KRUGER AND BIG CATS EXPLORER photo safari
Join Wild4 Photographic Safaris on a budget friendly photography adventure which includes 6 nights in
South Africa's premier wildlife reserve, the Kruger
National Park, famous for its astounding variety of mammal and bird species. A further 3 nights spent at the BIG CAT RESERVE will allow you to return home with incredible shots of Africa's Big Cats - Lion, Leopard and Cheetah !!
NB** On this safari you will be required to cater for yourself from the Kruger Parks own camp shops or restaurants. There will also be an opportunity to stop at a supermarket before entering the Kruger Park to buy provisions. We will provide each photographer with a coolerbag. This allows you to budget for your own food costs. We recommend that
USD$ 150 per person should be enough if using a mixture of shop food as well as a few meals in the camp restaurants. The accommodations do have cutlery and crockery and cooking facilities as well as fridges to keep your food cold and we will provide cooler bags to take out on game drives.
Bottled still water is provided for on game drives in the Kruger National park and tea / coffee & biscuits are included in the mornings before going out on game drives.
When comparing this tour with our "Best of Kruger Plus Big Cats tour" (BOKPBC) these are the main differences:
> This tour could have up to 6 participants in one safari vehicle if each photographer brings his / her non photographer partner, compared with only a maximum of 4 participants on the BOKPBC tour which only has one non-photographer seat available per safari vehicle.
> This tour has no catering included in the Kruger National Park (compared with the fully catered option on the BOKPBC tour) All food is included at the Big Cat Reserve, on both options.
> This tour is 2 nights shorter than the BOKPBC tour.
> This tour costs (2014 prices)
US$ 3900 p/p/sharing
US$ 4400 p/p single
US$ 3300 p/p non-photographer
compared with the following for the BOKPBC tour.
US$ 6595 p/p/sharing
US$ 6950 p/p single
US$ 5695 p/p non-photographer
The aim of offering this tour is to cut the price by not having to bring in our catering team to prepare meals. However you will still have access to the same photographic hotspots and this tour will be still be led by Stu Porter and so the level of photographic tuition will be the same.
The "BIG CAT RESERVE" section
of the safari takes place at a private lodge approximately
1 hour’s drive on a good tarmac road, from the
Kruger National Park's ORPEN exit gate.
The 3 nights you spend in this reserve will provide very different
experiences and opportunities. Being a private reserve
we have more freedom than in the Kruger National Park. Here,
guided by a ranger, you are able to leave the vehicle
and approach some animals such as rhino, hippo, crocodile
& cheetah on foot.
The main attraction of this reserve is the opportunity
to get close to and photograph the BIG CATS of Africa ! You will have private photo sessions with
leopards, cheetahs and lions.
Being able to get close to these animals at the best times of the day for light will enable you to achieve excellent photos of them in their natural
bush environment. Having a more controlled situation
allows us to re-shoot and to fine tune technique and
camera skills. We explore a number of different photo
techniques such as panning, wide angle photography, as well as night & action photography. It is the perfect environment to learn new skills and techniques or fine tune old ones, all under the expert guidance of your tour leader, Stu Porter, who has been visiting the reserve for the past 10 years.
Accommodation is at the reserve’s main lodge
in air-conditioned, en-suite rooms with electricity
to recharge batteries. All meals are included at the Big Cat Reserve, but drinks are for your own account.
Accommodation is at the reserve’s main lodge
in air-conditioned, en-suite rooms with electricity
to recharge batteries. All meals are included at the Big Cat Reserve, but drinks are for your own account.
After your first three nights, you will depart this reserve after breakfast and drive 1 hr 15 mins on good tarmac road to the entrance gate of the Kruger National Park.
Established in 1898, “The Kruger” is
one of Africa's oldest and biggest parks. Along with
recently added private reserves, it covers over 20
000 km2 or 7800 miles2. Its diversity of plant, mammal,
reptile and bird species is astounding.
The park offers an array of different habitats, from
grassland and mixed woodland through to dense thickets,
from rolling hills with granite koppies, to riverine
vegetation with beautiful fig, jackalberry and fever
trees.
6 nights are split between 2 of the best camps INSIDE
the Park itself. The locations visited offer different
habitat types and are, from experience, the best areas
to view & photograph wildlife.
Our own 10 seater specially modified photo safari vehicles
are unique amongst vehicles operating in the Kruger.
A maximum of 6 participants (non photographer partners are most welcome) will take part in this small group photo safari - a great introductory tour to explore one of Africa's most famous wildlife reserves.
If you are a photographer and do not bring your non photographer partner with you, then you will have an entire bench seat to yourself allowing easy access to both sides of the safari vehicle for photography.
All the camps offer comfortable, air-conditioned,
en-suite accommodation. Each room has an electric
point for charging batteries. The rooms are also equipped with cooking facilities, crockery, cutlery and a fridge / freezer to store your food.
Photo tips, tuition and animal behaviour interpretation will be offered by Stu who will be your guide and driver for this section of the safari.
On your last morning you will be driven to Nelpruit Airport for departure back to Johannesburg. |
