PREDATORS of

PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI with WARREN SAMUELS

Depart: 7th June 2018 | 13 Days A Photographic Marvel you cannot miss… A specialised wildlife photographic safari in some of the most incredible wildlife and nature areas Africa has to offer, led by renowned wildlife cameraman, filmmaker and photographer Warren Samuels.

Botswana is a haven for wildlife and here you will have the opportunity to visit not one, but three amazing areas – Chobe River and , Kwatale Conservancy (perfectly situated between Nxai Pan & Moremi Game Reserve) and the acclaimed Savuti region of Botswana.

Over 12 magical days, Warren will guide you through photographic set ups, positioning, camera settings, best use of light and much more. The camps you will visit are extremely comfortable and we have provided private vehicles at each camp, ensuring no more than 3 photographers per vehicle (one row of seats each) to allow freedom of movement for image taking.

Photo-Safari Highlights • Exceptional prime wildlife areas • Excellent safari camps and service • Private vehicles at each camp with each photographer having a row of seats to him/herself • Inclusive of food, drinks, park fees, local flights and more • Individual rooms / partners welcome • Professional photographic tuition • Extra seat on local Botswana light aircraft flights to accommodate photographic equipment • Amazing campfire stories!!

ITINERARY DAY 1: 7 June Arrive into Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa where you will be met upon arrival and transferred for your overnight stay, ready for your morning flight to Botswana the next day. Arriving to the hotel gives you the opportunity to meet up with your photographic host Warren Samuels - and spend the evening meal discussing the adventure to come.

AFRICAN ROCK HOTEL | JOHANNESBURG 1 NIGHT This exclusive boutique hotel is located 11 km from the Johannesburg International Airport, O.R. Tambo in a quiet suburb of Kempton Park away from the flight path of arriving and departing planes – a perfect overnight stay to prepare you for your onward journey.

Facilities: lounge, bar and dining area, fine dining, outdoor patio, swimming pool, well established garden, 24 hour security

Full en-suite bathrooms with bath and separate shower, air-conditioning, work desk, 2 comfortable, lounge chairs, Bathroom amenities, Hairdryer, Coffee and tea station, Mini bar fridge, Satellite Television (LCD Internet access (Limited Free WiFi access on the entire property), Direct dialling from bedroom telephones.

2 DAY 2: 8 June You will be transferred to OR Tambo Airport for a SAA flight to , Botswana and the beginning of your exclusive photographic safari with Captured In Africa. You and your photographic guide Warren, will be met upon arrival and transferred (via a short tender boat journey) to your first unique photographic exploration.

Please note this important travel information once you land: I. Make sure that you get your passport stamped at the airport when you enter Botswana. There is also a new Botswana Government conservation levy of $30 payable at the airport upon arrival II. You’ll then be met by a representative at the airport who will help with your luggage and transfer you to the Kasane Immigration Office (KIO) in an air-conditioned vehicle III. Once you arrive at KIO, a Zambezi Queen Collection staff member will meet you and help with formalities at passport control as you exit Botswana IV. You’ll then be transferred by a smaller tender boat with a Zambezi Queen Collection staff member to the Namibian Immigration Office V. You then need to get your passport stamped at the Namibian Immigration Office. Please wear comfortable shoes, as there is a short walk to the immigration office

ZAMBEZI QUEEN SAFARIBOAT | CHOBE RIVER 3 NIGHTS Photography from a new perspective…

Moving along the banks of the great Chobe River, Zambezi Queen is a 5-star, 42-metre long luxury houseboat offering unparalleled sophistication in one of the most remote locations on the planet. Best of all, as a guest on the vessel, you can enjoy a truly unique and adventurous river safari holiday while still being surrounded by complete comfort and elegance.

Each of the suites on Zambezi Queen features air-conditioning and your own private balcony, where you can enjoy unobstructed views of the Chobe River and African landscape beyond. Wake up to the sight of an elephant drinking from the river, or watch a fish eagle take flight.

What to expect Unlike a land-based lodge, Zambezi Queen navigates roughly 25km of the Chobe River, allowing you to explore different vantage points and enjoy unparalleled game viewing and of course, photographic opportunities. In fact, the banks of the Chobe National Park boast one of the densest populations of elephant on the African continent - estimated at approximately 120 000. The Park is also home to a large number of buffalo, leopard and lion, along with a variety of antelope and abundant birdlife.

Game viewing on the Chobe River is at its most exceptional from March to November when the weather is drier and the animals are more mobile as they search for food and water. The Chobe is known as a photographer’s paradise and for good reason. The soft early morning light and the sunsets at dusk, combined with striking animal behaviour, make for dramatic and unusual photo opportunities.

Catch sight of huge herds of elephant as they swim across the water, as well as buffalo, lion, crocodile, lechwe, puku, giraffe, zebra, sable, kudu and the occasional leopard as they gather to quench their thirst at watering holes. Besides animal life, you’ll also see a huge variety of birdlife and plant life.

3 We have also included one half-day (scheduled for Sunday 10th June), land based vehicle game drive in Chobe National Park to perfectly compliment your photographic expedition and ensure you get as much experience and images as you can.

