Safari activities; The Photographic Safari

Ever wondered where those professional photographers on NatGeo go for those amazing African wildlife photos and programs? Probably not because its so darn obvious, they go on a safari trip!! There are specialty packages to offer you a full on photographic safari but those are for those are pro videographers  with tons of kit and crews. I want to focus on the lesser working guy, the hobbyist photographer in safari.

If you like taking photos you will love safari, wildlife photography, landscapes, people and even macro photography opportunities are everywhere.

What to bring?
It depends on how much you are into your photography, a smartphone is a bit too small so you may want to bring a decent point  and  shoot, one with a larger pixel count will be nice. But nice is not what you want so just bring that pro-sumer DSLR or mirrorless and a few lenses and your safari pictures will be breathtaking.

A good zoom lens is essential because you will be stuck in a car, a few prime lenses will also be handy.  Personally I prefer to carry only two lenses, something that zooms to 600mm and an 85mm prime.



All the camps have electricity so charging wont be a problem, do bring a universal charger though.

Photographing people
Generally the public doesn't mind being taken photos, kids love it but do ask first. If you are a portrait photographer hoping to get stills then you really have to ask and even offer $20.

 

 

 



Safari activities: The Game Walk

One of the most thrilling activities you can do on your safari is a game walk, yes that means walking into a jungle filled with all that wilderness, with those meat eating giant cats, short tempered buffalo and raging elephants. Okay I am sounding  a bit scary there but its that fear that sets apart those who do game walks and those who don't!!, Read on to see if you are a game walker........

What is a game walk?

A game walk is basically just a walk, you walk into the wilderness and experience game sightings in the most unaltered way. The walk involves a small group and two guides, they will take you on a track and you will nature and wildlife at a very unique perspective. Not all camps offer this activity but choose a camp with the activity and you are in for thrill.

 

Why do a game walk?

Its a completely different activity, it transforms your safari because it is filled with so much emotions you will have to let it sink in. Firstly its very frightening to do, which means all you senses will be heightened. You don't get to be relaxed and affixed to the menu settings on your camera like you do on a game drive. Your survival instincts don't care much about anything during a walk because you feel fragile, you don't have time for that  Instagram pix when you know lions loom in the shrubs behind you!! The safari walk tends to scale you down to a very minuscule being as you walk into the wild and realize you are neither faster nor stronger than any animal surrounding you. You come from a game walk with profound respect to nature.

Is it safe?

Surprisingly yes, there hadn't been any reported case of game walkers being eaten or attacked. Most companies that offer walking activities do so in game reserves that have very low numbers of carnivores, so scary as it there is nothing to fear. Camps that offer walks in zones with higher concentration of carnivores usually do so in Botswana where wildlife rarely attack people. And as a precautionary matter the guides taking you on your game walk will at all times me carrying a very powerful hunting rifles to ward off any attackers. So listen to your guide and have fun. You may as well live you camera at camp, its one of those moments that will only remain memories on your mind.

 

Caveat: Backpackers and overlanders, DO NOT ATTEMPT GAME WALKS. Walking into the wilderness must at all times be carried out in presence of a licensed guide and only on regions that have been deemed safe to do so.

 

My disclaimer; I am in Botswana and our wildlife hasn't been harassed, the parks are hundreds of miles from human settlement so the animals don't really have a problem with human, they don't even know the taste of man!! Avoid walks in parks or reserves that border or are within human settlements as those have animals that are agitated y farmers and poachers, those animals will attack you.

Why go on a safari vacation

So you have been thinking about it for a while now, the great African escape, a safari in the savanna, the Kalahari or even the Sahara. But you can’t quite understand why a safari is the best option, especially compared to that Arab escape in the plush Dubai and Abu Dhabi resorts. I mean the safari trip costs pretty much the same if not more and with all the other factors considered, a vacation to the Arabic deserts is much better. You will get there faster and the infrastructure is way better, but that itch to do safari stays persistent. Why exactly do you want to do a safari vacation?

Lets try listing some convincing points!

 

 

-          It’s a safari, just saying that makes it a must, how many friends or family do you know who has that African safari tale that they can’t stop telling?  A safari vacation has been a mainstay in the bucket lists of many a discerning world traveler. The appeal is raised by how exclusive and different it is, Paris tower and a few other destinations have been publicized so much they don't have that impact anymore, a safari on the other hand is very much mysterious, you don't really know where you will go once you arrive at your destination. every day becomes a mystery as the guides still have to scout the bush to find you the wildlife, and the experiences do not exist elsewhere.

-          Its challenging, going on safari is not as easy as going on other vacations. It takes years in planning and months in preparing documentation, you don’t just pick up and vacate as you would you on an European trip. Here you will need medical tests, VISA and even permissions on certain instances. This buildup adds to the excitement.

-          The natural beauty, possibly the main reason you want to come on safari. You have grown up seeing animals on zoos and maybe a few on a circus, and a bit of you has always been against seeing animals in captivity, the African safari offers you a chance to see the animals in their natural habitat, freely roaming and being wild.

