BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI

Max no. of guests:

6

Duration:

17 Days/16 Nights

Port of Arrival/ Departure:

Cape Town/ Port Elizabeth

Dates:

All year

Price:

Dependent on pax

Overview

South Africa is one of the world's best destinations for wildlife lovers; a treasure nestled at the southern tip of the abundant African continent. Visitors from all over the world venture to the ‘Rainbow Nation’ to take advantage of the breathtaking scenery, rich culture, outstanding hospitality, and diverse array of wildlife.

The landscapes of South Africa offer the full spectrum of biomes from arid deserts to rich green forests, making them ideal for thousands of different species. Famed for its national parks and big game, South Africa is home to 297 mammal species, as well as 858 species of bird and over 20,000 species of vascular plants. The shores of South Africa are home to an abundance of fascinating marine animals including great white sharks, southern right whales, humpback whales, orca, and dolphins.

Dive deep into South Africa’s incredible areas of outstanding natural beauty where you will experience unique and intimate encounters with wildlife whilst learning how to capture incredible pictures under the guidance of an experienced photographic instructor.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival at Cape Town International Airport

Our driver will be waiting for you at the airport to transfer you to your hotel before your adventure begins the next morning. Your guide and photographic instructor will meet you upon arrival at your hotel to give you the briefing and all the necessary information regarding your tour and answer any questions that you might have.

Days 2, 3, & 4: Cape Town

Your first day in Cape Town will begin with a trip to one of the world’s most famous peaks, Table Mountain. You’ll take a leisurely cable car ride to the summit where you can enjoy stunning panoramic vistas of the city including a view of the Lion’s Head. here you’ll have the opportunity to take pictures of the mountain top’s resident dassies and lizards. In the afternoon, you’ll head on a guided tour to Robben Island where former President Nelson Mandela spent the first 18 years of his 27-year sentence imprisoned. On day 3, you’ll take a peninsula tour which will include a boat trip to see one of the local Cape fur seal colonies, a scenic drive and stop off at Chapman’s peak, entrance to Cape Point Nature Reserve, and an incredible encounter with hundreds of endangered African penguins at the famous Boulder’s Beach. On the final day in Cape Town, we’ll head out to wine country, visiting several estates for a delicious South African wine tasting and food pairing experience.

Days 5 & 6: Hermanus

A bus will pick you up from your hotel early in the morning and head straight to Gansbaai, the most famous great white shark hotspot in the world. You’ll set out onto the open water and cage dive with the most notorious fish in the sea before heading back to your hotel in the picturesque seaside town of Hermanus. On the second day in Hermanus, you’ll hop aboard another boat and head to Walker Bay to witness southern right whales that have migrated from Antarctica. You may also spot other whale species like humpbacks as well as dolphins, seabirds, and if you’re really lucky, orca. Note that the best time to see southern right whales is June to November. Your photographic instructor will continue to give useful tips on how to capture incredible images and conduct image reviews each evening to help prepare you for future wildlife encounters on the tour.

Day 7: Hermanus - Plettenberg Bay

In the morning you will have the chance to explore the charming little town of Hermanus and head to the beachfront to take some landscape shots of the magnificent surroundings. Your private vehicle will collect you around noon and transfer you to Plettenberg Bay via Knysna for a spot of lunch. The journey will take up most of the day before checking in to your hotel which will be situated a stone’s throw from the vast golden sand beach. Spend the evening on a leisurely evening walk along the shore and enjoy a sea view dinner whilst looking out for whales, seals, and dolphins.

Day 8: Plettenberg Bay - Port Elizabeth

On day 8, you’ll have the morning to explore Robberg Nature Reserve which is home to smaller wildlife species such as dassies, reptiles, birds, and small antelope like grey duiker. You’ll also enjoy views of the local seal colony and have the chance to enjoy the beautiful golden sand beaches that line the peninsula. Robberg is also one of the only places in the world where from the land you can witness great white sharks hunting seals. In the late afternoon, you will head to Port Elizabeth for an overnight stay before heading off to Shamwari Private Game Reserve the next morning for the trip’s pièce de résistance. Your guide and photographic instructor will accompany you, continuing to help develop your photographic skills and review your images at the end of each day.

Days 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, & 15: Shamwari Game Reserve

You will be picked up from your hotel in Port Elizabeth and transferred to the world-famous Shamwari Private Game Reserve. Over the next seven days, you will take morning and afternoon game drives where you will have bountiful opportunities to witness and photograph iconic species including elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, cheetah, buffalo, hyenas, giraffe, zebra, hippos, crocodiles, and much more. At this stage of the trip, you will have already learned the basics behind wildlife photography and will continue to develop your skills ensuring that you leave with the pictures you always dreamed of capturing. In the remote wilderness, we’ll also go over some astrophotography basics and learn some of the southern constellations. You’ll spend each evening in a camp where you will have more one-on-one time with your photographic instructor for image review, tips, and advice.