Photographic Tender Boat Exclusive to our group will also be use of a photographic tender boat with fitted photographic Gimbals. With this photographic tender, you will have further unique opportunities for photography near the water’s edge and to areas the main boat cannot get to, a real plus for photography and all-round appreciation of nature and the environment you are in.

DAY 5: 11 June Today we transfer back to Kasane airport for a short flight to Maun, where you will be met on arrival and driven by road the short 90 minutes to your next experience, this time in Botswana’s Okavango Delta area, an acclaimed wildlife haven and home to renowned sightings and photo opportunities.

TUSKERS BUSH CAMP | KWATALE CONSERVANCY 4 NIGHTS Tuskers Bush Camp lies between Nxai Pan National Park in the east and Moremi Game Reserve in the west in the Kwatale Conservancy. It encompasses 365 000 hectares of acacia scrub and mopane woodland, plus the northern tip of the Botswana Kalahari, making this exclusive tract of land ideal for game drives.

6 Meru-style canvas safari tents are located between the evergreen mopane trees, looking out into the veld and offering guests seclusion and privacy during their stay. En suite bathrooms comply with the sustainable construction of the camp, with heated bucket showers and eco bush toilets.

The main dining tent, boma, and bar overlook a bustling waterhole, and the free-flow of animals create a wild and untamed ambience throughout. Tuskers is a true canvas bush camp with added luxuries and an emphasis on its sublime location.

FEATURES AND FACILITIES • 6 Classic Meru-style safari tents each sleeping two people with a max of 8 guests • En suite bathrooms with flush-toilet, wash basins, and bucket showers • Safari-style dining tent forming the central area of the camp • Open-air boma/campfire in the main area overlooking the pan • Coffee station in the dining tent • Drinking water provided in rooms, but tap water not palatable • Solar-powered lighting for bedroom and en suite bathrooms • Charging station available for cameras and other devices in camp • WiFi is available in the main area

WILDLIFE PREDATORS: Moremi is renowned for its abundance of predators, and, sharing unfenced borders with the Moremi, the Tuskers concession is home to resident lions, stalking leopards, wild dogs, among others. Hyenas send their eerie calls into the night, and are often discovered lurking around carcasses. The cheetah is a rare and unique big cat, also living in the concession, while the great Nile crocodile lies low in the deeper waters.

4 MAMMALS: Elephants populate this area of Botswana in such great numbers and can be seen ambling contently through the lodge grounds, at the pan in front of the lodge, or bulldozing through the mopane woodlands they like so much. Other mammals that flourish in the concession are Cape buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hippo, lechwe, tsessebe, blue wildebeest, kudu, sable, warthog, and baboon.

BIRDLIFE: The varying habitats offer a smorgasbord of birder’s delights, from water bird species, which are abundant around the pans and lagoons, to grassland birds, raptors, and ground fowls that send a shrieking chorus into the first morning light. Summer brings in the migrant species, which fleck colour through the trees and add unfamiliar calls to the surrounding sounds.

DAY 9: 15 June Departing from your absorbing stay at Tuskers Bush Camp and your next wildlife photography insight awaits. You are transferred back to Maun by road, where you will then fly to your next destination – the amazing Savuti region of Northern Chobe is widely recognised as being a haven for predators and also the endangered wild dog.

CAMP SAVUTI | SAVUTI 4 NIGHTS Camp Savuti epitomises the Botswana safari experience. From the abundant game viewing to the authentic, tented accommodation, this is the traditional way to spend time in one of Africa’s most superb wildlife regions. It is the remote homeground of Camp Savuti, positioned on the banks of the Savuti Channel and close to the famous Savuti Marsh.

The area is renowned for its large population of bull elephants and visiting Camp Savuti offers the chance of witnessing the unique interaction of the resident predator species.

There are 5 Meru-style tents that are raised on wooden decks with private verandas facing onto the Savuti Channel and the marshland beyond. The tents are set apart from each other and from the main lodge, offering privacy and peace for guests in their rooms. The emphasis of this camp is its natural appeal, and eco-friendly ethos, while maintaining a serene level of luxury.

FEATURES AND FACILITIES • 5 Meru-style tents are equipped for comfort and make the most of the scenery with private verandas overlooking the river channel • Raised platforms/viewing decks in rooms • Ensuite bathrooms have both indoor and outdoor bathing facilities with the open-air shower offering something unique and refreshing • Twin or king-size beds have headboards and are adorned with pure cotton linen for comfort, while blankets offer extra warmth in cooler weather • Dining & bar area, as well as small deck located next to the channel, a perfect venue to unwind • There is a library, which guests can make use of if they like • The bar and boma facilities are available for convivial drinks around a fire • Camp Savuti is eco-friendly and uses solar panels to generate power

5 WILDLIFE PREDATORS: The Savuti is one of the best regions in Africa to see the rare and endangered African wild dog. These canines live and hunt in packs and collectively, they are some of the most efficient hunters out there.

