Africa Photography Safari

Get acquainted with your guides, professional photographers, and naturalists, who will introduce you to the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, before you head out for your first game drive. Take in the 403 square miles of lush bushland fed by the Sabi and Sand Rivers. With an abundance of water and an unfenced border with Kruger National Park to the north and east, this land supports 900 animal species, including the “Big Five”—buffalo, elephants, leopards, lions, and rhinos.

Rise before dawn for a morning game drive and a magnificent sunrise over the bush. Watch the savanna come alive as you enjoy a coffee, and stop to listen for the early morning bird calls. After breakfast, hone your photography skills in private or group workshops and then put what you’ve learned into action on another afternoon safari. Split into two groups so the vehicles can provide back-lighting for one another, and ensure your dusk shots of the chacma baboons and fearless honey badgers are fully illuminated.

Enjoy another pre-dawn cruise, or sleep in and start your day with a laid-back breakfast. Visit the headquarters of the SafariLive broadcast to meet the crew and presenters before participating in the live “drive countdown.” In the afternoon, buckle up for an afternoon safari ride, and pay special attention to the zebras—no two have the same markings.

Wake up early for another morning drive to glimpse the timid aardvark or the mellow giraffe, renowned for only sleeping 30 minutes a day. After breakfast, meet with your photography mentors to learn about post-processing techniques so your photos can shine back home. As the sun sets over the savanna, keep your eyes peeled for lions. Inactive for up to 20 hours a day, these big cats become frisky at dusk.

Make the most of your last day with an early morning drive to take some final pictures. Perhaps you’ll catch a lilac-breasted roller in flight or a shy leopard camouflaging high in a tree. And keep developing your photography skills in one of four online courses offered by Sabi Sands Game Reserve. The photographs you take on this trip will stay with you for a lifetime.