Welcome to Kenya! Today is dedicated to your arrival in Nairobi. You’ll be met by a FROST representative and transferred to your accommodation for the night. Over dinner, you’ll have the chance to discuss your exciting upcoming northern Kenya photography tour before settling in for some well-deserved rest.

Begin your adventure with a scenic private charter flight from Nairobi's Wilson Airport to Lake Turkana, offering stunning aerial views of Kenya's diverse landscapes. On arrival, immerse yourself in the vibrant life and landscapes of the world's largest desert lake.

Home to an array of wildlife, including crocodiles & hippos, it’s a place steeped in history where you may well tread the same ground as early man. Marvel at vast volcanic calderas and capture the turquoise waters, dramatic desert backdrops, and the daily lives of local tribes, including the El Molo, Samburu, Rendille and Turkana people.

From cultural portraits and traditional dances to scenes of fishermen along the lake’s edge, you’ll have endless opportunities to begin piecing together your Northern Kenya portfolio with the help of your FROST photo tour leader.

Photograph the turquoise waters, dramatic desert backdrops and local tribes including the El Molo, Samburu and Turkana people. There are endless opportunities for cultural portraits, traditional dances, environmental shots of fishermen and village life along the water's edge.

You will spend two full days at Lake Turkana staying at the FROST Mobile Camp, an exclusive offering for this northern Kenya photo tour for FROST guests only. This is the perfect opportunity to get away from it all—to connect with nature and immerse yourself in a wilder world. Nothing quite compares to the pure experience of wild camping. You can expect your own large 4m diameter bell tent equipped with a foam mattress on a stretcher, adequate bedding, towels, snacks, washbasin, solar light, table and chair. A generator is available to charge batteries. All, of course, is set up for you while you explore the neighbouring area. A short walk under the trees leads you to a hanging bucket shower and a sheltered toilet. While shooting the afternoon’s last rays of golden light, the camp cook will be preparing dinner.

Spend two days immersed in the rich cultural diversity found near Lake Turkana, in a small town nestled beneath the shade of doum palms, sustained by the life-giving oases in this desert landscape. Lake Turkana is home to a vibrant mix of four nomadic pastoralist tribes: the Turkana, Samburu, Rendille, and El Molo. The El Molo tribe, numbering fewer than a thousand members, is Kenya’s smallest tribe, making their traditions especially unique and precious.

The El Molo tribe, numbering fewer than a thousand members, is Kenya’s smallest tribe, making their traditions especially unique and precious. Their small villages are set right beside the lake. At their main settlement, El Molo Bay, they depend on fishing and survive using the lake’s salty waters. Our experience in the region has proven fruitful and we’ve met a local El Molo family here with a boat - if they are home, they will be happy to help us access small islands for photography!

Head to a Turkana village, where you’ll be welcomed with their expressive dances and songs. The Turkana, a Nilotic-speaking people adapted to the challenging conditions of northern Kenya, are known for their intricate beadwork, unique garments, and captivating dances. You’ll have the chance to photograph them within their village, outside in the open landscape, or along the shores of Lake Turkana. During the midday heat, take a well-deserved rest.

As the light fades, we’ll experiment with slow exposures and artificial lighting, adding depth to your diverse portfolio from northern Kenya. Silhouetted figures and slow shutter speed photos of the blue waters at twilight are surely creative highlights on this special northern Kenya photography tour.

Lake Turkana holds an unparalleled place in the story of human evolution, earning its title as the “Cradle of Mankind” due to its extraordinary archaeological discoveries. The region’s most renowned site, Koobi Fora, located along the eastern shores of Lake Turkana, has yielded some of the most significant fossil finds in human history. Among these is the Turkana Boy, a nearly complete skeleton of a Homo erectus youth, estimated to be around 1.6 million years old, providing invaluable insights into our evolutionary past. The opportunity to stand in a region that shaped human evolution is a profound experience, attracting anthropologists, history enthusiasts, travellers and of course intrepid photographers!

Depart from the rocky terrain of Lake Turkana for a 2.5-hour drive into Kurungu, nestled in the picturesque Ndoto and Nyiro Mountains, a lush and green oasis. This serene retreat offers an intimate look into the lives of the Samburu and Rendille tribes. Document their colorful beadwork, intricate attire, and daily activities. The rugged terrain and towering mountains create striking environmental photography opportunities, perfect for capturing portraits in their natural setting.

Shade is a valuable commodity in the north and it’s a relief upon arriving at our private camp nestled beneath umbrella acacia trees.

