Kenya trip

[raptor photo]

Hi everybody, I will be going to Kenya next year, trying to plan our trip. Wondering if any of you have had any experiences in either Ol Pejeta Conservancy and/or Nairobi National Park. Any tips and feedback would be highly appreciated. We will also of course be going to the Mara, so any photo tips or tips for finding certain animals would be appreciated.

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

Hi everybody, I will be going to Kenya next year, trying to plan our trip. Wondering if any of you have had any experiences in either Ol Pejeta Conservancy and/or Nairobi National Park. Any tips and feedback would be highly appreciated. We will also of course be going to the Mara, so any photo tips or tips for finding certain animals would be appreciated.

I fly out within 1 week for 3 weeks in the Mara. I have not been around the Nairobi NP, but as noted below there are places to go that should not be missed.

Go to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust the Orphaned Elephant Sanctuary. Often referred to as the Nairobi Nursery, is found in in Nairobi National Park (KWS Central Workshop Gate on Magadi Road). You decide if you want to sponsor an Orphan Elephant or Rhino (MAXWELL IS MY FAV) or Giraffe (yes they have 2).

You decide if you want to go to the Giraffe Hotel/Centre in Karen. If you do I would also go to Matt Bronze.


THE MARA -- Unless you want to "enjoy" 8-12 hours of being bounced around on beaten up village roads and the joy of descending the side of the Rift Valley -- then fly to the Mara on Safari Link from Wilson Airport. Depending on the amount of gear I am carrying often more than 50kg - I buy a freight seat as well as my own. Never had an issue.
Stay in one of the camps inside the Mara. The triangle side is far to disney and controlled for me. I stay at the Entim Camp between the Talek and Mara Rivers (at Fig Tree Crossing).
Go with a good camp with Land Cruiser Safari vehicles -- do not go anywhere near one of the white bus companies. These simply cannot get around in the Mara, do not have good networks, and are a plague.
Take an empty beanbag (over window) and ask the camp to fill it if they do not supply them. Also consider buying a panning plate for use with very long lenses.
Take protection against a heavy RAIN shower.

You will need 600mm+ on a full frame body to capture any Cheetah/Cat action and most smaller birds.

If you stay inside the Mara AND are with Maasi Guides/Drivers - then plan to leave the camp well before sunrise each day to find lions in action (the guides should know where to find them); then Black Rhinos waking up and then action around the kills made overnight. Sometimes you will find leopards early in the morning, but normally the best time is to find them is late afternoon when they are sunning/warming themselves on top of termite mounds before they go out to hunt. Cheetahs emerge in good light when other large cats are resting. Finding smaller cats is more random.

There are a few large hippo pools worth setting up near - in the dry season competition can get interesting -- you can come across hippos on the land at Sunrise. Or after if they have been injured.

Elephant herds tend to have set schedules of when they head down from feeding areas to the rivers / marshes to drink - but there are also solitary males -- again the guides should know

Take lots of lens wipes, a filtered air blower and the ability to perform WET sensor cleaning. It is vitally important to use good discipline when exposing your sensor to the air - particularly on game drives. I take a large bin liner with me just in case so I can completely isolate the camera when changing lenses. Ideally you get set up in your tent and DO NOT change lenses while out in the field.

Lots of Malaria and things that bite you -- bring appropriate drugs and NON drowsy antihistamine.
It is relatively COLD at night/early in the morning AND HOT HOT HOT and dusty in the day time - see . We normally go on 2 game drives a day - one EARLY and the 2nd in the afternoon - this depends on the heat. There is little point going out in the heat of the day if you want to shoot anything with fur AND the heat haze is terrible. Pretty much 11am-3pm is time to off load and back up images. Have a light lunch. And Rest up.

I tend to go to sleep at about 8pm and get up at 4am - sun rise is 06:30-06:50 AND sunset is 12 hours later. The GOLDEN time is ~15 mins - much shorter than when further away from the equator.

 

[Bernard45]

You have two main options , inside the Masai Mara reserve itself which can be quite crowded, or the private reserves on the north boundary of the Masai Mara were there are less people eg Mara North Conservancy, Olare Orok Conservancy or Naboisho Conservancy.

Masai Mara Game Reserve or Private Concession - Africa Uncovered

Where is best for your Masai Mara Safari; the actual Masai Mara National Reserve or to safari in one of the private concessions bordering the Masai Mara Reserve.

www.africauncovered.com

I would strongly advise to bring two bodies, my personal combo is Z9+100-400 and z9+500mm+TC1.4.
For large mammals like elephants you need the 100-400 or similar.

