Kenya – Best of the Mara Migration Photo Tour 2025

Our Kenya photo safari was such a wonderful trip. We saw so may animals in different situations and our group got along very well. The Nkorombo Camp is outstanding and the staff exceptionally friendly, helpful and so special. Everybody there made it absolutely special. Thank you! You made my birthday absolutely unique! We loved the food in the camp and also in the field. There is really nothing to complain. We only can say thank you. Penny Robartes is a great tour leader. She is very caring and empathic. You always feel welcome and you always get answers or all questions, no matter how basic they might seem. Her attitude and her positive character makes every trip special. She’s a great tutor and gets never tired. Radio Penny is always online 😉. Thank you Penny! It was my second trip with you and not my last.

This was my sixth trip with ORYX Photo Tours and my third with Penny Robartes as guide. As always, all the arrangements were perfect - from the information provided pre-trip by Nicolette (especially with the constantly changing Covid-related requirements) to the accommodation, food and the photography guidance from Penny.

It’s a given that when on safari, one should be prepared to see nothing - however, a combination of the excellent skills of our guides and drivers (thank you George Xanti and Kim James!) from the Serian Nkorombo and, perhaps an alignment of the stars, made this an action-filled trip to the Mara.

We had a chance to practise low light photography one beautiful morning, when there was a sighting of a pride of 17 lions as the sun came up; we were witness to a stand-off between a lion and a hippo (!), with the same lion chasing a hyena, followed a little while later by a chase and wildebeest kill…all before breakfast one day.

The guidance provided by Penny was invaluable. Each time I travel with her, I learn something new. Her generosity and clarity with which she shares her vision, tips and techniques always floor me - thank you so much Penny, you're a gem!

This trip was not just about photography - it was about going home to the warm welcome of the lovely Serian Nkorombo family, renewing friendships while forming new ones - and making memories to which photographs could never do justice, but which are indelibly etched in my mind.

Huge thanks to all at ORYX for making this happen!

This week in the Mara was outstanding. We went from one highlight to the other. Never saw neither Lions that close nor a kill before. Our tour leader Penny Robartes was so passionate and aware to make sure this week was exceptional. Her tutoring helped me to make better images and to get a complete new way of interpreting scenes in the field. Thank you Penny. I will come back!

This is my 7th trip with ORYX Photo Tours and that fact itself should stand as an outstanding testimonial! When booking with ORYX, you don’t have to worry about any of the arrangements or logistics, you can just be rest assured that it will all be well taken care of. This latest ‘Best of Mara’ Tour was no exception. We were extremely lucky in our sightings and witnessed some incredible encounters. One can never be certain with Nature, but we had a special experience every single day! Our guides and drivers were simply outstanding at getting us to where the action was. Penny Robartes, with whom I have travelled many times and someone I consider a friend, is most generous with her skills and knowledge and is the most attentive photography lead you can ask for. She is truly a wonderful travel companion and teacher. Our accommodation for this trip was Alex Walker’s Serian Nkorombo Camp, a camp I had stayed at 5 years ago. Going back after all these years felt like a home coming, such was the warm welcome of the beautiful staff of the camp. We had the most wonderful and comfortable stay there. Thank you ORYX for yet another unforgettable experience!

Our Kenya photo safari was such a wonderful trip. We saw so may animals in different situations and our group got along very well. The Nkorombo Camp is outstanding and the staff exceptionally friendly, helpful and so special. Everybody there made it absolutely special. Thank you! You made my birthday absolutely unique! We loved the food in the camp and also in the field. There is really nothing to complain. We only can say thank you. Penny Robartes is a great tour leader. She is very caring and empathic. You always feel welcome and you always get answers or all questions, no matter how basic they might seem. Her attitude and her positive character makes every trip special. She’s a great tutor and gets never tired. Radio Penny is always online 😉. Thank you Penny! It was my second trip with you and not my last.

The Kenya photo safari was excellent from beginning to end. We had some excellent wildlife observations, particularly of predators, but also zebras, giraffes, elephants in the beautiful Mara landscape.

The camp, staff and local guides were very good, and it was great to travel with Penny given her well-deserved reputation in the Mara. The efforts Penny made with all the participants to see and capture the wildlife in a manner reflecting her style, and provide technical help from shooting to processing were beyond expectations.

The Kenya Mara Migration photo safari was absolutely magical – the magic of the Mara was definitely more than enhanced by the lovely Penny. She truly is a gem. Right from the time we met her at the Ole Sereni, we knew this was going to be a great trip. Penny is an amazing teacher – from advising on settings and composition, to Lightroom and editing – she was on the ball all day, and even in the evenings, when we got tutorials on editing (I was telling her she should have a YouTube channel, she would have quite a following!). All this she did with kindness and patience, and unbridled enthusiasm. Even a couple of other guests at the Nkorombo camp commented on how hardworking she is, and that we were a lucky group to have her guiding us. But more than the photography and her mad skills, Penny is one good person, and as Shobha said, ‘make sure you hang on to her’ :-)

The Best of the Mara Migration photo safari was my first real wildlife photography tour and it didn’t disappoint. There was plenty of drama and loads of excitement.

We learnt patience while sitting in our jeeps willing the fickle-minded wildebeest and zebras to make the plunge but the dangers of giant crocs lurking in the waters spooking the animals was a spectacle in itself … then there was the amazing sight of a pride of lions having a family feast and cheetahs devouring their kill, the unexpected sighting of a lone and majestic leopard – each day had its own magic.

Patience wasn’t the only thing we learnt. We had the good fortune of being led by the super-charged and incredibly personable Penny Robartes. From the crack of dawn to post-dinner post-mortems of the day, she was always on the go. She was generous with her artistic and technical knowledge. Mastering settings and composition and Lightroom ‘tricks’ was a lot of fun with Penny and there was always a large and healthy dose of humour. That makes all the difference.

We as a team enjoyed Penny’s company and her self-effacing manner makes her difficult not to like. I would go on another expedition with her in a heartbeat. I cannot recommend this trip and Penny highly enough.

The organisation and arrangements for this photo safari trip too were nothing short of superb.

Thank you ORYX Photo Tours for yet another unforgettable experience!

This was my first experience with ORYX Photo Tours and I came on this trip with high expectations, especially on the migration and river crossing part. What struck me most was the massive wildlife in the area and how close we came to it at various sightings. It is almost unreal to get to see close ups of Lion kills, Cheetah kills and a Leopard in only 3 days. The local Masai scouters in great cooperation with our ORYX photo tour guide, Penny Robartes, did a fantastic job and kept the energy up throughout 12-14 hours day trips. Excellent photo coaching by Penny on site was also a great contribution for higher quality images… Well done!! I have now added several thousands of new great images that I will enjoy reviewing in the months ahead.