Today we venture out into the heart of the Great Rift Valley, where soaring peaks clash with great expanses of desert barely touched by man. Emerge from your tent to gaze over acres of scrub and forested outcrops before heading out for your morning sunrise photo session documenting the Turkana and Samburu people. Return to camp for a picnic-style breakfast ready for you. Our afternoon sunset photo session will be at a unique location scouted the day before. Northern Kenya’s diverse landscapes, from the lush highland greens of the south to the striking red sands of the northern borders, offer photographers a breathtaking canvas. Its varied, inhospitable, and extraordinarily beautiful terrain provides endless opportunities to capture unique and dramatic images, adding depth and character to your growing portfolio.

This morning we will stop at a small shop selling the best local organic honey from Mount Nyiro - chat to the owner and stock up on sweet delights before continuing the journey.

We soon enter the vast expanse of the Chalbi Desert (meaning “bare & salty” in the Gabra dialect). There aren’t large sand dunes here, but rather an extreme arid landscape with shimmering salt flats. The early morning and evening light will help you capture the desert’s ethereal beauty with its vast, otherworldly expanse of cracked earth. On our arrival to the eastern edge of the desert, we’ll meet with the village chief to discuss our plans and scout the surrounding area for its photographic potential. At the Rendille village you’ll capture classic portraits of these colourful people and their semi-nomadic lifestyle centered around camel herding, highlighting their vivid beadwork, traditional huts, and colorful clothing - surely one of the highlights of this northern Kenya photography tour!

Photographically speaking, it is always special to include a destination’s environmental characteristics into compositions - and here it’s no doubt all about vast open spaces! Our main objective is to experience and photograph the pans at Chalbi, and we will try our best to create images featuring the Rendille in vast open areas. These expansive landscapes not only allow for striking environmental compositions but also work well for portraits with a white background (overexposed sky). To help you capture portfolio-worthy portraits, your FROST Photo Tour Leader will provide a large diffusing scrim to soften sunlight and a reflector for added light control. Given the fact that the sand acts as a large reflector, one may not need a reflector. However, something to diffuse harsh light may certainly be welcomed. Back at camp, as night falls, stare at the stars and realise where you are. Travelling to the wildest corners of the earth makes you feel so small and at the same time more alive than ever.

This area offers a captivating combination of dramatic, undulating landscapes and rich cultural diversity. It is at this stage of the tour that we gain a more elevated perspective of the terrain. The rocky expanses and ancient acacia trees provide dynamic settings for conceptual and environmental photography, allowing you to create compelling visual stories. Ngurunit is known for its beautiful rock pools nestled along the mountain slopes, not far from our camp. These pools offer not only striking photographic opportunities but also a refreshing spot for a dip to cool off in the midday heat.

Spend your day photographing the Samburu, Somali, and Rendille people. The ethnonym Rendille translates as “Holders of the Stick of God.” They are pastoralists believed to have orignally migrated down from Ethiopia.

This area is particularly unique as it showcases the fascinating contrasts between homesteads, known as “manyattas,” of different ethnic groups. Here, families from various tribes often live side by side, making the differences especially pronounced. Manyattas are typically composed of small, circular huts built using natural materials like sticks, mud, cow dung, and grass. Their layout and structure reflect the cultural and social organization of each tribe, providing a rich narrative for cultural and environmental photography.

Conclude your epic northern Kenya photography tour in style at Saruni’s Basecamp Samburu lodge, located in the breathtaking Kalama Conservancy. Here, you’ll enjoy the perfect blend of comfort and culture. Spend time documenting the vibrant ceremonies and dances of the Samburu people. As you relax at the lodge, take in the sweeping views of the Samburu landscape, reflecting on the incredible experiences of your adventure. 

Saruni’s Basecamp Samburu lodge is iconic for its stunning setting and its seamless integration of authentic Samburu culture and community conservation into the luxury safari experience. As the only safari lodge in the community-owned Kalama Wildlife Conservancy, it has pioneered community-centered ecotourism in northern Kenya. The nomadic Samburu, custodians of this region, provide unique opportunities to photograph and learn from the sustainable lifestyle of one of Kenya’s most iconic ethnic groups. Samburu warrior guides combine professional expertise with inherited local knowledge, sharing their time-honored traditions and customs. Day 12 is dedicated to documenting the Samburu people, capturing everything from monochrome portraits and energetic dances to dramatic environmental scenes of warriors set against lush green and mountainous backdrops.

Situated near Samburu National Reserve, the lodge offers remarkable wildlife encounters, including iconic species such as elephants and lions, as well as unique endemic species like the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, Beisa oryx, and the long-necked gerenuk.

Your unforgettable journey comes to an end as you take a flight from Samburu back to the capital. Reflect on the incredible experiences and images you’ve captured as you enjoy a final morning in Kenya. Your northern Kenya photography tour concludes as we return to Nairobi Wilson Airport.