Photograph Botswana's best-loved wildlife including lion, elephant, buffalo and wild dog and their rarer, nocturnal residents on this dedicated 12-day photographic trip to some of the country's most famous wildlife areas. Led by Emma Healey, we hope to encounter an incredible array of mammals and birds.
Staying in one of the Okavango Delta's finest wildlife concessions followed by Chobe National Park, we're afforded with plenty of photographic and wildlife opportunities. Some of the species that we hope to see and photograph include large herds of elephant, buffalo, Southern giraffe and Burchell’s zebra and antelope species such as impala, red lechwe, greater kudu and tsessebe. Inevitably with such a high concentration of prey animals we're likely to encounter various predators with an excellent chance of seeing lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena and wild dog.
Botswana is also home to a wide variety of birds including lilac-breasted rollers, saddle-billed storks, openbills, glossy ibis, secretary birds, a variety of vultures, bateleurs, tawny and martial eagles. As we embark on night safaris some of Botswana's more elusive mammals begin to emerge including African civet, large-spotted genet, African porcupine, lesser bushbaby and perhaps African wild cat, honey badger or serval. Each of these animals are fantastic subjects for us, as we get to grips with the intricacies of night photography.
The light at this time of year should provide us with glowing colours and the iconic sunrises and sunsets for which Africa is well known. With wildlife photography in mind, each day we endeavour to make the most of the best light. The guides are well experienced in positioning the vehicle to ensure light and angle are favourable for photography.
After six nights in luxury mobile camping tents in the Moremi Game Reserve and Mababe Private Reserve, we conclude with three nights on the Chobe River. Here we have the option of delving into Chobe National Park by safari vehicle or on purpose-built photographic boats, complete with pivot chairs and customised gimbals. This combination provides us with a fantastic range of settings, target species and perspective to photograph. Between excursions, there's the option to kick back and relax or to join Emma for a session on processing or to review images.
In addition to this dedicated photo safari, we also have our Okavango Delta Safari which is perfect for those who would prefer less emphasis on photography.
Typical Itinerary
Day1: Depart UK
Day2: Arrive Maun & transfer to Moremi Game Reserve
We arrive in Maun early afternoon, where our guide waits to meet and assist us with our onward light aircraft flight over the Okavango Delta to our first luxury camp in the Moremi Game Reserve.
Once we arrive, we're met by the crew who will be accompanying us for our first six nights. There's time to settle in and unpack before a late afternoon game drive and then enjoying dinner under the night sky.
Accommodation: Fully-serviced Mobile Camping, 6-nights
Days3-4: Morning & afternoon photographic game drives in Moremi Game Reserve
We're woken early each morning by the camp crew, who fill our wash basin(s) with warm water, so we can wash, before a breakfast of porridge, cereal, yoghurt and toast, plus tea or coffee. All enjoyed around the campfire. Then, as the sun starts to creep above the horizon and to the rhythmic background cooing of a myriad of Cape turtle doves, we go on a game drive in search of the region’s famed wildlife.
We typically return to camp by mid to late morning, when there's an opportunity to have a shower and rest either before and/or after lunch. As the day warms we're free to relax, snooze, read a book or watch wildlife from camp. You may wish to look back through some photographs from the morning activity and your photographic leader, Emma Healey, will always be on hand to provide advice and guidance on how to capture wonderful images whether you're a beginner, or more experienced photographer. At around 4pm, after afternoon tea, we head back out for another wildlife drive.
One of the great advantages of mobile camping is that we aren't restricted by a schedule. So, if our guide believes that it's in the interests of the group to stay out longer, we have the flexibility to do this. On occasion, we may venture out for the entire day with a packed lunch, which allows us to travel further afield.
During our time in Moremi Game Reserve - one of the most beautiful and unspoilt reserves in Southern Africa, we can expect to photograph a range of species including a resident herd of several hundred buffalo, at least four prides of lion and breeding herds of elephants. With multiple animals gathered, it allows us to play with group composition shots and methods to capture the interactions and behaviours with our cameras. As you adjust the focal points and aperture, Emma will be available to help you achieve the technique or image you have in mind.
Other subjects we hope to photograph include wild dog, leopard, red lechwe, Burchell's zebra and impala. Moremi is home to a variety of birds, and we can expect to see long-toed and wattled plovers, white-faced whistling duck, African fish eagle, rosy-throated longclaw and goliath heron.
Day5: Full day safari to Mababe Private Reserve
After an early breakfast, we take a slow wildlife drive through Moremi Game Reserve north-east towards the Khwai and Mababe area. On this moving day, we stop to enjoy a mokoro excursion in the calmer waterways of the Khwai and Mbudi channels, followed by a picnic lunch. Our journey follows this watercourse, passing riverside flood plains and mopane veld and on into the incredible Mababe Depression.
