Kenya
REMOTE KENYA: Tribes of Lake Turkana, the Chalbi Desert, the Ndoto Mountains and Samburu
![Portrait of a Turkana elder on our photography tour of Lake Turkana, Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![An elderly Borana woman sits outside her home in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Tracks across the Chalbi Desert](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A beautiful Turkana woman in Lake Turkana, Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Join a photo tour of Lake Turkana to meet El Molo fishermen](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![The Dassanech people of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Cracked earth of the Chalbi Desert in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![The Chalbi desert of Kenya is home to the Gabra people of our photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
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![An African Fish Eagle swoops down to catch a fish on our photography tour of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A pretty Gabra girl smiling in the Chalbi Desert](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Magical African sunsets in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Detail of Njemps necklaces](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![The beautiful El Molo people of Lake Turkana at sunset (image by Inger Vandyke)](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of a Turkana woman in yellow](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A smiling Rendile woman and her baby on our photography tour of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Silhouette of a Rendile warrior in the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of an elder at Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Turkana girls prepare to dance on our photography tour of Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![African sunrises are some of the most beautiful in the world](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of an El Molo child in Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
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![A typical drive through the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of an elderly Turkana woman in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Aerial view of a Dassanech village in remote northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A decorated Pokot girl on our photography tour to Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A group of Samburu men share a laugh on our photography tour of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Learn to take the perfect portrait photo on a Lake Turkana photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Samburu men are known to be some of the highest standing jumpers in the world](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Gabra salt miner preparing his harvest in the Chalbi desert](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![The hand crafted fishing boats of the Njemps people on Lake Baringo, Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Detail of Turkana necklaces](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of a statuesque Turkana woman in Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Learn people photography on our photo tour of Lake Turkana and northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![An El Molo fishermen mends his nets on our photo tour of Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Rendile warriors at sunrise on our photography tour in the Ndoto Mountains](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Meet Njemps people on our photo tour of Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Burji people are very proud of their agricultural produce](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A beautiful Gabra woman in the door of her nomad tent (image by Inger Vandyke)](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Rendile warriors in the remote Ndoto Mountains of Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of a young Turkana girl on our Lake Turkana photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Landscape photography of the Ewaso Ng'iro river in Samburu](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Visit the museum of Richard Leakey at Kobi Foora in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Dawn photography of Turkana elders with Wild Images in Lake Turkana Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A stunning Rendile woman on our photography tour of the Ndoto Mountains in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A Rendile woman breaks into a laugh on our photography tour of the Ndoto Mountains](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
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![Portrait of a beautiful Rendile woman in the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![The stunning jewellery of a young Turkana woman (image by Inger Vandyke)](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Photography of Turkana women dancing on our Lake Turkana photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A Samburu jumping at sunrise in front of the Cat and Mouse Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of an elderly Turkana woman at Lake Turkana Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Wrinkled beauty in an elderly Turkana woman of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Photograph beautiful El Molo women on our photography tour of Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A Gabra woman and her goats in the Chalbi desert of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![On a photography tour of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya you can meet Gabra nomads](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A Turkana woman and her baby on our Lake Turkana photography tour, Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A beautiful Samburu girl on our photography tour of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A beautiful, elderly Rendile woman in the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A decorated Pokot woman on our photo tour of Lake Turkana and northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
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![Visit the Ndoto Mountains on our photography tour of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
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![Jumping Samburu morans in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of a young Samburu man at his home in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Smiling Samburu Moran of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of an elderly El Molo lady in Lake Turkana, Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
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![Prominent head man Epusie at the edge of Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Meet the beautiful Pokot people on our Lake Turkana photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of a Rendile woman in the the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Gabra homestead from the air on our photography tour of the Chalbi Desert in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Borana women are a highlight of our photography tour to Lake Turkana and northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Hamerkops are one of Africa's zaniest birds!](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of a beautiful Rendile girl in the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![A Gabra woman shields her face from a sudden dust storm in the Chalbi](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![The long sand spit of Kobi Foora on Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of a Burji man and his young daughter in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Burji people are a highlight of our photo tour to the Chalbi Desert in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Rendile women are some of the most beautifully decorated in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Join a photography tour of the Chalbi Desert to meet Gabra nomads](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Meeting Gabra people is a highlight of our photography tour of the Chalbi Desert](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![The colourful dresses of Borana women in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Drying fish on the shores of Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Jewellery detail of Samburu people on our northern Kenya photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![El Molo women make their homes with fronds from Doum Palms](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Burji smiles in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Learn to take the perfect portrait on our photography tour of Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![Portrait of a Dassanech girl in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/close.png)
![Portrait of a Turkana elder on our photography tour of Lake Turkana, Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Turkana Elder (image by Inger Vandyke)
![An elderly Borana woman sits outside her home in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of an elderly Borana woman outside her home near Marsabit in Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Tracks across the Chalbi Desert](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Tracks in the Chalbi Desert (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A beautiful Turkana woman in Lake Turkana, Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Natural perfection in the women of Lake Turkana (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Join a photo tour of Lake Turkana to meet El Molo fishermen](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
An El Molo fisherman mends his nets in the shade of a hut (image by Inger Vandyke)
