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 Travel with our mentors and try out all of the latest equipment from Nikon! Including world class digital SLRs, Nikkor lenses and the Coolpix line of Digital Cameras.
Botswana is an outstanding destination that provides a true sense of adventure on a photo safari—something you will discover for yourself when you take to the veldt, camera in hand. As you look out at the serene beauty of the grassland, the seemingly endless sky of luminous hues stretches across the horizon and above the majestic wildlife roaming through their natural habitat. Here, your heart is sure to pound in sync with each click of your shutter. Fill your frame with tens of thousands of magnificent animals: lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, leopards, cheetahs, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, African buffalo, hyenas, and antelope, to name only a few! Although words alone will not describe this luxurious safari, the remarkable images you capture will speak volumes of your time spent in one of the most fascinating regions of the world. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see Botswana with the Mentor Series and a chance to create jaw-dropping images and incredible memories that you will never forget.
Reed Hoffmann
Land Only Cost: $6,999 Includes one night accommodation (based on double occupancy) in Johannesburg, local transfers between the hotel and airport in Johannesburg, local airfare on Air Botswana inclusive of taxes from Johannesburg to Kasane, six nights accommodation (based on double occupancy) at Desert & Delta Safari’s Chobe Game Lodge, Leroo La Tau and Camp Okavango (safari lodging includes all meals, all beverages of local brands, all guided scheduled activities, National Park entrance fees and laundry service), airport departure tax at Kasane, scheduled charter flights from Kasane to Leroo La Tau to Camp Okavango and Camp Okavango to Maun Airport, local airfare on Air Botswana inclusive of taxes from Maun to Johannesburg, medical evacuation insurance valid from arrival at Kasane airport on day 3 to departure from Maun airport on Day 9, daily lecture series, presentations, Mpix photo book, and group review sessions. Does not include international airfare and related taxes, entry visa, gratuities, meals in Johannesburg, travel insurance, porterage and optional excursions. Chobe Game Lodge The only permanent game lodge situated within the Chobe National Park, Chobe Game Lodge is Botswana's premier venue for guests looking for a perfect base to explore the Chobe National Park. The lodge includes a large swimming pool with terrace, a riverside boma area, a stylish bar with an outside terrace overlooking the Chobe River and a cigar bar with a champion sized billiard table. Chobe Game Lodge also has a reference library with lounge and terrace. All the rooms at the lodge are river facing with
Electricity
Credit cards Leroo La Tau Leroo La Tau is built on cliffs over 15m high above the Boteti riverbed. The main reception, lounge area and all the rooms of Leroo La Tau are located on the top of these cliffs, so the raised vantage point ensures unsurpassed views of the river and the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, which stretches out in front of the lodge. The main lounge and dining room area with its inviting wooden and thatch finishes, offers guests the opportunity to sit back and relax at the bar while listening to the wide variety of night sounds so characteristic of the African bush. Alternatively you can lounge around the pool while appreciating the herds of zebra and wildebeest which are often seen around the lodge grounds and the waterhole. A secluded bird and game viewing hide is located to the front of the lodge, tucked away into the side of the river bank, where guests can take time out to enjoy the serenity of the Boteti River and photograph its wild visitors. Evenings can be spent alongside the fireplace which also overlooks the riverbed in front of the lodge. The lodge offers luxurious en-suite chalets, on individual raised wooden platforms. Each chalet is
Electricity
Credit cards Camp Okavango Camp Okavango is situated on the remote Nxaragha Island in the heart of the permanent Okavango Delta, assuring a year-round water wilderness experience. Camp Okavango’s unashamed luxury blends with the Africa of old in the elegant thatch and lethaka main lodge buildings. The dining room leads onto an expansive open-air patio for evenings around the open boma. Other lodge facilities include a cocktail bar, lounge, wildlife reference library, and a secluded bird viewing hide, shaded hammocks, a delightful sun deck and plunge pool for relaxing during the hot midday hours. Camp Okavango is an intimate East African-style safari tents individually situated on raised teak platforms with
Electricity
Credit cards Safari Club SA. The Club has a luxurious yet homely ambience. The public areas comprise lounges, a bar, a business centre as well as a separate breakfast room. A beautiful new swimming pool has been installed to ensure the comfort and relaxation of guests during the hot African summer. The bar is decorated as a tribute to the famous Nguni cattle and adorned with beautiful fittings in this theme. The interior of each of the 17 en-suite rooms has been uniquely styled to represent a specific area of the continent - for example the Kalahari, Etosha or Okavango rooms. All rooms have TV, air-conditioning and tea and coffee
Visitor Information Read more at: http://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/index.html
Passports & Visas
Travel between the lodges Times may vary from day to day and will be communicated to you the afternoon before departure. Flights to Kasane for the Chobe lodges and for Victoria Falls/Livingstone depart early to meet the scheduled road transfers; so early morning activities for guests departing on these flights are curtailed. Our vehicles at the lodges are either open Toyota Land cruisers carrying a maximum of 4 people or Landrover game viewing vehicles carrying a maximum of 4 people. All Land cruisers have individual buckets seats while the Landrover have bench seats. Each vehicle has a removable canvas roof enabling for shade and ample storage space for cameras, binoculars etc
Your Safari Experience Smoking is not permitted in any of our safari vehicles, but is allowed in sections of the lodge.
