On arrival at the Johannesburg and after clearing with the immigration, our safari begins with a departure from Johannesburg's private Airlink terminal, where you can relax with a cappuccino and snacks before your South Africa photo safari begins. You’ll be greeted by your host, Bountiful Safaris, and take a short one-hour flight to the famous Mala Mala Game Reserve, where you'll spend the next 4 nights. Mala Mala is renowned for being one of the first reserves to stop hunting in the 1960s and convert to photographic safaris. It’s a top destination for wildlife photography, with beautiful campgrounds offering stunning views of the African bush and wildlife like antelope roaming freely. The Big 5 safari often begins with sightings from the camp, and leopards are frequently spotted passing through at night.

Accommodation: Mala Mala Mian Camp or similar).

Meal Plan: Full board

On this Mala Mala photo safari, you'll start your day early, waking at 5:30 AM and departing the camp in the dark at 6:00 AM, while other guests are still asleep. Your guide will track predators based on the previous night's sightings and tracks, allowing you to be deep in the African bush as the sun rises at 6:35 AM. The morning will be dedicated to capturing photos of predators and other members of the Big 5. Mala Mala is renowned for its leopard sightings, and it's not uncommon to photograph multiple leopards on this safari. The focus will be on predator photography until the light becomes too harsh. Once the light is too strong for dramatic low-light shots, the focus will shift to photographing birds in flight before stopping for a delicious bush breakfast picnic.

After returning to camp by midday, you'll have time to review your images. For those with large memory cards, there are beautiful aloe flowers and bird photography opportunities right at the camp. By 3:00 PM, you'll head out on another safari drive, focusing on tracking leopards. This safari is designed to help you create a portfolio of stunning leopard images.

The safari trucks are open and roofless, offering maximum photographic freedom, especially for capturing leopards in trees. With only 3 photographers on the truck, you'll have an entire row to yourself, allowing you to photograph both sides of the vehicle. Your guide will track the predators during the evening session, and you'll have time to adjust your camera settings, ensuring you're ready for the action. A professional wildlife photographer will be with you to provide personalized tuition, including technical settings and creative tips. You'll also have opportunities to ask questions to improve your skills. The goal is to enhance your portfolio and photographic techniques.

The safari will include a night drive to follow leopards and other nocturnal predators, including a hyena den for great predator photography. After the evening safari, you'll return to camp for dinner, followed by drinks and discussions about the day's sightings. You'll dine under the stars in the boma, continuing to share stories and photography tips. After dinner, you’ll enjoy a tea or coffee before retiring for the night.

This South African photo safari offers exceptional leopard photography opportunities, with minimal vehicle congestion at sightings, as only Mala Mala vehicles are allowed in the central game viewing area. You’ll also have longer time at sightings and the chance to photograph a variety of wildlife, including giraffes, zebras, baboons, warthogs, and elephants.

Accommodation: Mala Mala Main Camp or similar).

Meal Plan: Full board

On the final morning of your Mala Mala photo safari, you'll enjoy one last safari drive and breakfast before departing for Botswana. The journey takes about 3 hours, as you'll need to land to clear South African customs before continuing on to Botswana for the Mashatu photo safari. Upon arrival in Mashatu, your guide will meet you, and a 40-minute transfer will take you into the heart of Botswana's Northern Tuli Game Reserve, a hidden gem and one of Botswana’s best-kept secrets. After settling into camp, you'll head out for your first Mashatu photo safari drive. This itinerary is designed to ensure you don’t miss any safari time on your transfer day. The day will end with a campfire, a delicious dinner, and a restful night’s sleep in your cozy bed.

Accommodation: Mashatu Tented Camp or similar).

Meal Plan: Full board

Mashatu Game Reserve is a captivating wilderness located in southeastern Botswana, at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers. This unique area offers a distinct and exciting destination for an African photo safari. The reserve's diverse landscape includes vast plains, riverine forests, and sandstone outcrops. Known as the "Land of Giants," Mashatu is named after the sacred Mashatu tree and the giant creatures that inhabit it. As one of the largest private game reserves in Southern Africa, Mashatu is home to the world's largest land mammal, the elephant, and hosts the largest elephant herds on privately owned land. Additionally, it offers sanctuary to giraffes, the largest antelope (eland), the largest bird (ostrich), and the heaviest flying bird (kori bustard), along with lions, iconic baobabs, and a thriving leopard population—making it an ideal location for the ultimate African photo safari.

Mashatu’s ecological diversity is rare among other reserves, providing not only opportunities for big cat photography but also chances to photograph lesser-known predators such as the honey badger, bat-eared fox, African wild cat, genet, porcupine, and black-backed jackal. The reserve is also a birdwatcher's paradise, home to over 350 bird species, with incredible photographic opportunities at drying river pools and a large breeding colony of bee-eaters that will test the skills of even the most experienced photographers.

Your Mashatu photo safari experience mirrors that of Mala Mala, with a new landscape and fresh photography opportunities as you explore in an open Toyota safari truck. During the dry season, Mashatu transforms into a landscape of orange hues and soft greens, providing perfect backdrops for your images. The river areas remain lush and green, where leopards are often seen resting in large trees, offering stunning photo opportunities. Predator viewing is exceptional, with winter's soft sunlight making lions, leopards, and cheetahs glow in the perfect light.

An exciting feature of the Mashatu safari is the underground hide, designed specifically for photographers. This hide allows for low-angle, eye-level shots of elephants and other wildlife, providing a unique perspective. It’s particularly great for capturing close-up elephant photos, even details like their toenails! The hide also offers excellent opportunities to photograph the world’s largest antelope (eland) drinking at eye-level, and there’s a possibility of capturing a leopard drinking as well, with an exclusive evening hide session arranged for this purpose. The combination of regular safari drives and the hide ensures a dynamic collection of extraordinary photographs during your Mashatu photo safari.

Accommodation: Mashatu Tented Camp or similar).

Meal Plan: Full board

After your final morning safari drive on the Mashatu photo safari, you'll return to camp for brunch before catching a 90-minute flight back to Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg for your onward journey home. Transfers and overnight hotel accommodations can be arranged based on your travel schedule. This marks the official end of your epic Africa photo safari.

For those wishing to extend their safari, there are exciting options available to enhance your experience, including extensions to the Okavango Delta, Mana Pools, Skeleton Coast, and a Meerkat photo safari. You can add one or more of these extensions to your trip, making it the ultimate private Africa photo safari experience or end with a beach relaxation experience.

Accommodation: Mashatu Tented Camp or similar).

Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast