About The Photographic Safaris
Looking for a photographic destination of a lifetime? Well this is it! This photographic safari will be conducted in the east African country of Tanzania, home to the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and Mount Kilimanjaro. It will combine an exciting photography workshop in one of the world's most outstanding wildlife, landscape and cultural locations together with a luxury vacation in fascinating Tanzania.
Tanzania
Tanzania, south of Kenya on the African continent's Indian Ocean coastline, lays claim to the title Home of the Safari, since the word itself is taken from the Swahili word that means "journey." While Tanzania's Kenyan neighbors may dispute that claim, there is no doubt that Tanzania offers one of the best environments in the world for an enriching wildlife experience. The country's game viewing opportunities are considered by many to be the best in Africa. Its game parks are populated with many of the world's most exotic creatures, including all of the "Big Five." Its lakes are huge and bountiful with fish. Its cities are relaxed and friendly. Yet, to a greater degree than is true of many of its neighbors, this sprawling county, the largest in East Africa, remains untouched by the vacationing hordes.
It's About Photography — Lots of it!
This workshop will be very informal and fun. Andy Biggs will be shooting alongside you at all times. We will have discussion and assistance on specialized topics such as, for example, long lens technique, projection flash usage, action shooting, wildlife observation, field craft and east African animal behavior. Advanced techniques will be constantly discussed, demonstrated and put into practice.
This workshop is about shooting. Lots of shooting. There will be no classroom sessions, no lectures, no slide shows, and most importantly, no unnecessary egos. We will all work closely together, sharing our knowledge and experience.
Because of the unique location of this workshop, and the luxury accommodations, this workshop adventure is open to spouses as well as photographers. Even non-photographers will find the locales visited and the wildlife viewing opportunities to be thrilling. The cost for non-photographers is the same as for active participants.
The Schedule
March 6 - Depart home country (applicable for those opting for additional airfare from New York or Boston).
March 7 - Amsterdam / Arrive Arusha
Connect in Amsterdam with your flight to Kilimanjaro Airport, arriving late this evening. You will be met by Thomson Safaris staff and transferred to your lodge in Arusha.
March 8 - Arusha / Serengeti National Park
This morning, take a Regional Air flight* from Arusha to the Serengeti. As soon as you land, you will begin wildlife viewing en route to your Nyumba, where you will have lunch.Head out again this afternoon to continue your exploration of this world renowned ecosystem. You may see gazelle, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, lion, hippo, buffalo and much more.
Return to camp late this afternoon with time to refresh before your first al fresco dinner under the canopy of your dining tent. After a delicious meal this evening you will have a chance to relax around a roaring campfire and fall asleep to the sound of nearby animals.
A private tech-tent for guests on the Photo Safari will be available at Thomson Nyumbas each evening. Guests can use this to charge batteries for electronic equipment like laptops.
March 9 - Serengeti National Park
This morning you have the option of joining a Serengeti balloon safari (advance reservations required, pending availability). The experience begins with a pre-dawn drive (approx 4:30am wake-up time) to the balloon launch site, where you are given a briefing on your impending adventure. As the sun rises, you lift gently off the ground, enjoying a bird’s eye perspective as you skim over the tops of acacia trees, meander over the Seronera River and finally land in a scenic location where champagne and a full English breakfast await.
For those folks who are not joining the balloon ride, you’ll rise in time for breakfast at your Nyumba and will begin with a game drive. Mid-morning you’ll pick up the group members who were on the balloon ride and will continue your morning wildlife viewing. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush and tonight when you return to your Nyumba you’ll enjoy a splendid meal and time to relax by the campfire and gaze up at the night sky.
March 10 - Serengeti National Park
Listen for the African dove or superb starling as you wake up in the Serengeti. From the comfort of your Nyumba, you may even spot giraffe or zebra grazing in the distance. Spanning nearly 6,000 square miles, the Serengeti has more to offer you today.
