Kenya Archives • NJ Wight

Join NJ Wight on Safari

NJ Wight — Sun, 01 May 2022 13:00:07 +0000

Wild! Adventure: A 10-Day Kenya Safari with NJ Wight

Join me for a fabulous small group, 10 or 11 night safari in wild Kenya! I have spent over 350 nights across seven countries in Africa — all of them remarkable. But there are very good reasons I have returned to Kenya multiple times. To me, it is the Africa of the imagination. (Make sure to read Masai Mara Musings for more.) Everything I imagined an African safari could be, I have found in Kenya. Wild and wide-open spaces, gorgeous light, big skies, a blanket of stars, friendly people and more wildlife than I have seen anywhere else. It is my happy place and I cannot wait to show it to you! We are going to have a Wild! time.

Visit Kenya’s Best Wildlife Parks and Conservancies!

We will spend our time looking for and watching wildlife, birds and reptiles in various National Parks and private conservancies, including the exceptional Mara Conservancies. (Itineraries vary slightly. Not all trips visit the same camps.) Tourism in the conservancies is limited in to a small number of camps. The very low ratio of game viewing vehicles to land area is aimed at ensuring the best possible experience of wildlife viewing while minimizing environmental impact. In addition, the communities living in the conservancies financially benefit from your stay. If an African safari is on your bucket-list–now is the time! The trip price includes all internal flights, accommodations, meals, drinks, guides, hosting, conservancy fees, activities, airport transfers etc. (international flights and trip insurance NOT included) and range from $14,000 – $18,000 USD per person. Rates vary depending on season and itinerary locations. )

NJ Wight Private Safari

I also accommodate private group trips. If you are looking for an exclusive safari for a special occasion, interested in exploring with your family or you have a special group of friends and would like me to organize and guide you on your trip of a lifetime, please get in touch and we can start planning!

If you are interested in further details about travel, please click here and contact me for additional information.

Please note: If you would like to add your name to the cancellation list for 2026 and 2027, please contact me.

If you are unable to travel on safari, but would like to join me virtually, consider my ko-fi.com/njwight memberships!

Safari Dates

2027

January 28, 2027 – PRIVATE
July 02, 2027 – SOLD OUT
July 15, 2027– SOLD OUT
Oct 24, 2027 – SOLD OUT

2026

January 21 – 31st – SOLD OUT
February 2 – 11th – SOLD OUT
July 5 – 14th – SOLD OUT
Oct 30 – Nov 12th – PRIVATE

2025

January 15 – 25th – SOLD OUT
June 29 – July 9th – SOLD OUT
July 11 – 20th – SOLD OUT
Oct 28 – Nov. 7th – SOLD OUT

2024

January 27 – February 6th – SOLD OUT
February 7 – 18 – PRIVATE
June 19th – 29th – SOLD OUT
September 13th – 22nd – SOLD OUT

2023

February 25 – March 6th – SOLD OUT
July 8th – July 17th – SOLD OUT
October 12 – October 21 – SOLD OUT
October 23 – November 1 – SOLD OUT

Read comments from former Guests

From Margaret P, repeat guest.

All my life I had dreamed of Africa and all the wildlife that seemed to be too beautiful to be true. Finally, on my 70th birthday I decided to go on a safari. I contacted NJ Wight knowing that she was an amazing wildlife photographer and conservationist. NJ Wight proved to be a great Safari guide – everything from selecting the camps to making sure we all had an awesome camp experience. We spent eight nights in two different camps in the Maasai Mara, in Kenya. The tents were luxurious with top quality beds and indoor plumbing with hot water. The food was first class, crafted by a talented chef and his assistants. And the animals! Oh the animals! From the very first to the very last game drive I was awe struck by the vast variety and abundance of animals in the Mara. The experienced drivers were like magicians – able to spot animals where all I could see were a few bushes. We saw and photographed the all big and small game, and they’re young, of my childhood imagination. It was a trip of a lifetime – and every night I go to sleep thinking of wonderful Kenya. My dream did come true!”

From Mary Beth M

A safari with NJ Wight means you will learn so much about the animals and the people of the area. The trips are highly organized and fun with impeccable choice of camps. I want to go back again……and again.

