vbnut wrote:
Let me ask the opposite question. Do folks have recommendations if cost is not a major issue, but one doesn't need the most luxurious accommodations, but doesn't mind paying what it takes to get the most/best wildlife viewing and photography opportunities?
PS: I've been following this thread from the beginning. It is fantastic, with an unbelievable amount of valuable information. Thanks everyone.
There's been lots of good advice in this thread. I'll add my own experience.
In terms of budget, East Africa (Kenya/Tanzania) is probably your best bet. Easiest to get to and lots of operators to choose from. Also, getting to and from the parks/conservancies is very straight forward.
I've done both group photographic safaris as well as solo trips with private vehicle/guide. The group trip is your best bet if budget is a big factor. That said, it can also be a very rewarding experience. You'll be with like minded people and a photographic guide who should be able to help improve your photography in the field. You won't have to worry as much about strangers crammed in a vehicle with wildly different priorities on a game drive, which is my nightmare.
Several have mentioned Kicheche camps, and I agree they are fantastic. I was just at Kicheche Bush this past October. The conservancies are much lower density (people, not cats!) so you'll never see the 10 trucks at a sighting like you do in the national park. The guiding is of a very high standard as well. They know every inch of the conservancy and all the big cats by name. Also, it's a great way to support the local Masai. That said, it's expensive due to the low volume of operators allowed in the conservancy (you get what you pay for, imo). Adding the private vehicle is a lot, too, but I loved the total freedom it gave me. Porini camps are in the same conservancies and I believe are more affordable and I know many people who've had great experiences with them as well. Long story short, I don't think I'd go back to the national park after spending time in the conservancies.
I would avoid a self drive if you're new to safari/Africa. Not just the logistics, but having a guide who knows the area and is strong at tracking the animals is just so important.
Although I agree that the best option is to go on private trips / conservancies it is possible to have a good experience if you use a good tour company
We love big cats but don’t really have the budget to do expensive tours we have had great experiences by going on group nature holidays organised by reputable companies, in the UK Naturetrek, in Zambia we saw and got great photographs of leopards every day except one and on our last trip to the Mara saw Cheetahs on 4 consecutive days, the only thing we didn’t like about the Mara was that one or two of the drivers didn’t respect the animals and went off track and hassled them
In Botswana and Zambia all of the guides and other vehicles we saw behaved exemplary
very true that there are good options in between budget and luxury as well. I think getting the right guide is key.
In october 2021 me and my wife did a trip with private vehicle and guide. We did Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Amboseli, Mara in three weeks. Sometimes we had a smaller exclusive camp; sometimes we stayed in large lodges (Amboseli) but it didn't matter much since we went out with our own guide anyway. Since he knew what he was doing, often we went our own way (like: trying-to-see-the-caracal mission in Samburu (failed) or the black serval in Amboseli (failed too) or the serval with kittens in the Mara (succes!)).
In all, this trip was not crazy expensive considering we were on the road for 3 weeks
evertdoorn wrote:
very true that there are good options in between budget and luxury as well. I think getting the right guide is key.
In october 2021 me and my wife did a trip with private vehicle and guide. We did Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Amboseli, Mara in three weeks. Sometimes we had a smaller exclusive camp; sometimes we stayed in large lodges (Amboseli) but it didn't matter much since we went out with our own guide anyway. Since he knew what he was doing, often we went our own way (like: trying-to-see-the-caracal mission in Samburu (failed) or the black serval in Amboseli (failed too) or the serval with kittens in the Mara (succes!)).
In all, this trip was not crazy expensive considering we were on the road for 3 weeks ...Show more →
Wow, sounds like a great fun trip Evert. Would you care to share the info about your organizer?
The key is to find the right guide and operator, absolutely agree there.
The issue with going in a photography group led by a pro is that you have to pay for his/her part of the trip (which granted may be discounted by the camp) plus the livelihood, for that is how they earn their living. Which can be substantial. So cost wise, it will still be at least $1000 per night. Most such tours cost at least that much. If you pick your own guide/pvt vehicle, and are judicious about choice of camp, it does not have to cost a lot more than that.
One other thing about group tours, unless you already know and are good friends with your fellow travelers (like forming your own group and traveling together), you could have a disaster if one of the persons in your group does not think like you or wants something else. I've had two such trips absolutely spoilt for me because one person was totally selfish and always wanted her own way to the extent that we missed a cheetah hunt because she wanted to photograph acacia trees at unique angles. It is not easy spending all day locked in a vehicle with somebody who is completely devoted to his/her own interests.
Some pros will have you fill out a questionnaire before they accept you, or at least have a recommendation about you from a former guest, most will just take you and your money because they need the business.