![The Dassanech people of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Dassanech girls are known for their body scarification, tightly braided hear and their beaded Mures (necklaces) (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Cracked earth of the Chalbi Desert in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Cracked mud of the Chalbi (image by Inger Vandyke)
![The Chalbi desert of Kenya is home to the Gabra people of our photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of a Gabra elder. He wears the bracelets made from goatskin that are given to esteemed visitors of Gabra families (image by Inger Vandyke)
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A pair of young Dassanech girls fetch water for their village in northern Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
On expedition through the rock desert of northern Lake Turkana. How the Turkana people survive out there is a miracle! (image by Inger Vandyke)
![An African Fish Eagle swoops down to catch a fish on our photography tour of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Watching African Fish Eagles fish for catch right in front of you on Lake Baringo is a great photographic highlight of our time with the Njemps people! (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A pretty Gabra girl smiling in the Chalbi Desert](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Beautiful Gabra smiles are the true warmth of the Chalbi (image by Inger Vandyke)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Gabra people also keep other baby animals like goats and sheep in special enclosures overnight (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Magical African sunsets in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Sunset in the acacia trees on safari in Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Detail of Njemps necklaces](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Detail of Njemps jewellery on an island in Lake Baringo (image by Inger Vandyke)
![The beautiful El Molo people of Lake Turkana at sunset (image by Inger Vandyke)](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
The beautiful El Molo people of Lake Turkana at sunset (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of a Turkana woman in yellow](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Pretty in yellow, Turkana women wear traditional silver 'leaf' earrings when they marry (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A smiling Rendile woman and her baby on our photography tour of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of a Rendile woman and her baby near Ngurunit (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Silhouette of a Rendile warrior in the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Silhouette of a Rendile warrior in the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of an elder at Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A Turkana elder sits outside his hut and observes the world (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Turkana girls prepare to dance on our photography tour of Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Young Turkana girls prepare for a dance (image by Inger Vandyke)
![African sunrises are some of the most beautiful in the world](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
There are few things in life more memorable than sunsets in Africa and those in the Chalbi Desert are no exception (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of an El Molo child in Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Young El Molo child escaping the heat with a swim in the cool waters of Lake Turkana (image by Inger Vandyke)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A pair of Gabra cameleers milk a mother camel at sunrise (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A typical drive through the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A typical road through the stunning Ndoto Mountains of Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of an elderly Turkana woman in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of an elderly Turkana woman (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Aerial view of a Dassanech village in remote northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A drone view of a remote Dassanech village. Their huts adorn the landscape like jewels (image by Inger Vandyke)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
The petrified forest of Sibiloi in northern Kenya is one of only two major forests of its kind on the African continent (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A decorated Pokot girl on our photography tour to Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of a Pokot girl near Lake Baringo in Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A group of Samburu men share a laugh on our photography tour of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A group of Samburu Morans (warriors) chat in front of the mountains of Ndororumoto or 'Cat and Mouse' mountains, Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A Gabra father teaches his son how to handle camels (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Learn to take the perfect portrait photo on a Lake Turkana photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A Dassanech girl watches over her livestock (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Samburu men are known to be some of the highest standing jumpers in the world](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Mid-flight Samburu! (image by Inger Vandyke)
![](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Beautiful Dassanech girl in remote Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Gabra salt miner preparing his harvest in the Chalbi desert](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Labouring in some of the world's harshest conditions, a Gabra salt miner cracks the salt of a pan in the Chalbi before gathering it up in a bag (image by Inger Vandyke)
![The hand crafted fishing boats of the Njemps people on Lake Baringo, Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Njemps men make fishing canoes (Kaldich) from ambach (balsa) wood and tied together using wild sisal (Rapai) (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Detail of Turkana necklaces](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Curious detail of Turkana jewellery featuring the key of a meat tin? (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of a statuesque Turkana woman in Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A statuesque Turkana woman standing in her village (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Learn people photography on our photo tour of Lake Turkana and northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
An Njemps man wearing his beaded bangles (image by Inger Vandyke)
![An El Molo fishermen mends his nets on our photo tour of Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
An El Molo fisherman prepares his nets and boat to head out on Lake Turkana to fish for the evening (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Rendile warriors at sunrise on our photography tour in the Ndoto Mountains](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Early morning with Rendile Morans (warriors) in the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Meet Njemps people on our photo tour of Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
An Njemps fisherman holds up his catch from his overnight fishing trip on Lake Baringo (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Burji people are very proud of their agricultural produce](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
The Burji people of Kenya and Ethiopia are exceptionally proud of their agricultural produce which is organically grown and delicious! (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A beautiful Gabra woman in the door of her nomad tent (image by Inger Vandyke)](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A beautiful Gabra woman in the door of her nomad tent (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Rendile warriors in the remote Ndoto Mountains of Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Rendile warriors in the remote Ndoto Mountains of Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of a young Turkana girl on our Lake Turkana photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A young Turkana girl waits for her turn to dance (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Landscape photography of the Ewaso Ng'iro river in Samburu](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
The landscapes of Samburu. Here the Ewaso Ng'iro river flows through the reserve (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Visit the museum of Richard Leakey at Kobi Foora in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A skull near the entry to the museum of Kobi Foora. The scientists working with Richard Leakey have a whacky sense of humour! (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Dawn photography of Turkana elders with Wild Images in Lake Turkana Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Even the cloudiest of dawns can produce the most dramatic images in Lake Turkana (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A stunning Rendile woman on our photography tour of the Ndoto Mountains in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Beautiful Rendile smiles (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A Rendile woman breaks into a laugh on our photography tour of the Ndoto Mountains](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A Rendile woman breaks into a laugh near her village in the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
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A Gabra woman emerges from her home near North Horr (image by Inger Vandyke)
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Unique to the deserts of northern Kenya, Heugelin's Bustards are an avian highlight of our tour (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of a beautiful Rendile woman in the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Shy Rendile smile (image by Inger Vandyke)
![The stunning jewellery of a young Turkana woman (image by Inger Vandyke)](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