After breakfast you’ll depart camp for your new Nyumba location, where you’ll arrive in time for lunch. Then head out into the bush for the rest of the day. With your skilled guides at the helm, the wildlife viewing promises to be interesting in each new area of the park you visit.
March 11 - Serengeti National Park
Rise for breakfast at camp and a full day of wildlife viewing. Out on the plains, you will be looking for warthog, jackal, eland, kudu, reedbuck, baboon, topi, hyena, gerenuk, giraffe and more. In the river systems that flow through the park you can spot some of the largest crocodiles in Africa, hippos, kingfishers, egrets, monitor lizards and more. Enjoy a picnic lunch; you don’t need to rush through any of the Serengeti’s exceptional wildlife spotting opportunities!
Return to your Nyumba late this afternoon. Having experienced wonderful wildlife viewing throughout the day, dinner is sure to be a lively, engaging affair as guests swap stories about all that you saw. Continue your conversation around the crackling night fire this evening. As you gaze up at the stars over southern hemisphere, you will feel privileged to have personally experienced this special place.
March 12 - Serengeti National Park
After breakfast you’ll have a full day to journey far and wide in this immense park, allowing your guide’s unerring instincts to lead the way. An infinite number of dramas play themselves out on these endless plains: predators stalk prey, animals eat, scavenge and graze, mothers nurture their young, birds hover and soar overhead, young animals frolic as older animals keep a watchful eye on these vulnerable little ones… in short, it is a story of life and death, decay and renewal and ultimately, survival of the fittest.
Take a picnic lunch with you to enjoy while you continue to explore the park. The vast open expanses of space, the multitude of animals inhabiting the pristine landscape, all of this will leave you in awe and impress even the most seasoned wildlife enthusiast. Return to your Nyumba in time to refresh before your evening meal.
March 13 - Serengeti / Ngorongoro Conservation Area via Olduvai Gorge
Rise early on your final morning in the Serengeti. Heading east, you’ll stop at Olduvai Gorge en route to Ngorongoro Crater. Olduvai is an archeological site of extraordinary importance in our understanding of the origins of “man.” Here in these desolate gullies, several generations of the Leakey family toiled for decades in search of prehistoric clues in the mystery of human evolution. The small museum details some of their most important finds, among them the skull of “Zinjanthropus Man” and the 3.6 million year old australopithecine footprints from Laetoli.
Stop to enjoy a picnic lunch around noon, then continue to wind your way between the hills as you slowly ascend through Ngorongoro Conservation Area, en route to the Crater itself. Your first glimpse of the Crater floor is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Take in a panoramic view before following the serpentine road down to the Crater floor. Begin exploring this unique geological marvel with all its lakes, forests and savannahs. There are an astounding 30,000 large mammals within 10 square miles; it is no wonder that the crater is often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World.
Later this afternoon you’ll arrive at your Nyumba, situated amongst picturesque flat-top acacia trees, in time to freshen up before dinner. At this elevation the nighttime temperatures are cool year-round (40-55 degrees F or 4-10 degrees C) so make sure to bring a jacket or fleece to cozy up by the fire. Sleep well tonight, before a busy day tomorrow.
March 14 - Ngorongoro Crater
Take a full day to continue your exploration of the crater floor. The area is world-renowned in its reputation and very small in its scale, so you will see other safari goers. Don’t let that distract you from the beauty of the place or from the fact that this remains one of the only places on earth where you may see all of the Big Five at once: Lion, Leopard, Bull Elephant, African Buffalo and Black Rhino.
To maximize your time with the wildlife, you will enjoy a special boxed lunch at a scenic spot on the floor.
Your journey will take you throughout this tremendous landscape that is constantly changing as animals move to and fro in search of pasture, water or east prey.
Before sunset, it is time to depart this Garden of Eden for the comfort of your Nyumba, where you will have time to discuss the multitude of sightings today and log them in your safari journal.
