Photographic Trips
On the road again…
Me and my camera in Chobe National Park, Botswana
I’ve been a professional wildlife photographer since 2013, so I often lose track of all my photographic trips! For my own reference and for yours, here’s a list of everywhere I’ve been with my favourite photos from each place.
Bomani Tented Camp
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
March 2025
Lion Walk
Gallery: link
Blog: Kings and Rollers
Imvelo Safaris kindly invited me to be their resident photographer for a week in March 2025, and I enjoyed the whole experience. It was my first time visiting Hwange National Park and only my second time in Zimbabwe. The staff were very helpful and friendly, the accommodation was fine and I virtually had the place to myself!
The only problem was that it was the low season, so big game sightings were few and far between. There was so much water around that the animals didn’t have to congregate at the waterholes, so it was hard to see anything apart from the local lion pride and a few birds.
I did my best under the circumstances, but I didn’t even manage to take one five-star shot. This one of a male lion was probably the best of a bad bunch…!
Kicheche Bush Camp & Valley Camp
Olare Motorogi & Naboisho Conservancies, Kenya
December 2024
Gallery: link
Blog: Chasing Cheetahs
It’s always dangerous to go back to your favourite places, and I left Kicheche a little disappointed. I did see a couple of cheetah kills, but they were in the far distance, and I didn’t manage to take any photographs of the actual takedowns. The best I could manage was this slow pan of a cheetah chasing a warthog (see above).
Apart from that, it was nice to see a lioness carrying a cub in her mouth and a serval jumping across a wide river. I’d never seen either of those before. However, there were very few birds to photograph and almost no lilac-breasted rollers, so I didn’t even get many chances to take bird-in-flight shots.
Goliath Camp
Mana Pools, Zimbabwe
September/October 2024
Alone
Gallery: link
Blog: Mana from Heaven
Until this year, I’d never really heard anything about Mana Pools. However, all that changed when I met a nice chap at one of the lodges in South Luangwa. He told me all about the place and persuaded me that it was the perfect location for wildlife photography as you could walk with the animals—rather than being stuck in a safari truck!
He even told me the name of a guy who had been running walking safaris there for 40 years called Stretch Ferreira. What a name! On the spur of the moment, I decided to book a trip.
In the end, I have to admit that it was a disappointment. Stretch and the rest of the staff were a good laugh and certainly knew their stuff, but there were too many elephants and too few leopards, lions, cheetahs and African wild dogs.
I was lucky to get a sighting of a leopard on my last night, but it happened just after sunset, so it was hard to take great pictures. This one made me smile (see above), but I’ve had to downgrade it from five stars to four because of the light. Shame…
Chikunto Safari Lodge, Mfuwe Lodge, Kuyenda, Bilimungwe, Kapamba & Zungulila Bush Camps
South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
July-August 2024
Going for Gold
Gallery: link
Blogs: Roller Derby, Don't Drive Angry, Unpronounceable, Unspellable and Unmemorable, The Dog Whisperer, Birds, Dogs and Pukus, Feast or Famine
After seeing so many leopards and wild dogs in South Africa, I decided to book a trip to South Luangwa to do the same. Unfortunately, I didn’t see as many as I’d hoped, and the whole experience was a bit of a letdown.
I didn’t get on with the staff at Mfuwe, and I had so few sightings that, on a couple of game drives, I didn’t see a single animal or take a single photograph!
Having said that, I did see African wild dogs on two or three occasions, so it was nice to be able to add a few portraits and videos to my collection.
Kambaku River Lodge, Arathusa Safari Lodge, Simbavati River Lodge & Kings Camp
Greater Kruger, South Africa
June 2024
Red Run
Gallery: link
Blogs: Last-minute Safari, Raining Cats and Dogs, Getting the Horn, Quality over Quantity
It had bothered me for a while that I’d never been to South Africa. I’d been to almost all the other traditional safari destinations, including Botswana, Kenya, Namibia and Tanzania, but not South Africa. So I decided to make it happen.
In the end, it was more luck than judgment. I’d planned to go in September, but when my flight home from Botswana was cancelled, I decided to take advantage of the unexpected opportunity.