The stunning jewellery of a young Turkana woman (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Photography of Turkana women dancing on our Lake Turkana photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Turkana women move to the rhythm of drums, dancing vibrantly and athletically as part of their centuries old traditions (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A Samburu jumping at sunrise in front of the Cat and Mouse Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Samburu sunrise (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of an elderly Turkana woman at Lake Turkana Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of an elderly Turkana woman near Loiyangalani (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Wrinkled beauty in an elderly Turkana woman of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
If only we could hear the stories of those wrinkles. Elderly Turkana women survive in what must be one of the harshest regions of Africa (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Photograph beautiful El Molo women on our photography tour of Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
El Molo women are instantly recognised by their wide beaded head bands and grass skirts (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A Gabra woman and her goats in the Chalbi desert of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Gabra women are in charge of smaller livestock animals like goats and sheep (image by Inger Vandyke)
![On a photography tour of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya you can meet Gabra nomads](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Milking camels in a Gabra community (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A Turkana woman and her baby on our Lake Turkana photography tour, Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of a Turkana woman and her baby in Loiyangalani (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A beautiful Samburu girl on our photography tour of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Samburu girls wear many stranded "Sael" necklaces and jewellery that covers their faces before they get married (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A beautiful, elderly Rendile woman in the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of an elderly Rendile woman in the Ndoto Mountains (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A decorated Pokot woman on our photo tour of Lake Turkana and northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Pokot women wear stunning disc necklaces called "Karen" and large brass earrings called "Tawuyi" after they marry (image by Inger Vandyke)
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Gabra people keep their camel babies in special pens for safety overnight (image by Inger Vandyke)
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Portrait of a young Gabra boy with one of his camels (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Visit the Ndoto Mountains on our photography tour of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Aerial view of the Ndoto Mountains in Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
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A Gabra father returns home with his son carrying fresh camel milk (image by Inger Vandyke)
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A group of Dassanech children at a remote community close to the border of Kenya and Ethiopia (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Jumping Samburu morans in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Samburu Morans are known to be some of the highest jumpers on earth. Their ability to jump is one of the things that is attractive to potential Samburu brides (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of a young Samburu man at his home in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A young Samburu Moran in the doorway of his home (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Smiling Samburu Moran of northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of a smiling Samburu Moran (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of an elderly El Molo lady in Lake Turkana, Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of an elderly El Molo woman at Lake Turkana (image by Inger Vandyke)
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The shawl of a beautiful Gabra woman reveals her baby when it floats in a desert breeze (image by Inger Vandyke)
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Gabra women are known for both their beauty and their ability to construct large dome shaped homes using sapling timber and brightly coloured fabrics (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Prominent head man Epusie at the edge of Lake Turkana in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of Epusie, a prominent elder of the Turkana community in Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Meet the beautiful Pokot people on our Lake Turkana photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of an elderly Pokot woman in her family boma (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of a Rendile woman in the the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A married Rendile woman in red (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Gabra homestead from the air on our photography tour of the Chalbi Desert in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Aerial view of a remote Gabra homestead in the Chalbi Desert of Northern Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Borana women are a highlight of our photography tour to Lake Turkana and northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Borana women style their hair in a traditional look using butter made from animal fats (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Hamerkops are one of Africa's zaniest birds!](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Hammerkops are a quirky joy of the waterbird photography on Lake Baringo (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of a beautiful Rendile girl in the Ndoto Mountains of Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Young Rendile women who are not married are also called Morans. Instead of being adorned with heavy jewellery like their married sisters they wear a simpler necklace of red bead strands (image by Inger Vandyke)
![A Gabra woman shields her face from a sudden dust storm in the Chalbi](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A Gabra woman hides her face from a sudden dust storm in the remote Chalbi Desert of northern Kenya (image by Inger Vandyke)
![The long sand spit of Kobi Foora on Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
The southward jutting peninsula location of Kobi Foora on northern Lake Turkana (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of a Burji man and his young daughter in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of a Burji father and daughter near Marsabit (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Burji people are a highlight of our photo tour to the Chalbi Desert in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A smiling Burji elder (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Rendile women are some of the most beautifully decorated in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A beautiful Rendile woman with her intricate and detailed jewellery (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Join a photography tour of the Chalbi Desert to meet Gabra nomads](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
A typical gathering of Gabra women at sunset in the Chalbi (image by Inger Vandyke)
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An Egyptian Vulture takes flight from its carcass in the Chalbi Desert (image by Inger Vandyke)
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Kenya's Dassanech people are more intricately adorned than those over the border in Ethiopia (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Meeting Gabra people is a highlight of our photography tour of the Chalbi Desert](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of a striking young Gabra girl in the Chalbi Desert (image by Inger Vandyke)
![The colourful dresses of Borana women in Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Borana dresses are so colourful (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Drying fish on the shores of Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Lake Turkana fish are spread out to dry on the hot earth near a village of El Molo people (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Jewellery detail of Samburu people on our northern Kenya photography tour](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Samburu men greet each other with a colourfully decorated handshake (image by Inger Vandyke)
![El Molo women make their homes with fronds from Doum Palms](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
In El Molo culture women construct huts from the carefully woven fronds of local Doum Palms (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Burji smiles in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
The warmest and funniest smiles are found in the Burji people near Marsabit (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Learn to take the perfect portrait on our photography tour of Lake Turkana](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of a beautiful young Turkana woman (image by Inger Vandyke)
![Portrait of a Dassanech girl in northern Kenya](https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/wp-content/themes/wild-images/img/img-placeholder.png)
Portrait of a Dassanech girl (image by Inger Vandyke)
Thursday 20th August –
Thursday 3rd September 2026 Leaders: Wild Images Leader to be announced and highly skilled local ethnographic guides |
15 Days | Group Size Limit 7 |
REMOTE KENYA: TRIBAL PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS WITH WILD IMAGES
Kenya’s wild northern frontier, with its stunning regions of Lake Baringo, the Ndoto Mountains, Lake Turkana and the Chalbi Desert, is home to some of the most spectacular tribal people in East Africa.