Baggage Restrictions
Health Precautions/Vaccinations Malaria prophylaxis with Lariam, Malarone, or doxycycline is recommended for travel in Botswana. All guests must consult their own medical doctor or health authorities regarding the use of anti-malarial tablets prior to departure. It is the guest’s obligation to ensure that he/she is medically fit to participate in travel i.e for walking activities at Camp Okavango
Suggested Packing List
Communications There is no cell phone coverage at Camp Okavango Internet access is only available at Chobe Game Lodge. In the event of an emergency Desert & Delta Safaris’ Maun office should be contacted on tel no: +267 6861243 or fax no: +267 6861791. The office will ensure that the guest is informed.
Weather Travel Insurance
Digital Review Sessions
Equipment
Non-Photographers/Spouse Policy
Incidentals Botswana trekkers! I've made multiple trips to Africa, and led two photo safaris in the Serengeti, but I'm truly excited to have this opportunity to go to Botswana. The Okavango Delta is a truly unique ecosystem, and its annual floods draw one of the largest concentrations to be found in Africa. We'll be there just after the peak, and the animals should be plentiful. Look for the "Planet Earth" series on the Discovery Channel - the one they do on Africa takes place in the delta. By itself, the safari would be enough, but the timing of this trip gives us another excellent photo opportunity - the Toyota Desert Race. It should be a great contrast to the nature and wildlife photos we do on the safari. Plus, we'll have some opportunities to meet local people and learn about their lives. For photographing the animals, I suggest a minimum focal length of 300mm. Longer is always better with wildlife. For a safari in Africa, you may even want to consider renting one of those exotic long lenses (200-400mm, 500mm, 600mm). And, this is one of those times where the DX sensors used in many Nikons (and similar-sized sensors in other cameras) really help out. The crop factor those sensors give us make our lenses feel even longer, which is of course an advantage. Don't think, though, that you won't need a wide-angle lens. I've had a leopard walk right up to the truck we were in, and the best picture I got was with a 24mm. Plus, we'll be shooting more than just wildlife, so that range will come in handy other times as well. And there's nothing like a truck for a camera bag! No long hikes looking for animals - we'll cruise the savanna with our gear in the seat next to us, looking for the next good shot. At night we'll stay in lodges nearby, and be able to download and review the photos immediately. That means that as the trip goes on, you'll be able to adjust your shooting based on new things you're learning every day and night.
If you've got any questions, drop me a note. It's going to be a great trip! |
The Mentor Series invites you on a photographic journey of a lifetime filled with breathtaking adventure, stunning vistas and diverse wildlife at every turn! Join us as we travel to Botswana, one of the jewels in sub-Saharan Africa’s crown—a country positively brimming with photo ops your camera has certainly yet to encounter this side of the Atlantic. Nikon professional photographer Reed Hoffmann will guide you through Botswana’s deserts and savannas, offering photo tips along the way to ensure you come away with images as brilliant and unforgettable as your experience.
