Trip Report: Ultimate Botswana Wildlife Safari - June 2024

For the wildlife photographer, there really is nowhere that compares to Africa. The sheer number of species you can photograph is downright staggering. While Africa offers many countries and ecosystems that are excellent for safaris, Botswana remains one of my favorites. From the lush Okavango Delta to the sandstone formations of Mashatu, Botswana has so many great places to photograph Africa’s iconic animals.

This would be my third trip to Botswana and I was eager to share these beautiful locations with our group of six intrepid travelers. Beginning our journey in Johannesburg South Africa, we boarded our first flight to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. The Okavango is a vast inland river delta where sprawling grasslands experience seasonal flooding turning the landscape into a lush habitat for wildlife. It is unquestionably one of the premier locations for safaris in southern Africa.

From Maun, we took a private charter flight to the heart of the delta. I watched out the window as the dry landscape below gave way to more and more water. Soon we were flying over a huge network of waterways and grasslands. Upon landing on a small dirt airstrip, we were met by our safari guides and their extremely capable Toyota Land cruisers, the vehicle of African  
bush.

We got our cameras out and got straight to work. What should have been a relatively short drive to camp stretched out late into the afternoon as we shot our way in. We couldn’t believe the amount of species we encountered in such a short period of time. Zebra, red lechwe, wildebeest, baboons, and a lion practically before we had left the “airport”. This was gonna be fun.

Over the next several days we settled into the rhythm of the bush. Morning and evening safaris were punctuated by excellent home-cooked food and afternoons fine-tuning our processing skills in Lightroom. Our camp was right on the water, offering peaceful views and birds coming and going throughout the day. An elephant wandering through camp reminded us just how wild the delta really is. It is easy to fall in love with the safari experience.

On the last afternoon drive, we were scanning the territory of a known leopard, hopeful to make contact with her. We stopped for a troupe of baboons and then again for a lone elephant. No sign of any cats. We were beginning to resign ourselves to the fact that she may be sleeping deep in the shadows. As we continued down the road I saw a warthog trotting through the tall grasses. “That is cool” I thought. “Wait”, my brain immediately shifted, “Are those spots?” 

There she was, one of the most beautiful specimens of leopard I have ever seen. We followed her for some time as she stalked a few red lechwe before settling down on a termite mound. Our vehicles were the only ones around, so we had her all to ourselves. As the sun began to set, she got up and began to walk through the grasses. We were able to follow her as she walked in and out of the gorgeous sunset light. The shutters were flying and we all were able to make some really nice images. What a way to end our time in the Okavango! 

The next morning we returned to the airstrip for our charter flight to Chobe National Park. This leg of the trip would be very different from the rest as all of our safaris would be by boat. The Chobe River is a massive waterway that separates Botswana and Namibia and is a busy wildlife corridor. We work with local partners here who specialize in photo safaris. This is a huge advantage for us in so many ways. The boats we use are outfitted with special gimbals for our telephoto lenses that provide quick 360-degree views. We were thrilled to be photographing this new ecosystem. 

For the next couple of days, we worked our way up and down the river. Elephants, cape buffalo, crocodiles, and hippos were everywhere! We even saw a massive male lion walking the shores of the river one morning. The highlight was on the last night when we came upon a massive herd of elephants near sunset. We watched them for some time, repositioning the boat often to get better angles for photos. Eventually, they began to cross slowly under the setting sun. One by one, they crossed while our cameras were working overtime. Off in the distance, we could see the last elephant in the group slowly moving toward us. We knew this was going to be the shot of the day. We got into position and made sure everyone’s settings were correct. As the straggler made his way over to the rest of the elephants, we were able to capture his silhouette below the setting sun. A shot that represents the iconic Africa that we all love. Moral was high that night at dinner having nailed a shot like that!  

The next day we left Chobe for our final destination: Mashatu Game Reserve. Mashatu is a large reserve in eastern Botswana and provides a much different landscape than our previous two locations. Here the terrain is hilly, filled with sandstone outcroppings and large Mashatu trees dotting the landscape. This reserve is full of big cats and has more elephants than anywhere else I have been in Africa.

We landed and were immediately taken to a giant Mashatu tree where we were treated to high tea and snacks. After we got our cameras out and began our drive, we were almost immediately on a young male leopard. This would be a sign of things to come as we were incredibly lucky with our leopard and lion sightings during our time in Mashatu.  

One of the best things about our trips here is the opportunity to use the elephant hide. The hide is a shipping container halfway buried in front of a small watering hole. This gives us the chance to photograph many different animals very close and at ground level. We saw many different antelope, baboons, warthogs, and birds come by for a drink. The highlight, however, is the herds of elephants that come through. They are so fun and charismatic. The only issue is trying to keep the mud off your lens as they splash around in the water mere feet away! 

After a few days at Mashatu, we made our way back to Johannesburg for our flights home. Our memory cards and hearts were full after all the amazing experiences we had. Africa is one of those places that just sticks with you long after you leave. I am already looking forward to the day I can return!