You will be met on arrival at Maun Airport by your photographic guide and host, James Gifford. With the group all assembled you set off on your safari – beginning with a 25 minute charter flight to Khwai in the eastern Okavango. You safari begins on take-off so keep your eyes peeled!

You safari guide will meet you at the airstrip on landing and transfer you to camp, a short game drive of around 15 minutes. Set along the riverine forest below the shade of the sycamore trees in a quiet corner of the Khwai concession lies Machaba Camp. There is a friendly down to earth feel to this camp, offering an authentic safari with plenty of sophisticated touches. Stylish and thoughtfully designed rooms, excellent food and great guides come together to deliver a great all around safari.

Once you have settled in, James will discuss the plan for your photographic adventure, assessing different skill levels, ambitions and subject matter preferences. Activities at Machaba will include morning and afternoon and night game drives as well as an adventure on the local mokoro canoes.

Before heading out on your first game drive you will enjoy a late afternoon tea. Revitalised, you set off on your first drive around 4pm –taking in the untamed wilderness and the myriad of animals that frequent the region. You will stop at a scenic spot for a well-deserved sundowner before returning to camp for dinner by a roaring fire and a star filled sky.

Early mornings and late afternoons are the best time for productive game drives and photography. The cool early mornings are your best chance to see predators active before they retreat to the shade during the midday heat – this also allows you to take advantage of the soft morning light.

You begin the day with a light breakfast spread and freshly brewed coffee by the fire before your departure. Setting off as the sun comes up for a game drive of about 4 hours, stopping for a coffee break at a scenic spot along the way.

Your daily game drives will cover various environments allowing you to experience a wide diversity of wildlife. Khwai is a rich game area - with good elephant numbers (with both bull elephants and breeding herds) as well as good predator sightings – lion and leopard are frequently seen, and wild dog are found here too. Buffalo are found here in large herds during this time of year, carefully watched by lions. Other wildlife species include giraffe and plains game such as lechwe, impala, zebra, tsessebe, wildebeest, kudu, sable and roan antelope. Hippo are numerous along the river and will often be heard around camp at night.

When water levels allow Mokoro rides are also offered. Guided by experienced polers, you will explore the beautiful reed-lined water channels that have made the Okavango Delta so famous. View animals from a different perspective as they come down to drink, from elephant to the smaller creatures like reed frogs jumping between the reeds as you glide past quietly. The perfect way to gain a deeper understanding of Okavango Delta ecosystem at this slower pace.

In between your activities you can relax by the pool or enjoy an afternoon siesta. This is also a great time to review your pictures and discuss technical questions with James.

Machaba Camp also offers spa treatments such as massages and facials in your room and there is also a little library to catch up on some Africana literature.

After your early morning game drive and brunch you depart Khwai for your next camp in the southern Okavango. This is a short but beautiful 20 minute flight. Named after the river it borders, Gomoti Plains Camp sits below picturesque palm trees and offers eco-luxurious comfort in an area that is bursting with game-viewing opportunities.

Gomoti Plains Camp lies on the Gomoti concession, just south of the famous Chitabe and Sandibe concessions, an area well known for excellent game viewing. The area is particularly well known for fantastic predator sightings such as lion, leopard and wild dog. Rhino were introduced to the area in 2017 and this remains one of the best places to see rhino in the Okavango Delta. The plains game is extensive and varied, with regular sightings of giraffe, zebra, buffalo, impala, red lechwe and warthog. All offering the perfect backdrop for wildlife photography.

Once you have settled into your new rooms and toured the new camp you will head out to the floodplains for your first evening game drive.

Sometimes you will return to camp after dark so that you have the opportunity to search for nocturnal animals using a specially designed spotlight. A roaring fire awaits you at camp, enjoy drinks around the fire before dinner under the stars.

Halfway into your safari you have now settled into the daily rhythm of your Botswana photographic safari. For the next two days you will wake up with the sun, enjoy a quick breakfast and set off on your morning game drive, which usually last around 4 hours before returning to a scrumptious brunch and some down time in the afternoon before your second activity around 4pm.

The Gomoti Plains region pulses with a diverse range of wildlife including large herds of buffalo, prides of lion and packs of endangered African Wild Dog. Leopard are also seen here and occasionally cheetah too.

The focus at Gomoti Plains is on game drives and walking, with boating and mokoro activities offered when water levels permit. Game drives allow you to cover more ground and approach predators up close. The expert tracking of animals through this vast wilderness showcases your guide’s expert knowledge and experience.

During your stay at Gomoti you will enjoy a 30 minute scenic helicopter flight over the Okavango. A spectacular experience, and utterly thrilling. With the doors off and well strapped in you whiz fast and low – offering fantastic photo opportunities.

This morning you bid farewell to the Okavango Delta as your continue your safari to Chobe National Park. After your morning game drive you return to the airstrip for your 60 minute flight to Kasane, followed by a 15 minute drive to your hotel.

Chobe Pangolin Hotel sits on a plateau with wonderful views of the Chobe river and floodplains. A fun and friendly hotel with just 14 rooms, it has a simple but striking design. Importantly this hotel is specially aimed at photographers – with specially designed boats with fully rotating chairs and camera mounts. The hotel itself has dedicated areas for photo editing in post-production sessions and plenty of charging points for camera equipment. The heart of the hotel is a wildlife photography gallery featuring a selection of pictures from their resident photo guides.

After a refreshing lunch and taking time to settle in your rooms you set off on your first afternoon boat trip on the Chobe River.

The Chobe River has gained a reputation for offering some of the best game viewing in Southern Africa. Home to the largest concentration of elephants in Africa, Chobe has become synonymous with Elephants. It has a rich and varied range of wildlife – with good numbers of plains game which include the rarer antelope such as sable and roan, as well as good numbers of predators too. Lion, leopard, hyena and wild dog are all found here. The birding in this area is spectacular, especially at this time of year.

The next two days will be focused on the river. Although it is possible to do game drives into the park the best photo opportunities are found when exploring the Chobe river by boat. The Pangolin photographic boats are kitted out with swivel chairs and gimbal mounts to make it easier to photograph on the moving water. In addition to the spectacular birdlife, the boats enable you to get much closer to buffalo, hippo and elephants which regularly cross onto the islands.

Each day at the hotel will include a morning and an afternoon cruise on the Chobe River or possibly a game drive into the Chobe National Park. James, along with the Pangolin team, will help you make the best out of every photo opportunity that presents itself.

In between activities and in the evenings, you will have plenty of time to relax by the swimming pool or on your private balcony overlooking the river. At the front of the hotel there is a large deck where your meals are served and also features a large firepit. Overlooking this deck you have the Pangolin Bar, names for the fabulous stained glass pangolin-shaped window, offering some of the best views of the Chobe River.

Today marks the end of your Botswana Photographic safari. At a time advised the day before you will be transferred to Kasane Airport in good time for your flight home. This tour ends at Kasane Airport.

Extensions to Victoria Falls, Cape Town or other safari destinations can be arranged. Please speak to us for more details.