Photo Tour Botswana
An adventurous, semi-luxurious camping safari with Mike Muizebelt
It's early in the morning, by the light of our headlamps we get ready for our early morning safari. During the night we have already heard some lions and we hope to get them in front of our camera this morning.
As the sky begins to take on some color we drive in the direction of the sound, hoping to pick up their tracks. Because we are the first to enter the area, we get an idea of the nightly activities based on the tracks on the road. The oval feet in combination with straight lines in the sand betray the presence of a porcupine, the print of a broad front foot with a small hind foot indicates a passing brown hyena. Fortunately, we also pick up the trail of a lion! Judging by its size, it is an adult male, no doubt the lion we heard in the night. We follow the trail for a few more kilometers until we suddenly see him lying on an old termite mound.
We are in southern Moremi, one of the hotspots in Botswana and a truly unique place for wildlife photographers and safari enthusiasts alike!
Are you joining us to a safari through this fantastic place on a unique photo tour?
In September and October 2023 I will travel again with a small group of photographers and safari enthusiasts through the most beautiful nature reserves of Botswana. Together we will discover all the highlights of this breathtaking country: Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the Okavango delta, Moremi, Khwai, Savuti and Chobe. Everything is covered in this adventurous photo tour through this beautiful country. Read on below for the full programme.
This adventurous semi-luxury camping safari through the most beautiful areas of Botswana will be held for the sixth time in September 2023. The trips for 2019 and 2020 were always fully booked at least a year in advance. After Corona threw a spanner in the works, the 3 trips of 2022 were fortunately another smashing success.
The first trip for 2023 is scheduled from August 25 to September 9, 2023 (fully booked), the second from September 13 to September 28, 2023 (fully booked).
This unique trip will take place in 2024 from August 29 to September 13, as an extra date we have an option of September 15 to September 30.
16-day photo tour with professional local guidance and camp crew
Highlights of this photo tour through Botswana
- You will visit Botswana's largest game reserve, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve
- You will stay no less than 4 nights in two different camps in the most beautiful nature reserve of Southern Africa, Moremi Game reserve
- You travel though iconic Savuti, known for the many documentaries that have been made there
- Along the Chobe river front you can enjoy, among other things, the largest elephant population in the world
- During a boat safari along the Chobe river front you come at eye level with a great diversity of animals
- You stay at remote Hatab or BOGA campsites in the middle of the wilderness. An unforgettable experience
- You sleep in spacious Meru tents of 3.5 x 5 meters where you sleep on a real bed
- If you travel alone, you have your own tent and rooms in the lodges. All the space to relax in your own place!
- Our crew, with its own back-up vehicle, takes care of setting up and dismantling the camp so that we can focus on our photography and the experience of the fantastic nature
- We stay in the various areas for a longer period of time so that we have all the time to work on a varied portfolio
- By traveling with a small group of a maximum of 5 participants, there is the certainty of maximum attention and you get the opportunity to pay extra attention to your own favorite subject
- Our open safari car has its own USB charging points for each participant
In my opinion, Botswana is one of the most beautiful safari countries in Africa. Botswana is located in the heart of southern Africa and is approximately 16 times larger than the Netherlands and 19 times larger than Belgium. The greatest distance from east to west is 1,050 km and from north to south 920 km. Botswana borders Namibia and Zambia to the west and north, Zimbabwe to the east and South Africa to the south. The capital of Botswana is Gaborone.
Nature in Botswana is full of beautiful contrasts. The north of the country is characterized by a succession of national parks. The Okavango Delta lagoons, marshes, reed beds and wetlands form the largest inland delta in the world. The Moremi Game Reserve is part of the Okavango Delta. Chobe National Park is best known for its large elephant populations. Harder to reach safari areas are: Kwando, Savuti and Linyanti. Further south, the country becomes increasingly drier. In the desert-like region of the Kalahari, animals have managed to adapt to the dry climate. Due to the ecological vulnerability, the government has deliberately chosen not to develop mass tourism in Botswana. Botswana has all the ingredients for an exclusive safari experience!
The ultimate way to make a safari through these areas is to camp in the middle of this nature. And that is exactly what we are going to do on this safari! Only then will you have the pure experience that makes a safari so special. This unique photo tour has been put together in such a way that we will experience Botswana in a magnificent and very personal way.
During our game drives we certainly don't look at an hour and you can be convinced that we will enjoy what Botswana has to offer to the fullest.
Our private campsites in the middle of the National Parks or private concessions are located in specially designated places in the middle of the bush and the chance that animals visit the camp is high. We enjoy the darkness with only some light from the moon and the campfire. A wonderful way to enjoy (and photograph!) the starry sky. Undoubtedly we will regularly hear noises from the animals that visit the area around our campsite. A pure experience and an experience you will never forget.
Our adventurous camping safari is of course all about photography and we naturally provide sufficient opportunities to charge batteries. During the trip, all photographic techniques that we can use will be amply discussed. I would like to share my years of photography experience with you.
