Carrying 15kg of camera gear through airports gets exhausting fast. Join us for a first look at the PGYTech 2-in-1 Roller Backpack—a hybrid roller and backpack designed to handle long-haul airport runs and rugged safari vehicles alike. Here is a breakdown of its features before we put it to the field test in Brazil and Kenya.
Award-winning British wildlife photographer, tour leader, and conservationist Andy Rouse joins host Toby Jermyn on The Pangolin Podcast. Spanning nearly 30 years behind the lens, Andy breaks down four standout photos from his career—including subadult tigers fighting in India and an elusive spectacled bear in Ecuador—plus an inspiring fifth image by Sergey Gorshkov. Dive in for fieldcraft wisdom, exposure tricks, and honest insights on mental health and creativity in photography.
In this episode of The Pangolin Podcast, host Toby Jermyn sits down with Sri Lankan wildlife photographer and safari planner Riaz Cader. Together, they explore the rich biodiversity of Sri Lanka—from tracking elusive leopards and sloth bears in Yala and Wilpattu to photographing marine megafauna off Kalpitiya and addressing the complex challenges of human-elephant coexistence.
Pangolin Voyager has been nominated for Africa's Best River Cruise Ship at the World Cruise Awards 2026 — her first-ever nomination. Please share, vote and support her.
In Episode 2 of Follow My Edit, Pangolin Photo Host Janine Krayer takes us to the Okavango Delta to edit an adorable hyena puppy. Learn how to master single-frame HDR balancing, preserve soft pastel morning tones, and apply targeted AI sharpening—plus download the RAW file to follow along!
"I shoot JPEG and I don’t care!" Yellowstone legend Christopher Balmer joins host Toby Jermyn on The Pangolin Podcast to champion his rebellious philosophy of no-edit wildlife photography. Discover how five decades behind the lens, a life-changing childhood battle, and a passion for mirrorless infrared photography shaped his legendary, "no-nonsense" commitment to capturing the wild exactly as it is.
Dive into the latest Pangolin Podcast as Toby Jermyn sits down with legendary Canon Ambassador Chris Fallows to explore his 30-year wildlife archive.
What happens when 4 top wildlife YouTubers share a houseboat? Join Janine Krayer and South Africa's top wildlife creators for a technical deep dive into Chobe photography.
Join Toby Jermyn on the Pangolin Podcast with wildlife photographer Lance van de Vyver. Discover the stories behind his award-winning shots and ethical tips.
Ever come home from an incredible wildlife safari only to realize your photos aren't actually sharp? Discover why your camera's LCD screen is deceiving you, and learn how to properly identify and fix focus errors directly in the field before your subject walks away.
In this episode of the Pangolin Podcast, Thomas Nicolon recounts his harrowing experience being charged by a forest elephant in the Congo Basin, discusses the logistics of documenting endangered great apes, and shares the technical challenges of rainforest photography.
Many travellers are warned to avoid Botswana during the rainy months, but this "Secret Season" offers a vibrant, transforming paradise. Discover why the months from November to March might just be the absolute best time for your next wildlife photography safari.
Dive into the forests of northern Sweden with the "Queen of the Squirrels," Dani Connor. Discover her viral journey, ethical fieldcraft tips, and wild sub-zero stories.
Rescue your harsh daylight wildlife shots! Join Janine Krayer in this episode of Follow My Edit to download a high-resolution RAW file of Chobe elephants, grab your step-by-step guide, and learn to transform deep shadows into warm, golden-hour perfection.
From cruise ship photographer to wildlife expert in the Chobe, Sabine Stols shares her 10-year journey with Pangolin Photo Safaris.
Pangolin Photo Safaris joins Wild Shots Outreach in Kasane to empower local youth through wildlife photography. Read how these workshops inspire a new generation.
As Sir David Attenborough celebrates his landmark 100th birthday, we reflect on his monumental impact on the world of wildlife filmmaking—including the surreal moment his Planet Earth III crew traded their Bristol studios for the deck of the Pangolin Voyager.
Photographing silhouettes seems easy until you try it. Discover the technical settings and creative tricks professional photographers use to turn dull sunset shots into fine-art wildlife silhouettes.
Pangolin Photo Safaris is proud to have supported the successful Remembering Giraffes campaign. By donating two 7-day solo safaris to the Kickstarter and silent auction, we helped raise essential funds to protect Africa’s 'forgotten giants' from silent extinction.
Join host Toby Jermyn and acclaimed photographer Wim van den Heever as they discuss his 10-year quest for the perfect hyena shot, the leap of the lechwe, and his bond with Craig the elephant.
Explore the Best of 2025 selection from the Pangolin Photo Challenge. This collection highlights exceptional wildlife and nature photography, celebrating creativity, technical excellence, and powerful storytelling as photographers capture unforgettable moments from the natural world.