Day 16: Back to Port Elizabeth

On the final day in Shamwari, you’ll take a short morning game drive to capture your last few shots before journeying back to Port Elizabeth and spending the night at your hotel where you can enjoy a massage at the spa and wellness center. Join your tour leader for a debrief session including image review and post-processing tips that will help you to edit your images to perfection.

Day 17: Departure

Unfortunately, your trip has come to an end. You will be transferred from your hotel to Port Elizabeth International Airport in time to make your flight back home.

Accommodation

We have selected some of South Africa’s best budget accommodations to ensure your trip will leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.

The price of the trip depends on 2 people sharing one room. Single supplement is available at different rates.

  • Cape Town - Radisson RED V&A Waterfront 4* (mountain-facing room)

  • Hermanus - Harbour Square Hotel 4* (sea-facing room)

  • Plettenberg Bay - Plett Beachfront B&B 3*

  • Port Elizabeth - Radisson Blu 5* (sea-facing room)

  • Shamwari Game Reserve - Proctors Safari Lodge

Is this safari for you?

The safari is suited to beginner and mid-level photographers, but all levels are welcome. Our tour leader has excellent experience guiding across East and Southern Africa as well as in photographic instruction. You will visit the best spots for photographing wildlife and every tour offers a low client-leader ratio which allows for increased personal attention and customized guidance to help you enhance your photography skills.

Throughout the trip, you will be taught all the ingredients that contribute toward the highest level of wildlife photography. Our experienced tour leader will show you the creative techniques that will help set your images apart from the rest. Furthermore, we’ll also cover traditional techniques like focussing, action, portraits, and composition.

Following our game drives, you will also learn about post-processing and take part in image review sessions. The purpose of our tours is to maximize your experience and ensure you leave us with the pictures you’ve always wanted.

What’s Included?

Included

  • All domestic transfers (including the airport) in a private sedan/minibus

  • Photographic guide and tuition

  • All accommodation with breakfast

  • All meals at Shamwari Private Game Reserve

  • All activities and entrance fees

  • At least 1 pair of binoculars in the car

  • Field guide books

  • Pre-trip brief and post-trip debrief

  • Lightroom presets

 

Not Included

  • International flights to/from South Africa

  • Meals and drinks unless stated otherwise

  • Visa fee upon arrival

  • Travel and medical insurance

  • Telephone bills

  • Items of personal nature

  • Souvenirs

  • Alcoholic beverages

  • Porterage at hotels/lodges

  • Tips

DOMESTIC TRANSFERS

Airport pickup and drop-off will be by private taxi.

All transfers throughout the trip will be in a private sedan or minibus depending on the number of participants. You will be picked up and dropped off at each accommodation.

The safari at Shamwari Private Game Reserve will take place in a private 4x4 vehicle.

Our Values

While our tour leader also takes pictures during the trip, the photography of our guests always comes first, and we will always ensure that you have the right of way.

As a responsible tour operator, we respect the natural environment, and the welfare of wildlife will always come first. We abide by guidelines that make sure the animals are not disturbed or impeded by our presence.

Reservations and payments

The reservation is considered formalized with the deposit payment of 50% of the tour price. Final payment must be made 30 days prior to the departure date of the trip.

Travel contract

When the reservation is considered formalised (payment in deposit), we will send a travel contract for you to return signed.

Cancellation policy

A deposit of 50% of the total cost is applied if the booking is made more than 30 days before the trip. For the bookings made less than 30 days before the trip, the price is charged in full amount.

The following penalties will be applied if the trip is canceled by the traveler:

61 or more days before the trip: No penalty. Deposit returned.

30 days before the trip: Loss of deposit.

29 days or less: Mostly dependent on individual hotel policies.

If the cancellation is made by the company, all payments will be refunded.

***Please note that our cancellation policy will mostly be determined by hotel cancellation policies.

Financial Protection

The payments for this tour are made through Nutshell Travel meaning you have the financial protection of booking through a registered tour operator. Please download our terms and conditions here.

Covid-19 Guarantee

We understand the global pandemic scenario, that's why we want to bring security to all our guests when booking a trip. If there is any COVID-related cancellation Nutshell Travel compromises to do its best to refund all the payments made. Even if we can't guarantee a 100% refund due to the cancelation policies of some lodges and camps, we will return all payments that are not compromised with cancelation fees made by third parties. Also, when possible, we will actively work for rescheduling trips with the least costs possible for our customers. We highly recommend our guests upgrade their travel insurance in order to cover all COVID-related cancellations.

REVIEWS

“I’ve traveled across most of the world, but this was hands down the best trip I’ve ever been on. The itinerary was brilliantly put together with a nice mix of cultural and wildlife experiences. Leigh is a really knowledgeable guide and he helped me to develop my photography skills and capture some amazing images along the journey!”
- Sara, Croatia

Bookings

Our tour groups are small, allowing for a maximum of 6 participants so space is very limited.

Single supplements are optional for those who wish to have their own room. Alternatively, single travelers of the same gender will be paired with one another.

To reserve your spot on this incredible journey, please fill out the contact form below.