A year in the making
Some journeys begin the moment you step onto African soil. Others begin long before that, with months of planning, countless conversations and the growing anticipation of an adventure that has lived in your imagination for over a year.
This was one of those journeys.
Our sixteen-day private photographic safari through Southern Africa had been more than twelve months in the making. Together with our guests, Jim and Rhonda, we carefully crafted an itinerary to showcase some of the continent’s most iconic wilderness areas: the legendary MalaMala Game Reserve in South Africa, the wildlife-rich waters of the Chobe River, the remote floodplains of Linyanti and, finally, the breathtaking Okavango Delta. Each destination would offer something entirely different.
The excitement peaked as we met at OR Tambo International Airport for the first leg. There is always something special about that first meeting before a safari: the anticipation, the conversations about what lies ahead and the shared excitement of finally beginning a journey that has been months, if not years, in the making. As we boarded our flight to MalaMala we all had high expectations, but none of us could have imagined just how extraordinary the next sixteen days would be.
MalaMala: setting the standard
If there is one place that consistently delivers unforgettable wildlife encounters, it is MalaMala. Sharing an unfenced boundary with the Kruger National Park and renowned for its exceptional game viewing, it was the perfect place to begin.
Over the next four days we enjoyed some of the finest wildlife viewing and photographic opportunities Africa has to offer. Jim and Rhonda captured remarkable images but, perhaps more importantly, they experienced moments that simply cannot be measured in photographs. These are the encounters that stay with you forever.
One of the greatest advantages of a private safari is freedom. There are no fixed schedules, no pressure to return to camp because others are waiting and no compromises. It is simply you, your guide and the African bush.
That freedom allowed us to spend long days in the field, often leaving camp before sunrise and returning only around 2pm after patiently waiting for behaviour to unfold. After a quick lunch and a short break, we headed straight back out for the afternoon drive. Those long days are demanding, but they are also where the magic happens.
Patience was rewarded time and again. In just four days we found seven different leopards, each with its own story. We watched incredible lion interactions, spent unforgettable time with African wild dogs and witnessed behaviour photographers dream of: three leopards sharing a tree, and lionesses moving through the grass with playful cubs scattered around them. Quiet moments, dramatic moments and everything in between.
These weren’t simply sightings; they were experiences, the kind that remind you why Africa captures so many hearts.
By the time we left MalaMala, we knew this safari was going to be something truly special. It had set the standard in every way, and we still had three incredible destinations ahead.
Chobe River: a different perspective
Our next stop took us across the border into Botswana for three nights at Pangolin Chobe Hotel. After the predator-filled days of MalaMala, Chobe offered a completely different photographic experience. This is why we love combining destinations on a private safari: every location brings something unique.
Once again, travelling privately made all the difference. With our own dedicated photographic boat and guide, we could stay as long as we liked at a sighting, reposition for the best angle and let moments unfold naturally without ever feeling rushed.
The Chobe River is famous for its birdlife, its hippos and, of course, its vast herds of elephants. One of the most iconic images photographers hope for is elephants crossing the river. We were hoping for one memorable crossing.
Instead, we saw five.
Watching these giants swim across the Chobe, trunks raised above the water, was nothing short of spectacular, and every crossing offered a different photograph.
Hippos kept us entertained throughout our stay, from dramatic yawns to playful interactions, while kingfishers, fish eagles and countless birds in flight ensured there was always something happening around us.
One photograph had been on our wish list long before the safari began: an elephant silhouetted against a glowing African sunset. Chobe delivered, with one of those magical moments when perfect light, perfect timing and a magnificent subject came together.
By the time we left the Chobe River our memory cards were filling up quickly but, more importantly, so were the memories. With Linyanti Bush Camp next, we couldn’t wait to see what the next chapter would bring.
Linyanti: into the wild
Our next stop took us deeper into Botswana, for four nights at Linyanti Bush Camp. The change in scenery was immediate. Gone were the bushveld of MalaMala and the waterways of Chobe. Instead we were surrounded by remote floodplains, marshes and ancient mopane woodland, our first real glimpse of the pristine ecosystems that lead towards the Okavango Delta.
We arrived in Linyanti with two photographic goals: African wild dogs and buffalo. Of course, Africa always has its own plans, and along the way we also enjoyed fantastic lion sightings and a beautiful leopard on our final afternoon.
Our search for the wild dogs began on the very first morning. Reports of a den deep in the concession meant a long drive, but it was well worth it. When we arrived, a single adult was resting quietly just metres from the den entrance. There was no sign of the pups, but ten minutes later the female stood up, walked to the entrance and, one by one, ten tiny pups no more than four to six weeks old emerged into the morning light. It was one of those wildlife moments that leaves everyone speechless.
Buffalo were our second priority, and I had a very specific image in mind that I hoped Jim and Rhonda could capture. Just outside camp, the mopane woodland had become incredibly dusty in the dry season. One morning we noticed a cloud of dust drifting through the trees, and we knew exactly what it meant.
As the rising sun filtered through the woodland, a herd of nearly 200 buffalo emerged from the haze. The light, the dust and the sheer scale of the herd created one of the most dramatic scenes of the entire safari. It was the kind of photograph you imagine long before a trip begins but can never guarantee. This time, everything came together.
Linyanti reminded us that some of Africa’s greatest moments aren’t about predators at all. Sometimes it’s the atmosphere, the light and the raw beauty of the wilderness that create the photographs you never forget.
Okavango Delta: a dream fifty years in the making
Our final destination was the one Jim had dreamed of for more than fifty years. After everything we had experienced over the previous two weeks, the anticipation for the Okavango Delta was unlike anything else.
A 35-minute flight brought us to Khwai in the eastern Delta. After exceptional rainfall the previous year, the Delta had seen record water levels, and our timing couldn’t have been better: the floodwaters had receded just enough to let us explore areas that had been inaccessible only weeks before. We still got stuck once and helped recover other vehicles twice, but that is all part of the Delta experience.
A short boat transfer to Lediba Camp completed our arrival and immersed us completely in the Delta. As we glided through the channels, the emotion of finally being there became overwhelming. Seeing tears of joy in our guests’ eyes reminded us that this journey had become far more than just another safari.
The game viewing lived up to every expectation. A pride of lions with cubs greeted us on our very first afternoon and kept us entertained over the following days. But it was the leopards that stole the show. After narrowly missing a young male one morning, we were rewarded with unforgettable sightings of the beautiful Seronga female and her sub-adult cub, some of our favourite photographic moments of the whole safari.
No visit to the Okavango is complete without experiencing it from the water. Two boat safaris revealed another side of this remarkable wilderness, with elephants crossing flooded channels, hippos filling the waterways, crocodiles basking on the banks and spectacular birdlife around every corner.
To end our time in the Delta, we climbed into traditional mokoros and drifted silently through the shallow channels. It was the perfect way to slow down and take everything in. Tiny painted reed frogs clung to papyrus stems while elephants fed quietly in the distance, a reminder that some of Africa’s greatest moments are found not in the excitement but in the silence.
As we reflected on sixteen unforgettable days together, one thing was clear. Every destination had offered something completely different, yet each built on the last. From the predator-rich plains of MalaMala to the wildlife spectacle of Chobe, the wild floodplains of Linyanti and, finally, the magic of the Okavango Delta, this wasn’t simply a photographic safari. It was a journey through some of the finest wilderness left on Earth, shared with wonderful guests who left as friends.
Jim and Rhonda, thank you. We’ll see you on our next adventure in 2028, and it is going to be even better.
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