Also be careful, the guides and drivers are now used to people taking pictures with a phone and they tend to go very close to the animals which is not so good from a photographic perspective and not necessary when you have the right lens. So if possible try to avoid a vehicle with people photographing with a phone.

 

[Abinoone]

I fly out within 1 week for 3 weeks in the Mara. I have not been around the Nairobi NP, but as noted below there are places to go that should not be missed.

Go to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust the Orphaned Elephant Sanctuary. Often referred to as the Nairobi Nursery, is found in in Nairobi National Park (KWS Central Workshop Gate on Magadi Road). You decide if you want to sponsor an Orphan Elephant or Rhino (MAXWELL IS MY FAV) or Giraffe (yes they have 2).

You decide if you want to go to the Giraffe Hotel/Centre in Karen. If you do I would also go to Matt Bronze.


THE MARA -- Unless you want to "enjoy" 8-12 hours of being bounced around on beaten up village roads and the joy of descending the side of the Rift Valley -- then fly to the Mara on Safari Link from Wilson Airport. Depending on the amount of gear I am carrying often more than 50kg - I buy a freight seat as well as my own. Never had an issue.
Stay in one of the camps inside the Mara. The triangle side is far to disney and controlled for me. I stay at the Entim Camp between the Talek and Mara Rivers (at Fig Tree Crossing).
Go with a good camp with Land Cruiser Safari vehicles -- do not go anywhere near one of the white bus companies. These simply cannot get around in the Mara, do not have good networks, and are a plague.
Take an empty beanbag (over window) and ask the camp to fill it if they do not supply them. Also consider buying a panning plate for use with very long lenses.
Take protection against a heavy RAIN shower.

You will need 600mm+ on a full frame body to capture any Cheetah/Cat action and most smaller birds.

If you stay inside the Mara AND are with Maasi Guides/Drivers - then plan to leave the camp well before sunrise each day to find lions in action (the guides should know where to find them); then Black Rhinos waking up and then action around the kills made overnight. Sometimes you will find leopards early in the morning, but normally the best time is to find them is late afternoon when they are sunning/warming themselves on top of termite mounds before they go out to hunt. Cheetahs emerge in good light when other large cats are resting. Finding smaller cats is more random.

There are a few large hippo pools worth setting up near - in the dry season competition can get interesting -- you can come across hippos on the land at Sunrise. Or after if they have been injured.

Elephant herds tend to have set schedules of when they head down from feeding areas to the rivers / marshes to drink - but there are also solitary males -- again the guides should know

Take lots of lens wipes, a filtered air blower and the ability to perform WET sensor cleaning. It is vitally important to use good discipline when exposing your sensor to the air - particularly on game drives. I take a large bin liner with me just in case so I can completely isolate the camera when changing lenses. Ideally you get set up in your tent and DO NOT change lenses while out in the field.

Lots of Malaria and things that bite you -- bring appropriate drugs and NON drowsy antihistamine.
It is relatively COLD at night/early in the morning AND HOT HOT HOT and dusty in the day time - see . We normally go on 2 game drives a day - one EARLY and the 2nd in the afternoon - this depends on the heat. There is little point going out in the heat of the day if you want to shoot anything with fur AND the heat haze is terrible. Pretty much 11am-3pm is time to off load and back up images. Have a light lunch. And Rest up.

I tend to go to sleep at about 8pm and get up at 4am - sun rise is 06:30-06:50 AND sunset is 12 hours later. The GOLDEN time is ~15 mins - much shorter than when further away from the equator.

Wow, this is incredibly helpful and interesting information , and I’m not even going to Kenya anytime soon. Will tuck this away for later though.

 

[raptor photo]

I fly out within 1 week for 3 weeks in the Mara. I have not been around the Nairobi NP, but as noted below there are places to go that should not be missed.

Go to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust the Orphaned Elephant Sanctuary. Often referred to as the Nairobi Nursery, is found in in Nairobi National Park (KWS Central Workshop Gate on Magadi Road). You decide if you want to sponsor an Orphan Elephant or Rhino (MAXWELL IS MY FAV) or Giraffe (yes they have 2).

You decide if you want to go to the Giraffe Hotel/Centre in Karen. If you do I would also go to Matt Bronze.


