KAINGO PHOTO TOUR

Transcription

1 KAINGO PHOTO TOUR

2 INDEX SAFARI DETAILS & PRICING INTRODUCTION ITINERARY BREAKDOWN YOUR SAFARI YOUR GUIDE ACCOMMODATION TRAVEL CHECKLIST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

3 SAFARI DETAILS & PRICING Cost (US Dollar) Per person (sharing) $ Per person (single) $ % Deposit confirms your place. Maximum 3 photographers All-inclusive safari: Includes Return flights from Lusaka-Mfuwe, all accommodation, game drives, meals, drinks (wine and non-alcoholic drinks) and the service of our guides. The above costs include Pickup and transport for the entire tour. Entrance to concession and accommodation in camp. All meals, based on three meals a day. Activities. The services of our guides. Costs not included International flight to Lusaka Gratuities to staff and guides. Extra activities not included. Personal expenses Travel insurance Travel visas. Don t have all the equipment you want? Ask us and we send the relevant information. 3

4 INTRODUCTION Nestled deep within the rift valley of Zambia lies a reserve that combines some of the best wildlife viewing in Africa in a setting as unique as its wildlife is diverse. South Luangwa, with the Murchison escarpment on its western border and the Luangwa River to the east is a reserve that conjures up scenes of classic Africa. The open forest floors allows for clear photography, whilst the huge stands of African ebony trees provide the perfect backdrop to the stunning scenes that you will witness and the Luangwa River meanders along, filled with and attracting all manner of wildlife. Here you will spend 6 nights in the luxurious Kaingo Camp inside the actual reserve (Many lodges are outside) overlooking one of the floodplains that make this area so special. South Luangwa has all the romanticism of adventure and exploration from day s gone bye; but today it is the wildlife that s the main attraction- the wildlife and Luangwa River. Over the last few years Isak Pretorius has spent many hours hosting photo safaris in this wilderness. He has grown to love the ebony forests, know certain animals and understand the moods of Luangwa. His image portfolio is now full of images from the valley- an indication of its rich photographic potential. Join Isak on this exclusive private South Luangwa safari. There is space for only three photographers on this trip- each will have their own bench seat all to themselves to ensure you have all the comfort and space you need. Isak will personally guide and tutor you on this safari, sharing his immense knowledge and experience of his time in the Valley. Expect your images to improve dramatically and your experience of this part of Africa to be completely enhanced. 4

5 INTRODUCTION Photographic Hides Kaingo s unique photographic hides are a special feature of this safari. These hides are guaranteed to get you close enough to the wildlife to take a whole host of stunning photos - in complete safety. Kaingo has the following photographic hides to offer: - Hippo hide - Elephant hide - Carmine bee-eater hide - Mwamba s last waterhole hide - Wild dog lagoon hide - A mobile hide These hides have been used in documentaries for BBC wildlife as well as National Geographic. You can expect excellent action and great photography form them. C4 Photo Safaris has arranged accommodation at Kaingo camp in the north of the reserve. During the rainy season, the reserve is a veritable marshland of mud and elephant damaged roads- almost impassable. However, during the dry season, the languidly meandering Luangwa river dries up, forming pools of water, ox-bow lakes and dead-end tributaries- and it is these pools of water in the high woodland which produce such stunning wildlife viewing. South Luangwa hosts large populations of elephants, buffalo, hippopotamus and (Thornycrofts) giraffe. Leopard and Lion are exceptionally well represented- indeed; South Luangwa is touted as having one of the highest densities of leopard in Africa. Birds are also a major attraction in Luangwa- with over 420 species recorded. The highlight of the birding experience here is seeing the various storks and herons flocking to feed on the fish in drying pools- which you can expect to see at this time of year. In all, it provides one of the highlights of African wildlife. With Isak as your private guide and host you can expect to make more than the most of your time here. 5

6

7 ITINERARY Dates Tranfers Accommodation Day 1 Flight transfer to Mfuwe Airstrip Kaingo Camp Day 7 Flight transfer back to Mfuwe Airstrip BREAKDOWN Day 1: International departures to LUSAKA and direct transfer to Mfuwe airstrip. It is a 45 min transfer to the reserve form the airstrip. Day 7: Transfer Mfuwe airstrip to Lusaka. International flight departures. 7

