Safari shots continuing. This is the second post on wildlife watching in East Africa. If you’ve missed the first one – here is the link.

The photo of the Flamingos was taken at Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya. This is probably the most convenient place to see these incredible birds in huge numbers. When I first saw them I was surprised. I expected elegant, gentle birds in a tranquil environment, but  came across noisy, clumsy, smelly and funny looking fellows instead. The biggest fun was to watch them chase each other around the shores of the lake. They looked like a children at play. No sign of elegance that I expected.

Another scenery from Maasai Mara NP. An idealistic image of Impalas, Zebras and a Giraffe grazing together in savanna.

Two juvenile Vervet monkeys at play. They have blue butts:) Sometimes a nuisance, but always fun to watch!

A Spotted Hyena – a rare sight at day-time. Besides Wild dogs, Hyenas are my favourite African beasts. (I prefer dogs to cats, he he…)

Common Bulbuls couple. As their name suggests they are one of the most common birds to spot around camps and lodges in East Africa.

Gnu or Wildebeest. Known as the ugliest and dumbest antelope of savanna. Don’t know about their intelligence but certainly not ugly. Funny yes, ugly no…

Classic view of the NgoroNgoro landscape. Zebras and Gnus grazing together.

A donkey in pajamas.

Elephant family marching through Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

Baby Baboon taking the “mama” taxi.

One of my favourite wildlife shots in Africa is this one. A female Impala gazelle bitting off a young branch.

Two young elephants at play. That was an incredible sight. We were watching them for almost an hour in complete silence. Despite their size, they are incredibly gentle and caring animals.

Stripped Mongooses are always seen in big numbers. They are scouting the area for food and they rarely stop. This was one of the moments they stopped for a second when they noticed us.

Grey Crowned Crane. This one was captive at one of the lodges we stayed in Tanzania. A good opportunity for a photograph.

Saddle-billed Stork. The biggest of all storks and also one of the most beautiful ones.

And for the end an unknown animal that I’ve seen only once in East Africa. Very rare animal, probably on the verge of extinction!

More photos from East Africa are coming so get back in a week or so.

Related posts

• On the Safari in East Africa – part I? (7)
• African safari photo tips (11)
• Yala national park safari (10)
• Stripes in Etosha (6)
• Baboons, baboons, baboons! (4)

East Africa is one of my favourite places I’ve ever been. Its wildlife, landscapes, people and pure wilderness itself gets under your skin and you can never forget this unique place on Earth. I’ve been there many times guiding safari expeditions and vacations on Zanzibar island.

Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru Mount Kenya, Aberdares, Arusha, Ngoro Ngoro, Tarangire – these are just a few places I travelled and loved! It is hard to decide which place I liked the most, each one has its unique charms that make it worth to visit.

Kongoni (Hartebeest). Funny looking animal, they are many at Maasai Mara National Park. Actually I like their stupid look and crooked horns

Waterbuck is an antelope with style. A majestic animal, especially adult males with huge horns. Their flesh has unpleasant smell so that carnivores wouldn’t hunt them and their hair is “waterproof”.

Newborn zebra and its mother. A lovely, intimate moment. Lake Nakuru National Park – at the back you can notice the flamingos in the lake.

A Pelican, elegantly gliding among Flamingos at Lake Nakuru. Pelicans are not native to this alkaline lake – the arrived when humans introduced fish into the lake.

Chameleon. Funny little fellow! Once one almost fell on my head from the tree branch. I just love their rotating eyes and their Disco moves!

Sinister look. A young adult lion is having a snack – poor little Thompson’s gazelle. Not much was left for the scavengers – only a part of the scull and the horns.

A special sight – the endangered White Rhinos grazing at the shores of Lake Nakuru. There are Yellow Accacia trees at the back. Lake Nakuru is the best place to see these gentle giants, once we counted them 12 in one day!

Vultures fighting over carcass. There are at least three different species on the photo plus a Marabou Stork (the tall one to the right).

Lilac-breasted Roller. One of the most common and one of the most beautiful birds of African savannah. They are an easy subject to photograph as they are not shy and they like to rest on branches.

This was an unforgettable encounter – a huge lion pride! And although most of them were resting motionless in the bushes, these two charming cubs were playing with each.

Elegant Grant’s Gazelles. The photo was taken just after the rain – you can see they are still wet all over.

In the next few posts I am gonna present wildlife, people and places of East Africa, so stay tuned! You can follow my blog via RSS feeds or via Email subscription (FeedBurner).

