Ella McKendrick

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Ella McKendrick

Hi, I'm Ella! A girl from England with a passion for travel. I have been creating travel films on m

09/08/2026

Sunrises in the Maasai Mara hit different ❤️ 🌅

05/08/2026

Tarangire National Park absolutely blew my expectations out the water!

I'd only visited this park once before but critically, only for a day visit, which is what most visitors do. And when visiting for just a partial day, you're limited in terms of the areas you visit and thus animals you see.

This time I decided to spend a night in the park. And many lodges are located deep within the park's boundaries, out of reach of day visitors.

The following morning, we traversed through quiet areas. And, I have to be honest with you, I wasn't expecting to see all that much. Maybe an elephant or two and a giraffe.

Instead, the first mammal we came across was this male leopard who was sleeping high in a tree, largely concealed by the tree's leafy branches. We didn't have to wait long for him to start to move and then gift us with this beautiful descent down the trunk into the long grass.

I'd highly recommend Tarangire National Park in Tanzania.

29/07/2026

Kidong’oe, one of the five Rongai Rockers that reside in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. They're already shaping up to be quite the formidable male lion coalition and I'm excited to follow their journey.

This was without a doubt my favourite sighting from my recent trip to the Maasai Mara. When we stumbled across the Rockers, they were relaxing on some granite boulders. They later stood up and began to stalk some zebras who ended up trotting out of harm's way. Things took a turn when a safari vehicle broke down near the lions which ended up in the lions taking a spanner! This is very much an abbreviated version of events. I'll share the full story in an upcoming YouTube video.

📸 Taken in Maasai Mara National Reserve

26/07/2026

A storm is on the horizon ⛈️ Visiting the Maasai Mara in the long rainy season certainly has its challenges. Roads closed due to thick mud and bridges closed due to flooding all add restrictions to game drives and reduces the traversable area. But there was pros to visiting at this time of year. The dramatic skies for example. Can it get more beautiful than this?

22/07/2026

Wow. I don't even know where to begin when describing this sighting. It's rare on safari for conditions to come together so perfectly, especially when you least expect it.

This was only my second time in Tarangire National Park in Tanzania. I had naively written it off for big cat sightings and on this particular morning was in no rush to head out on safari, believing we'd be focusing on birds and elephants who are active throughout the day. We headed into the park at 8am, rather late by my standards! But the weather was on our side. It was a cool, overcast day.

It was nearing midday when we came upon a male leopard in a tree. Right on cue, he began to descend from the tree, putting on a magnificent display for us (which I will share in a separate photo sequence). I would have been content with the sighting ending there and we drove off as he slunk into the long grass.

Later we were passing the same stretch of bush when we noticed him lying on a dead tree branch. I got super excited as the scenery was simply magical. I couldn't have asked for a better photo opportunity! I snapped away and he looked as though he was in no hurry to leave. Just as we were about to drive away a second leopard jumped onto the tree trunk. I couldn't believe it!

The second leopard was a female in heat. She was shy and quickly jumped off the log again. Over the next 30 minutes the pair put on quite a show for us. The female was desperate for the male's attention but he was much more interested in sleeping. It was amusing watching her wrap her tail around his neck, nuzzle him and at one point jump over him!

Her advances did pay off eventually when the duo leapt into the privacy of the long grass and a chorus of growls erupted.

19/07/2026

The Nyungwe Canopy Walk was a surprising highlight of my time in Rwanda. This series of three bridges allows for unrivalled views of the jungle all around!

📸 Taken in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda

15/07/2026

The first time we encountered the Rongai Rockers in the Maasai Mara they were sprawled out upon this elevated mound, posing beautifully for us. I have a real soft spot for Kidong’oe, the lion here with an adorable stumpy tail ❤️

08/07/2026

My trip to Africa in March was meant to just consist of Rwanda. But when my Qatar Airways flight was cancelled, I decided to take the opportunity to head to Kenya and visit one of my favourite reserves in the world - the Maasai Mara!

I love lions. And so meeting the legendary Rongai Rockers coalition of 5 had me star-struck! I have quite a few photos of these boys to share as we were fortunate enough to encounter them twice over our 4 night visit, but I'll start with these photos of young male Ololtapata (aka Kishindo) who became alert when some zebras began to make their way over.

📸 Taken in the Maasai Mara National Reserve

05/07/2026

Lake Kivu is one of Africa's Great Lakes that can be found in thr Albertine Rift. It staddles the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This great lake makes a great midday stop when journeying between Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda, splitting the long journey into 3 hour segments.

The best way to enjoy Lake Kivu is to go on a boat trip and admire a handful of the lake's many islands. Napoléon Island is the most popular island to visit. It's famous for housing a large colony of fruit bats. It also offers sweeping panoramic views of the lake when you hike to the top of the island.

Another great island to see is Monkey Island. There's a small family of vervet monkeys on the island. It's also great for birds! I was delighted to finally capture a malachite kingfisher on camera!

01/07/2026

Akagera National Park in Rwanda really surprised me. It's a park that has been brought back from the near brink and is now thriving. The successful reintroduction of rhinos and lions has made this national park the only place where you can see the Big Five in Rwanda. Africa Parks has done a fantastic job of transforming Akagera back to its former glory. The work that the team has done here is truly exceptional!

I was fortunate enough to see four of the Big Five during my visit. Leopards are by far the most challenging to spot but they are present. I'm sure, as they get gradually used to vehicles, that sightings will get more frequent.

It was the park's rhinos that really took me by surprise. I have honestly never seen so many white rhinos in one place!

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Kasese, Uganda
Kampala

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http://ellamckendrick.com/

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