8 Day 1 YOUR SAFARI Lusaka International Airport, Zambia You will arrive at the Lusaka International Airport and met by a C4 representative, where you will then be transfered directly to Mfuwe Airstrip for you stay at the Kaingo Camp in the South Luangwa National park for the intire safari. Day 1-7 Kaingo Camp, Zambia Here you will spend 6 nights in the luxurious Kaingo Camp inside the actual reserve (Many lodges are outside) overlooking one of the floodplains that make this area so special. South Luangwa has all the romanticism of adventure and exploration from day s gone bye; but today it is the wildlife that s the main attraction- the wildlife and Luangwa River. Day 7 Lusaka International Airport, Zambia After breakfast you will be transfered to the Mfuwe Airstrip for you flight to Lusaka International Airport. This is the end of the Safari. 8

9 YOUR SAFARI (CONTINUED) Photographic highlights are: Classic scenes of the Luangwa river meandering through the wide river banks Hundreds of Hippopotamus in the pools and main river Access to a number of very good hides built specifically for photographers Large elephant herds in the woodlands, drinking at the rivers edge and in front camp One of the only places to see Thornycrofts Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti Excellent lion population Very high density of leopard, with very relaxed individuals Flocks of storks, herons and egrets feeding in the drying pools for fish Excellent sightings of large water birds in the Luangwa River Buffalo herds drinking at the rivers edge numbering into the hundreds 9

10 South Luangwa South Luangwa National Park in eastern Zambia, the southernmost of three national parks in the valley of the Luangwa River, is a worldrenowned wildlife haven. It supports large populations of Thornicroft s Giraffe, and herds of elephant and buffalo often several hundred strong, while the Luangwa River supports abundant crocodiles and hippopotamuses. It is one of the best-known national parks in Africa for walking safaris. Founded as a game reserve in 1938, it became a national park in 1972 and now covers 9,050 km². The Muchinga Escarpment in Northern and Central Provinces forms the park s western or north-western boundary, it slopes down from there to the river, lying mostly on its western bank. The eastern bank of the river is in Eastern Province, and as access to the park is only from that side, it is usually thought of as being wholly in Eastern Province. The park spans two ecoregions, both of them woodland savannah, distinguished by the dominant tree: Southern Miombo woodlands cover the higher slopes of the valley, while Zambezian and Mopane woodlands cover the bottom of the valley. The Mopane tree tolerates the higher temperatures and lower rainfall found at lower elevations than Miombo trees which are found on the higher plateau. Within these woodland savannahs are larger patches of grassland, so that grazers such as zebra and leaf browsers such as giraffe are found in profusion in the same areas. Patches of flooded grassland habitats (floodplains) are found close to the river, on which hippopotamus graze at night. Their dung released into the river fertilises its waters and sustains the fish population which in turn sustains the crocodiles. The Luangwa valley, continued to the west by the Lunsemfwa River valley, contains some varieties of animals such as Cookson s wildebeest and Crawshay s zebra which are endemic or near-endemic to the valley. It also represents something of a natural barrier to human migration and transport, no roads cross it and this has helped conserve its wildlife. Although the park is generally well-protected from poaching, the park s black rhinos were wiped out by 1987, and the elephant population has been under serious pressure at times. 10

11 YOUR GUIDE PHOTOGRAPHER/ISAK PRETORIUS Isak was born to be a photographer, but before he discovered this, he became an engineer. Once he picked up a camera, his engineering career came to an end and Isak has now established himself as one of the top bird photographers in Africa. The benefit of his engineering training is his flawless technical knowledge of camera systems and the post processing software that accompanies them. He combines these skills to focus on bird-in-flight photography; where he has excelled to the point of being awarded an unprecedented 8 awards in the FujiFilm-Getaway Photo Competition in just one year. His highest accolade arrived in 2013 when he was winner of the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year in the Bird Behaviour category, which undoubtedly proved that he s one of the world s best wildlife photographers. ISAK PRETORIUS 11

12 ACCOMMODATION Kaingo Camp Overlooking the Luangwa River deep within the prime area of the South Luangwa National Park, Kaingo s relaxed, personal and friendly atmosphere offers its guests fantastic game-viewing opportunities within an area of incredible beauty and varied terrain. Built and run by Derek Shenton, son of Barry Shenton former ranger in Luangwa and warden of Kafue National Park Kaingo has many attributes from the Shenton family ranging from the camps stylish design and practical layout to the local farm produce.te large centrally located open-sided sitting room includes a dining area, library and Kaingo s renowned thousand year old lead-wood bar. Nestled discretely apart on the banks of the river, Kaingo s chalets were designed with the sole purpose of transporting you safely into the world of the Luangwa without a single distraction. 12

