Wild Encounter Safaris was born from the passion and deep appreciation for wildlife of one person, and your tour leader, Artur Stankiewicz. In his teen years, he strolled through the marshes and forests of SW Poland with a film camera documenting local bird life.
His passion for nature later led to university studies in geology, achieving a Ph.D. in this most diverse of natural sciences. Over the years while working for large corporations, Artur spent every minute of his free time travelling, visiting various habitats and ecosystems in the Americas, Europe and Africa. His love for African wildlife grew with every visit to the continent and a few years ago, an important decision was born to share his passion for wildlife and photography with friends, colleagues and fellow nature enthusiasts.
While visiting most of the African ‘target’ safari countries many times, he became especially fond of Botswana. It represents a genuine wilderness with its diverse and unique habitats and is limited to few visitors. The above factors allow for unforgettable experiences of being up close and personal with wildlife.
Artur Stankiewicz
arturstankiewicz.com
Photographer
Ph.D. Geologist & Geochemist
Founder of Wild Encounter Safaris
Following every visit, Artur learns animal behaviours, develops empathy and advances the skills needed to share this knowledge with others. Together with amazing local guides and trackers, he’s able to ensure that everyone visiting will discover local wildlife and better understand animal behaviours and habits.
Artur carefully selects destinations by personal visits, assuring that all who decide to entrust him with their ‘trip of a lifetime’ will have the best value in every destination and will create incredible memories. His goal is to spark the light of passion for African wildlife in everyone and garner support for conservation of these exquisite habitats.
Over the years Artur has also been perfecting his wildlife photography skills, learning by constantly practicing, observing great wildlife photographers in Americas and Africa. Now he is offering dedicated trips for enthusiasts of wildlife photography (both advanced and beginners). The key of his photographic safaris is to bring everyone’s lens in front of amazing animal activities and situations while exploring the role of light in wildlife photography. He looks for unique settings and never misses the ‘golden lighting’ opportunities provided by early morning and late afternoon sun. The photo tutorials offered are on an as required basis and are adjusted to everyone’s levels and needs.
Artur’s photos have been awarded and recognized in such prestigious wildlife photography contests as SIPA, NPOTY, BPOTY, APOY, Memorial Maria Luisa or MontPhoto.
Testimonials
“How carefree it was to be able to go on a trip where all of the logistics have been meticulously sorted for us down to the very last detail by a perfectionist like Artur. We had the most incredible time on safari. If we had made a list of all we’d hoped to see and to experience, the list would have been exceeded in all respects. This was not, however, “tick it off the list” safari where just spotting the animals was the goal. Instead, we were able to take time to follow magnificent wild creatures like lions, cheetahs, wild painted dogs, elephants and leopards and observe their behaviour. It was very much an emotional investment. With an expert photographer’s eye, Artur was always careful to ensure we all had the best possible vantage for viewing and for photography. Last but certainly not least the camp accommodations including the food were superb, thanks to the attentive staff. Great work Artur! Many thanks.”
“I don’t think I would have made the leap to do a safari at this point in my life. Artur is the reason I could take this trip without the stress of planning or worrying something would go wrong. I trusted he had all the details sorted out. He answered my many questions and provided more than enough information and tips. Since I did not do my usual research we did not know exactly what to expect. I can say that everything from the accommodations, food, camp staff, trackers, guides and most importantly the animals was phenomenal. I actually didn’t mind getting up before sunrise every day. I was excited for the next adventure each day. The connection with nature and the beautiful skies and stars was a much needed retreat from the world. The animal interactions we saw were fascinating – their interconnected roles and complex social structures were like the best version of reality TV. We were connected to the characters, rooting for them and eagerly awaiting to tune back in the next day. I recommend this experience to anyone but only if you go with Artur as your Tour leader.”
