First timers to Africa … and they went all in!

When this couple from Sydney, Australia decided to embark on a grand African adventure, they came to us to plan the trip. Neither had been to Africa before, so we wanted to give them as much variety as possible — iconic landmarks, a wide variety of wildlife, a remote experience and a bustling city experience. He had recently taken up wildlife photography, and she was keen to give it a try. Following the well-trodden path of explorers of a bygone era, we mapped a photo safari from Victoria Falls to Cape Town, with the Chobe and Okavango in between.

This was how we put it together.

The couple started their journey in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe with 3 nights at the Palm River Hotel on the banks of the Zambezi. The hotel offered a complimentary shuttle directly to the Falls – one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – where they took a Guided Tour with excellent photographic opportunities. The hotel stay included breakfast and afternoon tea and the couple also added a sunset river cruise and a 20-minute helicopter flight over the Falls to their itinerary. The Hotel offered expansive gardens and an infinity pool as well as a riverfront restaurant, with plenty of wildlife sightings available from all areas.

A short road transfer across the border brought them into Botswana, and 3 nights at The Pangolin Chobe Hotel with its 14 spacious, en-suite, fully air-conditioned rooms. All meals (brunch, afternoon tea and dinner) were included and were timed around the twice-daily game viewing activities on the custom-built photo boats and the game viewing cruisers (at a ratio of 3:1 to the photo boats). He had has own camera, and she was given a Canon mirrorless camera, telephoto lens and memory cards to use for the duration of the stay.  A Pangolin Photo Host accompanied the small group and offered guidance and advice and in between the game viewings, the couple enjoyed review sessions in the on-site editing suite with their host.

On Day 7, a charter plane flew them into the Okavango Delta and to 4 nights at Shinde Main Camp. Accommodation was in spacious, luxury en-suite tents, with all meals and selected drinks included.  Activities ranged from mokoro excursions in the channels, day and night game drives across open floodplains and a doors-off helicopter flight to see and photograph the Delta from the air. Expert guides and a private vehicle ensured a wealth of photographic opportunities. On Day 11, the couple were transferred back to Maun airport, followed by a 2h30m flight to Cape Town, South Africa.

The couple were transferred to start their 5-night stay at the Commodore Hotel, a short walk away from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a bustling shopping, dining and entertainment hub. The next 3 days were spent on private guided tours – the first to the top of Table Mountain, then the UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and a tour of The Constantia Winelands. Day two was a tour of the Cape Winelands – Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, and Paarl, and the 3rd day trip was entitled The Chase the Sun Peninsula Tour, which included a trip to Cape Point, taking them through Muizenberg and Kalk Bay, followed by a stop to photograph the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach. We also gave the couple a list of our recommended restaurants for their evening meals.  On the final morning, the couple were transferred back to Cape Town International Airport for their flight home.