7 days with maximum 8 guests

Dedicated Photo Host in attendance

Only bookable from March – November

4 Scheduled departures per month

Day 1 – 4

The solar-powered Pangolin Voyager Houseboat cruises up and down a long stretch of the Chobe River from where you can view all the animals that frequent the beautiful Chobe National Park. The Houseboat spends one night each, at three dedicated mooring points, depending on the water levels and conditions of the river.

This beautiful Chobe ‘floating lodge’ is built over two floors. It offers five cabins at the bottom, with a dining and lounge area leading to a glorious viewing deck on the upper floor, where you can watch the sun rise with an early morning coffee, or relax mid-afternoon with a book or two, and to do some star gazing after dinner.

After an early morning cruise spotting animals all along the Chobe river, guests return to the houseboat to enjoy a hearty brunch as we set sail for our next destination along the river. We encourage all guests to keep their cameras handy, as we often have photo opportunities during these cruises. You are welcome to relax in the lounge area, at the sun deck, in your cabin, or you can join the photo host at the dining table for an image review of your pictures you took so far. These photo host sessions are not about post-production and editing, but more about analysing your images and seeing how the photo host can help you to improve your techniques. There are no computers or laptops for you to use, so please bring your own laptops to join in these sessions.

A few hours before sunset, we head out again from our new mooring point to see what animals and nature we can find to photograph, leading up to the “golden hour” which is the best photo opportunity of the day. We always take refreshments on our cruises to keep you well hydrated, especially for Sundowners! Dinner is a three-course meal, lovingly prepared with local ingredients and enjoyed around the dining table. All meals and drinks are included in your package at both properties. With the Chobe National Park on the opposite river bank, you often hear lions roaring and the call of hyenas at night! This is truly Africa.

On the fourth day, we disembark the Chobe River Houseboat with a boat transfer to Kasane Immigration, where you will ‘re-enter Botswana’, before heading to The Pangolin Chobe Hotel in Kasane for the next part of your safari.

Day 4 – 7

Being on the Botswana side, you can partake in game drives inside the park and at the Southern Channel, which is inaccessible from the Namibian side.

By this time, guests will have improved their photography and will be feeling confident taking pictures on the manual camera settings, giving you more creative control over your images. More time will be spend at wildlife sightings, perfecting various photographic techniques.

The Hotel offers fourteen en-suite, air-conditioned rooms with ample charging points and plenty of space for cameras and laptops. Each room has a private balcony with a side table to relax and enjoy the views from the plateau overlooking the Chobe River and the Caprivi floodplains.

As the entrance to the Chobe National Park is situated in close proximity to the lodge, it ensures that the game drive vehicles are sometimes the first to enter the park each morning. The game viewers all seat 8 guests, ensuring everyone has a window seat and a camera rest to support your camera lenses. Pangolin Chobe Hotel’s photo boats are moored on the Chobe River right below the hotel, and it is a quick 5 minute road transfer to get to the boats and then straight into the park. Once again, you will be accompanied on your activities with your same Photo Host.

Please note: This Photo Safari package provides a Canon mirrorless camera complete with a powerful telephoto lens. If you’d like to use a second camera body, or if you’re travelling with someone who doesn’t own a camera, it’s already included in the package price, along with a handful of memory cards for your images. Many non-photographers accompany our safaris, and they always appreciate the chance to work with cameras of this standard. Before long, they are capturing professional-quality shots with ease!

Meals are taken as often as you’d like out on the deck or at the inter-leading dining room with great local chefs. Dinners vary from Braai (BBQ) nights to delicious pizzas served warm out of our wood-fired oven. The Pangolin bar on the upper floor offers spectacular views and has the best cocktails in Kasane! Alternatively, you can relax around the sunken fire pit.

At the end of this safari, you will be a far better photographer than when you arrived. You will have a complete understanding of the functions on the camera and how to use them in various situations for a maximum creative effect. Besides that, you will also have a fistful of memory cards full of stunning memories and images that you will treasure forever. All the photographic skills you will learn, will apply to all photo situations as we advance, beyond wildlife photography. If you were always meant to sign up for a photo course and never got around to doing it, then this is the perfect Photo Safari for you! On the final day, you will be transferred to Kasane airport to catch your departing flight home.