Introduction
I hope on this page I can pass on a little of the
experience and help to others. This page is not intended to provide
‘All you Need to Know’ about photography, I will leave that to
others more expert than me. As you can see from the portfolio of
photography in this site there are many pictures of wildlife, mainly
in Africa I have been fortunate to have experienced a number of
African safaris, each time I take a safari I become a little more
wiser for choosing the next. Over this period I have learnt a lot of
dos and don’ts, not just for taking photos but also in choosing the
right safari and the place to go.
What I can offer is some
advice and guidelines in choosing the right safari options, in doing
so, it will improve your photography opportunities and therefore
increase the potential for taking quality shots.
Where To Go
The first and most important thing to consider
when selecting a safari is not just where to go but importantly
when
to go there. There are plenty of options to choose in terms of
places to visit but most popular destinations are East Africa,
(Kenya + Tanzania) and the southern part of Africa, South Africa,
Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. There are other destinations but I
think you will find the places mentioned have reasonably mature
tourist infrastructures and therefore provide plenty of alternatives
for you to choose.
Why
The most important task for all safari
destinations is to research when to go and the best time of year to
visit the place of your choice. The reason I say this is because the
time of year will impact on the concentrations of game you are
likely to see. For example, there is the infamous migration in the
Serengeti where the game follow the rains from north to south. The
science for this is not exact but generally the northern part of the
migration will reach the Masai Mara (Kenya) around July time and the
animals linger there until around October (ish) time. The opposite
part of the cycle is in February when the migration is in the
southern part of the Serengeti, a time when the Wildebeest
give birth, the rest of the year they could be somewhere in between
the two locations. The point of all this is, if you visit the Masai
Mara in February or southern Serengeti in September both places will
be void of animals (perhaps there will be a few none migratory
species) and therefore your photo opportunities will be fewer.
In the tropics they do not have winter and summer
as we do in the UK but instead they have wet season and dry season,
this may vary depending upon the latitude of the destination. The
animals in all destinations have a degree of migration, as the
animals seek food and water, therefore each destination could be
different and you need to ensure you are in the right place at the
right time.
Research
Therefore research your destination thoroughly
before booking, there is plenty of information on the internet and
the more specialist tour operators will have this information in
their brochures and possibly on their websites, if not give them a
call. Do not expect to find this type of detail in the bigger tour
operators, they will want your business all year round and may not
give detail that could put you off travelling out of season. Safaris
do not come cheap so by doing your research you can be sure to spend
your money wisely and gain the best photo opportunities for the
money you are able to afford.
Getting There
You have a number of options to choose from but
basically your choice will fall into a number of categories:-
- 1. Package tour operator using one of the main tour
companies.
- 2. Package tour operator using one of the main specialist
tour companies.
- 3. Safari arrange by a specialist safari travel company.
- 4. Self drive safari.
- 5. Do it yourself and book it on the internet.
Depending on what you are looking for and
importantly how big your budget is, each option will have advantages
and disadvantages. What you get in a safari trip can differ
tremendously but as with all things in life you only get what you
pay for, this saying also applies to safari trips. For a first time
safari traveller with a limited budget Kenya would be a good
starting point from the view of choice of operator and importantly
cost. This is a well trodden track and the variety of destinations
are very good – but do your research as the impact of seasons still
applies.
For those with a sense of adventure and a pocket
slightly deeper, a specialist safari travel operator would be my
choice, usually the sales staff have been to the locations and can
give you first hand advice of where and when to go. The choice could
be from a two man tent in the middle of the savannah with meals
cooked over the bonfire to 5 star accommodations with seven course
meals served on fine china and your own personal attendant, the
choice is up to you.