Explore the winning, runner-up and highly commended images from the Monochrome Wildlife category in the Pangolin Photo Challenge 2025. These powerful black-and-white wildlife photographs highlight texture, contrast and form, demonstrating how removing colour can emphasise mood, behaviour and artistic composition as photographers capture striking moments from the natural world.
Pangolin Chobe Hotel has been nominated for Botswana’s Leading Hotel at the World Travel Awards 2026. Please share, vote and support us to win this award.
Explore the winning, runner-up and highly commended photographs from the Water as an Element category in the Pangolin Photo Challenge 2025. For this category, water had to play a central role in the scene as a habitat, a hunting ground, a place to play, or simply to reflect.
Pangolin Africa is proud to celebrate a significant milestone for pangolin conservation in South Africa — the handover of a brand-new Toyota Hilux 4x4 to the Kalahari Wildlife Project, made possible by the collective generosity of over 5,000 Pangolin Photo Challenge participants worldwide.
Discover the winning, runner-up, and highly commended photographs from the Mammal Behaviour category in the Pangolin Photo Challenge 2025. These powerful wildlife images highlight fascinating behavioural moments, from dramatic interactions to intimate natural scenes, captured by photographers who skilfully document the lives, movements, and personalities of mammals in the wild.
Explore the winning, runner-up and highly commended photographs from the Out of Africa category in the Pangolin Photo Challenge 2025. This gallery showcases exceptional wildlife photography captured beyond the African continent, highlighting creative vision, technical skill and unique moments in nature as photographers document remarkable species and landscapes from around the world.
Explore the winning, runner-up and highly commended photographs from the Birds of the World category in the 2025 Pangolin Photo Challenge. This collection showcases exceptional bird photography from around the globe, captured by talented photographers using a variety of techniques, lenses and camera settings to document remarkable avian moments in diverse habitats and lighting conditions.
In this Pangolin Podcast, Botswana-born wildlife photographer and Pangolin Photo Host Walter Aaron shares the stories behind some of his favourite images and the journey that shaped his career. From growing up surrounded by wildlife to guiding photographic safaris in Chobe, Walter discusses his creative approach, passion for low-angle photography, and his commitment to mentoring the next generation of Batswana photographers.
In this episode of the Pangolin Podcast, acclaimed South African wildlife photographer Mark Dumbleton joins the conversation to share the stories behind some of his most powerful images. From dramatic encounters in the African bush to lessons learned over nearly two decades behind the lens, Mark reveals his approach to visual storytelling, wildlife photography, and the creative process that brings his images to life.
Meet rising Botswana wildlife photographer Pusetso Nteta in this episode of the The Pangolin Podcast. From her journey as a Pangolin intern to becoming a respected photo host and guide, Pusetso shares the stories behind her favourite images, her passion for wildlife in Chobe, and the experiences that shaped her creative vision behind the lens.
In this episode of the Pangolin Podcast, host Toby Jermyn welcomes South African wildlife photographer, safari guide, and educator Villiers Steyn. Villiers shares his journey from pursuing a background in nature conservation to becoming a full-time YouTuber through his brand, the Safari Expert.
Discover wildlife photographer Greg du Toit's exceptional journey through Africa's wild places, his unique in-camera style, and the stories behind his iconic photographs, including his thrilling accounts of sitting in waterholes and capturing intimate wildlife moments.
In this Pangolin Podcast, we’re turning our spotlight onto Jongman, a passionate wildlife photographer and photo host at Pangolin Photo Safaris, who shares his remarkable journey from architecture to capturing the raw beauty of wildlife.
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Best of 2024 round of the 2024 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Mammal Behaviour round of the 2024 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Water as an Element round of the 2024 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Monochrome Wildlife round of the 2024 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Out of Africa round of the 2024 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Birds of the World round of the 2024 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Charl Stols and Marlon Du Toit test the Sony A1 Mark II on safari in Botswana. Discover its features and why it’s a top choice for wildlife photographers.
Guts and Janine share their first impressions of the new Canon R1 and the R5ii.
Guts in Svalbard reviewing the Canon RF 1200mm f/8 lens. The RF Canon 1200mm Lens - Tested in Svalbard! In this blog, Guts shares an exciting adventure in the icy landscapes of Svalbard. They searched for polar bears during a recent Pangolin Photo Safaris group expedition. Offering a comprehensive review, Guts delves into their firsthand experience with the Canon 1200mm lens for mirrorless systems, graciously supplied by Canon South Africa. Get ready to see the amazing shots they captured with this impressive gear! Watch Guts' First Impressions of the Canon RF 1200mm Lens [...]
Check out the top images selected from our Best of 2023 category in the Pangolin Photo Challenge.