After a highly successful inaugural expedition to some of Kenya’s most remote regions, we have designed an extraordinary photography tour that is the most culturally comprehensive in the area, offering fantastic safaris for African wildlife in the spectacular nature reserve of Samburu and some truly off the beaten tourist track people experiences that few photographers experience.
Kenya’s Stunning Lakes
Dotting the breathtaking landscapes across Kenya are hundreds of lakes pulsing life into the country’s parched landscapes. They are home to extraordinary communities whose way of life has defied modernisation and where, each day, people fish for crocodiles, and paddle hand-carved canoes out to fish, wash, bathe and fetch water.
It is hard to imagine scenes more beautiful than visiting Kenya’s lakes. Some of them are home to enormous flocks of flamingos; others are the only place you will find truly endangered people like the Njemps, or aquatic Maasai and El Molo people, whose cultures are so fragile they may cease to exist this century.
The crowning glory of Kenya’s lakes is undoubtedly the stunning Lake Turkana. Sometimes called the Jade Sea, it is the largest desert and alkaline lake in the world. Necklaced by extinct volcanoes, Turkana’s turquoise waters must be experienced to be believed. Its shoreline is bejewelled by the tiny thatched villages of the Turkana and El Molo peoples, some of Africa’s most beautifully decorated people. In the far north of Lake Turkana live remote communities of Dassanech people, who share their world with the Omo Valley of southern Ethiopia. Untouched by tourism and rarely visited by outsiders, these communities of Dassanech people adorn the landscape with their pretty, hand-crafted huts called Miede.
The Rugged Ndoto Mountains
Piercing the skies above central Kenya are the soaring granitic peaks of the spectacular Ndoto Mountains, home to the fascinating Rendile and Samburu people. Culturally linked and incredibly beautiful, we will witness traditional dances, wander through stunning villages and explore the decoration of these fascinating people as they dress before and after their initiation ceremonies.
The Chalbi Desert
Small by African standards, yet no less beautiful, the stark expanses of the Chalbi Desert in northern Kenya are home to low-slung dunes, salt lakes and islands of stunted acacia trees. Straddling the border between Kenya and Ethiopia, the Chalbi is home to the Gabra people, whose nomadic way of life is underpinned by their herds of camels and their colourful homesteads fashioned out of bright fabrics and water reeds. Crossing the Chalbi is rarely achieved by many tours in northern Kenya. We work closely with one of the finest local guides in the region to visit communities of Gabra people who have rarely met outsiders in this remote corner of Kenya.
Marsabit – the Melting Pot of Kenya
The bustling town of Marsabit is an outpost of urban civilization in the desert of northern Kenya. Hidden within its rolling hills are farming communities of colourful Burji and Borana people who have moved here to enjoy the more fertile landscapes, after escaping from the ravages of the Chalbi desert further north. With an abundance of rich volcanic soil and slightly more frequent rains, the area around Marsabit supports a fantastic variety of agriculture including coffee, vegetables, fruit and medicinal plants.
Join Wild Images on this culturally immersive photography tour, the only one of its kind in the warmest heart of Kenya.
Peoples of Lake Turkana and Northern Kenya
Njemps
A lesser known group of the Maasai, the Njemps are a group of island and lakeside dwelling people that resemble the Maasai in appearance but not in habit. Known for their fishing prowess and beautiful wooden canoes called Kadich, the Njemps live in the region around Lake Baringo.
While fishing is key to the survival of Njemps communities, they will also keep goats, sheep and chickens on their islands as well as harvest honey from the trunks of trees.
During times of drought, smaller animals are taken to the islands on boats but cows must reach the island grazing areas by swimming so when the time comes all of the cows must follow a lead cow to the right island. Perhaps selected for their navigational prowess, these head cows are never slaughtered for their meat.
The islands and land of Lake Baringo feature volcanic rocks and thermal springs. They are unusually harsh for agriculture yet the Njemps manage to grow crops by hand ploughing through the rocks to reach the soil. Their villages feature stumpy acacia trees, prickly pear, desert roses, aloes and moringa trees. Used in medicine, the Njemps will harvest the seeds of Moringa and place them in a kalabash to use as a gift of good luck for travel. The fruit and leaves of prickly pear and aloes are eaten. Holes are made in the trunks of acacias and desert roses to create beehives and chicken eggs are often taken to thermal springs in order to be boiled and eaten.
This close relationship the Njemps people have with the waters of the lake extends to the African Fish Eagle, one of the continent’s most charismatic birds. On an early morning we will travel out by canoe to meet Njemps fishermen and watch them feeding a share of their fish to some of the lake’s resident eagles in spectacular display.
Pokot
Pokot people are one of the last in Kenya who are relatively untouched. They belong ethnically and linguistically unique to the Kalenjin people of East Africa and they can only be found in the Pokot area of Karamojong in Uganda plus the region around Baringo in Kenya.
Pokot women wear extremely elaborate disk necklaces called Karen. As young girls these take the form of woven branches but after initiation they are given large necklaces made from colourful glass beads. By the time they marry they also wear large loop earrings made from brass called Tawuyi.