THE MARA -- Unless you want to "enjoy" 8-12 hours of being bounced around on beaten up village roads and the joy of descending the side of the Rift Valley -- then fly to the Mara on Safari Link from Wilson Airport. Depending on the amount of gear I am carrying often more than 50kg - I buy a freight seat as well as my own. Never had an issue.
Stay in one of the camps inside the Mara. The triangle side is far to disney and controlled for me. I stay at the Entim Camp between the Talek and Mara Rivers (at Fig Tree Crossing).
Go with a good camp with Land Cruiser Safari vehicles -- do not go anywhere near one of the white bus companies. These simply cannot get around in the Mara, do not have good networks, and are a plague.
Take an empty beanbag (over window) and ask the camp to fill it if they do not supply them. Also consider buying a panning plate for use with very long lenses.
Take protection against a heavy RAIN shower.

You will need 600mm+ on a full frame body to capture any Cheetah/Cat action and most smaller birds.

If you stay inside the Mara AND are with Maasi Guides/Drivers - then plan to leave the camp well before sunrise each day to find lions in action (the guides should know where to find them); then Black Rhinos waking up and then action around the kills made overnight. Sometimes you will find leopards early in the morning, but normally the best time is to find them is late afternoon when they are sunning/warming themselves on top of termite mounds before they go out to hunt. Cheetahs emerge in good light when other large cats are resting. Finding smaller cats is more random.

There are a few large hippo pools worth setting up near - in the dry season competition can get interesting -- you can come across hippos on the land at Sunrise. Or after if they have been injured.

Elephant herds tend to have set schedules of when they head down from feeding areas to the rivers / marshes to drink - but there are also solitary males -- again the guides should know

Take lots of lens wipes, a filtered air blower and the ability to perform WET sensor cleaning. It is vitally important to use good discipline when exposing your sensor to the air - particularly on game drives. I take a large bin liner with me just in case so I can completely isolate the camera when changing lenses. Ideally you get set up in your tent and DO NOT change lenses while out in the field.

Lots of Malaria and things that bite you -- bring appropriate drugs and NON drowsy antihistamine.
It is relatively COLD at night/early in the morning AND HOT HOT HOT and dusty in the day time - see . We normally go on 2 game drives a day - one EARLY and the 2nd in the afternoon - this depends on the heat. There is little point going out in the heat of the day if you want to shoot anything with fur AND the heat haze is terrible. Pretty much 11am-3pm is time to off load and back up images. Have a light lunch. And Rest up.

I tend to go to sleep at about 8pm and get up at 4am - sun rise is 06:30-06:50 AND sunset is 12 hours later. The GOLDEN time is ~15 mins - much shorter than when further away from the equator.

Wow, thank you so much! Will make sure to bring a beanbag, but don't really want a panning plate. We will be flying to the Mara, and staying in Mara North Conservancy. We will definitely ask the guides for an early morning departure. Don't really care about rhinos in the Mara because they should be easy to find in NNP. The times of day for cats will be very useful.
About the dust, I will definitely be bringing all of my cleaning equipment, including wet-cleaning, but do you think I should bring a DSLR or a mirrorless camera. I know mirrorless is more susceptible to dust, so maybe DSLR is the better option. I would be taking either a D850, Z9, or Z7ii/iii.

Which lens would you recommend for the Mara. I think I need a zoom, because of the massive variation in sizes and distances. I would probably take either my sigma 150-600 or the 200-600 if it comes out, along with a shorter lens. 70-200 f/2.8?

 

[raptor photo]

You have two main options , inside the Masai Mara reserve itself which can be quite crowded, or the private reserves on the north boundary of the Masai Mara were there are less people eg Mara North Conservancy, Olare Orok Conservancy or Naboisho Conservancy.

Masai Mara Game Reserve or Private Concession - Africa Uncovered

Where is best for your Masai Mara Safari; the actual Masai Mara National Reserve or to safari in one of the private concessions bordering the Masai Mara Reserve.

www.africauncovered.com

I would strongly advise to bring two bodies, my personal combo is Z9+100-400 and z9+500mm+TC1.4.
For large mammals like elephants you need the 100-400 or similar.

Also be careful, the guides and drivers are now used to people taking pictures with a phone and they tend to go very close to the animals which is not so good from a photographic perspective and not necessary when you have the right lens. So if possible try to avoid a vehicle with people photographing with a phone.

