Where to go for an African photo safari?

[ElenaH]

For me - Africa is the bush.

the same for me!

I am (unfortunately!) not from SA but I've been in Southern Africa 16 times.
We started with visiting camps and lodges but soon discovered the special experience or better to say a different life, a life in the bush with all those unforgettable and very personal moments, good and not so good ;-) It is more about the experience and adventure, the ability to solve problems (if any), to make decisions. For me it is a REAL life which I can live. In camps it was like in a primary school. But of course, you need to start learing, too.

However, if we are talking about photographic safaris then it is something different and more like "getting the shots" or "doing a good job". Such safaris can be expensive but also very productiv. I recommend to have a look in some South African Photo Safaris operators as well.
I also suggest to open this topic in safaritalk.net. I am a member of this forum as well (I think @pomkiwi , too)

The other question is about the budget.
For example, in Pangolin you pay 395$ ppn (per person per night), as far as I remember. In Kasane (Chobe river front) you can rent an appartment or a hotel room for about 90-120$ per night (for the appartment) and you pay about 100-110$ for private vehicle/boat per drive. That means, if you are two persons in one appartment doing two game drives per day, then per person it is about = (60+50+50) = 160$ (half accommodation plus twice half-price of a private vehicle) . The dinner is about 20$ and some meals you can prepare yourself or buy in a supermarket. In a long run you save more than 100$ per person per day and your guide does what you want, you can start game drives earlier than in lodges/camps.
If you rent your own vehicle then it will be more expensive but it can be still under 395$ppn and you are free to decide what you want to do. I meant an own vehicle additionally to accommodaion and private game drives.
The same is in South Luangwa NP in Sambia. We had private vehicle for 100$ per drive but our challet was only 80$ per chalet. And we had the best guide ;-) Some drives we made by ourselves. If you want to take pictures of bee-eates courtship and want to stay there fo some hours then you can do it only by yourself or with a private guide. I don't think that some lodge guests will be happy with it. However, once we were staying with photographic tour 2,5 hours waiting for leopard to come down. But even not all photographers will agree with that ;-)

Kgalagadi Transfrontier park is also a very good park for self-drivers ad it is not overrun. Namibia is also very easy for self-drivers.
So, it depends on what your preferences are.

 

[Abinoone]

the same for me!

I am (unfortunately!) not from SA but I've been in Southern Africa 16 times.
We started with visiting camps and lodges but soon discovered the special experience or better to say a different life, a life in the bush with all those unforgettable and very personal moments, good and not so good ;-) It is more about the experience and adventure, the ability to solve problems (if any), to make decisions. For me it is a REAL life which I can live. In camps it was like in a primary school. But of course, you need to start learing, too.

However, if we are talking about photographic safaris then it is something different and more like "getting the shots" or "doing a good job". Such safaris can be expensive but also very productiv. I recommend to have a look in some South African Photo Safaris operators as well.
I also suggest to open this topic in safaritalk.net. I am a member of this forum as well (I think @pomkiwi , too)

The other question is about the budget.
For example, in Pangolin you pay 395$ ppn (per person per night), as far as I remember. In Kasane (Chobe river front) you can rent an appartment or a hotel room for about 90-120$ per night (for the appartment) and you pay about 100-110$ for private vehicle/boat per drive. That means, if you are two persons in one appartment doing two game drives per day, then per person it is about = (60+50+50) = 160$ (half accommodation plus twice half-price of a private vehicle) . The dinner is about 20$ and some meals you can prepare yourself or buy in a supermarket. In a long run you save more than 100$ per person per day and your guide does what you want, you can start game drives earlier than in lodges/camps.
If you rent your own vehicle then it will be more expensive but it can be still under 395$ppn and you are free to decide what you want to do. I meant an own vehicle additionally to accommodaion and private game drives.
The same is in South Luangwa NP in Sambia. We had private vehicle for 100$ per drive but our challet was only 80$ per chalet. And we had the best guide ;-) Some drives we made by ourselves. If you want to take pictures of bee-eates courtship and want to stay there fo some hours then you can do it only by yourself or with a private guide. I don't think that some lodge guests will be happy with it. However, once we were staying with photographic tour 2,5 hours waiting for leopard to come down. But even not all photographers will agree with that ;-)

Kgalagadi Transfrontier park is also a very good park for self-drivers ad it is not overrun. Namibia is also very easy for self-drivers.
So, it depends on what your preferences are.

