Project Description
The Best of The Chobe
From $4,595 pps
7 Days
March to November
We firmly believe that The Chobe is one of the best wildlife photography destinations in Southern Africa – if not the whole continent. This 7-day photo safari is the perfect opportunity to learn new wildlife photography skills under the supervision of your Pangolin Photo Host staying on both the Pangolin Voyager Houseboat and the award-winning Pangolin Chobe Hotel. If you are travelling without a camera then we can also supply you with cameras and telephoto lenses to use for the duration free of charge.
If you have ever wanted to learn or indeed improve your wildlife photography skills but never found the time then this is the safari for you…in the greatest classroom in the world!
These safaris are offered on set departure dates, throughout the year, with no more than eight clients accompanied by a Pangolin Photo Host throughout. If you are a group of friends or a family this can also be booked on an exclusive basis.
When you arrive in the Chobe you will be met and briefed by your dedicated photo host who will be escorting you throughout your time with us. Generally, clients either arrive at Kasane Airport or are transferred from nearby Victoria Falls. The transfer from Victoria Falls will incur an extra transfer fee. You will meet up with the group and then make the short transfer across the river (to the Namibian side) to board our floating Lodge – The Pangolin Voyager.
The Pangolin Voyager cruises up and down a long stretch of the Chobe River with three dedicated mooring points at which you will spend one night. The order in which we visit the mooring points depends on water levels and the conditions of the river.
The houseboat is built over three floors with 4 cabins at the bottom, a lounge and dining area in the middle and a glorious sun deck on the top floor – a beautiful place for an early morning coffee, mid-afternoon relax with a good book and to admire the African night sky after dinner.
The Cabins
Each of the cabins can be configured as either one double bed or twin beds. There is an ensuite shower and toilet as well as air conditioning, plug points and storage space. The lounge and dining area doubles as an editing suite during the day where you are free to attend image review sessions with the photo host.
The order of the day is very relaxed. We get up early and have a coffee and a snack before heading out on the 8-seater photo boat which is moored alongside the houseboat. Everyone has their own seat which rotates 360 degrees and has a camera mount built into the chair. Watch a video about how the boats look like here. The boats are very wide and stable and this allows the photo host to interact with every client to help them with their photography. Whether you are just getting started in wildlife photography or are more accomplished the photo host is able to tailor his or her tuition to suit your requirements.
After the morning cruise looking for subjects along the river, we return to the houseboat for a well-earned brunch as we set sail for our next destination along the river. We encourage our clients to keep their cameras ready and accessible as we often come across photo opportunities during these cruises.
After brunch, you are free to relax in your cabin, the lounge, the sun deck or join the photo host at the dining table for an image review of the pictured you have taken so far. these sessions are less about post-production and editing and more about analysing your images and seeing how we can help you improve on your techniques. We do not have computers or laptops for you to use so please bring your own to join in these sessions.
A couple of hours before sunset we head out again from our new mooring point to see what we can find to photograph leading up to the “golden hour” at the end of the day. On all our cruises we take refreshments with us to keep you well hydrated – especially for Sundowners!
The dinner is a three-course meal taken around the dining table lovingly prepared by the galley staff from fresh local ingredients. All meals and drinks are included in your package at both properties. With the National Park on the other bank you can often hear the call of lions and hyena at night! Truly Africa
On the fourth day, after brunch, we will disembark and head back into Botswana to The Pangolin Chobe Hotel for the next part of the safari.
The Pangolin Chobe Hotel sits on the plateau overlooking the Chobe River and the Caprivi Floodplains below. Completed in 2018 the hotel has 14 rooms and is designed around a wildlife photography gallery featuring inspiring images from Africa and beyond.
Activities
Being on the Botswana side we have access to the Chobe national park for game drives as well as the Southern Channel which is inaccessible from the Namibian side. We will divide our time between game drives and a couple of cruises on the channel so that you get to experience the river in its entirety.