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Wildlife in Motion round of the 2023 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Natural Landscapes round of the 2023 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Water as an Element round of the 2023 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Urban Wildlife round of the 2023 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Monochrome Wildlife round of the 2023 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Animal Behaviour round of the 2023 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from The Red List round of the 2023 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Birds of the World round of the 2023 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Here we reveal the winner and highly commended images from the Small Stuff round of the 2023 Pangolin Photo Challenge
Toby has recently returned from his first Sri Lankan safari and shares his thoughts on the amazingly diverse country and its wildlife photography opportunities.
The Chobe National Park, Botswana The Chobe National Park The Chobe National Park was Botswana's first National park and is certainly one of its most ecologically diverse. The park shares its northern boundary with Namibia with the Chobe River and acts as a natural border between the two countries. The game reserve is 11,700 km2 (4500 sq miles) in size and home to Africa's largest elephant populations. There are also healthy populations of hippo, buffalo, multiple antelopes as well as lions, wild dogs, leopard and hyena. The birdlife on The Chobe River is plentiful, especially in the [...]
Learning will be the new luxury on a post Corona photography holiday. If there is one thing, we have learned over the last few months, it’s that time is a very precious commodity and “holiday time” even more so. With the world taking a sabbatical from travel for the immediate future, our attention, as members of the safari industry, turns to what will clients be looking for when they return to a post corona safari. We know that there is a lot of pent up frustration among clients who want to start planning their trips [...]
Flights to Botswana Some interesting new routes are opening up for flights to Botswana. Figuring out which are the easiest and quickest flights to Botswana and the start of your safari can be a troublesome question. Which Airline? Which Route? What if I miss my connection? Where is the nearest airport to the Chobe National Park? The list goes on. Traditionally the majority of our clients travelling to us in The Chobe, fly into Johannesburg and then turn straight back around again and fly north, along the same route they have just flown, [...]
Black and White Editing with Janine Krayer In the video below you will watch Pangolin Photo Host Janine Krayer explain how she select pictures for Black and White editing, or which pictures lend themselves best. Enjoy and we hope to see you on safari soon! subscribe to our youtube channel subscribe to our channel View Janine's bio Black and White editing video transcript below Hi guys! This is Janine from Pangolin Photo Safaris, and today I briefly want to touch on, how [...]
Large and in charge! 'This elephant came parading past our vehicle on a carpet of yellow Devil Thorn flowers. These trumpet-shaped flowers transform the Chobe river banks into a canvas of colour this time of the year.' To connect with Danielle on social media and to viewsome of her amazing photos, click on the links below. Technical information Body: Nikon D750 Lens: Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens (Nikon F) Focal Length: 20mm Aperture: f/8 Shutter: 1/1600 sec ISO: 2500 subscribe to our youtube channel for free today [...]
What is a Photo Safari? Traditionally there are two types of safari…hunting and photographic… And we at Pangolin Photo Safaris would rather “shoot to thrill” than shoot to kill! Before digital photography came along, wildlife photography was always considered to be niche and out of reach to your average safari-goer. It was an activity designed for the hardcore enthusiast and limited to owning specialist gear. But when digital cameras became mainstream and more affordable, all of that changed. Today, the majority of clients that arrive on safari do so armed with just their cell phones [...]
Everything you need to know about depth of field, focal length, hyperfocal distance, deeper depth and more!
In this blog, we discuss the rule of thirds: what it is, how it came about, why it's the cornerstone of photography and of course, how to break it.
Mashatu Game Reserve | Pangolin Photo Safaris Partner Mashatu, known as the land of the Giants.It is situated in the Tuli Game Reserve which is in the South Easterly corner of Botswana. The terrain is different to anywhere else, not just in Botswana and offers unparalleled photographic opportunities. The animals at Mashatu are very relaxed. You can expect to spend time with lions, leopards, cheetah, hyenas, jackal and very relaxed elephants. Great general game such as giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, eland and a variety of antelope are there. The birdlife is prolific, with Mashatu being [...]
Gear for wildlife photography on safari in Africa. Bags and carry on weights The topic of hand luggage allowances when it comes to camera bags has filled plenty of forums and we’re afraid to say that the answer as to what is the protocol or allowance (as well as leniency) varies from airline to airline. The prospect of checking very expensive gear for wildlife photography into the hold of a commercial airline is not very enticing so here are a few tips from us on how to ensure that you travel with your [...]
The Cape Milner Hotel | Pangolin Photo Safari Partner An eclectic mix of contemporary boutique and old-world charm, The Cape Milner is modern, boutique-style living in a secluded, yet convenient location. Colourful geometric designs, African craft and silvertinted ceilings create an elegant boutique sanctuary for corporate and leisure travellers. Enjoy the symmetry of Art Deco and the ornate detail of Cape Town’s Victorian heritage with splashes of urban African design and vivid teals and mustards accenting the contemporary neutral finishings. From its state-of-the-art conferencing facilities and plush comfortable rooms to its relaxing pool deck [...]