Great info - thank you!

 

[Abinoone]

Definitely go to Africa.

Don't worry about your age. 70 is the new 50.

But you need to think about what you want to see and do. Africa is a vast continent. Some is north of the Equator, some south. Weather patterns vary enormously.

Do you want the wildebeest migration? (You should). If so, Tanzania but research the time of year.

Do you want a large walking component? Zambia is a good choice.

Water based? Botswana, but check the time of year.

Desert? Namibia.

Personally, I would not put South Africa near the top of the list as it is not very earthy.

Of the safaris I have had and those I want to do, Tanzania and Botswana would be high on the list for wildlife. Personally, Namibia is probably my next destination.

My local photographic society had a Zoom presentation last week from Steve Stockhall, a most impressive individual and a pleasure to deal with. One of our members has travelled with him several times, and I understand why. https://www.eartharktravel.com

Have a great time!

Thank you! Curious what you mean by SA not being very “earthy”?

 

[MrFotoFool]

...in Pangolin you pay 395$ ppn (per person per night), as far as I remember...

You pay A LOT more than that, almost three times. They have one Chobe safari labeled as budget photo safari that works out to $385 per day (7 days total), but most their safaris are just under a thousand dollars a day. This is the standard rate for private photo safaris in much of eastern and southern Africa.

 

[Anthony]

Thank you! Curious what you mean by SA not being very “earthy”?

South Africa is the most advanced country in sub-Saharan Africa. As such, its mainstream safari experiences are oriented towards people with "Western" expectations of accommodation and service. Other parts of Africa can offer high quality experiences which feel less "Western". My personal preference is towards the latter, but I recognise that others have different preferences.

 

[Rixpx]

My only trip to Africa was to Uganda in 2014. We took a private tour to Queen Elizabeth N.P. This was good for elephants, lions, and antelope. Distant Ruwenzori mountains made a nice backdrop.

Our second photo safari was through Matoke tours. We stopped at a rhino sanctuary which was great. Then we spent a few days at Murchinson Falls N.P. Lots of wildlife, especially giraffes, buffalo, cats, and elephants. This included a boat trip up the Nile to the base of the Falls. Lots of hippos and crocodiles. A variety animals on the river banks.

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

You pay A LOT more than that, almost three times. They have one Chobe safari labeled as budget photo safari that works out to $385 per day (7 days total), but most their safaris are just under a thousand dollars a day. This is the standard rate for private photo safaris in much of eastern and southern Africa.

I budget between $1000 and $1500 per day including tips etc depending on the Legnth of the trip -- this includes the flights - UK to Kenya and inside Kenya.
The average day rate for a short trip (1 week) is much higher -- budget $500 per night for a 5* camp in the Mara, plus $400 per day for an exclusive safari vehicle and driver and overnight stay in Nairobi on arrival, transfers and internal flights to/from the Mara add 600-1000. This soon adds up. It is cheaper to travel as part of a group, but then you do not get to dictate what one shoots and one has to put up with other folk. [when I know where I am going I like doing my own thing otherwise I just get to be misserable]
Far better when travelling long distance to spend 2+ weeks in the field.

I would not self drive in East Africa and only if I had vast experience and a local license/insurance in the South. A significant role or my drivers is to be a guide and since they are part of a large company they have access to the radio frequencies that they and their colleagues use to share sightings and to help each other out. I have to say that the public parts of the Kruger were supremely disappointing (and annoying) when one is used to the level of information sharing I. The private reserves and in east Africa (when travelling in a camp vehicle or one of the big firms). I know many SA based guides and self drivers who share my view but are used to going on a trip in their own country for a week or more with no need to rush; but for those of us on a limited time budget we need help to get to sightings as soon as possible and this does not mean waiting for someone to write it on a blackboard or post it on an app.