March 15 - Ngorongoro Conservation Area / Tarangire National Park
This morning after breakfast you’ll depart Ngorongoro for Tarangire National Park, Tanzania’s fourth largest. Descend 2,000 in elevation from the Ngorongoro Highlands to the floor of the Great Rift Valley. As you meander down the impressive Escarpment Wall, gaze out at the vast space that comprises the Rift Valley. The view goes on further than the eye can see and entices you to explore more of Tanzania’s diverse landscapes.
When you arrive at Tarangire’s park gate, stop for a picnic lunch. Then head deep into the park. The rich landscape features sprawling savanna, dramatic cliffs, acacia woodlands and meandering riverbeds. The distinctive baobab tree is common in this area, and with its enormous trunk and gnarled branches it is quite an extraordinary sight. (Because of their tremendous girth, they were often hollowed out and used for shelter by many of the local cultures throughout the centuries.) Wildlife viewing as you go, you make it to your Nyumba late this afternoon. Relax at camp before a delicious dinner tonight.
March 16 - Tarangire National Park
Continue your exploration of Tarangire today, searching the trees for leopard, watching as elephant play, bathe and socialize near the river and spotting lion, cheetah, hyena, and a multitude of birds as they go about their fascinating daily routines. Enjoy a picnic in the park to maximize your time immersed in the wilderness and return to camp late in the day.
Enjoy open air dining this evening in the dining tent. Tempting aromas of home made soup and fresh bread waft towards you; at the same time you’re embraced by the natural scent of the park surrounding your Nyumba environs. Laugh and share stories over a wonderful final dinner in the wilderness.
March 17 - Tarangire / Arusha / Depart
This morning, you will depart Tarangire, wildlife viewing en route to Arusha, where you will arrive in time for lunch at Riverhouse. You’ll have a chance to pick up a few last minute souvenirs if you’d like. You’ll head off to your day rooms, which are provided so you can prepare for the final journey home. Grab a shower, rest, or take a swim before you are transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departing flight to Amsterdam.
March 18 - Amsterdam to home
Connect in Amsterdam and arrive back home.
The Cost
The cost of this all-inclusive trip is U.S. $8,990 per person (but not inclusive of airfare to Arusha, Tanzania). The same rate applies for each participant regardless of whether they are doing photography and participating in the workshop, or not. This fee includes all in-country ground and air transportation as well as hotel accommodation (double occupancy) and all meals. The non refundable deposit for this trip is $1200. Optional hot air balloon is $475 per person.
Accommodations are two person to a room. If you will be traveling alone and would like a private room there will be a supplementary charge of $1200.
For an additional fee you can choose to have the both the safari *and* your flight from New York or Boston booked for you. We encourage this service if you are departing from North America, as we will all be able to arrive in Tanzania on the same flight at the same time. It is our experience that this service eliminates many scheduling headaches, and the cost is at or slightly below the average market rate for such a flight.
Please note: We will attempt to adhere to this itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, cultural, or wildlife migrations) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. We reserves the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participant.
What's Included?
- All Game Park fees
- All accommodations, based on double occupancy
- All meals inclusive of restaurant staff tips
- Services of guides and drivers
- Land transportation in safari Land Rovers. Each of the three rear seat passengers has a complete seat to themselves, including access to windows on both sides of the vehicle and empty seats for photographic equipment.
- Airport transfers to and from hotels
- Internal airfare from Serengeti to Arusha
- Bottled water at all times
- $30 Tanzanian Airport departure tax, if KLM / NW ticket purchased through us.
What is Not Included?
- Additional tips for staff such as guides and camp staff
- Fees for passport, visas, immunizations, and insurance
- Hot air balloon flight of $475
- Alcoholic beverages while on safari
- Laundry, phone and other items of a personal nature
- Cost of hospitalization and evacuation if necessary
What Do I Do Next?
Our groups are small, so space is limited. If this exciting trip has your name on it; if you're excited by the thought of becoming a member of this trip, then now is the time to register. Remember, there will be limited space available for this workshop. When they're spoken for, that's it. If you have any questions before registering, send us an e-mail with any inquiries to info@andybiggs.com.
