Tanzania & Amboseli

Big game and big vistas

Amboseli, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Ndutu

14 Night African Wildlife Photo Safari

Join us on a classic East African adventure exploring some of the continent’s most exciting and iconic wildlife destinations: Amboseli, world-renowned for its large herds of elephants and the snow-capped backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro; the Ngorongoro crater, home to Africa’s densest population of lions; the Serengeti, where diverse landscapes and abundant wildlife offer unparalleled photographic opportunities; and Ndutu, where huge herds of wildebeest and zebra migrate to give birth.

We’ll enjoy three nights at Kenya’s Amboseli national park, considered by many photographers to be one of the best places in the world to photograph elephants. We’ll be using customised photo vehicles driven by expert local guides, with only three photographers in each, meaning you’re guaranteed access to both sides of the vehicle. We’ve chosen accommodation in the heart of the park, offering immediate access to photography, so no time wasted travelling back and forth.

From Amboseli we’ll cross the border to Tanzania, meet up with our local guides and vehicles, and drive to Ngorongoro for a two night stay on the crater’s edge, which will include a full day exploring this World Heritage Site. Next, it’s Siringit camp in the heart of the Serengeti, for a three night stay, including time at the photogenic Gol Kopjes, where cheetah and lion are regularly seen posing on the rocks. Then we spend four nights in Ndutu, many photographers’ favourite location in Tanzania, and the location for one of East Africa’s most spectacular wildlife events. In February and March huge numbers of zebra and wildebeest stop off on the Great Migration to calve, attracting the attention of predators and offering superb photographic opportunities.

The sheer abundance and variety of wildlife that we can expect to encounter on this trip makes for a remarkable two weeks of photography, with all of the Big Five, cheetah and huge herds of plain games among the highlights. We’ll be photographing with three guests per vehicle, using expert local guides, and staying in accommodation that offers fast access to the best locations. All transfers are by road, offering the chance to experience the country and avoiding the restrictive baggage allowance of small aircraft.

Photographic highlights

Amboseli’s famous elephants

Ngorongoro crater

Classic Serengeti landscapes

Ndutu and the Great Migration

Predator and prey action

One date in 2025

2025 March 5 – 19 (1 space)

Competitively priced

2025 US$13,650 sharing. Single supplement US$1,200

Tanzania & Amboseli - Essential information

Highlights

Three nights in Kenya’s Amboseli national park
Superb elephant photography
Iconic views of elephants with Mt Kilimanjaro backdrop
Two nights Ngorongoro crater
Full day exploring the crater, home to an amazing array of animals

Three nights in the Serengeti with its diverse landscapes and abundant wildlife
Visit Gol Kopjes, famous for cheetah
Four nights at Ndutu, where vast herds of wildebeest and zebra gather to give birth
Superb ‘Big five’ photography and much more
Two photo vehicles, three guests per vehicle

All transfers by road, avoiding restrictive flight baggage allowances
High quality accommodation located in the heart of the reserves
Pro photographer guidance available at all times
Expert local guides/drivers
Maximum six guests

Cost

The cost of the 2025 Tanzania/Amboseli safari is US$13,650 per person sharing.

Single supplements:

A limited number of single rooms are available, on a first-come, first-served basis. Single room supplement is US$1,200. We do not make a profit on single supplements, which are less than the cost to us. Photographers travelling singly, who are willing to share a room, will not be charged a single supplement.

Gratuities:

We understand that knowing who, when and how much to tip can be a headache, so we now include gratuities in the cost of the safari. We’ll make sure everyone deserving a tip, from photo guides to kitchen staff, receives an appropriate amount, so you don’t have to worry about it. Of course, if you wish to reward individuals with something extra for excellent service, then you are welcome to do so, but there isn’t any expectation or need that you do this.

The cost includes:

Meet and greet at Nairobi airport
One night at Four Points Sheraton hotel, Nairobi, B&B
Three nights at Amboseli, Serena Lodge, all meals
Two nights at Ngorongoro Crater, Serena Lodge, all meals
Three nights at Serengeti, Siringit Lodge, all meals
Four nights at Ndutu, Ndutu Lodge, all meals
One night at Arusha, Kahawa House, all meals
All game activities
Day room at Four Points Sheraton hotel, room only
All road transfers
All park entrance fees
Services of professional local safari guides
Services of Ann & Steve Toon photo guides
Use of dedicated game viewers, three guests per vehicle.
Gratuities

The cost excludes:

International flights to Nairobi, Kenya
Visa fees
Items of a personal nature
Laundry
Meals and drinks not indicated
Travel insurance

Giving back

To see how your booking helps engage disadvantaged young people in South Africa with wildlife and conservation, visit our Giving Back page.

Accommodation

Our safaris aim to place you in the best places, at the best times, for the best photographic opportunities, but that doesn’t mean we have to rough it. We’ve chosen accommodation that is very comfortable, with excellent food and great beds.

On arrival in Nairobi you will be met at the airport and transferred to the Four Points Sheraton hotel, only five minutes drive. It’s a modern hotel with very comfortable rooms and excellent security.