We will make sure to stay further away from the animals for that low angle. I am considering two bodies but that is quite an expensive rental. My other option would be to rent one high end camera (z9 or d850 or z7iii) and bring my lowly D3500 with a short lens. That would be for elephants and giraffes who won't need a high frame rate or good AF. We will be staying in Mara North.

 

[Bernard45]

Good choice, I was in Mara North 3 weeks ago....

 

[Anthony]

A mid range zoom is very useful. I have shots of leopards walking next to my vehicle. The great 100-400 S is useless in such circumstances. A close encounter with a wild leopard deserves more than a phone cam.

 

[Butlerkid]

FWIW - Kenya is my favorite destination out of the 4 trips I have made to Africa. I particularly like the Samburu area. Check it out as it it close to Ol Pejeta. We saw rhinos at Ol Pejeta....but not much else. The lodging and food, though, we very nice.

 

[raptor photo]

Good choice, I was in Mara North 3 weeks ago....

Could you share what you saw? Also, which camp did you stay at? We will be in Offbeat Mara.

 

[raptor photo]

FWIW - Kenya is my favorite destination out of the 4 trips I have made to Africa. I particularly like the Samburu area. Check it out as it it close to Ol Pejeta. We saw rhinos at Ol Pejeta....but not much else. The lodging and food, though, we very nice.

Thanks for the experience tips. We were considering Samburu but we really don't want to do another flight and it is a 6 hour drive. It seems like the second best spot in Kenya though.

 

[raptor photo]

Also, can anyone tell me how likely I am to see hyenas in the Mara. I've seen some places say that they are very common but I'm not sure.

 

[BFinkelstein]

Also, can anyone tell me how likely I am to see hyenas in the Mara. I've seen some places say that they are very common but I'm not sure.

Yes, lots of spotted hyenas. Very interesting animals for sure, especially if you see a clan or cackle of them. We stayed at the Elewana Elephant Pepper Camp in the Mara North Conservancy last February. Cheetah's were plentiful as were leopards, lions etc. Didn't see any rhinos there, but did make a side trip to Ol Pejeta to see them when we stayed at the other Kenya camp (Enasoit) in Northern Kenya on our 6 week safari........

 

[dasm]

I fly out within 1 week for 3 weeks in the Mara. I have not been around the Nairobi NP, but as noted below there are places to go that should not be missed.

Go to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust the Orphaned Elephant Sanctuary. Often referred to as the Nairobi Nursery, is found in in Nairobi National Park (KWS Central Workshop Gate on Magadi Road). You decide if you want to sponsor an Orphan Elephant or Rhino (MAXWELL IS MY FAV) or Giraffe (yes they have 2).

You decide if you want to go to the Giraffe Hotel/Centre in Karen. If you do I would also go to Matt Bronze.


THE MARA -- Unless you want to "enjoy" 8-12 hours of being bounced around on beaten up village roads and the joy of descending the side of the Rift Valley -- then fly to the Mara on Safari Link from Wilson Airport. Depending on the amount of gear I am carrying often more than 50kg - I buy a freight seat as well as my own. Never had an issue.
Stay in one of the camps inside the Mara. The triangle side is far to disney and controlled for me. I stay at the Entim Camp between the Talek and Mara Rivers (at Fig Tree Crossing).
Go with a good camp with Land Cruiser Safari vehicles -- do not go anywhere near one of the white bus companies. These simply cannot get around in the Mara, do not have good networks, and are a plague.
Take an empty beanbag (over window) and ask the camp to fill it if they do not supply them. Also consider buying a panning plate for use with very long lenses.
Take protection against a heavy RAIN shower.

You will need 600mm+ on a full frame body to capture any Cheetah/Cat action and most smaller birds.

If you stay inside the Mara AND are with Maasi Guides/Drivers - then plan to leave the camp well before sunrise each day to find lions in action (the guides should know where to find them); then Black Rhinos waking up and then action around the kills made overnight. Sometimes you will find leopards early in the morning, but normally the best time is to find them is late afternoon when they are sunning/warming themselves on top of termite mounds before they go out to hunt. Cheetahs emerge in good light when other large cats are resting. Finding smaller cats is more random.

There are a few large hippo pools worth setting up near - in the dry season competition can get interesting -- you can come across hippos on the land at Sunrise. Or after if they have been injured.

