Africa Photo Safari Advice
May 5, 2016 21:46:08 #
My wife and I are considering a photo excursion to Botswana in Fall 2016 or January 2017. Has anyone done a trip like this? Advice appreciated concerning tour operators and venues. Many thanks. Equipment advice not required, but thanks anyway.
May 6, 2016 07:06:19 #
hawaiidave
Loc: Honolulu, HI
I went last year. We took Tauck tours which started in Zambia at Livingstone right next to Victoria Falls, then into Botswana, three different camps including deep into the Okavango, then the Kalahari, and ending in Capetown. Great tour. I highly recommend it. First class, great tour guides, super lodges.
May 6, 2016 07:29:45 #
You may want to check up "Nomad Tours" out from South Africa. We just returned from a tour with them from Cape Town to Victoria Falls, and from Vic to Joburg crossing Kruger Park.
I can really recommend them. They were very helpful every step of the way, great and very helpful guides. The price was right and we came out with superb photo opportunities.
Bue I'm sure there are many companies that specialize in this type of safaris, and you should check them and the comments of people that have done the tour with them.
Have fun and good look and remember, Africa is very different....
I can really recommend them. They were very helpful every step of the way, great and very helpful guides. The price was right and we came out with superb photo opportunities.
Bue I'm sure there are many companies that specialize in this type of safaris, and you should check them and the comments of people that have done the tour with them.
Have fun and good look and remember, Africa is very different....
May 6, 2016 08:21:21 #
Look up OAT.COM (Overseas Adventure Travel). I highly recommend them. We did the Southern Africa trip last February which included 4 different countries.We also went to Costa Rica last July, and will go to Italy this October.
Mention my name (C W Harper) for a discount!
Mention my name (C W Harper) for a discount!
May 6, 2016 08:59:39 #
I am doing a photography tour soon, with a couple from Florida. It is to Namibia and sounds awesome. They just do Namibia and Costa Rica. JudyLynn is an award winning photographer...amazing!
http://naturestapestryjlm.com/
Here is a link to her Namibia photos
http://naturestapestryjlm.com/gallery/#8/0
http://naturestapestryjlm.com/
Here is a link to her Namibia photos
http://naturestapestryjlm.com/gallery/#8/0
May 6, 2016 09:15:40 #
Fotomacher wrote:
My wife and I are considering a photo excursion to Botswana in Fall 2016 or January 2017. Has anyone done a trip like this? Advice appreciated concerning tour operators and venues. Many thanks. Equipment advice not required, but thanks anyway.
Not on my list of things to do, but here are some recommendations.
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/8065882473/gearing-up-for-an-african-safari
http://www.bythom.com/photographic-travel/africa/how-to-think-about-equipmen.html
http://www.elliottneep.com/#!/p/gear-guide-safari
https://luminous-landscape.com/digital-safari-equipment-tips/
May 6, 2016 09:49:52 #
Fotomacher wrote:
My wife and I are considering a photo excursion to Botswana in Fall 2016 or January 2017. Has anyone done a trip like this? Advice appreciated concerning tour operators and venues. Many thanks. Equipment advice not required, but thanks anyway.
Check out Daniel J. Cox's site, and especially his Corkboard Blog. I haven't done anything like this, but drool over what he offers. I HAVE taken much of his advice and experience to heart. He is a veteran photojournalist of the highest order, with a lot of prominent magazine covers and articles under his belt:
http://naturalexposures.com
May 6, 2016 09:59:20 #
Its been 16 years since I was in Botswana but the Okavango Delta has been the same for centuries. Take LOTS of mosquito repellent but test it on yourself for any allergic reactions before you go. Bug nets over a wide brimmed hat are also nice. Ex Officio makes some lightweight, breathable and vented clothing that has bug resistance for 30 regular washings. Get ALL of the immunizations you need at least 3 months before you go. Make sure your tour operator has a competent guide with a large bore rifle and he knows how to use it since hunting is no longer allowed in Botswana so you can't protect yourself. Their capitol, Maun, has a high HIV infection rate so take precautions, but it is much safer than Capetown or Jberg. Be careful of ice in your water since the water might be filtered or bottled but the ice may be tap water.
Namibia is awesome, very safe, with 1/10 the crime rate of the US. I've bodyguarded 12 African safari (220 days on foot in the bush so I had 1.6 billion seconds of enjoyment of Africa and about 10 seconds of "glad I had a large bore rifle or shotgun".