Even if you go as a family or like-minded buddies, sometimes the travel agent/organizer will charge you a higher commission (which you will never get to know) and then your final cost is just as high as if you were being led by a pro.
In the end, you have to plan carefully and compare costs before you make the decision.
There's pro's and con's with group tours. We (me and my wife) have done quite a few, and we've met some wonderful people on those trips and the experience was overall great. You might encounter someone that's not a a great fit with you but that certainly doesn't mean your trip will be ruined. I guess it's about being a bit open minded here and looking at the upside: meeting new people. One thing you can be sure of is that everyone's like-minded: photography comes first on trips like this.
Another option is to gather a group of friends and organize a trip with them.
There's pro's and con's with group tours. We (me and my wife) have done quite a few, and we've met some wonderful people on those trips and the experience was overall great. You might encounter someone that's not a a great fit with you but that certainly doesn't mean your trip will be ruined. I guess it's about being a bit open minded here and looking at the upside: meeting new people. One thing you can be sure of is that everyone's like-minded: photography comes first on trips like this.
Another option is to gather a group of friends and organize a trip with them. ...Show more →
Thanks Evert.
I have always only done group tours, organized by a professional photographer, but lately have been adding on an extension for my wife and myself. We did do a five person family trip Sept 2022 which was organized for us by the same person who does the pro trips. Being a family group, we of course had our own vehicle to ourselves.
I too have had wonderful experiences, meeting like-minded people from all over the world. One of the most memorable was a 10 day Svalbard trip on a small ship. Likewise the unforgettable journey to Antartica.
However, have also had a terrible time twice. Once was when there ended up only two of us because the others had dropped out, so I was stuck with this woman who only wanted to shoot zebras and acacias. Made my life hell for 12 days. The other time was more recently when two women in our party became really catty with each other and were shouting all the time, making it a miserable experience for everyone.
On both these occasions, the Professional team leader should have laid the law down, but it did not happen, he was just too nice.
One rule that works on these trips is that everyone rotates not just seats in the vehicle but also who is in which vehicle. That way you can easily separate out the trouble makers and prevent cliques from forming. This requires the team leader(s) to do be well organized and strict about it, something not easy to do.
The best option truly then is to organize a trip with a bunch of friends. One note of caution, from my own experience. You may find out that even your so-called friends do not make good travel companions. Sometimes there is a significant difference in opinon, esp when it comes to costs/food/accommodation/activities. Everyone has their own likes/dislikes and it is best to make sure everyone is on the same page beforehand.
evertdoorn wrote:
The best option truly then is to organize a trip with a bunch of friends. One note of caution, from my own experience. You may find out that even your so-called friends do not make good travel companions. Sometimes there is a significant difference in opinon, esp when it comes to costs/food/accommodation/activities. Everyone has their own likes/dislikes and it is best to make sure everyone is on the same page beforehand.
Pradeep
I was fortunate enough for my first trip to be with good people (Hopkins Alumni). My second trip was with my best friend and fellow photographer and we specifically booked places that didn't allow children through Pangolin.. Going back in September with my friend again for a Pangolin "great Migration" tour followed by a trip to Tibavati (Tanda Tula) for Leopards and a return to Jaci's in Madikwe. At Jaci's we had a driver and vehicle for just the two of us and out driver was incredibly knowledgeable and even had bird calls (mating calls not predator calls) on her phone that would get stationary birds to fly for us.
This past November/December my wife and I spent a week at Arathusa in South Africa. As to not overlap by bringing the same lens we took the 200-600 and the 70-200 f/2.8. The thinking was when it got too dark for the 200-600 the 70-200 could take over. Generally speaking the 200-600 was not overkill and frankly any animals that were very close made the 70-200 not wide enough at which point you could use a cell phone like everyone else sadly did. If we went back tomorrow we would both be taking our 200-600.
We would absolutely go back to Arathusa. For a guide and tracker ask for Brett and Rifous. Regarding costs, flights ended up being half the cost of the trip. We flew Denver to Munich to Frankfurt (Lufthansa changed our Den to Frankfurt flight) to Johannesburg to Nelspruit then a short flight to the lodge. I think it worked out to be $800/night for us both at the lodge. I believe Arathusa has room for 24 guests at a time. Our vehicle was never packed 3-wide and we rarely saw more than two other vehicles at sightings. One day we spent an hour and a half with a Leopard and her cub with no other vehicles.
The others we had met at the lodge were doing 2-3 nights at a lodge before moving to another. Many said they thought the food and accomodations were better at other lodges but didn't see a fraction of the animals they saw at Arathusa. I'll note we had zero complaints. The accomodations certainly were beyond what we expected. However we didn't go to be pampered and eat the best food in the world, we went to photograph the animals. All said I'd highly recommend Arathusa. Though I brought 4TB of storage we brought back around 275gb of photos and video. We saw well over 50 species of animals in our week there. Quite an incredible place!
