Safari Odyssey

Wildlife Photography – Chobe & Delta Botswana

$ 3750 / per person

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WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY – CHOBE AND DELTA, BOTSWANA

7 Days / 6 Nights

1 January – 31 December 2022

This safari visits two of the most iconic and abundant rivers in the region – The Chobe and The Okavango Delta. You will spend the first half of the safari onboard the houseboat The Pangolin Voyager followed by a stay at the fantastic Bushman Plains Camp deep in The Okavango Delta. This package is designed for a small group of guests (up to eight) wanting to have the houseboat and the camp exclusively to themselves.

Botswana has given over a huge proportion of its land mass to nature conservation and the beating heart has to be the Okavango Delta. This UNESCO world heritage site is fed by flood waters from the Angolan highlands and is some of the most pristine and unspoiled bushveld in the world. The network of islands and channels is ever changing depending on the season and the water levels and is home to every photographic subject you could hope to capture.

We have hand-picked properties and operators who we work with, and trust, to offer our guests the best wildlife photography experience possible.

More and more we have noticed a trend in families and groups of friends with common interests, such as wildlife photography, seeking out an exclusive safari experience where they can have the lodge or camp (or as in this case houseboat) all to themselves.

In response to this we have teamed up with Bushman Plains in the Okavango Delta which not only offers the most fantastic and intimate bush experience but also has the same number of tents as we have cabins on the Pangolin Voyager Houseboat.

We suggest that to make the most of both destinations then a minimum of three nights needs to be spent in each and is really suitable for groups of four to eight guests with any children ideally aged nine and above.

The itinerary can be in either order but here is what you can expect at each location:

The Pangolin Voyager Houseboat: This floating lodge is moored on the Namibian side of the Chobe river and ranges between The Kasai channel to the East and Serondela in the West. There are three mooring points where you will spend each night. The houseboat has five cabins and can sleep up to ten people, but a maximum of eight guests is suggested as this allows a couple of members of the family or group who might require their own cabin to be accommodated or a private photo guide or pilot can be accommodated onboard too. Each of the ensuite and airconditioned cabins can be made up as double or twin beds.

During the day you will have access to an eight-seater photographic boat as well as another tender boat for general game viewing. Each of the seats on the photo boat rotates 360 degrees and is fitted with a camera mount which can easily be removed for accompanying non-photographers. When you go out on the photo boat and for how long is entirely up to you. This is your private charter and the schedule of activities is yours to decide upon. The guides will be on hand to head out at a moment’s notice – with a freshly filled cooler box!

The beauty of having a private charter is that you will immediately feel at home and should you just want to relax on the sundeck with a good book and a cold drink then that is entirely your prerogative too. The chefs onboard will keep you well fed throughout the day and you will have access to the well-stocked bar either to help yourself or have one of the crew fix you a drink. Catering accommodates most dietary requirements and if you are celebrating a special occasion a cake and a tray of bubbly can miraculously appear from the galley right on queue if desired!

Your professional photographer is there to assist you with numerous ideas and hints in making your pictures creative and assisting in getting more out of your camera, including:

Freezing the action with the right shutter speed.
Getting creative with Depth of Field and a crocodile
Mastering Sunset Silhouettes in The Chobe.
High Key Wildlife Photography – getting it right first time.
Using Manual Focus – when an object is in front of your subject.
How to shoot an African Fish Eagle.
High Key Image Capture and Lightroom Editing.
Kingfisher on a kill – Using the “bokeh” (soft blurring) effect.

INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE:

Airport meet and greet in Kasane.
Transfer to The Pangolin Voyager Houseboat.
3 Nights’ on the houseboat on a full board basis.
All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and select beverages.
Use of the Pangolin photo boats and all other activities.
Transfer to Kasane International.
3 Nights’ Bushman Plains.
Twice daily game drives (4 per vehicle).
Night Drives.
Seasonal Mokoro cruise.
All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and select beverages.
Charter flights: Kasane – Kadizora – Maun.
All park and conservancy fees.
Tourism levies.

