Kenya – Life of Predators Photo Safari 2022

This recent photo safari to Kenya's Masai Mara with ORYX Photo Tours was my third ORYX tour, and as usual, exceeded all expectations. Apart from non-cooperative leopards, the sightings were all excellent; the accommodation at Alex Walker's Serian (The Original lodge) extremely comfortable (delicious food prepared by Rosian Allan); and the lodge guides, drivers and staff very accomplished and attentive.

Penny is a VERY personable, friendly, knowledgeable and competent photo tour leader and instructor. She has a gentle and engaging nature which wins everyone over and makes them comfortable within their photographic skill-set, while also encouraging them to strive for greater mastery of their cameras and their artistic expression. She guides and instructs with positive reinforcement and is very generous with her time. I greatly benefited from her knowledge, appreciated her patient guidance and encouragement, and feel that I learned a lot.

I can highly recommend ORYX Photo Tours for their seamless organization, and Penny for her highly professional instruction and leadership, and I look forward to my next tour!

Such a great Kenya photo safari with ORYX Photo Tours, and perfectly organised by Nicolette! Due to Covid the preparations for this tour were quire complicated but as soon as I had arrived at the hotel in Nairobi, I felt that this trip was the best thing I could do in this strenuous time. Our camp in the Masai Mara war a real safari camp, comfy, cosy and I loved it! The food was excellent, our guides and drivers as well, and Penny is the perfect photo tour leader: great knowledge, a very good teacher and a very charming person. You will definitely see me again!

Our Kenya photo tour was magnificent! My dad and I had a marvellous time. Penny was fantastic--patient, professional, kind, helpful, passionate, and an all around wonderful person! The location, camp hosts (THANK YOU Roshin!!) and staff were amazing - so friendly, & willing to help do whatever they could to make our stay over the top great! (While my dad didn't care for the hot water bottles in bed at night, I thought it was a fabulous extra!)

Our guides and drivers were brilliant with their knowledge of the area the animals and people in the Masai Mara. They were funny, fun, kind, helpful, and made our game drives and (lovely) meals in the Bush all the more special because of their personalities, attentiveness, and sharing of their vast knowledge! They were also impressive with knowing where and how to get in the best position for the best angle/lighting/view to take pictures of the amazing animals they were so good and spotting and getting us to. They were just as an important part of our experience as the animals and the location.

We appreciated the communication of ORYX as we prepared and planned and had a lot of questions pre-tour. And for their help as the Covid travel restrictions and requirements changed (more than once).

Thank you for a fantastic tour, ORYX Photo Tours! If we have the opportunity to go on another photography tour in the future, ORYX is at the top of our list!!

Our Life of Predators photo safari in the Masai Mara trip was well-organized, superbly led and very fun. The result was unique image-making and a week well spent. Thank you ORYX Photo Tours!

Having travelled to Africa multiple times before and having fallen in love with its wildlife and nature, this was my first photo safari with ORYX Photo Tours. The overall experience was clearly beyond my expectations.

From my first email contact with Nicolette, I have felt very welcomed by everyone. Every detail of the tour was well planned and perfectly organized. Given all the rapidly changing Covid regulations, the ORYX team made sure everyone of us was able to meet all requirements and even arranged a Covid testing in the bush while we were on game drive.

Returning to the Mara with its abundance of wildlife felt marvellous. Our base for the following six days was Alex Walker’s Serian The Original, a serene and beautiful "classic" bush camp in the best sense of the word with a prime location right by the Mara river, superb food and exceptional staff, who made me feel at home from the first moment. I loved my spacious and comfortable tent by the river and enjoyed falling asleep to the sound of the hippos around every night.

Penny, our photo tour leader and photographer, is a real gem. She is an excellent photographer, a brilliant teacher and an inspiring travel companion, always generous in sharing her knowledge, skills and vision. Penny made every effort to ensure everyone was feeling comfortable all the time and assisted whenever necessary. You could feel every moment, that her aim is providing her guests the best possible experience. I owe her a lot of inspiration for my personal photographic development.

I’m already looking forward to my next photo tour!

Where to start? First of all, thank you and the team at ORYX for putting together seamless hassle free guided tours where everything so well planned.

Then there is Penny, she provided the best calm, relaxed and generous help and guidance on this trip. Nothing was ever any bother and Penny and she is a true professional who is willing to share for a very amateur photographer like me to get the best images I can.

The side trip to Amboseli was brilliant with so many elephants massed together along with with some big cats and birds.  The close proximity to Kilimanjaro provided daily spectacular backdrops and views. Our driver/guide Ali was so knowledgeable, calm and drove safely through very challenging conditions after the unusual big rains before we came.

Visiting the Sheldrick refuge was a great way to embed a long-term link with a successful rehabilitation project in Kenya and to follow the progress and life of an individual great icon of Africa.

Then up to the Mara this was just brilliant, the cats, other mammals, birds nestled amongst the green with sometimes dark threatening skies was outstanding. I have said this every trip but everyday there was at least one pinch me moment as we were privileged to see such natural beauty and encounters with animals. Dennis and Mark are brilliant team and they were really knowledgeable driver, guide and placing the vehicle in the best place safety and with consideration of the animals.

All three lodges were welcoming and comfortable to the point of hot water bottles in the bed, the first night I leapt out of the bed when I encountered the warmth mid bed as I thought a beastie had taken up residence! In all places the meals were outstanding.

I love East Africa and think there is one more photo tour in me with Penny as each country/region reveals new treasures and pinch me moments.

Fabulous Kenya photo safari, well organised, with great accommodations and locales. We saw numerous mammals & birds with the help of our skilled local guides, who were also very well informed & helpful. Our photo tour leader and photographer Penny Robartes was excellent – I learned a lot from Penny about photography and took some of the best photos I have ever taken. All in all, this was an excellent trip and will certainly look to undertake further trips with ORYX Photo Tours!

I have had a fantastic photo safari! The time with Penny and the group based out of Nkorombo in the park was excellent. Penny’s blend of skills of leadership, organizing, people, and photography coaching all came together to make the trip a rewarding learning experience for all.

Now a few thousand photos to distill down, and I am optimistic that there are a few diamonds to be found in there.

And also starting to look at future trips, with ORYX Photo Tours, Penny, and various Serian camps all being part of the recommended mix.

The Kenya photo tour was beyond expectations. The staff was excellent and careful and they accommodated everyone's food issues. The drivers and guides were very savvy about photography. They positioned the jeep at each stop to take advantage of the light and the movement of the animal we were photographing. They were willing to stop for birds even though birds were not the focus of the trip. I am really looking forward to another ORYX photo safari. Penny was so excellent. I would travel with her again in a heartbeat.