Kenya’s Tribes
February 26 – March 6, 2027
3 Spots Left
Kenya Black Leopard and Samburu Safari
1 Spot Left—Male Share
At a Glance
Location
Kenya
Tuition
$24,000
Dates
July 13 – 22, 2027
Fitness Level
Availability
Limited to 6 Guests
Collections
- Signature Collection
Kenya Black Leopard and Samburu Safari Photography Workshop
Exploring Samburu and Photographing Black Leopards in Laikipia (Single Supplement Sold Out)
July 13 – 22, 2027
- Photograph Black Leopard and northern Kenya’s other iconic wildlife
- Learn from 3 pros with unparalleled 2:1 guest-to-Pro ratio
- Fully inclusive with private charters and exclusive camps
Once the sun disappears behind the acacias, Laikipia changes completely. Beyond the glow of the vehicle headlights, the bush feels suddenly alive with possibility, and somewhere within it, the black leopard may already be watching.
Set in the remote wildernesses of northern Kenya, this photographic safari is designed for photographers hoping to experience one of Africa’s most elusive predators: the black leopard. Operating across two dramatically different ecosystems, from the elephant-rich river valleys of Samburu to the vast private conservancies of Laikipia, the workshop combines exceptional wildlife encounters with a level of flexibility and photographic opportunities rarely possible on traditional safaris.
Your journey begins in Samburu, a landscape of amber dust, gingerbread palms, and winding riverbeds that feels a world away from the busier safari circuits farther south. Here, wildlife encounters unfold at an unusually intimate pace. Samburu’s elephants are among the most relaxed in Africa around vehicles, while the reserve’s gerenuk are often seen balancing upright on their hind legs to feed among the thorn trees. The camp we are using is remote, far from the busier areas of the park, further south.
The second half of the workshop takes you to Laikipia, a remote private conservancy that has become one of the most extraordinary destinations for leopard photography in the world. This region holds the highest known density of melanistic leopards, commonly known as black leopards or panthers. Unlike ordinary leopards, these rare cats are almost entirely black in appearance. Our focus will be on a black female leopard named Giza Mrembo, or “Beautiful Darkness.” Comfortable around vehicles, with her territory in the conservancy surrounding our camp, she offers an incredibly rare opportunity in wildlife photography.
As with all Muench Workshops safaris, this workshop is designed specifically for photographers. Working from private vehicles with highly experienced guides, every guest has their own row, allowing complete freedom to react quickly and make the most of photographic opportunities as they unfold. The variety of subjects and environments creates ideal conditions for refining autofocus technique, exposure management in difficult light, behavioral storytelling, and environmental portraiture, amongst others. Your pros will work alongside you both in the field and back at camp, helping you continually develop your photography throughout the workshop.
For photographers willing to work patiently and immerse themselves in the rhythm of the bush, northern Kenya offers wildlife encounters that feel increasingly rare in today’s world. By the end of the workshop, you’ll return home not only with powerful images, but with a deeper understanding of wildlife photography and stories that will stay with you long after leaving Kenya.
Your Pros
Itinerary
About the wildlife: This workshop offers significant opportunities for photographing wildlife, and while we do our best to maximize our wildlife encounters—based on past experiences, local knowledge, and the current conditions—we need to impress upon you that the wildlife really is wild and that we don’t control it.
This itinerary is subject to change due to weather, local conditions, and other factors.
July 13, 2027: Welcome to Kenya
Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), Nairobi, Kenya before 4:00 PM today. Air travel delays are common. Please arrive early, possibly even the day prior, so you don’t miss any of the workshop.
Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you’ll be met and assisted through immigration, baggage collection, and customs before transferring to your hotel. In the evening, we’ll gather for a welcome dinner and orientation, giving you the chance to meet your guides and begin discussing the workshop ahead.
July 14, 2027: Private Charter Flight to Samburu and First Game Drive
Today, we leave Nairobi behind and board a private charter flight north into Samburu. As the landscape beneath the aircraft changes, fertile farmland gradually gives way to the semi-arid savannahs of northern Kenya.
For the next several days, we stay in a small, private mobile tented camp positioned deep within one of Africa’s last truly wild landscapes, far from other lodges and safari vehicles. Set along the Ewaso Nyiro River and surrounded by exceptional wildlife density, the camp offers an immersive bush experience while still maintaining thoughtful comforts, including comfortable beds, heated showers, excellent food, and a welcoming fireside atmosphere each evening beneath the stars.
