Explore the glory of wild Botswana with an experienced, professional photographer and a guide who knows how important lighting and positioning are to getting the perfect shot. On this safari, all seats are window seats, and there are often opportunities to switch positions to allow everyone to take photos from the best viewpoints. Whether you’re a beginner getting to know your first DSLR camera or a seasoned photographer ready to take your pictures to the next level, there’s something for every skill level in this workshop. Guests on this safari will learn techniques to get the most out of their cameras while exploring the untamed side of Botswana.

Activities: Game Drive

Mack Air will meet you around 2 p.m. at Maun International Airport for your chartered flight to the Xakanaxa Airstrip in the Moremi Game Reserve. There, you will met your Letaka guide and your guide who specializes in photography.

If you are staying in Maun before embarking on your safari, please request an airport transfer. Officials with Mack Air will coordinate with the people who run your lodgings to confirm your flight departure time.

If you are traveling from a safari lodge, you can arrange to use the lodge’s preferred charter company to fly directly to the Xakana Airstrip. We request that you arrive no earlier than 12 p.m. to allow time for our guides to meet you.

The first three nights of the safari are spent on morning and afternoon game drives to explore the enchanting Xakanaxa region.

Wildlife: Spot larger animals, including breeding herds of elephants, while viewing the mopane scrub from your chartered plane. In the waterways, it’s typical to find hippopotamus pods, while the vast plains house substantial herds of brawny buffalo and elegant lechwe. Smaller game animals, such as hyenas and a wide variety of birds, can be found after you land at the Xakanaxa Airstrip and board your land cruiser.

Activities: Game Drives

Habitat: On the eastern side of the Okavango Delta, the Moremi Game Reserve encompasses a wide variety of habitats, including floodplains, mopane woodlands, sprawling savannahs, and swathes covered in reeds and silvergrass. The area is home to a vast diversity of wildlife, including hundreds of bird species.

Wildlife: The Moremi Game Reserve is one of the best places on Earth to spot the African wild dog, one of the world’s most endangered animals. In the Xakanaxa region lives a herd comprised of several hundred buffalos. The herd’s range spans the territories of nearly a half dozen lion prides, and the big cats can often be seen flanking the herd. Elephants can be spotted as they move between the mopane woodlands and the Okavango Delta. Red lechwe, with their impressive horns, are among the antelope species found in the area.

Activities: Game Drive, Night Drive

Enjoy an early breakfast before taking a slow drive through the Moremi Game Reserve toward the Khwai Community Area.

Habitat: Following the Khwai River on its meandering path across the northern border of the Moremi Game Reserve, travel between the riverside, lively floodplains, and grasslands dotted with mopane to see why the area is among the most striking on the Okavango Delta. The drive includes a stop at the Dombo Hippo Pools, where you can enjoy the antics of the resident hippos that crowd the shores.

Wildlife: Find breeding herds of elephants amongst the mopane in the western veld. Impressive bulls, who tend to be much more approachable than the breeding herds, can be found enjoying the cool waters of the Khwai River, which also attract imposing crocodiles and an unusually large number of hippos. Several predators can be found during this drive, including leopards, cheetahs, servals, lions, and wild dogs. Other game often spotted includes the southern giraffe, tsessebes, Burchell’s zebras, and red lechwe. Visitors will also occasionally see roan and sable antelope in the area.

Activities: Game Drive

Explore the arid landscape on game drives that trek further to the north, toward the Central Chobe region.

Habitat: See remnants of what was once the enormous Lake Makgadikgadi. The day’s drive encompasses most of the habitats seen in Northern Botswana and includes passage over the deep sands of the Magwikwe Sand Ridge. In the past, the sand ridge made up the shoreline of the paleolake. When the weather permits, exploration extends into the Mababe Depression, a basin with a dense, clay floor that formed part of the bottom of Lake Makgadikgadi. The rich ground creates a high-protein feed that attracts wildlife, particularly after it rains. However, the soil makes the area impassable during the rainy season, requiring the use of alternate routes in some parts of the year.

Wildlife: The wide range of habitats covered during this drive make for exciting opportunities to spot a range of wildlife. Lion prides can be found lounging in the area, which includes some of the best cheetah country that we'll cover. Elephants can also be observed, most often in the areas with permanent surface waters near the start and end of the drive.

We make every effort to adhere to schedules and itineraries but please know that these are subject to change due to weather — including flood conditions that can have significant impacts on driving times, depending on the time of year — road conditions, animal movements and availability. You will be notified of any changes.