Wildlife & Photo Safaris Chobe Botswana

CHOBE BOTSWANA MOBILE CAMP & RIVER SAFARI

8 DAYS /7 NIGHTS

This is a 8 day/7 night wildlife photo safari staying in Kasane and Chobe National Park in northern Botswana.

THE CAMP

Our hosts make use of private campsites deep in the Botswana bush reserved exclusively for the mobile camp. There are five large walk-in tents sleeping a maximum of eight guests (room for a couple of singles) with a dining tent that doubles as an editing area.

Each of the tents has normal twin beds with quality linen and a private en-suite bathroom. The bathroom comprises of a toilet, basin and a ‘bucket’ shower that can be filled to the brim with warm water straight from the campfire when needed. Maybe we should call this ‘glamping’ not camping!

The animals of Chobe are generally very relaxed, which is one of the main reason why photography is so good there, you will often have herds of herbivores like elephants, zebra and buffalo wandering past the camp during the day.

THE LODGE

Our luxury lodge in Kasane sits on a plateau overlooking the Chobe River and the Caprivi floodplains below. The lodge has 14 rooms and is designed around a wildlife photography gallery featuring inspiring images from Africa and beyond. With its proximity to the Chobe river, the majority of the game activities are done on customised photo boats.

DAY 1 – 4 ITINERARY

From the set-off point, the safari starts with a leisurely game drive through the Chobe National Park to the mobile camp based in the North-Western sector of the park. The custom 8-seater (everyone has a window seat) Landcruiser will be used throughout our time in the bush.

A DAY’S TYPICAL CAMP ITINERARY

Early morning call at around 5:00 am each day

Set off for the mornings game drive at about 6:00 am.  Coffee/Tea and rusks will be served before departure.

After the mornings game drive at around 10 am, it will be time to head back to the camp for breakfast.  Between the game drives, photographers and non-photographers have time to relax at the camp or process the images with our specialist photographic guide in the comfort of the editing photographic tent, aka the dining tent.

Prepare for the afternoon game drive which departs at approximately 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm.  Return to the camp and freshen up for dinner, which is served at around 7 pm.

Meals

The chefs are masters at producing delicious meals from the nearby bush kitchen and the support vehicle has enough cold storage to make sure the drinks are always chilled.

Discuss over dinner your sightings and the photographs taken from the morning & afternoons game drives.  After dinner guests can relax and enjoy a drink under the African skies, listen to the sounds of the ‘bush’ and prepare for the following days game drive.

On the fourth day in the camp, time to pack up the vehicles and head East towards the luxury lodge in Kasane.

DAY 4 – 6 ITINERARY

By day 4 we are sure you will have improved your photography skills and will be feeling confident shooting with ‘manual’ camera settings. This will allow you much more creative control over your images and make the most of the photo opportunities that present themselves.

With many photographic opportunities, it will allow us to spend more time on the boats perfecting various photo techniques or for those none photographers, enjoying spectacular game viewing from the river.

In a similar format to the days itinerary of the bush camp, will undertake twice-daily game activities on the river and also one or two game drives on a very productive part of the Chobe that we could not get to from the mobile camp.

In between the activities you can relax at the eco-pool or make use of the air-conditioned editing room at the end of the photo gallery. 

DAY 7 ITINERARY

After early morning wildlife photography, take the two hour journey to spend time photographing the spectacular Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.  The tour includes lunch.

DAY 8 ITINERARY

On the last day there is till time for some dawn photography before checkout.

COMPUTERS

Access to computers is limited in the Lodge so we suggest that you perhaps bring a ‘laptop’ with you for image review sessions. Otherwise, we will give you plenty of memory cards to fill throughout the safari to take your images home with you.

MEALS AT THE LODGE

Breakfast

In the mornings, before the boat cruise/ game drive, a light breakfast is set up with tea, filter coffee, juices, cereals and toast. While on the river activities we stop for another tea/coffee break and a rusk (Type of biscuit)

Brunch

When we return in the mid-morning a hearty brunch is served with variations each day and eggs cooked to order. This is generally enough to see you through to dinner but just in case its not a high tea with sweet and savoury offerings are served just before that afternoon activity along with liquid refreshments.

Dinner

Meals are taken as often as possible out on the deck or the inter-leading dining room with the fabulous chefs dishing out wholesome meals with locally sourced ingredients wherever possible.

The evening meals vary from Braai (Barbeque) Nights to gourmet pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven. Most dietary needs can, however, be catered for and should be made known to us at the time of booking.

Relax and be social with a cocktail

The lodges bar on the upper floor has spectacular views and the best cocktails in Kasane is a great place to relax after dinner with your fellow travellers. Alternatively, the sunken fire pit is always a hit!

We can cater for the majority of dietary requirements. Please advise us at the time of booking.

CHECK OUT DAY

On the final day, we will either transfer you to the airport if you are heading home or we can arrange extensions to any other of our custom options.

BOTSWANA IN FOCUS (10 days)

This is a hosted safari and is only available in June, July and August each year and incorporates ‘The Best Chobe’ along with three nights in the world-famous Okavango Delta. Please contact us for more details.