Elephant herds tend to have set schedules of when they head down from feeding areas to the rivers / marshes to drink - but there are also solitary males -- again the guides should know

Take lots of lens wipes, a filtered air blower and the ability to perform WET sensor cleaning. It is vitally important to use good discipline when exposing your sensor to the air - particularly on game drives. I take a large bin liner with me just in case so I can completely isolate the camera when changing lenses. Ideally you get set up in your tent and DO NOT change lenses while out in the field.

Lots of Malaria and things that bite you -- bring appropriate drugs and NON drowsy antihistamine.
It is relatively COLD at night/early in the morning AND HOT HOT HOT and dusty in the day time - see . We normally go on 2 game drives a day - one EARLY and the 2nd in the afternoon - this depends on the heat. There is little point going out in the heat of the day if you want to shoot anything with fur AND the heat haze is terrible. Pretty much 11am-3pm is time to off load and back up images. Have a light lunch. And Rest up.

I tend to go to sleep at about 8pm and get up at 4am - sun rise is 06:30-06:50 AND sunset is 12 hours later. The GOLDEN time is ~15 mins - much shorter than when further away from the equator.

Wonderful information Andy! I'll be in Kenya in third week of June. There will be five of us. We have finalized the trip with a Nairobi based travel agency. They will provide the driver and the vehicle (Toyota Land Cruiser). We will be visiting Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Lake Bogoria, Ol Pejeta, and at the end, Masai Mara. My main camera will be Nikon Z9. For lenses, I'll carry Z 24-70 f/4 and Z 100-400 with TC 1.4X. Besides big game species, we're interested in birds. I understand 600mm would be perfect for smaller birds but I will have to try with 100-400. I am debating about the second camera. I am inclining toward Fuji XT4 with XF 18-135mm, 16mm f/1.4, and the XF 7-300. I've seen on the internet people have suggested to carry two bodies of the same brand so that if one goes wrong one can utilize the lenses. I do have a Nikon Z6ii. I would really appreciate if you could shade some light on my choice. Would you suggest that I should get a wide angle Z lens too? Thank you in advance.

 

[pomkiwi]

I mentioned on the other current safari thread that it might be worth a look at SafariTalk - https://www.safaritalk.net/
There is a lot of discussion about option in Kenya and photography in general.

For what it's worth I had a great experience with Gamewatchers at their Porini Lion camp in the Olare Motorogi conservancy but I didn't find the Nairobi NP very rewarding. A link to my trip report:

It was one of the best days - Porini Lion, Olare Motorgiri Conservancy

'It was one of the best days' was the understated verdict of Christopher, our spotter, after we returned from seeing a leopard stalk, another leopard chasing guinea fowl, the Queen of the Mara, the introduction of 3 week old lion clubs to their extended family (and the world at large) as well as ...

www.safaritalk.net

 

[Bernard45]

Could you share what you saw? Also, which camp did you stay at? We will be in Offbeat Mara.

The 2 most interesting sightings were the birth of a zebra and a cheetah hunt and kill from beginning to end.
And all usual animals : lions, 2 leopards, several cheetahs, gazelles, a group of 15 giraffes crossing the Mara river,...
We were at the Serian Original camp and Serian Kimya Kimya, very good camps and each family or group has its own private vehicle with a guide and a tracker.

 

[BFinkelstein]

The 2 most interesting sightings were the birth of a zebra and a cheetah hunt and kill from beginning to end.
And all usual animals : lions, 2 leopards, several cheetahs, gazelles, a group of 15 giraffes crossing the Mara river,...
We were at the Serian Original camp and Serian Kimya Kimya, very good camps and each family or group has its own private vehicle with a guide and a tracker.

You bring a good point about the game vehicle. We planned our entire 6 week safari with Bushtracks as a private group (4 of us) and made sure each camp was able to private us with a private and open vehicle. Vehicles with closed tops and "sunroofs" to pop up for photography struggled to get good shots when the action attracted several trackers. Even those with gimbals mounted on the "landrover" appeared to be too cumbersome for moving creatures. YMMV, but that's just us.....short people who are only amateur photographers.

We also tracked a leopard hunt and catch, a lion kill (several after the fact) and a lot of lion sex (also baboon sex on the other side of the Mara River in Tanzania). There were several coalitions of cheetah, with lots of cubs to photograph, in addition

 

[dasm]

You bring a good point about the game vehicle. We planned our entire 6 week safari with Bushtracks as a private group (4 of us) and made sure each camp was able to private us with a private and open vehicle. Vehicles with closed tops and "sunroofs" to pop up for photography struggled to get good shots when the action attracted several trackers. Even those with gimbals mounted on the "landrover" appeared to be too cumbersome for moving creatures. YMMV, but that's just us.....short people who are only amateur photographers.

