The WILD HEART OF Botswana:
THe CHOBE, THE OKAVANGO DELTA, and the KALAHARI
GENERAL INFORMATION
Dates // november 21-30, 2028 // 2029 Dates tbA
PRICE // $21,000 (includes single-occupancy lodging)
LIMITED TO SIX PHOTOGRAPHERS
Roughly the size of Texas, the country of Botswana holds three landscapes that have almost nothing in common with each other: a river thick with elephants, a wetland that flows the wrong direction, and a desert dry enough to test anything that tries to live there. This trip runs through all three, back-to-back, because that's the only way to actually see what makes this country different from every other safari destination on the continent.
We start on the Chobe River, where the water does the heavy lifting that most safaris leave to chance. Elephants gather here by the thousand, family herds stacking up along the bank in numbers that are hard to believe until you're sitting in a boat watching it happen in real time. Hippos hold their pools, crocodiles hold their patience, and Africa's densest concentration of fish eagles calls out from every dead tree along the water. Photographed low and close from a custom boat outfitted with custom gimbal-head setups and the ability to get water level, the Chobe stops being a place you visited and turns into a place you remember the sound of.
From there we fly into the Okavango Delta, a genuine hydrological oddity. Rain that falls in the Angolan highlands travels south for months, spreads into a fan of channels and islands the size of a small country, and evaporates into the sand instead of ever reaching an ocean. Lions and leopards move through this maze of palm islands and papyrus with the calm of animals that have simply never had a reason to run from a vehicle, and a doors-off helicopter flight over the floodplain will permanently recalibrate how you think about scale in a landscape photograph. Every photographer will have a chance to photograph the wildlife from overhead, significantly expanding the portfolio of images you’ll head home with.
The Central Kalahari closes the trip, and it earns the position. This is desert in the truest sense. It’s flat, sun-scoured, and home to lions with manes so dark they look painted on, alongside cheetah, brown hyena, and enough oryx and springbok to keep a telephoto lens busy from a sunken photographic hide set at eye level with the waterhole. San trackers here read ground that looks empty to an untrained eye and is, in fact, full of information. After dark, with no light pollution for a hundred miles in any direction, the Kalahari sky becomes its own subject entirely for those who wish to stay up late for it.
Botswana has built its identity around conservation more deliberately than almost any country in Africa. Roughly 40 percent of the land is set aside as national parks, reserves, and wildlife management areas, and safari tourism functions as the economic argument for keeping that land wild instead of converting it to something else. Every night spent in camp here is a small vote for that arrangement continuing to hold.
This is a small, single-occupancy workshop capped at just six photographers (vs. the 8-10 most safaris are built around), and created for photographers who want more than the chance to check things off a list. Who want to leave Botswana understanding a little more biology, a little more ethology, and a lot more about how to get the shot without getting in the animal's way. If you've been saving Botswana for the trip that finally does it right, this is that trip.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Single-occupancy lodging
All scheduled private charter flights between camps
All airport and airstrip transfers at each stop
All meals, snacks, and a well-stocked bar — wine, local beer, spirits, and soft drinks
A thirty-minute doors-off helicopter flight over the Okavango Delta
Twice-daily guided photography activities at each location with a guaranteed window seat and camera mount on every drive
Access to Dinaka's sunken photographic hide
All park fees, concession fees, and bed levies
Daily laundry service
Hands-on instruction and image review throughout the trip — this is a workshop, not just a safari
NOT INCLUDED
International airfare to and from Botswana
Visa and related fees
Lodging before or after the scheduled dates
Items of a personal nature (e.g., laundry, souvenirs)
Travel insurance (highly recommended)
Medical evacuation insurance (required)
Gratuities for local guides and drivers
Incidentals incurred by participants at lodging
Airline baggage fees beyond included bags, fees for excess weight with baggage
Other items not expressly listed as included
Frequently Asked Questions
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Submit the form below to let us know that you’re interested in joining the workshop. Someone from our office will reach out to you with the registration paperwork and invoice for placing your deposit.
