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:
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Instagram: mpwildlife
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Facebook: Mateusz Piesiak Wildlife Photography
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TikTok: @mateuszpiesiak
Accommodations and Vehicles
Itinerary
Price list
Gallery
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!”
“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.”
“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.”
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