Articles on Africa, wildlife and photography
Just ‘cos you’ve got lots of lenses doesn’t mean you have to take them all.
If at all possible, try to take a combination that means you won’t need to constantly be changing lenses. Dust is a massive problem in Africa and every time you change lenses you are opening up both camera and lens to a potential dust invasion.
Probably one of the most frequent questions we get asked by clients is “What lenses should I take on safari?”
This question is not limited to first timers either; because the equipment you need to take depends very much on where you are going and what the conditions will be like. Photographing lions on the plains of Masai Mara requires a different approach to photographing gorillas in the rainforests of Congo or Uganda, and photographing birds is very different to photographing elephants.
So how do you make the right selection?
I love my Nikon gear but, if I take everything I might need I find myself lugging 15kg of equipment. Heading out in the car this is not a problem, but when flights are involved, especially flights in smaller aircraft, this becomes a bit of an issue.
I think I’ve found a workable solution.
This is an update for those of you champing at the bit to get back on safari in Southern Africa.We are passionate about these countries and want to keep you updated on the Covid – 19 travel requirements. What do you need to travel? – General Requirements. Covid-19 PCR Certificate – You are required to have a negative Covid –[…]
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Great news! After a long period of isolation, most of our favourite destinations in Africa are open for tourism again.Visitors are starting to trickle back to Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa and the reports we’ve been receiving are very encouraging indeed. Safari Covid safe The efforts made by our partners on the ground to ensure that all[…]
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It’s been several months since we were able to travel freely and, like me, you are probably itching to get back out on safari. But which countries can you visit? The short answer is ‘not many’. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently advises against all international travel, apart from designated safe corridors. There are no African countries that[…]
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It’s been tough not being able to get out on the Chobe river for the past 3 months as 2020 has seen some of the highest water levels in Botswana for many years.So it is not surprising that there’s been great excitement for our friends at Pangolin Photo Safaris as the lockdown starts to ease for local travellers in Botswana[…]
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Like make other African countries that depend on revenue from tourism, Kenya has been hit very hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with many lodges and camps lying empty in what should be their peak season. Aware that travellers will be looking for both reassurances and incentives to start travelling again, and that they will be competing with other safari destinations,[…]
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Muchenje Safari Lodge are putting new protocols in place as Botswana Government slowly relax the rules and they get ready to welcome guests back . Great news on rate for 2021 as well! The lockdown in Botswana is slowly being relaxed. Both the Government and Muchenje are being extremely cautious as the safety of guests and staff is paramount. All the[…]
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Health and Safety Procedures in relation to COVID-19 at J&M Safaris As we all wait for the time when it is safe for us to start travelling again, Covid-19 has added an extra dimension to our planning. With this in mind all our partners in Africa; lodge and transport operators, are taking steps to ensure that when you do go on[…]
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Zimbabwe is one of our best loved destinations and for several years Imvelo Safari Lodges have been one of our most reliable partners there. They are specialists in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest, and their 4 lodges there offer great safari experiences and amazing value for money. Imvelo are committed to sustaining the community and wildlife through this extraordinary season[…]
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With international travel all but at a standstill and no clear end to the restrictions in sight, most of us have had to rethink the safari travel plans we had booked for 2020.Some of you may have decided that there is no point making plans for your travel until the pandemic has passed and countries have opened up again but[…]
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Sani Pass The Sani Pass is one of those iconic South African locations that sits on so many people’s wish list but so often remains a wish unfulfilled.It provides the only road link between KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho, and is the only road crossing the summit of the high Drakensberg.Originally a mule track, it is still a tortuous, hair-raising road today.[…]
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Botswana has a well deserved reputation as one of Africa’s premier safari destinations, yet there are places that rarely get included in regular safari itineraries and some of them are real gems.One of these hidden gems is Northern Tuli Game Reserve. The Tuli Block is a narrow fringe of land at Botswana’s eastern border wedged between Zimbabwe in the north[…]
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Drive yourself WILD! Botswana is firmly established as one of Africa’s leading safari destinations but some people are deterred from visiting by the fact that a safari in Botswana can be quite pricey.It doesn’t have to be. In previous posts we’ve looked at ways that you can visit this stunning destination without bankrupting yourself, so now let’s look at what[…]
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Interview with Dr Niall McCann, concluding partPart 1 was posted here on 22 October 2019, Part 2 was posted here on 23 October 2019, Part 3 was posted here on 30 October 2019. TMD – We’ve touched on this already, but I’m keen to delve a little deeper. You’re working on the front line of conservation, very much so. In[…]
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The third instalment of our interview with Dr Niall McCann, Director of National Park Rescue.Part 1 was posted here on 22 October 2019Part 2 was posted here on 23 October 2019 TMD – How do you decide when you’re ready to move on? If we take Chizarira as an example, how long would you expect to to be there and[…]
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The first two instalments of our interview with Dr Niall MCCann, founder of National Park Rescue have got quite a few of you reaching for your maps of Zimbabwe, wondering exactly where Chizarira National Park is. It certainly isn’t one of Zimbabwe’s better known parks so we thought a bit of background information would be useful as you read the[…]
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