November 1st – Arrival to Nairobi, Kenya, transfer from the airport to our 4 star hotel which is only about 20 minutes away.  If we have time a bit of photography behind the hotel where there are Vervet Monkeys, Warthogs and colonies of Grosbeak and Brown-throated Weaver.  Arrival dinner.

November 2nd – Morning departure and transfer to our 4 star lodge inside Masai Mara National Park, afternoon game drive looking for Lions, Leopards and Birds. 

November 3rd-6th – Four full days of photography in the Masai Mara, this area has some of the highest concentrations of mammals in the world including Lions, Leopards and Cheetahs which are accustomed to vehicles allowing for close approach.  There are often still tens, if not hundreds of thousands of Zebra and Wildebeest in the park at this time of year and migration crossings are possible.  On the grounds of our lodge, the bird photography is excellent as well.  On our first tour we found nest cavities of White-headed Barbet, Violet-backed Starling and Red-billed Oxpecker at the lodge.  The bird photography on the game drives is great as well with Lilac-breasted Rollers, Little Bee-eaters, Bustards and Raptors.   Accommodation: a four star lodge inside the park. 

November 7th – One more morning game drive then we will check out and head to Lake Naivasha.  We will have an afternoon boat trip on the lake to photograph African Fish Eagles, Kingfishers, Hippos and Crocs as well as many other birds, then we will continue on to our next four star lodge near Lake Nakuru. 

November 8th – This morning we visit Lake Elementaita where there are tens of thousands of Lesser and Greater Flamingos as well as nesting colonies of African and Pink-backed Pelicans.  Viewing and photographing the Flamingos is quite a spectacle.  Then we continue on to our next lodge which is set on a large floodlit waterhole.  They have afternoon bird feeding which often attracts the beautiful Hartlaub’s Turaco. In the evening we will view the animals closely as they come into the floodlit waterhole.  You are often photographing at only 100mm or so here. 

November 9th – A full day of photography here at our lodge on the waterhole in Aberdare National Park.  Gray-crowned Cranes and other birds are often close to the blind allowing for beautiful photographs.  In the evening we will again do some dusk and nighttime photography. It’s a pure joy watching the groups of Elephants come and go up close at the waterhole. 

November 10th – We will wake up and photograph at the waterhole, then check out and head farther north in Kenya to Samburu National Park.  Samburu is in a drier part of Kenya which features a lot of species we won’t see during other parts of our trip.  We stay at another comfortable four star lodge.  Afternoon game drive in the park. 

November 11th – We have a full day in the park photographing the Northern specialties such as the bizarre Gerenuk, Beisa Oryx, the endangered Grevy’s Zebra Somali Ostrich and Bee-eater, Hunter’s Sunbird and many other dry country birds.  Of course we will still be on the lookout for Leopard, Cheetah, Elephants and more.  Four star lodge inside the park.

November 12th – We will have a full morning game drive, then check out and head to our next lodge in Sweetwaters Conservancy.  We will have an afternoon game drive here.  This is a very good location to photograph Black and White Rhinos.  Four star lodge inside the conservancy. 

November 13th – We will have a full day with morning and afternoon game drives.  There is an island with habituated Chimpanzees here which we will photograph.  Game drives can produce Leopards, Lions and a great variety of birds including stunners such as Superb Starling and Lilac-breasted Roller.  Four star lodge inside the conservancy.

November 14th – Morning game drive followed by check out and return to Nairobi.  After checking in to our hotel and having lunch we will have one more game drive this time at Nairobi National Park.  This is also a good park for Lion sightings with plenty of interesting birds as well.  We then have a final dinner at our four star hotel near the airport. 

November 15th – You can fly out anytime on the 15th.  If you are flying out in the evening we can arrange an optional game drive in the morning at Nairobi National Park.