We also tracked a leopard hunt and catch, a lion kill (several after the fact) and a lot of lion sex (also baboon sex on the other side of the Mara River in Tanzania). There were several coalitions of cheetah, with lots of cubs to photograph, in addition

That is one concern I have regarding our trip in June. Our trip organizer is providing the land cruiser (open top kind) and the driver for our whole trip (Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Lake Bogoria, Ol Pejeta, and Mara). When I asked for the open safari vehicle for Mara, I was quoted an additional USD 100/person/day which comes to $140 Canadian/person/day! That definitely adds up to the cost. Therefore, quite reluctantly, we may have to stick to the open-top vehicle! I might try to use the smaller body (Nikon Z6ii or Fuji XT4) attaching it to the monopod and holding it out the window to take the ground-level or close to the ground shots if the situation permits.

 

[raptor photo]

I mentioned on the other current safari thread that it might be worth a look at SafariTalk - https://www.safaritalk.net/
There is a lot of discussion about option in Kenya and photography in general.

For what it's worth I had a great experience with Gamewatchers at their Porini Lion camp in the Olare Motorogi conservancy but I didn't find the Nairobi NP very rewarding. A link to my trip report:

It was one of the best days - Porini Lion, Olare Motorgiri Conservancy

'It was one of the best days' was the understated verdict of Christopher, our spotter, after we returned from seeing a leopard stalk, another leopard chasing guinea fowl, the Queen of the Mara, the introduction of 3 week old lion clubs to their extended family (and the world at large) as well as ...

www.safaritalk.net

Thanks! Will be looking into safari talk. Great trip! We were hoping to go to Porini but it was out of our price range.

 

[raptor photo]

One more question for you all. How often would you say that the lions were actually doing something? I know they sleep a lot but I'd like to get some hunting/playing/drinking or even walking photos.

 

[Bernard45]

One more question for you all. How often would you say that the lions were actually doing something? I know they sleep a lot but I'd like to get some hunting/playing/drinking or even walking photos.

Huummm it's going to be difficult ! Maybe during the first or last hour of light when it's not too warm, or if they killed something during the night or when there are cubs. A matter of luck !

 

[Anthony]

One more question for you all. How often would you say that the lions were actually doing something? I know they sleep a lot but I'd like to get some hunting/playing/drinking or even walking photos.

Depends on the lions. Sometimes busy, sometimes not. Just like us.

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

Wonderful information Andy! I'll be in Kenya in third week of June. There will be five of us. We have finalized the trip with a Nairobi based travel agency. They will provide the driver and the vehicle (Toyota Land Cruiser). We will be visiting Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Lake Bogoria, Ol Pejeta, and at the end, Masai Mara. My main camera will be Nikon Z9. For lenses, I'll carry Z 24-70 f/4 and Z 100-400 with TC 1.4X. Besides big game species, we're interested in birds. I understand 600mm would be perfect for smaller birds but I will have to try with 100-400. I am debating about the second camera. I am inclining toward Fuji XT4 with XF 18-135mm, 16mm f/1.4, and the XF 7-300. I've seen on the internet people have suggested to carry two bodies of the same brand so that if one goes wrong one can utilize the lenses. I do have a Nikon Z6ii. I would really appreciate if you could shade some light on my choice. Would you suggest that I should get a wide angle Z lens too? Thank you in advance.

Hi -- for my first longest Kenya Trip I went with the largest operator in Kenya - http://www.sunworld-safari.com/ - while it was organised by the guide based on SA who I met up with Amboselli this turned out to be a great choice.
Recently I go direct with the owners of the Entim Camp, in the Mara, who also have facilities/camps across the country. Flying is far far better for me than driving between camps, but that is how I went first time. But you have your arrangements in place. Enjoy the roads "hee hee" and the "interesting" driving conditions.

I strongly suggest you have your company take you to David Sheldrick's in Nairobi (in the National Park) -- see my other post for details.

If you look at my Flickr Albums for 2016 - you will see I went to Samburu, Nakuru, Bogoria (which was a little disappointing and only good for Pelicans and Flamingos - the lodge was also very run down), The Masai Mara, Amboseli and then on over to Tanzania where we went down to Ndutu, via the Crater and Serengeti and ended up back at Kilimanjaro. Since then I have spent the majority of my safari time in Kenya in the Mara.