Men and boys go through a series of life stages starting with Karachona, or young boys, then Muren as young men and Poi as elder men.
As agropastoralists, the Pokot don’t build villages. Instead family groups live in a shared boma with a series of simple huts that have been built in a clearing of acacias. We will visit one of these pretty Bomas to learn about Pokot culture and watch a Pokot dance where the necklaces worn by the women bounce to the beautiful rhythm of drums and singing.
Rendile
Deep in the spectacular Kaisut Desert of northern Kenya, the beautiful Rendile people have created villages through this region’s most outstanding natural features, the high granitic peaks of the Ndoto Mountains. We will travel into the mountain town of Ngurunit, located in the heart of many Rendile villages to meet and photograph these beautiful people.
The name “Rendille” is a colonial misinterpretation of the word “Rertit” meaning ‘separated’ or ‘rejected’. After descending from Cushitic family lines shared by Somalis, the Rendile split off to live in the deserts of Kenya, instead of joining their Somali relatives in finding better grazing grounds in Somalia.
Today they principally occupy the regions of Lake Turkana, Ndoto and Marsabit in Kenya.
Rendile women are intricately adorned with jewelled headdresses and large necklaces made from many strands of glass beads. These colourful necklaces replace a more simple red necklace that is worn by young Samburu girls called Morans until they come of age.
Skilled craftsmen, the body adornment of men includes a distinctive ‘visor-like’ headdress worn over hair that has been died with red ochre. This crowns a look that includes a variety of different ornaments including necklaces, bracelets, anklets and belts.
It is quite something to explore these rugged mountains where we will encounter Rendile people shepherding their livestock to their grazing grounds. We will enjoy a sunrise photography shoot with a small group of Rendile Morans (warriors) during our stay and then we will spend the rest of our time visiting Rendile villages to learn about their way of life and photograph them with their beautiful decorations.
El Molo
Perhaps one of the smallest and most critically endangered cultures of Africa, the El Molo people of Lake Turkana in Kenya now number only around one hundred people who can truly claim to be El Molo. Restricted to two villages on the shores of Lake Turkana and living a life of subsistence fishing the lake, the El Molo may disappear in the next twenty to thirty years due to intermarriage and modernisation.
The El Molo language, which is closely related to the Dassanech is already extinct with no fluent speakers remaining and no education of young people. Instead modern El Molo people speak the Nilo-Saharan languages of their tribal neighbours.
Their newest threat comes in the form of a wind farm which is planned for construction on the land between the two main communities of El Molo people near Loiyangalani.
Living in beautifully crafted huts made from thatched palm fronds, the El Molo use beautiful rafts made from Doum Palm logs to ply the waters and catch fish with spears, nets and harpoons. Crocodiles were once a staple food source for the El Molo but with recent conservation measures the hunting of crocodiles is now a restricted activity for special occasions. Traditional spears were fashioned from the horns of Oryx and used in these hunting expeditions for large fish and crocodiles.
Visiting El Molo communities today it is still possible to watch women engaged in the intricate weaving of baskets or drying fish. Men sit in the shade mending nets and getting ready for their next fishing trips.
During our trip we will meet a community of El Molo people for photography. Meeting and learning about the El Molo first hand is a glimpse into a world that is quickly disappearing from existence.
Turkana
Crossing into the rocky desert from the Ndoto mountains we will get our first glimpse of Lake Turkana or ‘The Jade Sea’ as it is sometimes known. This large stretch of turquoise water is actually the largest desert lake in the world and is home to four different ethnic groups living alongside each other – the Samburu, Rendile, El Molo and Turkana.
Surviving in some of the harshest landscapes of Kenya, the Turkana people in particular, are reliant solely on the sustenance provided by the water of Lake Turkana and its surrounding wells. It is a hot, harsh and dry place where every available shade is utilised to take respite from the searing temperatures.
Turkana people live in tiny villages of huts made from thatched palm leaves. Turkana women are instantly recognisable by their thick necklaces that are woven around a cylindrical framework and by their heavy silver jewellery. Married women wear large silver leaf earrings to indicate their status. Turkana men mostly dress in western clothes every day, however, during ceremonies they will wear a high headdress fashioned out of ostrich feathers and adorned with beads.
We will enjoy a sunrise photography session with elderly Turkana men and also visits to Turkana villages where we will witness an athletic traditional dance performed by both Turkana men and women.
Dassanech and Kobi Foora
Leaving the shores of Lake Turkana to drive inland, we will leave behind a small number of Turkana communities in order to cross the rock desert of northern Turkana towards the isolated national park of Sibiloi. This adventurous day drive will see us taking a small break from people photography as we stop to photograph some of the wild landscapes around Turkana. We will visit one of Africa’s last remaining petrified forests, complete with its huge trees that now lie in the desert as stones that have been decorated with amber coloured quartzite. From the petrified forests we will make our way over to Kobi Foora, the research site used by Dr Richard Leakey for his excavation work on the early hominins of the Turkana region. Located on a narrow spit-like peninsula jutting southwards into Lake Turkana, Kobi Foora is a series of stone buildings with basic and clean accommodation that will be our base as we explore this isolated area visiting remote communities of Dassanech people.
We have always enjoyed visiting Dassanech people as part of our Omo Valley tours at Wild Images. Northern Kenya, and Lake Turkana region in particularly, is the true home of these warm and welcoming people. During our drive north to Kobi Foora it is very likely we will encounter roaming Dassanech shepherds taking their livestock to the lake to drink. It is also possible we may see Dassanech people heading to the lake to fish.
