Amazing photo-safari • Okavango at best

Tour Highlights

Trip led by renowned wildlife photographers - Mateusz Piesiak and Artur Stankiewicz
All inclusive itinerary (luxury accommodation, excellent food, drinks, laundry, internal flights and drives)
Okavango during a green season - two concession for the in-depth experience
Very rich predator area - leopards, prides of lions, wild dogs and cheetahs
Elephant and buffalo herds, elusive sable and roan antelopes
Nocturnal species during night drives
Private, wilderness experience with off-road access and few vehicles around
Maximum 3 photographers per vehicle
Photo tutorials during game drives and review of your work in the evenings
Countless opportunities to capture unbelievable photos

Who should consider?

Wildlife photographers of all skills, as well as enthusiasts of photography who would like to capture incredible wildlife moments on camera and media to share and remember for years to come.

Anyone who would like to experience a bespoke, wildlife behaviour-focused safari with carefully selected, proven and comfortable accommodations led by passionate, and excellent wildlife photographers.

Everyone who is looking for a very low density of visitors and vehicles, and expects to experience an unspoiled wilderness.

Anyone who would like to spend time learning animal behaviors, getting to know species and individuals, stay in one area rather than traveling, designing their dream photographs.

What to Expect?

Understated luxury during the time back in the camp with tasteful food and always helpful staff.

Sunny, warm days (up 35 C) with possible thunderstorms – it will be middle of a green season so, changing weather may be a desired factor providing dramatic settings for our photography.

We plan to spend a maximum amount of time in the field, looking for great sightings, understanding animal behaviour, spending time with wildlife rather than ‘chasing’ species.

Focus on one, wildlife-rich concession in the Delta will allow for the in-depth understanding of individual species behaviour and well thought-through photography.

We will leave our camp before sunrise, after coffee, and may return for lunch or as needed – flexibility in our schedule will be a key. We will come back well after sunset and a sundowner in the field. It is not a bootcamp, but we also don’t won’t to miss amazing sightings.

We will ensure that both, novice and advanced fans of photography will have opportunities to capture amazing pictures and video clips.

Both photo-guides, Mateusz and Artur, will rotate between 2 vehicles ensuring everyone will receive support needed during game drives.

Inclusions & Exclusions

Inclusion

All local air transfers from Maun to the camps
Accommodation on shared basis (limited single supplements available)
All meals, drinks (incl. alcoholic) and laundry
Safari activities - road and water
Two vehicles exclusive for our group (max 3 persons per vehicle)
All tourism levies, relevant taxes, park fees
Professional guiding and photography tutoring by renowned Mateusz Piesiak and Artur Stankiewicz
Online support, travel and preparation advice ahead of the trip

Exclusion

International flights from home to Maun, Botswana
Visas
Travel insurance
Gratuities and tips

Destinations and Wildlife at a Glance

We will stay in two, fantastic, neighbouring wildlife concession in the vast Okavango Delta. It is the area very rich in predators, often used by filming crews of NatGeo or BBC. It will be all about getting familiar with the area, learning animals and their behaviours, getting to know individual predators, thinking about photo opportunities, designing and executing our photos.

The key species that we focus on include big cats (lions, especially leopards, cheetah), buffalos and elephants. However, these are also areas where we often see shy antelopes such as Sable, Roan or Eland. Large herds of red lechwe grace marsh areas, while the general games such as giraffes, zebras, impala and wildebeest are found behind ‘every corner’. Nocturnal ’regulars’ that are spotted during evening drives include civet, genet or African wildcat. Spending quality time with elephants or looking for a photo opportunities around hippo pools will also be on our agenda.

Your guide

Artur Stankiewicz

Is a seasoned organizer of bespoke nature and wildlife adventures, with a solid knowledge of the African continent and wild animal behaviors that he will share during the trip. He is also a passionate wildlife photographer who’s work has been recognized in many international wildlife photo contests and published in various media. Artur offers photo tutorials during the trip on as required basis which he adjusts to everyone’s needs and desires.

Other guides

Mateusz Piesiak

Mateusz is a very accomplished wildlife photographer based in Poland. Fascinated by nature, he has been documenting unique moments of animals for over 15 years experimenting with light and composition, trying to capture images that inspire.

In his work he spends hours of preparation, observation and learning about animals – to be able to sneak into the world of nature and document unique behaviors, and extraordinary moments that often last only a fraction of a second.

His works have been awarded in numerous competitions, notably the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Siena International Photography Awards, GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year and published in magazines such as The Guardian, BBC Wildlife Magazine.

For more of Mateusz’s works visit his website www.mateuszpiesiak.pl.

