.Posted onVerified All round winner of a tour Wow! I am so glad I did this safari. After a Covid delay of five years we finally made it to the "Chobe, Delta and Kalahari" 10 day safari. My partner and I started this trip as "phone photographers" basically, and after the ten days tuition and guidance on provided cameras we are hooked. This tour has three nights on the Voyager houseboat , four nights at Okavango Delta, and two nights on the edge the Central Kalahari. These two camps were at Ker & Downey establishments and every place was fantastic. The Pangolin houseboat is a little bit old and is getting replaced soon, but on board everything was clean and comfortable. The staff were amazing - so friendly and meals were delicious. Up early for morning river trips or game drives with our wonderful photo host Will, for whom nothing was trouble, we were astounded by the wildlife and the skill of our driver/guides. Their placement of vehicles to get good shots, and Will's technical guidance helped us come home with memorable good photos. Afternoon brought another trip out for photographs and sundowners as the magical African sunsets coloured the sky. All arrangements booked through Pangolin were well planned and communication with our consultant was always timely. I have no hesitation in recommending Pangolin Photo Safaris and hope I can return one day.
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