Alan Kefauver wrote:
I was fortunate enough for my first trip to be with good people (Hopkins Alumni). My second trip was with my best friend and fellow photographer and we specifically booked places that didn't allow children through Pangolin.. Going back in September with my friend again for a Pangolin "great Migration" tour followed by a trip to Tibavati (Tanda Tula) for Leopards and a return to Jaci's in Madikwe. At Jaci's we had a driver and vehicle for just the two of us and out driver was incredibly knowledgeable and even had bird calls (mating calls not predator calls) on her phone that would get stationary birds to fly for us. ...Show more →
For Tanda Tula make sure you request Chad as your guide. He's a professional photographer, and knows exactly how to cater for photographers.
Dreadymmeyer wrote:
This past November/December my wife and I spent a week at Arathusa in South Africa. As to not overlap by bringing the same lens we took the 200-600 and the 70-200 f/2.8. The thinking was when it got too dark for the 200-600 the 70-200 could take over. Generally speaking the 200-600 was not overkill and frankly any animals that were very close made the 70-200 not wide enough at which point you could use a cell phone like everyone else sadly did. If we went back tomorrow we would both be taking our 200-600.
We would absolutely go back to Arathusa. For a guide and tracker ask for Brett and Rifous. Regarding costs, flights ended up being half the cost of the trip. We flew Denver to Munich to Frankfurt (Lufthansa changed our Den to Frankfurt flight) to Johannesburg to Nelspruit then a short flight to the lodge. I think it worked out to be $800/night for us both at the lodge. I believe Arathusa has room for 24 guests at a time. Our vehicle was never packed 3-wide and we rarely saw more than two other vehicles at sightings. One day we spent an hour and a half with a Leopard and her cub with no other vehicles.
The others we had met at the lodge were doing 2-3 nights at a lodge before moving to another. Many said they thought the food and accomodations were better at other lodges but didn't see a fraction of the animals they saw at Arathusa. I'll note we had zero complaints. The accomodations certainly were beyond what we expected. However we didn't go to be pampered and eat the best food in the world, we went to photograph the animals. All said I'd highly recommend Arathusa. Though I brought 4TB of storage we brought back around 275gb of photos and video. We saw well over 50 species of animals in our week there. Quite an incredible place!...Show more →
I agree, Arathusa is great value for money, the food too I thought was quite good. The tents were really well appointed.
The only problem we had (this was a while ago, in 2015) was that the vehicle was always packed with people, 3 in each row. To the extent that I requested, and was allowed, to sit with the guide in the front while the other four in our group sat in the rows at the back. We always got to the vehicle first so each of us could pick the edge seats.
One other thing was that the overall time spent on a game drive was very short. Typically they would 'waste' at least 30 mts doing a morning tea break in the bush and then were back at the camp for breakfast by 9 AM. So that meant we spent just over two hours on a morning drive. In contrast, most game drives that I have done elsewhere have been at least 5-6 hrs, sometimes we would go from 6 AM to 6.30 PM, all day long, with packed BF and lunch to go. And only 3 per vehicle, each person getting an entire row for themselves. Obviously you pay a lot more for that privilege. Also, since there were so many people in the vehicle, it was always the guide who decided where to go, what to see and how long to stay at a sighting, which is not how I like my game drive to be.
Purely from a photography perspective, vehicles in Sabi Sands - even at Londolozzi - are also designed differently, with the rows at the back being substantially higher, so you can't get an eye-level shot of the animal if you are anywhere behind the first row.
As I said, everyone has their own needs and desires. After multiple trips to Africa, I realize I want better and better opportunities for that photograph I have in my mind.
All in all though, I agree, Arathusa is an amazing place for somebody who is starting out with Safaris. Being in a private concession means you also get very few cars at any sighting, they are very strict about it. If you want the best in Sabi Sands, then Londolozzi is the place, but you pay almost four times as much.
I think it's already been mentioned earlier in this thread, but for the best wildlife photography experience in Southern Africa you have to check out Zimanga Private Game Reserve.
It's a private reserve that caters specifically to photography. The vehicles are all set up specifically for photographers and there are multiple photography hides set up eye level at waterholes.
They also allow you to get out the vehicles and get eye-level shots with less dangerous predators like Cheetah's and Wild Dogs.
Prices are also more in line with Arathusa than Londolozzi.
Yeah, Zimanga is said to be very good, my photo buddy has done two trips there and loved it. Others find it a bit 'restrictive' in the sense that the kind of photos from hides are all very similar and have the same 'look'.