After settling in, we head straight out on our first evening game drive as the light begins to soften across the savannah.
July 15–16, 2027: Exploring Samburu’s Wildlife and Iconic African Landscapes
Over the next two days, we explore Samburu in open-sided 4×4 vehicles, moving at our own pace and responding to wildlife activity and shifting weather conditions. Samburu is home to healthy populations of lions, leopards, and cheetahs, as well as large elephant herds and species unique to northern Kenya, including Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, and gerenuk.
The landscape itself is one of the reserve’s defining features, with winding riverbeds, doum palms, and beautiful amber dust combining with the soft light of dawn and dusk to create exceptional photographic conditions.
July 17, 2027: Travel to Laikipia in Search of Black Leopards
Today we travel roughly five hours overland into the Laikipia Plateau, a very different ecosystem of thorn bush, open savannah, and private conservancies where wildlife moves freely alongside semi-nomadic pastoralist communities.
This region has one of the highest leopard densities in Kenya. Over the coming days, we will search for black leopards and other wildlife while operating with exceptional flexibility and very few other vehicles in the area.
July 18–21, 2027: Tracking the elusive Black Leopard, and Other Wildlife
For the next four full days, we focus on exploring Laikipia’s remarkable wildlife. The region is known for having one of the highest known densities of melanistic leopards in the world.
Our primary focus will be on a female black leopard known as Giza Mrembo, or “Beautiful Darkness” in Swahili. Comfortable around vehicles, she moves naturally through the conservancy and may even hunt in full view, creating extraordinary opportunities for wildlife photography.
Each day remains flexible and will be shaped by wildlife activity and photographic opportunities. Alongside black leopard encounters, Laikipia also offers excellent birdlife, plains game, dramatic landscapes, and the opportunity to spend time with a habituated pack of African wild dogs.
As with all Muench Workshops safaris, this workshop is fully inclusive once you arrive in Kenya, allowing you to focus entirely on the photography. We have also built flexibility into the itinerary, including securing access to neighboring reserves should Giza Mrembo’s territory shift beyond the conservancy boundaries during our stay, as she has done in the past.
July 22, 2027: Return to Nairobi
Today, we say farewell to the savannah and board a private charter flight back to Nairobi. Before international departures, day rooms have been arranged near the airport, allowing you time to shower, rest, and repack before onward flights home.
Flights out can be made after 4:00 PM on July 22, 2027.
Safari Camp Life — What to Expect
Our camps have been carefully selected to maximize wildlife access, comfort, and exclusivity while maintaining a genuine sense of immersion in the bush.
In Samburu, we stay in a small, mobile tented camp positioned deep within one of Africa's last truly wild landscapes, far from other lodges and busy safari circuits. While the camp embraces a more classic safari style, including heated bucket showers, it still features proper full-height beds, en suite bathrooms, and solar-powered electricity. We have chosen it because it offers the best balance between exceptional wildlife density, comfort, and avoiding the crowds found elsewhere in Samburu. The camp has enough power for charging batteries and electronics, though not for high-draw appliances such as hair dryers.
In Laikipia, we stay in an intimate riverside camp reserved exclusively for our group, placing us directly within one of Africa's best regions for black leopard sightings. The camp is more permanent and traditionally comfortable, with spacious cottages, en suite bathrooms, excellent food, and welcoming communal areas set alongside the river. Wildlife regularly moves through camp itself, and the property's smaller scale creates a relaxed, highly personal atmosphere between game drives.
Our days begin early, usually before sunrise, when wildlife is at its most active and the light is at its best for photography. We'll head out with coffee or tea before spending the morning in the field, often returning later for a relaxed breakfast and some downtime back at camp. Midday provides opportunities for image reviews, editing, one-on-one instruction, or simply relaxing before heading back out for the afternoon and evening game drive. Sunset in northern Kenya is often spectacular, and many evenings end with drinks in the field before returning to camp after dark.
Food throughout the safari is excellent, with a mix of fresh local ingredients and familiar international dishes, and dietary requirements can be accommodated with advance notice. As with all Muench Workshops safaris, we use private safari vehicles with only one photographer per row, giving you ample room for both yourself and your gear while ensuring excellent visibility and flexibility in the field.
Why a Muench Workshops Safari?
We know you have choices, but our goal is to give you the best possible experience: maximizing your time in the field, minimizing hassle, and providing world-class photographic opportunities and instruction.