BA put me up in the Birchwood Hotel in Johannesburg, so it was easy to ask the Transport Manager about getting a ride to Kruger National Park and booking a few lodges. In the end, he was kind enough to do everything himself! Thanks, Evans…
It was a very last-minute trip, so I was surprised how easy it was to find accommodation—although there was a horrible misunderstanding at Simbavati when I arrived to find they didn’t have a booking for me!
I stayed at several lodges just outside the Kruger National Park:
Kambaku was outside the Kruger National Park, but my game drives were inside. That was a misunderstanding—and a mistake. The national park was chock-full of trees, and as soon as I passed through the main gate, I couldn’t believe it was possible to be a wildlife photographer there!
Like Kings Camp, though, Kambaku had a hide, and I was able to spend many comfortable hours taking pictures of all the game that visited the waterholes—including six white rhinos!
The lesson I took from South Africa was that it was a matter of quality over quantity. I didn’t get many sightings, but I still saw plenty of lions, leopards and African wild dogs.
Muchenje Safari Lodge
Chobe National Park, Botswana
May 2024
Dust Bird
Gallery: link
Blog: Mr Nick Goes to Botswana
I've visited Muchenje Safari Lodge three times as the ‘resident photographer’. Each time, I’ve done a barter deal with one of the co-owners, Shaun, so I’ve enjoyed free accommodation for three weeks (and even free flights!) in exchange for copies of my pictures—some of which are now hanging on the walls of the rooms.
The great appeal of Botswana is the water. Muchenje is on the banks of the Chobe River, so it’s possible to go on boat rides as well as game drives. That means you can fill your day with one safari adventure after another, with a game drive in the morning followed by a boat ride and picnic lunch on the river and, finally, another game drive on the way home.
Botswana is great for elephants, and Chobe has the highest population in the whole country. I’m not a huge fan of photographing elephants, but I do make an exception for playful calves and dust or mud baths!
There aren’t any cheetahs or rhinos in Chobe, so you won’t see the whole Big Five, but leopard sightings are possible—if you’re lucky! The first time I went in 2022, I didn’t see a single one, but I’ve seen plenty since then.
In addition, the boat rides give you a different perspective. You see things you might not normally see on safari, such as buffaloes and elephants grazing on the island of Sedudu and the wide selection of birdlife. Fortunately, the boat rides low enough in the water that you can easily get down to eye level. I took this shot of a water thick-knee (see above) by lying on the front deck and resting my 600mm lens on the bow of the boat!
Kicheche Mara Camp & Valley Camp
Mara North & Naboisho Conservancies, Kenya
January 2024
Gallery: link
Blog: Wet and Wild!
Ever since I saw five kills in a week on my first trip in 2018, Kicheche has been my go-to place for photographing cheetahs. My guide has always been Paul Goldstein, an experienced wildlife photographer who part-owns the camps.
I’ve been to all three in the Masai Mara (Bush, Mara and Valley Camps), and I hope to visit Kicheche Laikipia in 2025 to see the rhinos—with a possible side-trip to Laikipia Wilderness for the black leopard!
I’ve seen at least one cheetah kill every time I’ve visited Kicheche, and my trip in January was no exception. Nashipae managed to bring down a female impala, and I was able to get a long sequence of shots during the chase, including this one (see above).
Unfortunately, the thornbushes got in the way of the actual takedown, but I was pleased with the shots I took. Cheetah kills are so rare that I was happy just to be able to see one—let alone photograph it successfully!
Estancia Laguna Amarga
Torres del Paine, Chile
October 2023
Jumping for Joy
Gallery: link
Blog: Windy Paine
The puma (or cougar or mountain lion) was the last big cat that I hadn't photographed—if you exclude snow leopards! I got on well with the rest of the group, and we had plenty of sightings. However, they generally didn't come during the golden hour, and we didn't see any young cubs or pumas hunting guanacos. That was a bit disappointing, and the weather was a constant challenge as it switched from sun to cloud to rain to snow to wind—sometimes all in one day!
The other problem was getting there. It took two whole days to reach Torres del Paine, and the 'arrival day' and 'departure day' turned a week-long trip into a 12-day marathon! I might have to stick to Africa in future…
Great Migration Camps
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
August/September 2023
Blue Bird
Gallery: link
Blog: Mara River Crossing
I've always considered myself pretty lucky in terms of the sightings I've had on photography trips, but my Mara river crossing experience was ridiculous. I started out hoping for just one decent sighting and ended up with 10 in the first week!