Our biggest highlight of this region will be to visit remote communities of Dassanech people living more authentically than they do over the border in southern Ethiopia. The main differences lie with the size of Dassanech houses, which are considerably larger than those in Ethiopia and the more intricately decorated women who, like their sisters over the border, still wear tightly woven braids in their hair but in Kenya their jewellery is more elaborate and beautiful.
Gabra
From Kobi Foora we will travel eastwards towards the edge of the Chalbi in northern Kenya. En-route we will visit a singing well and meet our first Gabra people.
Sometimes herding animals up to their thousands, the Singing Wells of the Gabra people are known for the songs sung by Gabra men as they fetch water from deep wells for their animals including goats, sheep, cows and camels.
These incredibly beautiful camel nomads of the Chalbi desert live their lives under the main tenets of protecting land, animals and fellow Gabra. Their most symbolic identity lies with “a poor man shames us all” and as such they practice the mutual survival that is characteristic of many desert nomads. No Gabra may be allowed to go hungry, go without animals or be refused hospitality or assistance, therefore visiting these people is one of the true high points of our expedition. Not only do they live in beautiful ‘homesteads’ or “iolas” with huts constructed from fabric and sapling wood by Gabra women. These are separate from smaller huts built in groups by Gabra men at the foraging grounds. The reason for two separate village constructions is simple. The Gabra believe that camels are unpredictable, won’t forage near their own dung and they destroy the vegetation within nine miles of their home, hence smaller animals are allowed to stay in family villages while Fora are established elsewhere to look after camels.
Visiting communities of Gabra people we will get to experience life as they know it while we learn about milking camels, husbandry and how they survive in Kenya’s harshest desert region. We will enjoy meeting these remarkable people over drinks of camel milk tea or fresh camel milk, both of which are delicious!
Leaving them from our base in North Horr we will travel out onto one of the largest salt pans of the Chalbi where, with luck, we will see more Gabra people harvesting salt to sustain their animals.
Burji
At the turn of the 20th century, the Burji community arrived in Kenya from Yavelo Province, Ethiopia, courtesy of the then-commissioner of the Marsabit District in northern Kenya. To encourage farming in his administrative area and feed the colonists and inhabitants – the Borana, Rendille and Gabra – who were predominantly pastoralists, the British colonial official decided to ask his Ethiopian counterpart to send a few Burjis, renowned for their farming and entrepreneurial skills, to initiate farming in Marsabit. Experience had shown that the local communities could not rely exclusively on livestock as their sole source of livelihood. The British Consul at Mega in Ethiopia agreed to the request and sent a few Burji to Kenya, where an administrative post was set up in Marsabit to oversee the growing of crops.
Sadly, and while it was well intentioned at the time, the British action helped to create a minority culture of the Burji in Marsabit and they are now suffering from marginalisation even today.
Of all the groups of people we will meet on our tour, the Burji are perhaps the most vibrant. They have superior agricultural skills and we will learn that they can almost grow anything they need including plants used in medicine and even coffee! We will visit a community of Burji people living in the region around Marsabit who will educate us about their specific traditions while we take photographs and sample some of their amazing home grown fruit, vegetables and herbs.
Borana
Another group stemming from Ethiopia, the Borana are one of the largest sub-ethnic groups of Oromo speaking people in northern Kenya. Ethnically they are closely related to the Gabra people we will also meet on our trip.
Borana women are known for their beauty and for keeping their hair using a ‘butter’ made from animal fats. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of their culture, however, comes with the naming tradition for their children. For the first two to three years of their lives, Borana children run around unnamed. Unlike other African children who are named either before or at birth, Borana children are named during a ceremony that can last for three days in specially constructed houses for the event.
We will visit a small Borana community at sunset to learn more about their traditions and take photos.
Samburu
Our final group of people we will meet on our tour is probably one of the most beautiful. Kenya’s stunning Samburu people are related to the Maasai and Njemps, sharing their incredibly decorative jewellery that is worn by both Samburu men and women. We will stay in a beautiful tented camp at the base of Mount Ololokwe, a mountain that is sacred to the area’s elephants who will actually climb up the steep slopes of the mount on their knees in order to drink from the freshwater spring on the summit!
The Samburu revere elephants as part of their folklore, believing that god made elephants and humans as brothers. For them elephants not only clear paths through the bush, the broken wood and dung they leave behind help the Samburu to build fires.
Sometimes known as the butterfly people of Kenya for their brightly coloured traditional dress, the Samburu are stunningly beautiful to photograph. We will visit a family boma at the base of the mountains to witness Samburu life and also enjoy a sunset shoot with a friendly group of Samburu Morans nearby
Why travel to the Ndoto Mountains, Lake Turkana and the Chalbi Desert of Northern Kenya with Wild Images?
Currently, there are few photographers and photography tour companies offering trips to northern Kenya. We have decided to offer a unique alternative to the more standard itineraries on offer in this region by combining visits to ethnic groups like the Njemps and Pokot people in the region of Lake Baringo with an adventurous traverse of the borderlands between Ethiopia and Kenya exploring the Chalbi Desert and remote Sibiloi National Park.
By joining a Wild Images tour we work with an unrivalled level of ground expertise and local guides who are well connected to the various tribal people of northern Kenya. Our leader has almost thirty years of travel experience in Africa and knows Kenya extremely well. As we travel through remote villages we believe that the best images come from photography of people in a two way situation. We encourage our guests to chat to local people through our interpreters, laugh with them, engage with them and simply enjoy the experience of being immersed in their world. As the body of work from our tour shows, we don’t just simply pass through villages spending less than an hour to get photos. We stroll around enjoying places, we sit in the shade with local people and drink tea with them. Join us on a journey where friends are made alongside beautiful images in one of the most spectacular tribal regions of east Africa.