13 TRAVEL CHECKLIST Travel documents Passport ID Documents Flight ticket/s Itinerary Accommodation and travel Foreign exchange Credit card/s Cash Personal items and clothing Hat Sunscreen (one low factor and one higher factor SPF) Sunglasses Cotton shirts Warm top/s Wind breaker/rain jacket Inners thin light gloves to wear on cool early mornings Travel sandals Closed shoes Camera Equipment Camera bodies Lenses Tele-converters Body and lens caps Plastic zip lock bags Filters (UV, Polariser and graduated) Batteries Battery chargers Camera bag Binoculars Digital card wallet Cable ties Flash-gun Batteries for flash gun Big Blower brush Sensor cleaning fluid Laptop/External hard drive Power for external hard drive Power adaptors Camera manuals Tripod Tripod head and quick release plate Lens cleaning cloth/s Camera vest Digital memory cards Personal medical items Malaria prophylactics if you are travelling in a malaria area Contact lens cleaning fluid Copy of any medical prescriptions Copy of prescription glasses Note of any allergies to any medication Mosquito repellent 13

14 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. What should I know about vehicle etiquette? Vehicle etiquette and consideration for fellow photographers: On all our tours we may ask participants to rotate seats in the vehicles, taking it in turn to sit in the more popular seats in the front and the less popular ones in the rear. This requirement applies to everyone. If there is some reason why you can t take your turn in the back of a vehicle (e.g. a bad back or travel sickness) please inform our office at the time of booking to see if we can accommodate you. We regret that anyone failing to inform us of such limitations before the tour will be expected to rotate seats in the same way as everyone else. There is also other vehicle etiquette that we would like to ask you to adhere to. We give these guidelines to ensure a positive experience for all when on safari. Please keep noise levels low at an animal sighting. This allows people to enjoy the setting and listen to sounds that the animals may be making. Often these alert us to some behaviour and allows us to anticipate any action that may occur. If you are seated in the front of the vehicle, please have consideration for the people behind you. A pre-arranged chat at the start of the safari is an excellent way to work out how you will be photographing and working around each other. It provides a positive working environment and allows everyone to photograph happily in the vehicle. When photographing, keep movement to a minimum. If you are going to shift places, then alert the others and do so as swiftly and directly as possible. Please do not do anything to effect the behaviour of the animals. Your driver/ranger has to adhere to certain rules and etiquette at sightings that you may not be aware of. This may mean you cannot stop exactly where you would like. Please bear this in mind at sightings, especially when there are other vehicles from other camps around. 2. What technical equipment or requirements do I need for the workshops? For workshops a Digital SLR camera is recommended, with at least a 200mm lens to capture wildlife images. A laptop for downloading is also helpful, although we can download image if necessary. On a Photo tour, two DSLR camera bodies and lenses are advised. The type of lenses you take depend entirely on the destination. We will advise according to each tour should you need advise. 3. Are there any extras I need to bring on a trip? Most of our tours are all inclusive and we offer advice as to what to bring along. This is due to the different seasons and conditions of each safari. C4 Photo Safaris will always advise if you will be traveling in a Malaria area. If the tour is not all-inclusive, it will be clearly stated. 14

15 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (CONTINUED) 4. Why do you choose such specific destinations for the Tours and Workshops? Each destination is hand picked by us for the beauty and photographic potential it holds. C4 Photo Safaris only travel to destinations that offer the best of what we are looking to photograph. If we know an area holds excellent wildlife, we will take tours there. There are many factors to consider- Seasonal variation can have a large impact on wildlife movements, animal and bird migrations, localalised animal movements etc. We of course take all this into consideration, ensuring that our tours are going to the best locations at the best times. 5. Is there any cell phone reception in the areas? In most game reserves and wild areas there is no cell/mobile phone reception. 6. How safe am I in the game reserves in Africa? C4 Photo Safaris only operate with lodges and reserves that use the best rangers. They ensure your safety whilst on safari and use very strict procedures when dealing with dangerous animals. Each lodge has a safety briefing on arrival which, if adhered to, makes your stay very safe. 7. What insurance/coverage do I need? Your normal travel insurance covers you for safaris in Africa. C4 Photo Safaris are comprehensively insured for medical emergencies on safaris. 8. For Malaria, which tablets should I take, if any? C4 Photo Safaris are not allowed to prescribe medical advice to clients. We will advise if the area visited is in a malaria area. You will need to consult with your local GP for medical advise on Malaria and prevention. 9. What about allergies? Most safari camps are able to handle food allergies but not with the degree of skill that five star hotels do. The best way to handle an intolerance, is to simply avoid eating that particular food as the menus in camp are quite diverse. If you have a more uncommon allergy, like being allergic to eggs, and you know of a solution (like a powder substitute), then bring it along on safari. If you have a deadly allergy, then be sure to travel with your own medication and request in camp that that ingredient be removed from the kitchen and the store. As a side note, it is helpful to remember that many safari camps have to fly produce in or truck it in, over hundreds of miles. Furthermore, the camps, although impressive looking, actually have minimal infrastructure behind the scenes. If you assist the camp in managing your allergy, it will be a great help. 15