I didn't get any five-star pictures of the wildebeest, but I saw so many crossings in the morning that I usually had all afternoon to look for the big cats and other wildlife.
Nature Heritage Resort
Bandhavgarh, India
May 2023
Stealth
Gallery: link
Blog: Tiger, Tiger...!
I've been on several Exodus expeditions with Paul Goldstein, and he always manages to put the guests in the best possible position to take pictures. However, I was a bit frustrated on this trip. My photos just weren't very good, and there always seemed to be a stray branch or leaf or something that stopped me from getting the 'clean' tiger shot I wanted!
However, at least I got a tiger fight, a mock charge and more fresh mango lassis than I've ever had in my life…!
Limneo Guest House
Lake Kerkini, Greece
February 2023
Wings of Gold
Gallery: link
Blog: Lake Kerkini
Going to a Greek lake to photograph Dalmatian pelicans doesn't count as a 'typical' trip for me! However, it was very sociable, and I was happy with my pictures—which is the ultimate test. I came back with so many favourites that pelicans now account for 18 of my Top 100 images!
Muchenje Safari Lodge
Chobe National Park, Botswana
October 2022
Gallery: link
Blog: Muchenje
Elephants, leopards, wild dogs, roan and sable antelopes, lions attacking a baby elephant, boat rides, lovely people, another beef Wellington, but problems with my camera and not as many bee-eaters as I’d hoped. That was the story of my second trip to Muchenje Safari Lodge in Botswana—this time in the dry season.
Ol Jogi
Ol Jogi Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya
April 2022
Eye of the Rhino
Blog: Ol Jogi
Ol Jogi is in rhino country, and I had a rhino sighting on every single game drive until the final day of my visit. There are around 120 mainly black rhinos there, and it was great to see them. I hadn’t had so many sightings since I went to Etosha and saw 17 in one weekend!
Hondius
Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica
December 2021
Getting the Hump
Blog: Antarctica
It might’ve gone wrong in so many ways.
I might’ve failed one of my 12 (!) Covid tests, too many other people might’ve caught Covid, I might’ve had the wrong documents, the ship might’ve been impounded, we might’ve been weathered out, I might’ve lost my luggage (again!), we might’ve struggled to see any wildlife…and so on, and so on.
Arviat
Nunavut, Canada
November 2021
Too Close for Comfort
Blog: Polar bear heaven
Imagine you were given a chance to spend £10,000 on an 11-day trip that only involved four days actually photographing polar bears. Would you take it?
Kicheche Bush Camp
Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya
January 2021
Fly Bee
Blog: Kicheche Bush Camp
I’ve just come back from 10 days at Kicheche Bush Camp with Paul Goldstein. It was meant to be a week-long Exodus trip, but when that was cancelled due to the new Covid restrictions, I booked privately with Paul, and I’m so glad I did!
Gabus Game Ranch
Namibia
October 2020
"Feeling horny...?"
Blog: Namibia
Until recently, the longest journey I’d ever had to make was 36 hours. That was how long it took to get to Brooks Falls in Alaska to see the bears catching salmon. My trip to Namibia ended up taking seven months!
Cottar's 1920s Safari Camp
Kenya
June 2019
"Is this close enough...?"
Blog: Cottar's 1920s Safari Camp
Cold, grey and wet. The weather at Cottar’s when I arrived on 28 May wasn’t great, and it didn’t get much better until a few days before I left on 30 June.
Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp
Tanzania
May 2019
"Call the Fire Brigade...!"
Blog: Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp
My time at Grumeti started off with a few frustrations and disappointments, but it all came right in the end…!
Klein's Camp
Tanzania
March-May 2019
He-Lion
Blogs: Klein's Camp, Klein's Camp: Part 2
If I told you I had to ask a guy with a spear to walk me home every night for the last month, you’d probably ask where on Earth I was staying. The answer is Klein’s Camp in the Serengeti in Tanzania.
Kicheche Bush Camp
Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya
July 2018
"Behind you!"