I travel on Safari quite a lot of gear. BUT this time I will be carrying 2+ bodies and 4 lenses with me - 600/4TC, 400/2.8TC, 100-400 and 24-120 + 2 ZTC's; AND 2 Z9. Most of this will come with me into the cabin, certainly the 2 bodies and 2 large lenses.

I may take a 3rd body but currently am debating this(see below).

I will not be taking a regular tripod or monopod but have a not-a-tripod-support that allows me to shoot astro off of a table If I wish to. I am normally asleep by 8pm.
I take an empty bean bag, panning plate, external field audio recorder and mic's and an arm that helps make panning video shots easier. 30+TB of external storage, 2 spare ENEL-18d batteries and a power bank PLus 16"MBP and lost of ways to charge/extension cables etc. I use an iPad for quick looks in the field using Snapbridge.
Normally Job 1 after each game drive is to offload images (while I shower) and make an immediate backup while we eat. Then run through images to find good ones for the daily report. etc.

I can ONLY speak about Nikon and Hasselblad. But I have shot with folk that use most other main brands AND all seem to get good/great images. I know little about the Fuji camera you mentions -- BUT in your case I would STRONGLY recommend taking 2 bodies that work in the same system. For me 2 Z9 was the right answer. ONE Z9 and a Z7ii or Z6ii might do the same job for you. I suggest using CF-Express Type B cards in all bodies. This makes offloading images much quicker/easier.

Taking a Fuji and a Nikon limits what glass can be used on each body.

The 600 and TC14 are my go to lens for over 65% of all the shots I have taken on Safari in Africa. EVERYTHING looks better given the field of view of a 600mm provided that there are not excessive heat effects AND a 600mm allows you to NOT disturb your subject so you can capture more natural behavior. You simply will not achieve great shots of, for example, a cheetah chase with anything shorter. Lions and Leopards up trees, Crocs, Hippos, & Elephants fighting etc.. will ignore you if you are 60-100m away. Black Rhinos, particularly with young ones, will simply disappear as you get within a few hundred metres. I have been lucky on a few occasions when one large male woke up in front of us and a couple of times when pairs of White Rhinos have been too busy eating. We came across an injured hippo on land and shot him from a fair distance.

If the 600/4 does not work for your budget/style look at the 500PF and FTZii plus TC -vs- the 100-400 -- the ONE issue is the you would need an F-mount TC for the 500 and a Z-mount TC for the 100-400. The BIGGEST challenge you will have is shooting ultra early or ultra late in low light -- this is when lions and leopards are most active. The rest of the day they can be found eating or sleeping. NEXT is the heat and the RAIN (more importantly the impact heavy rains in April/May have on the local roads and tracks in the parks -- but your guides will get you there. I am going now because it is the end of the dry season and hopefully grass heights will be low. You may find heavy grass and bushes. But nice temps. It is somewhat of a lottery when the weather happens and how disruptive it is. Most hope for a VERY heavy monsoon season so that the droughts of previous years can be put behind them.

I would spend some time working out if you can rent or buy a 600mm for your trip. BUT - then since I have my own vehicle/driver/guide I do not have to fight with other shooters for space. Some folk have adapted the sony 200-600 and made Canon glass work well with adapters -- (See Wildlife Alaska on YouTube and others)

I have both a Z6ii and a Z7 -- while the Z6ii is OK - I would probably pair the Z7 as a 3rd camera with one of the shorter zooms for portraits AND so I want the resolution - the Z9 gives me the speed for action. Nothing wrong with a Z6ii --- not many years ago 20mp was HUGE, but now we have 45.7mp. The Z6ii and Z7 both are useful for video and can be triggered remotely via snapbridge.

 

[Anthony]

I travel on Safari quite a lot of gear. BUT this time I will be carrying 2+ bodies and 4 lenses with me - 600/4TC, 400/2.8TC, 100-400 and 24-120. AND 2 Z9. Most of this will come with me into the cabin, certainly the 2 bodies and 2 large lenses.

How do you deal with the weight limits on the internal flights? I find these force me into compromises.