From Sheryl Berwick, repeat guest.

Traveling on safari is a bucket list destination that is guaranteed to impress… When planning your trip of a lifetime, put your faith in Nancie. An award-winning wildlife photographer with dozens of excursions, hundreds of game drives and countless nights under the stars throughout the African bush, you will be well served to take advantage of Nancie’s experience and trust her to leverage both her familiarity with different regions and network of local contacts to ensure that every detail is considered with the goal of making your trip an absolute success.

From Kevin M, repeat guest.

While a return trip anywhere provides lofty expectations to meet the fond memories of previous journeys, our second adventure to Kenya under Nancie’s experienced guidance not only satisfied these expectations, but exceeded them.

Our accommodations in the conservancies balanced comfort with an authenticity you would expect from being in the heart of the Maasai Mara wilderness. Food and beverages were wonderful and catered to every dietary requirement. The wildlife sightings were abundant and we enjoyed all manner of behavior… the majestic presence of elephants, the playful whimsy of lion cubs, the drama of a leopard protecting its kill… and countless times the camera was put aside in favour of the cell phone for photography, as the animals were too close for the zoom lens! Bottom line, whether you choose to go with family, friends, your partner… or alone… you must simply go

From Lynn F, repeat guest.

“I have now experienced two safari trips hosted by NJ Wight and perhaps the greatest endorsement I can offer is that I am already planning for my third Kenya safari with Nancie! From the moment we decided to go on this amazing adventure, Nancie guided us all the way, starting with helpful hints on what/how to pack, ideal tourist destinations in Nairobi, and photography tips. Because she has been to Africa numerous times, we trusted Nancie’s experience and leadership as to how the trip should unfold. Nancie was our guide on the ground and, with her warm, welcoming (and fun!) manner, we could not have had a better host!

The experience of being in the bush, with the animals so close, was unbelievable. Our guides seemed to know exactly where to find a den of lions and herds of elephants, and they always did their best to accommodate what we wanted to see, i.e. an exciting cheetah chase or lions “making love!” I am proud of the fact that, on both trips, I saw the “Big Five” – which is highly unusual! Most important is the fact that I always felt safe, even when a leopard walked directly under our jeep and an elephant tried to engage us all in a staring contest (hint: the elephant should always win!). People call it “the trip of a lifetime” but the reality is, once you have experienced Africa, you will want to return! And having Nancie as your guide is the perfect way to travel!”

From Angie D

“NJ Wight was an amazing safari guide — very knowledgeable about all the varied wildlife we saw (and we saw so many animals!), and she curated the BEST camps and areas to visit on this Kenya safari. Also, having a smaller/more intimate group was very comfortable, the lodging was beautiful and the vehicles were roomy. It had been years since I had taken photographs and I had bought a new mirrorless digital camera for my safari, and NJ has great photography tips to get gorgeous shots!”

Guests enjoyed breakfast with the hippos, sundowners in the Mara and getting up close with a gentle giant.

Take a Ride in the Land Rover

Wondering what it is like to riding in a Land Rover out on safari? Well, it is hard to put into words, but occasionally I take my hand off my Canon 5D MIV and grab my iPhone to capture some shaky safari snippets. Watch the video at the top of this page for a compilation of moments from my happy place.

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The Rhinos of Ol’ Pejeta: Rest in Peace

NJ Wight — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 15:14:39 +0000

Ol’ Pejeta Conservancy has a deep history of rhino conservation and is home to Kenya’s largest population of Black Rhinos. There are currently over 100 living on these protected lands. Critically endangered, the black rhino population plummeted over 90% from 1960s through the 1990s — poached almost out of existence. By the mid-nineties there were an estimated 2300 left alive. Today, there are estimated to be between 5,000–5,400 black rhinos left in Africa, with about 110 in Ol’ Pejeta. Sadly, strong demand for their horn continues to threaten their survival.

White Rhinos on Ol’ Pejeta

There is also a growing population of Southern White Rhinos on the conservancy. White rhinos were near extinction at the end of the 19th century, with less than 50 individuals remaining in South Africa. Through tremendous conservation efforts, the population is now over 20,000 across east and southern Africa. Ol’ Pejeta is home to 30. We were very fortunate on this trip to see 5 different white rhinos, including a young calf grazing with both parents.