 

[Winston Churchill (Sir)]

There is a time and place for every type of safari.

Joining a small group has so many benefits - and I would I give one left molar to join Steve on a tour, if only to hold his hand and blow him a kiss to say thank you for the immense effort he puts into his books and videos.

For any organised tour - you need $$$. If you have it - go for it

Both kinds of safaris will leave you with memories of a life time.

For comparison to above posts -
Doing a self drive is South Africa is easy. And inexpensive. Kruger is especially user friendly for tourists from abroad, but it is more commercial than Kgalagadi. Private lodges are also commercial. Very.

My last 2 trips to Kgalagadi and Kruger: (roughly 5 weeks each)
Fuel $700- this includes fuel driving from Cape Town 1000 km away - Kruger was double that, due to distance from Cape Town
Accommodation $800 - 5 weeks (camping)
(Chalets roughly between $100 and $200 per day for at least 2 people)
*plus conservation fee of probably another $26 per day for international tourists, for locals it's cheaper)
Food - whatever I packed. I would have eaten at home too

I own my own overlanding vehicle. Which a visitor would have to rent.
Renting a vehicle for camping is around $100 per day - this includes the Rooftop tent etc, or rent a regular vehicle and stay in a chalet. Kruger even have restaurants if you prefer. Everything is self catering.

 

[ingweDave]

I have been fortunate to spend a good deal of my life travelling to many places around the African continent. I have visited most of the locations quoted in the previous posts. For me, my requirements now are different to what they were 30 years ago. I have had amazing visits to West Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia & Zimbabwe. Personally, if I had to pick one destination as my first trip, with photography being a priority, I would choose Botswana. A mix of the Okavango & Chobe River would be amazing.
However, for me now, I spend a good deal of time in South Africa. There are places there that are a true wilderness experience and probably the furthest away from the typical western safari expectation. As Elsa has said in her post, the Kgalagadi is an incredible place and amazing value. Most of the visitors there are African, self drivers, (4x4 is a must) with few European or Americans. I was recently there and drove at walking pace, with a male Leopard in front of me, for an hour and a half, without seeing another vehicle.
Kruger NP is a true African enigma. It is not a place for a quick safari fix. However, get off the well used road and it has given me some of my best African experiences. It is also such a buzz when you find sittings yourself and nobody else is there. (Not the preconception of many peoples Idea of Kruger.)
As I have said, the place to go for a two week “Trip of a lifetime” can be different to places for later visits.

 

[NWGuy]

I don't have the vast experience of others posting here (great input from them) my wife and I did our first, but hopefully not last, bucket trip to Africa last November. Another vote for Pangolin. We were at 3 sites, 2 with photo hosts and one without. Big difference. The site without a photo host was much less productive. The guide there was smart, personable, and was an never ending source of info on flora and fauna, but did not know how to get us to get the best photos. The other sites (Chobe and Okavago Delta) the photo hosts really knew what they were doing in getting us to where the lighting was as good as could get, advised on settings, and knowing where and when to guide the boat/truck drivers to get us where we could get as many shots as possible. Spendy, yeah, but as a first time there, they are a known source, I felt I knew the photo hosts before I got there, and knew what to expect.
For a first time, I would make sure you had as good as info you can get about who is leading, what the emphasis of the group is (you don't want to be on a 'photo tour' where most people only use an iPhone - saw several boats loaded with iPhone crowds on the Chobe), what the transportation is, do you need/want photo hosts to aid with tricky settings you may not be familiar with. For me, Pangolin was a good fit and the experience was great.

