Kenya Photography Safari Destinations for Wildlife Enthusiasts

Kenya Photography Safari!

Kenya is East Africa’s leading savanna wildlife destination, renowned for its diversity, impressive landscapes, and photo opportunities. The country has the best open savanna wildlife destinations, and a Kenya photography safari offers a chance to capture its natural beauty.

Kenya’s diversity makes a Kenya photography safari adventure more meaningful. Your photography opportunities range from the vast savanna ecosystems, wetlands, Lakes, Rivers, and highlands. All these are home to several animal species you capture on your photography safari.

Whether you are a professional or amateur photographer, Kenya has picturesque safari destinations suitable for your wildlife photography needs. Below are the best and most recommended Kenya Photography safari destinations to consider when taking on Kenya Discovery Journeys.

Amboseli: Photography Of the Kilimanjaro Backdrop

Amboseli National Park is located in Southern Kenya. It is famous for its large elephant herds and the Backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain. The park has diverse ecosystems with wetlands and open savannas where prominent animal species live.

Amboseli differs from other Kenya safari destinations by offering a wide range of experiences. These include birding, Big Cats, and cultural adventures. A Kenya photography safari to Amboseli features all these, and it is more impressive with a capture of the snow-capped Kilimanjaro peak.

The park’s flat terrain and open skies offer excellent landscape photography opportunities. For the best safari photography adventures, we recommend visiting the dry season. This spans from June to October and December to March. The dry season offers the best golden hour moments and has minimal rainfall disturbances.

Masai Mara National Reserve

Masai Mara National Reserve is also located in Southern Kenya. It comprises an open savanna ecosystem with scattered trees and shrubs. Masai Mara is an extension of the Serengeti ecosystem where the great wildebeest Migration happens.

It is home to the Big Five mammals, including Elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, and rhinos. Other notable safari animals in the reserve include giraffes, zebras, elands, hyenas, and several bird species. These occur in large numbers, freely roaming the open savannas, thus making Kenya photography safari adventures to Masai Mara exceptional.

The wildebeest migration is a game changer in Masai Mara photography safari tours. It has savanna wildlife’s highest animal concentration and attracts the land’s deadliest predators. The Migration into Masai Mara starts with the wildebeest River crossings of the Mara River. The River is home to Nile Crocodiles that await the migrating herds. After surviving the Mara River, the herds evenly spread over the savannas where they feed and continue their journey.

While in the savannas, they are hunted by lions, leopards, cheetahs, and occasionally hyenas. On a Kenya photography to Masai Mara, you can capture river crossings, predator hunts, and mass animal movements.

Samburu Reserve Unique Wildlife Photography

Samburu National Reserve is located along the off-beaten path in Northern Kenya. It is exclusive and home to Kenya’s rarest animal species. Samburu is home to the reticulated giraffe, Somali Ostrich, Grevy’s zebra, Oryx Beisa, and Gerenuk.

These species are Samburu’s special five and offer unique photography safari experiences. Samburu is a birder’s Paradise with over 390 bird species. It is also home to sought-after savanna Big cat species like lions, cheetahs, and leopards. This makes it an exciting Kenya Safari destination to capture predators in live-action hunting.

Samburu lies in a semi-arid region that is relatively dry. The Ewaso Ngiro River is the reserve’s primary water supply, where animals gather on a hot day to take water. This is an opportunity for close-up shots of the different safari animals. Samburu has a vibrant community of native Samburu people who still hold on to their African traditional values. A cultural visit to the Samburu people brings another perspective to photography as you interact and capture authentic cultural experiences.

Lewa Conservancy Safari Photography

Lewa Conservancy is among the best preserved and managed wildlife Conservancies in Kenya. It is located in Northern Kenya, covering a land area of 62,000 acres. Lewa was first registered as the Ngare Sergoi Rhino Sanctuary in 1983 to protect the critically endangered black rhinos. It was reinvented and renamed Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in 1995 and is still home to rhinos, Grevys zebras, lions, elephants, and other wildlife species.

Lewa is among Kenya’s successful conservation stories. It offers exclusive Kenya photography safari experiences in a sustainable and eco-friendly way. Photography safari adventures at Lewa focus on sustainable tourism that involves ecosystem preservation and the community.

At the conservancy, you capture wildlife in a well-managed environment with many chances of close-up shots. You can engage in different activities like horse riding, cycling, and guided nature walks that enable you to take photos from unique perspectives.

Aberdare Mountains National Park

The Aberdare mountain ranges bring a different perspective to Kenya Photography safari tours. They are located in central Kenya and are covered with a dense forest. Aberdare mountain ranges are ideal for mountain and landscape photography. On a photography safari here, you hike through the thick forest to the waterfalls. The two prominent waterfalls in the forested park are Karuru and Gura waterfalls.

In the Aberdare mountains, you can also capture rarely-seen forest animal species like the Bongo Antelope, elephants, buffaloes, and the black panther. Wildlife photography in the Aberdare mountains is more challenging because of hiking and the thick forest. It is, however, recommended for those interested in exclusive Kenya photography safaris.

We feature other exclusive destinations in East Africa that are ideal for wildlife photography. Uganda and Rwanda are ideal for primates and birding photography. They are home to the rare mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. Uganda’s Kibale forest has the highest chimpanzee population and is home to 12 other primates. Those interested in chimpanzee tracking, habituation, and photography can opt for this. We customize photography safari tours that combine Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. Contact us for more information.

Rwanda Tours & Wildlife Adventures. Discovery Journeys

Travel Guide

Blog

Kenya Photography Safari Destinations for Wildlife Enthusiasts

Kenya Photography Safari Destinations for Wildlife Enthusiasts