Accommodation & Road Transport
In Nairobi we will stay in hotels of a very good standard. Accommodation on the tour varies from safari lodges to tented camps and basic guest houses that are clean with functioning electricity and plumbing in ensuite facilities. Shared facilities only are available on three nights of the tour at Kobi Foora and at our tented camp in Samburu.
Road transport is by converted 4×4 vehicles with inverters for charging batteries and numerous sockets. A fridge is also included in the vehicles to keep drinks and other items cool.
Walking
The walking effort is easy throughout.
Climate
Most days in northern Kenya will be warm or hot, dry and sunny.
Photographic Equipment
For most photography of the people in northern Kenya, a travel lens of around 24-105mm on a full frame DSLR or mirrorless body will be essential. Sometimes a 70-200mm (on a full frame) will be useful for such things as a a dance or ceremony, should we witness one. A wide angle lens of around 16mm or smaller will be perfect for working with the people inside small huts.
If you prefer to photograph people from a distance, then please consider bringing a larger zoom or telephoto lens. It is our experience that sometimes people can feel a bit intimidated by large cameras and lenses so you may wish to bring a smaller sized zoom lens like a 100-400mm which doesn’t appear as intimidating as a large fixed focal length telephoto lens.
Such a lens can also be useful for any wildlife we encounter during the safari part of our trip. Since there are no weight restrictions for small flights on this tour you may wish to bring a large prime to photograph the wildlife we will see on our safaris inside Samburu and also for the bird photography opportunities around Lake Baringo.
If you bring a good quality bridge camera instead of a DSLR or mirrorless it will be best if it has an optical zoom of 18-20x or more, combined with a reasonable wide-angle at the other end of the zoom range.
If you have a phone or tablet that can be used for photography, you may find these quite useful around people.
Similarly, if you have a Polaroid camera like the Leica Sofort or an Instax Mini, these are wonderful to have on hand when you spend time with tribal people. If you decide to bring one of these, please bring lots of film with you as the photographs you produce will be quite popular!
Drone photography is permitted on this tour. If you plan to bring a drone with you there are some flying limitations that we can brief you on before you join us and while we are travelling.
If you would like to talk over suitable equipment, please contact our office. We will be happy to advise.
Photographic Highlights
- Meet and photograph no less than 10 different tribal groups of people
- Photograph the spectacular Turkana people at sunrise and sunset on the shores of Lake Turkana
- Visit the stunning Kenyan regions of Lake Baringo, the Ndoto Mountains, Lake Turkana and the Chalbi Desert
- Attend vibrant and colourful traditional dances across the entire tour
- Sunrise and sunset photo sessions with Samburu and Rendile Morans (Warriors)
- Experience the Singing Wells of the Gabra people
- Sample the numerous food delights of the delightful Burji people near Marsabit
- A dramatic crossing of the Chalbi desert and its largest salt pan
- Learn about Richard Leakey’s discovery of ‘1470’, a 2 million skull of Homo Habilis in Koobi Fora, the cradle of mankind
- Sip tea and chat while photographing Gabra people, homesteads and camel oases
- Photography of the stunning Pokot people, a spectacular culture of people that live in Kenya and Uganda
- Enjoy a boat cruise out to an island of the Njemps people, or the 'fishing Maasai', and learn about their fascinating life on Lake Baringo
OUTLINE ITINERARY
- Day 1: Early evening tour start at Nairobi
- Day 2: Drive to Lake Baringo for lunch and afternoon photo shoot with Pokot people
- Day 3: Early morning canoe cruise to photograph Njemps fishermen and African fish eagle. During the morning we will visit a local Njemps community. Afternoon cruise on the lake to photograph the resident waterbirds.
- Day 4: A long day drive from Lake Baringo into the Ndoto Mountains
- Day 5: Full day of photography with Rendille people in the Ndoto Mountains
- Day 6: Drive from the Ndoto Mountains to beautiful Lake Turkana. Afternoon visit to El Molo communities.
- Day 7: A full day of photography with the Turkana people
- Days 8-10 : Drive north of Lake Turkana to Sibiloi reserve where we will be on a safari into our remote Bandas, or our overnight accommodation
- Days 10-12: Crossing the Chalbi desert visiting communities of Gabra camel nomads before driving to Marsabit
- Day 13: Early morning visit to the lively Burji people and then drive south to enjoy a sunset shoot with Samburu Morans (warriors) in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe
- Day 14: Early morning photography at a Samburu village, thn drive to Nairobi.
- Day 15: Morning tour end at Nairobi.
To see a larger map, click on the square-like ‘enlarge’ icon in the upper right of the map box.
To see (or hide) the ‘map legend’, click on the icon with an arrow in the upper left of the map box.
To change to a satellite view, which is great for seeing the physical terrain (and for seeing really fine details by repetitive use of the + button), click on the square ‘map view’ icon in the lower left corner of the ‘map legend’.
KENYA’S FAR NORTH PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR: PRICE INFORMATION
Wild Images Inclusions: Our tour prices include surface transportation, accommodations, meals, water, all photography, driver and guide gratuities and entrance fees.
Deposit: 20% of the total tour price. Our office will let you know what deposit amount is due, in order to confirm your booking, following receipt of your online booking form.
TO BOOK THIS TOUR: Click here (you will need the tour dates)
2026: provisional £6070, $7990, €7270, AUD11900. Nairobi/Nairobi.
Single Supplement: 2026: £470, $630, €570, AUD930.