 

[Abinoone]

I don't have the vast experience of others posting here (great input from them) my wife and I did our first, but hopefully not last, bucket trip to Africa last November. Another vote for Pangolin. We were at 3 sites, 2 with photo hosts and one without. Big difference. The site without a photo host was much less productive. The guide there was smart, personable, and was an never ending source of info on flora and fauna, but did not know how to get us to get the best photos. The other sites (Chobe and Okavago Delta) the photo hosts really knew what they were doing in getting us to where the lighting was as good as could get, advised on settings, and knowing where and when to guide the boat/truck drivers to get us where we could get as many shots as possible. Spendy, yeah, but as a first time there, they are a known source, I felt I knew the photo hosts before I got there, and knew what to expect.
For a first time, I would make sure you had as good as info you can get about who is leading, what the emphasis of the group is (you don't want to be on a 'photo tour' where most people only use an iPhone - saw several boats loaded with iPhone crowds on the Chobe), what the transportation is, do you need/want photo hosts to aid with tricky settings you may not be familiar with. For me, Pangolin was a good fit and the experience was great.

Great info - thanks!

 

[KimM]

You might want to check out the Sony/Canon/Nikon forum on FredMiranda. There is a cross posted extensive discussion on finding guides, locations, options etc over there. It became daunting for me but I do intend to get over there someday. Thanks to everyone who has shared on this thread!

 

[ricardo00]

I am sure it must seem daunting to anyone contemplating a trip to Africa for the first time, but keep in mind that a lot of wildlife viewing is up to chance but any day on an African safari with any tour company for wildlife lovers is probably the best wildlife experience one can have (with the diversity and level of wildlife). So just make a decision and go for it!
PS. We did our first trip 14 years ago, when my equipment and skills were still very primitive. W have done two subsequent trips which is much less than many others but still view them as the best trips we have done around the world.

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

I recommend looking at specialist photo-safari operators — here are a few of the best I have used : Stu Porter at Wild4 Safari, Lou Cotzier at CNP, David Lloyd, and of course Guts at Pangolin Safari for Botswana and other places.

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

Day One Drive One - Maasai Mara with the Entim Camp team -- one of the shots of Lorgogol - a 7-8 year old male who had just fought with the hyenas who were circling the tree he had stashed his meal going back for a meal as a storm builds behind him -- sadly for us we did not see the fight, but we certainly heard it and given how the bushes and trees moved this was not a pleasant encounter.

https://flic.kr/p/2omtspe

BEWARE THESE PHOTOS WILL CONTAIN PREDATORS CATCHING AND EATING PREY.

The shots are close to straight out of camera - shot RAW and simply process in LRC (no croping, sharpening or noise reduction applied) -- all images are taken with a Z9 or Z7 -- some colour correction will be completed when I return home.

Subject to availability of Satellite Internet - I will be posting daily shots to this Album on flickr.

 

[Len Cohen]

I am South African and have been on many safaris. There are many considerations. Firstly, where do you want to go and what is your budget.If you are on this forum then presumably photography is a priority. South Africa is a wonderful destination. Do you ONLY want to do safari? If yes then you can negotiate directly with, for example, Londolozi or Mala Mala. They are private reserves where the experience is beyond amazing. It is upwards of $1000 per person per night. If you want to tour the country then a tour is preferable. Remember, if you are in a vehicle with 6 people they may not want to stop whilst you photograph a bird. There are specific photographic safaris. In Botswana a photographic safari willl have Gimbals attached to the Makoro for the photographers. East Africa is also beyond phenomenal. You must go at the time of the migration. Asilia Africa was very good as a tour operator

 

[Rodamu]

I follow "Itchy Boots" on YouTube. She travels the world on a dirt bike. In Namibia she staid at ETOSHA HEIGHTS SAFARIHOEK LODGE that seems a good place for photographers. See the episode (Season 6, Episode 62) at

 

[Hawkeshead]

I'm going to follow this discussion as I'm also very interested. I'm in the same case, I'm looking for places in Africa to go, with simple sleeping places (no need for luxury), confirmed guides and places without too many people to maximize the time on the ground