Rest in Peace Sudan

The conservancy was also home to Sudan, the last male northern white rhino who became known around the world and who died on March 20, 2018. Extinct in the wild, Sudan was one of 4 of the world’s last 7 northern white rhinos that came to live in Ol’ Pejeta in September 2009, arriving from a zoo in the Chezch Republic. Now, only two females remain and the conservancy vets, along with the zoo, are trying to develop a technique for in vitro fertilization–something that has not been previously done with rhinos. (You can read about the efforts here.)

The Rhino Cemetery

During my last visit in 2018, on a grey and rainy afternoon, I visited the rhino cemetery to pay my respects to the rhinos who rest there. I had not visited this sacred place on previous trips to the conservancy and it was quite an emotionaly charged experience. Fifteen graves are marked with headstones and bronze plaques, paying tribute to the lost lives of these threatened animals.

Amongst the group is the resting place of Ishirini, a female black rhino who, in 2016, was killed at the age of 20. She was 12 months pregnant when she was found writhing in pain, horns cut off. She did not survive.

The rhinos that rest here range in age and include both males and females. Many were found shot dead, horns removed. Max, age 6, was slaughtered even though he underwent dehorning procedures meant to protect him from poaching. He was found dead with his very small, regrown horns cut off.

Horn is Not Medicine

The graves of these magnificent and peaceful animals serve as a painful reminder of the need to continue to fight against poaching and trafficking in animal parts. Rhino is readily available on the black market and sells for $60k a kilo. It remains in high demand, especially from Vietnam. Conservation efforts continue, but so does the investment in poaching for black market profits. If it doesn’t stop soon, we risk losing Africa’s two remaining rhino species.

Rhino horn is not medicine. Rhino horn is not an aphrodisiac. It is keratin — just like our finger nails. It belongs no where but on a rhino.

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Masai Mara Musings

NJ Wight — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 16:35:23 +0000

“If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa.” –John Hemingway

Lion Prides

During my time in the Olare and Mara North conservancies, I was fortunate to spend time with the Enkoyanai and the Iseketa-Monika prides and also visited some old feline friends from the Cheli & Peacock pride. It has always been fascinating for me to return to the same conservancies over the past three years and follow the lives of some of the resident prides. It is certainly tough going for lions these days as their numbers continue to fall with a population now estimated at around 20,000 across Africa. It is a complex challenge and lions are losing the battle to loss of habitat, conflict with humans, pesticides and big game hunting (The Economics of Hunting Lions). I am ever-thankful for my incredible Masaai guides Mika and Patrick of Kicheche Camps for their deep knowledge of the lion families and their willingness to share. They are on the front lines witnessing the stress on the balance of nature and are exceptional in their leadership and stewardship of these important lands.

Highlights of my recent lion sightings included watching a couple of youngsters from the Enkoyanai pride in Olare Orak exploring their territory and having a tumble with each other. Another exciting lion encounter was following two big boys, Lolpapit and Barnoti, the dominant coalition in charge of the Iseketa-Monika pride in the Olare conservancy. Sure they could use a little hair product, but their strength is formidable and on this morning they were approaching the Enkoyanai pride with a mission to intimidate. (Ok, maybe not so intimidating when they took time out to wrestle with each other.)

Elephant Greetings

Another very special moment in Olare was watching two herds of elephants greet each other as daylight faded away. There was a great deal of trunk caressing and playful greetings between the adolescents and the little ones insisted on joining in where they could. The sky was overcast and there was a strange pinky-blue hue to the last light, which is so magical in the Masai Mara, making it extremely difficult to capture these living landscapes. I worked at it until the bitter end, shooting with a 300 at f2.8 and pushing ISO’s as high as 10,000. While the images are technically flawed , they will serve me well as reminders of one of the most spectacular elephant sightings of my many trips.

The Masai Mara on my Mind

When I get home from my adventures, I spend long days editing photos and reliving my memories. Even years later, when I look at the images, vivid memories return. It gets under your skin. The longing to return soon follows.

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