Ivory Mayhem Safari

Day 1: Arrive Nairobi – Samburu

On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be received and transferred to Wilson Airport for your outbound flight to Samburu where on arrival you will be transferred by road to arrive at your camp in time for lunch. Activities for the rest of the day will be organized by your guide Warren Samuels. Dinner and overnight at Elephant Bedroom Camp (Full Board)

Day 2 – 7: At Samburu

The next six days will be spent at Elephant Bedroom Camp. During your stay, you will have extended morning game drives every day. We carry sumptuous picnic bush breakfasts in the car with us, consisting of a wide assortment of fruit, fruit juices, tea and coffee, home-baked pastries and cereals, as well as eggs and bacon. We selectively choose scenic picnic sites with great views of the river, or on top of giant rocky outcrops. You return to camp for a delicious lunch followed by a brief siesta or a dip in your private plunge pool situated on your tent’s viewing deck. For the more enthusiastic photographers, there is a hide set up on a platform situated overlooking a waterhole nearby where one can photograph animals drinking. The afternoon game drive begins in the cooler hours of the day and ends with sundowners and bitings at dusk and an opportunity to view and appreciate a formidable star-studded night sky, before returning to camp for dinner.

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On your game drives, besides having great opportunities to photograph large herds of elephants crossing the river, there is also a very good chance of seeing the Big Cats such as lion, leopard and cheetah. You are also likely to see and photograph some of the more unique wildlife species endemic to northern Kenya such as the Gerenuk (or Giraffe antelope), Reticulated giraffe, Beisa’s Oryx,  Somali Ostrich and the beautiful but very rare Grevy's Zebra of which there are only 3,000 left in Africa.

The birds of Samburu are prolific and you will have plenty of opportunities to photograph an impressive array of raptors, which includes Martial Eagles, Bateleur Eagles, Goshawks and the uncommon Pygmy Falcon. Then there are the birds that sport the most vivid of colors on their feathers, such as kingfishers, Barbets, Rollers and Bee-eaters.

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Elephant Bedroom camp is nestled within a large Duom Palm forest on the banks of the picturesque Ewaso Nyiro River. Large herds of elephants frequent the palm forest daily to feed off the nutritious palm nuts, which they share with troops of baboons, vervet monkeys, herds of impalas and Grant's gazelles, warthogs, and a host of other wild animals that visit the camp daily. Whilst resident at the camp you will have the privilege of enjoying some real up close and personal moments with some of the resident young bull elephants who spend their whole day feasting off the Doum palm nuts scattered around the camp.

The main viewing deck and bar/dining area commands stunning views over the palm fringed Ewaso Nyiro River, providing the opportunity to observe and photograph large herds of elephants and other animals coming down to the water to drink and wallow. One really does get the sense that you are literally, 'living amongst the elephants' here.

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Your host and expert guide Warren, will assist you on game drives with setting up your cameras and getting you into prime photographic positions for best image capture. In between game drives Warren can assist with any camera tuition that may be required. There will also be opportunities to have photography 'Review and Critique' workshop sessions during this period. Evenings will be spent relaxing around the campfire or watching some of Warren’s latest films on elephants, followed by a short talk on 'The Making of'.

Day 8: Samburu – Nairobi

After a sumptuous breakfast at your camp, you will get a final game drive in the reserve on your way to the airstrip where you will board your flight to Nairobi.

After a light lunch, you will enjoy a visit to the orphaned elephant and Rothschild giraffe Centers before transferring to JKIA and your return flight back home.

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