Lions are abundant in the Savuti. National Geographic filmmakers, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, have been filming lions and their behaviour in this area for over 2 decades. Years ago, Savuti lions formed huge prides and worked together to take down elephants as prey, and although this behaviour is not seen often any more, there is no telling what could happen in the wild.

Other frequently seen predators are hyena, cheetah, and leopard. Hyena are said to steal up to 20% of all lion kills, and it is well-documented that these two predators are ‘eternal enemies’. Cheetahs are highly endangered and they are also very specialised hunters, while leopards are seen hoisting their prey into the trees.

MAMMALS: The Savuti’s location in the west of the Chobe National Park makes it a home to a great number of mammals. Most significantly, the Savuti boasts a population of elephants quite unlike any other. The marshland and waterways become crowded with elephants during the summer months when the Savuti Channel feeds the land with water.

One of Savuti’s biggest claims to fame is the presence of an annual zebra migration between the Linyanti and the Savuti. With the arrival of the rain comes the migration of thousands of zebra from the Linyanti to the Savuti.

They are not the only ones seeking out the fresh, new grass, and are accompanied by an array of herbivores, like kudu, impala, wildebeest, warthog and hippo. These are only a few mentionables out of the wide variety of mammals, large and small, that are found in the Savuti.

BIRDLIFE: The Chobe National Park as a whole boasts over 450 species of birds, both resident and migratory species. The Savuti Marsh is a 10 000 sq km area and alongside its rich wildlife population, the birdlife is very well represented.

Colourful flocks of carmine bee-eaters celebrate the rainy season and fly about in large numbers as game vehicles trundle through the long grass. Secretary birds with their long legs and quirky feathers strut along the ground and perch on top of trees; kori bustards can be seen and admired for their huge size; thousands of red-billed queleas take off from tree tops in unison and cast shadows on the ground below them; African fish eagles are iconic and can be seen and heard soaring high above the channels and marshlands.

Ground birds like francolins and guinea fowls chirp noisily as they scuttle along, while water birds like storks, herons, lapwings and kingfishers keep watchful eyes on the rivers and waterways.

DAY 13: 19 June Enjoy a final game drive in Savuti and breakfast, before we depart for home. A short flight back to Maun in time for your SAA Airlink flight to OR Tambo Johannesburg (ETA 1540pm INTO Johannesburg ready for your flight home). Alternatively you may wish to spend a final night at the hotel (subject to cost, our team will check this with you at time of booking).

It’s been a journey of photographic discovery, learning, appreciating and shooting wildlife the only way it should be – with a camera. Captured In Africa believe in conservation awareness through the lens – a philosophy we hope you will take home with you and help us conserve and protect our heritage.

6 Book today - 20% deposit secures your place.

INCLUDES: • Services and professional photographic tuition from Warren Samuels for the duration of your itinerary • African rock Hotel: Breakfast, accommodation, complimentary airport transfers “meet and greet” and VAT • Zambezi Queen: Accommodation, All meals, All soft drinks, mineral water, coffee, tea, and local beer & wine throughout your stay, Water-based game viewing and bird watching on tender boats, A land-based cultural tour of a local village, Tiger & bream fishing in season (tiger fishing is strictly catch and release), Road Transfers to and from Kasane Airport and Kasane Immigration Office located on the Botswana side of the Chobe river • Tuskers Bush Camp: All meals, local none premium drinks (house wine, beer, soft drinks), game activities (morning and afternoon/night drives and walking safaris offered between May to September), teas & coffees, bottled water, taxes & Botswana bed levy, emergency medical evacuation insurance • Camp Savuti: All meals, twice daily game drives, local drinks (soft drinks, local beer & house wines), teas & coffees • SAA Airlink Flight Johannesburg – Kasane • SAA Airlink Flight Maun – Johannesburg • Scheduled light aircraft flight between Chobe/Kasane – Maun and Maun – Savuti • Ground Transfer between Maun – Tuskers Bush Camp • Chobe (Zambezi) Community Development Levy per person • Photographic bean bags for use on game drives • Additional seat in light aircraft flights (Kasane – Maun, Maun – Savuti, Savuti – Maun) to accommodate photographic equipment/cameras/lenses etc.

EXCLUDES: • International airfare/flights to Johannesburg and home • Comprehensive travel and medical insurance • Personal gratuities • Items of a personal nature, such as curio/shop purchases, telephone calls • Premium/spirit drinks where not specified as being included • Additional overnight hotel on 19th June should guests require • Any other item not mentioned as included

* Please note, a maximum of 6 guests are permitted on this tour (3 guests per vehicle, with a full row of seats per photographer). TWO guest may be required to share a room/tent at Tuskers Bush Camp and Camp Savuti due to the camp’s small exclusive size. Should there be less than 6 guests, then all guests will have their own room/tent for the duration of the itinerary. * Guests wishing to bring a ‘non-photographer’ partner/wife/husband, may do so on a sharing basis - everyone will enjoy the same activities and the services of our professional photographer. Price in US Dollars, subject to change and currency fluctuations. Terms & Conditions Apply. CONSERVATION AWARENESS THROUGH THE LENS

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