Jane E Preston
Yorkshire - England
Where do I begin? I dreamt of a Safari holiday nearly all my life. In my autumn years that dream.came true. My friend, also called Jane, & I chose Wild4 Photographic Safaris. From the initial booking to the day we arrived, went like clockwork. Thanks to Stu & Justyna Porter. Each day was breathtaking, the experience of seeing the wild animals in their own habitat. I felt so humble & honoured to be in their presence. MalaMala is wonderful, the bungalows, the staff, the food, location deserves the 5-star award. Stu Porter, quietly & calmly oozes advice & guidance for you to produce the most wonderful photographs. Our driver. Mike, had the experience & knowledge of the reserve & was able to place the vehicle so we could take brilliant photos. His ability to seek out the wildlife is second to none! The intimacy with the wild animals cannot be described in words. We saw & photographed the Big 5 & many many more. It was a lifetime dream & it will last the rest of my life, thanks to Stu, Justyna, Mike & the magic of MalaMala - Simply the Best. The above was replicated at The Pangolin Hotel at The Chobe River, Botswana. Different location but the dream continued, I can't thank you enough. Jane Preston.
Marcia & Phil
USA
We loved our custom trip to Namibia, with Wild4 African Photographic Safaris. Stu and Justyna planned every detail for my husband, me, and a good friend we met on a prior trip with WILD4.
We covered much of the country and had a mind-blowing variety of looks at a very interesting country. Our accommodations, meals and experiences could not be surpassed. Based on our preferences, we toured Sossusvlei in a fixed-wing plane/ the images we got there were breathtaking! We also did a balloon tour which was lovely and peaceful. Our 4x4 desert creature tour was intimate and revealed small animals that we'd have otherwise never seen. A 4x4 Sandwich harbor tour took us to yellow sand dunes, close-ups with 2 shipwrecks, close encounters with jackals, seals, birds, and the dunes themselves. We did a boat tour in Walvis Bay, where we were joined by pelicans & seals on board. A walking tour at Deadvlei was exhausting but worth it. Each tour was more incredible than we had imagined. What an unforgettable experience!!! And that's not even talking about Etosha - the animals were different and it was really enjoyable. Sebastian, our guide. was patient, knowledgeable, and helpful.
This was our second tour with WILD4, and we are about to sign up for another. You can't go wrong with Stu and Justyna. Worth every penny!
Thanks,
Marcia & Phil
Vanessa
Australia
Dear Stu & Justyna, Thank you so much for organising the most amazing and memorable wildlife photography safari to Mala Mala and Zimanga. Every travel detail was covered and ran seamlessly from the time the trip was booked until I returned home. The Safari accommodation was extremely comfortable and food was outstanding. Stu, you have extensive knowledge and display such passion for wildlife safari travel, photography and understanding animal behaviours in their environment. Your sincere, calm & personable nature created great interaction with your colleagues, staff at the game parks, guides, drivers and guests. Thank you for being such an awesome photography mentor-your incredible patience to enhance my photography skills allowed me to capture such special wildlife photos that are treasured. Sincere thanks to you both, Stu & Justyna @ Wild4 for such an awesome trip and I’m so looking forward to the next trip I have booked with you. Vanessa
Rob Pelle
NETHERLANDS
After 2 previous safari attempts were cancelled, I looked around and found Wild4. Justyna was extremely helpful in putting together a tailor-made tour just for me.
I tend to shy away from flash but during a night shoot, I quickly learned a great new technique and the photographs turned out wonderful. In short, Wild4 Photographic Safaris is the one you want to book with to get the best opportunities.
This is not the last time I will make use of their services. Thank you Justyna & Stu for a wonderful time.
Greg Morgan
UK
The Wild4 team made my trip to South Africa a truly memorable experience. Stu's tuition on techniques, composition and familiarity with your gear was the foundation for the rest of the trip.