Related posts

• African safari photo tips (11)
• On the Safari in East Africa – part II (11)
• Yala national park safari (10)
• Baboons, baboons, baboons! (4)
• Walvis bay – Mola Mola safari (4)

It was after an exciting game drive at Tarangire national park in Tanzania. Late afternoon, the others went to the Curio shop or to the restrooms. I was resting by the car when she came by. Quietly, not saying a word, she was standing and watching me inquisitively. I gave her a pen i was just writing with. We were watching each other for a few moments, then I raised my camera slowly and waiting for her reaction. She did not move at all. I took a photograph, she smiled to me and walked away. A fair trade.

Related posts

• On the Safari in East Africa – part II (11)
• On the Safari in East Africa – part I? (7)
• African safari photo tips (11)
• Nubians of Aswan (8)
• Lady Africa (2)

Every-time I return to hot African ground I feel this wild excitement, like first white hunters, when they were stocking wild animals in savanna. The only difference now-days is, that the photographic cameras have replaced smoking guns.

The word safari actually means to travel in Swahili language. People now-days think of watching wildlife in Africa, when they hear this word. The expression Game drive suggests that watching wildlife is like a lottery and the prizes are encounters with lions, elephants and several other animals.

Traveller who know a little bit about photography would assume that for photographing wildlife in Africa big telephoto-lens is needed. Of course, lens with focal length of 500mm or more would be great, but they are not necessary. Animals in savanna are used to humans (or at least to strange noisy animals on four wheels). It is quite easy to get close to them and we can use lens with lesser focal length.

When I am going to safari I usually use 70-200mm f2.8 lens and teleconverter (2x magnifier). This is more or less enough for most of the time, it is not too heavy and also affordable. If you are keen birdwatcher you may wish for bigger lens, but you would be surprised how many great bird shots I made with just 200mm lens!

Checklist:
- Camera, plenty of memory cards, spare batteries,
- Binoculars – especially for birdwatching,
- Sunscreen and a hat – it is Africa:) ,
- Plenty of drinking water,
- Notebook – to put down the names of the animals,
- sunglasses,
- light comfortable clothes, neutral colours, long sleeves if possible.

One of the most important things is, that you take enough memory cards or films with you. Image-tank is also very handy. You will definitely take at least twice as much photos than you planned. The night before the safari check the batteries, empty the memory cards and clean the lenses. Before you choose your lodge you should check if the lodge or camp where you will be staying has electricity and what are the hours when it is available (some camps they shut it down during the night). It is unlikely that you will be able to use the tripod or monopod in the vehicle. I would suggest you, that you get a beanbag, sometimes just a jacket is enough. If the car-engine is running it is better to handhold your camera.

Make sure, that you join the group that has the same interests as you have. It can be frustrating for everybody if there are different expectations. Usually the drivers are very flexible about the times of departure, places to visit, which animals to see…

The best time for photography is early in the morning and late in the afternoon. The quality of the light is at its best and the animals are more active. Most of animals are resting in the shadows in the middle of the day. Strong sun casts strong shadows and the photos are usually overexposed or poor in colours.

Where to go?

There are several different countries where you can enjoy the safari;
South Africa – probably the most popular safari experience, very diverse country,
Kenya – classical destination,superb birdwatching, can be crowded,
Tanzania – Serengeti and Ngorongoro, Mt. Klilimanjaro, don’t miss Zanzibar!,
Uganda – source of the Nile, meet the gorillas,
Zambia,
Zimbabwe,
Namibia – Been there, had a great time, check out the posts & photos.
Botswana – it is second on my whishlist…

There are also other countries where you can do the safari, this is just a basic idea where to go. Regardless which country you choose to go, you should do a homework before you decide. Things like weather season, public holidays, lodges, what animals you want to see, prices, safari company, national parks – these are all things you should consider when planning a trip. The best way to make sure you choose the right thing is to talk to people, take a look at their photos. The cheapest offer is usually not the right one – it is worth paying a few extra bucks to make sure you get what you want!

I posted two articles with more photos from safaris in Kenya & Tanzania. Check them out in bigger size! Game drive photos I and game drive photos II.

Related posts

• On the Safari in East Africa – part I? (7)
• On the Safari in East Africa – part II (11)
• Baboons, baboons, baboons! (4)
• Yala national park safari (10)
• Walvis bay – Mola Mola safari (4)