Introduction - The 15-Day 2024 Kenya African Photo Safari conducted by the Australian professional photographer Chris Bray and assisted by Alex Baxter began with: Day 01 - Arrival at the Nairobi International Airport and met by staff after clearing thru immigration and customs, who transported you to the Weston Hotel located on the southern outskirts of Nairobi just across the street from the Wilson Airport. Those who had arrived earlier or the day before enjoyed some site seeing in the city or just relaxed and adjust to the time zone changes. I arrived there late that evening and headed straight to the hotel and crashed to catch up on sleep after the long flights from the USA. Day 02 - Began with a morning group introduction meeting and orientation briefing just after breakfast. After check-out and loading the vehicles, we headed to the Wilson Airport for a local flight to the Mara Ngenche Safari Camp located within the Masai Mara National Reserve. Upon arrival and after a group reception and lunch, it was off for an afternoon game drive viewing herds of giraffe, antelope and elephants, a group of topi and a lion pride well known for in the Masai Mara this time of year. The day ended with an amazing African sunset and a group dinner. Days 03 thru 06 - Each day included a before sunrise game drive, breakfast in the field, return to camp for lunch, free time for a while then a late evening game drive until sunset. On Day 04, we headed out early in the morning to a balloon launch field for a before sunrise balloon launch for a spectacular ride over the Serengeti plains viewing vast herds of wildebeest, zebras, elephants and antelope as the sun crested over the horizon. For me, it was the highlight of the entire trip. After an hour’s flight, we landed, loaded into our jeeps and headed to a group champagne breakfast with some of the other groups that had flown that morning. After the breakfast, we did a game drive back to camp for some free time, then a group dinner. Days 07 and 08 - After breakfast, it was load up the jeeps and head out to the dirt airstrip for our local flight to Lake Baringo. Upon arrival at the airstrip near the lake, we boarded a smaller plane with the right-side door removed for observation for flights over the lake viewing the vast flocks of flamingos feeding along the shoreline. We loaded 2 at a time in the back seats for the hour-long flights, which were just like in the movie “Out of Africa.” Super neat. After everyone had a flight, we packed up in the jeeps again and headed to the lake shoreline for the short skiff ride to the Samatian Island Camp for 2 nights. The next day included heading out in the skiffs before sunrise for silhouette shots as the sun rose above the lake. We continued the skiff rides along the lake shoreline taking photos up close of the incredible bird wildlife and got to witness African Fish Eagles snatching fish from the lake surface. Day 09 - The last day on the island included breakfast, load up the skiffs for back to the mainland and our trek to the Rhino Watch Safari Lodge located in the Samburu Region of Africa. We stopped along the way for a group lunch at Thomson Falls Lodge, where we photographed the many Chameleons that were hiding among the bushes. We finally arrived at the Lodge, checked-in and settled down for a group buffet dinner. Day 10 - After the breakfast buffet, we had a morning group photography review session led by Chris and Alex and then headed out for a tour of a local school where we presented gifts and school supplies for the middle school students. Days 11 and 12 - We departed Rhino Watch Lodge heading northeast by jeep to the Samburu National Reserve arriving and checking into the Elephant Bedroom Camp. After a group reception, room assignments and lunch, we headed out for an evening game drive until sunset. The next day included breakfast, a morning game drive, lunch back at camp, an afternoon game drive with a sundowner refreshment break at sunset to highlight the day’s activities. Day 13 - The day started early with a before sunrise game drive and we took some group silhouette shots with the rising sun in the background. After a late breakfast, we broke camp and headed back south returning to Rhino Watch Safari Lodge. Along the way, we stopped at a local Maasai Village and presented them with a small herd of goats that we had arranged to be purchased to add to their flock. They had arranged a craft display for our viewing and many purchases were bartered for during our village tour. I just took photographs of the displays as I only collect coffee mugs on my various trips, and they pack easily. We headed out after the market craft display and stopped for lunch at the Trout Tree Restaurant, where fresh trout are raised locally in their fishponds. We photographed a group of colorful black and white Colobus monkeys along the trails leading to the fishponds. We finally arrived at the Rhino Watch Lodge, checked in, unpacked and finished the day with a group dinner. Day 14 - After a group breakfast, we headed into the heavily guarded and fenced Solio Game Reserve and were briefed at the Sanctuary Visitor’s Center on their efforts to breed both the White and Black Rhinos for reintroduction into the National Reserves. We were treated to a field lunch while driving thru the Rhino Reserve and saw numerous white rhinos with huge horns as they are well protected from poachers by armed military soldiers. Day 15 - After breakfast, it was check-out time, load the vehicles with our bags and head back to the Nairobi International Airport for our return flights back home. We stopped along the way for lunch at a gift shop for last minute shopping for gifts back home before arriving at our day hotel at the airport for repacking and fresh-up for our late evening return flights.

Event Summary - The gallery contains photographs taken each day of the safari beginning with a schedule of that day’s activities, a map of where we went and photographs of the participants showing field conditions encountered, wild animals in their natural settings and just how close we got to the wildlife in our safari jeeps. The gallery provides a documentary of where we went, what we did and the photo opportunities each of us experienced during the tour. All of us shared two jeeps, providing ample room to scoot about to either side and we had plenty of room to spread out all of our photo gear. All of us want to thank out tour leaders Chri Bray and Alex Baxter for the opportunity to be there, to experience the excitement of wild animals and to photograph them up close and personal. We would also like to especially thank our guides/drivers, who got us into position based on the best lighting conditions, safety considerations and intuition as to what the wildlife would be doing next so that we would be in the best position for a photographic moment. We were all fortunate indeed and we’ve got the photos to prove it. …..JDT