We had some wonderful sightings - highlighted by spending time with a leopard cub in a tree no more than 30 metres away and watching a pride of 14 lions stalking a herd of zebra for more than an hour - just wonderful experiences! The quality of my shots was infinitely better than on a regular safari, as the whole focus is expertly designed to maximise photographic opportunities.
Stu's knowledge, enthusiasm and patience were boundless, and Ann's spotting and catering skills were priceless! I hope to visit Africa again soon, and without a doubt Wild4 will be my first option.
James Smith
USA
We recently joined a Wild 4 African Photographic Safari. To put things simply, we were completely blown away. Compared with others I’ve been on, this exceeded anything we had imagined, in so many ways.
Justyna handled all our travel and trip details with exceptional professionalism and always responded to even our most basic questions quickly and in a very detailed manner. We were met by our photo guide Stu Porter, who I cannot say enough good things about. His spotting ability and anticipation, together with his understanding of animal behavior and the ecosystem, produced an amazing wildlife experience. He went to great lengths to ensure that we had the best chance of capturing a great photo, without compromising the rules of the park or the integrity of the animals. This made the trip so much more than just a “drive around and snap at whatever we see” kind of experience.
In all honesty, I can’t imagine a better guide than Stu Porter. We will be doing our future trips to Africa with Wild 4 and cannot recommend them highly enough. Thank you so much for what a lot of people call “the trip of a lifetime”, although we feel that this is only the beginning of many trips of a lifetime. Thank you, Wild 4!!
Colleen Sullivan
USA
Wild4 Photo Safari gave me much more than an average safari tour. The experiences, friends, and information gathered from my trip will stay with me forever. My anticipations were greatly exceeded, beyond anything I could ever have dreamed of. I Love Wild4!!
Neil Stewart
UK
Stu, your excellent tuition lifted my photographic skills to greater heights by introducing me to additional techniques and making me work with my camera to achieve extremely pleasing results.
I must also compliment you on the organisation of the trip. The logistics were seamless, the food and staff excellent and without exception, every game drive provided great animal encounters, allowing us to put into practice our new found skills.
Once again, many, many thanks for a wonderful trip.
Stella Bain
UK
This was my first trip with Wild4 and hopefully will not be my last. I have been lucky enough to go on many safaris and this ranks with the best experiences. Stu and Mike our driver had amazing eyes and spotted so many things for us. Stu was really helpful with photo tips and also helped to sort out a major problem that I had downloading images. Big cats are my passion and we saw 17 different leopards and cubs with 19 sightings in all. That included a pair mating. The amazing duo knew the relationships of the animals and were able to identify them due to spots around their whiskers. We also followed many lions and cubs and a group of 6 wild dogs with 9 pups. We were very lucky and followed them looking for a new den. Unfortunately, they encountered enraged elephants and scattered. They were found the next morning at their old den with only the loss of 1 pup These were just the highlights as our amazing pair found us many other birds and animals to photograph. Thank you, Stu, Mike, and Justyna.
Marian Herz
United States
The Botswana trip I just completed was my 4th with Wild4. They are by far the best safari company with which I've traveled. Everything starts with wonderful pre-trip information. Then comes the planning details, wonderfully handled by Justyna. The trips themselves are beyond imagination. Stu gives everyone a full bench, so that one can photograph from either side. His guides/ drivers (and Stu himself) are great spotters, encyclopedias of information about what we're seeing and they know how to position the vehicle for the best pictures. Staying in the mobile camp was a first for me. The tents were comfortable and the staff gave us a luxury experience and gourmet food. It was amazing to have wildlife just walking through the camp. Reactions to my photos from this trip have been spectacular. I know that when I travel with Stu, I will get great shots. He is also there to provide photo tips on how to best capture the wildlife and also the processing of your images. It was Stu's tip that finally allowed me to get that Lilac-breasted Roller takeoff. Thank you Stu, for great and well-organized trips. Anyone who wants the best safari experience and great photos needs to travel with Wild4. www.marianherz.zenfolio.com