By this time you will have improved your photography and will be feeling confident shooting on the manual camera settings. This will allow you more creative control over your images and we spend more time at sightings perfecting various photographic techniques.
The vehicles that we use in The Chobe National Park also seat all eight guests with everyone having a window seat and camera rest to support the lenses. Again you will be accompanied on the activities with the same Photo Host.
In between the activities you can relax at the eco-pool or make use of our air-conditioned editing room at the end of the gallery. Your photo host will be on hand during the day to help you with image review sessions. Access to computers is limited in the Chobe so we suggest that you perhaps bring a laptop with you for image review sessions. Otherwise, we will give you plenty of memory cards to fill throughout the safari to take your images home with you.
Meals are taken as often as possible out on the deck or the inter-leading dining room with our fabulous chefs dishing out wholesome meals with locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. The evening meals vary from Braai (Barbecue) Nights to gourmet pizzas cooked in our wood-fired oven. Most dietary needs can be catered for.
The Pangolin bar on the upper floor has spectacular views and the best cocktails in Kasane and is a great place to relax after dinner with your fellow travellers. Alternatively, the sunken fire pit is always a hit!
By the end of this safari, you will be a far better photographer than when you arrived. You will have a full understanding of the camera functions and how to employ them in different situations for maximum creative effect. Not only that but you will also have a fistful of memory cards full of beautiful images and memories that you will treasure forever. All of the photographic skills you will learn will be applicable to all photo situations going forward even away from the wildlife. If you always meant to sign up for a photo course and never found the time then this is the perfect safari for you.
On the final day, we can either transfer you to Kasane airport if you are heading home or we can arrange extensions at any of our partner properties in The Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls and even Cape Town, South Africa to carry on your photo adventure. Please chat with your safari planner about options.
2024 & 2025 Prices
We have multiple dates throughout the year when this safari begins. Please contact us for a date that best suits your requirements.
2024
- $2,750 Single Supplement
2025
- $2,750 Single Supplement
3 nights on The Pangolin Voyager Houseboat
3 nights at Pangolin Chobe Hotel
Twice daily game activities
Photo Tuition from The Pangolin Photo Host
Cameras, lenses and memory cards
Daily photo review sessions (own laptop needed)
All meals and drinks
Airport transfers (if required)
Park fees and tourism levies
Laundry, gratuities and items of a personal nature
Visa fees if required
International flights
Single supplement for solo travellers
Our Reviews
Verified
Woodson642024-04-07Beyond awesome!! I just returned home from a fabulous 6 nights at the Pangolin Chobe Hotel in Kasane, Botswana. Everything was as expected. The room was comfortable with reliable internet and air conditioning. Lots of work space to edit photos, multiple international plugs (no need to bring a converter) and a comfortable bed. The food was outstanding at every meal and the staff was excellent. Many of the trips were on the river and the photo opportunities were endless. The boats are equipped with gimbals which helped with managing long lenses. Our guide was always looking to put us in the best positions to get great images. All of the guides there are outstanding and if you are into wildlife photography, booking a trip with Pangolin is a no brainer. I am eagerly looking to return next year and will bring along some of my photographer friends.Verified
Chris B2024-02-17Out of this world. Much much more than one could ever have expected This was the most amazing 5 days photography of my life. I was pretty reasonable before the trip but Janine's tuition / moving wokrshop ! turned something brilliant into something amazing. In addition my wife had previously rarely picked up a camera but having borrowed one of theirs came away with a thouroghly respectable 'portfolio' of wildlife shots, some of which I failed to capture. Am hoping to return one day. Oh and in addition the accommodation and full board etc was just perfect for the style of trip we were seeking. Only downside was that British Airways had my hold luggage for the whole of our 12 day visit to Africa however that did not spoil how good Pangolin are. Oh and we met a great couple from Ohio and are still in touch with themVerifiedbeegal2024-02-15An incredible experience top to bottom I can't say enough about Pangolin. We stayed for