Coast to Mara: 9 Day Grand Kenya Photography Safari

Our representative will meet and pick you up from your hotel at the coast (Mombasa, Diani, or Watamu) on the first day. You will board your awaiting vehicle and begin your safari to the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. Upon arrival, you will check in and enjoy a leisurely lunch before preparing for an afternoon game drive.

Taita Hills, a migration corridor for the Tsavo parks, is a highly valued ecological area and a biodiversity hotspot. The sanctuary is home to over 50 large mammal species including elephants, buffalos, giraffes, elands, and wildebeests, as well as around 300 bird species. During your visit, you will have exceptional opportunities for photography, capturing wildlife up close at the underground tunnel, the Lion Roaring Rock, and the animals’ waterhole where different species gather to drink. You will also have the chance to track the Big Five, providing unforgettable photo opportunities of these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.

Return to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay, reflecting on a day filled with incredible photographic moments and memorable wildlife encounters.

Wake up to a hearty breakfast before leaving the gentle slopes of the Taita Hills behind and journey to the red soils of Tsavo West National Park. Famous for its fierce man-eating lions with their distinctive light brown fur and mane, Tsavo West offers a dramatic and wild landscape perfect for photography and wildlife adventures.

After checking in at your accommodation, spend the day exploring the park’s highlights. Visit the Shetani Lava Falls, a striking geological formation, and capture sweeping views from the Poachers’ Viewpoint. Explore the crystal-clear waters of Mzima Springs, where fifty million gallons of water flow from beneath parched lava rock, providing a lifeline for the park’s wildlife. The Rhino Sanctuary offers a unique chance to photograph and learn about conservation efforts protecting these magnificent animals.

Throughout the day, enjoy up-close encounters with the red elephants and a variety of other wildlife roaming freely across the park. After a full day of adventure and photography, return to your accommodation to relax, enjoy a delicious meal, and spend the night in comfort.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before continuing your safari from Tsavo West National Park to Tsavo East National Park. Upon arrival, check in at your camp or lodge and enjoy a delectable meal. After some relaxation, head out for an afternoon game drive to explore the vast plains of Tsavo East.

Tsavo East is known for its endless savannahs and abundant wildlife, including prides of lions and large herds of red African elephants. The Athi and Tsavo Rivers converge within the park to form the Athi-Galana-Sabaki River, which is home to Nile crocodiles. During your visit, you will explore key attractions such as Mudanda Rock, the Luggard Falls along the Galana River, and Kalderi Swamp, where you can track and photograph a variety of wildlife in their natural habitat. The park also features the Yatta Plateau, the longest lava flow in the world, offering a unique perspective to view and capture animals at eye level.

After an exciting day of game drives and wildlife photography, return to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay.

Wake up to a hearty breakfast before proceeding with the rest of your adventurous Safari. Continue with your journey to Amboseli National Park.  Arrive in time to check in at your accommodation, relax and enjoy a delicious lunch before heading out for an afternoon game drive.

Amboseli National Park rests at the foothills of the Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest snow-capped peak. Explore the park in search of four of the Big Five species present in the park. Enjoy a picnic lunch in a designated picnic spot within the park overlooking the Lake Amboseli.

Return to your accommodation later to freshen up, enjoy a delectable meal and an overnight stay.

Wake up to a hearty breakfast, before embarking on a Full-day Game drive in the park and carrying a pre-parked lunch for your picnic lunch. An early morning presents an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the elusive leopard among other cat predators in the park.

Enjoy up-close encounters with the parks famous big-tusked elephants, the gentle giants of the wild. Amboseli also hosts over 400 recorded bird species, making it attractive to bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts alike.

Enjoy a picnic lunch at Amboseli’s designated picnic spots amid the open grasslands filled with free-roaming wildlife. Head back to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.

With an early breakfast, leave the expanse of the savannah grasslands of Amboseli behind as you depart for the serene Lake Naivasha. Make a brief stop at the Rift Valley viewpoint for a bathroom break and for a scenic view of the rift valley. The rift valley, caused by the tectonic rift of the earth’s crust, hosts a beautiful mixture of ruggedness and its floor holds some of the most beautiful lakes in the world.

Arrive in Naivasha in time for check-in and lunch. Proceed for an afternoon Boat ride on the lake. Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, home to pods of hippos and diverse birdlife species.

Afterwards, embark on a guided walk on the Animal Sanctuary Farm located on an island on the Lake Naivasha, with diverse wildlife such as waterbucks and zebras. Return to the accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay.

Wake up to an early breakfast, then embark on an adventurous journey from Lake Naivasha to Masai Mara National Reserve. The Mara is full of beautiful splendor, from diverse wildlife species, to stunning landscapes, to an ever-engaging ecosystem.

Arrive in Mara, check-in, enjoy a lovely lunch and relax. Afterwards, you will proceed with an Afternoon game drive.

Being home to all the Big five wildlife species, Masai Mara is host to the renowned animal migration event, the Wildebeest Migration. The Mara, with a breathtaking cultural heritage, offers opportunities to visit the local Masai people in the surroundings learn their culture and interact with them.

Begin your day with an early morning Balloon Safari (at an extra cost), soaring above the blue skies of the Masai Mara and enjoying an aerial perspective of the reserve’s wildlife and landscapes. From above, observe herds of animals roaming freely across the Mara’s vast plains, offering incredible photography opportunities.

After landing, return to your lodge or camp for breakfast before setting out on a full-day guided game drive in the Masai Mara National Reserve. Depending on the season, witness the great Wildebeest Migration from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara, the largest annual animal migration in the world, with the Mara River crossings providing dramatic wildlife encounters. During the day, you will visit key locations such as the Mara River, the migration crossing point (if the migration is underway), and the Serengeti-Masai Mara border point. You will also have the chance to trace the Big Five across the rolling savannahs of the reserve.

Enjoy a picnic lunch amidst the Mara’s gently undulating landscapes or overlooking the Mara River, home to Nile crocodiles and pods of hippos, while big cats prowl nearby. After a day of wildlife adventures and photography, return to your lodge or camp to freshen up, enjoy a warm evening meal, and spend the night in comfort.

After an enjoyable 9 days exploring Kenya’s best safari trails, it is finally time to say goodbye. Wake up to a leisurely breakfast before your departure to Nairobi. On your way back to Nairobi, make a few brief stops for souvenirs and lunch at a local restaurant at own cost.

Drop off will be at your Nairobi hotel or the Nairobi Airport (JKIA) or at your preferred drop off location.