16 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (CONTINUED) 10. What about medicine, diseases and vaccinations? Please check in with your local travel clinic or doctor for advice. From my experience, a yellow fever and hepatitis vaccination is a must, while the plethora of others are optional. Our safaris are conducted in low risk malarial areas but for your own peace of mind, we recommend that you take a prophylactic. In areas where you get tsetse flies in East Africa, humans are not the primary disease carries, and contracting Tryps is very rare. There is nothing you can do about these flies except to dress appropriately (keep reading) and to apply mosie-guard. None of our current safari destinations carry significant amounts of tsetsi flies. The camps do have medicine kits and there is always an evacuation plan. We do however find it practical to always travel through Africa with the following items: Immodium (keep this handy when traveling) - Buscopan (for tummy cramps) - Pain killers (that contain paracetamol and a muscle relaxant) - Antihistamine cream and tablets for any allergic reactions - Melatonin to help speedy recovery from jetlag - Any medicine or ointments that you would normally take at home - Mosquito repellant - A product called Mosie-guard for areas where Tsetsi Flies occur (manufactured in the UK and Deet does not work) - Tweezers for any thorns or splinters - Re-hydrants sachets (very important) - Disinfectant or antibiotic cream (just for nicks, cuts or grazes) - Plasters (to cover nicks, cuts or grazes) 11. Can I drink water and eat fresh produce on safari? We advise that you only drink bottled water, which is always available in camps. Avoid ice as this is often made from local water which although is generally safe to drink, your foreign tummies might disagree! It is safe to eat fresh produce. 12. What about food on safari? Both East and much of Southern Africa was a British colony and as such, you can expect that type of cuisine. The breakfasts usually consist of cereals and a hot English breakfast. Lunches are usually light with a variety of salads and always a meat option. Dinners are traditional English affairs usually with a soup starter and freshly baked camp bread. The main course will usually be a roast of sorts, with vegetables. Dessert is usually a simple affair consisting of fruit or a baked pudding. You will not go hungry! (A side note to mention is that between meals there are often not snacks readily available and breakfast is often only later in the morning. You might want to bring a few snacks or energy bars if you have a problem keeping your sugar levels up.) 13. Any luggage restrictions? The reality is that on any scheduled charters in Africa, there will be luggage restrictions. Short of chartering your own flight (which we can do), our advice is to bring only the essential camera equipment. Having too much equipment can actually hinder your photography. Also, you can get washing done in camp and with a fairly moderate to hot climate, you can afford to pack light. In short, bring fewer clothes so that you can bring more camera gear! Depending on the safari you book, we will be able to advise you on exact weight restrictions. 16

17 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (CONTINUED) 14. What amount of spending money should I bring along? Our tours cover all travel, food and accommodation costs (unless otherwise stated). This means that spending money can be kept to souvenirs, curios and books. This normally amounts to Euro per person per day. 15. Commercial representation and wildlife photography consulting C4 Photo Safaris has the full capacity to plan and run commercial photo shoots for professional clients. We are able to supply you with the best guides in the wildlife photography industry as well as organize and run all your ground handling logistics for the shoot. Our knowledge of African travel logistics combined with our specialized knowledge of wildlife and the best places to photograph them, places us in the perfect position to plan and run your commercial shoot. Please contact Shem with your request. Additionally we can supply photographers for the shoot where they would work under the production name. On all tours with c4 images and safaris, our guides have the right to take photographs. Their goal is to get you into the right position and tutor you into getting the best photograph. Once they have done so, they have full rights to take their own photographs. The rights of the guides and all of their images remains with the individual guide who took the photographs. No other person has any rights over the photographs taken by a guide representing C4 Photo Safaris. 17

18 SHEM COMPION (SOUTH AFRICA) Cell Phone: International: +27 (0)