two weeks, complete with gourmet meals (including vegan options for my husband) in portions that were too large, open bar, pool, free laundry services, comfortable beds, amazing staff, and safaris that were exciting yet exhausting. They arranged a day trip to Victoria Falls for us. And we were only rained out of one boat safari in the entire two weeks (in rainy season!) We learned from the photo hosts and guides. You get your money's worth and more here.VerifiedJamie C2023-11-29Pangolin Photo safaris - a fantastic place to stay and to enjoy the Chobe We had a fantastic time at the wonderful Pangolin, everything was terrific. The staff were wonderful, both in the hotel and the Bush and all clearly well trained and very welcoming and helpful led by Dan. Charl was just what was needed on tour and with the photographing, we feel we all learned a lot as well as having fun. The food was delicious and the Chef great fun as well with his theatrical intros! I enjoyed the pool’s pond like qualities, which felt just right for the bush! Highly recommend this for photographic enthusiasts as well as everyone who enjoys the excitement of the Chobe wild life.Verified
lumenstein940022023-11-25No place is perfect, until you go here When I had an issue with a safari in the Okavango Delta, the company I had booked through pivoted and made arrangements for me to stay here for two nights. I have but one complaint, it was ONLY two nights. There cannot be anything said about this place that is not incredible. First, the staff is friendly from the pick up, to the in house staff to the team that works to make sure that your time here is as if you are family that you have known a lifetime. Because I was not originally planning on being here, I went in blind. Well, I can tell you that if you are thinking for a second of going here you have already thought too long. Just book it! I have already spent time looking at my next trip and it will be 100% with Pangolin. The boats are amazing, the team made you look better, spent time teaching me editing tips, and just cannot say enough about this company, the people and oh, the food!! The food each night was amazing.VerifiedMPA2023-11-14Fantastic all the way around 10/10 Wow these folks do it right! We just returned from leading our clients through Pangolin for our photography tour on the Chobe. I can't say enough about them. Everything from the staff and our guide (Richard) to Dan at the front desk and Guts with operations as well as the entire team are fantastic. We are for sure going to be working with them again in the future and look forward to it!Verified
Sheree R2023-11-01How wrong was I, Totally! As it turned out. This was a holiday that my husband wanted to do. I was very sceptical about doing it. After all how much were you going to see from a boat anyway. I was afraid of using my camera, so thought this may help. It was awesome, we had 3 days on the Houseboat and 3 days in their Lodge. Whilst in the boat we got to see 2 Lions bring down an Impala, only meters away from our boat. Jarco & Ray, our guides, were awesome. The people we met were lovely and we got some great photos. This is a holiday that we have and will continue to recommend. It was totally worth it.VerifiedCuthahotha2023-10-24Photography instruction to go from zero to hero in a few short days! With plenty of tips for the more experienced of us I'll make this short, there are no superlatives good enough to describe our time with Pangolin. We booked the Best of Chobe safari as my wife's first foray from North America. I had been watching all of the phenomenal YouTube content put out by Pangolin and knew they were the company to go with. They met and exceeded every expectation I had, and I had a lot. Our guides, Ray and Charlies, were excellent, knowing the game well and how best to position our boat or game drive vehicle for the best photos. Walter served as our photo host. Not only is he an excellent photographer, but he's an outstanding teacher. I do a lot of wildlife photography, and my wife is/was a complete novice at digital photography. By the end of the trip she was turning out outstanding images, and I learned more than a few tips. Well worth it for both of us. Typically, you'll do two game drives per day, either by custom-designed photography boats or game vehicles. We had four meals daily, and the evening meals were some of the best I have ever had. Also, while on the game drives, there are snacks, water, coffee, or sodas. You won't go hungry! While we both had gear (Nikon for my wife. I carry Canon R3 and Canon R5 ) they do have a loan department from which they will provide (free of charge) Canon 80Ds and 150-600mm lenses. The photo hosts are well-versed in the major camera manufacturers and models. Again, I can't begin to praise Pangolin, Toby, and Guts for the incredible customer service and photo safari.
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