Eldar said:
Quite a few of you guys have posted very high quality images from safaris in Africa. Since this seems to be the wildlife and safari thread, I believe many of readers would appreciate some insight into your favorite safaris and also potential warnings of which we should avoid. The numbers of parks and operators are quite big, and most of us will not go on such a trip many times. So a bull´s eye tip would be much appreciated.
Hi Eldar, I mentioned on the 1Dx thread the best places for Leopard, Mala Mala & Londolozi in South Africa, these two have other species of course, especially Elephant, but they specialise in Leopard, Day & most interestingly, night drives spotlighting for Leopard, so practise your Flash Skills for night time shooting if you go.
Botswana, in particular the Okavango Delta, is a great Safari destination, Leopard, Elephant, Lion but due to the Water in Delta you get a lot of Birds, so it's particularly good for the Birders as well. Camps I've stayed in the Delta include Mombo, Jao, Little Vumbura, Duba Plains (specialise in Lion & Buffalo interaction, on water, almost the only place Lions hunt only during the day, only Buffalo & into the water).
Linyanti & Chobe, northern Delta area, Camps I've stayed Duma Tua, Kings Pool (amazing wild dog plus a great sunken Hide next to a water hole for great Elephant shots in the late afternoon while drinking), Zarafa Camp.
Tanzania, great for The Migration, need long Lenses though as once your out onto The Serengeti it's a huge open space, amazing stuff for Wildebeeste, Elephant, Lion and The Crossings in Season of Wildebeeste and Crocodile, hard to beat, places I've stayed Faru Faru, Grumeti River Camp, Ngorongoro Lodge (bit crazy here now, too many visitors, but the Crater is a must see), Sabora Tented Camp (Best place i've seen for actual crossings as it's limited to only 8 Tents, so maximum 16 People at the Crossing), Sasakwa Lodge.
Kenya, I've limited myself to The Masai Mara area, but there's a huge amount to see in Kenya, just be aware that Terrorism has taken an upsurge in the Country, you will have read of the recent Nairobi Mall situation, best to Fly through to your destination same day as arrival without leaving the airport, but places I've stayed David Livingstone Camp, Royal Mara Safari Lodge, Little Governor's Camp. Only real issue I have with The Migration form the Kenya side, is the Crowds, it gets really crowded at the Crossings, sometime 20 to 30 vehicles, then you have to get into the "standing in line" situation where your time at the Crossing is limited by how many vehicles are lined up, a bit like the Tiger viewing in India.
Namibia, great place for the more desolate Imagery, Deserts, Oceans, not a destination for Wildlife, but there is a lot, just not the larger stuff, I totally Love the place though, especially the Northern area for The Himba People, the Skeleton Coast area, The Red Dunes of Sossusvlei, places I've stayed Little Kulala, Sossusvlei Desert Camp, Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp, Serra Cafuma (Amazing for Himba People), Skeleton Coat Camp, Damarland Camp, Anderson's Camp & Little Ongava Camp. Fish River Canyon is worth a Look as well, I ran a 7 Day Ultra Marathon through the area and the Canyon in 2010 finished on the Skeleton Coast, cured my need for anymore ultra Marathons but Beautiful place to see, but better from a Balloon I think.
Hope this gives you a better idea, feel free to PM me if you need more detailed info on any of this.
Feel free to PM me if you want any recommendation on the People I use to arrange my Safaris, this is as important as where your going, making sure you get there hassle free (as much as possible), and importantly, back home.
There is a population of some 300 red deer living wild just north of Copenhagen Denmark. The hinds are in heat in last weeks of September which usually attracts photographers from most of Europe, as has also been the case this year. Shot with a 5D III. C&C is appreciated. Hope you enjoy 
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