COSTS & INCLUSIONS/EXCLUSIONS FOR THIS CHOBE SAFARI

This photo safari will run with a minimum of 2 guests and a maximum of 6 guests. 

Safari Costs : From US$ P.O.A.pp sharing

Prices are in ($) US Dollars, the exact price will be confirmed via invoice at the time of booking.

We can accept payment via International SWIFT transfer, Credit Card or Paypal.

Please be advised:  This wildlife photo safari will run throughout 2021 with set departures from April through to September.  See set departure dates available above.  Please contact us for any single supplement requirements and to check with us to confirm availability.

WHAT IS INCLUDED

• 3 Nights Mobile Bushcamp
• 4 Nights Luxury Lodge in Kasane
• 2 x Daily Game Activities
• Day Trip to Vic Falls (Inc Lunch) (Optional)
• Photo Tuition (Host)
• Camera’s, Lenses and Memory Cards
• All Meals & Drinks
• Airport Transfers To & From Kasane (If Required)
• Park Fees & Tourism Levies

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED

• Any Flights
• Visas if required
• Gratuities (Please allow between $US 5-10 a day or rand equivalent for the driver and the tracker) if you wish to give anything. This should be paid in cash.
• Purchases of a Personal Nature
• Laundry
• Telephone calls

BOTSWANA

Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, with a landscape defined by the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, which becomes a lush animal habitat during the seasonal floods. The massive Central Kalahari Game Reserve, with its fossilized river valleys and undulating grasslands, is home to numerous animals. Learn more about Botswana

GENERAL INFORMATION

CHOBE NATIONAL PARK – BOTSWANA

Chobe National Park in the north of beautiful Botswana is home to Africa’s largest elephant population as many as 120,000 plus. Chobe National Park comprises more than 10,000km2 of rich ecosystems, diverse landscapes and an almost unparalleled abundance of wildlife and birdlife all centred around the stunning Chobe River.

Elephants and many animals depend on the Chobe Rivers life-sustaining waterways as the dry season kicks in between April – October each year. Nowhere else on Earth has more of these remarkable giants, many travel from neighbouring countries to this, the Elephant Capital of Africa the might Chobe.

Of course, they’re not alone. Iconic African big game species such as the Cape Buffalo, Zebra and Wildebeest swirl around the 11,700km2 park. In tandem with the giant’s, those other iconic African safari animals the big cats, Lion, Leopard and Cheetah with Spotted Hyena being common. Wild Dog can be seen but less so, while Hippo, Nile Crocodiles and water-loving antelope like the Red Lechwe and occasionally Puku, call the Chobe National Park home. Look up above and on the river, one will find the skies alive with some 450 bird species.

For many, the focal point of this famous park is the flashing blue Chobe River itself. It’s described as one of Africa’s most beautiful rivers, winking at the world through its fringes of Jackalberry and Ana trees.

The sheer beauty and diversity of Chobe National Park make this park one of the most accessible game-watching destinations in Africa.

OTHER GENERAL SAFARI INFORMATION

It should be noted that Chobe National Park is located within a high-risk Malaria area, guests are advised to seek medical advice from your own doctor in this respect.

Please read our Safari Safety and Etiquette to ensure you have an enjoyable and trouble-free safari experience with us.

There is wifi access and mobile phone reception at the lodge in Kasane.

WHAT TO BRING ON SAFARI

• Mornings and evenings in an open safari vehicle are cold to cool (even in the summer), bring a fleece and a windbreaker jacket
• Rain jacket, hat, cap or beanie
• Sunblock
• Binoculars
• Spare batteries for your camera
• Torch
• Camera/video camera & flash

LENS RECOMMENDATIONS

Due to the diversity of the environment, it is recommended lenses covering the following focal length: Wide-angle 15mm – Telephoto up to 600mm

Recommended:

• Wide-angle 15 – 30mm / 24mm – 70mm
• Mid-range telephoto 70mm – 200mm
• Long telephoto 400mm – 600mm

To ensure all guests who book travel destinations through us have a memorable experience we ask you to read and fully understand our Payment Terms and Conditions, Copyright & Disclaimer and Privacy Policy.   If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact us

If wildlife photography is not for you but you still want the excitement to see and experience Africa’s Big 5 and a plethora of birds and mammals on a game drives in the African bush, then why not look at our following tours and safaris:-

Hoyo Hoyo
Uganda Gorilla Trekking
Hamiltons Tented Camp
Sabi Sand Photo Safari
Kruger Birding and Wildlife Photo Safari
Kruger Park Safaris

PS: Don’t forget to catch up with our Safari Buddies Blog, read interesting posts about our nature and wildlife tours. Have you read our post on What is Eco-Tourism or Bird Migration – (Part 1) to Southern Africa? Why not subscribe to our monthly journal  Safari Buddies where you can be sure you are first to receive into your inbox all our latest tour and safari news, new tour destinations, discounts, photography tips and tricks and travel news.