Highlights Botswana/Zimbabwe

(dates to be added)

A 9-day trip to some of the fantastic highlights that Botswana and Zimbabwe have to offer! In collaboration with Backroads Africa we visit Chobe, Hwange, the Victoria Falls and the Okavango Delta. A journey full of photographic possibilities!

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Botswana

North of South Africa and wedged between Namibia in the west and Zimbabwe in the east we find Botswana. A country with amazing landscapes and beautiful safari opportunities. Much wilder and more unspoilt than, for example, South Africa. And nature offers us some very special phenomena.

Most of Botswana consists of sandy plateaus. In the south this is the Kalahari and in the middle you will find a number of salt flats. However, in the north there are major rivers that give the country a completely different appearance. In the northwest, the Okavango Delta was created from these rivers that dead end on those large sandy plains, the only inland delta in the world. And in the northwest you will find parks such as Chobe with the Victoria Falls nearby.

That pristineness also means it’s a little harder to get to. There are no intercontinental flights to Botswana, so to get there you are dependent on a flight to one of the neighboring countries. But it also means that there is not that much tourism, so in some places you can really feel like you are alone in the world.

Zimbabwe

This trip also includes two trips to Zimbabwe: a trip to the Victoria Falls and a trip to Hwange National Park.

Zimbabwe (formerly: Rhodesia) has long suffered under the rule of Mugabe. Tourism has declined sharply in that time and that is a shame because it is a beautiful country! Fortunately, it is now picking up again and is an increasing source of income for the country. On this trip we only visit a very small part in the northwest, but it may be worth a follow-up visit.

Round trip

It is a shame to only stay in one place in these countries, so we visit multiple locations. We go from one location to another by car, but sometimes also by small plane, because there are not good roads everywhere. This way I can really show you some very special, unique and photogenic places in nine days!

Everyone is welcome

This trip is for everyone who loves nature, enjoys taking photos and has the patience to quietly observe and wait for that one great moment! Even though it is a photo tour, you do not have to be a professional photographer or a very experienced safari goer. I simply want you to fully enjoy everything Botswana has to offer. And I want to give you plenty of opportunity to take fantastic photos, at any level. Photographing landscapes and wildlife sometimes requires some different skills than what you may be used to, but I can absolutely help you with that.

But please note: there is only room for 6 people per trip, so don’t hesitate too long! This is a really great offer for a super cool and exclusive tour!

“Thanks to the experienced rangers and trackers and Simone’s knowledge of the bush and the animals that live there, we saw and learned a lot. I came home with many fantastic photos.” (Wim Blom)

some of my ‘best of’ photos from Namibia and Botswana

Details

Overnight stays

We sleep in different types of accommodations. Sometimes it is a small chalet, but we also occasionally sleep in a luxurious tent, with its own en-suite bathroom.

Sleeping in a tent may sound a bit adventurous, but the animals absolutely respect it. And it’s wonderful to lie in bed at night listening to the sound of the cicadas and a hyena in the distance!

Below you will find an impression of the various overnight accommodations.

Guidance

In all activities we will do, we will be accompanied by a local guide, who knows the areas well and knows where the most beautiful places and the most beautiful photo angles are.

In addition, I will of course accompany you as an experienced wildlife and landscape photographer. This means that I can teach you a lot about wildlife and landscape photography. Think of the perfect camera settings (which are very different for wildlife than for portrait photography or weddings, for example), how to make optimal use of the light, and how you can make creative images with special techniques. I do this both along the way during the drives, and also in between at the camp where I can help you with tips for selecting or post-processing your photos in Lightroom.

My background

I worked as a (camping) tour guide in Southern Africa from 2004 to 2007. During that period I did a one-month full-time course at Eco Training to learn more about the bush, such as animals, trees, tracks and everything else that is part of the great African circle of life. In the Netherlands I am a very experienced professional photographer, especially for business photography, but as soon as possible I will travel to Africa again! In addition, I have worked as a trainer/coach for years in the past, so I can convey knowledge very well. My work can be found on Instagram: @simone_afrika

Equipment

Bring a camera that you know well. I recommend a wide-angle lens to take beautiful landscape photos and a zoom lens to get closer to animals. For example, consider a 400, 500 or even 600 mm lens. An extender is certainly useful, although you will probably want to take it off at night to make your lens a bit brighter. A tripod can be useful if you want to capture the amazing starry sky in Botswana. Renting equipment is also an option! If you are unsure whether your supplies will be sufficient, please contact me.

Extras

I offer this photo tour with Kasane as the starting point and Maun as the end point. From here you can fly back to Johannesburg and then back to Europe. But if you want to extend your holiday with a visit to Namibia or South Africa, for example, that is of course possible.

Backroads Africa can help you with all of this (with a small discount)!