 

[dasm]

Hi -- for my first longest Kenya Trip I went with the largest operator in Kenya - http://www.sunworld-safari.com/ - while it was organised by the guide based on SA who I met up with Amboselli this turned out to be a great choice.
Recently I go direct with the owners of the Entim Camp, in the Mara, who also have facilities/camps across the country. Flying is far far better for me than driving between camps, but that is how I went first time. But you have your arrangements in place. Enjoy the roads "hee hee" and the "interesting" driving conditions.

I strongly suggest you have your company take you to David Sheldrick's in Nairobi (in the National Park) -- see my other post for details.

If you look at my Flickr Albums for 2016 - you will see I went to Samburu, Nakuru, Bogoria (which was a little disappointing and only good for Pelicans and Flamingos - the lodge was also very run down), The Masai Mara, Amboseli and then on over to Tanzania where we went down to Ndutu, via the Crater and Serengeti and ended up back at Kilimanjaro. Since then I have spent the majority of my safari time in Kenya in the Mara.

I travel on Safari quite a lot of gear. BUT this time I will be carrying 2+ bodies and 4 lenses with me - 600/4TC, 400/2.8TC, 100-400 and 24-120. AND 2 Z9. Most of this will come with me into the cabin, certainly the 2 bodies and 2 large lenses.

I may take a 3rd body but currently am debating this(see below).

I will not be taking a regular tripod or monopod but have a not-a-tripod-support that allows me to shoot astro off of a table If I wish to. I am normally asleep by 8pm.
I take an empty bean bag, panning plate, external field audio recorder and mic's and an arm that helps make panning video shots easier. 30+TB of external storage, 2 spare ENEL-18d batteries and a power bank PLus 16"MBP and lost of ways to charge/extension cables etc. I use an iPad for quick looks in the field using Snapbridge.
Normally Job 1 after each game drive is to offload images (while I shower) and make an immediate backup while we eat. Then run through images to find good ones for the daily report. etc.

In your case I would STRONGLY recommend taking 2 bodies that work in the same system. For me 2 Z9 was the right answer. ONE Z9 and a Z7ii or Z6ii might do the same job for you. I suggest using CF-Express Type B cards in all bodies. This makes offloading images much quicker/easier.

Taking a Fuji limits what glass can be used on each body.

The 600 and TC14 are my go to lens for over 65% of all the shots I have taken on Safari in Africa. EVERYTHING looks better given the field of view of a 600mm provided that there are not excessive heat effects AND a 600mm allows you to NOT disturb your subject so you can capture more natural behavior. You simply will not achieve great shots of, for example, a cheetah chase with anything shorter. Lions and Leopards up trees, Crocs, Hippos, & Elephants fighting etc.. will ignore you if you are 60-100m away. Black Rhinos, particularly with young ones, will simply disappear as you get within a few hundred metres. I have been lucky on a few occasions when one large male woke up in front of us and a couple of times when pairs of White Rhinos have been too busy eating. We came across an injured hippo on land and shot him from a fair distance.

If the 600/4 does not work for your budget/style look at the 500PF and FTZii plus TC -vs- the 100-400 -- the ONE issue is the you would need an F-mount TC for the 500 and a Z-mount TC for the 100-400. The BIGGEST challenge you will have is shooting ultra early or ultra late in low light -- this is when lions and leopards are most active. The rest of the day they can be found eating or sleeping. NEXT is the heat and the RAIN (more importantly the impact heavy rains in April/May have on the local roads and tracks in the parks -- but your guides will get you there. I am going now because it is the end of the dry season and hopefully grass heights will be low. You may find heavy grass and bushes. But nice temps. It is somewhat of a lottery when the weather happens and how disruptive it is. Most hope for a VERY heavy monsoon season so that the droughts of previous years can be put behind them.

I would spend some time working out if you can rent or buy a 600mm for your trip. BUT - then since I have my own vehicle/driver/guide I do not have to fight with other shooters for space. Some folk have adapted the sony 200-600 and made Canon glass work well with adapters -- (See Wildlife Alaska on YouTube and others)

I have both a Z6ii and a Z7 -- while the Z6ii is OK - I would probably pair the Z7 as a 3rd camera with one of the shorter zooms for portraits AND so I want the resolution - the Z9 gives me the speed for action. Nothing wrong with a Z6ii --- not many years ago 20mp was HUGE, but now we have 45.7mp. The Z6ii and Z7 both are useful for video and can be triggered remotely via snapbridge.

Thank you so much Andy for your detailed repose. I'll provide you some more information on the gear and hope to get more suggestion and guidance from you. Thanks again!