Both the registration paperwork and the deposit must be completed before you are officially “registered” for the workshop. Most of our workshops end up with a considerable waiting list, so we allot two business days to complete the process before we move on toward the next person in the queue.
Of course, we’re always happy to answer your questions before signing up, as well. -
Every property on this trip is built around comfort without pretense. We’ll have proper beds, en-suite bathrooms, and thoughtful design rather than anything stuffy or overdone. The lodging is quite comfortable and well-equipped.
You'll have your own private tent or room at each stop, with power to charge gear, and each camp has its own personality: a river-facing hotel on the Chobe with an underground hide and an actual editing room, an open-sided tented camp deep in the Delta with a pool and a fire pit, and a desert camp in the Kalahari built for slowing down after two ecosystems' worth of early mornings.
Meals are full board everywhere we stay and are thoughtfully prepared, usually eaten together at a communal table or under the stars, and paired with a well-stocked bar that includes wine, local beer, spirits, and soft drinks.
You'll eat well, and you'll eat with the group, which tends to be half the fun by day three. -
Overall, our itinerary is fairly light on physical activity, with much of our time spent in custom-designed boats and safari vehicles. This is not an extensive hiking or walking workshop, but you should be able to comfortably carry your own gear unassisted to and from the vehicles. We will be on hand to assist getting in and out of the boats and safari vehicles, as well.
The days are active, but there is downtime in the afternoons, when wildlife are less active.
This trip is rated as Easy-to-Moderate for these reasons.
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Like many other outdoor photography trips, it’s helpful to have some layers and prepare for fluctuating temperatures. The mornings and late evenings can be a little bit cool, but once the sun comes up, temperatures swiftly climb. We recommend wearing lightweight and quick-drying clothing including long pants and long-sleeve shirts.
We send out a comprehensive workshop guide for each one of our trips, filled with information about what to expect for weather, gear recommendations, clothing recommendations, and other details that will help you feel completely prepared.
In addition, we do a group Zoom call about three months ahead of your trip. This allows you to meet everyone before you travel together and ensures that everyone’s questions are answered and we’re all on the same page. -
Absolutely! We welcome non-photographers, as well. However, please note that there is not a discounted price should they decide to join us, as they are filling a spot that would otherwise be booked by another photographer.
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Because the areas that offer the best opportunity for photography are remote and wild, we require medical evacuation insurance. Your chosen independent insurance plan should include at least $250,000 in medical evacuation coverage.
We also strongly recommend general travel insurance, though this coverage is optional. Please feel free to reach out with additional questions. -
A deposit of $5,000, along with a signed registration form, secures your spot on the workshop upfront. After that, there will be three installments with the final balance due on July 24, 2028.
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We understand that cancelling a long-anticipated trip is disappointing. But we, too, plan far ahead before each departure and continuously send non-refundable payments to hotels, other suppliers, and travel partners. Therefore, we must strictly adhere to the cancellation and refund policy. We strongly suggest that you purchase travel insurance in the event that your travel plans change or you need to cancel your trip. The following are the terms of our cancellation and trip change policy:
Cancellation & Refund Policy:
• Deposits are non-refundable after a 10-day grace period.
• If you cancel within the grace period, we will refund your deposit to the original form of payment, minus a $250 administrative fee and any payment processing fees incurred.
• After the grace period, no refunds will be issued unless we can fill your spot. If we can fill your spot, we will issue a refund minus a $250 administrative fee and any payment processing fees incurred. That refund will be issued when the payment for the replacement participant has cleared.
Final Payment Deadlines:
• U.S.-based workshops: Final balance is due 90 days before the start date.
• International workshops: Final balance is due 120 days before the start date.
By booking, you acknowledge and accept these terms. If you have any questions, we’re happy to help clarify before you commit to joining us.