Photography and Guiding: We've handpicked the very best local safari guides, chosen for their deep knowledge of the land and wildlife. Combined with our photographic expertise, this partnership ensures you're always in the right place at the right time for remarkable images.
Details Matter: Our itineraries are curated to deliver outstanding game viewing while avoiding the crowded areas you often see in the news. Whenever possible, we secure off-road access so you can get close to the action and capture compelling, intimate photographs.
Photography Instruction: This isn't a photography tour—it's a workshop. Expect hands-on instruction in the field, one-on-one support during the day, and in the evenings, image reviews and post-processing sessions in Lightroom. You'll return home with stronger images and a deeper understanding of how to create and refine them.
Experience and Trust: We've been leading, guiding, and teaching photographers for many years. Our guests return again and again, a testament to the quality of our safaris. If you'd like to speak directly with a past participant, we'd be happy to arrange a call.
Fitness
Easy: The majority of photography takes place from safari vehicles, though guests should be comfortable climbing in and out of 4x4s multiple times a day and spending extended periods on bumpy, uneven roads. In July, mornings in northern Kenya can feel surprisingly cool, often beginning around 50–60°F (10–15°C), before warming to daytime temperatures of roughly 80–90°F (27–32°C). Early starts, dusty conditions, and long days in the field are a normal part of the experience.
Flights
Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), Nairobi before 4:00 PM on July 13, 2027. Flights out can be made after 4:00 PM on July 22, 2027. Air travel delays are common. Please arrive early, possibly even the day prior, so you don’t miss any of the workshop.
What to Bring
Please see our page How To Prepare For Your Workshop. We will send you a detailed information document 90 days before your workshop. This document will include specifics of where and when to meet, gear and clothing recommendations, and more.
What’s Included
- Double occupancy lodging. Single available for $2,400 supplement. (Limited to two, please confirm availability before booking.)
- Scheduled airport transfers.
- Photographic guiding and instruction from 3 pros.
- All meals, soft drinks, and snacks during the workshop.
- All permits and park fees.
- Internal flights during the workshop.
- All transportation during the workshop.
- Tips for crew, drivers, and local guides.
- Multiple image reviews and post-processing sessions.
- English-speaking local guide throughout the workshop.
- Alcoholic beverages
- Mpala Research Centre Entry Fees
- Adventure, fun, inspiration, and a great time!
Not Included
- Travel to and from Nairobi, Kenya.
- Passport and visa fees (if applicable).
- Any meals or accommodations before or after the workshop dates.
- Items of a personal nature.
- Alcoholic Beverages.
- Medical Evacuation Insurance (required).
- Travel Medical (required).
- Travel Medical and Trip Cancellation Insurance (optional, but recommended).
- Anything else specifically not listed as included.
- Single rooming available for $2,400 supplement. (Limited to two, please confirm availability before booking.)
Payment Terms
- Your non-refundable deposit of $8,000 will hold your space in this workshop.
- Further non-refundable payment of $8,000 is due by August 1, 2026.
- The non-refundable balance is due not later than February 25, 2027.
- In addition to our standard Terms and Conditions, for this workshop all payments are non-refundable, and this is why we recommend comprehensive travel insurance including trip cancelation.
- Need special payment arrangements? No problem, just ask us.
Frequently Asked Questions
You'll have the opportunity to photograph a diverse range of wildlife, including elephants, lions, cheetahs, and the rare black leopard. The workshop also offers encounters with unique species like Grevy's zebra and reticulated giraffe, along with a variety of birdlife and plains game.
You'll practice refining autofocus techniques, managing exposure in difficult lighting, and capturing behavioral storytelling and environmental portraiture. The pros will guide you in both fieldwork and post-processing to enhance your wildlife photography skills.
All payments for this workshop are non-refundable under any circumstances. We strongly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation coverage.
The workshop is limited to a maximum of 6 participants, ensuring personalized attention and ample space for each photographer in the safari vehicles.
All necessary permits and park fees are included in the workshop, so you won't need to worry about obtaining any additional photography permits.
You'll stay in carefully selected camps that offer a balance of comfort and wildlife access. In Samburu, the mobile tented camp provides a classic safari experience, while in Laikipia, you'll enjoy a more permanent riverside camp with spacious cottages and excellent amenities.
Pack comfortable clothing suitable for cool mornings and warm afternoons, along with essential photography gear like wide-angle and telephoto lenses. Don't forget to bring sunscreen, a hat, and any personal items you may need for long days in the field. We'll share more details in a pre-departure call to help you prepare and cover any questions.
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