Still, I would love to go there myself, and I agree, it is also not too expensive.
Another place in SA that I've been to is the Tiger Canyons in Karoo, it is a private park with tigers that you can photograph with ease, plus other animals. Impossible to get the kind of tiger pictures you get there anywhere else in the world, including India.
Quick question for the folks that have been a few times (or others with the info), I've been researching and can't pin down a time of year for the target I'm looking for. It doesn't help that the target isn't terribly easy to catch, but I'd like to hear opinions on what people think is a good time.
I'm looking to catch young cheetahs, and from what I find, there isn't a single time of year that stands out for some reason. I'd expect the wet season to be the best (or actually their spring), but I haven't found anything that confirms that. In research, I noticed two spikes for the species. January for the young and August for the adults. Can anyone elaborate on that or validate it?
Mike, we saw three month old cheetah cubs in Samburu, Kenya in November 2021. I’m not aware of any seasonality though, it’s mostly luck. Fwiw I’ve bee to Africa 13 times.
We were lucky enough to see two male Cheetahs late November (25th) this past year (2022) at Arathusa in South Africa. Regarding the lands we were allowed to traverse, we were as far away as possible when the call came in. Our guide Brett nearly emptied the gas tank getting us there in time. That was a fun bumpy ride giving our legs a nice workout to soften the bumps and not get flung out of the rover haha. We only had about 4 minutes with them, as they passed right by our vehicle they were heading into off-limits land. I have seen some posts recently from Arathusa that they have seen two Cheetah cubs recently.
However there are a few things to note:
- Sabi Sands is probably not where you want to go if you're after Cheetah. You will most certainly see lots of Leopards but Cheetah, for the most part are rare in that area. You're going to want to look for places with wide open savanna; i.e. Serengeti, etc.
- Regarding babies, we learned all the big cats do not have a breeding season. They can and will mate anytime of the year. Their gestation period is around 90 days.
Like Bobg657 said "it's mostly luck". The longer you stay, the better your luck will be!
Bobg657 wrote:
Mike, we saw three month old cheetah cubs in Samburu, Kenya in November 2021. I’m not aware of any seasonality though, it’s mostly luck. Fwiw I’ve bee to Africa 13 times.
I was afraid of that. Lady luck is not my biggest fan, so I'll just have to check any expectations at the door. Thanks.
Dreadymmeyer wrote:
We were lucky enough to see two male Cheetahs late November (25th) this past year (2022) at Arathusa in South Africa. Regarding the lands we were allowed to traverse, we were as far away as possible when the call came in. Our guide Brett nearly emptied the gas tank getting us there in time. That was a fun bumpy ride giving our legs a nice workout to soften the bumps and not get flung out of the rover haha. We only had about 4 minutes with them, as they passed right by our vehicle they were heading into off-limits land. I have seen some posts recently from Arathusa that they have seen two Cheetah cubs recently.
However there are a few things to note:
- Sabi Sands is probably not where you want to go if you're after Cheetah. You will most certainly see lots of Leopards but Cheetah, for the most part are rare in that area. You're going to want to look for places with wide open savanna; i.e. Serengeti, etc.
- Regarding babies, we learned all the big cats do not have a breeding season. They can and will mate anytime of the year. Their gestation period is around 90 days.
Like Bobg657 said "it's mostly luck". The longer you stay, the better your luck will be!...Show more →
I thought I had read that about big cats somewhere, but was hoping that wasn't the case... however, all along the research was telling me the same thing. Thanks.
Kicheche properties are pretty much a second home to us, for a few reasons.
Guides make a massive difference in the experience, if they have strong local knowledge, good network of fellow support and strong photography skills you end up spending far less time telling them how to position the vehicle and more time shooting productively. The guides at Kicheche are arguably the best, and have the awards to back it up.
The vehicle as well, the photography vehicles are a massive selling point for me, only a couple of seats and a removable wall make for incredible unrestricted views.
Plus the people at camp are amazing, they become family quickly and you just want to go back, so anyone who has been knows exactly what I'm talking about and why they get such high marks from photographers.
That said anyone going in March? Will be at Bush and Mara North for a bit mid March.
So it looks like I'll be going in September and not Feb. My brother-in-law also wanted to go, and that was the most convenient time for both of us.
Would it be worthwhile to rent an A1? I was planning on taking my A9 + a6400, but I don't mind renting an A1 if it would significantly improve the shots I get.
Alan,that is a shot of a lifetime. That poor cheetah mother will never be able to bring all those cubs up to adulthood. The maximum I've seen is 5 that the 'supermom' managed to raise to that age.