Social media:

Instagram: mpwildlife
Facebook: Mateusz Piesiak Wildlife Photography
TikTok: @mateuszpiesiak

Accommodations and Vehicles

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Camps

We will stay in two camps operated by the Kwando Safaris and Natural Selections - our favorite group of camps in Botswana. All the camps we utilize are in private concession areas where off-road driving allows for the highest quality game-viewing and ensures that diversity of species can be seen. While both concessions are not particularly extensive, they offer an unprecedented predator sightings and low guest density providing a truly unspoiled experience. Guest tents are usually canvas-walled but raised off the ground with hardwood flooring, housing real beds and other furniture, and featuring ensuite bathrooms with full plumbing. All camps have small pools, lavish central lounges and high quality of food and service.

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Okavango

In Okavango we will stay in concessions known for its amazing leopards sighting. The locations remain far superior to many other Okavango areas, and provide an excellent opportunities to see large mammals such as elephants and buffalo, hippos from the water level all the way to predators such as leopards, lions, wild dogs and cheetahs.

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Vehicles

Vehicles that we will be using are open offering a full, unobstructed viewing. On our photographic safaris we allow max. 3 photographers in a vehicle.

Itinerary

Arrival Maun, Botswana and transfer to the airstrip via local plane (30 min flight). Check into the camp and the afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight stay at the camp.

Breakfast before sunrise following exploration of the area from a very early morning to late evenings. Lunches in the field or in the camp, depending on the action and proximity to the camp. We will be following big cats, especially leopards, lions or wild dogs in their daily activities hoping to witness hunts. We plan to spend some time with elephants and other large mammals. Evenings drives in search of nocturnal species. We will work on designing dream shots and executing them in the field - weather/animals permitting. We will also practice astrophotography during clear sky nights. Dinners at the camp.

After morning drive we will road transfer to our second camp several kilometers away where we will spend next 4 days. Lunch in the new camp and afternoon drive.

After a final early breakfast, we will go on our last morning drive, after which we will depart to Maun on a local flight (ca. 30 minutes) to catch our 2:30 pm return flights to Johannesburg or Cape Town.

Price list

Price per person sharing (some single supplements available)

Price:

$9350

Deposit:

$2750

Gallery

Lions chasing each other in front of safari vehicle in Linyanti Botswana

Portrait of a male lion after sunset in Okavango

Old male leopard sleeping on a tree in Linyanti

Elephant family drinking from a waterhole in Linyanti

Cheetah male scanning the grassland for pray in Okavango

Male lion drinking water at sunrise in Okavango

Female leopard at sunset walking along the bank of Kwando river in Linyanti

Male lion at sunrise among reeds of Linyanti marshes

Young male leopard relaxing on a tree in Okavango

Lioness and lion during the sunrise in Linyanti Botswana

Two African painted dogs playing on a sand of Okavango – Botswana photo safari

Little lion cub playing on a log in Linyanti

Spotted hyena among the dry grass in Okavango

Male lion resting at sunrise in Okavango

Female leopard under the log with the flies swarm over his head in Okavango

Pregnant lioness drinking from a pool in Linyanti

Elephant with broken tusks standing on a grass on the background of a blue sky in Botswana

Testimonials

‘I am an amateur photographer and really enjoyed the trip with Wild Encounter Safaris in January 2020. It was the rainy/low season in Botswana and this proved to be an excellent time to see the wildlife in very privileged conditions. As a photographer it was a joy travelling with a group of like-minded individuals. Artur made sure to maximise our photo opportunities and to guide the group to anticipate better conditions and vantage points. This was particularly valuable in dynamic situations – when we followed lions or wild dogs hunting, or found ourselves in unique sightings of Aardwolf, brown hyenas or Aardvark. This was a very satisfying trip for a keen photographer!”

Bernard

London, UK (January 2020)

“Artur is an extremely knowledgeable guide who knows the best spots to observe and photograph wildlife in iconic African scenery. He took us to places where sometimes we were the only group to witness leopards climbing out of trees to hunt, lion cubs roughhousing with each other, and cheetahs pursuing antelopes over the grasslands. Migrating wildebeests and zebras surrounded us at times in massive herds that stretched to the horizon. We saw the Big Five, the Ugly Five, and everything in between as Artur tailored each day’s activities to requests from the group, including a visit to the Olduvai Gorge museum of early human fossils and footprints. I highly recommend this trip to anyone interested in Serengeti animals and habitats.”

Dallam Masterson

Houston, Texas, USA (March 2022)

“Last January I joined Wild Encounter Safaris on the Green Season photography trip in Botswana. We visited three different habitats and had the opportunity to observe a wide array of wildlife, including unique experiences such as the Meerkat colony we visited, rare sightings such as brown hyena and wild dogs, as well as the interaction between animals. Artur aims for perfection and was anticipating every move of any animal we were tracking, which allowed us to get the best position to shoot. Technical tips were eagerly shared, and this allowed me to continuously improve my skills. The trip was meticulously planned, with a great selection of wildlife reserves and concessions, accommodation was conveniently located and very comfortable; everything went smooth start to finish. This was a great trip that I would recommend to any keen wildlife photographer.”

Jan

Belgium (January 2020)