I personally went 3x to the Maasai Mara in August and would not recommend it. There are way too many people, dozens of vehicles at each sighting, basically not a very pleasant experience

Hi, there is plenty of great advice on this forum. For what’s its worth I live in Kenya and am very fortunate to be able go on safari regularly. I avoid the Maasai Mara triangle for the reasons outlined and prefer to go to the conservancies that are on the northern edge of the Reserve - there are a max 5 vehicles per sighting, no private vehicles permitted, they are well policed by the conservation rangers, vehicles can go off and the animals are far more relaxed. The guides tend to be better qualified and are very familiar in safaris tailored for photographers.

Yiu can avoid the crowds in the Mara. These was taken 16/02/23. I was solo in a safari wagon adapted for photography with only one other safari wagon present

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Depending on what you are after, each Park or Reserve in Kenya offers different experiences, Amboseli for elephants, Mara noted for the big cats (don’t go there expecting to see Rhino) Tsavo East and West for the big 5 especially elephants and lions, Ol Pejeta and other Laikipia reserves for the big 5 (esp Rhino).

Kenya is also a useful hub to jump off from if you are looking at Gorillas I would suggest Uganda as Rwanda park fees are very expensive and to avoid DRC because of safety issues; Serengeti Tanzania is under a short flight from the Mara and Vic Falls which is a gateway to the Chobe and the Zambian Parks is a little over 3 hrs away from Nairobi.

It’s also worth thinking about some downtime after the Safaris to recoup and relax as they can be full on and a few days on the beach is a great way to unwind

Happy to give further info on suggestions in Kenya and also Vic Falls/ safari combo via DM.

 

[ricardo00]

Kenya is also a useful hub to jump off from if you are looking at Gorillas I would suggest Uganda as Rwanda park fees are very expensive and to avoid DRC because of safety issues; Serengeti Tanzania is under a short flight from the Mara and Vic Falls which is a gateway to the Chobe and the Zambian Parks is a little over 3 hrs away from Nairobi.

Wow just looked and the Rwanda gorilla trekking fees now are $1500 versus $700 in Uganda! Luckily I went gorilla trekking in Rwanda when it was $500 per day/hour. Is it that much better in Rwanda or just higher cost? Not that I would be able to do it these days, just curious.

 

[jhorsch]

We've been to southern Africa twice in recent years - Botswana, Zambia (twice), Namibia, RSA, and Rwanda (gorillas only). Best experiences were Botswana Okavango Delta, South Luangwa NP in Zambia (southern portion of park, leopards everywhere in northern but otherwise so-so), and Sabi Sand in RSA (private reserve). Excellent experience in Rwanda but again, limited to gorillas (up close and personal!).

Both trips were booked through Cheeseman's Ecology Safaris and led by pro photographers who were excellent trip leaders, and local guides were great too. Mobile tented camps in Botswana but otherwise permanent lodges. Expensive but very much worth it in our opinion - ready to go again!

 

[Winston Churchill (Sir)]

Wow just looked and the Rwanda gorilla trekking fees now are $1500 versus $700 in Uganda! Luckily I went gorilla trekking in Rwanda when it was $500 per day/hour. Is it that much better in Rwanda or just higher cost? Not that I would be able to do it these days, just curious.

I did the gorillas in DRC - $350 (same as it was in Rwanda at the time - just couldn't get a booking)
Whatever you do - Don't EVER go thru DRC - hair-raising experience on another level.

 

[ricardo00]

I did the gorillas in DRC - $350 (same as it was in Rwanda at the time - just couldn't get a booking)
Whatever you do - Don't EVER go thru DRC - hair-raising experience on another level.

Yep I remember starting to look at gorilla treks in Rwanda when they were $250 so $500 seemed high! Personally, I would never go to DRC. But I am more of a chicken than others.
PS. Other high end safari lodges have also gone through the roof, up 5 plus times what we paid 14 years ago (like Mombo Camp in Botswana which was terrific though not sure it is worth it now).