Why is this specifically a photo tour?

in everyday life I talk, eat, drink and sleep photography; I am not only passionate about this form of photography, but also very motivated to share my knowledge and ensure that you come home with beautiful photos
we have space in the car, no one has to sit in the middle
as a wildlife and landscape photographer, I can help you take the best photo (and also tell you something about most animals)
there is no rush to find the next animal and check off a list; we take photos as long as we want and no one asks ‘are you ready yet?’
once in the accommodation there is plenty of time to view and edit photos, learn from each other and talk about photography for hours!

Date and costs

Dates: dates to be added

Costs: price to be added

The total costs are based on shared accommodation for all nights. Would you rather not share a room or tent? That is of course also possible. You then pay € 1425 extra. A 20% deposit is due.

Short daily schedule:

Day 1: arrival in Kasane, short transfer to Chobe, afternoon drive
Day 2: full day in Chobe, by car or boat
Day 3: morning activity Chobe, then transfer by road to Kazuma Pan
Day 4: day trip VicFalls
Day 5: day trip Hwange
Day 6: morning activity, then flight to Khwai
Day 7: morning drive and bush walk
Day 8: day trip with mokoro (boat)
Day 9: morning activity, end of morning check out and flight to Maun

Included?

all transport Kasane via Kazuma to Maun (domestic flights: price subject to change)
eight nights based on double rooms/tents
English speaking local guide
Dutch and English speaking professional photographer
tea, coffee, water and soft drinks
local beer and house wine
two activities per day
day trip to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
day trip to Hwange (Zimbabwe)
all entrance fees

Excluded?

international flights
other alcoholic drinks
optional activities, such as a helicopter flight
visa fee for Zimbabwe (approximately $45)
any travel vaccinations
travel and cancellation insurance
tips and souvenirs

THE DAILY SCHEDULE IN FULL:

Day 1 Arrival Kasane

I hope to welcome you today at Kasane Airport. This is just over an hour and a half flight from Johannesburg. From here we have a short transfer (by road) to our first accommodation, near Chobe National Park. We sleep here in luxurious tents, with a view over the river.

Chobe National Park is known for the large herds of elephants that cross the river and swim and drink there. You will also find many typical river animals here such as hippos, fish eagles, crocodiles and many more. But there are also lions, wild dogs, buffalo and all kinds of antelopes.

Day 2 Chobe National Park

Today we take a game drive in the park and explore the river by boat. This way we have a completely different perspective and we can take very different photos than from the car. And of course I will help you with that!

Day 3 To Kazuma

After a morning activity in the park, we are taken by car to Kazuma. Here we sleep in a lodge with small chalets, with a thatched roof. This lodge is very eco-friendly! It is located on the border with Zimbabwe, which gives us the opportunity to visit a number of things there as well.

In the afternoon we make a game drive in Kazuma.

Day 4 Day trip Victoria Waterfalls

Today we leave Botswana for a while and visit the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The waterfalls are located on the border with Zambia, where you can also see them. With a width of no less than 1.5 km, they are among the largest waterfalls in the world. You shouldn’t be afraid of getting wet, because the splash water creates a heavy mist. A raincoat and a cover for your camera are therefore not an unnecessary luxury. But how beautiful is it to capture that rainbow in the mist with the thundering waterfalls behind it?

Day 5 Day trip Hwange

Just on the other side of the border in Zimbabwe is Hwange National Park. This park is much drier than Chobe and therefore has a completely different diversity in both flora and fauna. The variety is enormous, both in mammals and birds. Here you can indulge yourself with your camera!

Day 6 On to the Okavango Delta

After a final morning activity in Kazuma, we return to Kasane Airport from where we will fly in a small plane to the airstrip of our next overnight stay: Camp Khwai. Here we sleep again in luxury tents in a very small-scale camp. You really feel like you are alone in the world here! The camp is located on one of the drying areas in one of the foothills of the Okavango Delta.

The Kavango River, coming from Angola, encounters an enormous sand plain in Botswana. Because the water cannot go any further, it branches into hundreds of branches like the fingers of a hand and then slowly sinks into the sand during the year. Until the new rainwater is supplied again in the new season.

It provides a unique nature reserve: lots of water, reeds, papyrus, water lilies and thousands of small and larger islands, canals and branches. Everything that lives here has to swim sometimes, even the lions!

Day 7 and 8 Okavango Delta

All kinds of activities are possible from this camp. Walks, trips by mokoro (a kind of canoe, pushed silently by a pole), a trip to nearby Moremi and game drives, even in the dark! Depending on the water level and the animals observed, we will only decide later what exactly we are going to do and when. But it will be spectacular anyway, that’s for sure!

Because the Delta is large and difficult to reach, it is very quiet and peaceful here. You will really enjoy the overwhelming nature around you and truly relax. And especially photographically it is a paradise.

Day 9 Last day

Unfortunately, it’s already the last day! After one last morning activity we take another small plane from the camp to Maun Airport. Maun is the ‘big city’ near the Delta, where all accommodations can provide groceries, fuel and so on.

From here you can fly back to Johannesburg (about an hour and 45 minutes) or, for example, to Cape Town (two and a half hours) to add a few extra days to your holiday.