Photo Safari Journey

This is the ultimate photographic experience where you can get full value out of your Camera by spending a week with one of Africa’s well acclaimed Professional Photographers Eric Gauss who has extensive wildlife photography experience including photo shoots for Travel Africa and various publications.

The safari focuses on two of Botswana’s wild parks Nxai pan National Park in the semi desert system of the Kalahari and Moremi Game Reserve including the Okavango Delta with day to day photographic work shops with Eric. Subjects that will be of key interest are Cheetah action photography on speed shooting and familiarisation with working with different light conditions. The Okavango Delta excursions will focus on bird photography for birds in action whilst spending time at famous bird roosting sites and heronries by boat. Finally Khwai and Moremi Game reserve will focus on some of the bigger wildlife encounters as well as black and white photography on rural settings of African villages.

Safari itinerary:

Itinerary at a Glance:

Day 1 – 4: 3 nights Nxai Pan Mobile Tented Camp, Nxai Pan National Park

Day 4 – 5: 1 night Island Night Okavango Delta

Day 5 – 8: 3 nights Khwai Tented Camp, Khwai Community Area, Okavango Delta

Detailed itinerary:

Day 1 – 4 Nxai Pan Mobile Tented Camp, Nxai Pan National Park

On arrival into Maun, you will be transferred by road to Nxai Pan National Park where you will spend your first three nights at Nxai Pan Mobile Tented Camp.

The Pans of Makgadikgadi and Nxai were once the centre of a great lake that have been dry for at least two thousand years, and is today thought to be the largest saltpans in the world The Nxai Pan National Park is over 2,100 square kilometers. It is situated 130km South East of the Okavango Delta, and consists of the Makgadikgadi system of pans which once formed the largest inland lake in Africa dating back over 50 000 years. Today Nxai pan is a flat grass covered pan dotted with islands of clustered Acacia Tortilis trees and Mopane woodland in the North, where an amazing array of wildlife can be found.

Nxai Pan is well known for a huge Springbok population as the short cropped grasses can testify, and extraordinarily large herds of Giraffe with up to 30 in a group. Also to be seen are the blue wildebeest, gemsbok, eland, greater kudu and red hartebeest. The more commonly seen predators are the spotted hyena, cheetah, leopard and jackal with the elusive brown hyena a rare treat. Birdlife is excellent in the rainy season, November to April when the Nxai pan is at its best.

The noisy black Korhaan is the hallmark of Nxai pan and small raptors such as Kestrel and goshawks abound.

Day 4 – 5 Island Night, Okavango Delta

After three days at Nxai Pan National Park, you will road transfer back to Maun from where you will take a light air charter transfer to the Okavango Delta to an island situated in the heart Delta.

Your boat transfer takes you through lagoons and narrow channels lined with evergreen trees such as water figs and African mangosteens and the ever present papyrus reed banks. Stopping for lunch on a sand bank, you will continue on to your mobile camp on the island for a night under the stars at your private Island fly camp. The birdlife is abundant and you may even witness elephants crossing the channels.

Day 5 – 8 Khwai Tented Camp, Khwai Community, Okavango Delta

After one night on your own private island, you will again wind your way through the channels of the delta by boat and then continue to game drive through the Moremi Game Reserve to your next camp, Khwai Tented Camp for three nights.

Khwai is a private community run concession on the eastern border of the Moremi Game Reserve along the river Khwai. The Khwai River forms a boundary between the reserve and the community area. The river is the sole source of water for miles around attracting wildlife from afar.

As this is community run all proceeds from tourism go directly to help local people and local projects through the Khwai Community Trust. The camp is on an exclusive site on the banks of the Khwai River within the community area. This being a community concession, it allows you to conduct night drives as well as walking activities, which are not permitted in the National Parks or Game Reserves, as well as the usual game drives. Exploring after dark with spotlights offers you an opportunity to experience some of the nocturnal animals that are rarely encountered during the day. There is the added opportunity to explore the surrounding wilderness on foot and enjoy an up close personal encounter with the flora and fauna. The vegetation here is quite different from the Western section of Moremi where great stands of leadwood and mopane woodlands occur in close proximity to open grasslands and the Khwai River. The camp has the romance of a mobile camp, where there are no permanent structures and everything can be removed to leave the wilderness exactly as we found it, having little or no impact on the environment. You will enjoy spacious and comfortable tented accommodation, beds and private en-suite bathrooms in this remote wilderness area. Wildlife encountered include lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, as well as a multitude of other animals, including elephant, buffalo, zebra, hippo and giraffe to name a few.

Day 8 Khwai – Maun

After your last morning activity at Khwai Tented Camp, you will be transferred by light air charter flight to Maun for your onward travel arrangements.

End of Safari.

Cost of Safari

US$ 6686 – single surcharge US$ 1050

Included in this safari: Private professional photographer, Accommodation, Meals, Two game activities per day, All charter flights and road transfers, Drinks and alcoholic beverages, except premium brands, Laundry, Park Entrance Fees

Excluded in this safari: Airport departure taxes, Inter-Africa and international flights, Travel Insurance, Items of a personal nature, Staff Gratuities

Guaranteed Departure Min 2 people and maximum 6 people