-          Isolation and space, freedom, choose your tour provider and destination wisely and you disappear on the radar (in a good way😝). A safari destination usually involves places with no evidence of modernity, no internet, radio, TV cellphones and best of all, no noise. The silence is amazing, allowing to completely wind down and unplug. And the views are amazing as well, the skies get really dark at night so you will star gaze like never before. Its this reason that many couples come to really catch up, its serene, quite, lazy and super luxurious. But that doesn't mean you cant come solo, you can come and do as much soul searching as you want, there wont many singles though so don't get your hopes too high!!

We could go on trying to sell you the reasons you want to come on safari but as we both know, you don't need any.

 

How to go on an African safari

Long story short, set budget, choose destination, choose time of year, choose type of safari and go to a good travel agency, or wing it and fly over, solo even.

Now the long story….

A safari trip is on the travel bucket list of a lot of travelers. Images of mesmerizing sunsets and breathtaking stars at night and super clear skies contribute to the need to see Africa for every discerning traveler.  Those who come once get the bug and make it tradition to visit again, most even making it a family ritual to come to the motherland as often as possible.

As with anything that’s often generalized African safari has come to mean so many things it becomes overwhelming for a first timer to make a well informed decision, let’s solve that problem.

What is African safari?

A journey into wild Africa without any destination in mind with the aim of seeing earth in its natural state, enjoying an endless display of wild animals, scenic landscape and being completely detached from the modern world of technology, traffic and noise. And of course a few of the safari clichés, wearing khaki shorts, a hat, game viewing vehicle and of course the sun burn, I mean.. tan, which is way much better than spray on.

That being said the term African Safari is somewhat of a misnomer, I mean yes you will be in African and on safari but where exactly? There 54 countries in Africa (give or take 5, some states breakup only to make up again).  Of these counties on a few offer safari, and of this few only a handful offer highest quality safari, by that I mean undiluted, exclusive and exceptional natural beauty.  These countries are:

-          Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe at the very top, offering smaller camps and the best experiences, more game, isolation and up close encounters, these countries are basically unrivalled as they provide that “escape” from the modern world that so many safari travelers desire.

-          South Africa and Kenya offering “wholesale” safari, basically crowed safari and a somewhat detached safari experience, good destinations but rushed and not so isolated.

-          Others, well Tanzania, Mozambique and a few more countries offer some safari but I am not sure “safari” is the word for what they do in Morocco and on parts of the Sahara.

With that in mind, choose your African safari destination.

What type of safari do you want?

As a full blown travel industry safari comes in all sorts of shapes and manner, with the very high end properties owned by billionaires like Richard Branson and Paul Allen catering for the elite, medium, scale packages and the entry level. Your budget is the key here, even though I can’t fully categorize them, let me try:

Premium safari: this is the no expense barred safari travel, staying in 5 star camps that cost up to as much as $3500pp a night!! These, as with many expensive things, are pretty much the best. The service levels will be high, the camps will be small (accommodating as little as eight guest maximum in some cases) and they will be in the best of locations. It’s for the kings, (e.g. the King and Queen of Spain just loves Botswana). When you choose this kind of safari, prepare to do nothing at all but to be fed, pampered and treated as if you are royalty. That’s how come Taylor Swift shot that video on safari in Botswana.  Anything from $20 000 will get you a couple of days for two on this level, no optional as basically the prices re so high you get do whatever you want.

First class safari: Basically similar to the premium safari experience but a bit more affordable with slightly larger camps. They have the best locations, are isolated and the game is just as plenty, most often than not . these camps are located in the locality of their more expensive sister camps.  The camps are also high end with anything you can ask for. Made up with 4 star properties, and for around $13 000 you can have a 3 days four nights experience.

Medium class safari: this is the most popular, the packages are well executed and the service standards are good, choose wisely and you won’t tell the difference between this class of safari and the more expensive alternatives. For around $5 000 per person you will have the best week of safari ever.  These are mainly 3 and 4 star properties.

Lower end safari packages: think of these as an attempt to execute the above but at a failed level, zero start properties and they are best avoided. Do not try a bargain safari package, it will be crap, which takes us to the alternatives (and quite possibly the best forms of safari).

Classic safari: this is the explorer’s safari, a safari for overlanders and backpackers. This is how safari started out, expedition travel. You fly to your African destination and then do safari, I am talking full safari, meeting the people and seeing Africa in her pure sense. Budget can be anywhere from $5000 for backpackers to around $10 000 for overlanders (huge value as you bring the family, or friends, or mates).  This however is tiresome, involves camping on tents, driving off road and a few episodes of being helplessly lost, but let’s face it, it’s the most fun and intimate of safari and best value as well.

Now, how to literally go on safari?

For the packaged deals find the best travel agency on your city and have them sort you out. Or just fly into your destination and sort yourself out.

Important factors to consider:

Time of visit, most of the safari industry is seasonal so the time you come has a very significant impact on the cost of the safari and the cost of it all, I will get into this on another post.

The heat and your health;  it never snows in safari so your health should be top priority, also, malaria is kind of a thing and getting shots for a ton more risky diseases is a must.

Expectations, to be safe, lower your expectations a bit, your safari destination is far from home so you will get really tired getting here. Another thing is, the Africa you have in your mind is non existent, the lifestyles here are mainly as general as elsewhere in the world. You also will see a lot of cattle and donkeys before you get to the wildlife and natural beauty you came for. And forget about Netflix.

Meet me on my next post as we go into further detail on safari.