Botswana's shoulder season holds peak prospects for nature photographers. When light seasonal rains bring moisture to the arid Kalahari, landscapes are transformed with color and drama. Life bursts forth, with fresh grass attracting migrating herds and new births filling the plains. Clouds mass in charcoal and silver and create stunning orange sunsets. From January to April, photograph Africa's second-largest migration, with 50,000 zebra and wildebeest passing through the Kalahari. Meet the San people, the earliest hunter-gatherers in southern Africa, whose culture dates back more than 30,000 years. In the Okavango Delta, water levels are typically low during this season, and the drier region of the delta offers superb wildlife photography, with stable populations of lion, leopard, wild dog and much more. Highlights include a doors-off helicopter flight over the Okavango Delta, a visit with a predator researcher at Gomoti Camp, private stays at intimate luxury camps, and personal photography coaching from your Expedition Leader who is one of Africa's top photo safari guides!
Trip Highlights
Intimate & Abundant Wildlife Photo Encounters
Amid Botswana's prolific big game, you'll have matchless photo opportunities, with just four guests per safari vehicle and a superb naturalist-photographer guide
Doors-Off Helicopter Flight for Aerial Photography
Fly over the Okavango Delta—with an open side view!—to capture spectacular images and video of the verdant watery maze and wildlife on the move
Photograph Victoria Falls at Peak Volume
Stand on the rim of Victoria Falls during its mightiest seasonal flow, producing enough spray to create a rain forest microclimate on the edge
A Less Common Photo Safari...for More Distinctive Images!
A photography adventure in Botswana's Kalahari Desert and Okavango Delta during the green season is distinctive in its own right. But to do it the way we do it—in a very small group, maximizing seclusion, with close-up wildlife encounters in especially remote areas—takes this photo safari to a whole different level.
The Smallest Group—Just 8 Guests Divided Between Two Vehicles
Photo opportunities in nature are enhanced in quieter contexts—that's why we limit this photo safari to just eight guests (divided into two vehicles with four travelers each). This very small group size ensures the most personalized experience possible in secluded locations where other visitors are few.A Diverse Summer Season Itinerary
Our less-conventional itinerary offers an experience of Botswana's prolific wildlife during a season when new life abounds but other travelers do not. We’ve designed it to showcase a diverse array of habitats for the best range of wildlife photography—including Africa's second-largest migration of zebra and wildebeest from January to April.Private Reserves Facilitate Solitude
In contrast to more heavily visited national parks, we stay in seclusion on Botswana’s premier private reserves, including a coveted location next to Makgadikgaki Pans National Park with easy access to all the activities the area has to offer. At this time of year, floodwaters are receding in some areas of the Okavango Delta, opening up vast areas for wildlife viewing on land. In addition to regular daytime game drives, we also do exciting night drives, not allowed in the public parks, in search of nocturnal wildlife.Intimate Luxury Camps
A stand-apart element of this safari is our exceptionally small and secluded camps. Within the privately owned Santawani Concession, Gomoti Camp is ours alone, offering an encounter with the African wilderness evocative of a century ago—which very few safari-goers get to experience.Chartered Flights Maximize Your Time for Photography
We book seats on chartered light aircraft for transfers between safari locations, increasing your time with wildlife and maximizing comfort by eliminating long drives over rough dirt roads. On our Photo Expedition, we include an additional baggage allowance so you can take all your camera gear, too—a real plus when you compare operators and options.An Open "Window" Seat for Every Guest
The top-quality safari vehicles we charter have open sides (no glass to impede your shots) and 10 cushioned passenger seats—one in front next to the driver followed by three rows of three seats each. Yet we limit our capacity to just four travelers per vehicle on photo safaris! Furthermore, the three rows of seats are tiered—those in the rear sit up higher so no one’s forward view is impaired.This ensures maximum comfort, viewing, space for gear, and easy photo opportunities.Private Verandas for Personal Wildlife Photography
Our luxury tented safari camps have private verandas so you never miss a chance to encounter animals that may wander past—and enjoy snapping impromptu shots from your own secluded space.Doors-Off Helicopter Flight over the Okavango Delta
Your Photo Expedition includes an exciting helicopter flight, with doors off for the best photography access! Soar over the mosaic of marshes and islands that comprise the Okavango Delta, one of the richest wildlife enclaves in all Africa. Year-round water supports an abundance of animals that we survey from the sky, getting unique aerial shots of creatures on the move.The World's Finest Naturalist Guides
We’re proud to work with the best-trained, most experienced Photo Expedition Leaders in Africa—guides who hold equal expertise as naturalists and photographers. Your Expedition Leader accompanies your group from start to finish, ensuring highly personalized service. Our also have additional training resources provided by WWF scientists, to further enhance your interpretive experience. Our philosophy is simple: an African safari is only as good as the guide, so we must provide the very best! See Expedition Leader bios with traveler comments regarding the quality of our leaders.Our Quality-Value Guarantee Ensures Your Outstanding Photo Safari
Every traveler receives Nat Hab’s exclusive guarantee, which clearly states that we will meet the lofty expectations we set in our promotional materials. To our knowledge, this is the most ambitious guarantee made by any adventure travel company. Read our important promise.Feel Good About Your Carbon-Neutral Journey
We care deeply about our planet, as we know you do. When you travel with us, the carbon emissions from your trip are 100% offset—including your round-trip flights from home. Natural Habitat Adventures became the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company in 2007.Natural Habitat Adventures is WWF's Travel Partner
Because of our commitment to environmentally friendly travel, as well as the exceptional quality of our adventures, World Wildlife Fund—the world's leading environmental conservation organization—has named Natural Habitat Adventures as its worldwide travel partner, a designation that makes us exceedingly proud.
