Capturing the Serengeti

In July we thoroughly enjoyed hosting one of our beloved photographers George Benjamin (@georgetheexplorer), who used our photographic vehicle to it’s full potential and captured a plethora of rich, stirring images from the endless plains of the Serengeti.

We wanted to bring this wild wilderness to your screens so please enjoy this photoessay of some of his most treasured shots. 

Over 8 weeks, George visited Namiri Plains, our private haven in the Eastern corridor where big cat is king.

His images not only caught the depth of their fierce feline power, but also the astonishing number of these endangered species in this wilderness, which is all thanks to the Frankfurt Zoological Society who protected this area for 20 years and studied these incredible animals.

After some heart-stopping moments with the lion and cheetah of Namiri, George ventured northward and the Kogatende region to stay at our newly refurbished Sayari.

During the high season this landscape becomes the stomping ground for over 1 million wildebeest and zebra, who courageously cross the Mara River for the reward of the rich grassland of the Masai Mara. 

This was George’s first-time experiencing the Great Migration crossings and the sheer scale, danger, noise and spectacle was encapsulated by some truly stunning images of the stampedes. 

"I'll Never, ever forget the sounds, sights and smells," George shared on our Instagram page. "Truly the most spectacular few hours of my wildlife photography career."

After his trip George wrote a blog describing not only the incredible experiences he witnessed and captured, but also revealing what travel is like in these COVID-19 times and what it actually feels like to be on safari with social distancing. Read what he had to say here.

"I feel like my custom here has never been more crucial," George said. "COVID-19 has devastated eco-tourism across East Africa, with communities and wildlife suffering as a result. These beautiful, tranquil wild areas rely on visitors to protect them; without you, without us, everyone loses. It’s a giant interwoven web of intricacies, with the bottom line being fairly simple: visit, visit, visit."