Our next three nights will be spent at Amboseli Serena lodge. This is a hotel-style lodge, offering comfortable rooms, great views over a floodlit waterhole that attracts plentiful game, and a location in the heart of the park, so we won’t be wasting time getting to and from our subjects.

At the Ngorongoro crater we’ll be staying at Serena Safari Lodge, in comfortable stone-built rooms with their own private balconies overlooking the crater.

Our accommodation in the Serengeti is at the small and luxurious Siringit Lodge. Our luxury tents sit atop wooden platforms, and boast generous sleeping/lounge areas and ensuite bathrooms with ‘his and hers’ hand basins, large showers and proper flush toilets.

During our four nights at Ndutu we’ll be staying at Ndutu Lodge, which offers simple but comfortable accommodation in stone and thatch cottages. These have en suite bathrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets, and private verandas overlooking the unfenced landscape of trees and shrubs that surrounds the camp.

We break our journey back to Nairobi with a night at Kahawa Lodge, just outside of Arusha. It’s a comfortable, peaceful hotel, in attractive grounds.

On arrival back in Nairobi you will have a day room at the Four Points Sheraton, where you can relax and freshen up before the complimentary shuttle takes you to the airport for your evening flight home.

Location

Amboseli is a small but spectacular reserve in the south-east of Kenya. It enjoys iconic views, weather permitting, of Mount Kilimanjaro, over the border in Tanzania. While the reserve itself is only 392 square kilometres in size, it is part of a much larger, 8,000 square kilometre open system that straddles the border.

The Ngorongoro crater, Serengeti and adjoining Ndutu are in the north of Tanzania, together playing host to an astonishing abundance and variety of wildlife. Ngorongoro crater is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its vast caldera home to one of the densest populations of lions in Africa. The Serengeti covers nearly 15,000 square kilometers of diverse landscapes and is perhaps best known for the passage of the Great Migration. At the time of our visit, huge herds of zebra and wildebeest will be in the Ndutu area, busily feeding up after calving, and inevitably attracting the attention of an array of predators.

Getting there

The safari begins and ends in Kenya at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. International flights are not included in the safari cost.

Most international long-haul flights arrive and depart in the evening. British Airways, Air France, KLM, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, and, of course, Kenya Airways, are among airlines servicing Nairobi. Check hand baggage allowances and stopover times when shopping around.

On arrival at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Airport on March 5 you will be met and transferred to the Four Points Sheraton hotel, where we will greet you. Dinner at the hotel is not included in the safari cost, as most guests will arrive too late and will have eaten on the plane. On our final day, March 19, we will drive back to Nairobi, arriving in the early afternoon, and you will have use of a day room in the Four Points Sheraton, before being transferred to the airport for your evening flight home.

Itinerary

Day one: Guests arriving at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta airport will be met and transferred to the Four Points Sheraton.
Day two: After an early breakfast we’ll depart by road for Amboseli national park, arriving in time for lunch, before going out on our first afternoon drive.
Days three and four: Morning and afternoon game drives in Amboseli.
Day five: We’ll drive to the Namanga border post and cross into Tanzania, where we’ll meet our Tanzanian guides and vehicles. We’ll drive to Ngorongoro crater where we’ll have a chance to relax after checking in to the Serena Lodge.
Day six: We’ll have a full day in the crater, with picnic breakfast and lunch.
Day seven: After a morning drive in the Crater and lunch back at the lodge, we’ll drive to the Serengeti and head for Siringit Lodge, photographing en route.

Days eight and nine: Morning and evening game drives in the Serengeti.
Day ten: Our final morning game drive in the Serengeti, exiting via the picturesque Gol Kopjes, renowned for lion and cheetah sightings. We’ll arrive at Ndutu for lunch and have an afternoon drive.
Days eleven, twelve, thirteen: Morning and evening game drives in Ndutu.
Day fourteen: A final drive in Ndutu before heading for Arusha, where we overnight.
Day fifteen: We’ll drive back to Nairobi, through the border, arriving at the Four Points Sheraton at around 2pm. Here you will have use of a day room until it’s time to be transferred to the airport on the complimentary shuttle bus, in time for your flight home.

Equipment

As with most forms of wildlife, a long lens helps enormously, and we’d recommend a minimum of 400mm full frame equivalent. A long zoom, such as 100-400, 100-500mm or 150-600mm would be a good choice. If you have a 500mm or 600mm prime, it’s worth bringing.

We’d also recommend a short zoom for animals in the wider landscape: we find a 24-105mm is a versatile option. If your long lens is a fixed length prime (like a 500mm), then a medium zoom, such as a 70-200mm, would be an ideal third lens. We also use 1.4x teleconverters for extra reach.

If you have a second camera body, and can fit it in your hand baggage, then bring it. Not only is this good insurance if your main body packs up, but it’s a lot quicker to respond to opportunities if you have a second body with shorter lens attached.

The photo vehicles are well designed for photography with all lengths of lens. Tripods are not really suited to use on photo vehicles, but if you wish to bring one for use in camp, you are welcome to do so.

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