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7 Days / 6 Nights

14+ Age

Safaris

Photographic Safaris

Destination

Botswana

Tour Plan

1

Day 1-3: Chobe Voyager Houseboat

After collection from the airport, the safari starts with a game drive through the national park in our custom 8-seater Land Cruiser. The design of the Land Cruiser is such that each passengers can enjoy a window seat. The drive ends at a private mobile camp, located deep in the bush in the North Westerly sector of the park, which is reserved exclusively for our group. Our floating lodge is moored on the Namibian side of the Chobe river and ranges between The Kasai channel to the East and Serondela in the West. We have three mooring points where you will spend each night. The houseboat has five cabins and can sleep up to ten people, but we normally suggest a maximum of eight. This allows a couple of members of the family or group who might require their own cabin to be accommodated. Alternatively, this allows for the addition of a private photo guide or pilot to also be accommodated onboard too. Each of the ensuite and airconditioned cabins can be made up as double or twin beds. During the day you will have access to an eight-seater photographic boat as well as another tender boat for general game viewing. Each of the seats on the photo boat rotates 360 degrees and is fitted with a camera mount which can easily be removed for accompanying non-photographers. When you go out on the photo boat and for how long is entirely up to you. This is your private charter and the schedule of activities is yours to decide upon. The guides will be on hand to head out at a moment’s notice – with a freshly filled cooler box! In addition to photography and game viewing there is seasonal tiger fishing in the Kasai Channel which can be arranged with a local operator at a small additional cost. The beauty of having a private charter is that you will immediately feel at home and should you just want to relax on the sundeck with a good book and a cold drink then that is entirely your prerogative too. The chefs onboard will keep you well fed throughout the day and you will have access to the well-stocked bar either to help yourself or have one of the crew fix you a drink. We can cater for most dietary requirements and if you are celebrating a special occasion a cake and a tray of bubbly can miraculously appear from the galley right on queue if desired!

2

DAY 4-6: Delta-Bushman Plains

Getting from The Pangolin Voyager to Bushman Plains couldn’t be easier. Once you have entered back onto the Botswana side of The Chobe River it’s a five minute drive to the airport and then a one and a half hour flight to the Kadizora Airstrip in The Delta which services the camp. This rustic little camp hidden on the edge of a tree lined island is one of our favourite places in Botswana. Like Pangolin it is owner managed and does away with all the unnecessary frills to concentrate on the wildlife experience that our more discerning clientele really crave. As with the Pangolin Voyager there are five guest tents which mirrors the configuration on the houseboat. There is a central dining area, editing tent and a campfire, of course, to enjoy with your friends and family after dinner under the beautiful Jackalberry trees and ultimately the African night sky. The Bushmen (and women) who own and manage the camp have lived here all their lives and this reflects in the deep understanding of every facet of its ecology. Here people learn about tracking and bush craft as soon as they can walk and this is what makes the wildlife experience so special at Bushman plains. The camp has two game viewers which are yours to use for the duration of your stay. There are two guides onboard each with one driving as the other one follows the tracks from the “jump seat” on the front. This teamwork is hugely productive. The advantage of having two vehicles is that the group has the option of a drive all together (there are nine seats per vehicle) or to split of there are different interests and needs within the group. Again, the camp is yours and you can decide on the schedule. An additional activity not to be missed is the game walk where your Bushman guide will take time to explain the tracks that you come across as well as the uses for the various trees and plants in the local culture. It’s fascinating. During the floods (usually from May to October) it is possible top experience it is possible to experience that most iconic Delta activity – a Mokoro excursion. This traditional dug-out canoe is punted through the channels by expert “polers” and is a wonderfully serene way to experience the Delta. The food at Bushman Plains is good wholesome fare served in the communal dining tent and once in a while around the fire on your laps in the traditional Bushman way. The well-stocked bar is always open for business (and complimentary) with plenty of chilled alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.