Byseewah in Namibia is my favorite African site in terms of great guides, safety, LOTS of game, deluxe accomodations and proximity to Etosha, the largest game reserve in the world (half the size of Switzerland) which is well patrolled. Namibia has the least corrupt government officials in all of Africa and possibly even less corrupt than the US. If you go in June-Aug, their winter, it will be 80 during the day and 50 at night so most of the 35 known poisonous snakes and most of the mosquitoes and flies will be in hibernation. Take hi intensity flashlights and check UNDER your beds when entering your room every time. Once in Botswana, I had raked the sand around our tents and when returning home, saw two snake trails heading in. Even though the tent was zipped, the staff had left it open while they were cleaning and two cobras decided to use our tent as their honeymoon suite. One brave guide was a fanatical conservationist so he burlap bagged them for a remote release but Steve Irwin, I am NOT! If you are in a remote camp, be sure to check the insides of your clothing BEFORE you put it on. One guide had just hung up his shirt while taking a shower. A venomous spider slipped in, bit him on his back and created a serious medical problem. Shower water can come from the local water supply so be careful about getting it in your eyes or accidentally drinking any. Think about croc crap and hippo doo in your shower water... Make sure your outfit's vehicles are in good order. In the 220 days, we had to outrun elephant charges 5 times, hippo charges 3 times and a lioness once. They are NOT supposed to charge you in vehicles but one lioness had not read the lioness book of safari manners. One of our courageous African staff had to beat her on her head with bamboo poles to keep her from jumping into the open bed of our old fashioned Land Cruiser until we outlasted her (Lions are short distance sprinters.) In Tanzania, I sent my 12 year old son up a tree to get out of danger from a lioness who wandered into our tent camp in the middle of the day and he got stung by a transparent tree scorpion. Another staff member got bitten by a puff adder while adding wood to the firepit so if you help out with the camp, be VERY cautious.
Don't change lenses since dust is EVERYWHERE from the vehicles or wind blown in camp. I use plastic garbage bags over my padded photo cases. Be sure to take a small point and shoot for camp photos. Bean bags (plastic beads not real beans) are useful for improvised rests.
Precautions like these will help keep your safari safe and enjoyable. Africa has a magic that keeps luring me back. I can hardly wait for Safari # 13, 14, etc.
Namibia is awesome, very safe, with 1/10 the crime rate of the US. I've bodyguarded 12 African safari (220 days on foot in the bush so I had 1.6 billion seconds of enjoyment of Africa and about 10 seconds of "glad I had a large bore rifle or shotgun".
Byseewah in Namibia is my favorite African site in terms of great guides, safety, LOTS of game, deluxe accomodations and proximity to Etosha, the largest game reserve in the world (half the size of Switzerland) which is well patrolled. Namibia has the least corrupt government officials in all of Africa and possibly even less corrupt than the US. If you go in June-Aug, their winter, it will be 80 during the day and 50 at night so most of the 35 known poisonous snakes and most of the mosquitoes and flies will be in hibernation. Take hi intensity flashlights and check UNDER your beds when entering your room every time. Once in Botswana, I had raked the sand around our tents and when returning home, saw two snake trails heading in. Even though the tent was zipped, the staff had left it open while they were cleaning and two cobras decided to use our tent as their honeymoon suite. One brave guide was a fanatical conservationist so he burlap bagged them for a remote release but Steve Irwin, I am NOT! If you are in a remote camp, be sure to check the insides of your clothing BEFORE you put it on. One guide had just hung up his shirt while taking a shower. A venomous spider slipped in, bit him on his back and created a serious medical problem. Shower water can come from the local water supply so be careful about getting it in your eyes or accidentally drinking any. Think about croc crap and hippo doo in your shower water... Make sure your outfit's vehicles are in good order. In the 220 days, we had to outrun elephant charges 5 times, hippo charges 3 times and a lioness once. They are NOT supposed to charge you in vehicles but one lioness had not read the lioness book of safari manners. One of our courageous African staff had to beat her on her head with bamboo poles to keep her from jumping into the open bed of our old fashioned Land Cruiser until we outlasted her (Lions are short distance sprinters.) In Tanzania, I sent my 12 year old son up a tree to get out of danger from a lioness who wandered into our tent camp in the middle of the day and he got stung by a transparent tree scorpion. Another staff member got bitten by a puff adder while adding wood to the firepit so if you help out with the camp, be VERY cautious.