Blog: The trip to Kenya
Five kills. Five kills! That’s what I saw on my safari to the Masai Mara - not to mention half a dozen other chases and one I missed when I needed to go to the toilet...!
Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater & Tarangire National Park
Tanzania
January 2018
"Ah, grasshopper..."
Blog: Fantastic beasts and where to find them
When God painted Tanzania, he did so with a very limited palette of green and brown. There's not much variety in the landscape either, and some of the grassy plains are so flat you could lie on your back and see for a hundred miles! The only relief is the occasional kopje, or rock formation, but that's more like the artist's signature on a blank canvas.
Posada Cabárceno
Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno (or Cabárceno Wildlife Park), Spain
June 2017
"Who turned out the lights?"
Blog: Cabárceno
Photography is a lonely business, so I was delighted when a friend called Tammy from my old camera club asked me to go to a wildlife workshop in northern Spain.
Tiger Trails Resort
Tadoba, India
May 2017
"Tiger, tiger, burning bright…"
Blog: Tigers in Tadoba
"Tigerrrrrrr!" shouted our guide, and the driver stomped on the accelerator so hard we were doing 60mph before I knew what was happening.
SouthWild Pantanal Lodge/SouthWild Jaguar Flotel/Pouso Alegre
Pantanal, Brazil
September 2016
Pulling Power
Blog: Just jaguars
I've just come back from a two-week photographic safari to the Pantanal in Brazil with Naturetrek. I love taking pictures of predators, but I was running out.
Okavango Delta/Moremi Game Reserve/Chobe National Park
Botswana
April-May 2016
Dustbuster
Blog: Botswana and Victoria Falls
If you fancy watching a herd of 30 elephants crossing a river, photographing a malachite kingfisher perched three feet away or seeing an elephant chase off a pride of lions, try Botswana!
Sea Explorer
The Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica
January-February 2016
Eddie the Penguin
Blog: The Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica
How to waste a lot of money on birds...
Estrella del Mar
Galápagos Islands
January 2016
Tortoise Crossing
Blog: Welcome to South America!
It all started two days before my trip, when I asked Trailfinders for details of my flights to and from the Galápagos.
"Oh, you don't need to know all that," said the agent.
When I asked again, she gave me the wrong return date and then went AWOL for two days! She didn't even bother to confirm the right date, let alone apologise.
Kenya, Uganda & Rwanda
Africa
August-September 2015
Climbdown
Blog: This Is Africa
People generally use TIA as a shorthand to explain the everyday frustrations of power cuts, traffic jams and endless delays, but it should also be a cry of wonder.
King Salmon & Brooks Falls
Alaska, United States of America
July 2015
Bear Gills
Blog: Don't poke the bear!
Twenty years ago, I was staying with my best friend Mark in Golders Green and found myself chatting with his mother. She was in her seventies, but I politely asked if she'd been anywhere nice recently.
"Yes," she said, "I've just come back from watching the bears catching salmon in Alaska."
That'll teach me...!
Akademik Sergey Vavilov
Svalbard (or Spitsbergen or Spitzbergen), Norway
June 2014
Ptar and Feathers
Blog: And then it all went bear-shaped…
Beautiful girls are like polar bears: they’re hard to find, and you try to get as close as you possibly can before they turn their backs and walk away.
Delhi, Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore, Tordi Sagar, Jaipur &Agra
India
June 2014
Pig-aboo
Blog: Tigers and temples
When you tour India with a beautiful Dutch blonde named after a Norse fertility goddess, it’s bound to be an adventure…
Glacier, Yellowstone & Yosemite National Parks
United States of America
June 2014
Sweet as a Nut
Blog: Yosemite and Yellowstone
If they ever made it into a film, they’d cast Minnie Driver as Andreanne, Steven Spielberg as Denni, Matthew Modine as Stefan, Julie Benz as Hannah, Sophie Marceau as Alyona and Matthew McConaughey as Andrew.
Mount Kenya
Laikipia, Kenya
January 2013
Grevy's zebra watercolour
Blog: Picnic on Mount Kenya
During the Second World War, an Italian named Felice Benuzzi decided to escape from a British POW camp in Nanyuki, Kenya…
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