We also visit the Dombo hippo pools to enjoy and photograph the antics of these impressive mammals. The open plains support breeding herds of elephants, while the river supports large numbers of Nile crocodiles. Throughout our journey we pass through the territory of lion, leopard, cheetah and two packs of African wild dog.
Days6-7: Morning and afternoon photographic excursions in Moremi Game Reserve
Meandering through the reserve, the Khwai River gives us ample riverside routes to explore, while the Kalahari scrub to the east and cathedral mopane to the south, provide a contrast in habitats and species.
The Mababe region boasts large concentrations of both bull elephant and breeding herds. Lion, leopard, serval and African wildcat are all commonly encountered in the region, with both wild dog and cheetah less common, but also possible. The swampy areas in the west are home to red lechwe, with other ungulates including tsessebe, blue wildebeest, Southern giraffe, greater kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope and impala.
Night drives open up a whole new world of opportunity to watch wildlife, as a good proportion of Botswana's mammals are active only after dark. Nocturnal species such as African civet, honey badger, lesser bushbaby, crested porcupine, large-spotted genet, white-tailed mongoose, scrub hare and spring hare may all be sighted on our spotlighting drives, with perhaps a chance of spotting something really unusual - such as a serval - if we're fortunate.
Day8: Transfer to Chobe National Park
Today we leave Mababe Private Reserve and drive to the air strip in Khwai from where we take a short flight to Kasane. On arrival, we transfer to Pangolin Chobe Hotel, our base for the next three nights.
Days9-10: Morning and afternoon photographic game drives
Over the course of the next two days, we have the option to delve into Chobe National Park by safari vehicle (with beanbag camera mounts) or on a custom-built photo boat, fitted with customised gimbals and 360 rotational seats.
The boat experience provides a wealth of new opportunities for photography and a completely different perspective of our subjects. Whilst we’ll need a large slice of luck to encounter big cats from the river banks, you never know what might happen, and we should have plenty of opportunities to photograph wading elephants, wallowing hippos, drinking ungulates and a wealth of water birds.
During our time at the hotel, we have the opportunity to relax and enjoy the views of the Chobe riverfront and Caprivi Floodplains, or to review our images and work on editing/post-processing techniques with Emma.
Being a national park, there isn’t the option for night drives and therefore evenings are spent enjoying a delicious meal in the restaurant and drinks around the fire.
Day11: Depart Botswana
Sadly this morning we must bid farewell to the team at Pangolin Chobe Hotel and return to Kasane airport for an early afternoon flight to Johannesburg.
Day12: Arrive UK
Key info
Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 12 daysfrom £8,195 pp
Duration and price excluding international flights: 10 daysfrom £7,195 pp
Emma is a popular and experienced wildlife photographer and tour guide, whose images have been printed in wildlife photography magazines.
Emma has led workshops on camera settings, getting the best shots in the field as well as post production, to making sure clients can achieve their best images. Having had a passion for all things nature since she was very young, Emma travels across the globe to capture the wildlife in each area, and often supplies international agencies with photographs. With a love for primates, she is captivated by any living things from large mammals to tiny insects and macro photography.
This 1.6 million hectare wildlife paradise is a vast tapestry of crystal clear water channels, lagoons and small islands, and is known for its concentrations of large wildlife and birds. Outings by boat or on land, at day or night, yields fantastic sightings within the private concessions of exclusive accommodation.
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Where: Northern Botswana
Ideal for viewing: hippo, Nile crocodile, red lechwe, sitatunga, tsessebe
Excellent for: Walking safaris, Vehicle safaris, River safaris, Birdwatching
Moremi is an unspoilt and stunningly beautiful reserve, considered to be one of Africa’s finest sanctuaries. Its 3,000 sqkm of woodland, floodplain and reedbed includes the waters of the Okavango Delta, attracting high concentrations of plains game and predators which can be viewed by river or on land.
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Where: Northern Botswana
Ideal for viewing: Pel’s fishing owl, red lechwe, sitatunga, fire-crowned bishop, scops owl
Excellent for: Walking safaris, Vehicle safaris, River safaris
This private reserve is situated in the Okavango Delta, allowing visitors to venture off-road and enjoy night drives to watch some of its rarer inhabitants. Wildlife highlights include lion, leopard, wild dog, spotted hyena and a rich variety of birdlife such as African jacana and secretarybird.
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Chobe sits on the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers. The mosaic of bush, waterway, floodplain and woodland is home to a vast array of wildlife, most notably Africa’s largest concentration of elephant, but also huge herds of buffalo that congregate along its fertile floodplain during the dry season.
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Where: Northern Botswana
Ideal for viewing: Cape buffalo, African elephant, lion, puku, wild dog
Located a short distance from the Chobe River in Botswana and with stunning views towards Namibia’s Caprivi floodplains, this photography focused hotel has 14 comfortable en suite rooms and an excellent on-site restaurant and bar. Traditional game drives and boat safaris are offered in nearby Chobe National Park.
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