Don't change lenses since dust is EVERYWHERE from the vehicles or wind blown in camp. I use plastic garbage bags over my padded photo cases. Be sure to take a small point and shoot for camp photos. Bean bags (plastic beads not real beans) are useful for improvised rests.
Precautions like these will help keep your safari safe and enjoyable. Africa has a magic that keeps luring me back. I can hardly wait for Safari # 13, 14, etc.
May 6, 2016 10:07:22 #
Tigger1
Loc: Surrey, BC Canada
Fotomacher wrote:
My wife and I are considering a photo excursion to Botswana in Fall 2016 or January 2017. Has anyone done a trip like this? Advice appreciated concerning tour operators and venues. Many thanks. Equipment advice not required, but thanks anyway.
Hi Fotomacher,
My wife and I used "Lion Dog African Safaris" out of Calgary, AB in 2014. In 3 weeks we did Rwanda for gorilla trekking, Tanzania for the "big five" and South Africa for the Knysna Elephant Park where you can feed and walk with elephants and walk a cheetah at near by Tenikwa Wildcat Park. It was truly a once in a life time trip that so enthralled us that we returned 8 months later to do it all again and added Zambia to the list. We will return to Africa in October this year to expand upon what we have already done.
Another tour operator you can use is Heritage Safari Co. Contact Jen Lubey at jen@heritagesafaris.com. Jen set up our first tour and kept in touch with us throughout the tour advising us of last minute changes in air flights/hotel accommodation as necessary. Remember, Africa is NOT North America, you cannot assume that airlines inside Africa (regardless of airline(s)) will stick to their posted schedule. If they cannot book sufficient passengers on a particular flight to make the flight financially viable, the flight is cancelled, more often than not with little or no notice!! Jen saved us on one flight/hotel accommodation that could have been a minor disaster for us had she not been right there to keep us out of trouble, hence our tour continued without missing a beat! If you would like further details feel free to PM me or email me at: Garth.wheeler@gmail.com
If you want to see wildlife in the wild, then sub-Saharan Africa is the continent to visit. The quantity and selection of wildlife is IMHO better than anywhere else on this planet with the possible exception of South America and I have visited all of the continents except Australia and Antartica.
Best regards, good luck and have a great adventure,
Garth
May 6, 2016 10:09:03 #
ft
Loc: New York, USA
Check out Idube Photo Safaris (www.idubephotosafaris.com). My wife and I participated in a South African safari with them last month. EXCELLENT!
The owner/operator is a professional photographer and certified wildlife guide. His tours are geared toward photographers. Photo safaris are his specialty.
The owner/operator is a professional photographer and certified wildlife guide. His tours are geared toward photographers. Photo safaris are his specialty.
May 6, 2016 10:11:21 #
ft
Loc: New York, USA
Check out Idube Photo Safaris (www.idubephotosafaris.com). My wife and I participated in a South African safari with them last month. EXCELLENT!
The owner/operator is a professional photographer and certified wildlife guide. His tours are geared toward photographers. Photo safaris are his specialty.
The owner/operator is a professional photographer and certified wildlife guide. His tours are geared toward photographers. Photo safaris are his specialty.
May 6, 2016 10:14:26 #
Did a trip to Tanzania last year used Safari Adventures as the US contact. They made all the arrangements here so that when I got in-country everything went smoothly. 1st class Lodges to stay at great food, socializing with people from all over the globe. The guides/drivers were awesome. The one we had knew exactly how to manuver around other drivers to get the best possible shots. Safari Adventures is a Texas based African Safari specialist travel agency. You can just google the name to get more info. Enjoy your trip and good shooting.
May 6, 2016 10:15:35 #
May 6, 2016 10:50:32 #
I visited 4 countries 3 years ago. Botswana was my favorite county. Number one they have outlawed game hunting because they get their money from diamonds. Number 2 was because we took a river tour and you really get a great view of everything. we were almost in the middle of a herd of hippos. You will love it.
I went with OAT and had a great trip at a fair price. Even thou it wasn't a photo trip per say it turned out that way; because everyone wanted to see all of the animals.
I went with OAT and had a great trip at a fair price. Even thou it wasn't a photo trip per say it turned out that way; because everyone wanted to see all of the animals.
May 6, 2016 11:31:23 #
paulhw
Loc: Los Angeles
Awfully good advice. Went to Kenya & Tanzania in 1973 (everyone thought we were nuts!). I wish we had advice like this then. Had a wonderful trip. Trips today are much more inclusive then they were then. Would love to go to South Africa, but we're getting a little long in the tooth for that.
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