To ensure that we will be on the road every day during the best light, extra back-up vehicles will be with us. The big advantage of these backups is that on transfer days we don't have to wait until the camp is broken down again and the car/trailer is packed again. Together with our guide we can make the most of our time. So we are on the road with our own game drive car, while the camp assistants clean up the camp and move it to the next destination.
Part of this trip is of course also a meet & greet in Voorschoten where an extensive briefing will prepare you well for this trip.
Why a safari with me? How do I make a difference?
We travel to the most beautiful nature reserves and national parks so we have everything in place for making the perfect photo. We prefer to stay at least 2 nights at each location, in the larger parks even 3. That way we have enough time to explore everything thoroughly, without having to rush.
We don't travel on and on and so we don't just see Africa from our 4×4. Where possible we leave the car and experience nature walking through the area where we are. This way we avoid the obstacles that shooting from a car can entail.
We make an early morning and late afternoon safari almost every day anyway. We make optimal use of the best light (and that is often spectacular in Africa!) We decide for ourselves how long we want to go on a photo safari. Normally we travel from point A to B in the afternoon on a relocation day. Otherwise, the afternoon is for yourself to relax while enjoying a nice lunch or a cool drink.
Through my years of experience I am a specialist in finding the places to take some awesome images during your trip. In addition to classic photography, we naturally also work on a creative and varied portfolio. All travel destinations are also at least 1, but often already visited several times by me, so that I also have a "plan B" ready at all times.
Because an extra guide (and sometimes even a private cook) goes along, there is a lot of time for me to hold short presentations and photo discussions in between. This way there is always room for optimal knowledge transfer.
In the Netherlands I work with a tour operator who is a true Africa specialist. In Africa I only work with authorized local operators who know the area in depth and have extensive experience. We leave nothing to chance.
The trips are small-scale so that individual attention is guaranteed and there is plenty of space for everyone (such as the guaranteed private window seat).
Every trip is offered as complete as possible, no extra costs such as meals, entrance fees, tips, etc. Extra expenses are often limited to some minor personal expenses.
I can also organize private photo tours where we will compose the trip to your individual wishes, everything is possible! Feel free to join up with a group of friends for a detailed trip-itenerary.
Itinerary day by day:
- Day 1: Departure from Amsterdam
- Day 2: Arrival in Johannesburg, onward flight to & overnight in Maun
- Day 3: Central Kalahari Game Reserve
- Day 4: Central Kalahari Game Reserve
- Day 5: Central Kalahari Game Reserve
- Day 6: Maun
- Day 7: Moremi Game Reserve
- Day 8: Moremi Game Reserve
- Day 9: Moremi Game Reserve / Khwai – Including Mokoro expedition
- Day 10: Moremi Game Reserve / Khwai
- Day 11: Savuti
- Day 12: Savuti
- Day 13: Chobe
- Day 14: Chobe – including private boat trip along Chobe river front
- Day 15: Departure from Kasane to Johannesburg and onward flight to Amsterdam
- Day 16: Arrival in Amsterdam
This short video impression of the photo tour to Botswana gives an excellent idea of the natural and species abundance that Botswana will offer us. The images were taken during the 2022 editions of this trip.
This unique photo tour of Botswana focuses mainly on the wildlife and the unforgettable experience of a mobile camping safari. Our comfortable camp is set up and dismantled by our skilled crew (in their own back-up vehicle) so that we can fully focus on our photography.
We use our own specially equipped 4×4 with plenty of space for each participant and their own window seat. The structure of the trip makes it suitable for photographers of all levels, but travel enthusiasts and non-photographers are also very welcome. The trip is fully focused on finding game under the best conditions so that even non-photographers will have the best safari experience.
The price of this trip is € 8,350.00 pp and a maximum of 5 participants can join this unforgettable safari. This price is based on single occupancy of the rooms in the Maun & Kasane lodges, so unlike many other trips you don't have to share a tent or room! Are you traveling with your partner? Then we will of course ensure that you share your accommodation.
After registration, a deposit of € 2,500 is required to reserve a place on this unique photo tour.
INCLUDED:
• All accommodation on a full board basis (where no single supplement applies)
• Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a guaranteed window seat
• All regular meals and drinks
• Continuous photographic guidance and assessments of results on a regular basis
• Services of a locally registered and experienced (English-speaking) safari guide and own back-up crew for setting up and dismantling the camp
• All entrance fees and excursions as described in the itinerary
• Transfers to and from Maun and Kasane airport
EXCLUSIVE:
• International flights and possible airport taxes
• All meals not included in the detailed itinerary
• Tips
• Items of a personal nature (telephone charges, souvenirs, medicines, etc.)
• Travel and cancellation insurance
NOTES:
- All items and services are subject to availability at the time of going ahead with this trip. In consultation we can switch to a comparable accommodation
- There is the possibility that Dutch/English speaking guests will travel with this trip
- For all my trips I work together with the experts in the field of Africa travel: BMS-Travellers
A mini-magazine has been made especially for this trip with an extensive day-to-day description. I will be happy to send this to you if you leave your details at the bottom of this page.
You can use the request form below to receive the extensive brochure.
Of course you can also call me on + 31 6 43094804 or email me at info@mikemuizebelt.nl
