This safari will take us to one of the best areas for wildlife watching and photography in the world, the southern Serengeti plains, at the time when over one million Wildebeests gather here to give birth to their calves.
Here the short grass plains come to life during the wet season. New shoots of grass emerge and the Wildebeests return from the north after their search for pastures during the dry season. This grass is particularly rich in salts and minerals, providing the ideal conditions for the Wildebeests cows to give birth to their babies. The predators of course will take advantage of this proliferation of young animals trotting across the plains next to their mothers. We will follow families of Cheetahs and Lions around Lake Ndutu, wait for the Wildebeests to give birth to their calves and also search for the smaller but equally interesting animals, Servals, Caracals, Striped Hyenas and Bat-eared Foxes. We shall divide our time between the Lake Ndutu area, in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the Southern Serengeti plains in the Serengeti National Park where we will have chances for iconic photographs of Lions on the Kopjes and hopefully for interesting hunting images.
The Ngorongoro Crater is 600 meters deep, and hosts an impressive concentration of animals, grazers such as Gazelles, Wildebeests and Zebras, and predators such as Hyenas, Lions and Cheetahs.
This safari will be for a maximum of 8 guests on two vehicles. Each guest will have a full row of seats available to photograph comfortably on both sides. Couples may request to share a row of seats, for a maximum of 1 couple per vehicle. Minimum of 5 guests are required for the safari to take place.
We use extended Land Cruiser specifically configured for wildlife photography. Each Land Cruiser seats 7 guests on three rows of seats, but we give each photographer a full row. Vehicles have ample side openings, supports for tripod heads, open roof and ample space and loads of bean bags on board. The whole trip will be by road.
Both at Lake Ndutu, within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and in Serengeti NP, we will stay in mobile camps in excellent position to photograph wildlife in the plains, in the woodlands around the marshes and at the kopjes. Though the camps are mobile, you will enjoy all amenities, such as en-suite toilet and shower, big and comfortable beds, good food.
At the Ngorongoro we’ll sleep in a beautiful lodge on the crater rim, near the access road to the crater floor, ensuring we are inside the crater before sunrise.
Federico Veronesi will be your guide for the whole safari. He will share his time equally between the two vehicles. Throughout the safari he will share his knowledge on the wildlife and parks of Tanzania. Through the years he learned to understand and predict animals’ behaviour, ensuring you’ll often be in the best spot for photography, all without running from one place to the other and most importantly without disturbing them or destroying their environment. Federico will provide assistance to participants on all aspects of wildlife photography, from composition and light in the field, to processing of images in the evening in camp.
The vehicles will be driven by professional local guides who have extensive knowledge of the parks visited and are used to working with photographers.
The cost for this safari will be 5,890 USD on sharing basis, including:
Full board accommodation for 1 night in Arusha, 4 in Ndutu, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, 3 nights in Serengeti and 1 at Ngorongoro Crater;
Park Fees and one entry permit for Ngorongoro Crater;
Guiding by Federico Veronesi sharing between two vehicles;
Full row on Land Cruiser 4×4 with unlimited game drives from before sunrise to after sunset;
Flying Doctors emergency evacuation insurance;
2 airport transfers