If you are travelling alone, the single supplement will not apply if you are willing to share a room and there is a room-mate of the same sex available.
This tour is priced in US Dollars. Amounts shown in other currencies are indicative.
Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency will be pleased to arrange your air travel on request, or you may arrange this yourself if you prefer.
REMOTE KENYA PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR: DETAILED ITINERARY
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 1
Our Kenya tribal photography tour starts in the early evening at our Nairobi hotel. We will stay overnight at the comfortable Four Points by Sheraton, close to Jomo Kenyatta airport.
Providing you are arriving at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport today, a transfer to our hotel will be provided.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 2
This morning we will drive to Lake Baringo in western Kenya. This beautiful lake is home to the Pokot people and the Njemps, a smaller group of fishing and agropastoralist people who are related to the Maasai. On our first afternoon we will visit a community of Pokot people at their family boma in a grove of Acacia trees.
Our lodge for the evening is perched high on a cliff overlooking the lake.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 3
After a sunrise canoe trip with Njemps fishermen where we will watch them bringing in fish and sharing it with local African Fish Eagles, we will return to the lodge for breakfast. During the morning we will venture out onto the lake in canoes to visit an island community of Njemps people for photography.
Returning to the lodge for lunch and a break, our afternoon will be spent cruising the lake in motorised canoes to photograph the resident Nile Crocodiles and waterbirds near to the lodge.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 4
After breakfast we will drive north via Maralal into the spectacular granite peaks of the Ndoto Mountains. These stunning peaks are dotted with fertile valleys, waterfalls and beautiful communities of Rendille people. We will settle into our beautiful tented camp in time for dinner.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 5
At sunrise we will be joined by a group of Rendile Morans (warriors) for photography in the foothills of the Ndoto Mountains. Returning to the camp for a late breakfast and lunch we will enjoy a rest before we spend the afternoon visiting beautiful Rendile villages for photography until sunset.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 6
Today we will leave the Ndoto Mountains and drive north towards the turquoise waters of Lake Turkana. The landscapes will change dramatically here as we leave the relatively fertile valleys of Ndoto to drive over the harsh rock desert towards the lake. Stopping for lunch beside the lake we may see our first Turkana people nearby. After lunch we will drive to Loiyangalani where we will check in to our basic lodge and enjoy a sunset photography shoot with a community of El Molo people living on the lake shore.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 7
We will enjoy a full day of photography with the incredible Turkana people starting with a sunrise shoot by the lake with Turkana elders. Returning to the lodge for meals and for a rest in the middle of the day we will spend the rest of our time witnessing the beautiful dances of Turkana people and visiting Turkana villages for photography.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Days 8-10
After breakfast we will pack up our vehicles in preparation for our drive north into the most isolated region of our tour. Crossing the wild rock deserts of northern Lake Turkana we will see the last of our Turkana communities living in one of the harshest desert environments you can imagine. As we reach the entrance gates to Sibiloi the landscapes soften somewhat and we will enjoy a lunch at the park entry before we visit an ancient petrified forest nearby.
From there we will make our way slowly through the national reserve in search of wildlife for this park is home to the extremely rare and localised Heugelin’s bustard. We will also begin to see our first Dassanech shepherds herding their livestock through the park. Our base for the next two nights is the remote Bandas on the northern edge of Lake Turkana.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 9
Today we will visit an extremely isolated community of Dassanech people who live close to the border of Ethiopia and Kenya. If time allows we will return to the lodge for sunset and some wildlife photography of waterbirds and Nile Crocodiles near to the lodge.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Days 10 to 11
This morning we will drive eastward into the Chalbi desert. We will start to see the first of a few singing wells of the Gabra people in the first few hours of the drive. These deep wells see over a thousand animals being brought to them over the course of a day as Gabra shepherds queue their herds to take turns to water their animals. The next day we will spend the day photographing and visiting Gabra communities as we learn how they milk camels, take their livestock to graze and water and how their beautiful homes are constructed by Gabra women.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 12
This morning we will embark on an adventurous drive over the Chalbi desert, crossing one of the desert’s largest salt pans where we hope to find Gabra salt miners. Leaving the salt pan behind we will drive over the rock desert to Marsabit where we will check in to our lodge and enjoy a sunset photography session with a lovely group of local Borana people.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 13
After breakfast today we will check out of our hotel and drive a short distance to meet a lively, colourful and fascinating group of local Burji people. We will enjoy some of their traditional music and dancing while sampling some of their expertly grown local produce and doing photography. With sadness we will leave them in order to drive south to Mount Ololokwe in Samburu county. Checking in to our beautiful tented camp at the foothills of the mountains we will enjoy a sunset photography shoot with a group of Samburu Morans (warriors) nearby.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 14
At sunrise we will enjoy some more photography of Samburu Morans and we will then join them in a local family boma of Samburu people for photography. After the light becomes too harsh we will return to our lodge for a late breakfast. Checking out, we will then drive to Nairobi for an overnight stay at the comfortable Four Points by Sheraton, close to Jomo Kenyatta airport.
Remote Kenya Photography Tour: Day 15
Morning tour end at Nairobi. (Or you can opt to leave Nairobi late the previous day if you prefer.)
Kenya: Lake Turkana, the Ndoto Mountains and the Chalbi Desert Tour Report 2021
After three extensive years of planning a very specific and unique route in northern Kenya, I was incredibly excited to be arriving in Nairobi to start my much longed for expedition into some of East Africa’s most remote and beautiful tribal regions. We spent a day getting over jetlag and doing some antique shopping in […]
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