Photo Safari
Photo safari has become the buzz-word among nature lovers. With the gaining popularity of digital photography, a photo safari is now within reach of more tourists. Why just look at the game when you can also photograph them? Keeping the photographs for future reference and posterity has become the in thing. Every time you look at the photographs, you revisit the moment and then all the other memories come flooding back. Special moments, when you saw a specific animal or bird, or a sunrise or sunset, a candle light dinner or just relaxing at the pool. A photo safari in Africa is especially popular. Here you can see the big five, lots and lots of other mammals, birds, reptiles and insects, not to mention the flora. You can visit a national park or nature conservancy - just check beforehand with a reputable safari guide if it will meet your requirements and needs.
In Africa, there are many different environments to choose from: one can go to the drier south west, subtropical south east, tropical areas close to the equator, or north to the Sahara desert. There are thousands of miles of coast line, beautiful rivers, savannah, forests and semi arid areas to choose from before you decide to brave the deserts. There are some images in and around Africa that have captured the imaginations of people all over the world. Lions, leopards and hyenas among the predators, giraffes, elephants and rhinoceros among the other mammals, pythons and crocodiles among the reptiles, eagles, owls and barbets among the birds - each sighting a photographic opportunity, making every photo safari a dream come true. However, a photo safari can be a lot of hard work too. One has to plan properly to maximize ones opportunity to see what you want to see.
Then travelling in Africa is not for sissies, it can be harrowing, especially at border controls and then, when you’ve reached your destination, the best times for photography are the hours around sunrise and sunset, which means one has to get up very early and keep going to the late afternoon. The thing is, one would not do this if you weren’t passionate about it - a photo safari is not for the lazy traveller. The proof is always in the pudding (tasting) and the final images will speak for themselves. Chances are that one will get that special image where everything comes together - an award winner. That is what a photo safari is all about!